Exclusive

Michael Jackson would be happy to learn his former pet chimp, named Bubbles, is living the good life as an elder primate ... according to the sanctuary that took him in.

Patti Ragan -- director of the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, FL --  tells TMZ ... Bubbles has a lot of freedom at the sanctuary. He's able to explore tunnels, build a nest under a tree, take daily midday naps and occasionally even paint!

Bubbles, now 41, is regularly checked out by a veterinarian and caregiver staff ... and weighs in at 180 pounds. BTW, the lifespan for a chimp in captivity is between 50 and 60 years.

Former wrestling star 2 Cold Scorpio -- who won a WCW Tag Team Championship with Buff Bagwell in the early 1990s -- was arrested on June 15 for violently stabbing a man during a gas station fight ... but he claims he was acting in self-defense.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the bloody incident happened at around 3:40 AM at a Love's Travel Stop in Kansas City, Mo.

Authorities say 2 Cold Scorpio -- aka Charles Scaggs -- told them he was working as a security guard at the store ... when he saw a man who had lit up a cigarette inside of the establishment.

Jon Voight's super stoked his daughter Angelina Jolie won her first Tony Award ... a win he says may not have happened had his granddaughter not found the play!

We caught up with the legendary actor at LAX and asked about his daughter's big win for producing 'The Outsiders.' JV's over the moon for his kiddo.

Voight explains how Angie got involved with the project ... crediting his granddaughter Vivienne for watching the play multiple times before it landed on Broadway and convincing her mom to check it out.

The famed Stilt House from Michael Mann's crime film "Heat" has a new owner ... as someone has nabbed up the notable property for a pretty penny.

The iconic East L.A. home -- which was featured in a pivotal scene in the Robert De Niro and Al Pacino-led classic -- was sold last Friday for $1,075,000. The sale came 2 months after the home hit the market for $1.18 million.

The property, which is built on a cliff in the L.A. area, is more than worth the Benjamins ... with gorgeous views of the city -- you can even see Catalina Island on a clear day. The home has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 2,016 square feet of living space. The property sits on a 10,000 square foot lot.

Sarah Becker -- a reality television star who appeared on MTV's "The Real World" -- has died by suicide ... TMZ has learned.

A family member of Becker confirmed the tragic news to TMZ ... telling us she died early last week at her home in Illinois. She'd moved to the area to take care of family last year, but had plans to move back to California.

Unfortunately, we're told she struggled with mental health in recent months ... including taking care of her ailing mother and sister -- and, a skateboarding accident compounded her troubles.

Julio Foolio's fatal shooting left a devastating scene in its wake -- victims taken off in stretchers and cars riddled with bullet holes ... and, TMZ's obtained video capturing it all.

Check out the new clips from just after the shooting took place ... police take command of the scene while paramedics rush around tending to those allegedly wounded in the gunfire.

Check out the series of clips ... one person can clearly be seen in pain as the paramedics roll them away from the Holiday Inn toward an ambulance. Cops say three other people were injured in the shooting that killed Foolio -- and, they're all expected to survive.

Ryan Garcia isn't retiring ... the boxing superstar tells TMZ Sports he won't give his detractors the satisfaction. So, when his one-year suspension run ends, King Ry will be back in the squared circle!

But, until then ... he's ready to fight somewhere else besides the ring.

We ran into 25-year-old Garcia, who was out in Los Angeles Friday afternoon, where we asked Ryan about the punishment levied by the New York state athletic commission, whether he was truly retired, and if he was serious about fighting MMA.

"Wizards of Waverly Place" alum Dan Benson says a very specific issue led him down the road to OnlyFans ... his nudes were being leaked on the internet without him seeing a dime.

As Dan explains in our new documentary, "TMZ Presents: Famous & Naked," his nudes kept popping up on seedy websites ... and when he would get them taken down from one site, they would just appear in other spaces.

Basically, Dan was playing a game of Whack-A-Mole.

Jennifer Lopez continued her vacation in Italy without hubby Ben Affleck ... enjoying a Saturday dinner with a couple of friends at a swanky restaurant.

The singer/actress and her two pals – a man and a woman – arrived at the Ristorante Da Vincenzo in Positano for an upscale Italian feast last evening.

We're told Jen and Co. sat down at a table outside to celebrate a birthday for someone in the group. (In case you’re wondering, J Lo’s b’day is next month so it probably wasn’t her little soirée.)

Nika King says she's stoked the long-awaited third season for "Euphoria" is finally back on track ... but at this point, it's a little unclear if she's even gonna be part of the new season.

We talked to the actress after HBO honchos confirmed the hit show was back in production, and there'd be a time jump in the story ... which Nika says she's all for, considering how long it's been since Season 2 ended.

It makes sense -- especially since cast members have changed in real life ... not to mention the passing of Angus Cloud.

Jalen Green and Draya Michele aren't letting the haters on their relationship get to them ... telling TMZ Sports the critics can think what they want!!

We caught the couple -- with their new baby girl in tow -- as they were out and about in West Hollywood this week. While many people have voiced their opinion on the couple's 17-year age gap ... they are not letting the haters get to them.

"We try to stay off the internet and not really listen to that kind of stuff," 39-year-old Michele said. "We block it out and mind our business."

Paige VanZant says her modeling career is so lucrative, she is no longer pursuing fighting full-time ... admitting combat sports is more like a recreational activity than a profession to her these days.

The 30-year-old fighter-turned-OnlyFans model was a rising star in UFC ... earning a 5-4 record during her time in Dana White's organization.

But, she's now making a name for herself in an entirely different industry ... and ultimately, the money she's raking in from it has led her to shift gears for good.

Dee Snider's revving up his political engine once more ... reminding the voting public we're all in this together and freedom isn't just a solo ride -- it's for everyone.

Speaking on November's Presidential election, the Twisted Sister frontman tells TMZ it's all about the big picture. He says if you're a gun enthusiast, you still gotta rally for a woman's right to choose. He adds if you're pro-choice, you better be in the trenches fighting for the gun guy because, hey, that's his right too!

Dee's urging people to examine exactly what rights are on the line ... and for him, it's all about women's rights.

A Los Angeles-area home belonging to NBA guard Talen Horton-Tucker was broken into earlier this week ... and law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports cops believe the suspect made off with $170,000 in jewelry.

We're told the break-in -- or at least part of it -- was actually captured on camera ... showing the thief entering the property by jumping over a back fence -- before leaving out of one of the residence's side yards.

Thankfully, our sources say no one was home at the time of the burglary -- as Horton-Tucker was not in town. We're told it was a house sitter who discovered it and reported it to police.

Alan Cumming recently called his 'X-Men' movie "X2" the gayest flick he's ever made ... and someone else involved with the superhero film agrees ... the writer!

David Hayter, who penned "X-Men" and "X2" ... tells TMZ ... he loved hearing AC's take ... 'cause the dude who played the mutant Nightcrawler is 100% right ... the 2003 movie is pretty gay -- for an important reason!

Here's the deal... the film actor and Broadway star -- out since 1998 -- reflected on his diverse career, highlighting "X2" ... proudly calling it the "gayest film I've ever done, and that's me saying it" ... noting he believes the storyline is an allegory for queerness.

Duff McKagan's responding to "The Simpsons" name controversy ... saying he really doesn't care even if they did use his name -- but, he still thinks the connection's obvious.

We caught up with Guns N' Roses rocker in L.A. Friday and asked him about OG 'Simpsons' writer-producer Jay Kogen telling us the show's premier beer -- Duff -- isn't named for him ... instead, it's named after dude's who just sit on their butts and drink beer all day long.

DM tells us he thinks it's super funny the show's creators are all in a tizzy over his claims ... adding they're all protesting jway too much.