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The judge overseeing Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's messy and complicated divorce has a family connection to both celebs, plus one of J Lo's famous exes ... but he's shrugging off concerns of a possible conflict of interest.

It's really incredible -- and just goes to illustrate Hollywood's tangled web -- but the judge assigned to Bennifer's divorce, Bradley S. Phillips, has a son-in-law who freaking works as an agent for not only Ben, but also Alex Rodriguez!!!

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Judge Phillips discloses his son-in-law is Strand Conover ... a partner and agent at WME, the talent agency that reps both Ben and A-Rod.

A new "Baywatch" documentary is making waves ... mainly because OG cast member Pamela Anderson doesn't make a new cameo in the doc.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... while the doc, which will stream on Hulu, promises a never-before-seen interview with the iconic "Baywatch" babe, Pamela did NOT actually recently sit for an interview with the filmmakers ... despite an offer to participate in the 4-part doc.

That makes her the only original cast member to skip the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane.

Marilyn Manson is pulling out the big guns in his legal battle with ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood ... claiming he has proof she used a forged FBI letter to drum up false allegations against him.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Manson argues his lawsuit against ERW never should have been thrown out  ... he says the fake letter she wrote from a real FBI agent clearly shows she cooked up a massive scheme to manufacture sexual abuse accusations against him.

Manson sued ERW and her partner, Illma Gore, back in March 2022 for intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation ... accusing the women of plotting to take him down and ruin his career.

Lil Baby loudly berated cops during his arrest in Vegas for possession of an illegal weapon, and the whole thing was caught on video.

An eyewitness tells TMZ, a squadron of cops rolled into the Encore Las Vegas Monday night and came out with the rapper in handcuffs.

As Vegas Metro PD officers were patting the rapper down near a police vehicle behind the hotel, Lil Baby shouted he has a license for the gun, and implored officers to let him go.

LL Cool J recently hand-delivered Joe Budden his Gold plaque for the 2003 hit single "Pump It Up" -- a moment that dinged Yung Miami's funny bone when she took aim at the podcaster ... but LL says it's no laughing matter!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with LL in NYC this week, and he tells us JB has nothing to be ashamed of waiting over 20 years for his first RIAA-certified record ... some artists never get one ... while others only move units after they're RIP!!!

JB and Miami traded disses on social media -- if you remember, this feud has been festering for some time.

The Chicago Bears are getting their asses saved after former player Theo Benedet made a crucial rookie mistake ... 'cause Dude Wipes is hooking the whole team up with a bunch of product!!

Here's the deal -- the Canadian lineman had a memorable moment on the final episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks" on Tuesday ... when a scene revealed he was tasked with picking up some booty cleaners for his teammates, but came back to the facility with a container of Clorox wipes instead.

The whole room erupted in laughter when Ryan Bates broke down the mishap ... and Benedet -- who was eventually cut from the team (not over this mistake, of course) -- tried to plead his case to no avail.

NFL superstar Cooper Kupp has just parted ways with his Oregon mansion ... and considering all the bells, whistles and indoor training facilities it came with -- it seems the new buyer got a helluva deal.

TMZ Sports has learned the Los Angeles Rams receiver sold the 5,700 square-foot Wilsonville property recently for $3 million -- a price tag that seems super palatable when you take into account all the place has to offer.

The gated home -- which sits on a four-acre lot -- comes with five bedrooms, eight bathrooms, hardwood floors, French doors, a large gym and a separate guest house.

Brett Favre's new doc, 'Concussed,' drops Tuesday -- chronicling the journey of late former player, Tyler Sash, as well as the football legend -- a film the retired Packers great desperately hopes will shine a light on the effects of head trauma in the NFL.

54-year-old Favre, who has long been a proponent of keeping players safe while on the field, served as an Executive Producer on "Concussed: The American Dream."

While Brett's story is well-known -- he was as tough as they come on the field -- the documentary also highlights the plight of Sash, ex-New York Giants safety, who died in 2015 from a drug overdose two years after he was released by the G-Men.

Killer mom Susan Smith’s ex-husband isn’t the only one standing in the way of her potential release -- her trial's lead prosecutor is also battling to keep her locked up for killing her two young sons back in '94.

Tommy Pope, the former solicitor for South Carolina’s 16th Judicial Circuit, tells TMZ he’s joining forces with the current solicitor, Kevin Brackett, to keep Susan behind bars at S.C.’s Leath Correctional Institution for the rest of her life ... saying he'll do anything to ensure she doesn't get out of prison. Smith has her first parole hearing set for Nov. 4.

Pope says actions have consequences ... and while mental health issues can be a factor in cases of taking someone’s life, he thinks Susan’s decision to drown her young kids just to stay with a man who didn’t want children was an extreme example of selfishness.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says Cheryl Hines doesn't deserve to be bullied over Donald Trump because his endorsement doesn't mean his wife is a Trump supporter ... quite the opposite.

RFK Jr. joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and told us Cheryl had some trepidation about him suspending his own presidential campaign and throwing his support behind Trump, even though she was the one who actually brought the two candidates together in the first place.

Cheryl's getting tons of heat for RFK Jr. hopping on the Trump train, especially from folks in Hollywood ... but her husband makes it clear ... she's NO Trump supporter.

Mariah Carey did NOT have any contact with her sister before she died ... because an alleged drug addiction drove a massive wedge between the two siblings.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Mariah never once contacted her sister, Alison, before she passed ... and instead spent the past week with their dying mother, Patricia.

Mariah was estranged from Alison ... and our sources say it's all because Alison suffered for many years from addiction. We're told Mariah tried supporting Alison, both emotionally and financially, but it wasn't enough to get Alison back on the straight and narrow.

Brittany Cartwright is dropping the curtain on her marriage ... she just filed to divorce Jax Taylor.

The "Vanderpump Rules" alum and "The Valley" star beelined it to court Tuesday and filed divorce documents after 5 years of marriage ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

In the docs, Brittany is going with irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. The estranged couple previously announced their separation in February, and Brittany lists the date of separation as January 24, 2024.

8/29 -- 12:01 PM PT -- Roberto Orcí's spokesperson Sallie Hofmeister tells TMZ ...  "Ms. Taylor’s counterclaim is an attempt to retaliate against her husband with fabricated allegations after he got a restraining order against her, filed for divorce, and sued her in June for assault, battery, and financially abusing him when he was vulnerable and trying to get treatment for alcoholism. Her history of violent behavior is well documented, having been arrested at least twice during their marriage--once after she tried strangling her husband and he called the police, and once when a Vegas hotel called the authorities after Mr. Orci showed up in the lobby, locked out of his room by his wife, bloodied and half dressed. Ms. Taylor was also detained after assaulting immigration officials at LAX."

The statement concludes, "Before Mr. Orci’s recovery, Ms. Taylor would ply him with alcohol and beat him relentlessly. On separate occasions, she hit him with a baseball bat, shot him with a taser then sprayed him with Mace, threw him down a set of stairs, and punched him multiple times while he was driving. In 2022 and 2023, she transferred without her husband’s knowledge at least $1.2 million from their joint bank account to foreign banks. Now, she is fabricating salacious allegations in a desperate attempt to extract more money from him."

"The Blacklist" actress Adele Heather Taylor is responding to allegations of domestic violence from her estranged husband, screenwriter Roberto Orcí ... claiming in a new countersuit that she's the real victim ... accusing him of rape and assault.

8/27 -- 11:08 AM PT -- The Los Angeles District Attorney tells TMZ the Michael Madsen case has been declined for filing by our office due to insufficient evidence.

Michael's rep tells TMZ ... "We are thrilled that Michael Madsen is able to put this behind him and look forward to our continued collaboration with more great things coming from this veteran and respected actor."

Michael Madsen spent part of his weekend in jail ... because cops arrested him after he allegedly pushed his wife.

6:36 AM PT -- Lil Baby's attorneys, Drew Findling and David Chesnoff, tell TMZ ... "To be clear, Dominique Jones has a valid Georgia Carrying a Concealed Weapon (CCW) Permit. On his behalf we are actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding his arrest in Las Vegas."

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ -- Lil Baby was seen at the Encore in Vegas in the club, and was seen on video being passed a gun. After cops arrived and investigated ... he was arrested for carrying a concealed firearm without a permit.

Nevada does not recognize Carry Concealed Weapon permits issued in Georgia.

Lil Baby landed behind bars Monday in Las Vegas ... 'cause he got busted for possessing an illegal weapon.

The rapper (real name: Dominique Jones) was arrested Monday night for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit – a felony – and hauled off to the Clark County Detention Center, where he was being held on $5,000 bail.

Forget Gatorade, Conor McGregor's road back to the UFC Octagon is apparently being fueled -- at least in part -- by beer!!

Check out footage TMZ Sports has obtained from the MMA star's sister's wedding earlier this month -- the 36-year-old nearly downed a whole pint of suds in a matter of seconds at Erin McGregor and Terry Kavanagh's ceremony out in Ireland.

Conor, of course, is currently trying to work his way back to the UFC following a three-year hiatus ... but it's clear he put a pause on his training regimen to celebrate his older sibling's nuptials in style.