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Tyler Cameron will keep this brief ... he's not sweating whether or not he's the next 'Bachelor' because he's busy doing what real models do -- modeling underwear.

Tyler C's rocking boxer briefs for Mack Weldon and his campaign just launched. The pics are sizzling hot, with Tyler showing off his toned bod and rock-hard abs in a pair of black briefs!!!

Our sources tell us the pics were shot just BEFORE he started shooting this past season of "The Bachelorette" ... and that timeline is super interesting.

As we first reported ... Tyler C is the third choice to become the next 'Bachelor' -- despite becoming a fan favorite as a finalist with Hannah B. We've been told part of the reason he's not a front-runner is his preference for modeling and other interests.

Clearly, Tyler had modeling on the brain before 'Bach' nation fell hard for him ... so it makes sense for him to be a distant third behind top contenders, Mike Johnson and Peter Weber. One well-placed source told us sincerity is very important in choosing the show's leading man.

While Tyler probably won't be the next 'Bachelor' ... he won't starve. Something tells us the underwear world will be lining up for his services.

Art really does imitate life -- the "Empire" crew is firing up its cameras pretty much exactly where their former star, Jussie Smollett, insists he fell victim to a racist and homophobic attack.

FOX had a bunch of crew members from the show setting up a shot Tuesday in Chicago ... literally within a stone's throw from where Jussie says the Osundairo brothers gave him a clobbering, poured bleach on him and left a rope around his neck.

The set is literally in the shadow of Jussie's apartment building ... it's the high-rise with the reflective windows.

There are only stand-ins in these pics, but it's clear "Empire" is getting ready to shoot something. No word whether they're incorporating elements of Smollett's real-life drama into the show -- but this can't be a coincidence ... they've gotta know the significance of the location.

You'll recall ... Jussie said he got jumped around 2 AM on his way home from grabbing a sandwich, just near his apartment building on the 300 block of East North Water Street.

That's where the "Empire" team had set up camp. To give you a visualization ... here's a side-by-side of the block where the attack allegedly happened, and where production trucks are now parked.

Of course, Jussie was eventually accused of lying and making the whole thing up, and got indicted by a grand jury too. He was cleared of all criminal charges though in a tit for tat with Cook County State Attorney's Office -- but he's not out of the woods yet.

The City of Chicago is suing him for the cost of the investigation and then some, and Jussie's currently in the middle of trying to fight it.

The Showtime drama "Billions" could be on the hook for stacks of cash for its portrayal of a Native American tribe and one of its honchos.

A real-life Cayuga Nation Council member Clint Halftown points out there's a character on the show named Jane Halftown ... who just happens to be a council member. In the suit, Clint calls out a scene where Paul Giamatti's character is discussing a land deal with Jane Halftown that reeks of corruption on the part of the tribe.

According to the suit, the Nation claims "Billions" makes it seem like the Cayuga are all about accepting "unlawful gratuities" and coercing politicians into getting their way.

In the suit, the Nation says "Billions" producers were lazy because they didn't bother to change names -- as in using a fictitious tribe and council member. They claim they DID do that for the main characters. For instance, the show's star, Damian Lewis, plays Bobby Axelrod ... and they claim he's widely considered to be modeled after real-life hedge fund manager Steve Cohen.

Halftown and the Cayuga Nation say Showtime and the show's producers can make things right in two ways: stop referring to the Nation and the Halftown character in future episodes AND compensate the Nation for the damage to its reputation.

Showtime along with producers Brian Koppelman, Andrew Sorkin and David Levien are named as defendants. We've reached out to Showtime, but no word back.

Wendy Williams' fans can breathe a sigh of relief -- she's shutting down rumors about her show shutting after its upcoming season.

The daytime TV host was hanging with another host, Andy Cohen, on his SiriusXM show Monday in NYC. Afterward, we asked her point-blank if she can put her fans' minds at ease by addressing the show's future. Wendy turned as she got into an SUV and pulled a Mark Twain on us -- meaning, she essentially said rumors of her show's demise have been greatly exaggerated.

According to a recent NY Post report ... some of Wendy's staffers were secretly looking for jobs because there's nothing guaranteed after season 11, which kicks off next month.

Wendy says that's news to her and insists she's not going anywhere.

Snooki storming out of the "Jersey Shore" house and threatening to quit was caused by some bad blood with her old foe, Angelina Pivarnick.

Sources close to production tell TMZ ... Snooki and Angelina got into it HEAVY while shooting 'Family Vacation' Tuesday night. The fight escalated slowly inside the house before the ugly scene in the video TMZ first posted of Snooks marching out, screaming.

We're told Snooki decided to remain at the house after her blowup. She returned to shooting Wednesday with the rest of the cast, sans Mike "The Situation," of course. It at least appears the women have made up. We got footage of the gang walking along the pier, and Angelina and Snooki cordially walked side by side and chatted.

Our sources say their altercation stemmed from some past beef with Angelina bubbling up, and though producers tried to calm the situation for a while ... Snooki ultimately bolted.

We broke the story, she was heard yelling, "Leave me the f**k alone, this is why I didn't want to do this s**t. Leave me alone!" before adding ... "I hate this s**t" and saying she wanted to go home to her kids.

We're told it's been harder and harder to get the cast together with their growing families and personal drama in their lives, and Snooki's meltdown was just more proof of the challenge.

Beverly Hills' most notorious gang has gotten back together ... but before you tune in to watch your favorite '90s cast 20 years later ... you have to see how Brandon, Brenda, Kelly, Steve, David, Andrea, Donna and many more have aged over the two decades in the 90210!!!

We've even included reoccurring cast members like Carol Potter and James Eckhouse as the loving parents Jim and Cindy Walsh ... to show staples like Peach Pit owner Nat Bussichio played by Joe E. Tata and live-wire Emily Valentine played by Christine Elise.

Luke Perry who played Dylan McKay passed away back in March but it's been reported the show will pay tribute to the actor is subtle ways.

The highly anticipated reboot of "Beverly Hills, 90210" isn't just another cookie-cutter play for nostalgia -- it's taking the idea in a bold new direction ... and Ian Ziering thinks you're gonna love it.

The guy who played Steve Sanders on the wildly popular '90s TV show joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday and broke it down so viewers know what to expect ... as much as possible anyway.

From the sound of it, it's not quite "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and not quite "Desperate Housewives" ... but somewhere in between for the stars of '90210' who've reunited for the project.

As you know ... all the major players -- Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green and Tori Spelling -- are back along with Ziering. The exception is Luke Perry, who sadly passed earlier this year.

Ian says the new show -- with the slightly tweaked title, "BH90210" -- will highlight the differences between the actors' real lives and the characters they play on screen ... but with a twist.

He also touches on how surreal it was to gather with his costars back at the ol' Peach Pit after all these years -- especially when Ian's moved on quite a bit from his Sanders character, now starring in and producing a new movie called "Zombie Tidal Wave."

Ryan Seacrest was weirdly left out of Disney's press release announcing a new season of "American Idol" -- but we've learned he's not out, just delayed with the Mouse House ... on account of what looks like a massive new deal.

Our Disney sources tell TMZ ... Ryan will likely return as host for a third season of 'AI' on ABC, as its longtime host. The reason the deal hasn't been signed ... he's currently in talks with Disney honchos for a huge contract that goes way beyond 'A.I.' and "Live with Kelly and Ryan."

We're told the new deal encompasses what he's doing now, but includes a massive production deal for new TV shows, produced through his production company.

Interesting ... at the same time, the ABC bigwigs were announced Monday that Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie were coming back to 'Idol' for season 3, Ryan was spotted leaving Marea restaurant in NYC with Disney TV Chairman Peter Rice.

You'll recall ... Ryan ended up landing around $15 million from Disney with his current contract.  Our Disney sources say this is a much sweeter deal.

Tyler Cameron is NOT out of contention to become the next bachelor on "The Bachelor" ... but he's not the first choice, and we know the reasons why.

Sources with direct knowledge of production tell TMZ, "Bachelor" host Chris Harrison's comments Monday that he's out of the running because he's a playboy who cavorted with Gigi Hadid over the weekend and others as well ... are just not true.

We're told the reality is ... he's a distant third, and not because he's a playboy. As a well-placed source tells TMZ, "You may not believe this, but sincerity is really important. The bachelor has to really want to find love, and Tyler doesn't really have his heart in it and the audience can see through it." He's into his modeling career and other interests so he's not focused enough on the show.

We're also told the folks who make the decisions don't think he's a lead. As one source put it, "There's a tremendous amount of juggling that goes into being the bachelor -- lots of balls in the air -- and he just doesn't have it."

That said, we're told he's "a distant third." As for the top contenders ... Mike Johnson and Peter Weber, and we're told they are dead even in contention.

One 'Bachelor' source said, "I'd be shocked, shocked if Tyler ends up the bachelor."

We're told no decision has been made.

Bam Margera's public plea for help from Dr. Phil worked -- TMZ has learned they're on set right now getting ready for a one-on-one session ... then it might be off to rehab.

Our Dr. Phil sources say the good doc has agreed to meet with Bam and tackle his issues head-on -- just the 2 of them -- with no studio audience. It's being shot in the green room.

Based on what we know, it's likely the "Jackass" star will be urged on to a rehab facility afterward to get his life in order.

Bam just posted that he's on the Paramount lot -- where the show films -- getting ready ... and hanging out with his old buddy, Johnny Knoxville.

As we reported ... Margera shared a series of concerning videos on social media Sunday practically begging for Dr. Phil to take his situation on and help him with his ongoing struggles. Bam said he's worse than he's ever been and his "family is in shambles."

This came on the heels of Bam seemingly relapsing, getting kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight and getting into a verbal altercation with an employee. Margera was in rehab earlier this year after a meltdown at a comedy club.

Our Dr. Phil sources tell us the 1-on-1 session with Bam will be filmed and will air next month when the new season premieres.

We're told, over 17 seasons of the show, "Dr. Phil" has spent $32 million on aftercare for guests ... and it's pretty clear Bam needs it too.

Christine Quinn from the hit Netflix show "Selling Sunset" had a rude homecoming from a trip abroad -- someone got into her home and made off with six-figures worth of pricey jewelry.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Christine returned to her Bev Hills pad a few days ago and noticed her entire jewelry collection -- including expensive watches -- had been swiped from her safe.

We're told cops have little to go on, but here's what Christine knows for sure -- the suspect made off with more than $120,000 worth of her stuff!!! We're also told the only person who was supposed to have access to Christine's crib was the housekeeper, and there was no sign of forced entry.

LAPD's now investigating, but so far, there are no suspects.

Christine's bummer news comes on the heels of some great news for one of her "Selling Sunset" costars. As we told you ... Heather Rae Young made headlines when she was seen locking lips with "Flip or Flop" host Tarek El Moussa.

Kevin Spacey is returning to the arts -- a couple of 'em, actually -- with a pop-up performance at a Rome museum where he's reciting some poetry ... that apparently speaks to him.

The actor threw on a brown suit Friday and waltzed into Palazzo Massimo. He set up shop in front of the famous sculpture of the "Boxer at Rest" and read the Italian poem, "The Boxer."

A crowd gathered as Kevin recited the elegant words of Italian poet Gabriele Tinti -- in English, though -- and it seems like his Massachusetts criminal case, and other sexual misconduct allegations, might have influenced his poetry choice.

The poem's about a beaten and tired boxer who is determined not to give in or give up. One passage reads ... "The more you're wounded, the greater you are. And the more empty you are."

As we first reported ... Kevin scored a huge victory a couple weeks ago when prosecutors dropped the case where a then-18-year-old male accused Spacey of groping him in a Nantucket bar.

We've seen this kind of display from Spacey before ... when the groping accusations first surfaced on Christmas Eve, he posted a bizarre video urging people not to rush to judgment, hopping into character as his old "House of Cards" character, Frank Underwood, to deliver the message.

Honey Boo Boo is in the dog house with her big sister after pretending to do a line of cocaine -- a shocking move that comes as her mother, Mama June, battles drug addiction.

HBB went live on Facebook Thursday evening to answer questions from her fans, but at one point the 13-year-old got extremely agitated and yelled at her sister, "Tell me what's f**king next right now!" Then she picked up a plastic knife and said she would need to take a break.

That's when she mockingly lined up something on the table, and started snorting it ... and a woman we believe to be her older sister, Pumpkin, went off.

She yelled, "Alana quit f**king doing ... dont' even f**king mimic that on f**king live!!!"

As we first reported, Alana's now living with Pumpkin, and has been since shortly after June and her BF, Geno, were arrested earlier this year for crack possession.

The video's especially troubling since Honey Boo Boo was so distraught during her family recent attempt to have an intervention for June.

One way to view this is Alana trying to mock or shame June for her ongoing drug issues. You'll recall, we got video of June and Geno outside their home right after he crashed his truck into their garage ... and he was so wasted he couldn't stand.

Rudy Boesch, who was on the debut season of 'Survivor' and is the oldest contestant in the history of the series has Alzheimer's, but he is still alive despite rumors to the contrary ... TMZ has learned.

Rudy's daughter tells us her dad is in a Virginia Beach assisted-living facility to care for him, but all the rumors of his death are just not true. She says it's advanced enough that he needs round-the-clock care, but doctors have not said he is necessarily at the end stage.

Rudy is the retired Navy SEAL who had an alliance with the ultimate winner, Richard Hatch.

At the time Rudy was first on the show he was 72 ... the oldest contestant by far.

The show was called "Survivor: Borneo" and was a ratings-smash hit and was the trigger for a number of similar shows, including "The Amazing Race." 'Survivor' is now in season 38.

As for Rudy ... he joined the Navy in 1945 and quickly volunteered for "secret hazardous duty." In 1962 Rudy became one of the first 50 officers of the original SEAL Team Two.

Rudy served in Vietnam and earned the Bronze Star Medal for heroic action. He retired from the military in 1990 ... 10 years before making his debut on 'Survivor.'

After the debut season of 'Survivor,' Rudy made a encore on "Survivor: All-Stars" in 2004.

Karlie Redd is selling her body for tons of money ... and it's all legal!!!

TMZ has learned the "Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta" star just inked a HUGE deal with Doc Johnson for her own line of sex toys ... and there's $300,000 on the line for her to become a brand ambassador -- selling casts of her butt and vagina.

Karlie's fans are gonna get to know her super intimately ... honchos at Doc Johnson tell TMZ their experts recently made molds of Karlie's lady parts, and they're turning them into sex toys called strokers.

We're told the little gadgets feel exactly like the real thing ... so Karlie's admirers can get down with her any time, any where. What a country!!!

Karlie's worked with Doc Johnson in the past, marketing some of their other products ... and after she recently became a certified sexologist -- yes, that's a real thing -- Doc Johnson brought her back to push her own sex toy line.

The vagina and butt molds took 6 hours to make ... and the sex toys will soon be retailing for about $70 a pop. Hey, that's cheaper than most dates.

Karlie's rep, KD McNair, tells us she's creating a blog to share her sexpert advice on lovemaking and relationships, and she's also putting together special packages of sex toys for men and women.

George R.R. Martin ain't in Westeros anymore -- and with Winter officially having come and gone, it looks like the famed author hopped a dragon to SoCal ... emphasis on LOOKS like.

The "Game of Thrones" scribe was spotted at a beach in sunny Oceanside -- at least that's what we first thought when we saw this photo. Turns out -- this is George's freakin' doppelganger IN THE FLESH!!! Seriously, the resemblance is uncanny.

We reached out to George's rep to make sure it was in fact him, and we were told no dice!!! The rep says George was actually in a completely different state. The dude's got a crib in Santa Fe, NM -- so he very likely might've been there with his wife, Parris.

When we pressed the rep for George's location he rep told us ... "I know exactly where he is. Not California. Holed up writing."

As for his impostor here, the guy was only slightly less dressed down than the real McCoy -- rockin' a short-sleeve button-down shirt, matching pants and brighter version of GRRM's signature charcoal cap.

Something else to keep in mind ... Comic-Con just wrapped the weekend before in nearby San Diego. So, maybe this guy's still cosplayin'.

Doesn't appear the fake George was flocked by fans -- especially those disgruntled ones who've been bitching about a botched final 'GoT' season.

The good news for real George is if he ever does need someone to help him dodge angry mobs ... he can find him on King's Beach Landing!!!