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Ex-NFL star Jared Allen says his new career as a pro curler -- the ice sport -- is NOT a joke ... and it all began after making a stupid bet with some buddies.

After Allen retired from football in 2016, the future Hall of Famer still had a burning desire to play sports -- so he tried to be a pro golfer, but quickly realized he's no Tiger Woods.

That's when he made a bet with a friend that he could become an Olympian -- and after watching the movie "Eddie the Eagle" ... he got serious about finding the right sport for him.

First, it was badminton ... Allen tells TMZ Sports he called up his good buddy and fellow NFL alum Marc Bulger, but they decided the sport was too tough on their bodies.

That's when they moved on to curling -- which is basically shuffleboard on ice -- and decided that was the place where they'd strike!

Since that day, Allen recruited a few other NFL friends including Pro Bowl linebacker Keith Bulluck and Pro Bowl tackle Michael Roos ... and they started a curling team.

Now, they're REALLY competing against other elite curling teams and Jared says they're dead serious about making it to the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

In fact, Jared says they've hired a sweeping coach and train on the ice at least 2 hours a week.

"You have to sweep a lot," Allen says ... "I've been known for my cardio, sweeping is frickin' tough!"

So, what's the hardest part of the game for Jared?

"You're really not supposed to talk trash ... so that's gonna be hard for me."

LeBron James has ANOTHER movie in the works -- but this one is based on his own life!

The NBA superstar -- along with his producing partner Maverick Carter and SpringHill Entertainment -- are moving forward with a flick based on the book, "Shooting Stars" ... about Bron's youth basketball team.

LeBron co-authored the book with famed writer Buzz Bissinger -- the guy who wrote "Friday Night Lights."

The story is a real-life tale about how LeBron and his childhood friends beat the odds to win a championship and form lifelong bonds.

The movie will be directed by Chris Robinson (according to Variety) -- the super famous music video director who did "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" with Jay-Z and Beyonce.

He also directed the FOX series, "Star."

Tekashi69 climbing to the top of the charts doesn't make him immune to the harsh reality -- if ya do the crime, ya gotta do the time ... so says Kevin O'Leary.

We got the "Shark Tank" star outside Benjamin Prime Steak House in NYC -- Tekashi's home turf -- and he surprised us in a couple of ways. For starters, the 64-year-old entrepreneur knows exactly who 6ix9ine is. And, get this ... Kevin's a fan.

Check it out ... Kevin -- an expert in brand-building -- says Tekashi's monumentally successful album, "Dummy Boy," means he won't have to worry about money ... even while he's sitting in a federal prison facility.

Floyd Mayweather had to come out of pocket more than $600,000 to settle charges brought against him by the SEC for his role in a cryptocurrency scandal ... officials have announced.

As we previously reported, Floyd and DJ Khaled both went to social media in 2017 to promote a crypto coin called Centra.

The problem according to the Securities and Exchange Commission ... neither star disclosed that they were getting paid to promote the coin ... which is a violation of federal law.

Turns out, Floyd received $300,000 to promote the coin and DJ got $50,000.

Officials previously said the company behind the coin was operating illegally, misleading investors and several of the execs listed on the company website don't really exist. The whole thing was essentially deemed a giant scam.

The SEC brought charges against both Floyd and Khaled -- but they both were able to settle their cases behind closed doors after writing big checks.

Officials say Floyd ponied up $300k in disgorgement (the money he made for promoting the coin) plus another $300k in fines and another $14k in interest.

Khaled paid $50,000 in disgorgement plus $100,000 in fines plus another $2,725 in interest.

Mayweather -- who was cooperative with investigators -- also agreed NOT to promote any kind of currency for the next 3 years. Khaled agreed to hold off for 2 years.

Nicki Minaj doesn't owe her former stylist a dime -- in fact, she paid him too much money and now she wants it back ... according to new legal docs.

Nicki's countersuing Maher Jridi, who was her stylist in 2017 and hit her with a lawsuit in October for allegedly not returning nearly $74k worth of fancy clothes. Minaj denies Jridi's allegations and is firing back some of her own, claiming she overpaid him $12,000 for stylist services and he kept the cash.

According to the docs ... Nicki has an email chain proving Jridi knew about the overpayment and agreed to return it, but never did. She's now countersuing him for the $12k plus legal fees.

Minaj is also asking the court to dismiss Jridi's original suit.

As we reported ... Maher's known for being the man behind Nicki's famous wardrobe during 2017's Paris Fashion Week.

"Even Stevens" actress Margo Harshman -- who played Tawny Dean on the Disney show -- has filed for divorce from her husband.

Harshman was married to Austen Hooks -- who works in music -- for a little over a year before filing to end it in Los Angeles on Thursday ... it's currently unclear what led to the split. The two do not have any kids together.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Harshman says they separated on October 4. She doesn't want either her or her ex to pay spousal support.

As for property, Harshman says she should get control of her assets including an L.A.-area home, a labradoodle named Bullet, a trailer and a Honda Pilot. She says her ex should get his 2000 Toyota Tundra.

In the docs, Harshman says she wants the court to help them figure out who should have control of their gun safe and various firearms.

Harshman got her big break alongside Shia LaBeouf on "Even Stevens" in 2000-2003. She played goth teen Tawny ... one of LaBeouf's character's best friends. Harshman appeared in nearly 50 episodes of the Disney show.

She's also landed other gigs on shows like "Big Bang Theory," "Modern Family" and "NCIS."

Interestingly enough ... Shia recently split with his longtime partner Mia Goth, and has recently been linked to the singer FKA Twigs. Shia and FKA met on the set of the movie "Honey Boy."

1:29 PM PT -- Tommy just fired back by saying, "And the plot thickens! After I and our production crew created the 360 and Crüecify, We hired a company called SGPS in Las Vegas to create it. WELLLLL GUESS WHO'S DOING TRAVIS'S SET DESIGN???? F**king SGPS! So all u motha****** tellin me I'm not right can f**k off."

11:50 AM PT -- Travis' attorney, Laurie L. Soriano, tells us, "Tommy didn’t invent the concept of a roller coaster on stage and there’s no legal basis for his accusatory outburst. The actual creator and owner of the system has granted Travis all rights to use that equipment to complement his original stage design."

Tommy Lee has unleashed an all-out assault on Travis Scott ... accusing the rapper of jacking Tommy's famous 360-degree loop stage design.

Travis is in the middle of his Astroworld Tour -- accompanied by baby mama Kylie Jenner and daughter Stormi -- and during the show, there's a part where he straps into a chair like an amusement park ride and completes a 360-degree loop.

Back in 2011, Tommy also did a 360-degree loop, strapped into his drum set ... and clearly saw a video of Travis' show Wednesday night. In a flurry of posts ripping Travis, Tommy says, "Just found out this f**king idiot @travisscott or someone on his team ripped off the 360 AND The Cruecifly! WTF!! Get an original idea bro ..."

The Cruecifly was a floating structure over the crowd Tommy used to go over the audience. Travis also has something similar on Astroworld that was created to look like a roller coaster and takes him from one stage to another.

Kylie Jenner got a chance to ride Travis' roller coaster design Wednesday night at MSG.

Tommy continued, "I get copying is a form of flattery, but this is just straight ripping off my s**t." He also advised Travis to "lawyer up!"

Interestingly enough, Tommy was taken to court in 2014 over the 360-degree drum set by an engineer who accused him of stealing the idea. Lee won that case, ruling the drums were based on Tommy's original concept.

Originally Published -- 6:53 AM PST

Harvey Weinstein and his defense are trying to turn the tide in his ongoing sex crime case by pointing to a new female witness -- who was a close friend of one of Weinstein's alleged victims -- and use her to paint a picture of a consensual relationship between Weinstein and his accuser.

In new docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the witness claims the alleged victim was "hooking up" with Weinstein for "a very long time" and she never heard the alleged victim say anything bad about Weinstein ... speaking very highly of him. The witness says she personally saw Weinstein and the accuser hanging out socially ... including at events after the alleged rape.

According to the docs, the former friend of the alleged victim says she never heard the woman say anything bad about Weinstein ... but she admits she had a falling out with her friend a few years back after a disagreement.

However, Weinstein claims the witness said that changed last year, when she heard from the alleged victim who told her Weinstein had assaulted her in New York a few years back, and she wanted the witness to give credibility to her claim.

Weinstein's attorney, Ben Brafman, says the witness told detectives she'd been approached by the alleged victim but refused to make up a story to support her friend's allegations.

YouPorn is now all about the D -- as in, Dunkin' -- because it's getting revenge on Starbucks for blocking Internet porn in its stores ... TMZ has learned.

Reps for YouPorn tell TMZ ... the porn giant is now strictly pushing Dunkin' coffee on its workforce. The company's VP sent a memo to employees announcing a ban on all Starbucks products from YouPorn offices effective New Year's Day.

Point is ... 2 can play this game.

Starbucks just announced it's blocking customers from watching XXX material while on their free WiFi, this after mounting pressure from the Internet safety group, Enough is Enough. YouPorn is simply responding in kind with a blockade of its own.

Yes, it's revenge porn ... but this one's legal.

Tyrese is not celebrating his recent court win against his ex-wife, but one thing's for damn sure -- he desperately wishes to get on the same page with her when it comes to parenting their daughter.

We got Tyrese leaving Avra Wednesday afternoon in Bev Hills where the singer opened up about a judge ruling he no longer had to cover Norma Gibson's childcare costs when her activities aren't work-related.

For starters, Tyrese says he didn't win. You can tell the subject weighs heavily on him 'cause he pours his heart out ... wishing he got along better with Norma for their daughter Shayla's sake. As you know ... Tyrese has been at war with Norma over custody and other financial issues.

Tyrese says their best option for settling disputes now is L.A. Superior Court -- he even shouts out the address -- but he also openly admits he wishes he and Norma could turn the page on their contentious relationship.

The confidential informant the feds are working with in Tekashi 6ix9ine's racketeering case is still a mystery ... despite online rumors that it's a popular hip-hop blogger close to the rapper.

DJ Akademiks has been accused by another hip-hop blog of being the "snitch" in 6ix9ine's crew ... but Akademiks tells TMZ it's completely untrue.

He says he "has zero connection to this criminal case against Daniel Hernandez & other co-defendants. I view them as good people to me." He adds ... "All these charges are a shock to me and do not involve me. I have never been questioned or much less cooperated in this. I am just a news reporter."

The outlet accusing Akademiks of snitching claims to have gotten its info from the lawyer of Tekashi's former manager, Kifano Jordan, aka Shotti. However ... Shotti's lawyer, Scott Leemon, also denies the allegations.

Leemon tells us ... "I never made any public statement relating to this matter. Any statement attributed to me is false. I have not given anyone an interview about this case."

We broke the story ... Shotti is one of the voices heard on federal wiretaps revealing Tekashi's former crew members talked about killing him. These recordings are separate from the ones feds say are possessed by the confidential informant ... which have yet to be disclosed.

6ix9ine's lawyer told us feds having an informant is concerning, but he believes any recorded convos with the rapper will help prove he's innocent.

Game recognizes game, which is why Tommy Hilfiger is declaring Ralph Lauren his MVD -- most valuable designer for 2018 -- but he also names his top models.

We got the fashion legend leaving Michael's in NYC, and with December almost here, we asked who's stood out the most in his industry this year. Ever-humble, he tried to say he wasn't the most qualified to answer. To that we say, poppycock!

Tommy relented and dropped RL's name for one particular reason. Then we moved on to who's tops, as far as models go. He gave us 2 names.

We already knew he was high on one of them, and the other ... well, not exactly a big surprise.

It's who he didn't mention that's likely to get the fashion biz buzzing.

Dog The Bounty Hunter has broken his silence on his wife, Beth's new cancer diagnosis -- and it's clear to tell -- Beth has a tough fight ahead of her.

Dog was leaving Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills Wednesday and was asked about Beth's condition following her emergency surgery Tuesday morning. While Dog said he and his family appreciated the love and support they've gotten from fans ... he made one thing clear, "She's not doing good."

Dog took a long pause to control his emotions while his daughter, Lyssa, echoed Dog's sentiments before they all got into an SUV and took off.

TMZ broke the story -- doctors discovered Beth's throat cancer returned Tuesday after she underwent an emergency surgery to remove a blockage in her throat -- and docs said her condition was serious. Beth had a cancerous tumor removed from her throat back in 2017 as well.

Drake is highly offended by a music publishing company for allegedly using his image without his permission, but also for playing off a Jewish stereotype. The company's name is Hebrew Hustle.

Drake's been in legal battles with the publisher/management co. for years. Hebrew Hustle first sued him over a sample in his song, "Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2." Now, he's suing the co., claiming it used his name and image on its website ... leading the public to think they're working with him.

In new docs filed in that suit, Drake's lawyers call out the company over its name, saying, "The very name of Hebrew Hustle is offensive, as it perpetuates stereotypes regarding persons of Jewish heritage, such as [Drake]."

Drizzy's legal team says he would never have allowed the company to use his image due to its offensive name. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Drake wants damages for the "mental distress" and "humiliation" suffered from any perceived connection to Hebrew Hustle -- plus any money the company made from using his likeness.

You know that big ass steer in Australia that went viral for being the biggest freakin' thing you've ever seen?

Major League Eating -- the competitive eating org that brought you food-guzzling superstars like Joey Chestnut, Matt Stonie and Takeru Kobayashi -- wants to eat him.

"Knickers" has become a viral sensation after reports pegged his height and weight at 6'4" and 2,800 pounds. He's a beast.

The MLE says it believes the animal could be too large to handle at a normal meat processing facility ... so they'd like to help out -- but butchering him and serving him themselves at an outdoor BBQ.

"Knickers is an extraordinary Holstein and we hope to pay honor by eating him in historic fashion," MLE Chair George Shea said.

"As a point of clarification, we would not consume the stomach because none of our eaters care for tripe."

So ... how many of the MLE's best eaters would it take to finish off good ole, Knickers??

The org estimates it'll take 20(!!!!) of it's best food fighters -- plus donut eating world champion Badlands Booker.