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Tom Sandoval is back and apparently better than ever as we head into a new season of "Vanderpump Rules" -- just look at how this dude serving up drinks after the show!!!

The reality star was front and center Wednesday night at his establishment in Hollywood, Schwartz & Sandy's, where he was playing bartender for a bunch of people who swung by after the premiere for Season 11 of 'VPR' ... where Tom was also in attendance.

Check out this video we got of him slinging drinks and feeling himself -- he's got that Tom Cruise 'Cocktail' vibe ... which echoes how he presented himself at the Hollywood Palladium.

Tom was flashing smiles and posing confidently -- and more importantly ... folks noticed he was rocking another lightning bolt necklace, which got him in hot water last year.

You'll recall ... this style of necklace was one half of another matching accessory that Rachel Leviss had been wearing before their affair was exposed ... so it serves as a bit of an in-your-face reminder that Tommy boy cheated on Ariana Madix -- a relic of Scandoval.

That's why it's fascinating to see him rock a similar one almost a whole year later so proudly. Even more eye-opening ... the fact that eyewitnesses tell us Tom was asked about the lightning bolt and the fact he was still wearing it ... all he said was "Yup!"

As for the premiere itself ... it was a buzzy event that featured the whole cast, who certainly seemed to be giddy to get together and show off what they'd been filming in recent months.

In fact, Scheana Shay busted a move to her song, "Good as Gold," and we got a clip too. And in terms of the actual episode -- which will air at a later date -- best believe Sandoval is still top of mind for everyone ... although, he himself doesn't show 'til the very end.

"The Daily Show" has been in a state of flux since Trevor Noah stepped down more than a year ago ... but it sounds like the uncertainty might be comin' to an end.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for Comedy Central told TheWrap the network was getting ready to reveal the show's "next chapter" ... and then promptly left fans on the edge of their seats -- saying the announcement's coming NEXT week.

This comes on the heels of an Emmy win for 'TDS' ... taking home Outstanding Talk Series at the awards show on Monday -- though even during the win the show's unresolved host issue took center stage.

Roy Wood Jr., a longtime correspondent of the show, expressed his displeasure with recent choices ... mouthing "Please hire a host" multiple times while TN lifted the award in triumph -- pretty funny parallel when you see the clip.

Noah left the show back in 2022 ... giving fans a tear-jerking goodbye when he signed off. A rotating panel of hosts has taken over in the weeks and months since -- and clearly, it's had its ups and downs.

Wood Jr. left the show back in Oct. after he was seemingly passed up for the full-time hosting gig ... no word on if he'd be open to a reunion with his former employer.

LeVar Burton made a shocking discovery about his bloodline here in America -- namely, that he's actually part-white ... and that one of his ancestors was part of the Confederacy.

The 'Reading Rainbow' vet was featured in a recent episode of PBS's 'Finding Your Roots' -- where host Henry Louis Gates Jr. laid out LeVar's family tree dating back centuries ... and pinpointing a white dude from back in the 1800s as his great-great-grandfather.

Long story short, LB's great-grandma on his mom's side -- a woman named Mary Sills -- had listed her dad as being a Black man named Louis Sills ... but DNA tests show that isn't so.

Instead, the data shows her biological father was a Caucasian farmer from the South named James Henry Dixon -- who had actually fathered children with an unnamed Black woman who was born into slavery. Even more surprising ... Dixon had served in the Confederate Army as a teen during the Civil War, so technically -- he was a defender of slavery at that time.

In response to this news, LeVar said he had conflicting feelings ... explaining, "There’s some conflict roiling inside of me right now. But oddly enough, I feel a pathway opening up."

He added, "Knowing what I know about the history of this nation, I’ve wanted, especially in this current time frame, I believe that as Americans we need to have this conversation about who we are and how we got here."

Things are rolling at TMZ this week -- and on Wednesday, there was no shortage of hot-button topics that made our shows ... and which made for some great convos.

Starting with "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles broke down this wild customs run-in that Arnold Schwarzenegger went through this past week -- where he got stopped in Germany after officials found this super expensive watch that he was trying to auction off over there.

Check out the clip ... the guy got put through the wringer just to pay taxes on this thing!!!

Jumping over to "TMZ on TV" ... more airport drama, only this time it ended in someone throwing hands and getting into an all-out brawl at a coffee shop she worked at. Supposedly this all began over a heated conversation about espresso shots ... and it got ugly fast.

In the "TMZ Sports" world ... the boys broke a story Wednesday -- and it was all about Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay -- who suffered a medical episode last month.

It's a pretty crazy story ... especially since cops say they found him unresponsive in what they believe was a suspected OD. The Colts ended up saying he's still recovering right now.

The "Lizzie McGuire" reboot definitely wasn't made for kids -- something we're learning about in much greater detail ... now that one of its writers is spilling the beans.

Jonathan Hurwitz -- who was working on the show for Disney at the time -- hit TikTok to explain what they were penning, and what pissed the Mouse House off in terms of plot points. Basically, he says they were writing about a 30-year-old woman doing grown-folk things ... which weren't always G-rated.

Check out his highlights of things they were having Lizzie do in their comeback season -- he says Hilary Duff would've been in the full swing of NYC living ... working as an interior designer while shacking up with her handsome chef BF -- who'd cheat on her with her BFF.

In their nixed script, they had it where Lizzie then moved in with her parents in Cali ... where she'd find herself back in contact with Gordo ... who's got some major bombshells for her -- he's engaged with a baby on the way!

According to Jon, Lizzie would've received a text from her old high school crush, Ethan ... later checking him off her "to-do" list after waking up in his bed -- something he says that particularly pissed off the family-friendly folks over at Disney. No sex, dammit!

Two episodes had already been filmed before Disney+ pulled the plug following creative differences between the streamer and Hilary ... which was pretty dramatic when it happened.

Hilary announced the decision on IG in Jan 2020 ... saying she wanted the reboot to be an authentic portrayal of who Lizzie would've been today -- anything else would've been a disservice to her. Sounds like Jon here is cosigning that ... noting, Disney wasn't down.

Of course, it's devastating that adult Lizzie never got the reboot she deserved ... but nothing's more upsetting, perhaps, than learning Gordo never got with her himself after all those years.

Martin Lawrence's appearance at the Emmys this week got some folks a little worried he might be worse for wear -- but the guy's actually never been better, and there's a perfectly good explanation for what people misperceived ... TMZ has learned.

ICYMI ... some fans started speculating something was up with the actor/comedian after he and his "Martin" costars -- Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold and Carl Anthony Payne II -- had a reunion at the 75th Emmys on Monday, and Lawrence seemed to slur his words during the bit.

Viewers rushed to social media to compare notes with many expressing concern for the 58-year-old's health and wishing him well and a speedy recovery.

However, sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... ML's totally fine -- in fact, we're told he just recently finished filming the latest "Bad Boys." Not just that, but our sources say he's also hitting the road this summer for his latest comedy tour. In other words, tip-top shape.

We're told even though some thought he may have been slurring his words and taking long pauses during the Emmys Martin reunion, this was actually because of a technical glitch with the teleprompter caused by late changes to the script -- automation strikes again!

In fact, Lawrence is so good we're told he's actually got a couple professional surprises coming for fans in the next few weeks ... though our sources wouldn't elaborate ... so stay tuned for that.

As for the reunion itself ... Martin had so much fun getting together with the cast close to 30 years after the show ended. You gotta admit they all looked great!

The "Friends" cast wasn't at the Emmys Monday night to honor the late Matthew Perry ... and now we know why they bailed.

Emmy producers are now explaining that while Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer all bagged an invite, they opted not to come together onstage ... cause it was just too soon after Matthew's sudden death in October.

Emmy's EP Jesse Collins tells The Hollywood Reporter he totally gets it from their POV -- they're mourning someone they were very close to for years.

He says while they can't speak on their behalf, they must respect that the "Friends" cast was their own little family.

Matthew was the last person to appear on screen during the Emmys' in memoriam segment honoring fallen stars .... with singer Charlie Puth transitioning from "See You Again" to a stripped-back version of the "Friends" theme song, "I'll Be There for You."

TMZ broke the story ... Matthew was found unresponsive in his jacuzzi on Oct. 28 after playing 2 hours of pickleball at Riviera Country Club near his home in Pacific Palisades. First responders rushed to the property on a cardiac arrest call, and he was declared deceased on the scene after an apparent drowning.

The L.A. County Medical Examiner's Office released the toxicology report in December ... he died from "the acute effects of ketamine," a drug used to treat depression and is also used as a recreational drug.

Tina Fey may soon make her grand return to "Saturday Night Light" as head honcho ... well, that's if Lorne Michaels has anything to do with it.

The show's longtime executive producer said Tina could easily take over the reins when he inevitably retires -- though speaking at the Emmys red carpet Sunday, he said nothing's set in stone cause other people were also in the running.

Lorne clearly has a soft spot for Tina ... praising her as brilliant and great at everything she does ... adding she's a very important person in his life.

The 79-year-old co-created the iconic comedy sketch show in 1975 ... and he plans to hold onto his legacy for another year -- staying on until at least the show's 50th anniversary next year.

Tina kicked off her 'SNL' career in 1997 as a writer ... later promoted to head writer in 1999 and then became a cast member in 2000 ... leaving six years later to write and star in "30 Rock."

Meanwhile, Tina fans did get to see her back in her 'SNL' roots alongside Amy Poehler ... the pair reviving the show's iconic "Weekend Update" segment for the Emmys -- a great moment resulting from two competing networks coming together.

We broke the story ... sources told us that Emmys producers over at Fox approached NBC's 'SNL' peeps to make the throwback moment happen.

Breonna Taylor's mom is thanking Niecy Nash-Betts for mentioning her late daughter while winning her first Primetime Emmy ... praising her for using her platform for justice.

Niecy won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in an anthology series, and her powerful acceptance speech prompted a standing ovation ... with Niecy saying, "I accept this award on behalf of every Black and Brown woman who have gone unheard, yet overpoliced, like Glenda Cleveland, like Sandra Bland, like Breonna Taylor!”

Breonna's mother, Tamika Palmer, tells TMZ … it's "amazing" Niecy used her big moment to  "acknowledge women, including my daughter, who have tragically fallen victim to police brutality."

Niecy also told the Emmys audience she feels it's her responsibility as an artist to speak truth to power, and she plans to do so until the day she dies.

Breonna's mom adds ... "The lack of accountability for these injustices is undeniable, and it is crucial for us to keep saying their names and reminding people of the profound impact of their loss."

As you know, Breonna was shot and killed by cops in Louisville during a botched raid back in March 2020, and her death sparked demonstrations against racial injustice and policing.

We're not even halfway through the week, and we've already got some big stories -- which you can catch up on in TMZ's recap.

Firstly on TMZ Live, Green Day told us they were sticking by their decision to change their O.G. "American Idiot" lyrics to "I'm not part of the MAGA agenda" at "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" gig.

They told us Monday at LAX they've got no regrets pissing off Trump supporters ... and it sounds like they think the USA's a lil' stupider since they first released the song in 2004.

Jumping over to TMZ TV, Taylor Swift's been knocked from Amazon's top spot... by none other than ... Glenn Danzig.

Yes, you heard that right ... the legendary punk and heavy metal Misfits singer dethroned TS cause of a glitch. The few actually buying Glenn's album were getting sent completely random albums -- all for a total bargain of 12 bucks.

Others began seeing what album they would bag if they tried to purchase Glenn's on Amazon. Our team also placed an order for Glenn's album ... check out the clip to see what we were sent instead!

Things were kicking off at TMZ Sports, where Michael Babcock and Mojo discussed WWE royalty Bill Goldberg's son Gage's exciting footballing future.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler 's revived 'SNL' "Weekend Update" was one of the big treats at the Emmy Awards ... and proof positive competing networks can work together with great results.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ the Emmys producers over at Fox approached the "Saturday Night Live" peeps at NBC to discuss a legacy revival segment -- and both parties decided having Tina and Amy reunite in their old 'Weekend Update' roles would be awesome.

If ya missed it, they pulled it off while presenting the Emmy award for Live Variety Special. We're told both networks wanted Amy and Tina to do it -- not only because of their 'SNL' chops -- but, also because they've teamed up for so many live entertainment gigs over the years.

As for the possibility they have an official reunion on an episode of 'SNL' -- one source says there's no immediate plans.

Paul Walter Hauser is looking for a new brand deal after his mango moment at the Emmys ... and fittingly, he wants to do biz with a dried fruit company.

We got the "Black Bird" star at LAX the day after his big win at the Emmy Awards and we asked him about eating dried mangos during his acceptance speech.

Paul agrees an endorsement deal for dried mangos makes a whole lotta sense now.

In case you missed it ... Paul had a mouthful as he took the Emmys stage to accept his award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie ... later explaining he was munching on mangoes.

Paul told reporters backstage at the Emmys his agent gave him the dried mangoes as part of an inside joke ... and he promised to eat them on camera.

While Paul says his award season success isn't bringing him new roles just yet, he has a new and fun way to make some extra cash here. It's a fun conversation ... and Paul tells us which types of fruits he likes to wolf down.

Alec Musser died by suicide -- and the nature of his death is gruesome ... TMZ has learned.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office tells TMZ ... the 'All My Children' star was discovered dead last Saturday by his fiancée at their Del Mar, CA home -- and according to the report provided, it says he suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

We're told Musser's fiancée went to bed on Friday evening, and awoke the next day to find AM slumped over on their bathroom floor ... with a firearm near him as well.

The ME's office goes on to say that 911 was called, and when paramedics arrived -- Musser was confirmed as deceased. They note the firearm that was used was a shotgun ... and his death is listed as a suicide.

TMZ broke the story ... Musser's fiancée, Paige Press, confirmed his passing to us this past weekend, but didn't elaborate on the circumstances at the time. She later took to social media to remember her partner as "the best fiancé I could of ever asked for."

Musser is most famous for playing Del Henry on the soap hit 'All My Children' -- not to mention roles in 'Grown Ups,' 'Desperate Housewives' and other shows here and there.

He was only 50.

RIP

Anthony Anderson wants to keep this hosting thing going -- fresh off his performance at the Emmys, he says he's got this eyes on the Academy Awards job.

We got the actor/comedian outside Peacock Theater in DTLA right after he finished hosting the 75th Primetime Emmys -- and he told us he felt really good about how it went.

Anthony's hoping the Oscars folks are feel the same way about his hosting skills, because he said he'd love to get a shot at hosting their ceremony.

A quick poll of some of Hollywood's funniest men points toward Anthony earning a shot to host again. We asked Colin Jost, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers how Anthony fared at the Emmys ... and they all agreed he was pretty good.

It's the exact opposite of how lots of comedians felt about Jo Koy hosting the Golden Globes.

Jennifer Coolidge has big plans for the Emmy she won Monday night ... she's already found a place for it which will allow her to navigate around traffic jams ... we will explain.

Jennifer was leaving the Peacock Theater in DTLA when our photog asked where she will put the award she won for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Turns out the Emmy's gonna be riding shotgun with her. God help the cop who pulls her over for driving in the carpool lane!!!

Something else JC reveals ... she's not wearing shoes, but she's afraid doing a little show and tell will bring out the foot fetish folks.

Of course, we asked about returning to "White Lotus." Check out her answer, which just breaks our hearts.

Congrats, Jennifer!!!

Noah Schnapp says his thoughts on the conflict between Israel and Hamas are getting twisted online ... so, he took a couple minutes to restate his position on the violence.

The actor, who is Jewish, has drawn significant backlash since the conflict began in October 2023 ... as he, at least, appeared to support Hamas' violent actions in a now-deleted video while another showed him with "Zionism is sexy" stickers.

He tried to clarify Monday on TikTok, stating what he really wants is peace, safety, and security for all innocent people affected by the conflict.

He adds he's learned a lot after having open and essential discussions with his Palestinian friends ... both sides unified in their hope to have innocent hostages held in Gaza returned to their families, and also for the killing of innocent Palestinians to end.

Noah also said he hopes for more understanding and compassion regardless of race, ethnicity, background and sexuality, concluding ... "We are all human, and we're all the same, and we should all love each other for that and support each other and stand together. And stand together for humanity and for peace."

The backlash to Noah's view on the war has had people calling for a "Stranger Things" boycott for a while now -- so, many online think he's merely backpedaling to do damage control as production begins for the 5th season of his sci-fi show.

'ST' has regularly broken Netflix records with their previous seasons ... so it'll be interesting to see how this controversy affects ratings.