TV

Lamar Odom hitting the bottle again is taking such a toll on Khloe Kardashian, she pulled the plug on taping "Kocktails with Khloe" this week ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Khloe told production she was too sick to shoot Thursday, but it's not because of the flu. Sources close to production tell us she's stressed out worrying about Lamar Odom's drinking. We're told she's been an emotional wreck.

TMZ broke the story ... LO is refusing to get treatment for addiction as Khloe insists he try something, even an outpatient program. We're told they've been fighting about it all week.

Larry Drake -- who played Benny on "L.A. Law" -- suffered from a unique disease that caused his blood to thicken ... and ultimately contributed to his death.

According to Drake's death certificate -- he had been diagnosed with polycythemia vera -- a rare form of cancer related to an overproduction of red blood cells in the bone marrow.

The medical examiner also listed cardiac arrest, hypertension, and morbid obesity as causes of death.

TMZ broke the story ... Drake was found dead in his Hollywood apartment by a friend earlier this month.

"Trailer Park Boys" star Michael Smith is behind bars after witnesses say he choked a woman at Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel.

Sources at The Roosevelt tell TMZ ... Smith, who plays Bubbles on the Netflix show, was with a female friend early Friday morning when they got into an argument in the bathrooms next to the pool. We're told guests said it sounded like the shouting was over who Smith had been texting.

Our sources say they heard the woman yell, "you're choking me" and when they ran over ... they saw Smith pinning the woman up against the bathroom wall. Smith bolted and cops were called.

Law enforcement says Smith was booked for misdemeanor domestic battery, and released a few hours later. We've reached out to a rep for the actor ... so far, no word back.

****Warning: Explicit language****

Robert Duvall looked as healthy as the horse he rode in on ... at a "Lonesome Dove" reunion Thursday ... despite reports he'd suffered a stroke.

Several news outlets reported Duvall, 85, had gone MIA the last 7 months following a health scare. But his rep, Jim Dobson, tells TMZ the stroke thing is 100% false, and the pics from the reunion in Fort Worth prove it.

The real deal -- we're told Duvall's been in Florida with his wife, Luciana, for the last 4 months ... and he's working on casting a new film in which he'll also star.

Bobby D. hung with ex 'Lonesome' co-stars Danny Glover and Ricky Schroder at the reunion, and also gave a speech to honor the classic TV mini-series.

The "Wheel of Fortune" wizard who nailed puzzles with just one letter and took home $76k is about to drop some of that dough on a sports car.

Robert Santoli came on "TMZ Live" to explain how he pulled off a near sweep of every puzzle on last Friday's episode of 'Wheel' -- and his strategy was downright genius. And a lot of hard work.

Robert -- whose day job is working IT at a college prep school -- tells us he's eyeballing a new Mustang ... either red or black. He says he fell in love with Ford's muscle car when he was in L.A. shooting 'Wheel.'

Don't worry, Mom ... the 23-year-old also says he's going to pay off his student loans from Fordham.

"Empire" and its co-creator Lee Daniels just scored a huge victory -- a judge shot down one of those many lawsuits claiming the idea for the show was jacked from someone else.

A guy named Jon Astor-White said his show idea was called "King Solomon" ... about a Harvard educated black guy who starts a record label. He says he'd shopped it around Hollywood to some big names, although none directly connected to "Empire" ... which is the first thing a judge noticed.

In a federal court ruling this week ... the judge pointed out Astor-White had no contact with "Empire" show runners, and also tore apart any alleged similarities between his show and Daniels'.

For instance, Astor-White's show has no Cookie and his "Lucious" is NOT terminally ill. The judge was really offended by Astor-White saying his lead character's daughter was similar to Lucious' gay son, Jamal ... because "both [are] associated with the feminine gender."

The judge said, "The court rejects this outdated and offensive stereotype."

"Making a Murderer" star, and controversial convict, Brendan Dassey's lost all hope in his new prison -- he will not get to see his favorite show, WrestleMania ... TMZ has learned.

Dassey transferred to Columbia Criminal Institution in Wisconsin in January, and prison officials tell us there's a strict rule against violence, foul language and nudity for TV viewing. That means the WWE's main event is off the table, so avid wrestling fan Dassey is screwed.

If you watched 'Murderer,' you'll recall Dassey's main concern after getting arrested for homicide in March 2006 ... was that he'd miss WrestleMania 22 the next month.

Kaley Cuoco got up close and personal with a fellow driver in L.A. -- and his Mercedes-Benz paid the price.

The 'Big Bang Theory' star exchanged information with the guy after she apparently rear-ended his ride with her Range Rover on a street near her home. Based on the pics, doesn't look too bad ... fender bender-ish at worst.

We're not saying the guy enjoyed getting hit from behind, but if you're gonna have an accident -- might as well be with a smoking hot TV star. Perks of life in L.A.

Marcia Clark and Chris Darden blew the O.J. Simpson murder trial because jurors were more focused on whether they were doing the deed ... according to one infamous panel member.

Michael Knox was juror #620 -- the guy featured on 'The People v. O.J.' who got booted for lying about a prior conviction. He told us many jurors saw Marcia as unprofessional, partly due to the perceived sexual tension ... but also because some female jurors were offended by Clark's short skirts.

How offended? You gotta see the word he used to describe Marcia.

But Knox thinks Mark Fuhrman's lie about the "n-word" really sealed the deal for the defense. His take on the word is, umm ... something to see.

George Lopez has a rule when it comes to selecting caddies -- "I use the whitest guy I can find."

Lopez -- a huge golf fanatic -- was out in NYC when we started talkin' Tiger Woods.

** WARNING -- YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING ... BUT KINDA AWESOME. OKAY, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED **

So, we were talking to "House of Cards" actor Jimmi Simpson about a report that John Travolta will only stay in hotel rooms that have been vacant for 24 hours ... when something gross came up.

Not about John. Not about Jimmi. It was a revelation about the wife of a TMZ staffer who got a SUPER GNARLY virus on her foot while staying at a hotel in Paris.

Our very own Dax Holt decided to share an insanely graphic pic of his wife's foot after her 4th surgery to remove the Plantar wart ... and it's intense.

Don't worry, she's fine now ... but she'll never shower in a hotel without flip flops ever again.

... and neither should you!

Hollywood legend Patty Duke -- who won an Oscar for playing Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker" -- has died.

She was 69.

Duke passed away at 1:20 AM Tuesday morning. She died from sepsis due to a ruptured intestine.

Duke's son, Sean Astin, said the family is "relieved" because Duke was in a lot of pain and the process took a long time to play out.

Duke's family issued a statement, saying, "This morning, our beloved wife, mother, matriarch and the exquisite artist, humanitarian, and champion for mental health, Anna Patty Duke Pearce, closed her eyes, quieted her pain and ascended to a beautiful place."

"We celebrate the infinite love and compassion she shared through her work and throughout her life."

Duke was a child star -- winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at 16 years old in 1963.

She was married 4 times ... including to actor John Astin -- the father of "Lord of the Rings" star Sean Astin.

Duke is survived by her husband, Michael Pearce, and her 3 kids.

Omarosa is ripping into CNN's Don Lemon over an on-air feud -- but she did it by dropping a word many will take as a homophobic attack.

Omarosa was leaving the Staples Center in L.A. when we asked what she thought of Lemon -- who is gay -- cutting her microphone when she was on his show last week.

At first, she dismissed him as a "drama queen" ... but then she repeats her diss without the word "drama" -- and she did it multiple times.

After this, we're guessing Lemon won't be inviting her back for round 2 -- though it would make great TV.

Laura Vandervoort, who played Supergirl on "Smallville," had to channel some of her own super strength when wrestling the ocean tide for her bikini bottom.

Vandervoort is on vacation in Cancun with her boyfriend. Doesn't seem like she's too upset about the near stripping. That's what vacation's for, right?

Gotta say ... she definitely looks better in a bikini than a cape.

Pierson Fode gives you six solid reasons here to keep watching "The Bold and the Beautiful" ... or to start if you're not on board yet.

The soap star flaunted his washboard abs while jogging in Hawaii and cooling off under waterfalls along the trail. The 24-year-old heartthrob actor is winning at life right now -- he just got an Emmy nomination for outstanding younger actor in a drama series.

That body is on the right show.

Judge Judy is welcoming Sarah Palin with open arms to the battlefield of TV judge shows ... or is she?

Judy was out in Bev Hills when we asked her about Palin's new deal to star in a judge show produced by the same exec who gave Judy her big break.

Her reaction is congenial at first -- she's even got a little advice for Sarah ... who does not have a law degree or any courtroom experience, by the way.