TV

Dustin Diamond's presence will be felt over and over and over this weekend ... 'cause a NASCAR sponsor's ready to unveil his special stock car honoring the late actor.

Dan Block, the president of Insurance King, has chosen this Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the race where he'll unveil a tribute to his late friend.

The No. 52 car -- driven by Josh Bilicki -- is paying homage to Dustin and his Screech Powers character from "Saved by the Bell." We're told Block's bringing Dustin's best friend and his girlfriend as special guests.

The car itself will be wrapped Thursday and TMZ's obtained a rendering of what the final product will look like during the 82-lap race. Bilicki's race suit will also have Dustin's full name along with the years of his birth and death.

As we reported ... Dustin died in February after battling stage 4 lung cancer. Just days after he had revealed his diagnosis, Block planned to wrap Bilicki's car as a "get well" pick me up for Dustin. That initial rendering has been altered since Dustin passed.

Block and Dustin were very close friends, and Dustin starred in several Insurance King commercials.

In this spot, Dustin speeds past a cop who pulls him over and asks how he can afford car insurance with so many speeding tickets. He hits him with, "C'mon. I'm saved by the king."

One of the biggest "Jeopardy!" champs of all time has strong thoughts on the new hosts -- especially the day-to-day guy, Mike Richards, ... whom he clearly thinks might not have been the best pick.

We talked to Austin Rogers -- who went on a major hot streak in 2017 -- in NYC Wednesday, and got his two cents on the new faces of the iconic quiz trivia show ... and he gave us the straight dope on their EP and Mayim Bialik taking the reigns post-Trebek.

Watch how he responded when we asked how he felt about the announcement -- seems he doesn't think MR was the most ideal way to go ... but a decent option nonetheless.

Fact is -- and as Austin pointed out to us -- Mike has a lot of game show experience ... and he was pretty damn good during his stint as guest host a few months ago. And, as far as Mayim goes -- Austin says she certainly ticks a few boxes for what may or may not be a damage control move ... in his eyes, anyway.

There's some controversy with her getting the tap -- she was a noted anti-vaxxer (one with a PhD, no less) ... but has apparently changed her tune on the jab, and has said in recent months that she and her kids are, in fact, vaccinated against COVID-19. So ... all good???

Anyway, Austin says regardless of how he feels ... he's just happy the show will continue -- and hopes these 2 can carry on its storied legacy well enough. BTW, he gave us a rundown on his latest ventures -- and it sounds like Austin's about to go on a book tour for his new offering -- "The Ultimate Book of Pub Quiz by the Smartest Guy in the Bar."

Los Angeles local Kristin Herrera was only 16 years old when she landed the role of sporty friend and roommate Dana Cruz -- who was written out of the show by sending her to study abroad after the first season -- in the classic Nickelodeon kid drama "Zoey 101."

There were lots of other standout actors in the family program including Victoria Justice as the best friend Lola Martinez ... and of course Jamie Lynne Spears as the title role of Zoey Brooks.

Kristin continued to take on acting roles for a short time after "Zoey 101" most notably her work on "General Hospital" as Lourdes Del Torro.

"Jeopardy!" has a surprising 2-part answer for who will permanently replace the legendary Alex Trebek for hosting duties -- Mike Richards, as expected ... AND Mayim Bialik!!!

The iconic game show announced Wednesday morning it will have 2 hosts for the first time in its long history ... Richards, Executive Producer of the show, will handle the daily duties of the syndicated program, while Bialik will host "Jeopardy!" primetime and spin-off specials.

Daily Beast first broke the news.

As we reported ... Richards was revealed to be the frontrunner recently after guest-hosting in February and crushing it. He's also hosted other game shows before -- "Divided" and "The Pyramid" for Sony Pictures’ GSN cabler -- and has produced more than 4,000 hours of game shows.

Bialik was one of several celeb guest hosts who filled in this year -- along with Ken Jennings, Aaron Rodgers, LeVar Burton, Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric, George Stephanopoulos and many others -- after the final Alex Trebek episodes aired.

Trebek was the "Jeopardy!" host for 36 years before he died, but it looks like the new era is officially set to begin ... or new eras, we should say.

Joel Kinnaman is being investigated by Swedish authorities for allegedly raping a woman -- a probe that's in its early stages -- but Kinnaman insists there's no truth to it.

The actor is now the subject of a criminal investigation ... prosecutors in Sweden announced Wednesday they were looking into a claim of rape that we're told is related to the recent restraining order Joel got against the woman ... who he claims is extorting him.

A rep for Kinnaman tells us the woman only went to police after he got the restraining order.

The Public Prosecutor's Office notes an actor had been reported to local authorities for an alleged rape, and their investigation is now in its infancy.

Joel, for his part, has made it quite clear what he thinks this is really all about. He says the accuser is Gabriella Magnusson ... a Swedish model he hooked up with a couple times back in 2018 ... who then allegedly started blowing him up when he cut off contact.

He claims she began threatening to go public with false claims -- specifically, that he had sex with her against her will -- unless he met her demands.

Joel's detailed the alleged demands ... saying she asked for money, biz connections, a work visa and more. He says he refused to get shaken down ... adding that his agent went to meet Gabriella, and her brother allegedly pointed a gun at him.

His spokesperson tells TMZ Kinnaman has also filed a police complaint in Sweden against her. We're told Kinnaman and co. think she only went to cops after he got the restraining order against her.

Jay Leno's a well-known motorhead, but apparently he's a stuntman too ... based on this crazy footage of him gripping the nose of an airplane in mid-flight!!!

The former 'Tonight Show' host is on Wednesday's ep of "Spike's Car Radio" hosted by comedian and auto enthusiast Spike Feresten, and along with talkin' cars ... Jay reminisced about a fun, and seemingly risky, flight he took with friends.

Leno says they were on a small plane flying off the coast of Catalina Island, and he knew the nose of the aircraft opened up from the inside ... so he decided to give them a little surprise.

After opening the nose hatch, Jay was totally hanging off the front of the plane!!! It looks insanely dangerous, but must not be all that risky, at least to pilots.

CJ Franco thinks traditional dating shows like "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" need some major overhauls to stay relevant, because -- as she's learned the hard way -- dating in real life ain't all roses and proposals.

We got the hot model and a friend Tuesday outside Olivetta, and got her take on "The Bachelor" franchise ... seeing as how she's one of the stars of HBO Max's "FBoy Island" ... a dating show competitor.

CJ says the premise of her show is more rooted in reality than the 'Bachelor' brand ... because as she attests, the dating pool is light on Prince Charmings and heavy on so-called "FBoys."

The latest season of "The Bachelorette" just wrapped with another proposal -- although, we'll see if it lasts -- and CJ says folks are getting tired of the same thing over and over again.

With a slew of new dating reality shows on streaming services, she thinks the 'Bachelor' franchise has to make some changes ... or risk going the way of the dinosaur.

The key to TV success, the way CJ sees it anyway ... is making a dating show that's more relatable to the women and men watching at home.

Nick Cannon and Kevin Hart are celebrating Nick's return to hosting "Wild 'N Out" after ViacomCBS fired him over anti-Semitic remarks -- and all the bad blood's been replaced by some sweet-ass cake!

Nick's back to his old job, and with season 16 returning to TV sets Tuesday night, Monday called for a special celebration ... complete with a surprise for NC!!!

As you can see, Nick was totally caught off guard when production wheeled in a huge custom cake and folks started singing.

Nick, dressed in a suit and red turban, made a short speech ... and Kevin hilariously tried to take credit for the surprise, even though he struggled to understand the cake's design.

It's clear there are no lingering hard feelings about the controversy that led to Nick's 2020 firing.

Christina Applegate is sharing devastating news ... she has multiple sclerosis.

The actress revealed the news Monday night saying, "A few months ago I was diagnosed with MS. It's been a strange journey. But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition."

The "Married... with Children" star added, "It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some asshole blocks it." In a separate tweet, Christina said she has a friend who has MS ... for which there is no cure. The autoimmune disease starts with the body's immune system attacking its own tissues.

Selma Blair, who also has MS, told us back in 2019 how she's adapted to life since the diagnosis. She continued acting and was a huge inspiration to others. Some of her treatments included chemo and a stem cell transplant.

Netflix and Ava DuVernay will continue to battle Linda Fairstein's defamation lawsuit over her portrayal in "When They See Us" ... a judge just denied their bid to toss the suit out of court.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... a federal judge in Manhattan ruled Monday Linda's defamation suit plausibly alleged defamation in 5 scenes of the critically acclaimed series about the Central Park 5 case.

Remember ... Linda was the woman who helped prosecute the now-vindicated Central Park 5, and Felicity Huffman plays her in the Netflix series.

The judge ruled several scenes depicting Linda as racist while directing a police roundup of potential suspects in Harlem, withholding DNA evidence from the defense and coercing confessions could prove to be defamatory and can't be tossed out at this stage of litigation.

As we reported ... Linda sued Netflix and the series director for defamation back in March 2020, claiming the show portrayed her as a "racist, unethical villain who is determined to jail innocent children of color at any cost."

Netflix initially called the suit frivolous and without merit and tried to get it tossed by arguing the series is protected by the First Amendment. Although some of Fairstein's claims were tossed, the judge ruled the case could go forward on her claims concerning some critical scenes in the series.

"Jeopardy!" executive producer Mike Richards is letting his coworkers know, he did NOT discriminate against pregnant models when he was an exec on "The Price Is Right" ... and insists he would never stoop to that level.

Mike blasted out a memo to the "Jeopardy!" staff Monday, addressing the recently resurfaced allegations and reports that he's going to become the next host of the famous game show.

Richards, who was named in two lawsuits, says the claims in the suits came out of employment disputes and don't "reflect the reality of who I am or how we worked together on The Price is Right."

Mike was accused of making insensitive comments about pregnant models, but he says ... "I would not say anything to disrespect anyone's pregnancy and have always supported my colleagues on their parenting journeys."

The pregnancy discrimination allegations resurfaced in the wake of reports Mike is expected to take over hosting duties from the late Alex Trebek and usher in a new era of "Jeopardy!"

In his memo, Mike says he's humbled and honored to be asked to host but says "no final decisions have been made" and it's not his call even though he's the EP.

As we reported ... Mike guest-hosted 'Jeopardy!' back in February and absolutely crushed it. He's hosted other game shows before, including "The Pyramid" and "Divided" as well as producing more than 4,000 hours of game shows.

There's been some fan outrage to reports Mike's taking Trebek's place ... and other guest-hosts this season included Aaron Rodgers, LeVar Burton, Anderson Cooper, Mayim Bialik, Katie Couric and George Stephanopoulos.

Markie Post, who became a big star and household name with "Night Court," has died.

Markie passed on Saturday after battling cancer for nearly 4 years.

Post, who also starred in "The Fall Guy" and "Hearts Afire," has an Alex Trebek connection ... she was an associate producer on his show, "Double Dare." She also appeared as the card dealer on "Card Sharks."

"Night Court" was her breakout role, playing public defender Christine Sullivan on the hit show that ran from 1985 to 1992.

She later appeared on "The Love Boat," "Fantasy Island," "Cheers" and "The A-Team."

Markie pressed on with her career, even during her cancer battle. She did a Lifetime XMAS movie, "Four Christmases and a Wedding" in between chemo treatments.

Her family said, “But for us, our pride is in who she was in addition to acting; a person who made elaborate cakes for friends, sewed curtains for first apartments and showed us how to be kind, loving and forgiving in an often harsh world."

Markie is survived by her husband, Michael Ross, and daughters Kate Armstrong, an actress, and Daisy Schoenborn.

Markie was 70.

Tichina Arnold says she split from her husband at the beginning of 2016 following his sex tape scandal with another woman ... but she's just now pulling the trigger on officially ending her marriage.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... "The Neighborhood" and "Martin" star filed for divorce from Rico Hines this week, citing the usual irreconcilable differences.

What's unusual, however, is the timing of this divorce -- Tichina lists the separation date as January 12, 2016 ... about 3-and-a-half years after they wed in 2012.

If you don't recall ... the actress announced she was divorcing Rico back then, and memorably claimed it was due to discovering he made a sex tape with another woman.

Hines is a longtime basketball coach, currently on the staff of the Sacramento Kings.

Bob Odenkirk has found a silver lining in a major medical scare he suffered last week ... he feels like a real-life Jimmy Stewart character from "It's a Wonderful Life."

Bob is on the mend after collapsing on the New Mexico set of "Better Call Saul." It was extremely serious at first, with a very uncertain outcome. But, Bob's rebounded in a big way, and he's clearly moved by the love and concern from family, friends and fans.

He says he's filled with gratitude from the outpouring of concern and support ... “I am doing great. I’ve had my very own “It’s a wonderful life” week of people insisting I make the world slightly better. Wow! Thank you, I love everyone right now but let’s keep expectations reasonable!”

Lots of stars, including his "Breaking Bad" co-star Bryan Cranston, were super concerned after the July 27 heart attack, and Bob couldn't be more grateful for his recovery.

Youth mentor Rupert Boneham was cast on the seventh season of the reality competition show "Survivor: Pearl Islands" ... but it was his grizzly gumption, thoughtful charisma and trippy tie-dye tank top that thrust the gentle giant into the hearts and minds of millions of viewers.

The fan-favorite was so well-loved he continued to be cast on Survivor seasons including "Survivor: All-Stars," "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" and "Survivor: Blood vs. Water" ... and even won a million-dollar prize after a bonus nationwide fan vote.

Rupert continues to inspire those around him with his Rupert's Kids nonprofit organization that works to empower young people after being released from correctional facilities.

Allen Glover -- the man hired by 'Tiger King' star Joe Exotic in his failed plot to kill Carole Baskin -- just got busted for another DUI ... this time in South Carolina.

According to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Department ... Glover was pulled over Wednesday around 10 PM when cops say they spotted a defect on his vehicle, and the deputy suspected Glover was under the influence.

Glover was ultimately arrested and booked on several charges -- driving with an open container, driving on a suspended license and driving under the influence. He was taken to Beaufort County Detention Center.

This is not the first time booze has gotten Glover in trouble with the law. As we first reported ... he was busted for DUI in Oklahoma back in June 2020.

In that case, cops say they first noticed Glover staggering across the parking lot of a strip club. Body cam footage showed Glover bombing his field sobriety tests.