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Jussie Smollett now has a fight on his hands on 2 fronts, because the City of Chicago is not backing down from its lawsuit to recover the cost of investigating what authorities say was a fake "attack."

Multiple sources tell us, the City of Chicago could drop its case against Jussie to recover nearly half a mil but if he's convicted in criminal court the judge would almost certainly order restitution on behalf of the City.

Thing is ... it makes total sense for the City to press on with its lawsuit, despite the Special Prosecutor reinstituting 6 felony criminal charges against him. The standard of proof in a criminal case is way harder to meet than in a civil case. In a criminal case, the proof needs to be 99% solid against Jussie. In a civil case, it just has to be 51% - 49%.

Now, the new problem facing the City is that Jussie will almost certainly take the 5th against self-incrimination in the civil lawsuit because of the looming criminal case. In Illinois, if a defendant takes the 5th in a civil case, the judge can tell the jury it can conclude that person is hiding something.

One thing we know ... Abel and Ola Osundairo -- the 2 brothers who Jussie says attacked him -- will testify that the whole thing was a setup masterminded by Jussie.

It's an interesting situation because Jussie has brought the Osundairo brothers in as a defendant in the City of Chicago's lawsuit, claiming they did indeed attack him. It's gonna be hard to prove that if he doesn't take the stand.

Becky Lynch is giving advice to Dwayne Johnson's daughter, telling TMZ Sports ... Simone should NOT try to be the WWE's next "Rock"!!!

And, why? The Man says it'll only overshadow her hard work!!!

"I would like her to be seen as the athlete and performer she is, in her own right, and not have her constantly compared to her dad," Becky says.

Of course, the WWE just announced Simone Johnson is training to become the league's next superstar ... and a lot of people want her to reprise The People's Elbow as her signature move.

Becky tells us she can see a scenario where that would be appropriate for the younger Johnson ... but says Simone would be better off creating her own character and finishing move.

"I think it'll be good for her to try and make her own way," Becky says. "Don't rely on the past. Don't rely on what got other people over. Try to make something new for yourself."

The advice didn't stop there ... Becky also said Simone needs to outwork EVERYBODY -- saying her famous father's shadow is going to create a huge spotlight on her from Day 1.

As for if Becky thinks Simone has the chops to cut it ... The Man says of course -- and tells us she's looking forward to their championship matchup in five years!!

Jessica Simpson will have extra venue security going forward on her book tour ... thanks to a bevy of anti-fur protesters who seem to be following her every move.

The "Open Book" author's already had events in NYC and L.A. interrupted by angry animal rights activists storming in and yelling. So, the upcoming venues on her tour are on notice ... and we're told they are being proactive about it.

At least 2 people who run venues Simpson will visit this week tell TMZ ... security will be beefed up in various ways in an attempt to keep protesters from striking again.

At one of the locations ... all guests entering will be subject to a search, in which security will be checking for all the normal red flags like weapons ... but will also be on the lookout for protest materials like signage or noisemakers.

We're told, as an added safety measure, all guests will have to have purchased a ticket and a copy of Jessica's book to be allowed entry.

We broke the story ... Simpson was being interviewed by Katherine Schwarzenegger at the Aratani Theatre in L.A. Monday night when anti-fur peeps popped in and made a scene, but Jessica laughed it off as they were escorted out.

Of course, just days earlier in New York ... Simpson's book signing at a Barnes & Noble was disrupted by protesters, and she got accosted by a couple more hours later as she was leaving a restaurant.

Jessica's worn fur in the past, but it's unclear if she still does or why the activists are so hellbent on making her the focus of their scorn and ridicule. One thing's for sure though ... she's not alone.

Mama June's family crisis is not her new cash cow ... we've learned she won't be lining her pockets with money from a new reality show bearing her name.

Family sources tell TMZ ... the troubled reality star won't see a dime from WE tv's upcoming show, "Mama June From Not To Hot: Family Crisis," because she's not an active participant. The family's actually happy about it -- they're afraid of what Mama might do with the dough.

The show airs in March and our sources say it's going to focus on Honey Boo Boo, Pumpkin and the rest of the family, as they deal with the fallout from Mama's alleged drug addiction.

Mama's a central figure in the story, but we're told she's not sitting down for interviews in front of WE tv cameras ... so there's no paycheck.

While Mama's Instagram page pimped the show promo, we're told it was actually posted by Mama's manager. Again, June's not actively involved.

Instead, Mama's appearances will mostly include clips from her court dates with bad-boy boyfriend Geno, and the family's attempts to get her some help.

As we've reported ... Mama's been pretty desperate for cash since last year's arrest for crack cocaine possession ... she sold her house for much less than it's worth in a cash transaction, got booted from a hotel over an unpaid $2k bill, and recently pawned a diamond ring.

Our sources tell us Mama's family hopes she sees the show and realizes how much her loved ones are hurting ... and they want her to get better, if not for herself, then at least for them.

Jon Jones would take the first REAL L of his fighting career if he stepped in the WWE ring with Roman Reigns ... so says the wrestling superstar himself!!

"It would be a hell of a fight," Reigns tells TMZ Sports. "But when it comes to the squared circle, I don't think there's anybody better in the world [than me]. So, yeah, I feel VERY comfortable being in the ring with Jon Jones."

Of course, a WWE scrap between the two massive fight stars is now a possibility because Jones just told Sports Illustrated this week a move to the squared circle at some point is "inevitable."

When we got Reigns out at L.A.'s new Sofi Stadium (the home of WrestleMania 37 in 2021!!), he told us he would LOVE to be a part of a bout with the UFC legend in the future.

"Oh, for sure, man," Roman says. "Someone like Jon Jones, I mean, if you're going to step in the WWE ring, you're most likely going to want to step in there with the big dog."

As for how Jones would fare outside of a match with Reigns ... Roman says he believes Jon's got a chance to be a real superstar in the WWE.

By the way, Reigns also gave some advice to Dwayne Johnson's daughter, Simone Johnson, who's now training to be a WWE Superstar.

Roman tells us he'd like to see her blaze her own trail with the future of her character, as opposed to following in the footsteps of "The Rock" ... saying, "It's better to create your stuff."

Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey's sex solicitation case is headed toward a happy ending for the popular golfer ... he just cut a deal with prosecutors to avoid time behind bars.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Gainey agreed to serve 11-months of probation, take a human trafficking class, do community service and pay fines and fees.

In exchange for completing all of that, prosecutors agreed to drop his misdemeanor solicitation charge ... and even gave him the chance to end his probation early if he quickly meets the requirements of the deal.

Of course, it's a solid deal for Gainey ... who was facing jail time after he was caught up in a major prostitution sting -- dubbed "Operation Santa's Naughty List" -- back in December.

As we previously reported, cops in Polk County, Fla., say Gainey offered money for sex acts to an undercover officer posing as a prostitute on Dec. 8, 2019.

In police footage of the alleged incident, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see clear as day Tommy offering up $60 for a "quick visit" with the woman.

Gainey was arrested ... and at a press conference a few days later, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd ribbed him over it all.

"He's married. He told us that he was here for a charity golf event and it was to be, like, the next morning tee off. He didn't make it. He was a scratch ... We charged him with soliciting. He missed his tee time the next morning."

Corey Anderson has zero love for Jon Jones, but he's pumped the UFC star beat Dominick Reyes ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports now he'll be the first to take down the MMA legend.

Anderson -- the #5 ranked UFC light heavyweight -- is taking on Jan Blachowicz at UFC Fight Night 167 on Saturday ... and if Corey wins, there's a great chance the prize is Jon.

We talked to Anderson about Jones vs. Reyes ... and the LHW title contender says he totally understands why a lot of people think Jon lost, but he's happy as hell he got the W.

"While I was watching I was like, 'Man, I could lose the opportunity to be the one that beats Jon.'"

Anderson continued ... "At the end, I’m happy that Jon got the win because I get to be the one to dethrone him. I knew if Dom would’ve won, they would do the rematch. And I'd have to wait for that."

FYI -- Jon's one and only (controversial) loss came against Matt Hamill in 2009 ... when he was disqualified for throwing illegal elbows. Jones was dominating the fight.

Corey says he believes Dom exposed Jon ... and when he eventually faces the champ, he'll hand him an even more severe beating.

"Like I said when I saw it going on, my mindset was, 'yeah, I knew he was beatable.' I was the one who always said, 'I know I can beat Jon.' I know ways to beat him, I see the holes. I see what you gotta do to beat him, and Dom went out there, did pretty much a lot of it."

Most dudes wouldn't be too happy to leave South Beach ... but Justise Winslow tells TMZ Sports that ain't the case -- saying he's elated to join the Memphis Grizzlies!!!

Of course, Winslow played his whole career with the Heat before getting shipped off to Elvis' old stomping grounds as part of the Andre Iguodala deal.

We spoke with the 23-year-old over the weekend about the move ... and he's stoked for the fresh start.

"It's great!," JW tells us. "I love it here! Everybody's been very receiving and excited for me, so I just continue to try and get healthy and make an impact."

It's gonna be a minute before Winslow takes the court for the Grizz -- he's currently recovering from a back injury that's kept him out for a chunk of the season. But it's clear he's excited to join his team on the court when he's ready.

Kim Kardashian West has said she has no interest in running for office, but if she changes her mind, there's one guy she should definitely ask to join her campaign team ... "Shark Tank" star Daymond John.

The FUBU honcho's pretty confident Kim can become president in 8 years or so, and gave us a laundry list of reasons to support his argument Monday night outside the Avra Beverly Hills Estiatorio restaurant.

Daymond tells TMZ ... KKW already has major notches on her belt that look good to voters -- helping free imprisoned grandmother Alice Marie Johnson, and continuing to pursue her education.

On top of that, Kim's own family represents LGBTQ, mixed relationships and female empowerment ... and she lives a clean and healthy lifestyle.

Most importantly, though ... John points out how much people like and trust the Kardashian sister and care about what she has to say -- as evidenced by her massive social media following.

Daymond suggests her following might be hundreds of millions more by the time 2028 rolls around ... and that kind of power at one's fingertips is immeasurable.

Finally, he says there's precedent for public figures making it all the way to The White House -- including the current one, who she and Kanye already have a connection with -- so it's more than possible Kim's next.

Jeffrey Davies -- the guy who played Kelly Leak in the 2005 comedy "Bad News Bears" -- is taking his first steps ... nearly a year after a terrible motorcycle accident.

The teen star was admitted into the Orlando Health Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center last week and it's there where -- with help from an exoskeleton -- he started taking his first steps. It's monumental ... especially since he caught pneumonia over the holidays.

Jeffrey's first steps triggered a wave of emotions. You can hear his caregiver, recording the achievement, crying. The nurses helping Jeffrey are also very impressed he's shifting his weight all on his own. He's still got months of rehab ... but clearly off to a strong start.

TMZ broke the story ... Jeffrey was riding a motorcycle back in May when he lost control at the center of an intersection and was thrown from the bike. He was left nearly paralyzed and required round-the-clock care that included occupational therapy.

The family's had to deal with insurance coverage too ... forcing them to start a GoFundMe to help cover Jeffrey's mounting medical bills. The campaign gained some traction when we wrote about Jeffrey on New Year's Eve ... but the family could still use the public's help.

Dog The Bounty Hunter is no longer living under the same roof as Moon Angell ... we've learned she packed up her things and moved outta his home.

Sources close to Dog tell TMZ ... Dog and Moon sat down this week for a deep convo, and he thanked her for everything she's done for him since his wife Beth Chapman's passing. Dog told Moon he's ready to move on, and she saw the writing on the wall -- time for her to move out.

Our sources say Dog and Moon had an understanding that living with him was only temporary. She originally moved in to become his support system -- helping around the house, organizing his life -- after Beth's death left a huge void.

It's not as bad as it sounds ... we're told it was just a natural progression for Moon to leave, they're still on good terms -- despite some family issues with their TV proposal -- and Dog's grateful for everything she did.

As you know ... they revealed on Dr. Oz Moon had replaced Beth's clothes with her own things when she moved in. It was a painful transition for Dog, but he knew it needed to happen.

Now, our sources say Dog is filling the empty closet space with his own things, he's feeling better and is focused on and excited about the future, with the hope of one day returning to TV. We're told he's no longer having suicidal thoughts either.

Moon's gone, but she's not heading for the hills ... we're told she's sticking around in Colorado in case Dog needs her support once again.

Evelyn Lozada is not done with "Basketball Wives" despite another castmember accusing her of being a bigot -- we've learned she's in talks to return to the reality show.

Sources close to Evelyn tell TMZ ... VH1 approached her about a comeback for season 9, but she's yet to reach a decision because she's weighing the pros and cons. We're told she's open to rejoining, but there are several factors making her hesitant to sign on the dotted line.

As you know ... Evelyn had major beef last year with Ogom "OG" Chijindu ... it got racial and there was even a lawsuit. EL filed for defamation when OG accused her of calling her castmates some horrible things.

As we reported, Evelyn said in the suit ... she lost tons of endorsement deals due to the racism allegations, and even had to hire security for her and her family.

So, there would be a huge elephant in the 'BBW' room if Evelyn returns.

We're told she's also slow to sign a deal because when she's left the show in the past ... she's had more time to focus on growing her jewelry and skin-care businesses.

Right now, our sources say Evelyn is trying to figure out if the 'Basketball Wives' paycheck is worth all the drama that will inevitably come with it.

Sean Kingston was detained Saturday night after cops suspected he might be illegally packing heat, but he wasn't.

It went down at 8:15 PM at Dino's Chicken & Burgers. LAPD tells us ... officers got a call a male was brandishing a gun, and that's all it took to light up the squad cars and look for the perp.

Once they arrived, police ordered at least one man down on the ground and put Sean in cuffs as they led him toward a police car.

In the end, Sean at several others were questioned and released, because no gun was found.

"MARRY HER!!!"

Packers star pass rusher Za'Darius Smith is putting some serious heat on his OWN quarterback, telling TMZ Sports ... Aaron Rodgers needs to marry Danica Patrick ASAP!!!

"Look, 12, I know I'm on TMZ," Smith hilariously told us out at Super Bowl festivities in Miami on Wednesday ... "But, man, most definitely, you should marry that lady!"

Rodgers and Danica have been dating for over two years ... and things are definitely SERIOUS between the two.

They've publicly said "I love yous" ... she's rooted him on at Packers games, despite being a Bears fan ... and the two even just bought a $28 MILLION mansion together in Malibu.

But Rodgers has yet to bend the knee and pop the question ... and Za'Darius tells us his QB needs to change that.

"She's a lovely woman," Smith says. "I've met her."

In fact, Smith says he thinks Rodgers giving Danica a ring could elevate the QB's game ... telling us his own career really took off once he committed to his GF during his Baltimore Ravens days.

"She kept me locked in," Smith said.

Fred Taylor WILL be wearing a gold jacket sometime in the future ... so says the Jaguars legend himself, who tells TMZ Sports he has "no doubt" he'll get in soon.

"We're going to get it," Taylor said leaving Prime 112 in Miami recently. "I believe in the voters."

Fred has a pretty good case ... the former Jacksonville running back ranks 17th on the all-time rushing yards list with 11,695 -- and he did score 66 rushing TDs as well.

But, with his former team not listing him as its greatest-ever franchise player (the Jags famously put Tony Boselli ahead of him last year) ... some wonder if Fred truly will get in.

"Yeah, we'll get it," Fred told us confidently. "No doubt."

As for the current state of the Jags, Taylor had an interesting take on the current QB conundrum in Duval.

The Jags paid Nick Foles a TON of cash to be their starter this past offseason ... but he was outplayed by Gardner Minshew -- and Taylor tells us he thinks Gardner should probably be the guy going forward now.

"I think the locker room might have a little bit more faith and trust in Minshew," Taylor says.

The ex-RB made it clear, though ... don't sleep on Foles by any means in 2020.

There's a special piece of Martin Luther King Jr. memorabilia up for sale ... a handwritten note where he shares his personal definition of love.

It's pretty cool ... one of MLK's admirers asked him the meaning of love, and the civil rights icon scribbled a super-deep quote ... the note is hitting the market through the memorabilia company Moments in Time -- and they're hawking this slice of history for a cool $42,000!!!

Martin's message is from sometime in the mid-1960s... and he says, "Love is the greatest force in the universe. It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God."

Powerful stuff, for sure.

Anything written in MLK's handwriting is super rare and valuable ... there's not much out there other than inscribed books ... and he even slapped his John Hancock on the bottom of the parchment.

It's kinda funny ... the note was acquired from a memorabilia dealer in England who apparently didn't have a clue as to what he had in his possession.

See, it pays to know your world history.