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2026 is already popping off, and we’re calling it now -- "TMZ After Dark" is the hottest party in town, doubling the chaos this past weekend and going absolutely wild!

"Love Island" S7 stars Charlie Georgio and Austin Shepard ran Friday night, while "Love & Hip Hop"’s Nikki Mudarris held it down Saturday ... and both nights brought nonstop energy from start to finish.

The Love Islanders brought villa-level chaos Friday night ... kicking things off at The Burgundy Room before rolling into Saddle Ranch for surprise quesadillas and watermelon shots!

Actress Thora Birch got into a crazy, prolonged war of words with an autograph hound who got a little too aggressive for her husband Michael Benton Adler's liking ... and the wild altercation was all caught on video.

The whole fiasco started when an autograph-seeker sought Thora's signature outside the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills following the BAFTA Tea Party Saturday. Seems innocent enough, but here's the thing ... in the video, Michael claims the man had been bothering Thora all weekend.

And it seems like Michael finally had enough ... because we're told he grabbed photos the guy was carrying of Thora and ripped them up, throwing the autograph-seeker into a frenzy.

Watch the video ... Thora can be heard threatening, "I'll f***ing knock you out," while her hubby pulls her back.

Nick Reiner's weight gain set him on a murderous path, but it didn't have to be that way ... just ask Dr. Drew. The good doctor points out a change in his medication could have sent him spiraling ... but Dr. Drew also asserts harder drugs may have spurred a homicidal mind state.

Dr. Drew joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and discussed what he thinks actually sent Nick all the way over the edge ... "The kind of violence that was on display here to me still reads methamphetamine … I keep saying that over and over again."

Drew continued ... "When he was picked up, it's worth trying to understand: What part of town was he in? What was he doing there?"

Cooper DeJean's brother, Beckett, allegedly had a BAC well above the legal limit when he was arrested for operating while intoxicated over the weekend -- cops say he blew a .142 on a breath test.

TMZ Sports has obtained 20-year-old DeJean's arrest affidavit ... with cops stating the former South Dakota defensive back was "unable to maintain lane" as he was driving his Chevy Malibu around 11:55 PM on Saturday. Once he was pulled over, the officer claimed "a strong odor of alcohol." was evident.

The cop said as they searched his vehicle for a source of the odor, a case of beer was present in the backseat ... and once questioned, DeJean admitted to drinking.

J Balvin's shared the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage with Bad Bunny before ... but he's not going to make a guest apperance next month when BB headlines ... 'cause he told us so himself.

We got the Colombian singer in New York City and our photog asked if fans should be on the lookout for a suprise guest appearance during Bad Bunny's halftime set at Super Bowl LX.

J Balvin and Bad Bunny performed together at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show back in 2020 when Jennifer Lopez and Shakira were the headliners ... but he says don't expect him to run it back with Bad Bunny this time.

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Phaedra Parks -- who is also a lawyer -- put her legal analyst hat on for us ... weighing in on just what is going on in Nick Reiner's murder trial in Los Angeles.

Remember ... Nick's high-powered attorney, Alan Jackson, dropped out and is being replaced by public defender Kimberly Greene.

So far, Jackson's withdrawal hasn't been fully explained, but Phaedra offered a plausible explanation when we caught her at LAX Friday.

Male model Christian Hogue has been arrested on a felony assault charge ... after allegedly putting a guy in a headlock at a Tennessee dog park.

Prosecutors in Davidson County say cops responded to Shelby Dog Park in Nashville back in August for a call about a fight ... and when they got there a man told them he got into a physical altercation with Christian.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors claim Christian grabbed the man from behind, threw him to the ground and placed him in a headlock after their dogs got aggressive with each other and the man attempted to break it up.

Anthony Anderson and Rocsi Diaz may have been kindling more than just a friendship after the Golden Globes Sunday ... we caught them leaving the Netflix party, where we asked them outright, "Are you dating?"

Anthony told us ... "She's my date for the evening."

Our photog chatted with the pair as they walked hand-in-hand outside of Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Beverly Hills. Anthony wore a classic tuxedo and bowtie while Rocsi looked elegant in a gorgeous floral dress.

DK Metcalf's season could've ended when the NFL suspended him two games for hitting a Lions fan -- but it didn't -- and now he's got a chance to make amends, according to a 2x Super Bowl champ!

TMZ Sports talked to Charlie Batch, who not only played 11 seasons in Pittsburgh but now covers the team, and he says things could've gotten ugly if the Steelers lost to the Ravens and missed the playoffs.

Cooper DeJean's brother is in trouble with the law ... cause TMZ has learned Beckett DeJean was arrested for operating while intoxicated.

According to jail records, seen by TMZ, Beckett was taken into custody Sunday morning in Iowa on a first offense DUI/OWI, which is classified as a misdemeanor but still carries serious penalties.

Beckett was a defensive back for the South Dakota Coyotes, where he played as a redshirt freshman. Beckett's older brother Cooper is currently an NFL cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jason Luv is weeks away from making his boxing debut against his rival, Adam22 ... and he tells TMZ Sports the real reason why the popular podcaster is fighting him is 'cause he needs his manhood back!!

We chopped it up with Luv as he prepares for his showdown with Adam ... and he tells us there is nothing fake about the hard feelings between the two heading into their match.

"It's a little animosity, because you got to remember, I smashed his wife, and all the fans and people are saying all kinds of crazy things," Jason said. "So he feel like he got to regain his manhood, and I'm here to try to make sure that I still take it away."

Steelers legend James Harrison says longtime head coach Mike Tomlin ain't goin' anywhere, telling TMZ Sports his job is "100% safe" for the 2026-27 season.

We spoke with the two-time Super Bowl champ ahead of Monday night's Texans vs. Steelers Wild Card game ... a matchup set up by Pittsburgh's stunning win over the Ravens last week.

In fact, the game's losing head coach, John Harbaugh, lost his job after taking the L.

Many people believe Tomlin could suffer the same fate with a loss in the playoffs, but Harrison doesn't think so.

The key to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ turnaround from one of the NFL’s worst teams last season to one of the best entering this year's playoffs is simple!

Kicker Cam Little tells TMZ Sports it all stems from first-year coach Liam Coen, who instilled a winning culture with a basic mindset change.

“Liam has harped on taking it 1-0 each week and that mindset is a tough one to beat,” Little said. “Whoever we play next week, that’s all we’re focused on. We’re not focused on the second round, third round, AFC, Super Bowl, we're not focused on anything besides who we play on the weekend. When you have that 1-0 mindset, it builds for a good culture because you’re playing for everything the next week.”

Masika Kalysha seemingly blasted Fetty Wap online ... but, she says she's honestly glad he's home -- just so long as he doesn't let their daughter down.

We caught up with the "Love & Hip Hop" star in Los Angeles Friday ... and, we had to ask her about how she's really feeling that her ex has been released from prison early.

ICYMI ... Masika shared a series of posts on X seemingly ripping FW right after he got out -- including one which read, "1st day out and still a bitch ass n****."

Ronnie Radke is taking his first steps toward figuring out who is allegedly impersonating him online ... filing a lawsuit in an effort to subpoena Snapchat.

The singer and rapper filed a suit against multiple John Does earlier this week ... alleging that, since at least April of last year, an individual he calls John Doe 1 has credibly impersonated him on Snapchat for "purposes of harming, intimidating, threatening and/or defrauding" others.

He's also suing John Doe 2 -- who may or may not be the same person as John Doe 1 -- for allegedly impersonating him on Instagram with the same aim to defraud others.

Nick Reiner's unravelling that resulted in the murders of his parents, Rob and Michelle Reiner, is directly connected to his weight gain ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

Our latest TMZ documentary, "The Reiner Murders: What Really Happened," follows Nick's dark history of drug abuse and mental illness. Our sources say around 2020, Nick was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a mental illness with symptoms that include delusions, hallucinations, mania, and severe depression.

Nick was placed on meds that stabilized his condition, until a month before the murders. We're told he had complained to his doctors about his weight gain -- a common side effect from the meds -- and doctors accommodated him by changing the meds that had been keeping him stable.

We're told the new meds sent Nick into an erratic, dangerous state ... that escalated as the days went on. We're told Rob and Michele were well aware of the alarming changes in their son, but didn't know what to do. We're also told doctors did not attempt to place Nick on a temporary psych hold -- one that could have lasted 14 days -- to stabilize him.

Our sources say at the time of the murders, Nick had a complete break from reality. As we reported, the plan was to plead him not guilty by reason of insanity, which his now former lawyer, Alan Jackson, as much as said after Wednesday's hearing.

The reality is ... multiple sources tell TMZ Nick is not competent to stand trial. He's still reeling behind bars, well-aware he killed his parents but believing he is in jail because of a conspiracy against him.