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The "Crypto King of Kentucky" suspected of torturing a man for weeks inside a lavish multimillion-dollar townhouse hosted extravagant parties there ... and it seems he didn't raise any red flags when landing the swanky SoHo rental, TMZ has learned.

Here's the deal ... John Woeltz and William Duplessie are currently in custody for allegedly torturing Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan to get access to his crypto fortune ... until the Italian citizen finally made his escape and told police everything.

Multiple sources with knowledge tell TMZ … Woeltz started living in the Manhattan townhouse on March 17 … with a rent amount of $75K - $90K a month.

6:57 PM PT -- The adminstrators of DMX's estate tell TMZ ... "We were surprised and disappointed to learn of this auction, which is not authorized and was not cleared by the Estate of Earl “DMX” Simmons."

They continue ... "The Estate holds rights in the recordings and written materials being offered for sale — including significant intellectual property rights — all of which we will fiercely protect. We consider this a violation of the Estate’s rights and will be pursuing appropriate action."

DMX's memory will live on thanks to an upcoming auction ... GottaHaveRockandRoll is unleashing a one-stop shut'em down, open-up shop full of the late Ruff Ryders rapper's earliest moments en route to becoming a hip-hop legend!!!

The treasure trove of DMX goodies features over 30 mind-blowing lots of rap relics and focuses on his rise to fame between 1992-1994 ... and is expected to fetch $20,000-$40,000!!!

GottaHaveRockandRoll President Dylan Kosinski tells TMZ Hip Hop that one of DMX's earliest close music industry pals provided the artifacts to the auction house ... there's even a poster when he opened for Wu-Tang Clan in 1994!!!

Law enforcement clearly took Brittney Griner's "Gay Baby Jail" note concerns seriously ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows two cops intently investigating the matter.

The bizarre scene unfolded back on Feb. 17 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Maryland ... after Griner told officials at the hotel she had discovered a handwritten message in her room that she found to be threatening.

Prince George's County Police body camera footage shows just a couple hours after the WNBA superstar hastily bolted from the area over the letter ... two officers rolled into the lobby in an effort to get to the bottom of the situation.

The man suspected of kidnapping and torturing an Italian man over a crypto dispute suffered his own indignity when he was arrested -- his bathrobe came undone.

Photographer and street vendor Ciaran Tully was minding his own business Friday when John Woeltz was removed from his fancy NYC apartment wearing only a robe.

As he was escorted down the stairs, Tully says his robe came undone, so cops spared him the embarrassment and bundled him back up.

Andrew Zimmern has a strong opinion on some juicy testimony from the Diddy trial ... namely, a revelation that Diddy likes to put apple sauce on his cheeseburgers.

We got the celeb chef at LAX and our photog asked him about Diddy's unique burger topping.

Andrew says it's an example of learning the most interesting things in the most horrible situations ... and while he doesn't want to make light of any of the serious allegations regarding Cassie, he's calling "yuck" on Diddy's "yum."

Nyjah Huston will soon be able to rock his bronze medal with pride once more ... the skateboarding star tells TMZ Sports his tarnished Olympics trophy is finally getting repaired!

Huston said this week the International Olympic Committee has taken possession of his medal in order to fix it up ... after he revealed in the days following the Paris Games that his prized piece was already showing wear and tear.

You'll recall, Huston posted a video in August that showed the award -- which he won during the July men's street skateboarding competition -- had already begun peeling and chipping.

Manny Pacquiao is returning to the ring at 46 years old ... and while some folks are skeptical about the decision, boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard tells TMZ Sports he's firmly in his corner!!

Pacquiao is slated to face WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on July 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas -- his first fight since his loss against Yordenis Ugas in 2021.

Some folks are worried about Pac Man heading into this fight for two reasons -- the age gap (Barrios is 30, Pacquiao is 46) ... and his extended time away from the sport while serving as the Senator of the Philippines.

Michelle Waterson may not be fighting anymore, but that doesn't mean she isn't still kickin' ass! The Karate Hottie is now an actress, fresh off one of the biggest movies in the country, and she's fired up to get in front of the camera once again!

TMZ Sports talked to Waterson about her acting career this week, as the movie "Havoc," starring Tom Hardy, continues to be one of the most popular flicks in the world.

"If you like watching action movies, this movie is such a treat. It's kind of an homage to the '80s, '90s, like super bloody 'Rambo' slash 'Die Hard,'" Waterson told us.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce might be so high school, but they've certainly got loftier tastes than a couple of kids on prom night ... just check out what they ate on their most recent date!

We broke the story ... sharing pics of Taylor and Travis getting cozy on a date night down in Palm Beach -- and, now we know what they ordered on their night out, and how much coin they dropped on the meal.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ ... the pop star and the footballer started off dinner at Harry's with a couple drinks.

Demi Lovato's sorry not sorry for taking your breath away at her wedding rehearsal ... capturing eyes in a dress that screams "This is Me."

The singer-songwriter was spotted by photos in a pristine white dress ... practicing her recessional with her husband-to-be Jordan "Jutes" Lutes on her arm.

Check out the vid ... Demi and Jordan were front and center -- holding hands and flashing huge grins while their wedding coordinator helped them map out their special day.

Jesse Watters says he's got no issue with the Pope's more liberal views ... 'cause they aren't gonna do a darn thing to affect the conservative agenda in the U.S.A.

We caught up with the Fox News host at LAX Friday ... and, we had to ask him if he thinks Pope Leo XIV's political views are going to affect politics in this country -- after all, before he was the pope, he was a cardinal who popped off about President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on X.

Watters says he doesn't care what the Pope believes ... 'cause no matter who he is, American politicians are still going to do their own work -- with little thought for what the papacy wants.

Travis Kelce put his back scruff on full display this week ... but if he's ever looking for a smoother look, the companies are lining up to help!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the folks at Manscaped -- which offers a plethora of men's grooming products -- say the Kansas City Chiefs superstar could really make use of one of their mower trimmers ... and if he wants to test one out, all he has to do is ask and they'll ship him some goodies.

If he'd rather go a different route to eliminating his fur ... Erin Thomas of the Trifecta studios in Kansas City said she's down to wax his chest and back -- free of charge!!

Olympic sprinter Fred Kerley -- once considered the fastest human alive -- has pleaded not guilty to hitting his ex-girlfriend in the face earlier this month.

TMZ Sports has learned that Kerley's lawyer, Richard Cooper, notified the court in Broward County last week, indicating the 30-year-old Olympic silver medalist wanted to fight the misdemeanor battery charge in front of a jury of his peers.

Fred hasn't spoken much about the alleged incident, but he did release a statement shortly after his arrest, saying ... "While there was a physical altercation, my arrest was not due to any criminal act. Rather, it resulted from my decision to remain silent until my legal counsel was present."

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were back out on the town Friday night ... rolling up to Harry’s restaurant in West Palm Beach for a late-night bite.

The couple stepped out from cover at the Florida eatery just after 10 PM Friday night ... turning heads as they made their appearance.

Though they weren't showing any PDA in the pic ... an eyewitness tells TMZ they walked in hand-in-hand before the "Anti-Hero" singer took the lead.

Diddy's spending his first Memorial Day behind bars ... ringing in the long weekend with basketball and BBQ chicken instead of Ciroc and yacht parties this year.

TMZ has the scoop on what the rap mogul will be doing in MDC Brooklyn for the holiday on Monday -- and, it looks like there are plenty of options if he feels like engaging in some friendly competition with his fellow inmates.

Diddy and the MDC crew can play dominoes, spades and board games to determine the champion of 4 North -- the dormitory-style wing of the prison away from general population, reserved for high-profile inmates.

"Hocus Pocus" actress Vinessa Shaw’s husband just filed for divorce after nearly a decade of marriage ... TMZ has learned.

The star's husband Kristopher Gifford filed divorce docs on Thursday ... citing the boilerplate irreconcilable differences, according to documents obtained by TMZ.

He lists the date of separation as October 24, 2023 ... so it looks like they've been apart for well over a year and a half.