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Ray J isn't backing down from challenging Mario in a singing battle ... despite his opp not taking the competition too seriously.

We caught up with Ray in NYC mid-morning Tuesday, where he was advocating for a TMZ After Dark and Brunch Tours in the Big Apple -- a move which definitely has a nice ring to it.

After all, Ray has become quite the Hollywood draw with our bus patrons, so an expansion may be on the horizon!!!

Simon Leviev -- the infamous "Tinder Swindler" who allegedly scammed women out of millions on the dating app -- says he's mounting a legal war against the streaming service that made him famous ... telling TMZ he's suing Netflix.

Simon joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday after being sprung from jail in Georgia -- the country, not the state -- and we asked him about the latest round of allegations against him.

He was arrested back in September after Interpol, the intergovernmental law-enforcement organization, issued a Red Notice -- AKA an international alert -- but Simon says the allegations that led to the alert were totally false.

Mario is setting the record straight after his recent comments about Omarion's singing being hit or miss ... but thinks Ray J's trolling needs to be nipped in the bud!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Mario out in NYC while promoting his latest project, "Mood Swings," which could sum up his thoughts on his R&B contemporaries for some fans.

Ray J recently went nuclear in Mario's Baltimore hometown on the local radio station, bragging about how his skills and hits are superior to the "Let Me Love You" hitmaker.

"Selling the OC" has really given "sugar daddy" seekers a major boost ... cuz this season they're peddling more than just homes -- with one dating site seeing a big boost of visitors.

Here's the deal ... on Season 4 of "Selling the OC," a website once used to connect thirsty young ladies with sugar daddies has been all the talk -- ever since Ashtyn was accused of meeting her husband, Jeff, on the site.

Turns out that's been great for business, because a rep for Seeking.com -- formally known as Seeking Arrangements -- tells us they've seen a major spike in women looking to live the good life jumping on the site ... especially in Washington D.C., L.A., Orlando, NYC and Miami.

Anthony Joshua landed the bout, but there was no shortage of big-name opponents lining up to fight Jake Paul ... including Terence Crawford, fresh off his Canelo Alvarez win, according to the CEO and cofounder of Most Valuable Promotions!!

"As soon as we knew we were going to move away from Gervonta Davis, we had a list of opponents. And the three names Jake gravitated towards were Ryan Garcia, Terence Crawford, and Anthony Joshua," Nakisa Bidarian told Babcock shortly after the Dec. 19th megafight was announced. "And there were probably 30 fighters who accepted to fight Jake. AJ being one of them, Crawford being another, and AJ is the one that we came to an agreement on."

When we followed up on Bud, asking if he was actually down to fight Jake, Nakisa responded ... "Yes, 100%."

Brooklyn rapper Lola Brooke is pushing through all the rap convos that Top 40 placement isn't a hot commodity and the younger generation gets disrespected by the older one ... she's earned Mary J. Blige's respect!!

TMZ Hip Hop recently caught up with Lola as she released her new album, "iight bet!", but she's still getting residuals from her previous tunes -- how's a Gold certification for "You," her 2023 collab with Bryson Tiller, sound for a win?!?

Lola's new track, "Pain," samples MJB's "No More Drama" ... and while she hasn't met her round-the-way-girl idol, Mary clearing the song for her speaks volumes!!!

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders had $200K in property stolen from his Ohio home during his NFL debut against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday ... officials tell TMZ Sports.

According to a new press release, three suspects wearing masks and gloves entered Shedeur's home around 6:46 PM. Surveillance cameras captured them making their way around several parts of the building.

Officials say the suspects then left the residence around 6:58 PM with "various property belonging to Mr. Sanders."

The incident is still under investigation ... but video of the alleged heist was shared via ex-NFL star Adam "Pacman" Jones.

As we previously reported, Sanders was busy getting his first snaps as an NFL pro ... taking over for fellow rookie and Browns starter Dillon Gabriel, who left the game with a concussion.

It wasn't the best outing for the former Colorado star ... throwing for 47 yards on four completed passes in the loss to the division rival.

After the game, Sanders admitted the performance was not up to his standard.

Porsha Williams is clearing the air about a dramatic Delta Airlines flight that landed her on the FBI's radar.

Her lawyer, Joe Habachy, tells TMZ ... "Ms. Williams was verbally assaulted by an irate and unhinged passenger without provocation. The passenger then proceeded to make false allegations that were in direct conflict with observations from several eyewitnesses."

He added, "As with any incident occurring aboard an aircraft, federal authorities are required to conduct an investigation involving all parties to determine what, if any, offenses occurred. Ms. Williams has every intention of cooperating with law enforcement to whatever extent necessary, and remains confident that the passenger will be charged."

Addison Rae took a well-deserved break from her world tour to soak up the sun in Sydney, Australia ... tanning her buns in a tiny 2-piece.

Check out our gallery -- the "I Got It Bad" singer seemed at ease on a private yacht after taking a dip in the Tasman Sea in a beige bikini top and printed blue bottoms.

She looked just as fashionable as she does on stage while lounging on the vessel's bow in a purple mini skirt and lace shawl.

Ace Frehley may have recently died ... but his musical spirit is very much alive as one of his famous guitars is set to go on the auction block.

The legendary Kiss axman owned and signed the Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Smoking Guitar, which is one of several instruments being sold at the online auction presented by GottaHaveRockandRoll.com. The bidding will start Wednesday with a minimum bid of $100,000 for a piece of Ace history.

Remember ... the guitar features modifications for Ace's memorable "Smoking" effect that mesmerized crowds while he played onstage during his electric performances.

Dillion Danis better keep his head on a swivel ... 'cause the beef with Team Islam Makhachev is anything but squashed, according to the newly crowned welterweight champ's manager, Ali Abdelaziz.

"This is not over. This is not over," Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports on Monday.

"This guy is not safe. Whole Foods, the airport at a terminal, if people catch this guy, he's gonna have problems. He's not done, these people are not done with him. For the rest of his life. [Dillon] or Conor, they're not safe. Or they have to come out and say, 'Know what, we're sorry, we give up. We're done.' Then after that you'll get mercy."

Health scare for Liev Schreiber ... he's hospitalized in New York City, where he's going through a battery of tests.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … the "Ray Donovan" star had a massive headache Sunday and he called his doctor, who told him to immediately go to a hospital.

We're told 58-year-old Liev followed his doctor's advice and stayed overnight Sunday at a NYC hospital ... and today, doctors have been running tests on him.

It's unclear what is ailing Liev -- our sources say doctors don't know the nature of the problem -- but we're told Liev is able to speak and walk without any issues and has the full use of his limbs.

Jack Doherty is spilling on his Miami arrest ... telling TMZ the whole thing was so mind-numbingly boring, he’s actually calling it the worst day of his life.

The embattled influencer tells TMZ it was a brutal slog -- first stuck in a tiny cell with a cop for five hours, then shuffled off for a mugshot and fingerprints ... before spending another 10 hours in a big holding room where he could finally make some calls.

The day didn’t even end there ... the 22-year-old says he got thrown into yet another cell, took a nap, and then got jolted awake by guards who, he claims, were super nice -- even telling him TMZ had already posted his mugshot -- before letting him finally go.

Sydney Hardeman -- the viral Beyoncé fan who recently took her own life -- had realized her dream of becoming a pilot ... and she worried being too open about mental health struggles could doom her career, TMZ has learned.

As we reported ... Sydney died by suicide on November 8 at age 25. She was engaged and set to be married this upcoming April ... and had reached viral fame for her reaction to Beyoncé's 2018 Coachella set.

Jamie, Sydney Hardeman’s mother, tells TMZ … her daughter was concerned about seeking help … because being so open about her situation might have ruined her career.

Veteran rapper Talib Kweli was involved in a hellfire-heated exchange with security guards backstage at his Black Star concert last Saturday -- and TMZ Hip Hop has the explosive exchange all on tape!!!

The scene opens with Kweli barking at the top of his lungs at a group of men behind the curtain, demanding they tell him "Who the f*** they think they are!!!"

According to the sounds of the argument, Kweli was royally pissed off that security guards had walked onto the stage 1 minute past the 11PM curfew to stop the show, and was upping the bass in his voice towards anyone who tried to calm him down!!!

The executor of O.J. Simpson's estate, Malcolm Lavergne, stopped by "TMZ Live" Monday and admitted the estate doesn't have enough to cover Fred Goldman's $57 million creditor claim ... but he says they'll pay what they can.

Lavergne told us bluntly, "The reality is the estate currently doesn't have that kind of money and, practically, the estate probably will never have that kind of money."

So why did the estate accept the multimillion-dollar settlement? Lavergne explained it isn't based on how much Simpson's estate can afford, but whether the claim itself is valid.