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Kevin Hart is already back on his own two feet -- but he's miles away from a full recovery ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources connected to the comedian tell us that Kevin is, in fact, walking again -- as Tiffany Haddish mentioned Friday at the Harper's Bazaar ICONS event in NYC -- but he's not nearly as "good" as she made it seem. We're told he's walking slowly and gingerly at this point.

We're also told KH's starting physical therapy this weekend at the hospital he's currently being treated at. That's great considering he just underwent surgery days ago.

While he may be taking steps in his road to full health, make no mistake ... we're told Kevin is in excruciating pain as he heals, but that he's also maintaining a relatively positive mood.

TMZ broke the story ... Kevin was involved in a nasty car accident last weekend that sent his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda flying into a ditch off a highway in Malibu Hills. He suffered 3 spinal fractures, and went into surgery soon afterward for his back.

Chris March, a costume designer who appeared on "Project Runway" -- and dressed huge stars like Beyonce and Meryl Streep -- is dead ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources close to Chris' family tell TMZ ... he died Thursday afternoon at 1:45 PM from a heart attack. We're told Chris had been in and out of the hospital for the last year, but the heart attack came as a surprise to doctors and relatives.

Despite his medical battles -- related to a nasty fall he suffered 2 years ago -- we're told Chris was still designing dresses until the end.

Chris was a finalist on season 4 of "Project Runway" ... he also appeared on "Project Runway All Stars" and had his own show on Bravo called "Mad Fashion." He also made cameos on "The Real Housewives of New York City" ... helping find elaborate costumes for Sonja Morgan.

Known for his avant-garde style, Chris had major A-list clients. He designed for Madonna, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Coolidge and, as we said, Bey and Streep. He was responsible for Meryl's 2010 Golden Globe and Oscars gowns.

Chris also designed costumes for Cirque du Soleil and a slew of Broadway performances.

He had struggled to fully recover from a June 2017 fall in his apartment where he'd hit his head. Chris laid there for 4 days, finally woke up and called 911 before being rushed to the hospital.

He had to be placed in a medically induced coma, and suffered organ failure ... including a collapsed lung.

Chris was 56.

The lawyer who initially represented A$AP Rocky in his Swedish assault case was shot by someone who appears to have been lying in wait for him ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Henrik Olsson Lilja was leaving his apartment building early Friday morning in downtown Stockholm when a gunman walked up to him and shot him in the head and the chest. Cops tell us the lawyer was inside the building at the time of the attack.

The gunman jumped into a waiting SUV, which then sped off.

We don't know the lawyer's condition, but we're told he actually called the police. TMZ has seen a photo of him on the street and the head injury is too gruesome to post.

The lawyer repped A$AP when he was first taken into custody after assaulting a man who was harassing him on the streets of Stockholm. Olsson Lilja was replaced before the trial began.

So far we don't know if there's any connection to Olsson Lilja's representation of A$AP.

The shooter is still at large.

Serena Williams absolutely destroyed her opponent at the U.S. Open on Tuesday ... and NO ONE was happier for her than Tiger Woods ... who was losing his mind in the stands!!

The golf legend has been a spectator at the major tournament with his GF, Erica Herman, and his 10-year-old son, Charlie, this week ... even geeking out over meeting Rafael Nadal after his match on Monday.

Serena's 44-minute-long quarterfinal match against Wang Qiang was no different ... with Woods front and center for Williams' 6-1, 6-0 dominant performance ... and giving his classic fist pump celebration during the match!!

There were other huge names in the crowd to watch Serena ball out ... from her bestie, Priyanka Chopra, to NBA commish Adam Silver to Martha Stewart and singer James Blake.

As for Serena, next up is #5 ranked Elina Svitolina in the semifinals ... and if it's anything like what we saw on Tuesday, that woman's in trouble.

We spoke briefly with Serena in NYC on Wednesday morning -- and she told us if she wins the event this year, racking up her 24th grand slam ... she'll be back next year to try and claim #25!

Our guy also wished Serena's daughter a belated happy birthday -- and Serena politely reminded us that she's a Jehovah's Witness and therefore, they don't celebrate birthdays.

R. Kelly is finally out of solitary confinement and will join the general population, even though prosecutors called BS on his isolation woes.

The singer's attorney, Steven Greenberg, tells TMZ ... Kelly was moved Tuesday and claims the singer was only kept in solitary by prison officials as a form of punishment -- due to his celebrity and the prurient nature of his alleged crimes.

Greenberg tells us that although R. Kelly will be in gen pop -- which is normally considered more dangerous, especially for high-profile inmates -- he claims there are going to be security measures in place that should keep his client safe.

We're told R. Kelly will now be allowed 10 non-attorney visits instead of the previously allowed one. He'll also have a longer leash for phone calls and emails.

Perhaps most important -- for R. Kelly it seems -- is the fresh air he'll be able to experience now with other prisoners during rec time. He'll get to hit the yard if he wants.

Now, prosecutors confirmed R. Kelly was being moved to gen pop in a court filing of their own -- but added he was only in solitary briefly and at his request.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, state prosecutors say R. Kelly had previously asked to be placed in a secluded wing of the prison called the Special Housing Unit with no cellmates, at first. They say he eventually did get cellmates.

Bre Tiesi continues to live her best post-Johnny Manziel life ... taking her modeling career to the next level by making her famous butt an actual work of art.

Bre recently became the latest in a long line of famous women to offer her butt as a canvas to Al Baseer Holly, a super hot new wave artist who takes his talents to women's tushies.

Al has painted the backsides of women like Nicole Murphy, Bria Myles, Emmaly Lugo and Karen Civil and he hooked up with Bre to plaster Looney Tunes character Lola Bunny on her backside. 

We gotta be honest here ... this is pretty spectacular art. We've studied the pics for a long time trying to make sure we don't miss any of the expression, and we're convinced the Mona Lisa is in serious trouble here.

Bre and Johnny split up earlier this year, so you'd expect a little spreading of the wings now that she's a single woman, and she's certainly flying.

Another dog has died aboard a KLM flight ... a tragedy that's becoming far too common.

The tragic incident went down on July 26 after 9-month-old French Bulldog boarded flight KL617 from Amsterdam to Boston. The family's attorney, Evan Oshan, tells TMZ ... the family's father was shipping his 6-year-old son's dog to their home in the states. Oshan says when the boy's grandmother went to pick up the dog at the airport, officials broke the tragic news to her.

The family had a necropsy performed on Roger and according to the docs provided by Oshan, Roger died of heat exhaustion and dehydration. The cause of death is listed as respiratory distress/heat stroke. The report also says "limited panting in a stressful, hot or humid environment, combined with a lack of water, would have placed Roger at high risk for heat stroke."

The family now wants answers and has hired Oshan, who has sadly dealt with similar cases. As we first reported ... a Central Asian Shepherd was found dead back in in March in the cargo hold of a KLM flight from Amsterdam to L.A.

Oshan confronted airline officials at LAX demanding answers. At the time he got none ... but vowed to get to the bottom of it.

Kanye West's Sunday Service is on the road again ... this time he took the choir to good ol' Watts, and none other than Brad Pitt showed up to feel the good vibes.

Brad was among the large group of worshipers who surrounded Kanye and his choir Sunday in the parking lot of a church. We're told it was a spur-of-the-moment deal, and Brad's presence was a surprise to almost everyone who showed up.

Maybe it shouldn't be going forward, 'cause our sources tell us this is his second time coming.

You can see Brad rockin' his signature charcoal-colored cap. We're told the actor was mostly unbothered by fans as he blended in with the crowd. Yes, Brad Pitt can blend in in Watts.

Other VIPs for this week's Sunday Service included L.A. Reid, Adrienne Bailon, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall and radio personality Big Boy.

Meanwhile, Kanye was doing his usual thing ... jamming out with the choir and the band on hand in the middle of the group. It looks like there was singing, dancing and, of course, a sermon was given at one point ... the whole church experience, which Ye's been taking around the country lately.

Looks like Kanye's recent Sunday Service road trip is becoming the norm. Remember, he was just in Dayton, OH last week with Kim and his kids ... where he helped Dave Chappelle put on a free concert and service for the grief-stricken community.

Wiz Khalifa had to bail on a concert on the eastern seaboard because of a bad foot injury -- specifically, he got jacked up while putting in serious work ... MMA style.

Sources connected to the Pittsburgh MC tell TMZ ... Wiz fractured his ankle Friday night during an MMA training session, which left him unable to perform during Saturday night's Hot 104.7's Hot Summer 2019 showcase in Westbrook, Maine.

He was one the headliners on the lineup -- performing alongside acts like A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Ally Brooke, YK Osiris, Big Freedia and others -- but because he couldn't make it ... DMX filled in for him last minute. Not a bad replacement.

Wiz took to social media Saturday to apologize to fans who'd purchased tickets in hopes of seeing him hit the stage, but promised he'd make it up to them in the future when he was healthy. He also made sure to thank DMX for stepping in on short notice.

If the MMA thing is catching you off guard, it shouldn't. He's been at this for at least a couple years now ... and he's absolutely taking training seriously. Just ask FOX's Jay Glazer.

Back in 2017, Wiz was filmed getting in an MMA sesh with Jay ... and the dude looks like he can absolutely throw down. He's even toyed with the idea of taking an actual fight.

What's crazy about this unfortunate setback for Wiz is that he appears to wear protective gear on his legs and ankles when he trains -- at least he did in this video here. He must've been kicking some serious ass to splinter a bone down there ... yowza. BTW, it should be noted ... we're told Wiz was NOT training with Jay in this instance.

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.