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Vince McMahon is adamant the scandal that mired his 2022 played absolutely no role in the WWE's merger with the UFC on Monday.

The wrestling icon sat down with CNBC to go in-depth about his decision to form a massive new company with Endeavor, the parent co. of UFC -- and at one point during the conversation, he was asked if the '22 allegations of misconduct impacted his choice to sell his org.

McMahon said firmly they did not -- adding that they didn't push him to make a decision quicker, either.

"I'm always looking into what's best for our stockholders, what's best for the company," the 77-year-old said. "This is the best thing that's happened in a long, long time."

McMahon didn't address the accusations specifically or the WWE's investigation into them ... though he did admit, "I've made mistakes, obviously. Both personally and professionally through my 50-year career."

"I've owned up to every single one of them," he added. "And then, moved on."

McMahon was accused of agreeing to pay millions of dollars to four different women to keep them quiet about their relationships with him. While the probe into the claims was ongoing, McMahon retired as WWE CEO -- but he rejoined the company in January ... revealing he was exploring a potential sale of the org.

Pras Michel has his game face on as his federal conspiracy case kicks into high gear in Washington D.C., with some huge names -- including Leonardo DiCaprio -- set to take the stand.

We caught The Fugees rapper just as he arrived at the courthouse with his defense lawyer ... ahead of what could be a crucial day. Leo is a key witness, and he testified Monday morning after the court allowed him to use a side entrance to avoid the media.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story back in October ... Leo is just one of the many high-profile witnesses who could take the stand before it's all said and done.

Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, and ex-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions are all named on the defense's witness list in the saga.

Pras is facing 22 years for his alleged role in a money laundering scheme with Malaysian fugitive Jho Low ... where Low's accused of acting as an agent for the Chinese government.

Leo's not a defendant, but he's been subpoenaed because the feds claim he's one of several celebs who received gifts from Low.

Travis Scott has cleared one major hurdle in the nightclub dispute where he allegedly damaged equipment and assaulted a sound engineer ... and while the criminal investigation remains open, we're told charges are unlikely.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Travis settled with honchos at Nebula in NYC as well as the sound engineer he allegedly attacked. It's unclear how much Scott had to pony up, but the equipment he damaged was worth at least $12k.

While the settlement marks at least one victory for Travis, a spokesperson for the NYPD tells us, "This remains an active investigation." However, another law enforcement source says the alleged victim has stopped cooperating, which poses potential issues for the case going forward.

Of course, there's always a chance cops could use video of the alleged incident to go after Travis, though that's unlikely given the lack of cooperation from a victim.

It was last month when Travis lost his cool at Nebula, allegedly getting pissed at the sound engineer for turning down the volume during his DJ set. The sound engineer claims Travis punched him in the face and destroyed a video board during the performance.

As for the sound engineer, he did an interview from the hospital shortly after the incident, saying, "My neck is f**ked up. My arm is tingling. I have pins and needles going down it."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's nonprofit paid a pretty penny to the woman who used to run point on all things PR for Michelle Obama ... and some smell politics in the air.

The revelation surfaced in the Archewell Foundation's 2021 tax disclosure docs -- which appear to have just been posted in March ... and which the media perused over the weekend ... only to see MM and co. shelled out hundreds of thousands in strategic PR consulting.

A little over $215,000 was forked over to a company called Invisible Hand, which specializes in social impact and culture ... offering a wide variety of PR-related services on their menu.

What caught people's eye, however, was the $110k that was paid to a company called KMLSA -- a good old-fashioned PR agency based near San Diego, CA. The top dog at this org is none other than Katie Mccormick-Lelyveld ... who's directly tied to the Obamas.

Indeed ... she was actually Michelle's Press Secretary for a while, officially working for the former First Lady from 2007 to 2011. She's also provided PR work for Hillary Clinton in the past ... not to mention John Kerry -- both of whom are huge political titans obviously.

Her company, KML Strategic Advisors, touts itself this way ... "From the corporate war room to the media battlefield, the corner office to the White House, KML Strategic Advisors are your guides through rarified air." Considering her resume, that's pretty darn accurate.

Now, as for what documented purpose the Archewell Foundation paid these 2 agencies ... their tax disclosure keeps it vague, only citing "Strategic Support for Social Impact PR."

That could be interpreted a million different ways ... but some are digesting it as a potential signal that Meghan herself might be gearing up for public office -- and is hiring the best people in the biz to guide her. Of course, it could also just be related to their Royal drama.

We know Meg and Harry are knee-deep in their philanthropy work, and the PR consulting could easily be just about that as well. But, by the same token, we also know Meghan is all about causes -- and there's no better place to advocate and fight for those than D.C.

Time will tell, we suppose!

Chris Pine has the right stuff for movie magic -- his latest flick, 'Dungeons & Dragons,' just swiped the top spot at the box office ... stealing the spotlight from Keanu Reeves.

The actor and his rag-tag team of costars -- Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Rege-Jean Page, etc. -- cleaned up this weekend in theaters ... where 'Honor Among Thieves' came in first ahead of 'John Wick 4' by quite a bit, a whopping $38.5 mil compared to $28.2 mil.

That's pretty surprising considering the huge momentum KR's action-packed blockbuster had behind it last weekend -- not to mention the rave reviews. Chris, however, had just as much good word of mouth about his fantasy adventure film ... which everyone seems to be loving.

We've seen it ourselves ... and yeah, it's pretty freaking awesome. You don't even have to be a real D&D nerd to enjoy it either -- which is sorta the genius of it ... mass appeal for all.

If you're unfamiliar with what it's about ... 'D&D' follows a rescue-the-kid plot -- with Hugh Grant playing a hilariously snobbish bad guy. Rege is great too ... and the humor throughout is top-notch. CP honestly might be on Ryan Reynolds' level with comedic timing and delivery.

There's also a wildly unexpected cameo that pops up about midway through ... from yet another handsome leading man in Hollywood, for whom no role is too small. Literally.

Chris is on a roll with his projects lately ... dude doesn't seem to be in anything objectively bad, and 'Dungeons & Dragons' is no exception.

A stripper's twerkin' sesh at a Chicago Bulls game is bringing her big money ... 'cause after her dance in a suite at the United Center went viral earlier this week -- she tells TMZ Sports business has been boomin'!!!

The stripper, Pretty Rebel, went off in the middle of the Lakers vs. Bulls game on Wednesday ... and when video of her performance hit the internet -- fans couldn't take their eyes off of it.

The footage -- which showed Pretty Rebel in a red two-piece twerking and doing splits on the suite floor -- has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times!!

Pretty Rebel -- who was actually hired for her friend Jazz's birthday -- said she had a blast at the game ... and since it all went down, her phone has been blowing up!

"I've gotten so many requests for more bookings," Pretty Rebel tells us.

The United Center, meanwhile wasn't too pleased over it all, officials for the venue said her moves violated their fan code of conduct and "appropriate steps to address the matter" have been taken.

But, Pretty Rebel told us she hasn't heard anything from the team or its stadium, as of yet.

Bianca Belair could be the next John Cena, Rock or Dave Bautista -- at least, that's what wrestling legend X-Pac thinks ... 'cause he tells TMZ Sports he sees the current WWE RAW Women's champ moving from the squared circle to the silver screen!!

We spoke with the 50-year-old great out at LAX this week ... and asked the two-time Hall of Fame inductee who he believes could transition into Hollywood post-wrestling career.

After going through of list of WWE stars in his head, Pac finally figured it out ... it's Bianca.

"She's great at everything," Pac told us. "She's a good talker ... she makes her own outfits, bro."

"She's great in the ring. I'm a huge fan. That's who I'm picking."

Of course, Pac (real name Sean Waltman) doesn't see the 33-year-old starting an acting career any time soon -- Belair just made her wrestling debut in 2016 and recently became the longest-reigning Black singles champion in WWE history.

"She's still on her run," Pac added. "When she's done with her run, I think that's available for her. If she wants to."

A WWE star turned actor/actress isn't far-fetched obviously ... The Rock -- who wrestled from 1996 to 2019 -- is one of the highest-paid actors in the nation and his films have grossed over $10.5 billion worldwide.

Cena -- who still wrestles in the WWE -- has been featured in several movies and TV shows, including "Peacemaker." He also won the Action Star of the Year award at CinemaCon.

As for Dave Bautista, he solidified his spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his part in "Guardians of the Galaxy" ... and has since taken on some wide-ranging roles.

YouTube star Colleen Ballinger, best known for her Internet character Miranda Sings, is laughing all the way to the bank ... after selling her L.A. home for more than $3 mil!

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the YouTuber/comedian unloaded her 5,000-square-foot Encino home for $3.4 million. The 5-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom pad sits on a 9,000-square-foot lot ... and it has a whole lot to offer.

The house has high ceilings, which is always awesome, and lots of natural light. It's not only got a kitchen, but a butler's pantry as well.

The primary suite has its own fireplace, outdoor terrace, walk-in closet and spa-like bath.

The backyard is cool ... a built-in BBQ center and a "cigar patio" with a fireplace. Of course, there's the obligatory pool.

Colleen listed the home back in January for $3.75 million after moving her and her fam to Santa Barbara.

Kim Kardashian is back on a beach famously populated by celebrities, and last Friday she was the undisputed queen of the Bu.

Kim was on the sands of Malibu for another photo shoot ... it seems it's for SKIMS swim line.

The 42-year-old billionaire mogul is in INSANE shape ... thanks to two-hours of daily training. Her personal trainer, Senada Greca, needs only these pics to fill her client list.

It's a super sexy shoot ... btw, she went back to the scene of the crime, where she posed in the jaw-dropping pink bikini.

Now there are always naysayers ... yeah, she's rich, has the ability to set her own schedule, hire a trainer -- yada yada yada -- but it takes commitment and she's clearly doubled down on that.

"Vanderpump Rules" stars Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix are living under the same roof ... despite the fact everyone knows they broke up after she found out Tom cheated on her with Raquel Leviss.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Tom and Ariana are continuing to live in their Valley Village home when they're in town, though they're no longer sleeping in the same room obviously.

It's not going to be an easy split ... Tom and Ariana each own 50 percent of the home, according to property records, and we're told they have not sat down to talk about what they'll do with it.

It's kinda cringeworthy ... they are sometimes still in the house at the same time. With the palpable anger, it's gotta be rough.

While it sounds like a pretty awkward setup, Tom and Ariana aren't always in town at the same time ... our sources say she's up in Seattle filming a Lifetime movie for the next few days ... and we first reported, Tom took a Southwest flight home this week to visit family in St. Louis.

The home is 4,453 square feet with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms ... so there's enough space to create a buffer zone of sorts. Think "The War of the Roses."

Raquel stopped by the pad this week ... but we were told she didn't spend the night and was just saying bye to Tom before he took off for his hometown. Kinda weird, right?

Gwyneth Paltrow's attorney was getting superstar treatment after his big victory in court this week ... and even Katie Couric was taking notice of his Clark Kent-like appearance.

Paltrow's lawyer, James Egan, was being compared to the bespectacled heartthrob protagonist, better known as Superman, by Couric and many others on social media.

As you know, Egan scored a major win for Paltrow in her civil case against retired optometrist Terry Sanderson after their 2016 ski collision in Deer Valley, Utah. A jury voted in favor of the actress and awarded her $1, as well as full reimbursement of her legal expenses. Both parties sued each other over the ski crash.

Couric, the former "Today" host, took to Instagram to reveal she had the hots for Egan. She wrote, “He’s cute,” accompanied by a photo of Egan wearing his Clark Kent glasses.

Her company, Katie Couric Media, also posted a dramatic reaction to Egan's handsome looks: “Good GOD.” But it wasn't clear if Couric had made the remark or one of her workers.

Fashion columnist Evan Ross Katz was also enamored by Egan, sharing a picture of the lawyer on Instagram with the caption: "Gwyneth's attorney James Egan? I think we should have that conversation."

After the trial, Extra's Billy Bush asked Egan how he felt about his fans falling head over heels for him. Egan responded, "I have heard that. It's weird." He added that he was headed home for quality time with his one-year-old son.

Social media users called Egan “law daddy,”  “hottie” and “smoke show." One person asked, “Can he be held against me in a court of law?” Another said: “I’d let him ski directly into my effing back.”

Gwyneth Paltrow scored a major W in court in her ski crash trial, but it may not be totally over ... as we've learned the doctor who alleged she injured him is considering an appeal.

Robert Sykes, attorney for Dr. Terry Sanderson tells TMZ ... "We sincerely disagree with the outcome and will consider all options moving forward .... including a motion to the court for a new trial or a possible appeal. All of those things are on the table."

Sykes says he believes there were a number of errors made in the case that could form the basis of an appeal. He says one issue is that the judge allowed Gwyneth's lawyers to dig into Terry's past, which they insist was "totally unrelated" to the collision on the mountain but didn't allow his lawyers the same with respect to Paltrow's past.

As we reported, the jury reached a verdict Thursday in the trial ... saying it was Sanderson who caused the accident with GP on the ski slope -- and not the other way around -- as he had claimed.

The actress was awarded $1 in damages, the amount she demanded in her countersuit.

Sanderson sued Paltrow back in 2019, blaming her for slamming into him on the slopes at Deer Valley Resort in Utah back in 2016. Sanderson said he suffered a concussion and broken ribs as a result of the crash.

His initial lawsuit asked for more than $3 million in damages, however, the judge later ruled he could only get a maximum of $300K.

As far as the timeline of any of this, we're told Terry's team isn't making any moves just yet ... instead, they are considering their options and will take their time before making a final decision.

Francis Ngannou is still a free agent -- arguably the biggest in the combat sports world -- and although he has a ton of options on the table, MMA legend Randy Couture tells us the former UFC heavyweight champ should press pause on boxing, and sign with PFL.

TMZ Sports talked to Couture, UFC Hall of Famer and current Professional Fighters League commentator, ahead of Saturday's PFL 1 in Las Vegas (more on that in a minute), when the conversation turned to 36-year-old Ngannou's fighting future.

"Honestly, I'm hopeful that we do get him signed [to PFL]," Randy said.

Couture says PFL, which has traditionally aired for free on cable, will soon start putting on pay-per-view shows, and Randy believes that could draw big stars.

"I think that's where you're going to see stars like Kayla Harrison show up, and hopefully maybe Francis and some of these other big-named guys that we have. It's going to be interesting to see where he shows up. Obviously, there are other promotions with opportunities, I know Bellator is still on the playing field. He could end up going back [to the UFC]. Everybody wants to see him fight Jon Jones. I'm one of those guys, too."

Of course, Francis last fought at UFC 270 in January 2022 when he defeated Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision after a competitive 5-round fight. Unfortunately, Ngannou and Dana White couldn't agree on a new contract, so Francis and the UFC went their separate ways.

"I'm glad that Francis is stepping up, standing up for himself, demanding some advocacy that we as fighters deserve. It wasn't about the money, they're gonna make him out to be some greedy kid that wasn't just enough money, and I just don't think that's accurate, that's not what's really going on. So, good for Francis, I hope he ends up where he wants to be."

Where he wants to be could also be a boxing ring. Ngannou, the hardest puncher in all MMA, has flirted with the idea of switching sports ... with Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury being rumored opponents.

Randy, who once fought heavyweight champion James Toney in MMA in 2010 (Couture won via first-round submission), says that might not be the best idea.

"There's some chatter in the professional boxing world that he might show up there. Some people are talking about potentially fighting him. I honestly feel like he has some work to do there to be operating at that level."

Randy continued ... "Those guys have been entrenched in professional boxing as long as he's been doing MMA and stuff. He's always gonna have a puncher's chance, he's got that power. But those guys are as technical of boxers as I've seen in the sport in a long time."

Here's a chance to literally give someone the moon ... lunar soil from a Soviet mission to the Moon is up for grabs ... but it's going to cost seven figures.

Moondust recovered from the USSR's last successful lunar probe is up for sale over at Moments In Time ... with a whopping $1,250,000 price tag for three tiny pieces.

The lunar soil sample particles were collected from the moon way back in 1976, when the Soviets sent their Luna 24 probe up into space. The probe landed near the Moon's then-unexplored "Mare Crisium" and drilled two meters into the soil, collecting 170 grams of moondust.

The Luna 24 mission was historic ... in addition to being the last lunar spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union, it's also the last probe from any country to make a soft landing on the planet.

What's more, these moondust particles are the only known Luna 24 material to fall into private hands. They were first gifted to Soviet First Secretary Leonid Brezhnev on his 70th birthday in 1976, and when he died the moondust went to his daughter, who eventually passed the lunar soil on to a private collector.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is wasting no time seizing the moment now that his attackers are behind bars ... with the rollout of a new music video and dishing out a ton of cash.

The rainbow-haired rapper dropped "Bori" Friday, along with a music video -- shot in Cuba -- which features images of 6ix9ine receiving medical treatment and giving away $50k in American dollars to the locals.

The brunt of 6ix9ine's injuries appears to be severe during the time of filming. In one scene, he brandishes a bloodshot right eye, and shows him getting an MRI in the hospital.

"Bori" features Cuban singer Lenier and while the track doesn't address the gym attack, it does speak on his love/hate dynamic while also speaking on his love for philanthropy.

Law enforcement personnel in Miami are still probing into the last week's attack but feel they nabbed the responsible culprits -- Rafael Medina Jr., Octavious Medina and Anthony Maldonado -- and claim to have significant evidence that Rafael is a notorious chief within the Latin Kings criminal org.

Fivio Foreign's reentry into the world of live performances is going rather smoothly ... although on a much smaller scale than the festival set he recently missed.

The Brooklyn rapper rocked the mic for Benny Da Jeweler's birthday Thursday inside the Da Mikele Illagio in Queens, NY ... his first time back onstage since his Rolling Loud health scare cancelation.

Fivio performed his hits "Say My Name" and "City of Gods" and also clowned around at the party with the kids, a great sign ... given everything he told us the last time we spoke to him.

He blamed a body shutdown on missing the festival circuit but credited nothing but plain ol' water for snapping him back into shape.

Benny's beloved by many rappers ... having hooked up Diddy, Ice Spice and Lil Tjay with bling within the past year.