TV

Jodi Stachowski, the ex-fiancee of "Making a Murderer's" Steven Avery, claims he put her in forced circumstances similar to those of murder victim Teresa Halbach.

Jodi tells us she believes Brendan Dassey's retelling of Teresa Halbach's rape and murder, because Steven had at one point tied her to a bedpost with rope and tried to videotape it. She says Steven wanted to have sex while she was restrained but she was so adamant he backed down.

Jodi says Steven has a history of using fear as a weapon ... her most recent evidence of this is a letter she got from him in August, asking for money.

TruTV's hit show "Impractical Jokers" gets tons of laughs at the expense of a former crew member, but he doesn't want to be a punch line anymore ... not for free, anyway.

'IJ' fans are used to hearing Joe Gatto shout "Larry!" in the middle of their challenges. It's kind of an inside joke referring to a season 1 crew member named Larry Crisci.

Larry is no longer with the show, but they still frequently use his name. In a behind the scenes video they call him "the man, the myth, the legend."

Well, Crisci's not flattered ... he's just filed a lawsuit against TruTv and the show's producers, saying they don't have his permission to use his name. He's demanding compensation, STAT.

Larry's threatening to get the last laugh ... to the tune of at least $500k.

Steve Harvey has done an interview with Miss Colombia, begging forgiveness ... and we've learned the waterworks were turned on in a big, big way -- and we're not talking her.

Our sources say ... an NBC producer brokered the deal in which Ariadna Gutierrez appeared on Harvey's talk show and did a segment for "Today," as well as Telemundo ... all NBC-owned properties.

Our sources say Harvey told Ariadna he's apologized to everyone, but a face-to-face with her was the most meaningful. "He sobbed and sobbed," our sources say.

Harvey also had the winner, Miss Philippines, on the show but we're told she was never on the same stage as Ariadna.

Right after Steve's show, filmed in Chicago, Natalie Morales from "Today," interviewed Ariadna, followed by an anchor from Telemundo.

Today, Ariadna is shooting a cover for People Espanol.

As one source said, "Ariadna thought having the crown taken away was the worst day of her life. She now realizes it was the best day," adding, 'She's making a fortune!"

Steven Avery is innocent, because the victim isn't dead ... so claims his mom.

The mother of "Making A Murderer" convict Steven Avery appeared on WAAF radio in Boston and suggested Teresa Halbach herself might be in on the corruption.

She never explains why Teresa would go into hiding to frame Steven.

Famous '70s TV star Dan Haggerty -- who played Grizzly Adams -- died from cancer early Friday morning ... TMZ has learned.

Haggerty died after battling cancer for the last few months. Sources close to Dan's family tell us doctors discovered the cancer after he had surgery for back pain.

Haggerty starred in the 1977 hit TV show "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" as the lovable mountain man whose BFF was a grizzly bear. He also guest starred on several TV shows like "CHiPs" and "Charlie's Angels."

Haggerty was getting treatment in a hospital until recently when doctors told him the end was near and his son told close friends and family to come visit over the last few days before he passed.

Bunny Ranch owner and friend of Haggertys Dennis Hof tells TMZ, "Grizzly Adams was my friend for 20 years, the Bunnys loved him, he loved to drink with the Bunnys and told amazing jokes."

Dan was 74.

Sean Penn lied about his interview with El Chapo, and he might even be called to the stand in the drug lord's trial ... so says one of Chapo's lawyers.

Juan Pablo Badillo is calling BS on Penn's Rolling Stone article, in which he says Chapo boasted he was the world's premiere drug trafficker. Badillo called it "a lie, absurd speculation."

Penn, who grabbed a smoke outside Giorgio Baldi Thursday night, was mum on the claim, but he did sit down with Charlie Rose and open up about the interview, calling it a failure because it put the spotlight on him, not the world's drug problem.

The full interview will air Sunday on "60 Minutes."

Caitlyn Jenner is done dating women.

In the season 2 trailer for "I Am Cait" she flat out says it ... "To be honest I don't see myself dating women in the future."

Up to this point, Cait's been very coy about her dating life -- and she's been on the fence about whether she supports same sex marriages. So maybe she's tipping her hand by deciding to date men.

One other option? It's all BS ... since this is a promo and nobody gives promo like a Jenner/Kardashian.

3:45 PM PST -- Medina's attorney tells TMZ, "As far as i know, nothing has changed since a year ago when Rickey was first arrested. From the evidence I am aware of, he is as innocent now as he was then ... Waiting a year to charge someone can prejudice a client; memories become faded, you may not be able to find percipient witnesses, and crime scenes can get corrupted."

Ricardo Medina Jr. -- one of the stars of "Power Rangers Samurai" -- has been arrested for the 2nd time in the murder of his roommate, but this time he's been charged for the crime.

Medina was arrested about a year ago for allegedly stabbing his Palmdale, CA roommate Josh Sutter multiple times with a "Conan the Barbarian" sword ... during an argument over Medina's girlfriend. Medina claimed it was self-defense and was eventually released.

The D.A. kicked his case back to cops for more investigation, and he's been walking free ever since.

But we've learned Medina was re-arrested Thursday morning by L.A. County Sheriff's detective outside his house. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the D.A. has already charged him with one count of murder.

Sutter's family believes Medina was charged because evidence didn't back up his self defense story. Specifically, they say Josh had defensive wounds on his hands, and most of the blood was outside of Medina's room. Medina had claimed he retreated to his room to escape Josh.

He faces 26 years to life in prison if convicted.

Adele can spit a rapid fire rap just as well as she can nail a high note.

The singer piled into James Corden's Range Rover for a little carpool karaoke session in London and somewhere between Spice Girl covers and cruising through Hyde Park slayed Nicki Minaj's verse on Kanye West's "Monster."

Adele never flinches, so we'll give her credit where credit is due, but makes you wonder how she'd do on Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady."

Rumer Willis has heard the buzz about her being the leading candidate for the next season of "The Bachelorette" ... and she feels very strongly about it.

We brought it up to the 'DWTS' champ as she was leaving The Nice Guy. Great move on our photog's part. Check out her response ...

Don't buy what "Making a Murderer" producers are selling, according to Steven Avery's ex-girlfriend ... who's now saying he's guilty.

Jodi Stachowski tells HLN she thinks Avery is "a monster." She also says her life with him was so bad she tried to kill herself with rat poison. It's unclear -- from this clip, at least -- what the time frame is on the suicide attempt.

Of course, Jodi appears in the Netflix documentary ... but she's always seen staunchly standing by her man. Why she's had a change of heart? That's why they call it a tease.

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard think we're absolutely crazy for even raising the question ... Would Obama take a job running a studio after he leaves office ... but if he's interested, they're hiring.

Brian and Ron appeared on "TMZ Live" Wednesday, and Brian made it clear ... the Prez is overqualified for the job.

BTW, Brian, the exec producer of "Empire," would absolutely offer Obama a role on his show, but being a Lucious hack won't cut it.

The man who was taken down by the NYPD while trying to win an 'Ellen' dance contest has just settled his brutality case with the city ... and he wound up with tens of thousands of dollars.

Alexander BOK took up Ellen's challenge in Times Square on Christmas Eve, 2014 ... furiously dancing behind some NYPD cops. You see in the video cops questioning him and as he walks away he gets thrown to the ground.

Although BOK unwisely decided to prank the cops 4 days after 2 of their fellow officers were assassinated, the NYPD opened an internal investigation. BOK also sued the city for $5 million.

Sources familiar with the case tell us the case has now settled for $33,000.

BOK's lawyer says the police review board found multiple officers acted improperly.

Khloe Kardashian laid into Lamar Odom after he nearly died -- not just for the drug abuse, but for doing it in a brothel.

Khloe got into the whole ordeal with Lamar during her appearance on 'Howard Stern' Wednesday morning, and when Howard asked about why an ex-NBA star would have to pay for sex ... she went OFF.

Listen to her reaction -- ranting about herbal viagra and the hookers, and says she also made Lamar promise her something.

While she was in NY, Khloe also hit up 'GMA' ... where she admitted she and Lamar are only technically married. Even though she yanked divorce docs, there's nothing romantic between them anymore.

President Obama has an in when he leaves office if he wants a piece of "Empire."

Exec producer Brian Grazer never thought of it until our photog raised the question Tuesday outside Craig's in WeHo ... is there a place for the Prez on his show?

Grazer jumped at the idea, but talk about typecasting.

Brendan Dassey is now getting a stronger defense than anything he got in court -- in the form of a rap about the "Making a Murderer" case, written by his half brother.

Brad Dassey is an up and coming Christian rapper who cut the track 2 days ago, after he got pissed about Brendan and Steven Avery's prosecution while watching the Netflix series.

"They Didn't Do It" is loaded with jabs at the authorities like, "Not a fair trial, not a fair game. Whole thing's wack, just a lying shame."

It might not be award-winning, but it's from the heart. Brad says he worked on it for 10 straight hours. This is personal for him on several levels -- he's been hounded because of his last name, and says he got fired from his DJ gig when Brendan was convicted.