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Armie Hammer has hit the pause button on his acting career, and big potential paydays ... and now a credit card company's coming after him for a fat balance they say he owes.

American Express is suing the disgraced actor, claiming he owes upwards of nearly $67,000 for unpaid charges and/or cash advances, plus balance transfers. Unclear when he allegedly racked up the balance, but AmEx says he's had the account since 2011.

AmEx claims they've demanded he pony up in the past -- but they say Armie hasn't satisfied the balance ... and now, they're taking him to court over it.

2011 is right around the time Armie's career started blowing up. He was fresh off a great performance in 'The Social Network' and had booked a role in 'J. Edgar.' Thereafter, his fame skyrocketed ... only to come crashing down in 2021 amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

As of a couple months ago, it appears he's been working down in the Caymans selling timeshares.

Former NFL tight end Lance Kendricks was busted for DUI in Santa Monica over the weekend ... after cops say they found him knocked out in the driver's seat with the engine running.

TMZ Sports has learned ... SMPD officers were dispatched around 2:15 AM on Sunday regarding a newer model Ford Bronco that was swerving.

Cops say they located the whip on Ocean Avenue and made contact with 34-year-old Kendricks, who they say was passed out.

Law enforcement sources tell us Kendricks eventually awoke and appeared drunk ... and after conducting field sobriety tests, it was determined he had driven while intoxicated.

We're told Kendricks took a breathalyzer ... and blew over double the .08 legal limit.

Kendricks, who last played in the NFL in 2019, was booked on a DUI charge.

TMZ Sports has obtained Kendricks' mug shot ... which shows the former tight end looking annoyed.

Kendricks played nine seasons in the NFL with St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, Packers, and Chargers.

He made $5,000 bail and was released later Sunday morning.

Just about as quickly as it began, the working relationship between Kanye West and Johnny Depp's attorney, Camille Vasquez, has come to an end.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us after Kanye doubled and tripled-down on his antisemitic remarks over the weekend, Camille informed her firm, Brown Rudnick, she would no longer work with Kanye.

We're told Brown Rudnick still attempted to work with Kanye, but only under the condition he publicly retract his hateful and antisemitic words. Our sources say Kanye refused to do so, and fired Brown Rudnick.

TMZ broke the story, Kanye brought Camille and the firm onboard last week to handle his business matters. The law group was not involved in handling the proceedings of his divorce from Kim Kardashian.

Billboard's blistering article about hip-hop's "magic" slipping away is totally on point, according to Eminem's artist Westside Boogie ... who says rappers have been slipping in their craft.

TMZ Hip Hop got the Compton-bred MC at LAX over the weekend, and picked his brain on the ongoing conversation about rap losing its dominance. We were looking for his 2 cents, but we got a dime.

Boogie says he can actually relate to Billboard's claim ... he says he's been listening to pop music closely and thinks those artists are putting more attention to detail in their music than rappers these days.

Now, he's not saying rap's devoid of talent ... in fact, he said there are plenty of capable rappers, but they're doing little to differentiate themselves in terms of verses, beat selection, or even lyrical delivery.

Boogie's been spitting for a decade now and knows how the roulette wheel operates. He says the magic will reoccur when today's hip-hop stars put more effort into their craft.

The proof is in the DSP pudding -- Taylor Swift's new "Midnights" album drop fractured Spotify, and is projected to go platinum in just a week.

That would be more than Drake, Lil Baby and Kendrick Lamar's 2022 first-week outputs ... combined!!!

WSB dropped off his latest album on Eminem's Shady Records this year  ... the critically acclaimed "More Black Superheroes" ... and thinks his label boss needs more recognition from the younger generation in wake of his 50th birthday.

He says kids like his 13-year-old son, don't understand the full impact of Eminem's career, because it was before his time.

Kanye West's antisemitic remarks have already sparked one radical group to show face -- but what may come next is of even more dire concern for the Jewish people ... so says one man who advocates for the community.

Ivan Wolkind -- an exec of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles -- came on 'TMZ Live' Monday to explain the ripple effect Ye's words are already having ... and where it could lead from here, potentially resulting in real-world violence.

He says the freeway signs and mailed flyers that made the rounds this weekend are just the first of possibly more steps that he fears will be escalating in nature the more people start to see this as normal ... especially with someone as famous as Kanye leading the charge.

Wolkind also tells us that, unfortunately, he and his org have already started to issue warnings to Jewish people and Jewish institutions in and around L.A. as it pertains to keeping an eye out for troubling behavior that could signal imminent danger or threats.

The folks at "Ghost Adventures" are kicking things up a notch for spooky season -- we've got an exclusive clip of the moment a "ghost chair" seemingly appears and then disappears.

The apparent finding comes in a two-part episode about the abandoned and infamous Los Feliz Murder House, where Dr. Harold Perelson murdered his wife in 1959 with a ball-peen hammer and severely beat his daughter before killing himself.

The equipment the 'GA' crew used in the creepy mansion makes it all the more fascinating.

Zak Bagans tells TMZ the ghost chair was captured during a moment where chairs were the focus of an experiment -- "Everybody had a chair that was set on different floors of the house, and we connected everybody’s energy together using these chairs in a summoning experiment."

His take on what you're seeing here is, "It’s as if Dr. Perelson, who we called upon, literally pulled up a chair himself to join our experiment."

They used a method called LiDAR which uses a laser to scan objects or surfaces, by measuring the time it takes for the reflected light to bounce back ... basically, 3-D laser scanning.

The chair seemed to appear and then disappear on the laser scan, despite there being no seat in the actual scanned room.

The hunters stress the fact that the equipment is down to the "millimeter in accuracy" of scanning actual objects ... which makes said ghost chair like nothing they've ever seen before.

Zak says "This is one of the most astounding pieces of scientific evidence we have ever captured in the history of 'Ghost Adventures,' made even stronger due to the fact that it was captured by an accredited third-party LiDAR scanning company."

Big Sean is all geeked about becoming a parent -- he and his partner Jhené Aiko are expecting a baby boy, and it means Sean's gonna be stepping away from his J-O-B for a bit.

We got Sean Don at LAX and tried to get some insight on potential baby names. He admits it's a great topic to cover, but also said he's coming up empty on options -- or, at least, that's what he's telling us.

Ya gotta figure he and Jhené have discussed a few.

The glowing couple just celebrated the pregnancy with a dazzling baby shower, and Sean tells us he's actually looking forward to taking some time to get acquainted with his son.

Fans demand so much from artists -- especially in the streaming era -- but Sean definitely agrees there should be some sort of paternity grace for dads in hip hop.

While he doesn't have a foreseeable date for his return to music, Sean still has a musician's ear -- he recommended DJ Drama and Jeezy's "SnoFall" mixtape ... as well as Taylor Swift's Spotify-crashing "Midnights" album for your playlist updates.

Ja Morant is celebrating the start of the NBA season with some new ice -- a black and white diamond pendant reppin' his nickname ... with a matching Audemars Piguet watch!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... it all came to be when the Memphis Grizzlies superstar was talking to an owner at Ice Box on Instagram Live about making him a one-of-a-kind diamond watch.

During the convo, the two came up with the perfect idea -- not only would the hooper get a watch, but he'd also get a custom chain to match!!

The brainstorming sesh resulted in Morant's new black and white diamond Miami Cuban chain with an iced-out "12" clamp and pendant ... representing Ja's jersey number.

Morant -- who calls himself "12SKII" -- also got the word SKII on the bail of the pendant.

We're told the pendant comes with 20 carats of black and white VS quality diamonds and the Cuban link has 60 carats. Both pieces are made with 14-karat white gold and weigh an overall 400 grams.

As for the 22-year-old's new watch ... we're told it's worth over $100k and fully customized to Ja's liking with black diamonds.

Of course, buying jewelry from the Ice Box in Atlanta is a hobby for Morant -- he just bought some bling in August while congratulating a newlywed couple.

In April, he went on a $55k shopping spree and took some tequila shots with rapper, Gunna.

If you've wanted to chat with a departed loved one while sippin' on a mimosa, then you should set your sights on Las Vegas ... because an upcoming event is giving you the opportunity to dine with the dead.

"Brunched By An Angel" is set to kick off next month at the Palms hotel, with a few shows going down each month until January ... and you won't believe what they've got planned.

At an event where "VIPs dine with the RIPs," the 272 guests will be greeted with a musical set and some brunch (of course) ... and are promised "the best odds for anyone that has ever hoped to get a reading from a celebrity medium."

The production's put on by Emmy Award-winning EP Shane Farley ... and is hosted by psychic mediums Reginald Lewis, Loriann Mans and Christopher Allan.

Guests are able to get some direct connections from the mediums ... and some seats will even be left empty for them to sit with certain groups to guarantee someone at that table can be read.

James Corden might've been a POS at one restaurant in NYC -- according to the owner, anyway -- but another famous chef is giving a different story ... saying the dude's a dear.

Curtis Stone is coming to JC's defense -- telling us at LAX this week that he's been nothing but great in his own establishments ... although it's unclear which ones. Curtis owns a few well-known spots around the globe, Maude in Bev Hills perhaps being the crown jewel.

In any case, CS says his experiences with Corden are very different than the ones described by Keith McNally -- who owns Balthazar, and who put the 'Late Late Show' host on blast.

Speaking of that, we asked Curtis if KMN broke an unwritten rule among those in the service industry -- namely, protecting the privacy of patrons, especially celebrity ones, even if they are a bit rude.

Check out his response ... he says these should be safe spaces. 👀

McNally's motives have been questioned throughout the debacle -- frankly, he's been flip-flopping like a fish, taking back his ban and even showing sympathy toward Corden and extending an olive branch by offering free food if the guy properly apologizes to the servers.

The Mississippi day care workers who put on horror masks to scare children deserve hard time for the pranks ... so says one of the children's mother.

Katelyn Johnson's 2-year-old son is one of the kids in the viral video showing day care workers scare the living crap out of toddlers, and she tells TMZ her boy and his classmates are all traumatized.

The parent says her son's too young to be able to communicate what he's feeling, but he's showing trauma by his actions ... Katelyn says the little guy's having a hard time going to bed at night and is regressing in potty training, which she blames on his strong reaction to the horror mask.

As we reported ... upset parents pushed hard for the day care workers to be hit with felony child abuse charges, and Katelyn tells us she agrees the charges are appropriate.

Katelyn says she wants the 4 women hit with felonies to serve between 6 and 12 months ... saying the video is just a tiny peek into what she says was a regular occurrence.

Katelyn says she's not considering filing a lawsuit, because she thinks the women won't ever be rehired and won't be able to pay a damage award. But, she says other parents want to wait and see what happens with the criminal case before deciding on legal action.

Katelyn says she's trying to help her son heal through positive reinforcement. She says she's using a sound machine and night light to try and help him sleep, reassuring him their home and their family are a safe place.

Katelyn says they're back to square one with potty training ... telling us her boy almost had it down before the trauma set him back.

Trap music pioneer Drumma Boy is basking in his hometown's newfound hip hop dominance ... especially because he's been waving the Memphis flag for years in his music!!!

DB was in his studio putting the finishing touches on his new album "Welcome to My City Vol. 4" when he told TMZ Hip Hop ... the project includes GloRilla, Project Pat, Big Boogie, Jucee Froot, Big Moochie Grape -- all Memphis artists who bleed 901 culture.

In addition to the booming talent of NLE Choppa, Duke Deuce, Key Glock and Big30 ... adjacent to legacy acts such as Three 6 Mafia, Yo Gotti and 8Ball & MJG -- Drumma is confident saying Memphis has ended Atlanta's nearly 3-decade reign as hip hop's top hub!!!

DB recalls having to migrate to Atlanta to shop his beats ... citing infighting within Memphis as the primary reason.

He credits Three 6's Gangsta Boo for spreading his name around town ... eventually getting on the radar of Big Boi and André 3000 of Outkast, Pastor Troy and Jeezy.

Gavin DeGraw was forced to pull the plug at the last minute on a show for the Boys & Girls Club -- his team says he was sick as a dog, but he's already planning to make good.

Sources connected to the fundraiser tell TMZ ... Gavin was booked to perform last weekend at the 2022 "Enchanted Masquerade" Chrysalis Ball for the Boys & Girls Clubs in Collin County, TX.

The club serves upwards of 5,000 kids, and Gavin's performance was the first big in-person event they'd planned since COVID shutdowns. So, that's why organizers were so bummed when Gavin had to cancel on the very day of the event.

Our sources tell us the singer's team notified the Boys & Girls Club that Gavin had fallen so ill, he had to be hospitalized ... and wouldn't be able to make it to the event.

We're told event organizers had already spent $20k in production costs, and they ended up using the band originally booked for their after-party to replace Gavin.

It is unclear what Gavin's illness was -- our sources say his appearance fee will be returned, but the Club won't get the production and rider costs back.

Understandably, there were some disappointed folks at the fundraiser.

DeGraw's team says he's since made a full recovery, and while he regrets having to cancel ... he hopes to come back and support the organization soon.

Jake Paul is giving those picking Anderson Silva to win on Oct. 29 enough time to reconsider ... telling TMZ Sports they're going to lose all their money!!

We spoke with the Problem Child -- who's currently the betting underdog against the former UFC champion -- about his highly anticipated upcoming bout ... and despite having a ton of respect for his opponent, Paul tells us he's out for blood once they hit the ring.

"I'm knocking this guy out," Jakey P says ... adding the fight won't last past five rounds. "I'm promising everyone that."

"Come back to this interview, everyone, after the fight, and they'll say, 'Wow, he predicted the future,'" he added. "I have a crystal ball in my room and I can see it."

Jake says he's excited to prove people wrong on Saturday night ... and has a message for those putting their hard-earned money on Spider.

"You shouldn't have done it. You should've invested into something else."

"And everyone who bet on me?? Good stuff, man. You're gonna have some dough, maybe a new car, maybe your rent paid."

Jake also dishes on those downplaying the fight considering Silva is 47 years old ... and he explains why it's actually an advantage for Anderson.

Kenley Jansen isn't ruling out the possibility of a reunion with the Dodgers despite having a great time in Atlanta this past season ... telling TMZ Sports if L.A. made him the right offer, he'd rejoin the storied franchise.

We spoke with Jansen out at LAX -- just a few weeks before he'll hit the open market in free agency -- and the star closer told us that although he still sees himself as a Brave at the moment, he will explore the best options for him and his family this offseason.

And, yes, that does mean a possibility of a re-signing with the Dodgers.

"Hey, we'll see," he said with a smile. "We'll see what's out there."

Jansen, who spent the first 12 years of his career with L.A., spoke highly of his first season as a Brave ... and it's easy to see why -- the team won 101 games, and he had an All-Star caliber year, logging 41 saves.

"I can tell you all great things about Atlanta," Jansen said. "Atlanta is awesome. The fans, the people, the organization. I had a great time there, and we had a great season."

But, Jansen told us he still lives in L.A. -- and it's clear the City of Angels still feels like home to him despite the past year in Georgia.

"Love Island USA" star Timmy Pandolfi is still reelin' from his reality show win ... and says his relationship with Zeta Morrison is still going strong long after the season ended ... and he says keeping things real was a key to their success.

We got the personal trainer leaving Equinox in L.A. Friday ... telling us he's got no complaints from his time on the dating competition series ... and filling us in on how things are goin' with his boo, Zeta.

As for their big W, TP says it's all about being who they really are on camera ... noting the growth of their "pure relationship" had a lot to do with the absence of social media and dating apps.

Fans of the show know Timmy and Zeta were Day 1's on the latest season ... with the cast often referring to them as the "mom and dad" of the group. The 2 stayed strong and went home with $100K in the end -- and, of course, each other.