Iraqi Wedding Tragedy Video Shows Venue Go Up in Flames ... As Guests Run for Cover

New video from inside the horrific fire at a wedding in Iraq shows how quickly the flames spread in only seconds before over 100 people were killed.

The clips show the happy couple dancing inside the Al Haithem wedding hall near the village of Qaraqosh also known as Al-Hamdaniya Tuesday night. A series of sparklers goes off around them, starting the blaze and sending guests into a panic.

COMPLETELY ABLAZE

Flowers hanging from a massive truss above the couple seem to act as fuel to the flames, going up almost immediately as embers fall to the ground.

After most had evacuated the main room, huge beams -- completely on fire -- crashed to the ground. Footage after the fatal incident shows the intense destruction caused to the building.

The bride and groom reportedly made it out alive, but Reuters says 113 people have been confirmed dead, and another 150 suffered injuries. Iraq's Interior Ministry has allegedly issued arrest warrants for the owners of the wedding hall, with 1 already in cuffs as of Thursday.

Survivors from the wedding fire claim the place wasn't equipped for a disaster like this ... and one woman told the outlet, "This was not a wedding. This was hell," while crying and hitting herself after losing her 27-year-old daughter and 3 grandkids in the fire -- one of whom was just 8 months old.

Grieving family members held a massive gathering outside a morgue in the nearby city of Mosul, crying out in pain.

Tragedia en una boda Video muestra el lugar en llamas ... Un invitado corre para protegerse

Un nuevo video al interior de una boda en Irak muestra la rapidez con que se propagaron las llamas, solo segundos antes de que un horrible incendio matara a más de 100 personas.

Los clips muestran a la feliz pareja bailando dentro del salón de bodas Al Haithem cerca del pueblo de Qaraqosh, también conocido como Al-Hamdaniya, el martes por la noche. A continuación se ve que una serie de bengalas estallan a su alrededor, provocando el incendio y sembrando el pánico entre los invitados.

Completamente en llamas

Las flores que colgaban de un enorme soporte que estaba encima de la pareja parecieron actuar como combustible para el fuego, pues las llamas treparon casi de inmediato.

Después de que la mayoría hubiera evacuado la sala principal, unas enormes vigas, completamente en llamas, se estrellaron contra el suelo. Las imágenes posteriores al fatal incidente muestran la intensa destrucción causada en el edificio.

Aparentemente, los novios salieron con vida, pero Reuters afirma que se ha confirmado la muerte de 113 personas y que otras 150 sufrieron heridas. Al parecer, el Ministerio del Interior de Irak emitió órdenes de detención en contra de los propietarios del salón de bodas, uno de los cuales ya estaba esposado desde el jueves.

Los sobrevivientes del incendio afirman que el lugar no estaba equipado para un desastre como este y una mujer dijo a la salida: "Esto no era una boda. Esto fue un infierno", mientras lloraba y se golpeaba a sí misma tras perder en el incendio a su hija de 27 años y a sus tres nietos, uno de los cuales tenía solo 8 meses.

Los familiares en duelo se reunieron afuera de una morgue en la cercana ciudad de Mosul, en donde lloraron su terrible dolor.

Red Sox Legend Jason Varitek Wife Rips Curt Schilling ... 'F*** You' For Revealing Tim Wakefield's Cancer Diagnosis

UPDATE

10:29 AM PT -- The Red Sox just confirmed Curt Schilling did reveal Tim Wakefield's diagnosis without the former pitcher's permission ... saying in a statement Tim and his wife's "health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease."

The MLB team added that the Wakefields are asking for "privacy at this time."

The wife of Red Sox legend Jason Varitek is furious with Curt Schilling for revealing Tim Wakefield's cancer diagnosis ... saying straight up on Thursday, "F*** you Curt Schilling."

The former Boston star pitcher leaked the news of Wakefield's tragic health condition on his "The Curt Schilling Baseball Show" podcast on Wednesday ... admitting at the time, "I don't even know if he wants it shared."

"But, as a Christian and a man of faith," Schilling continued, "I've seen prayer work and so I'm going to talk about it."

ASKING FOR PRAYERS
The Curt Schilling Baseball Show

Schilling then revealed Wakefield -- a knuckleballer who starred for the Red Sox from 1995 to 2011 -- is battling "a very serious, very aggressive form of brain cancer."

Schilling went on to call the situation "incredibly serious" ... adding that Wakefield recently underwent surgery for the issue. Schilling then asked for prayers.

Many, however, slammed the former World Series MVP for leaking the diagnosis to the public before Wakefield could ... including Catherine Varitek, who tweeted, "F*** you Curt Schilling, that wasn’t your place!"

Schilling has yet to respond to the backlash.

For his part, Wakefield has not commented on the matter either.

Originally Published -- 9:06 AM PT

DÍA NACIONAL DE LOS HIJOS LOS PAPÁS FAMOSOS Y SUS HIJOS

Es el Día Nacional de los Hijos y la gente de todo el país está dándole a sus hijos varones un poco de amor incluyendo estos papás famosos que tienen algunos hijos por su cuenta.

DJ Khaled tiene a Asahd, Drake tiene a Adonis y Arnold Schwarzenegger tiene a Patrick, Joseph y Christopher. Todos ellos padres superestrellas que han posado para la cámara con sus pequeños a lo largo de los años.

Cristiano Ronaldo tiene incluso un retrato de su juventud, ¿su nombre? Cristiano Jr. por supuesto.

Los hijos de LeBron JamesBronny y Bryce— sonreían de oreja a oreja mientras se tomaban una foto con su papá. Ámbos tienen aspiraciones de estar en la NBA al igual que su padre y parece que al menos tienen la altura para demostrarlo, ¡son tan altos como LeBron!

La leyenda del fútbol David Beckham tomó una foto de grupo con sus hijos —Brooklyn, Romeo y Cruz— y si los 3 no tienen el deporte en su futuro, ¡seguro que podrían conseguir algún trabajo en el modelaje!

Rob Lowe se lo pasó en grande con sus 2 hijos —Matt y John— disfrutando de un tiempo en alta mar como una familia feliz.

¡Feliz Día Nacional de los Hijos a todos!

National Sons Day Celebrity Dads And Their Next Generation!

It's National Sons Day, and folks across the country are givin' their male kiddos some love ... including these celebrity dads who have some sons of their own!

DJ Khaled's got Asahd, Drake has Adonis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's got Patrick, Joseph, and Christopher -- all superstar dads who have posed for the camera with their young ones over the years.

Cristiano Ronaldo even has a spitting image of his younger self ... his name? Cristiano Jr., of course.

LeBron James' sons, Bronny and Bryce, were grinning from ear to ear while taking a pic with their pops ... the 2 have aspirations to be in the NBA just like their dad, and it looks like they've at least got the height to show for it -- they're about as tall as LeBron!

Soccer legend David Beckham took a group shot with his sons, Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz ... and if the 3 don't have the sport in their future, they for sure could get some work in modeling!

Rob Lowe was kickin' it with his 2 kids, Matt and John -- enjoying some time on the open sea as a happy family.

Happy National Sons Day to all the sons out there ... especially these A-list spawns!

Britney Spears Fans Drag Jamie Lynn's 'DWTS' Debut ... Partner Catching Flak Too

Britney Spears' feud with her sister Jamie Lynn is spilling into the "Dancing With the Stars" ballroom because Brit's fans are campaigning hard to take down JL ... and her dance partner is caught in the crossfire.

It's a total war zone on social media for Jamie Lynn and her pro dance partner, Alan Bersten, whose only offense is getting paired with the "Zoey 101" star.

Jamie Lynn made her first appearance on 'DWTS' Tuesday, and she's getting horrible reviews ... at least from Britney's legion of fans.

Folks are calling for Jamie Lynn to be voted out ASAP, ripping her for having "no class" and accusing her of abusing Britney and throwing her sister under the bus.

One user even says JL "looks like Ted Cruz with blonde hair." Ouch.

As for Alan ... Britney's fans say he has no shot at winning because he's chained to Jamie Lynn, and some are hoping he purposely drops her mid-dance. Oof!

STARTING ON A HIGH NOTE
ABC

Britney supporters are also wondering why 'DWTS' would even cast Jamie Lynn in the first place ... naturally, they would rather see Britney showing off her dance moves.

Of course, 'DWTS' producers would love to see Britney show up to support her sis, but, as it stands, there's a better chance of a snowball fight breaking out in hell.

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LOOKIN' SHARP
Instagram / @britneyspears

Plus ... after dancing with knives, Britney has much bigger issues to deal with right now.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Britney Spears Sus fans destrozan el debut de Jamie Lynn en 'DWTS' ... Y a su compañero de baile

La disputa de Britney Spears con su hermana Jamie Lynn se está extendiendo a la sala de baile de "Dancing With the Stars" porque los fans de Brit están haciendo una dura campaña para derribar a JL... y su pareja de baile está en medio del fuego cruzado.

Es una zona de guerra total en las redes sociales para Jamie Lynn y su pareja de baile Alan Bersten, cuyo único delito es estar emparejado con la estrella de "Zoey 101".

Jamie Lynn hizo su primera aparición en 'DWTS' el martes y ya está recibiendo críticas horribles, al menos de la legión de fans de Britney.

La gente está pidiendo que Jamie Lynn sea expulsada lo antes posible, criticándola por no tener "clase" y acusándola de abusar de Britney y criticarla mientras está tan vulnerable.

Un usuario incluso dice que JL "parece Ted Cruz con el pelo rubio". Ouch.

En cuanto a Alan, los fans de Britney dicen que no tiene ninguna posibilidad de ganar porque está encadenado a Jamie Lynn y algunos están esperando que la deje caer a propósito en la mitad del baile. ¡Uf!

Comenzando con una nota alta
ABC

Los seguidores de Britney también se preguntan por qué 'DWTS' elegiría a Jamie Lynn en primer lugar, naturalmente, prefieren ver a Britney mostrando sus movimientos de baile.

Por supuesto, a los productores de 'DWTS' les encantaría que Britney se apareciera para apoyar a su hermana, pero tal y como están las cosas, hay más posibilidades de que se desate una pelea como una bola de nieve hasta el infierno.

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Extraño baile con cuchillos
Instagram / @britneyspears

Además, después de bailar con cuchillos, Britney tiene asuntos mucho más importantes con los que lidiar en este momento.

Charli D'Amelio Blows Up At Dixie, Storms Out Over Dog-Killing Joke ... 'WTF Is Wrong With You?!'

Charli D'Amelio was in attack mode after her sister, Dixie, joked about killing her dog, Rebel ... dramatically storming out of a family meeting about Rebel's eating habits.

DOG DRAMA
Hulu

The sisters went at it on the latest episode of their Hulu series, "The D'Amelio Show" ... 19-year-old Charli and 22-year-old Dixie were talking with their parents, Marc and Heidi, about moving houses when the focus shifted to Charli's pup.

Dixie calls "Charli's fat dog" a monster, with Heidi agreeing Rebel is pretty big, adding, "She's gonna die" and they need a plan.

That's when Dixie dropped the sarcastic bombshell, quietly saying, "Execute her?" -- which didn't sit well with Charli, at all.

She immediately blew up, telling Dixie, "What the f*** is wrong with you? That's so mean, you can't put that out in the world." Mom agreed.

The younger sister left a lot of tension behind as she walked out of the convo ... and Dixie rolled her eyes, calling her sister "a bitch."

BTW, Marc obviously didn't want to fuel the fire ... telling producers the fam "can't afford them not to be speaking."

Lots of drama in the D'Amelio household, and cupcake-snatching Rebel's caught in the middle of it!

For more influencer news, tune in to the TMZ Verified Podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.

Jamie Lynn Spears Mommy Lynne Cheers Her On ... During 'DWTS' Debut

STARTING ON A HIGH NOTE
ABC

Jamie Lynn Spears had her mom, Lynne, front and center for her debut on "Dancing With the Stars" -- but one person went unaddressed during her time on screen ... Britney.

The former Nickelodeon child star -- and BS's famous little sister -- did her one, two-step Tuesday for Season 32's premiere of 'DWTS' ... performing a tango with her dance partner Alan Bersten, which ended up receiving a somewhat average score of just 15/30.

Of course, the real focus seemed to be what was happening offstage -- namely, with who showed up in person to support JLS ... including her mama and other family members.

Lynne was out there cheering her head off for her daughter -- which is awesome ... but the sweet moment was unfortunately somewhat overshadowed by looming concern for Britney, who's been posting disturbing videos over the past 48 hours.

9/25/23
LOOKIN' SHARP
Instagram / @britneyspears

Of course, we're referring to Britney's knife dance clips that have gone up on her social media ... including one just yesterday that appeared to show her injured, with a bandaged arm, a nicked though, and some sort of red mark on her hip.

CONNECTING THE DOTS
TMZ.com

Some have speculated they could be from the knives she's been wielding during these at-home dance routines ... and it's spurred a lot of commentary about her well-being.

Like we said ... Jamie Lynn didn't talk Britney at all during Episode 1, nor did she even allude to her. We know JLS and Britney have had a rocky relationship over the past year and change, but despite this ... our sources say BS knew her sis would be on TV here.

Whether Brit actually watched or not ... it's anyone's guess. She hasn't publicly acknowledged Jamie Lynn's casting whatsoever.

CHARLI D'AMELIO SE ENFADA CON DIXIE POR BROMEAR SOBRE MATAR A SU PERRA ¡¿Qué te pasa?!

Charli D'Amelio estaba en modo furia luego de que su hermana —Dixie— bromeara sobre matar a su perra Rebel. Salió furiosa de una reunión familiar acerca de los hábitos alimenticios de la mascota.

drama por un perrito
Hulu

Las hermanas se enfrentaron en el último episodio de su serie de Hulu, "The D'Amelio Show". Charli de 19 años y Dixie de 22 estaban hablando con sus padres —Marc y Heidi— sobre mudarse de casa cuando el foco de atención pasó a la mascota de Charli.

Dixie llama a la "perrita gorda de Charli" un monstruo. Heidi está de acuerdo con que Rebel es bastante grande y agregó: "Ella va a morir" así que necesitan un plan.

Fue entonces cuando Dixie soltó una bomba sarcástica diciendo en voz baja: "¿Ejecutarla?". Claramente la broma no sentó bien con Charli.

Estalló inmediatamente, diciéndole a Dixie: "¿Qué mier... te pasa? Eso es horrible, no puedes decir esas cosas". Mamá le dio la razón.

La hermana menor dejó mucha tensión en el aire al salir del lugar y Dixie puso los ojos en blanco llamando a su hermana "perra".

Obviamente Marc no quería avivar el fuego y le dijo a todos que "no pueden darse el lujo de no hablarse".

Mucho drama en la casa D'Amelio y Rebel —la ladrona de cupcakes— está en medio de todo.

Para más noticias sobre influencers sintoniza el podcast TMZ Verified. Todos los jueves en todas las plataformas de podcast.

JAMIE LYNN SPEARS durante su debut en "dancing with the stars"

un buen comienzo
ABC

Jamie Lynn Spears tuvo a su mamá (Lynne) en primera fila viendo su debut en "Dancing With the Stars", pero una persona no fue abordada durante su tiempo en pantalla ... Britney.

La ex estrella infantil de Nickelodeon —y la famosa hermana pequeña de Britney— hizo su paso el martes para el estreno de la temporada 32 de "Dancing With The Stars". Bailaron un tango con su pareja Alan Bersten y recibieron una puntuación media de sólo 15/30.

La atención estuvo principalmente fuera del escenario, sobre todo hacia los seres queridos que fueron a ver a la famosa concursante incluyendo a su mamá y otros miembros de la familia.

Lynne estaba allí animando a su hija, lo cual es genial, pero el momento dulce fue por desgracia un poco eclipsado por la preocupación por Britney, quien ha estado publicando videos inquietantes durante las últimas 48 horas.

9/25/23
un baile peligroso
Instagram / @britneyspears

Por supuesto, nos referimos a los clips de Britney bailando con cuchillos que ha subido a sus redes sociales, incluyendo uno ayer que parecía mostrarla herida, con un brazo vendado, un golpe y una especie de marca roja en la cadera.

preocupación general por britney
TMZ.com

Algunos han especulado que las lesiones podrían ser causadas por los cuchillos que ha estado utilizando durante estas rutinas de baile en casa y que han generado una gran cantidad de comentarios acerca de su bienestar.

Como dijimos, Jamie Lynn no habló de Britney en absoluto durante el primer episodio, ni siquiera hizo alusión a ella. Sabemos que Jamie Lynn y Britney han tenido una relación difícil el último año, pero a pesar de esto nuestras fuentes dicen que Britney sabía que su hermana estaría en televisión.

Si Brit realmente miró o no el programa, es una incógnita. Ella no ha reconocido públicamente el casting de Jamie Lynn en absoluto.

Lil Tay Father Punches Back ... After Her IG Accuses Him of Death Hoax

Lil Tay's father has been accused of being the mastermind behind her death hoax on social media, but the guy's calling BS ... and pointing fingers at who may be to blame.

Christopher Hope tells TMZ an IG Story posted to Lil Tay's official account Tuesday -- which labels him as the perpetrator of the death hoax -- is not only false ... but defamatory, and he warns that this could land in civil court.

He says, "The person who is responsible for that Instagram post, as well as anyone repeating the completely false and libelous accusation within it, are virtually certain to become defendants in a defamation lawsuit."

Hope adds, "Everything stated is 100% false, and I trust that this should be obvious to anyone who knows me or the long history of absurd and untrue statements made by the various people who have controlled the Instagram account."

As far as what exactly the IG post said ... well, you can read it for yourself. It accuses Hope of being racist and abusive toward women -- in addition to being the one who pre-emptively announced her death ... which turned out not to be true.

Frankly, it's hard to decipher what the truth is in this whole Lil Tay saga ... because all of it is so freaking weird. What we know for certain is that Lil Tay's parents have been embroiled in a nasty custody battle for years now -- which her mom recently told us went in her favor.

Attorneys for Tay's mother, Angela Tian, told us their client was happy to regain a lot of control over how to raise their kid ... and all but guaranteed a comeback to showbiz.

The one person we haven't seen or heard from directly in all this ... Lil Tay.

For more viral news, tune in to the TMZ Verified Podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.

Lil Tay Su padre contrataca Después de que Instagram lo acusara de fingir su muerte

El padre de Lil Tay ha sido acusado en redes sociales de ser el cerebro detrás de su fingida muerte, pero él dice que todo es mentira y está señalando con el dedo a quienes se atrevan a responsabilizarlo.

Christopher Hope dice a TMZ que la historia de Instagram publicada en la cuenta oficial de Lil Tay el martes, que lo etiqueta como el autor del engaño, no solo es falsa sino que es difamatoria, y advierte que esto podría terminar en un tribunal civil.

Él dice: "La persona que es responsable de ese post de Instagram, así como cualquiera que repita esta acusación completamente falsa y difamatoria, están prácticamente seguros de que serán acusados en una demanda por difamación."

Hope añade: "Todo lo que se afirma es 100% falso, y confío en que esto debería ser obvio para cualquiera que me conozca o para el largo historial de declaraciones absurdas y falsas realizadas por las distintas personas que han controlado la cuenta de Instagram."

En cuanto a lo que decía exactamente el post de Instagram, pueden leerlo ustedes mismos. Se acusa a Hope de ser racista y abusivo hacia las mujeres, además de anunciar preventivamente la muerte de Lil Tay, que resultó no ser verdad.

Francamente, es difícil descifrar cuál es la verdad en toda esta saga de Lil Tay porque todo es súper extraño. Lo que sabemos con certeza es que sus padres han estado envueltos en una batalla muy desagradable por su custodia desde hace años, la que según nos dijo su madre recientemente, terminó inclinándose a su favor.

Los abogados de la madre de Tay, Angela Tian, nos dijeron que su clienta estaba feliz de recuperar una gran cantidad de control sobre la forma de criar a su hija, y casi garantizaba su regreso al mundo del espectáculo.

La única persona que no hemos visto o escuchado directamente en todo esto es a Lil Tay

Para más noticias virales, sintoniza el podcast TMZ Verified. Todos los jueves en todas las plataformas de podcast.

Taylor Swift Sneaking Out of Kelce Suite In Popcorn Carrier?!?

uPDATE

12:55 PM PT -- A source with direct knowledge tells us Taylor Swift did not sneak out of the suite, she walked out with Travis Kelce's family and their entourage.

Taylor Swift fans believe she went to great lengths to sneak out of the private suite where she was watching rumored boyfriend Travis Kelce play football ... Swifties think she left in a popcorn machine.

TRAVELING INCOGNITO???
Instagram / @mymissourihouse

The fan theory is spreading like wildfire on social media Monday, with Swifties claiming Taylor was inside a large, metallic box that was being wheeled through the Arrowhead Stadium concourse, where tons of folks were waiting to catch a glimpse of TayTay.

Video shows a staffer wheeling the container as one Swiftie claims Taylor's inside the box. It's interesting there's a big bag of popcorn on top of the container instead of inside, plus a law enforcement officer keeping watch.

As you know, Taylor watched Travis' Kansas City Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears, 41-10, Sunday afternoon in KC ... showing up to support him shortly after being romantically linked to the team's star tight end.

Taylor cheered from a suite, where she was hanging out with Travis' mom ... and the two seemed to really get along.

9/24/23
YOU BELONG WITH ME???
X/@paytonsun

After the game, Taylor and Travis walked out of the locker room area together ... but no one knows how she got from the suite to the stadium bowels without being seen ... hence the popcorn machine disguise theory.

9/24/23
GETAWAY CAR

Taylor wasn't too shy once she got near Travis ... they drove off in a convertible and had the top down too.

It's going to be interesting to see where things go for Taylor and Travis ... so get your popcorn ready.

Do you think Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are the real deal, or just a PR stunt? Vote below.

Originally Published -- 12:09 PM PT

TAYLOR SWIFT ¿SALIÓ ESCONDIDA EN UN PORTAPALOMITAs?

actualización

Una fuente directa nos dice que Taylor Swift no se escabulló de la suite, sino que salió con la familia de Travis Kelce y su séquito.

Los fans de Taylor Swift creen que ella hizo todo lo posible para escabullirse de la suite privada donde estaba viendo a su supuesto novio Travis Kelce jugar al fútbol. Los Swifties piensan que ella salió del lugar escondidad en una máquina de palomitas de maíz.

¿escondida?
Instagram / @mymissourihouse

La teoría de los fans se está extendiendo como la pólvora en redes sociales desde el lunes, con Swifties afirmando que Taylor estaba dentro de una caja grande y metálica que se movía a través de la explanada del estadio Arrowhead donde un montón de gente estaba esperando para echarle un vistazo a TayTay.

El video muestra a un miembro del personal de ruedas del contenedor cuando un Swiftie afirma que Taylor está dentro de la caja. Lo curioso es que hay una gran bolsa de palomitas de maíz en la parte superior del contenedor en lugar de en el interior, además de un agente de la ley vigilando.

Como ustedes saben, Taylor vio Travis vencer a los Osos de Chicago 41-10 el domingo por la tarde, mostrando su apoyo poco después de haber sido vinculada sentimentalmente con la estrella del equipo.

Taylor animó desde una suite donde estaba pasando el rato con la mamá de Travis y ambas parecían llevarse bien.

9/24/23
felices
X/@paytonsun

Después del partido, Taylor y Travis salieron de la zona de vestuarios juntos pero nadie sabe cómo llegó de la suite a las entrañas del estadio sin ser vista, de ahí la teoría del disfraz de máquina de palomitas de maíz.

9/24/23
yendose juntos

Taylor no se fue nada tímida cuando se acercó a Travis. Se fueron en un convertible del lugar.

Va a ser interesante ver como siguen la cosas para Taylor y Travis ¡así que prepara tus palomitas de maíz!

Tory Lanez Wants Gen Pop in New Prison ... Not Scared of Dangers

Tory Lanez is isolated in his prison cell, and amid a new, volatile environment, the guy's actually gunning to be among the normie inmates ... and he's not afraid at all.

Ceasar McDowell -- a member of Tory's legal team and the CEO of Unite the People -- tells us he's spoken to TL a few times since he was denied bond pending his appeal, and apparently Tory has a preference on where to be housed at the new facility ... gen pop.

Indeed ... we're told Tory's first choice is to be among the other inmates, as opposed to being siloed away in a protective wing ... where high-profile inmates often go. Instead, McDowell tells us Tory's relayed to him ... he wants to be among the common crowd, which is somewhat shocking.

TMZ broke the story -- Tory's currently isolated because of his celebrity status, getting frequent guard checks and escorts for meals -- but he doesn't want the special treatment ... he wants to be out with everybody else.

It goes without saying ... gen pop is where a lot of danger exists, and where an inmate could more easily run into problems. And despite this, we're told Tory has absolutely no apprehension about his safety ... as McDowell explains Tory thinks he can handle himself.

McDowell tells us that Tory's been fully briefed on prison life from several people in his own world -- and, generally speaking, he's a confident guy. In other words, it sounds like TL thinks he'd be able to fit right in without any problems.

More than this ... we're told there are practical reasons Tory's gunning for a gen Pop placement. An inmate in gen pop tends to have access to more programs and resources (like help/support groups) than the special wing prisoners do ... and McDowell says Tory wants the option to take advantage of those.

THE NEW LOCKUP

Unclear which of these Tory might want to join, but what McDowell does tell us is this ... Tory believes being a part of that will help him rehabilitate faster and come home sooner.

Now, while Tory might not fear his own safety in the new prison ... we're told he does have one lingering fear ... the real possibility of losing touch with his loved ones. We're told the communication rules at North Kern State Prison are different than what he had at L.A. County Jail ... where he could call anyone he wanted at any time.

Here, and for the time being, he'll have limited access to the outside world. McDowell says Tory can't make calls himself, but can still receive them from his legal team. This will only be temporary, however, as Tory sits tight in the "reception center" for the next 30 days.

McDowell says once Tory finishes his month in the reception center, he'll head into inmate orientation -- where they'll determine his fate as far as gen pop, etc. In the meantime, Tory's team is working round-the-clock to get a higher court to reverse the bond denial.

Old news is old news!
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