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Bryshere Gray -- aka Yazz, aka Hakeem Lyon on "Empire" -- told cops he engaged in a food fight with a 7-Eleven clerk ... after she falsely accused him of spitting on the floor.

According to police body cam footage -- obtained by TMZ -- the actor was questioned about his altercation inside the Orlando store last month, which Gray claims started because the guy he was with spit on the floor and the cashier didn't approve. Imagine that.

Bryshere says she snapped, and even after he started cleaning up his friend's spit she continued to bark at him ... and then allegedly threw something at him.

Yazz says he returned fire by hurling a bag of chips at her before deciding to leave ... and he's sure the store's security footage will back up his claim she attacked first.

However, the clerk clearly points the finger at the "Empire" star as the spitter when she speaks with police, and tells them she wants to press charges because he cussed her out and threw stuff at her first. She's also confident the cameras will prove her right.

Law enforcement sources tell us no arrests were made due to the conflicting statements and a lack of physical injuries ... but the clerk does want to press charges. Gray told cops he didn't want to go that route.

This is it, folks. If you want to want binge-watch "Friends" you better do it today, because the series is off the market for months when the clock strikes 12.

When the ball drops in Times Square, one of the most famous sitcoms in history will be 86'd from the Netflix menu. The reason ... Warner Media owns the 90's series, so it wants to put all 236 episodes on its new streaming service, HBO Max. Thing is ... the service won't launch until May.

Now, if you really just can't wait ... you can buy each episode for $1.99. All 10 seasons will set you back $200.

"Storage Wars" star Darrell Sheets is finally ready to settle down after getting out of the storage locker biz ... and he might've found his one true love when he least expected.

Darrell tells TMZ ... after recently retiring to Lake Havasu, he went to check out a boat for sale and that's when he met a woman named Patty Rich. Turns out, the boat was hers and they've been inseparable ever since.

Sounds like Patty is quite a catch ... Darrell tells us his she owns a string of vineyards and restaurants. Add in the boat and her classic blonde looks, and it's easy to see why Darrell fell head over heels.

Darrell says Patty wasn't starstruck when they first met, she actually had no idea he was a celeb. She's well aware of his TV fame now though, and Darrell says it's been great to have a companion now that he's in his 60s.

Zac Efron has broken his silence about a rumored illness that apparently almost had him on his death bed -- and he says it's true, but that he's all better now.

The actor posted the message Sunday, writing ... "Very thankful to everyone who has reached out. I did get sick in Papua New Guinea but I bounced back quick and finished an amazing 3 weeks in P.N.G." He continued, "I’m home for the holidays with my friends and family. Thanks for all the love and concern, see you in 2020!"

The update comes amid reports he'd recently come down with typhoid or another bacteria-related sickness while filming his new Quibi show overseas, which required him to be airlifted to an airport in Australia, and then transported to a hospital from there.

According to local outlets, he was released and cleared to travel back to the U.S. on Christmas Eve. On Saturday, he surfaced in L.A. looking relatively healthy with a shopping bag in hand. It's crazy ... typhoid can be fatal if not treated correctly. Definitely scary.

Sad news for "Game of Thrones" fans ... the guy who stood in as the body double for Alfie Allen's Theon Greyjoy has died, and Alfie's now offering up his thoughts and prayers.

Andrew Dunbar passed away on Christmas Eve in Belfast, Ireland ... this according to his friends and an extras acting agency that had employed him. No cause of death was immediately revealed, but the news seemed to stun his contemporaries, including Alfie.

The English actor posted tributes of his 'GoT' stand-in, saying "RIP Andrew Dunbar," and then going on to share his full thoughts. Alfie wrote, "Andrew Dunbar was an actor who was also a stand in as Theon on GoT. Extremely shocked and saddened to hear of his passing. To lose a loved one so young, I can only imagine what his family are going through."

Bravo's "Summer House" is full of drama queens ... because a cast member quit the show in a huff after claims of disrespect over his title and backstabbing by production!!!

Sources directly connected to Jordan Verroi of "Summer House" tell TMZ ... he stormed off the show 3 weeks before production ended and feels he was used, slapped in the face and treated horribly by Bravo.

Here's the deal ... our sources say Jordan was facing a demotion entering season 4, with producers asking him to move from cast member to "friend of the cast" in the title. We're told he turned down the request at first and was not involved with the show, but a few weeks into shooting producers asked him back as a full-time member.

However, production sources say Jordan was only invited back as a friend of the cast.

Fast-forward to 3 weeks remaining before the end of production, and we're told producers informed the cast they needed to kick someone off for the remainder of filming, and Jordan seemed to be the prime candidate.

We're told Jordan got pissed and quit before the hammer came down.

Dan Spilo -- the first-ever "Survivor" contestant to get kicked off for unwanted touching -- got major support from some big names in his quest to become a contestant ... and wasn't shy about flaunting it.

TMZ has seen Spilo's audition tape footage for the long-running reality competition show -- which helped the Hollywood agent get on the current 'Island of the Idols' season -- and it's an interesting watch, to say the least ... albeit a little uncomfortable.

Dan's tape starts with him in full camo gear trekking through a jungle while the "Mission: Impossible" theme plays ... and he describes why he has what it takes to win.

It then cuts to Dan in a business suit in his L.A. office, revealing he's a "top talent manager." He explains why his 20 years in the industry translates to being on "Survivor" ... and he includes photos of himself rubbing elbows with stars like Jack Black, Javier Bardem, Bon Jovi and Olivia Wilde.

It seems like a standard "Survivor" audition tape -- maybe slightly more produced -- but now that Spilo's been removed from this season after multiple reports of unwanted touching ... there are certainly some eyebrow-raising moments.

The tape features various interviews from his clients, one of which is an actress who calls him "polarizing" and a "walking contradiction," but then insists he'll make for good TV.

Jussie Smollett is on a mission to give children in Flint something to believe in ... donating money to kids programs and helping organize a backpack and toy drive for Christmas.

Sources close to Jussie tell TMZ ... the actor recently paid a surprise visit to Flint, Michigan with youth and environmental activist, Mari Copeny AKA Little Miss Flint, and together they helped surprise a school with new backpacks and toys.

Jussie took his good deeds one step further ... we're told he donated $10,000 to the Flint KIDS program.

We've seen this kind of gesture from Jussie before ... last year, he donated $125,000 to various charities ahead of the holidays, including Flint KIDS and the Black AIDS Institute.

Parents at the toy drive tell us Jussie appeared to be in great spirits, and he made the kids feel like their Christmas is complete.

Here's Kevin Spacey with another cryptic video on Christmas Eve ... returning as Frank Underwood and reminding everyone out there to "kill them with kindness."

For the second year in a row, Kevin posted a bizarre video the day before Xmas ... once again slipping into his former "House of Cards" character to deliver a strange message.

Kevin says he's had a pretty good year and is happy to have his health back, and says he's made some huge changes in his life.

Spacey says he's going to cast a vote in 2020 "for more good in this world" ... then suggests people should "kill them with kindness" the next time someone does something you don't like, instead of going on the attack.

We've seen this kind of display before from Kevin ... last Christmas Eve, he posted a bizarre vid urging people not to rush to judgment after being accused of groping an 18-year-old male in a Nantucket bar.

As we first reported ... Kevin scored a huge victory this July when prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped their criminal case against him.

"Bachelor in Paradise" star Dean Michael Unglert got his Christmas miracle ... he wasn't more seriously injured during a Swiss Alps ski accident.

Talk about a glass half full ... Dean suffered a dislocated hip and fractured femur and he had 4 screws and a plate implanted in his leg.

Dean said afterward, "All my life I’ve dreamt about skiing the Swiss Alps. how could you not? they’re huge and beautiful and have some of the best snow in the world. today, however, was not my day. i was sending just a liiiiitle too hard and took a nasty spill which ultimately put me here. and since this is probably going to be the only pic i get in switzerland."

He says he was laying on the mountain injured for an hour before he was able to flag someone down for help. But, once rescuers spotted him, he was airborne and in surgery in less than an hour.

Dog The Bounty Hunter is honoring his late wife's memory this Christmas ... with mementos from their holidays of yore.

Our Dog sources tell TMZ ... he used all of Beth's old Christmas decorations to get his home in the holiday spirit, and just couldn't bear to put up any new decor after her passing.

As you can see, Dog's got a huge Christmas tree in his living room ... and we're told it's full of Beth's favorite ornaments.

He'll be spending Christmas at his home in Colorado, where he'll be surrounded by close friends and family, including his son, Garry, and daughter, Bonnie Jo.

As you can imagine, it will be an emotional time for the Chapmans -- it's their first Xmas without Beth.

The holiday spread will have some of Beth's touches too ... we're told the family will be chowing down on Beth's old recipes for their Christmas dinner, as she used to cook for everyone.

On the menu -- deviled eggs with jalapenos, sweet potatoes with tons of brown sugar and corn syrup and homemade apple cider to wash it all down.

Get those tissues out.

Lincoln Adim -- "The Bachelorette" contestant who gained notoriety for allegedly concealing his criminal record before joining the show -- has taken a sweet deal that will likely have whole the case dismissed.

Adim -- who was one of Becca's suitors in season 14 -- had originally pled guilty to indecent assault and battery in May 2018 ... just weeks before the show started airing. Adim was accused of groping a woman on a Boston harbor cruise. He got 2 years probation.

As TMZ first reported ... Warner Bros. said Lincoln lied to 'Bachelorette' producers and hid the case from them in order to get on the cast. They found out while season 14 was airing, and Adim was still in the running.

The bad news for Adim is no final rose -- Becca sent him packing in the 6th week. The good news, and more important news, for him is ... right around that same time his conviction was vacated on a technicality involving his GPS monitor.

That meant prosecutors got a do-over, and last week Adim struck a deal. He does not have to plead guilty but will be on probation for 3 months. If he stays away from the woman and keeps his nose clean ... the case will be dismissed after those 3 months.

Losing a reality show, but winning in court ... sounds like a victory overall.

Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino and his wife just plunked down some serious dough on a home that's built for a massive family.

The 'Jersey Shore' star and his wife, Lauren, are the proud new owners of a 4-story mansion in Jersey. The cost? A whopping $1.8 million. The place is seriously worth every penny though.

It's a 7-bed, 10-bath pad which has all the bells and whistles of luxury. It features an elevator shaft, a top floor observation deck, vaulted ceilings, a massive basement, a wet bar, a hot tub, a fireplace, a 4-car garage and great views of luscious greenery outside.

No gym or tanning rooms as far as we can tell, but there's plenty of space to pop 'em in afterward if Mike and Lauren are so inclined. The L's good though ... it comes with a washer and dryer.

With all that room, you gotta imagine the newlyweds have babies on the brain ... they've been very open about wanting to start a family.

Maitland Ward says there's a lot of porn potential in two controversial ads for this holiday season -- and it sounds like she wants to do 'em ... make them into spoofs, we mean.

We talked to the former "Boy Meets World" actress -- who played Rachel for a few seasons,  but has since turned to adult films -- and asked her about the recent Hallmark commercial that was temporarily yanked from the network because it featured a lesbian couple kissing. Maitland says the move was ridiculous, and yes ... she was offended.

Our photog went a little deeper though and asked a natural follow-up ... any potential there for a porno spin on it??? Check it out -- seems like Maitland thinks there might be a sex-filled future, which she says would absolutely piss off Hallmark. Hmmm ... you think?!?

More than that though, she says the highly-mocked Peloton ad is porn gold. She doesn't exactly explain why, but we'll just let your dirty imagination run wild with the possibilities.

Pete Davidson took many people aback on 'SNL' by seemingly announcing he was going to rehab for the holidays -- and if he's serious ... Alonzo Bodden has some advice.

We ran into the comic Sunday at LAX and asked him to weigh in on what appeared to be Pete implying he'd be checking into a rehab facility soon -- something he danced around on 'Weekend Update' without saying "rehab." It couldn't have been clearer though.

Alonzo -- who's a recovering alcoholic -- tells us he doesn't know Pete, but acknowledges there's usually more going on behind a person's public persona.

That said, he explains how rehab is different for everybody -- as no one goes in for just one thing. So long as whoever checks in gets the specific treatment they need for whatever their issue is, that's all that matters. If Pete falls into that category, AB wishes him the best.

As for whether going public with the potential rehab stint is a good idea, Alonzo's got some thoughts there as well. He says it's a double-edged sword, which can pay off big time.

Nev Schulman may be Jewish but he's all in on Christmas ... and even setting boundaries when it comes to Saint Nick.

We got the "Catfish" host at LAX and it's pretty clear ... even though he's discovered he loves Christmas as an adult, there's a bit of a conflict -- how to tell his daughter about Santa.

Our camera guy, Charlie, reminds the MTV star the whole Santa Claus story is a bit like catfishing ... and Nev totally agrees!!! Check it out ... he says there's an easy way to distinguish Santa Claus from catfishers.