TMZ Live

The chick Pauly D knocked up claims she's no longer looking for a custody war, and is now willing to accept co-parenting with him -- but TMZ has learned the "Jersey Shore" star has serious concerns about another guy in her life.

Amanda Markert called in to TMZ Live to talk about Pauly's fight to gain full custody of their 5-month old daughter, Amabella -- and said, "I would hope that no one would ever want to take an infant away from her mother, and I'm hoping that she can have 2 parents in her life that can get along together."

That's a huge shift -- as we first told you, Amanda and Pauly basically hate each other -- and she confirmed they've had no relationship whatsoever since their one-night stand in Las Vegas.

Sources close to Pauly tell us one of the reasons he wants full custody is because Amanda's first baby daddy (of her 5-year-old son) is currently a wanted man for felony drug charges.

According to a Florida police report ... he was busted for DUI after a car accident, and police say they found him at the scene with bloody needle marks in his arm, and methadone pills -- commonly used to treat heroin addicts.

He skipped a court hearing, and now there's a bench warrant out for his arrest -- but Amanda explained she's already taken steps to protect herself and her children from the guy.

Amanda may want peace, but ... watch the clip. This is ain't no rom com.

Ja Rule is breaking the incarceration code of silence ... revealing something only the people inside his penitentiary have known about ... HIS SECRET RECIPE FOR PRISON CHICKEN CURRY!!

The rapper -- who recently told us that he cooked like a maniac during his 2-year stint at Ray Brook Federal Prison -- appeared on "TMZ Live" moments ago and explained how he transitioned into a locked up Chef Boyardee.

So, if you plan on doing time in the near future, listen up ... 'cause Ja has the PERFECT recipe to slam together a nice chicken dish in the comfort of your own cell.

... and it actually sounds pretty damn good!!

Check out the clip.

Michael Bay just told TMZ ... the man who attacked him with an air conditioner was an extortionist who vowed to torpedo "Transformers 4" unless Bay paid him off.

Bay told us on "TMZ Live" that he was shooting in a Hong Kong neighborhood earlier in the week and had paid various businesses on the surrounding streets money in return for shutting down during the shoot. One dude held out, and, according to Bay, set out to ruin the shoot by turning on an electric saw and making other noises when the cameras were rolling.

Bay says the guy -- who he's convinced was on drugs -- came at him with the air conditioning unit.

The way he tells it ... very entertaining.

Our Adrian Peterson baby count was off by two -- at least according to one of the NFL star's baby mamas, who tells us AP has actually fathered SEVEN kids, not five.

TMZ broke the story about baby #5 today, but Erica Syion -- a former dancer who met AP in Houston a few years back -- called in to "TMZ Live" today to correct our math ... and the numbers are pretty shocking.