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Erica Mena apparently wasn't just kicking and screaming during her arrest last weekend in Atlanta -- she was allegedly biting too ... not to mention dropping some fake baby news, so say cops and her lawyer.

The 'Love & Hip Hop' star was one of four people arrested Friday at a lounge there in town after police say all hell broke loose when they were asked to leave by the security -- and according to the police report, obtained by TMZ, it was a lot uglier than what we all saw.

The doc lays out what APD officers say went down -- and one of them describes a chaotic brawl he says he was trying to break up ... and says EM was in the middle of it all.

According to the cop, Erica was fighting like hell ... even brutalizing security guards as they tried to get her out of the facility. During the melee, the officer says one of the guards told him Erica had chomped down on his forearm ... and she allegedly kicked another in the face!

The officer claims he took some licks from Erica as well ... but after a lot of physical struggle, he was finally able to get her under control.

Another interesting tidbit -- the officer in this report says Erica made clear she was pregnant. Unfortunately, that didn't prevent her from getting busted ... and her lawyer tells us she was fibbing.

Erica's attorney, Drew Findling, tells TMZ ... "On behalf of Erica Mena (who is not pregnant), we will immediately start investigating the events of August 25, 2023. It is clear that this was an incident between citizens, private security and off-duty police officers that was not properly handled or de-escalated."

He continued, "We know this because the officer readily admits in his report that he punched a private citizen in the face 4 or 5 times and used unnecessary force against Erica as well. While Erica regrets some of the circumstances of that night, it is also important to understand the context and details of the incident so we will do our due diligence and review accordingly."

As for the others who were hauled to jail -- including Bambi Richardson and Zellswag, plus a mutual friend of theirs -- APD says they were all trying to prevent officers from restraining Erica the entire time ... which explains why they were booked for misdemeanor obstruction.

Tom Sandoval got in the middle of a tug-of-war during the wrap party for "Vanderpump Rules" season 11, after a man hurled a glass of wine at a security guard.

The man -- not sure who he is -- just launched as he hijacked the party. After throwing the wine, the dude picked up a chair. You see Tom run into frame trying to calm things down, as another security guard restrains the guy by grabbing his arms. An aggressive tug-of-war then begins.

The TikToker who shot the video says the dude is not a cast member and was not going after Tom. The TikToker said, “We were just sitting at a table and this random guy came and he grabbed the centerpiece [of a] flower vase [and] chucked it at the security guard.”

Bob Barker's animal rights legacy is something PETA wants to honor with a street name change on the most iconic boulevard in L.A. ... which could actually happen!

A rep for PETA tells TMZ ... they've made an official request with the City of Los Angeles for an honorary add-on to Sunset Blvd. -- to pay tribute the late 'Price Is Right' host, who just died last weekend.

Don't worry ... this isn't as wacky as it sounds. PETA assures us this would only be a minor change, and it wouldn't even require the removal of an actual "Sunset Blvd." sign hanging from street lights.

Basically what we're talking about is a second sign -- under one of the Sunset Blvd. signs -- that would read "Bob Barker Blvd." The PETA rep says they'd love to have this on their block on Sunset.

There's also this ... PETA tells us they've actually taken steps to make this happen. They've contacted City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who reps their area. We're told PETA brass and Soto-Martinez's staff are scheduled to meet in the coming weeks.

PETA says they're pushing this because Bob actually made a generous donation way back when that allowed them to open this L.A.-based office, and they wanna return the favor.

Paul Staehle's family is worried sick about him ... because he's a world away over in the Amazon and now appears to be lost in Brazil.

The "90 Day Fiancé" star's mom, Edna, tells TMZ ... Paul has been traveling in Brazil since the end of July, but on Thursday morning he sent his family some alarming texts.

We're told Paul told his mom he needed her help and was lost in the South American country ... telling her needed a boat and giving her contact info for a few folks he said might be able to help him get out of his situation.

It's pretty alarming on its face, and Edna says Paul has since gone radio silent ... she can't get in contact with him and it appears his phone is off, lost signal or is out of battery.

Paul's mom says she reached out to the folks Paul said could help him ... but she hasn't heard squat from them either.

Meanwhile, Paul's wife Karine is alerting her family in Brazil that her famous husband might need assistance ... we're told she's in the United States and doesn't know if Brazilian authorities are actively searching for Paul.

Karine is also clouding the picture with some cryptic posts about him ... seemingly adding to his mother's angst.

TMZ broke the story ... Paul and his son were named in a missing persons police bulletin in 2022 in Kentucky, but they eventually turned up.

LeVar Burton's TV days are far from over, and ditto for expanding people's minds -- 'cause the dude is about to venture out on a Trivial Pursuit ... one that's almost a sealed deal.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... LeVar and his team are close to locking in terms on a new job he's been teeing up for a couple years now -- namely, as executive producer and host of the new Trivial Pursuit game show ... which is going to be aired on the CW.

We're told things are almost finalized between LeVar and the network, and that the series already has a 12-episode order. So, yes ... we're gonna see LeVar on the tube again in due time.

As for how all this came together ... well, our sources tell us that's actually all due to Hasbro -- the toy company that owns the rights to Trivial Pursuit, who initially brought him in.

We're told Hasbro honchos thought of LB after he got snubbed by Sony execs for the highly-coveted "Jeopardy!" hosting job -- which was a whole saga in and of itself. Remember, Sony never even approached him for the gig -- nor did they seriously consider him.

Obviously, Hasbro thought differently ... and the conversations kicked into high gear after the CW became attached to developing Trivial Pursuit into a game show. If you're unfamiliar, TP sees players answering a variety of trivia questions, touching on a bunch of categories.

It's kind of the perfect next chapter for the dude who hosted "Reading Rainbow."

The titans of late night are teaming up to talk shop on a new podcast -- all in an effort to support their striking employees -- and at least one union is totally cool with that plan ... on certain conditions.

A rep for SAG-AFTRA tells TMZ ... the just-launched "Strike Force Five" show -- featuring Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver -- is all good in their book ... assuming they stay within guidelines set forth by strike regulators.

This is how a SAG spokesperson put it ... "As long as the podcast does not promote struck work, it appears to be in adherence with the SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical/Streaming strike rules. Given that it falls within the strike rules, it is fine for them to produce this podcast during the strike."

In other words, it sounds like the hosts have their blessing to proceed ... but they should probably steer clear of certain topics if they wanna stay in the actors union's good graces. Obviously, the podcast itself isn't a straight-up promo of anything, but the challenge will be not sounding promo-ish if they discuss a certain movie or show that's in the zeitgeist.

Considering that's what they do as part of their normal jobs -- talk about certain films/projects -- it might seem like it will be tough to stay in SAG's good graces ... but, remember, the pod isn't live. They can always edit if the convo strays into promo land.

The podcast is a good thing, big picture -- any money earned is being donated directly to the late-night hosts' own writers ... who, of course, haven't been working since May.

Josh Seiter says he didn't correct the fake death post about him for a full 18 hours because his priority was figuring out who hacked into his Instagram account ... it's all very puzzling.

The ex-'Bachelorette' star appeared on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and we peppered him with questions about the long, long period of radio silence ... both from him and his family.

Josh says he was trying to manage a ton of texts and calls from concerned friends/family, which raises the question ... why didn't someone he called tell media outlets -- including TMZ -- the death post was a hoax?

Fact is ... we called Josh just after the death announcement was posted, but didn't get a call back until the next day. We also called family members, and they either hung up or said "no comment."

He recognizes he's going to get scrutinized, but he says he handled it the best way he knew how and is standing firm -- he was hacked.

Jenelle Evans is dealing with every parent's nightmare -- her son Jace has gone missing twice in the last two weeks -- getting cops involved to help track him down.

Jenelle's manager, August Keen, tells us 14-year-old Jace left Jenelle's North Carolina home Monday to roam around their extensive property. After several hours without contact, Jenelle became worried and couldn't find her son ... forcing her to get the police involved.

Fortunately, we're told, Jace was located at a gas station about 10 minutes from Jenelle's home. However, we're told it's unclear if Jace was with friends or just wandered solo.

TMZ broke the story, cops were on the hunt for Jace earlier this month after he left school and couldn't be found. He was later located safely ... and Jenelle said the whole thing happened because she took Jace's phone away after he acted up in school.

A truly bizarre series of events surrounding "Bachelorette" contestant Josh Seiter, as the former reality star is actually alive, claiming his Instagram account was hacked ... after a full statement was posted announcing his death.

Seiter just posted a video, proving he's alive and well ... telling his followers he'd lost access to his Instagram account for 24 hours.

It was Monday afternoon when a lengthy statement was posted to Josh's Instagram saying, in part, "It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share the tragic news of Joshua's unexpected passing. As all who knew him can attest, Joshua was an incredibly bright light in an increasingly dim world." That post has now been deleted.

Josh says whoever hacked his account was playing a "cruel joke" and mocking his previous struggles with mental illness. He apologizes for the pain the alleged hacker caused ... and says he and his team are working to determine who posted the message.

What Josh doesn't make clear is why it took him 20 hours to address the hack, as multiple outlets across the globe published the story based on the statement.

Seiter -- who was eliminated on the first week of Kaitlyn Bristowe's season of "The Bachelorette" in 2015 -- has been open and honest about his struggles with his mental health over the years -- including bouts of depression and anxiety.

Bob Barker was still a big TV man during his final chapter, and now that he's gone -- his legacy lives on in a massive donation to 501(c)(3)s ... TMZ has learned.

The "Price is Right" host's longtime rep, Roger Neal, tells us Bob spent quite a bit of time checking out the tube in his last days of life ... including a lot of reruns of "Two and a Half Men" -- which, to people around him, reminded them Bob still had his sense of humor.

We're told Bob would also check out new episodes of his old show every now and then, and always thought Drew Carey had done well to carry on the torch after his retirement.

Now, as for what's going to happen to Bob's estate in the wake of his passing ... we're told a majority of it is going to be divvied up and donated to a number of causes he was passionate about, especially as it pertains to animals and vets.

Neal says a bulk of Bob's assets will be dispersed among over 40 different animal rights orgs and military nonprofits -- including the DonkeyLand Rescue in Riverside, CA, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ... as well as a bird conservatory.

Some of the estate's assets are also going toward the United Activists for Animal Rights charity -- which BB's girlfriend, Nancy, leads as President. We're told she did well taking care of him over the past year ... making sure he was attended to round-the-clock.

Neal says Bob left Nancy in charge of pretty much everything -- noting he enjoyed life and lived in the moment. Bob was 99.

Arleen Sorkin, a veteran actor who was the OG voice of DC Comics' Harley Quinn, has died.

The 67-year-old reported had been suffering from various health issues that benched her from acting over the last few years.

Arleen played the Harley role in 1992 for "Batman the Animated Series," and she was only supposed to be in one show, but her run got extended multiple times.  She also played Harley Quinn in various video games and animated movies.

In addition to her work as Harley Quinn, she played Calliope Jones on NBC's "Days of Our Lives."

DC honcho James Gunn praised Arleen ... “Rest in Peace, Arleen Sorkin, the incredibly talented original voice of Harley Quinn, who helped to create the character so many of us love. Love to her family and friends.”

Mark Hamill who worked with Arleen on the DC franchise and played the Joker, also had high praise for the actress ... "Devastated to learn we’ve lost the brilliant Arleen Sorkin. Not just a wonderful talent, but a truly wonderful person. I’m grateful not only to have worked with her, but to have been her friend. 🙏 Sending my heartfelt condolences to her family & loved ones"

The "Riverdale" series finale left viewers puzzled, putting the show's main characters in a four-way relationship ... a decision that's really pissed off the polyamorous community.

If you didn't catch the episode, it was a strange one -- which became par for the show -- but the "shocking twist" included a sequence where Archie, Betty, Jughead and Veronica were part of a quad-relationship.

Reactions were mixed, but many fans felt show creators only used the relationship for a "wow factor."

We spoke to Brett Chamberlin, Executive Director, OPEN (Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-monogamy) who tells us, though "tempting to celebrate every portrayal of non-monogamy in popular media," it needs to be done both responsibly and from a place of understanding.

He continues... "It's frustrating that Riverdale used its characters' non-monogamous relationship as a 'shocking twist' rather than engaging with an authentic portrayal of non-monogamy as simply being part of people's identities."

Chamberlin continues, "We didn't see or hear anything about why these characters practice non-monogamy, what it means for them, the substance of their relationship agreements and communication practices, or any of the other underlying motivations and work that makes relationships of any type function."

Tim Gunn is comin' to his pal Heidi Klum's defense after rumors spread her daily intake is a paltry 900 calories ... a number he says she easily hits just between meals!

We got Tim at LAX and we asked him if he could confirm or deny the Heidi's calorie count reports, and he's certainly doing the latter here.

He playfully says one of Heidi's snack breaks would add up to the bogus total folks are claiming ... and applauds the supermodel for keeping her incredible physique while eating normal portions.

For those unaware, Heidi responded Tuesday to the noise on Instagram, denying the 900 calorie allegation. It all started when she got candid online about her weight earlier this week, and she says that's when folks really ran with the phony number.

"Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban has a ton of money, but his wealth could've actually grown by a couple more BILLION if he would've taken an early opportunity to invest in Uber ... a move he's regretting to this day.

The billionaire investor and entrepreneur talked about the deal that got away on an episode last month of Kevin Hart's "Hart to Heart," saying he was offered the opportunity to put some dough into the company in 2009 -- years before the ridesharing game took off.

Mark says it was a $250k investment at a $10M valuation -- for the "Shark Tank" fans doing the math, that would've given him 2.5 percent of the company. While the other sharks might've laughed that valuation off, Mark's $250k would've been $2.25 BILLION today.

Mark says he offered to give the cash if the company was valued at $5 million, but he claims he never heard anything back ... and they eventually got someone else to fill his spot. As you can guess, he's vowing to never make a mistake like that again.

Kevin says he also had the chance to put $50k down on the brand years ago ... but thought the idea of strangers driving each other around sounded like "Murderville."

The person who buried the bodies of sex workers on Gilgo Beach in Long Island did not stop killing during the 12 years the case was mishandled ... this according to numerous experts.

TMZ's latest documentary --- "TMZ Investigates: Gilgo Beach Serial Murders: Missed Warning Signs" -- puts the spotlight on a former police chief who went to great lengths to derail the investigation, in no small part because he himself was hiring prostitutes and didn't want a spotlight put on him.

Numerous law enforcement people, criminologists, and psychologists appear in the doc, and they say during the 12 years the case lay dormant, despite clues that would have led them to Rex Heuermann's doorstep, more women were probably murdered.

These people say serial killers don't stop killing ... maybe some do for a while, but they ultimately give in to their impulses.

Authorities are now looking at Las Vegas and South Carolina, where Heuermann owned properties, to determine if there are other victims. Some authorities believe there are other burial grounds out there.

In fact, cops arrested Heuermann earlier than they planned because he was allegedly getting close with another sex worker.

He's currently charged with murdering 3 women whose bodies were found on Gilgo Beach, and he's the prime suspect in a 4th. Police found 11 bodies on Gilgo Beach, at least 8 of which were sex workers.

Paulie Calafiore, who just got eliminated from MTV's "The Challenge: USA," is coming out as bisexual.

The reality TV star came out to GLAAD, saying he almost feels guilty about waiting so long to share his truth.

Paulie says he decided to come out as bisexual after changing his perspective ... explaining, "There might be other people that are going through this exact same thing …and maybe this is what they needed to hear and what they needed to see in order to do it themselves."

For Paulie, one of the hurdles was his upbringing as an athlete ... he says he felt pressure to be viewed publicly as a strong athlete and competitor, and that sports culture made him feel like he had to repress his sexuality.

Paulie, who is also a "Big Brother" alum, says since coming out as bisexual he's been accepted by his family and his longtime girlfriend and fellow 'Challenge' star Cara Maria Sorbello.