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Michael Jackson never molested a guy named Brett Barnes -- so says Barnes himself -- and he's getting ready to sue HBO for a documentary insinuating he was sexually abused by MJ.

The upcoming documentary, "Leaving Neverland," shows Brett, and he claims it implies Jackson molested him as a boy. As for why Barnes thinks this ... Wade Robson -- one of Jackson's well-known alleged victims -- claims in the doc, Barnes "replaced him." The film then shows Michael and Brett together on tour. Thus, the insinuation.

Barnes lawyered up and threatened HBO with a lawsuit, claiming the documentary puts him in a false light and subjects him to "hatred, contempt and ridicule." Presumably, the lawyer is saying MJ supporters will target Barnes as a result of the documentary.

Barnes testified at Jackson's criminal trial in 2005 -- along with Macaulay Culkin -- that he was never sexually abused by Jackson ... and he hasn't changed his account since. Brett also tweeted about the MJ allegations in January, calling them "lies."

"Leaving Neverland" does include Barnes' denial that Jackson did anything inappropriate, but only for a few seconds in writing on the screen. Brett's camp doesn't think that's nearly enough to "cure such a despicable allegation."

Barnes says he wants nothing to do with the film, does not give HBO his consent to use his image and likeness and wants all references to him axed ... or else.

The Kardashians are going to have to up their game on 'KUWTK,' because the stuff that's gone down this week is as dramatic as it gets, and who woulda thunk there could be an Ariana/Big Sean part II. So, we gotta ask ...

Who better to promote butt wipes than a guy named Cory "Poop" Johnson?!

That's what the guys at Dude Wipes thought -- and reached out to the Canadian Football League player to help push their personal hygiene line.

Of course, Poop -- a defensive lineman for the Toronto Argonauts -- got his legendary nickname after a famous interview during his college days at Kentucky, where he admitted he poops like 5 times a day.

"I try to poop, like, 5 times a day, 3 times a day. It’s hard to keep weight when you’ve got so much going out," Johnson said at the time.

Enter, the guys at Dude Wipes -- which burst onto the scene after an appearance on "Shark Tank" where Mark Cuban made a $300k investment for 25% of the company!!!

We're told the Dude Wipes guys sent Poop a bunch of free products -- you can see the pics -- and the assumption is they'd like to have some sort of business relationship moving forward.

It's not a bad investment for Dude Wipes -- the 26-year-old is a pretty solid player with the potential to make the jump to the NFL if he balls out in Canada.

And, now that he doesn't have to worry about how to keep his booty hole clean, he can spend more time crapping all over quarterbacks.

A$AP Mob member A$AP Bari has just been slapped with 7 criminal counts in his drug case ... including 2 felonies.

The fashion designer was charged with 2 felonies -- possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver weed and criminal conspiracy to commit to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver -- this according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Bari's also been charged with 5 misdemeanors ... including possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges stem from his November 2018 arrest.

TMZ broke the story ... Bari was busted in Palmer Township, PA where cops say the car he was riding in was going the wrong way. As we reported ... cops say they smelled a strong odor of weed in the Mercedes and found 24 circular tins of weed.

Back at the station, Bari was strip-searched and cops say they found 3 more tins inside his underwear.

Dina Lohan is taking her relationship with her online boyfriend to the next level ... because they're making plans to finally meet in person -- after 5 years of online dating!!!

Dina's love interest, 53-year-old Jesse Nadler, tells TMZ ... a face-to-face meeting is in the works, and it's going down the next time Dina is in Los Angeles!!!

Jesse says things are going great between them, now that Dina's out of the "Celebrity Big Brother" house ... and they're chatting on FaceTime almost every day.

We're told Dina's getting TV offers, so they're planning to kill 2 birds with 1 stone whenever she makes a business trip to Hollywood. Jesse's already living in Cali, and he's patiently waiting to meet his long-distance boo.

As you know … Dina and Jesse’s relationship has evolved from platonic to romantic … even though they've never met in real life.

But, that's all about to change.

Cleveland's already cold as hell ... and Jermaine Whitehead ain't helping, 'cause the Browns safety just dropped a big chunk of dough on some new ICE ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The ex-Auburn Tigers star is staying busy in the off-season ... adding 3 shiny new additions to his jewelry collection.

We're told JW hit up Luxe Jewelers in ATL for the job ... and this is all he copped --

Smaller tennis chain 10kt gold 19.50ct diamond -- $20k
Bigger tennis chain 10kt gold 30.00ct Diamonds -- $47k
Pendant 14kt 4.90ct round and Baguette Diamonds -- $12k

Add all that up ... and you got a $79,000 haul!!!

We're told each piece is one-of-a-kind specifically made for Whitehead ... and he LOVES the end product.

Don't let these two almost identical images of AJ Michalka stand in your way ... push past the distractions and see if you can figure out the differences between these two super similar snaps!

7:30 PM PT -- Larry Baer has released a new statement ... saying, “I am truly sorry for the pain that I have brought to my wife, children and to the organization. It is not reflective of the kind of a person that I aspire to be, but it happened and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that I never behave in such an inappropriate manner again.”

Pam Baer also released a 2nd statement ... saying, “I would like to clarify the events of today. My husband and I had an argument in public about which we are quite embarrassed."

"I took his cellphone. He wanted it back and I did not want to give it back. I started to get up and the chair I was sitting in began to tip. Due to an injury I sustained in my foot three days ago, I lost my balance. I did not sustain any injury based on what happened today. Larry and I always have been and still are happily married.”

2:36 PM PT -- MLB released a statement addressing the incident involving Baer ... saying, “Major League Baseball is aware of the incident and, just like any other situation like this, will immediately begin to gather the facts. We will have no further comment until this process is completed.”

2:09 PM PT -- Police are currently interviewing witnesses, including the person who shot the video, and are investigating the incident, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

1:47 PM PT -- Baer spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle about the incident ... saying, "My wife and I had an unfortunate public argument related to a family member & she had an injured foot and she fell off her chair in the course of the argument."

"The matter is resolved. It was a squabble over a cell phone. Obviously it’s embarrassing.”

San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer was involved in a physical altercation with his wife at a public park Friday ... with his wife screaming as he knocks her to the ground -- and it was all captured on video.

Multiple people witnessed Baer and his wife, Pam, in a loud verbal argument around noon on Friday at a park in San Fran. At one point, Larry was trying to pry a cell phone out of Pam's hands, which she clearly did not want to give up.

During the struggle, Larry knocks Pam out of her chair and onto the ground -- you can hear her screaming, "Oh my god. Help!"

You can see Baer walking away from the altercation with the phone in his hand -- while telling his wife, "Stop. Pam, stop."

Pam continues to repeat, "Oh my god. Oh my god."

In between video clips, the person who shot the footage tells us he got involved and helped break up the altercation. Another witness corroborated that.

Witnesses tell us police were not called to the scene. Unclear if they were contacted after the altercation. We're reaching out.

We spoke with Pam on the phone who told us, "We were having a family fight about someone in my family and that's it."

We've also reached out to Baer's camp for comment. So far, no word back.

Baer has been involved with the Giants organization for decades. He was named chief operating officer in May 1996, team president in October 2008 and CEO on January 1, 2012.

According to the Giants website, Baer and Pam co-chaired the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation Campaign Committee in support of the new hospital, which opened in 2016 as Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

The couple has 4 children together.

Originally published -- 03/01/19 1:03 PM PST.

3/4 -- In a statement, Peter tells us, "I understand the seriousness of the allegations that have been filed against me, however the allegations are false. I do have faith in the judicial process and have no doubt that I will be acquitted from any wrong doing. While I can offer no further information about this incident, I do confirm that my attorney is handling this matter expeditiously."

'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Peter Thomas just got arrested in Miami on an out of state warrant ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Peter was busted Friday after getting off a plane at Miami International Airport. We're told he was taken into custody on a warrant from Louisiana for allegedly writing fake checks, and he's being held without bond.

You might remember Peter from the time he pulled a knife on Kenya Moore's ex, Matt Jordan, during a brawl in the middle of a radio interview. He claimed self-defense.

Peter and Cynthia Bailey got married on season 3 of 'RHOA' -- but they separated back in 2016. He still appears on the show every once in a while, usually with his stepdaughter, Noelle Robinson.

Story developing ...

Rock 'n' roll icon, Jerry Lee Lewis, was hospitalized after suffering a stroke.

According to a statement from his rep ... the 83-year-old piano-playing legend suffered what doctors call a "minor" stroke Thursday night. He's currently getting treated in a Memphis hospital with family by his side.

Jerry Lee's expected to make a full recovery ... according to his rep, who adds, Jerry "looks forward to getting back into the studio soon to record a gospel record and on the road performing live for his fans."

Lewis reportedly isn't canceling any shows at this point. His next concert is at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April.

Even in his 80s, the "Great Balls of Fire" singer has continued to perform big gigs, including at Stagecoach in 2017 and Chicago's Riot Fest last year.

His rep adds ... "We're just asking for prayers and support and privacy."

Get well, Jerry.

Young Dolph got suddenly and shockingly screwed out of HALF A MILLION BUCKS Friday ... when someone busted into his whip and made off with his watches, electronics and a bunch o' cash.

Dolph was minding his biz, eating lunch at Cracker Barrel in Fairburn, GA -- and according to a police report, a restaurant staffer interrupted his meal to say, hey ... someone just smashed the window of your Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon! Cops say this is what the thieves nabbed in the heist:

-- Richard Mille watch worth a whopping $230k

-- Patek Philippe watch worth $85k

-- 2 diamond chains worth $84k

-- 2 Cartier sunglasses worth $24,700

-- Apple MacBook, iPad, AirPods worth $3,700

-- Pirelli backpack worth $300

-- Louis Vuitton wallet worth $700

-- $2k in cash (all $100 bills)

Interestingly, cops say a Glock handgun was also stolen.

We're told police checked nearby surveillance cameras and found footage of a silver car pulling in front of the G-Wagon, and someone smashing its window. The suspect then fled in the silver car.

Dolph might be asking himself, where's comedian Russell Peters when you need him?

Camille Kostek won't be hard to spot in Mexico this weekend ... 'cause Rob Gronkowski's insanely attractive girlfriend is rockin' a neon yellow bikini ... and TMZ Sports has the pics!!

The NFL superstar and S.I. Swimsuit model are hangin' in Cabo San Lucas with friends Eric and Jessie James Decker ... and although it's only been a short time, there's already tons of heat.

Camille posted a pic of her bikini of choice -- it's highlighter yellow and brilliant --- and this time around, Gronk got his own matching trunks!!

Of course, the couple is known for posting sexy pics together wherever they go -- who can forget their awesome trip to Jamaica last year for Camille's birthday?!

It's great to see the couple keeping their tradition alive in Cabo ... and (fingers crossed) we'll get a shot of the foursome together here soon.

Gronk is coming off a Super Bowl win and Camille will be in the next SI Swim issue dropping in May ... so it's tough to argue against these 2 being the hottest couple out there right now.

Jussie Smollett's taking extreme measures to avoid being seen, but everybody's gotta eat ... so we caught a glimpse of him walking into a Chicago restaurant.

We're told Jussie arrived at Eddie V's Prime Seafood Thursday night around 9:30 in a black SUV -- very similar to the one he took from jail last week, along with some of his siblings and security.

The "Empire" star kept his head down under the hood of a large winter coat as he hustled in, and stayed about an hour.

Our sources say Jussie's been hounded by media and hasn't been able to stay at his own apartment since the mob scene last week when he was released, so he's been hunkering down at a swanky hotel.

Clearly, he's trying his best to keep a low profile.

As we reported ... Jussie's been charged with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report in what Chicago PD's Superintendent called a "publicity stunt."

Smollett maintains he was attacked and denies orchestrating a hoax.

9:30 AM PT -- Khloe's not buying Jordyn's story for a second. She just tweeted, "Why are you lying @jordynwoods?? If you're going to try and save yourself by going public ... at least be HONEST about your story." She's also fully blaming Jordyn for the break-up with Tristan.

Jordyn Woods is telling her side of the Tristan Thompson cheating scandal, telling Jada Pinkett Smith ... everyone has the wrong idea about what went down.

As you know, Kylie Jenner's former BFF spilled the beans while recording 'Red Table Talk' earlier this week, and the episode just dropped on Facebook.

Jordyn admits she shouldn't have gone to Tristan's house party where the alleged cheating went down -- but denies making out with him. Her version of the story is she did sit next to him and drape her legs over him while sitting on a chair. She describes it as innocent fun.

As for the "kiss" ... she says the only lip-to-lip contact came as she was leaving his house early the next morning. She says Tristan kissed her on the lips, but says there was zero passion.

TMZ broke the story ... Jordyn was accused of making out with Tristan Thompson over Valentine's Day weekend, and the saga has been spiraling ever since. She's been ousted from the Kardashian family business, and recently moved out of Kylie's guest house.

On top of all that, Jordyn's facing potential legal repercussions from the Kardashians if she violated an NDA with what she says to Jada. So, we know the Kardashians and their lawyers are watching this closely.

We know why Jordyn ran to Jada and co. to tell her side of the story ... she's close with the Smiths, and thought they'd be able to give her a fair shake.

As for Khloe and Tristan ... they've both been relatively quiet about the latest cheating scandal. There's no telling how they'll react after seeing Jordyn speak her piece.