Exclusive

Carole Baskin hasn't been this astonished since Joe Exotic ran for president -- she can't figure out how Kate McKinnon copycatted her so perfectly for the upcoming Peacock series.

Carole tells TMZ ... she was stunned to see the 'SNL' star's transformation for "Joe Exotic" ... the dramatic series based off the Wondery podcast with the same title. As you know by now, Joe and Carole have major beef, to put it lightly.

He's accused her of feeding her 2nd husband, Don Lewis, to a tiger.

Anyway, she's stunned because producers nailed the wardrobe -- Carole says she has almost exactly the same outfit as the one Kate's wearing in a new photo from the set. Even Kate's necklace is spot on, which surprises Carole because she never wore that piece of jewelry on the Netflix docuseries.

Her only explanation for Kate's doppelganger act is sooo Baskin. Carole says Kate must be channeling her inner cat lady to be rocking those flats, jeans, sunglasses, purse and messy hair. Hell, they're even using the same 2012 Toyota pickup CB drives.

BTW, Carole says Kyle MacLachlan also did a good job portraying her current husband, Howard -- but it's not identical. She says Howard never wears short-sleeve button-up shirts nor a wedding ring, but she still approves.

Carole says she heard the series will explore her relationship with Howard -- but she's in the dark when it comes to how her battles with Joe will play out on the show.

Remember, she's never actually spoken to him in real life, so she hopes whatever the writers come up with is based on facts.

Dog the Bounty Hunter hasn't given up his hunt for Brian Laundrie -- he's got one more vital person to speak with -- and he's en route to her now.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Dog has NOT left Florida yet -- despite injuring his ankle earlier this week -- and is still working leads. We're told he's currently headed to the home of Laundrie's sister, Cassie, with whom he will attempt to discuss the case.

Earlier this month ... Cassie confronted a group of protesters outside her Florida home and told them she doesn't have the slightest clue where Brian's hiding, but added she wasn't sure if her parents had anything to do with his disappearance.

Our sources say Dog is still hobbling around on that bum ankle, but wants to make sure he's tried every possible avenue to locate Laundrie ... before heading to Colorado to get checked out by his doctor. As we reported, Dog hurt his ankle a couple of days ago in rugged terrain.

The Cassie meeting would come just a day after an autopsy report revealed Gabby Petito died by strangulation. The Teton County Coroner estimated the time she was killed might have been 3 to 4 weeks before her remains were found.

Gabby's family is heading to Wyoming to retrieve her body, and have her cremated.

For the first time ever, one of the costumes was even too outrageous for "The Masked Singer" ... and we're talkin' below the waist.

Jester, possibly the scariest costume to ever grace the 'Masked Singer' stage, almost didn't grace the stage at all ... TMZ has learned.

We're told the OG Jester costume had a specific vision for the look ... a codpiece to protect his, um, family jewels.

But, during rehearsals, we're told the codpiece caught the eyes of FOX execs and the network instantly deemed the Jester "too hot for TV."

The costume was adjusted to minimize Jester's private parts, much to the celebrity's dismay, and now he's got the green light.

While the spirit of the OG design is what folks will see on their TV sets, Jester is also family-friendly ... but our 'Masked Singer' sources say they still can’t promise kids won't go screaming when they see Jester's mask for the first time.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are way further along in their divorce proceedings than we thought, because their most valuable asset is already signed, sealed and delivered to Kim at a price of $20 million.

According to legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Kim is now the sole owner of the Hidden Hills estate ... Kanye signed over his rights to the property and the transfer was recorded with the County of L.A. on Sept. 28.

This is really significant, because there have been rumblings Kim and Kanye have been trying to salvage their marriage. If that were the case, it's doubtful huge assets like the family home would be formally transferred. What would normally happen is that they'd make an agreement to transfer various properties, but they wouldn't pull the trigger until they knew the divorce would go through.

This is a screaming signal there will be no reconciliation. The divorce is full steam ahead. In return for becoming sole owner of the Hidden Hills estate, Kim paid Kanye $20 million -- that's the so-called "buy out." Fact is ... Kim did well for herself, because that's the price they paid in 2014, before Kanye literally razed the house to the ground and rebuilt it, and it's now worth around $60 mil.

The home is a masterpiece, Kanye worked with architects and designers from around the world to finish it ... complete with a basketball court, detached gym, massive swimming pool ... and 2 kitchens!

Kim and the kids have remained in the home since February when she filed for divorce, and our sources say the home is the most important part of the property settlement for Kim.

So, the question ... what was the deal with Kim and Kanye hanging out, Kim attending the various "Donda" listening party events, Kanye showing up for 'SNL,' and on and on? Well, whether they tried to work it out, it seems that's in the rearview because the divorce is barreling down the tracks.

DeAndre Ayton and Suns owner Robert Sarver have met this week amid an ugly contract feud -- grabbing a drink together at a fancy spot in Arizona ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We've obtained photos of the two at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort on Monday ... and witnesses tell us the guys appeared to be in talks over a new deal for Ayton.

One witness says Ayton was comparing his game and his athleticism to another player during the conversation with Sarver ... adding that the talks seemed to be "all business."

If you're not familiar, Ayton -- the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft -- is seeking a new contract in Phoenix ... but has been upset over how the offers have been so far.

In fact, Ayton said Tuesday -- less than a day after the meeting with Sarver at the resort -- the entire situation has been "disappointing" ... particularly after seeing other players around the league, including Nuggets wing Michael Porter Jr., get flashy new deals.

"I love Phoenix, but I'm really disappointed we haven't really gotten a deal done yet," Ayton told reporters. "We were two wins away from winning a championship and I just really want to be respected, to be honest."

"To be respected like my peers are being respected by their teams."

A witness tells us Ayton showed up at the resort before Sarver ... and seemed perturbed, looking stoic and glancing at his phone often.

Ray J is no longer battling pneumonia from a Miami hospital bed ... he's been discharged and is continuing to recover at home.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Ray was released from the hospital over the weekend and he's also stopped using an inhaler and isn't on oxygen anymore.

As we told you ... Ray J was admitted earlier this month, where doctors discovered he had pneumonia and assumed he had COVID too. Ray tested negative for the virus and was eventually moved out of the COVID wing, but was super scared.

Our sources say Ray thinks his busy schedule and constant travel were to blame for his illness, and now he's realized he needs to take care of his health.

At one point in his bout with pneumonia, we're told Ray thought he was going to die, and now he's just thankful to have made it out.

TMZ broke the story ... Ray filed to divorce Princess Love while he was hospitalized, the third time the couple's walked down the divorce aisle.

"Mean Girls" star Jonathan Bennett's so down to give the 2004 classic another go-around ... and that's so fetch!!!

We got Jonathan out Tuesday afternoon in Hollywood where he surprised guests on the TMZ celebrity tour bus by hopping on. He told the passengers he wants to make happen what everyone seems to crave ... a reunion of the cast in one way, shape or form.

Check it out ... Jonathan -- who, of course, played Lindsay Lohan's BF, Aaron Samuels -- says he doesn't care if the reunion comes in the form of a reboot as a series, prequel or sequel.

Jonathan says the film brought a lot of happiness to LOTS of people ... not to mention all the classic memes and quotes. ICYDK ... October 3rd is unofficially "Mean Girls" Day thanks to the film's most famous scene. ☝🏽

Jonathan knows fans are split ... some think it's better to leave well enough alone, but others are all about the reboot. The doubters have one receipt ... "Mean Girls 2" -- which didn't feature the OG cast -- went straight to video in 2011.

Tina Fey, who wrote "Mean Girls," is also writing the script to "Mean Girls the Musical" film.

Dave Chappelle cracking jokes over the LGBTQ+ community is fair game, and should NOT be censored in the slightest -- so says a transgender comedian, who's backing the dude.

Flame Monroe -- a Black trans comic -- tells TMZ she's not in favor of taking Dave's new Netflix special, "The Closer," off the service ... because she says in the world of comedy, nothing is off-limits -- and she simply doesn't believe in censoring standups.

Watch her explanation here, because it's very interesting. Obviously, Flame has a multi-dimensional perspective to offer -- from race to gender identity, and also her chosen craft -- and the one she feels most strongly about is a comic's right to joke freely.

That jibes with what Damon Wayans told us just the other day on this whole debate. He, too, seemed more focused on the comedy side of things ... rather than the LGBT vs. Black comparisons Dave raised in the special.

Flame goes further ... praising Dave as "great," while also saying she believes he's brought people together in a way -- to have a much-needed dialogue.

Bottom line ... Flame seems to be OK with Dave using Netflix's platform to speak his mind -- and clearly believes that outweighs the actual inflammatory content itself.

Tyga is voluntarily turning himself in to LAPD to face allegation he got physical with his ex-girlfriend -- who's posted images of her alleged injuries ... and we're told it's possible he could be hit with a felony.

TMZ broke story ... the rapper was planning to have a sit down with cops Tuesday morning to explain his side of the story after Camaryn Swanson accused him of roughing her up during an early Monday morning dispute at his house.

We're told Tyga's decided to turn himself in, and a charge of felony domestic violence is on the table.

We got Tyga, who wasn't willing to chat, on his way inside the station ... he refused to answer any questions about what happened.

As we first reported, sources close to Tyga say Camaryn showed up at his house around 3 AM and started acting belligerent at the door. We're told Tyga let her inside and the yelling continued.

As for what happened next? Camaryn claims he hit her and says she has bruises to prove it, while also saying she's prepared to stand up for herself.

The cops also saw what she's showing off -- apparent visible marks on her face -- and they took a report over it. Officers tried to talk to Tyga at his house on Monday, but he refused.

Now, though, he's facing the music ... and might end up having to answer for this in court.

Neil deGrasse Tyson thinks Demi Lovato needs a reality check, because their belief that using the term "aliens" is derogatory doesn't make any sense ... for many amusing reasons in his eyes.

The famed astrophysicist seems just as befuddled as almost everyone else over Demi's stance against calling otherworldly beings "aliens" -- Demi prefers saying "ETs" -- and even more so ... he thinks Lovato's being very presumptuous.

For starters, Tyson points out humans really haven't had any interactions with space aliens, so how the heck do we know what they're thinking or feeling? DO they even feel?!?

Also, Tyson wonders how Demi knows aliens would even be offended by the term -- unless there's a Rosetta Stone for English on the mothership!!!

Neil acknowledges Demi is being considerate -- to a fault perhaps -- and while he totally supports not calling human beings aliens, he's missing Demi's point. For once, we're on the same level with someone as brilliant as Neil!!! Feels good.

If you missed it, Demi made their controversial thoughts known during an interview promoting their new Peacock special called 'Unidentified' ... saying, "I think that we have to stop calling them aliens because aliens is a derogatory term for anything." TMZ broke it down on the latest episode of our podcast.

Too Short is circling back to apologize for a convo he had with Saweetie that made a lot of people accuse him of being a colorist, and in addition ... he's adding context to his remarks.

The Bay Area hip-hop icon tells TMZ ... he's sorry if he offended anyone with his words from 2020 during an IG Live chat between Saweetie and himself -- noting it wasn't his intention to come off favoring lighter-skinned Black people over darker-skinned folks.

You'll recall ... Short Dog told Saweetie he loved interracial relationships, and had actually only fallen in love with mixed women. He didn't say he wasn't into non-mixed Black women, per se, but many made that leap ... and claimed his remark was anti-Black.

Well, TS is here to set the record straight ... further explaining what he was touching on in his OG comments -- namely, that the Bay Area is very diverse and that race simply isn't at the forefront of many folks' minds there ... be it for hate, division or anything else.

There's another point from his Saweetie talk that he clears up with us as well ... saying beauty -- and ugliness, for that matter -- is found in ALL walks of life, regardless of skin tone or shade.

Important to say, because initially ... it sounded like he was implying only mixed babies come out looking gorgeous -- as opposed to, perhaps, Black infants or any other race of babies. That's not the case, though, as Too Short says here in clear terms.

Ryan Russell, an openly bisexual NFL free agent, tells TMZ Sports he was sickened by Jon Gruden's racist and homophobic comments ... and the incident serves as proof the NFL has much work left to accomplish.

"I was deeply upset, shocked, appalled even that a leader of an organization, a leader of young men, football culture in general, would have so many negative, derogatory, hateful really, discriminatory things to say about so many different kinds of people," Russell says.

29-year-old Russell -- a 5th round draft pick of the Cowboys in 2015 -- has an interesting perspective. The DE announced he was bisexual in mid-2019.

So, despite players like Carl Nassib and Russ being open about their sexuality, has progress actually been made within the league?

Russell says yes.

"I think there's definitely been progress" ... just nowhere near enough.

"We're not done yet. There's much further we need to go, and much more we need to do. There's still work that needs to be done."

Of course, Gruden resigned days after the emails came to light. He's since been taken out of the Bucs' (where he won a Super Bowl) ring of honor. He's also been dropped by Sketchers -- his biggest individual sponsor.

As for Roger Goodell and the NFL's power structure ... Ryan has some advice on how to move forward.

"Putting 'End Racism' on the field in paint means nothing if it isn't painted within your staff, if it's not painted within the bread of your organization, your foundation," Russ tells us.

William Shatner's space flight won't take a toll on his body despite his age ... so says Neil deGrasse Tyson who explained why, by dropping some serious science knowledge.

The famed astrophysicist tells TMZ ... he's not worried about the fact Capt. Kirk's all of 90 years old and off to space Wednesday morning. He says the kind of space flight Blue Origin's designed to take is not like the old days where astronauts needed strenuous physical training.

So, what's changed? Neil explains it's not even about advances in the spacecraft itself ... it's more about where the New Shepard capsule ends up.

He says the bottom line is ... Captain Kirk should have a cakewalk of a "mission" to space. As for being weightless up there -- Neil says it's not the lack of gravity Shatner needs to worry about, but the opposite.

TMZ broke the story ... William will be part of the second crew to take the space flight ... making him the oldest person ever to be launched into space.

He'll be joined by Chris Boshuizen, founder of Earth-observation company Planet Labs, microbiologist Glen de Vries and Blue Origin's Audrey Powers. They're scheduled to launch at 10 AM ET from West Texas ... and TMZ will be streaming live.

The new 'Halloween' flick features a frighteningly inspired performance from James Jude Courtney, who leaned on an old friend/real-life murderer to pick up tips on playing the legendary villain behind the mask.

The "Halloween Kills" star joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to reveal part of his process to portray Michael Myers -- something James has done more than anyone else -- and it was downright chilling.

He told us he prepped for one of his very first killer roles by living in a psych ward with paranoid schizophrenics who had killed people ... but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Later in his career, James says he lived with a guy who had done hard time for murders -- he'd been a hitman -- but apparently wanted to moonlight as an acting coach.

James told us his killer roommate actually critiqued one of his movies, and told him how to make his character more believable, more realistic. That sounds great for James' acting career, but there's still the matter of actually LIVING under the same roof as a cold-blooded killer!!!

Luis Pena's girlfriend claims the UFC fighter, known by many fans as "Violent Bob Ross," choked and punched her in the face before being arrested for domestic violence ... in a 911 call obtained by TMZ Sports.

"I wasn't trying to snitch, but since my boyfriend wants to be an asshole, he put his hands on me, and he's got to go," Pena's GF told an emergency dispatcher.

28-year-old Pena -- 9-3 in professional MMA (5-3 in the UFC) -- was arrested Saturday in Broward County, Florida after allegedly getting physical with his girlfriend.

According to legal docs, Luis is also accused of assaulting another woman who attempted to intervene after Pena allegedly got physical with his GF.

When asked by the 911 operator, Pena's GF said the fighter got physical with her, hitting her.

"He punched me in the face. But, he did this also 2 days ago, I have the mark, I have a band-aid on my back. I have everything to prove it, so I would like the police to come and remove him, so I can get my things and go the f*** home."

The woman tells the operator police previously responded to the residence over a call for the same incident, but she admitted she wasn't initially helpful.

"[Cops] were mad because I wouldn't cooperate because I didn't wanna snitch on him, but unfortunately, I have to now. I would like them to come back."

FYI, it's not the first time Pena has been in trouble with the law. Back in June he was arrested for robbery (this charge was later dropped) and battery after an alleged incident with his GF.

Regarding the alleged incident on Saturday, Pena is also accused of getting physical with a second woman who told police she was trying to help Luis' GF after she witnessed him hit her, according to legal docs.

During the 911 call, the GF referred to a restraining order that bars her and Pena from cohabitating together ... and with despair in her voice, she pleads for help.

"We have a no contact order, so technically we shouldn't even be living together. I really need the cops to come and get him out now., I have scratches and bruises all over me from him, I need him gone."

Smash Mouth's lead singer is calling it quits after his shot at one final show went off the rails ... because he says health challenges have become too much for him.

Steve Harwell tells TMZ he's retiring, saying ... "Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of being a Rockstar performing in front of sold-out arenas and have been so fortunate to live out that dream. To my bandmates, it’s been an honor performing with you all these years and I can’t think of anyone else I would have rather gone on this wild journey with."

His decision comes after video of the band's performance this weekend in upstate New York went viral due to Steve's behavior on stage ... in which he slurred his words, yelled at the audience and at times seemed completely disassociated with the event.

A source close to the band tells us ... Steve knew it was time to hang it up after the show, because it's impossible for him to keep performing as his health continues to deteriorate.

We're told he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy 8 years ago, which has led to other medical setbacks like heart failure and Wernicke's encephalopathy ... a condition that impacts his motor functions, including speech and memory. He's also battled substance abuse over the years, which is further contributing to his health crisis.

Our sources say Steve was going through an episode during the live show, and it greatly impacted how he felt, at times not even understanding his surroundings.

Steve says ... "To our loyal and amazing fans, thank you, all of this was possible because of you. I’ve tried so hard to power through my physical and mental health issues, and to play in front of you one last time, but I just wasn't able to."

He adds that he's incredibly grateful to everyone who's contributed to Smash Mouth's success over the years, and to "those who have kept 'All Star' relevant as one of the top memes on the internet today."

Steve concludes, "I cannot wait to see what Smash Mouth accomplishes next and am looking forward to counting myself as one of the band’s newest fans."