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Shannon Beador is making strides in her sobriety journey ... choosing not to be tempted by any alcohol during a celebratory night out on the town.

Witnesses at the season 2 premiere Wednesday night of Amazon's "Hollywood Houselift with Jeff Lewis" tell TMZ ... the "RHOC" star held onto a clear cup filled with water as she mingled in a crowd of more than 100 guests at the Sunset Tower Hotel.

They also say Shannon seemed to be in great spirits, with no man in tow ... only her girlfriends.

Remember, we broke the story ... Shannon vowed to get some treatment following her DUI bust in Sept.

She was arrested over an alleged drunken car ride ... zipping through a Newport Beach residential area before crashing into the property, which was all caught on surveillance footage.

Cops booked her on 2 misdemeanors, and sources close to Shannon told us she was taking responsibility and accountability for her arrest by enrolling in an outpatient behavioral wellness program with an alcohol component.

"Supernatural" star Mark Sheppard is out of the hospital after suffering 6 heart attacks and miraculously avoiding death ... flashing a smile on his way home.

The 59-year-old actor was spotted heading out of the Los Angeles-area hospital Thursday, grinning from ear to ear and dishing out some hugs to the hospital staff.

Mark appears to still have some post-op drains connected, which are commonly used to drain excess blood and fluid after surgery ... a small and temporary price to pay for the terrifying ordeal he faced less than 1 week ago.

As we reported, Mark claimed to have suffered a series of "massive heart attacks" after collapsing in his kitchen Friday, with EMTs bringing him back to life 4 times.

Mark had a total blockage in his left anterior descending artery -- otherwise known as a LAD.

Reality TV's biggest prize of $4,560,000 has officially been won ... as the winner of "Squid Game: The Challenge" was crowned.

SPOILER ALERT

Millions streamed the real-life game show adaption of the extremely popular Netflix show, and Wednesday night it all came to an end as the final 3 became one single champion. The three remaining contestants were all treated to a feast in their dorm -- consisting of steak -- before it was revealed only 2 of them would move on to the final game.

From there, the remaining 3 Mai Whelan (player 287), Sam Lantz (player 016), and Phill Cain (player 451) were narrowed to two in a game of chance where players selected a button to press ... green meant they got to choose one other player to bring to the final, red meant they were eliminated and grey was neutral. Mai got grey and Sam chose red which meant Phil and Mai moved on.

In the final game, Mai and Phil played "Rock, Paper, Scissors." Every time a player won the round, they'd select a single key from a box of several and attempt to open a lock.

SPOILER ALERT

After about a dozen rounds ... 55-year-old Mai, an immigration adjudicator from Virginia picked the winning key, opening the safe and taking home the $4,560,000 prize.

Henry Winkler is applauding legendary producer Norman Lear for making an enormous impact on America's TV landscape, and even bigger ... on American society.

Being a TV icon himself, "The Fonz" joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," and admitted it's not easy to find the right words to describe someone like Norman, who accomplished so much in life, with "grace, intelligence, and fun."

Henry shared an anecdote about Norman's 101st birthday party, where someone asked how he felt about reaching that age, and he wittily responded ... "Not as good as I'll be at 102!"

His point being, Norman -- who passed away Tuesday -- was always a forward-thinking guy, who used his art to help Americans see the best and worst in themselves ... tackling topics like homosexuality, racism, the Vietnam War and women's rights -- which had never been done before on TV.

As for Henry ... well, his memoir, "Being Henry: The Fonz ... and Beyond," is approaching one month on the New York Times Bestseller list -- and after 50 years in showbiz, he told us why he's just now discovering his true self.

Norman Lear, the TV icon who had a seismic impact on American culture and social change, has died.

Lear died at his home in L.A. Tuesday of natural causes, according to his publicist.

There is no way to overstate Lear's importance in media and beyond. He created "All in the Family" and it was more than groundbreaking when it debuted in 1971 ... a show about a bigoted, blue-collar dude with a family that did not align with his views. The character he created, Archie Bunker, was both despicable and, at times, loveable.

The show tackled issues never touched before on TV ... including homosexuality, racism, the Vietnam War, racism and women's rights. Archie became frenemies with George Jefferson, who became so popular Lear created another monster hit -- "The Jeffersons." Likewise, another character, Maude, played by Bea Arthur, became yet another hit spinoff.

That's just a short list of Lear's hits ... others include "Sanford and Son," "Good Times," "One Day at a Time," and "Diff'rent Strokes."

Lear had a unique knack for creating humor around touchy social and political issues. In short, he changed TV and American culture.

He was an activist until he died ... a staunch liberal who once took on the conservative Moral Majority. He was a die-hard critic of Donald Trump.

His family said in a statement, "Thank you for the moving outpouring of love and support in honor of our wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Norman lived a life of creativity, tenacity, and empathy.

They continued, "He deeply loved our country and spent a lifetime helping to preserve its founding ideals of justice and equality for all. Knowing and loving him has been the greatest gift."

Lear leaves behind his third wife, Lyn Davis, six kids and four grandkids.

Lear was 101 and lived those years well.

"Yellowstone" stars Hassie Harrison and Ryan Bingham have sparked widespread speculation they've tied the knot ... less than a year after they confirmed they were together.

Fans were beside themselves as Ryan posted an IG clip over the weekend promoting his bourbon and upcoming show with a wedding band clearly on display ... with one commenting: "Ummmm, is that a wedding ring?! How did I not hear this?" and the rest of his comments echoing similar sentiments.

One source tells TMZ they married in Dallas -- Hassie's hometown -- in early October ... though we're unable to confirm this information.

We reached out to reps for the pair ... so far, no word back.

The costars confirmed their romance in April ... with Ryan sharing a smitten IG snap of them kissing in front of a bonfire, captioning it: "More than a spark🔥."

Their romance went from strength to strength as they reportedly purchased a 10-acre $4.6M horse ranch in California's Topanga Canyon over the summer.

Brandi Mallory died from complications due to obesity -- this according to her official autopsy report.

TMZ obtained the document from the Fulton County Medical Examiner, citing the "Extreme Weight Loss" star's weight, an enlarged heart, and some elevated blood indicators suggestive of prediabetes all as factors in her overall health.

The paperwork says there was no sign of a recent injury and there was no reason to suspect foul play either. The report does note there were trace amounts of marijuana and alcohol in her system ... but the coroner says neither played a role in her death.

Here's how they put it in the autopsy ... "It is my opinion that Brandi E. Mallory died of complications of obesity was considered a significant condition contributing to the death." It also lists her death as natural when it comes to the manner.

TMZ broke the story ... Mallory was found dead in an Atlanta strip mall parking lot after being seen entering her car the night before. A concerned bystander called 911 and said he suspected there was a body in the car, as he noticed it hadn't moved for a long time.

Mallory competed on Season 4 of the ABC series back in 2014, and had been involved with the program as recently as 2018.

She was only 40.

Jessey Lee's ex-wife claims he's abused her and their kids, and now she's trying to get court ordered protection, but Jessey's denying it ... and claims she's lost all parental rights.

Crystal Hoang Lee -- who was once married to Jessey and has 2 children with him -- ran to court in L.A. this week to file for a temporary restraining order ... and her docs, obtained by TMZ, include shocking allegations of violence.

In the TRO request, Crystal claims Jessey's most recent date of alleged abuse against her was on Nov. 25 of this year ... and she claims he hit one of their children when they wouldn't go to sleep. She also alleges he caused her to have a miscarriage, but the docs don't include any further detail.

If you read through the docs ... she lists several other allegations of abuse from previous years -- ranging from hitting the kids, to hitting her, leaving the family to go gamble, uprooting the children and placing them in different schools.

Still, it appears the court wants to hear more details -- for now, a judge has denied Crystal's request for the TRO, and scheduled a hearing in 2 weeks, when she'll have a chance to lay out all her alleged details.

Jesse's rep tells us, "Mr. Lee has no knowledge of this restraining order. He actually was granted a restraining order against Ms. Hoang on Nov 21st. He has been awarded full exclusive custody of the children and they currently live with him. Ms. Hoang has no access or parental rights. There is absolutely no truth to any of these allegations."

Kim Kardashian's going to be playing a famous divorce attorney for a new TV show -- and yes, it is indeed based on the Disso Queen herself ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us that Kim's just-announced role for this Ryan Murphy-led show -- which is going to air on Hulu -- is inspired by the famed Laura Wasser ... who's well-known in L.A. as being the go-to celebrity divorce lawyer for all the big shots.

In fact, Laura actually handled Kim's divorce from Kanye ... but her list of celeb clients is long and extensive, going well beyond the Kardashians. Some of the biggest stars who've retained her over the years include Kris Jenner, Ariana Grande, Ryan Reynolds, Angelina Jolie, Kevin Costner, Britney Spears, Heidi Klum and Christina Aguilera ... just to name a few.

As far as what the show will be about ... well, Deadline says it's gonna be a "sexy adult procedural" that covers her career as a hot-shot lawyer working in Los Angeles. The outlet reports that there's a big series commitment from the streamer ... although it's unclear how many episodes it'll be.

Kim will be heading a fake all-female law firm in the show, and it's being written by Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken. Of course, Murphy is EP'ing. Deadline reports the trio pitched Kim and Kris on this show ... and they both were apparently all in on it right away.

The fact Hulu picked this up is also no surprise considering they already air "The Kardashians." Word is, they signed on right in the pitch room and committed to a straight-to-series play. Of course, this comes on the heels of Kim's recent Netflix movie ... for which she'll also star and produce. Seems like Hulu wanted to mark their territory a bit!

Kim's already got some experience with Murphy ... she just acted in his latest season of 'AHS' and did pretty well. Her acting career is well on its way now -- what a time.

Ariana Madix opened up her wallet big time to help out a friend of the 'Vanderpump Rules' family ... this after a major health scare that's threatening their life.

AM was among several 'VP' stars to draw attention to the GoFundMe page of Jesse Montana -- who's a pal of theirs and who's appeared on the reality show. He recently revealed he's been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and he's looking to raise funds for his hospital stay ... 'cause he's going into surgery on Monday.

Like we said ... a lot of the 'Vanderpump' cast members have donated, but Ariana has shelled out the most by far -- offering up a $9,000 donation to help Jesse.

In hopes that Jesse's unexpected health woes don't leave him with a financial burden, the GFM page has a goal to raise $100,000.

The cast began donating over the weekend ... and other 'VPR' contributions include Katie Maloney giving $3,000, Scheana Shay dropping $2,000, Tom Schwartz and Rachel Leviss chipped in $500.

'VPR' alums Brittany Cartwright and Kristen Doute donated $100 and the show's executive producer, Alex Baskin gave $250. The donations touched Jesse ... who said in his IG Stories ahead of surgery Monday that he'll "forever be shocked at how fast life can change."

Kristin Cavallari says that women shouldn't have to wait before jumping into bed with a dude ... instead suggesting they should bang away whenever, but not everyone agrees.

The reality star shared her latest advice on her "Let's Be Honest" podcast, a clip of which she threw up on IG ... in which she says she's rethought the rules of dating as it pertains to when to sleep with a potential partner.

Once upon a time, KC says she was of the mind that women needed to wait a few dates before hopping in the sack -- but now, she says she realizes that "it doesn't f****** matter" and that gals should do it if/when they feel like it's right.

From her POV, there's no time like the present -- and if there's chemistry, she says why not ... screw to your heart's desire. Sounds pretty progressive and empowering, but it appears some more traditional women are firing at her in her comments over this.

One woman simply called it "Trash advice," and another said it was the worst thing Kristin to recommend to young women, especially in today's society. Somebody else took a pot shot at her and said, "That's why you're divorced and still looking for someone at 40+."

Others elaborated a bit further, saying that Kristin leaning into hookup culture is actually damaging to women's psyche ... and that it doesn't actually help form strong relationships or bonds with men they want to get serious with. Lots of opinions of course -- but it seems the vast majority of folks aren't on board.

Kristin's renewed perspective on putting out seems to be in line with recent revelations she's made since she and Jay Cutler went their separate ways -- including the fact that she hooked up with Tyler Cameron recently.

"Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro is closing up shop in Santa Monica ... shuttering his brick-and-mortar operation and pivoting to online orders only.

Buddy owned Carlo's Bake Shop on the famous Santa Monica Promenade, but it closed this week for good ... and there's a sign on the door announcing a public auction for all the store equipment.

Folks at Carlo's Bake Shop tell TMZ … the Santa Monica location decided not to renew the lease as it shifts towards an e-commerce business strategy.

We're told the bakery was doing more sales for online orders in recent years particularly in California, with fewer customers actually coming by the storefront, even for folks requesting deliveries nearby.

Buddy's not leaving the traditional bakery setup altogether though ... it sounds like this is limited to Santa Monica.

We're told there's a new Carlo's Bake Shop opening this December in New York City's Times Square ... which BV feels will attract locals and tourists. There's certainly a lot of foot traffic.

Farrah Abraham wants everyone to know she's in a better place in life than her archnemesis Jenelle Evans -- but is adamant she's not throwing shade... while throwing shade.

She tells TMZ she's worked hard to become a great single parent but says the same can't be said for her former "Teen Mom" costar ... who urged for a "welfare check" to be conducted at her home despite having recent encounters with Child Protective Services herself.

After Farrah posted a bunch of videos and photos of her new BF on a trip to Turks and Caicos her social media was flooded with negative comments, including people calling for CPS to get involved. Jenelle clearly agreed by posting and then deleting a Facebook story Tuesday saying that someone should do a welfare check on Farrah's daughter because she seemed unstable.

After hitting back at Jenelle's concerns on her IG Stories, Farrah adds the CPS calls have devastated her ... and she wants to keep it out of her family/dating dynamics -- especially with a brand-spankin' new man in the picture.

Basically, Farrah says life at home with her 14-year-old daughter Sophia is a dream ... unlike Jenelle -- whom she implies invites "abusive men into her life."

Remember ... TMZ reported a little over a week ago Jenelle's 14-year-old son Jace was hospitalized after running away from home -- his fourth attempt, including the time in September the same day Jenelle's husband, David Eason, was accused of roughing him up.

Our sources say CPS officials are concerned about Jace ... and if he runs away again, he could end up in a juvenile detention facility.

Daymond John has predicted the success of "Shark Tank" will continue long after the departure of his costar Mark Cuban ... whom he credits for keeping the series afloat.

The FUBU founder has no qualms over Mark's decision to leave ... saying he's already done enough by doing what no other well-known billionaire did ... believe in the show while it was on the brink of cancelation three seasons in.

Daymond says Mark's devotion ran deep ... staying on the show for so many years with his input playing a significant part in making it the cultural phenomenon it is today.

What he means is that if you've ever had dreams of pitching your pipe dream on "Shark Tank" -- that's all Mark.

Clearly, Daymond has forged a strong bond with Mark over the years ... telling us he wishes him well and adding the 'ST' team wants to pay his hard work forward by giving his seat to the next generation of entrepreneurs.

As for who could potentially snag the coveted seat? Mark himself has endorsed Kardashian biz partner Emma Grede as his replacement ... gushing over her experience and TV charisma.

"Supernatural" star Mark Sheppard was at death's door Friday, after suffering not one, but SIX heart attacks, and EMTs had to bring him back to life.

Mark says he was in his kitchen Friday when he collapsed. That's when he suffered a series of what he says were "massive heart attacks." EMTs had to bring him back to life 4 separate times -- it was that touch and go.

According to Mark, he had a 100% blockage in his left anterior descending artery -- his LAD. That's also called a "widowmaker," and it was almost true to that name.

He credits his wife and the team at St. Joseph's Hospital with his survival, saying without them, "I wouldn't be writing this. My chances of survival were virtually nil."

As for his condition, another shock ... "I feel great. Humbled once more. Home tomorrow!"

As for reaction, his "Supernatural" costar Misha Collins said this -- "Mark! You don't need to do the most and biggest every time! 6 heart attacks? 2 or 3 would have been impressive enough. You've impressed us, okay. Now stop with this heal up and get back on the road with us. Love you, pal."

Bill Maher loves the XMAS season, 'cause it's fun ... but he's alarmed at all the people who embrace the religious element to a point they want to shove it down everyone else's throats.

The 'Real Time' host launched on the growing number of Republicans, now led by freshly-minted Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who want to turn America into a Christian state.

Although Johnson and many other Republicans have promoted an official religion for the USA, Bill notes they've forgotten about the whole separation of church and state thing.

Rep. Lauren Boebert recently scoffed, "I'm tired of this separation of church and state junk." Her leader, Mike Johnson, has called for a Christian nation that dominates all areas of American life.

Seems pretty basic ... the country was founded on freedom of religion. It's engrained in our Constitution -- 1st up on the Amendment roster -- yet an alarming number of Republicans are hell-bent on breaking that wall -- separation of church and state.