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Jenelle Evans is desperate for MTV to re-hire her on "Teen Mom," and the reason is simple -- her well has run dry.

Sources close to Jenelle tell TMZ ... she wasn't financially prepared for such a sudden split with the network when they dropped her after David killed the family dog. We're told while she did have a cosmetics line, it wasn't that successful and she needed the cash.

We're told Jenelle -- who has now split from David -- is trying to set up a meeting with the network in NYC.

Jenelle's pitch, we're told, is simple -- she was a ratings grabber when she was on the show, and although it may be for the wrong reasons, her profile is even higher after all the drama and legal troubles with David. People who knew nothing about "Teen Mom" know her.

She also plans to tell the network there should be a measure of fairness here ... she did nothing wrong. David was the problem, and now that she's jettisoned him, all should be good.

She wants back on the show stat ... in time for the holidays. She thinks a Thanksgiving and XMAS sans David would make for good TV.

Taylor Kinney is helping one young fan in her battle with cancer ... lifting her spirits with a very special FaceTime call from the set of her favorite TV show, "Chicago Fire."

Presley Long is one of Taylor's biggest fans -- she's never missed an episode of Taylor's hit show -- but she's just 15 years old and battling a very aggressive form of cancer.

So, you can imagine the boost to her system when she got a surprise FaceTime call from Taylor this week ... and the video from their intimate chat is super emotional.

Presley, who suffers from a gastrointestinal neuroectodermal tumor (or GNET), got in touch with her favorite celeb thanks to her mom's friend and the producers at "Chicago Fire." Her mom dialed up an old pal who runs a cancer foundation -- the Nikolas Ritschel Foundation -- and they put her in touch with the show's producers to set up the call.

As you can see in the video ... Taylor gives Presley the inside scoop on the day's filming, then tells her the cast and crew are keeping her in their thoughts and prayers. Taylor's even pulling strings to get Presley on set!!!

Taylor left quite an impression on Presley and her fam ... her mother was crying tears of joy throughout the convo.

Presley's also a huge fan of Ellen DeGeneres ... and we're told she's hoping to meet Ellen too.

A treasure trove of dangerous items seized from Ted Bundy's infamous Volkswagen Beetle now have a new owner ... Zak Bagans.

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... he bought a ton of Ted's murderous memorabilia from a key detective who worked the Bundy case ... and the big-ticket item is Ted's murder kit, which includes Bundy's ski mask and a red-handled ice pick.

Also in Zak's haunted haul  -- 2 mismatched gloves, a flashlight, orange wire, Glad trash bags, a brown gym bag, white clothesline rope and strips of bed sheets used for tying up his victims.

The items were seized by cops when they pulled over Ted's car way back in 1975 ... and they were in former detective Jerry Thompson's possession until his wife sold them to Zak.

Bundy's ski mask is the pièce de résistance -- Ted wore it during his gruesome crimes -- and Zak tells us it's terrifying and oozes bad energy.

The murder kit is pretty spooky on its own ... and Zak tells us he also bought Bundy's trial papers, photos, audiotapes and evidence samples ... and it's all headed to his Haunted Museum in Vegas, where everything will be displayed publicly for the first time.

As we first reported ... Zak previously dropped $50,000 on the glasses Ted used to disguise himself and elude authorities.

Bagans says he wants to display part of Ted's dark history so folks learn about the "monsters that walk among us."

Alex Trebek feels he found out about his own pancreatic cancer too late, and he doesn't want others to do the same ... so he's out campaigning to raise awareness.

The "Jeopardy!" host released a PSA Wednesday, announcing a partnership between him and the World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition ... in which Alex has vowed to help spread the word across the globe on the risks and symptoms of the often-deadly disease.

The reason ... the fact that pancreatic cancer is the only major cancer with a 5-year survival rate in the single digits in nearly every country, more than enough reason to get behind this cause -- is it sounds like Alex wants to help folks try and get ahead of it.

He says it rather matter-of-factly here ... he himself wishes he'd known sooner, and realized that the persistent stomach pains he felt prior to his official diagnosis were a symptom.

There are other symptoms too, that Alex outlines here ... mid-back pain, unexplained weight loss, new-onset diabetes and the yellowing of the skin and eyes, among others.

Trebek is asking for the public's help with his newfound campaign, asking people to wear purple on World Pancreatic Cancer Day ... which falls on November 21. Of course, Alex is in the middle of his own cancer fight after announcing his diagnosis earlier this year.

He's currently undergoing a second-round of chemotherapy, and has suggested he would step away and give up his hosting duties if his skills start to diminish noticeably.

Luckily for him (and viewers) ... we're told there's no sign of that happening anytime soon.

"The Oval" star Ed Quinn has a creepy feeling about his home away from home at Tyler Perry Studios, and it ain't about Halloween ... it's about Confederate Army ghosts!!!

Ed says Tyler Perry was nice enough to hook him up with a place to live while they're shooting 'Oval,' but as he told us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" ... the crib came complete with paranormal residents.

Little backstory ... Tyler's 800-acre complex sits on what used to be a Confederate Army base, and Ed's house on the lot was, apparently, an officer's residence. It sounds like Ed was warned about haunted activity, but wasn't fazed ... at first anyway.

Now, you gotta see him describe what happened the first night he turned off the lights. Let's just say, he flipped 'em back on less than 10 seconds later. As Ed puts it, living and breathing houses will make ya do that.

And, don't even get him started on the third-floor hallway.

It's no joke to Ed ... he told us some of his castmates have experienced the creepy feeling too, including his TV daughter, Paige Hurd, who immediately busted out some burnt sage.

Tyler's gotten the crap scared outta him too, but Ed's not buying it. Watch.

Dog the Bounty Hunter says he's focusing on his health and recovery following a scary diagnosis last month ... starting with his diet.

We got Dog out in NYC as he was leaving Barstool Sports and asked how he's doing, and he tells us he's trying his best to get better ... specifically by laying off white foods.

So ya know, white foods -- aka "bad carbs" -- refers to sugar and other white-colored foods that have been processed and refined ... like flour, rice, pasta, bread, crackers and cereal. Natural, unprocessed white foods -- like onions, cauliflower, turnips, white beans and some fish -- are all good.

As we reported ... Dog revealed to Dr. Oz he was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition -- a pulmonary embolism -- which he called a "ticking time bomb." Dog added he wouldn't be around for long without improving his heart condition.

Seems like he's taking doctors' orders -- as well as the wishes of his family -- to make the necessary lifestyle changes he needs to keep on truckin'.

Luann de Lesseps is giving things another chance with her ex-boyfriend ... telling us she's officially back together with her talent agent.

We got the 'Real Housewives of New York' star Wednesday at Hunt & Fish Club in New York City ... and Luann told our guy she's once again dating Rich Super.

Luann was actually on her way to meet Rich for a romantic dinner and Broadway show when she told us things are going great the second time around.

You'll recall ... Luann and Rich first started dating back in 2018, when he was in the middle of divorcing his wife. The pair dated for a short while, until Rich dumped her right before her stint in rehab.

Luann tells us she still has a strong connection with Rich ... and not only because he's helping her become a rising cabaret star. Although, it's clear she's really happy with her nationwide tour, so far.

As for what many call a major no-no -- mixing business with pleasure -- Luann's enjoying it. One woman's taboo is another's treasure.

Paul Shaffer says he had an awesome time on "The Masked Singer" despite his early exit ... once he overcame a small case of claustrophobia.

We got the legendary "Late Show with David Letterman" bandleader at LAX Monday and asked about his time as the Skeleton on the mysterious singing show ... which he calls "hilarious fun."

That is, of course, after he got used to the huge, elaborate costume. Paul says other than getting hot and sweaty in there, he freaked out a little the first time he put the suit on ... and needed to make a quick escape.

The good news -- he tells us the 'Masked Singer' crew took care of him and once he got acclimated it was all good ... no bones about it.

Shaffer also tells us his big reveal as Skeleton came as no surprise to his old pal, Dave. He says after 33 years working nonstop with Letterman, he had him pegged from the start ... and so did all of his friends.

Ex-'Love & Hip Hop' star Masika Kalysha is taking her crusade against sexuality in children's programming one step further -- she doesn't want her kid to see PDA anywhere.

Masika, who has a little girl with Fetty Wap, joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday for an interesting discussion on parenting ... defending her IG rant against Disney shows and movies showing PDA of any sort -- be it hetero or homosexual.

She insisted her stance is in no way anti-LGBTQ.

Instead, Masika said she's trying like hell to shield 3-year-old Khari Barbie from ALL signs of affection -- even in real life.

She says she's not OKAY with Khari even seeing parents kiss goodbye, and doesn't allow any friends visiting her house to kiss in front of her daughter!

The way Masika sees it, she should be allowed to guard her kid from cursing, kissing and alcohol in any way she sees fit ... and she's got loads of issues with the content kids are consuming from a young age.

Kylie Jenner's no fool ... when she sees something that's hot, she tries to own it, which is what she wants to do with the catch phrase, "Rise and Shine."

Kylie filed legal docs asking the feds for ownership of a slang version of the famous wake-up call ... "RIIISE AND SHIIINNEE."

The trademark would cover belts, pants, coats, dresses, footwear, gloves, headbands, headwear, jackets, loungewear, scarves, sleepwear, socks, swimwear and undergarments ... as well as cosmetics.

Kylie did a YouTube tour of her office earlier this month, walked into Stormi's room -- where she was sleeping in her crib -- and began singing "Rise and Shine" to wake her up. It exploded online and the Kardashians/Jenners are nothing if not brilliant business people, so what better ploy than to ride the wave and take advantage.

Judge Judy's birthday wish list was a little steep for her husband, but she says he did his best -- and, let's be real ... she can easily buy anything she wants, anyway.

We got JJ and her hubs, fellow jurist Jerry Sheindlin, Monday at the Montage in Bev Hills and wished her a happy birthday ... and she dished on what he got her.

It seems Jerry came up a bit short on the brand new Aston Martin she requested, but ya gotta see his pretty hilarious explanation for getting her the next best thing.

Speaking of gifts, our photog gave Judge Judy a birthday card and a lifetime pass to take a TMZ Celebrity Tour. We won't hold our breath, though, sounds like she's a little too busy to take advantage anytime soon.

Judy's now 77, but she's still signed on to do her show for a couple more years and like she tells us ... retirement's not really her jam.

Farrah Abraham is helping Jen Harley get over her drama with Ronnie Ortiz-Magro by hitting a Vegas strip club for a pizza party with the dancers!!! Beats therapy, right?

Farrah and Jen were among the reality TV stars throwing cash around Crazy Horse 3 Thursday night for the clubs 10 year anniversary. When it was time to take a break from making it rain, they decided to chow down on some za -- cause everyone knows strip club food is always gourmet.

As if Jen feeding slices to a topless dancer wasn't random enough -- "90 Day Fiance" star Larissa Dos Santos Lima also got in on the action.

The whole scene -- pure decadent fun -- was a 180 from the one Jen was in earlier this month when Ronnie was arrested in L.A. after an alleged domestic violence incident with her.

She seemed to be putting in her rear view on Thursday night. As we reported, Jen and the 'Jersey Shore' star have told friends they're done for good this time ... and plan to do what's best for their daughter.

Jenelle Evans' ex-BF, Nathan Griffith, now has legal problems of his own ... because he just got arrested for DWI.

The "Teen Mom 2" star was busted Thursday around 5:30 PM in Cary, North Carolina. Nathan was arrested outside a grocery store where he was handcuffed and taken into custody.

The 32-year-old, whose home address is listed in South Carolina, posted $10k bond and was later released. He's due in court next month.

As you know very well by now ... Nathan and Jenelle were in a nasty custody dispute this summer over their 5-year-old son, Kaiser. Nathan even got into it with Jenelle's hubby, David Eason, and it wasn't pretty.

If people don't want Gina Rodriguez and others to drop the n-word while singing along to their favorite songs, then the artists should stop including it in their lyrics ... so says Amara La Negra.

The "Love & Hip Hop Miami" star tells TMZ ... she doesn't believe Gina had malicious intent when she used the term "n***a" while singing along to Lauryn Hill, so it shouldn't be a big deal at all.

Amara's take is if you're offended or sensitive about a non-black person singing the n-word, you should blame the creator of the song ... not the fans of the singer trying to mimic them.

Amara adds she's Latina like Gina, but believes the "Jane the Virgin" star is getting more flak for this because her skin is lighter than Amara's ... and that's a whole other complicated issue.

She concedes that Rodriguez probably should have known better than to post a clip of herself singing the n-word, but she's certain she wasn't trying to harm anyone ... so her apology should suffice.

Besides, Amara says a lot of Latinos are raised alongside African-Americans and are used to hearing the word and feel it's acceptable for them to use it ... once again, as long as they aren't using it maliciously.

As we told you ... a 7-year-old clip of Gina saying "n***a" in a comedy sketch resurfaced on the heels of her current controversy, lending credence to the notion that she's got a pass to say it.

Kurt Sutter -- the showrunner and co-creator of "Mayans M.C." and "Sons of Anarchy" -- is out at FX, and he says it's all because word around the studio is he's an "abrasive dick." His words.

Kurt wrote a letter to his 'Mayans' cast explaining why he'd been axed and said, "At least being fired for being an abrasive dick is on brand." Kurt added he got canned because of a bunch of complaints against him.

After ripping FX and Disney in the letter, first posted by The Hollywood Reporter, Kurt apologized for making folks on the show feel unsupported, saying his "arrogance and chronic distraction has created wreckage."

'Mayans' is currently airing its second season ... and Kurt says he's sure the show is in good hands moving forward. However, a decision on a potential third season has reportedly not been finalized.

It's kinda funny, Kurt says his firing is a win-win -- for the people who wanted him gone, and for those who didn't.

Todd Chrisley tried to intimidate his daughter by accusing her of having an affair with a Georgia tax official, and warned her he had a sex tape of her -- at least that's what Lindsie Chrisley told Dr. Phil.

Lindsie spilled the tea on her dark meeting with her father, in which she says he tried to coerce her cooperation in his state tax case, but instead, ended up scaring her enough she went to cops.

Lindsie tells Dr. Phil she met with Todd thinking he wanted to reconcile, but instead he told her he had dirt -- proof of an affair with someone at the Georgia Dept. of Revenue's Office which was investigating him.

Separate from the Georgia tax man allegation ... Lindsie says her father told her he had nude photos and a sex tape of her -- allegedly purchased by her brother, Chase, for $5,000.

Dr. Phil asked if it was a veiled threat Todd might go to the media about her alleged affair and release the sex tape -- and Lindsie says that's exactly how she took it. She claims Todd wanted her to help him out out of legal woes. Lindsie says she opted to get her lawyer Musa Ghanayem involved and file a police report.

As we reported ... Todd and his wife, Julie, are suing Joshua Waites, the Director of the Georgia Dept. of Revenue's Office of Special Investigation, claiming he pursued a relationship with Lindsie in order to smear him.

In the lawsuit, Todd attached several texts between Waites and Lindsie. In one text, Waites writes, "So. Some stuff happened today. And we have a meeting the first of the year that is super big. And is all about Todd. Like serious. So. I want to know if you would be willing to talk about him or her."

Lindsie denies ever meeting Waites in person, but admits she communicated with him ... but only to protect her son. Todd and Julie recently settled the state tax evasion case, but are still dealing with a federal one.

As for that sex tape ... it became the subject of a federal extortion investigation in August, which is also still pending.

We've reached out to Todd's camp ... so far, no word back.