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Billy McFarland and Fyre Fest got nothing on this guy ... allegedly.

A Georgia man has vanished after cops say he ripped off friends and family members to the tune of more than $750,000 in a Super Bowl LIII ticket scam.

At least a dozen say Ketan Shah promised them primo seats to see the Patriots take on the Rams, and got a ton of money up front for those tickets ... but never delivered before going MIA. Cops say one alleged victim forked over $20k, and another gave him $500k.

Perhaps worst of all is a $36,000 payment Shah allegedly took -- from his own mother!! He also took out a half-million dollar loan against the digital printing shop he owns in Gwinnett County.

All the victims say Shah promised them 100 level seats, plus access to a concierge lounge and Super Bowl pre-parties. They're all getting bupkis.

BTW, Mama Shah wasn't having it ... she's among the alleged victims who dimed out Shah to cops. WSB in Atlanta first reported the scam, and says Shah's wife reported him missing in early January, and hasn't seen him since.

Bill Cosby isn't America's favorite dad anymore, but he's up there on the list of favorite prisoners at the State Correctional Institute Phoenix ... so says his spokesperson.

Andrew Wyatt tells TMZ ... he's visited Cosby at the Pennsylvania prison more than a dozen times, and whenever the disgraced TV father enters the visiting area, other inmates and their families shower him with cheers and applause.

We're told the adoration doesn't stop there -- one of the convicted sex offender's biggest supporters is a white, female correction staff officer who grew up watching "The Cosby Show."

Wyatt says the other guards are also very respectful -- they call him Mr. Cosby -- and the comedian often jokes around and regales them with stories ... especially of his days on "I Spy."

On top of getting the celeb treatment, we're told the other inmates and their visitors let Cosby know they think it's wrong he's locked up ... and blame a "corrupt" judge and DA in Montgomery County for his conviction.

Wyatt's statement to the media when Cosby was sentenced in September -- he called the trial "the most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States" -- echo this sentiment.

Bebe Rexha walks into a Mexican joint and buys 50 shots of tequila ... no joke. Just how she celebrates life with friends and strangers.

The pop singer did exactly that Thursday night when she and her crew sauntered into the very popular restaurant El Compadre on Sunset Blvd. and got the booze flowing.

We're told she bought around 50 shots for the crowd and gave an inspiring toast ... "You have one life, and we live the f**king good life." Giddy up. Check out the video ... Bebe's also downing what looks like a tasty Compadre margarita before busting out a quick dance.

Elton John officially said it was a wrap for him forever Wednesday night at L.A.'s Staples Center, as he disappeared into the darkness.

Sir Elton told the crowd it was his last performance at the venue, meaning he may be one of the few artists who is really telling the truth about a "farewell tour."

Elton made it clear ... his children take priority over touring, and that's the way it's gonna be.

Now, here's the weird part ... he gets on what looks like a cross between a walker and a funicular and it creeps up a ramp and then disappears.

Two huge K.C. Chiefs stars refuse to turn their backs on Kareem Hunt -- with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce saying they're supporting their ex-teammate as he gets help off the field.

Of course, the Chiefs cut Hunt back in November after he was captured on video attacking a woman at a Cleveland hotel. He's been getting treatment ever since and hopes to play in the NFL again.

So, when we saw Mahomes at the EA Sports Madden Bowl event in Atlanta, we asked if he's been keeping in touch with the running back.

"He's still a buddy," Mahomes tells TMZ Sports ... "I wish all the best to him."

"It's stuff that he has to handle off the field and hopefully he might get another chance on it."

When asked if he thinks a team will sign Hunt next season, Mahomes told us, "I know he works hard. I know he does a lot of things on field really well."

"As long as he keeps doing stuff off the field and getting back right, I'm sure he'll get another chance."

As for Kelce, the Chiefs tight end echoed his QB -- saying Hunt is "always gonna be a brother to me."

Kelce also says Hunt can count on him for support as he continues to seek treatment for his personal issues.

Hunt has apologized for his role in the February 2018 incident -- saying, "I deeply regret what I did. I hope to move on from this."

There's a photo circulating trying to pin Colton Underwood as a non-virgin long before his reign on "The Bachelor" ... but, rest assured, he hadn't swiped his v-card before his reality TV debut.

Sources close to Colton tell TMZ ... the Snapchat photo of a young Colton is legit. We're told Colton admits the person is him from YEARS before he set foot in the 'Bachelor' franchise. But, our Colton sources are making it clear -- the caption is ONE MILLION PERCENT FAKE.

For those who still use Snapchat (clearly not you, Kylie) it's not that hard to grab anyone's picture, make up a caption, screenshot the post and then spread it like wildfire across various social media platforms. That's exactly what our Colton sources say went down.

The fake Snapchat post started circulating earlier this week ... adding fuel to the conspiracy theory shared by a small, but vocal group of dissenters who think Colton's v-card act is total BS.

Our Colton sources are adamant -- the ex-NFL athlete was as pure as Mary (yeah, THAT one) before starting his reality TV run. Emphasis on before.

It's unclear if he went the distance while shooting 'Bachelor.'

Channing Tatum's ditching the bachelor life by parting with his rented pad -- which might not scream "single" from the outside, but on the inside it's definitely an untethered man's dream.

Channing was renting this charming, colonial-style home in the San Fernando Valley between November and January in the aftermath of his split from Jenna Dewan last year.

We're told this was Channing's second crash pad -- he initially rented in L.A.'s Mandeville Canyon for 6 months. The Valley spot didn't come cheap either. Our sources say he shelled out a whopping $25k every month. Not quite Bieber rental prices, but still.

The 2-story, 5-bedroom crib has all the bells and whistles a single dude might want -- sweet pool out back, private movie theater, game room, sports court, dual-purpose office, and guest house. There's also an area that can easily be converted into a wine cellar or recording studio.

We're told Channing moved out a few days ago to snap up something more permanent.

We don't know where he's moving, but we'd bet his new GF, Jessie J, has the address, and maybe even keys ... if that's still going on.

Terrelle Pryor says it's time for the Buckeyes to bring his old coach, Jim Tressel, back to Columbus -- which is interesting, considering the history.

Remember, Tressel left OSU in 2011 after a scandal involving Bucks players getting free tattoos in exchange for their game-worn memorabilia.

Pryor was one of the players involved -- he was suspended for 5 games. Tressel subsequently resigned.

It's been nearly 8 years since Tressel left the Bucks ... and Ohio State just lost its national-championship-winning coach, Urban Meyer. Pryor thinks Tressel's the right man to fill his shoes.

"We need to get Jim Tressel back," Pryor tells TMZ Sports.

Tressel was beloved in Columbus prior to his departure, racking up a 106-22 record (before the vacated wins) ... and led the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2002.

Of course, Ohio State has found its replacement in Ryan Day ... but, it's clear Pryor wants to see the sweater vest back on the sidelines, or in some other capacity.

JWoww's estranged husband, Roger Mathews, is firing back after his ex made explosive abuse allegations against him and posted some damning video ... and he's generally denying them, and promising to take JWoww to court.

Roger just threw up an Instagram post, which included a video of himself addressing JWoww's claims ... and he kept it pretty brief, denying what she's alleged ... and vowing to solve this in court. He also says he's not going to stop fighting for custody of his kids.

Roger also posted a letter that his legal team fired off to a judge -- which we've confirmed has been filed in court -- which says JWoww's post violated a restraining order that Roger claims he's obtained against her ... namely, by harassing him. His lawyers call it a "campaign of cyber bullying, harassment, intimidation, and embarrassment."

Roger's lawyers are demanding an immediate conference between the parties to stop what they call "economic damages" that Roger is suffering, not to mention potential danger. The lawyers claim Roger believes JWoww is trying to mobilize her millions of social media followers to cause him harm.

Additionally, Roger's legal team is asking for a mental evaluation of JWoww because they feel her behavior resembles that of someone with a "personality disorder with narcissistic tendencies." Roger's lawyers also want to know whether JWoww's own lawyers knew she'd post these allegations, and allude to a potential lawsuit.

Interestingly enough, in additional court docs, Roger's lawyers say JWoww tried getting them kicked off the case with false allegations about how they've been conducting themselves.

Roger's legal team tells TMZ ... the reason JWoww made her post Wednesday is because Roger declined a settlement proposal she recently offered up and responded with one of his own that he deemed fair. Clearly, she wasn't down with his terms.

Roger's lawyers also tell us that Roger is a great father, and that she has acknowledged as much many times before. Regarding JWoww's allegation of domestic abuse ... his lawyers say they want to review the unedited video she posted before commenting.

As we reported ... JWoww made bombshell claims Wednesday in a very lengthy online post, which detailed what she alleges was persistent abuse from Roger over the course of their 3-year marriage. She says he'd spat on her, pushed her and prevented her from closing doors.

JWoww also posted a clip of surveillance footage from inside their home that appears to show Roger pushing her to the ground, with their kids screaming in the background.

JWoww and Roger are in the middle of a messy divorce. Looks like it's about to get even worse.

Originally Published -- 6:24 PM PST

Jussie Smollett is back in Los Angeles and ready to get in front of a microphone -- with a show this weekend -- and we're told it's likely he'll address the Chicago attack.

The "Empire" star landed in L.A. Thursday, two days after the Chicago incident. Jussie has a concert Saturday night at the legendary Troubadour, and we're told the show will go on.

Tickets for the venue -- which has a capacity of 400 -- were available Tuesday, but with all the hubbub it's now sold out. The tickets were going for $20-$35 a pop, but they're being resold for 70 bucks and more.

We're told Jussie, who still bears scars and swelling, will almost certainly make reference to homophobia, racism and MAGA.

As we reported ... Chicago police are on the hunt for two persons of interest who were across the street from Jussie just before the incident.

Jussie's family said Thursday this was a case of domestic terrorism fueled by hate speech, which seemed like a shot at Trump.

The sight of Ariana Grande dancing in a candle for her "God Is a Woman" music video was too much for one artist to stand ... because he says she stole the idea from his painting.

Vladimir Kush is suing Ariana over the imagery in the music vid which was released in 2018. If you've seen it, the singer dances in silhouette inside a candle flame -- Ariana's wick.

But, Vladimir says nearly 20 years earlier he made 2 paintings called "The Candle" and "The Candle 2" ... which both featured a woman as the wick with raised arms against a partially cloudy sky.

According to the suit, the similarity is uncanny ... and a rip-off. Vladimir says Ariana's video features the same cloudy sky, ring effect of clouds around the flame and the same light beams radiating from the flame.

The production company Ariana used has experience in stealing artistic works, according to Vladimir. In the suit, he says Freenjoy, Inc and its prez were also involved in producing Kendrick Lamar's "All the Stars" video -- and you might recall ... a different artist sued over that one, also claiming a rip-off.

Vladimir is suing Ariana and Freenjoy for copyright infringement, and wants an injunction to remove her music vid from the Internet. BTW, it already has nearly 200 million views ... so, the genie's kinda outta the bottle.

Netflix is being sued by the company that carries the torch for Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh -- aka Osho -- who was featured in the hit documentary, "Wild Wild Country."

Osho International Foundation claims in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the documentary stole "substantial portion" of Osho's copyrighted works. For instance, the lawsuit claims the first episode alone includes 88 discreet instances of appropriation.

The Netflix documentary chronicles the Rajneeshpuram takeover of a small town in Oregon in the 1980s. The production was a massive hit for the streaming service ... earning 5 nominations for Primetime Emmys, and winning for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.

The suit claims Osho International gave Netflix a heads up in 2018 of the infringement, but got no response back.

Jussie Smollett's family is squarely addressing people who may doubt his story about being viciously attacked, and in the process they seem to be placing some of the blame on President Trump.

Jussie's family just gave TMZ a statement, saying the actor's story has never changed, and he is one of the increasing numbers of hate crime victims. They go on to say, "Hateful words lead to hateful actions." This seems pointed at the President, particularly because Jussie says the attackers screamed "MAGA Country" as they left.

The family says, "This was a racial, homophobic hate crime ... We want people to understand these targeted hate crimes are happening to our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings."

The statement goes on ... "These are inhumane acts of domestic terrorism and they should be treated as such." They also make it clear Jussie won't be silenced by the attack, saying ... "We, as a family, will continue to work for love, equity and justice until it reigns supreme."

The family's strong words come just hours after Trump finally reacted to the attack ... although he didn't say anything about the MAGA connection.

As we've reported ... cops have confirmed with us they have video of Jussie with a rope draped around his neck as he walks through the lobby of his building. That video was captured by a building surveillance camera.

On top of that, police released photos of 2 persons of interest -- via shadowy surveillance footage -- in the area of the alleged attack about 15-30 minutes before it went down.

There is video of Jussie entering his apartment building with a rope around his neck, but so far cops don't have video of the attack.

And, as we told you ... a woman who lives in Jussie's building says she saw a suspicious man -- whom she said looked like a "redneck" -- loitering just near the entrance to the building an hour and a half before Jussie says he was attacked.

3:04 PM PT -- A rep for FIJI tells TMZ, "This lawsuit is frivolous and entirely without merit. After the Golden Globes social media moment, we negotiated a generous agreement with Ms. Cuthbert that she blatantly violated. We are confident that we will prevail in court. Throughout our history, we have had a sterling reputation working with talent."

The viral sensation that was the "Fiji Water Girl" photobombing every celeb at the Golden Globes is back -- just not in the flesh ... which is why she's suing the water company.

Kelly Steinbach -- who goes by her modeling name, Kelleth Cutbert -- is suing Fiji Water over a cardboard cutout campaign that she says the company launched without her permission. Steinbach claims Fiji used her unauthorized image holding the tray of Fiji water bottles at the award show.

She says they tried coaxing her into signing away her rights, and even though she did a mock video that appeared to be doing just that ... Steinbach claims she never actually put ink to paper on a real deal. It was all for show. Nonetheless, she claims Fiji moved forward.

Steinbach says that cardboard cutouts of herself started to pop up all over L.A., and one of those is pictured in a photo with John Legend from earlier this month.

She says the "Fiji Water Girl" viral moment generated upwards of $12 million in brand exposure, and now she's asking a judge to give her a piece of the pie.