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Add "Boyfriend of the Year" to Aaron Rodgers' trophy case ... the QB took Danica Patrick to Paris for her birthday -- and she was SWOOOOONNNNIIINGGGG!!!!

"For my birthday he said pack a bag, we are going somewhere......" the ex-NASCAR driver said ... "Amazing."

The Green Bay Packers superstar and Danica have been going strong for over a year now ... and things are DEFINITELY getting serious.

The two have traveled the world together during Aaron's downtime from football ... with both droppin' L-bombs left and right -- and postin' lovey-dovey pics all the time.

But, France for an on-the-whim birthday trip?? Now, we KNOW this really ain't a fling ...

"Happy Birthday to this Beautiful, intelligent, strong, driven, bad ass woman that I get to stand beside in this life," Aaron wrote ... "#lover #friend #travelpartner #smokinhot #finewine"

Aaron's got a few more months to hang with Danica before it's back to the daily grind of Packers training camp.

Which begs the question ... could there be a ring in Danica's future before Aaron chases his second one with the Pack next season????

Stay tuned ...

Beth Chapman isn't letting cancer beat her down or keep from enjoying the finer things in life ... and she says the bad guys still aren't safe either.

Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife were dining out at Avra in Beverly Hills Tuesday night, and she's looking fantastic despite her recent cancer diagnosis. Beth tells us it's an everyday struggle, but she's hanging in there and choosing to stay positive ... and Dog's by her side.

Beth points out the couple's still doing what they're known for too -- catching criminals on TV. We broke the story ... Dog and Beth were committed to filming their new reality series on WGN, "Dog's Most Wanted," while she received chemo for her throat cancer, and sounds like they're gettin' it done.

Dog has some interesting thoughts on the Jussie Smollett case -- he has great sympathy for the actor.

Jussie Smollett got off in his criminal case simply because he's a celeb -- so says Chicago's mayor, Rahm Emanuel ... who stops short of calling this a corrupt move, but certainly insinuated it.

Mayor Emanuel went on GMA Wednesday morning following his blistering attack on the Cook County State's Attorney's Office the day before, after they dropped all 16 charges against Jussie and let him walk scot-free.

The Mayor said flat-out ... if he did the same type of thing, he'd have the book thrown at him.

First Assistant to the State's Attorney Joseph Magats says they decided to drop the charges because it wasn't a violent crime -- and thought Jussie coughing up $10k and doing community service sufficed as punishment. Hizzoner says no one on the outside can make sense of it.

Ariana Grande is laying down the law on concert photographers for a perfectly good reason -- she's been taken advantage of by greedy photogs in the past ... and she's over it.

Sources connected to the "thank u, next" singer tell TMZ ... Ariana's new concert photo policy stems from years of being exploited by a number of photo agencies that would often shoot photos of her in concert ... and then turn around to use those to make a profit.

Here's how it would happen ... we're told Ariana would perform, photogs would take as many pics of her as they wanted ... and then, shortly after, merch she didn't approve of would hit the streets with those photos emblazoned on the items. AG never saw a dime from any of it.

A few examples include calendars, photo books, memorabilia and other items that never got the green light from Ari, or her team.

Our sources say after multiple incidents, she and her camp made the decision to tighten things up in the pit. Of course, the National Press Photographers Association doesn't like this new policy one bit -- which is pretty strict -- but we're told Ariana couldn't care less.

Aside from the new rules she has in place, Ariana and her team also have their own in-house photog, and are happy to distribute whatever photos these publications want ... so long as they're approved by her.

While we're told it was only a handful of bad apples who crossed the line with their photo privileges, it was more than enough for Ariana to switch things up.

The BBB is DOA.

Lonzo Ball sent a painful message to his father -- covering up his famous Big Baller Brand tattoo in what seems to be the final nail in the BBB coffin.

The Los Angeles Lakers star hit up tattoo artist Herchell L Carrasco -- aka the RocknRoll Gangster -- who inked out the BBB art ... covering it up with a pair of red dice.

The move comes after allegations BBB co-founder Alan Foster stole more than $1.5 million of Lonzo's money.

Earlier this week, Lonzo's manager/close friend Darren Moore threw his BBB shoes in the garbage and called for a boycott of all BBB merchandise.

There are rumblings that Lonzo and his brothers are now estranged from their father, LaVar Ball, and that the company could fold within days.

Now, with Lonzo sending a message through his tattoos ... seems where there's smoke, there's fire.

Kim Kardashian is a huge fan of "Mama Medium" ... and the famous psychic wants to come all the way to Hollywood to read her fortune!!!

Mama Medium tells TMZ ... she's thrilled Kim felt the urge to show her new TLC show some love over the weekend on social media, and she's ready to return the favor by traveling to Cali to meet Kim, and put her psychic powers to the test!!!

As you know, Kim has always been super interested in the paranormal ... hanging out with "Long Island Medium" Theresa Caputo and getting psychic readings from celeb seer Jayne Wallace.

Now, Kim's all about Mama Medium's new show on TLC ... and the feelings are mutual, because Mama's whole family says they're ready to venture West to meet up with Mrs. West for a glimpse into her future.

Mama -- government name Jennie Marie -- claims she can communicate with the dead as a medium, psychic and clairvoyant. She tells us she's been looking at pictures of Kim and her late father, Robert Kardashian, and feeling the presence of another spirit -- possibly Kim's grandmother.

We're told TLC producers are reaching out to Kim to coordinate a meeting with Mama Medium.

Natalie Portman was caught in the middle of a scary situation at her Los Angeles home after a man she'd previously been granted protection against showed up outside her property.

Law enforcement sources say Portman saw the man -- who claims he is the character, "John Wick" -- around 3:30 Tuesday afternoon just outside of her home. We're told Portman immediately called cops and left the premises.

Police showed up within minutes and arrested the man for violating a restraining order the actress had against him.

TMZ Sports has obtained pictures of the injuries a woman claims she suffered after Dak Prescott's dog attacked her ... and they're graphic.

You can see in the photos the woman's ring finger on her right hand is severely mangled -- with a piece of the tip clearly missing.

As we previously reported, Dak's two pit bulls broke out of his Frisco, Texas home on Feb. 25 and one of his dogs, Icon, made his way to Beth Taylor's front yard -- chewing through her fence and wreaking havoc.

50-year-old Taylor says the animal attacked her dog ... and when she tried to break it up -- Icon bit into her hand.

She says she was hospitalized for 4 DAYS because of the attack ... and needed IV treatment for 2 weeks.

Dak's dog was placed in quarantine after the incident ... and was set to face a "dangerous dog" hearing this month, where possible punishment included the death penalty.

But, officials let Icon off the hook just days before the hearing would take place ... releasing him back to Dak under the condition he is removed from Frisco.

For his part, Prescott never commented on the issue ... and multiple attempts to reach his camp for comment were unsuccessful.

Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin is asking for prayers ... the Hall of Fame receiver says he's undergoing tests for throat cancer -- and is scared for his life.

"Saying I am afraid this time is a big big understatement," Mike wrote on social media ... "I AM TERRIFIED!!"

Irvin says after the Cowboys beat the Saints on "Thursday Night Football" in an epic game last November ... he lost his voice.

But, Michael says the issue persisted for the next 8 WEEKS ... and now, doctors are undergoing tests to see if Irvin's vocal problems run deeper than just screaming his face off for his favorite team.

Irvin says he spent the weekend at Ronald Reagan Hospital in L.A. getting a throat biopsy ... and he's beyond afraid for the possible results.

"I share with you that I lost my father at the young age of 51. He had throat cancer. This daemon has chased and vexed me deep in my spirit all my life."

Michael's asking for prayers, writing, "Could you please send up a prayer to help my family and I deal with whatever the results may be?"

For their part, Irvin's ex-teammates have his back ... both Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith reached out to send love to their fellow triplet.

"Lots of love and support for you Irv," Aikman wrote ... "sending prayers my man!"

Janice Dickinson's taking the L in her legal battle with Ryan Seacrest's production co., which she claimed made her look like an arrogant, unprofessional ex-supermodel on "Shahs of Sunset."

A judge in L.A. County tossed the whole matter out of court Tuesday ... essentially saying Janice has nothing to bitch about because she was not misportrayed on the 'Shahs' episode in question.

TMZ broke the story ... about a year ago, Janice sued Seacrest's company -- which produces the reality show -- because she was pissed about her appearance on the program. In her suit, Janice said the show was edited to make it look like she jacked a romper GG was supposed to wear in a fashion show.

The scene did show GG taking potshots at Janice, referring to her as an "old ass bitch" who died out with the Flintstones. Not nice, for sure.

However, according to docs obtained by TMZ ... the judge said there was nothing in the edit of the show that was misleading enough about Janice for her to win the lawsuit.

Ranking Roger, the co-founder of General Public and English Beat singer, died Tuesday after battling cancer.

English Beat announced Roger Charley's death ... telling fans he had "sadly passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side earlier today. Roger's family would like to thank everyone for their constant support during this tough time. Roger was a fighter."

Roger reportedly suffered a stroke last summer and was diagnosed with two brain tumors and lung cancer -- but no cause of death has been released yet.

The late singer was born in Birmingham, England, and fell in love with punk rock as a teenager. He went on to play drums with a group called the Dum Dum Boys ... before joining The English Beat in the late 1970s.

After The English Beat broke up in 1983, Roger and fellow Beat alum, Dave Wakeling started their new group, General Public ... which also included former members of The Clash and Dexys Midnight Runners.

GP recorded 3 albums, and their biggest hit in the U.S. was 1984's "Tenderness."

Justin Bieber had a scary moment in his hotel room when a woman barged in and got busted for trespassing.

Justin was staying at a fancy hotel in Laguna Beach Tuesday afternoon when the crasher suddenly burst in ... according to law enforcement. Our sources say she'd been partying and roaming the hallways of the hotel earlier in the day, and security had actually escorted her off the property.

We're told she returned for some reason and walked straight into Justin's room. Seems like Biebs didn't panic ... he told the woman to beat it, and then his security stepped in and held her until cops arrived.

Cops say the woman, who is in her late 30s, appeared to be drunk and claimed she entered Justin's room by mistake. She was booked for trespassing.

We're told she was visiting hotel guests Monday and spent the night in a room close to Justin's.

Jussie Smollett logged a total of 18 hours of community service over 2 days -- with Jesse Jackson's organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition -- and that was enough to satisfy prosecutors in Chicago.

Honchos at Rainbow PUSH -- a civil and human rights organization -- tell us, Jussie volunteered for the first time Saturday, putting in 8 hours from 10 AM to 6 PM. He just completed another 10 hours on Monday.

We're told Jussie's "service" included stuffing membership envelopes, working in the group's bookstore to sell merchandise ... and critiquing its Saturday broadcast. We're told he helped them with camera angles, and also worked with the music director on a plan to build the choir.

A Rainbow PUSH rep says it was their decision, not Jussie's, to keep his work with them under wraps. The rep added that they viewed his efforts as volunteering, not community service. Point being ... Jussie never mentioned his deal with prosecutors. Remember, the prosecutor's office says it was in discussions with Smollett's camp for weeks about dropping the charges.

Another group, the Black AIDS Institute, wrote a letter in support of Jussie.

1:05 PM PT -- First Assistant to the Cook County State Attorney Joseph Magats -- who replaced Kim Foxx when she recused herself -- says they dropped the charges because Smollett doesn't have a violent criminal history, and lying about the alleged attack was not a violent crime.

Magats says his office prioritizes violent crimes in Chicago, and felt this case wouldn't be the best use of resources. For the record, he says he made this decision alone ... without consultation from Foxx.

He also squarely says he believes Jussie DID concoct a hoax and lied about it to police. Even though Chicago PD and Mayor Emanuel ripped the State's Attorney's Office ... Magats made it clear he stands by the findings of the cops, and believes they had the evidence to get a conviction.

The obvious question is asked ... why take the case to a grand jury, only to drop the charges? Check out Magats' answer -- a lot of people, and not just Chicago PD, won't buy what he's selling here.

BTW, Magats says discussions have been going on for weeks with Jussie's camp ... about dropping the charges, and his community service. All of which must have been done in total secrecy because we know cops, the Mayor and others involved in the case had no clue this was going to happen.

10:45 AM PT -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel is very strongly hinting at corruption in the State's Attorney's Office, calling the decision to drop the charges against Smollett a "whitewash of justice."

The Mayor added, "From top to bottom, this is not on the level." He called for accountability from the prosecutors.

Emanuel was joined by Chicago PD Superintendent Eddie Johnson who said he didn't feel justice was served by letting Smollett off the hook.

What's more, Johnson said if Jussie was, in fact, innocent ... he should've taken his day in court, and not broker a backdoor deal in secrecy. Bigger picture -- Johnson feels the City of Chicago is still owed an apology, as he believes Jussie carried out a hoax.

10:15 AM PT -- FOX says, "Jussie Smollett has always maintained his innocence and we are gratified that all charges against him have been dismissed."

As for WHY they were dropped -- you'll recall State's Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself from the case. She reportedly had asked cops to stand down at the behest of Tina Tchen -- Michelle Obama's former Chief of Staff and a friend of Jussie's family. The conflict forced Foxx to bow out.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office tells us the decision to drop all charges against Jussie was made by Joseph Magats -- the First Assistant State's Attorney -- who was placed in charge of the case after Foxx's recusal, and NOT by Foxx.

It's still odd. Sources tell TMZ the prosecutor in the case, as late as Friday afternoon, was making plans to handle issues involving cameras in the courtroom for the trial ... and seemed completely unaware of plans to drop the case.

9:22 AM PT -- Jussie and his lawyer, Patricia Holmes, just addressed the media, and the takeaway message was simple ... he's happy and wants to get on with his life. Holmes reiterated this was not a deal Jussie struck with prosecutors -- instead, they dropped the charges on their own, and he forfeited his bond voluntarily ... it wasn't a tit-for-tat situation.

Jussie thanked everyone who supported him through this case, and maintained he'd been truthful and consistent throughout the case. He added ... that he would never put the LGBTQ movement "through a fire like this." He also thanked his "Empire" cast members for their support.

If you're wondering if things will really get back to normal for Jussie -- he stopped to take a few selfies with fans on his way out of court.

And there's this ... federal law enforcement sources tell us Jussie is still under investigation for the threatening letter -- with racist and homophobic slurs -- that was sent to him at the "Empire" studio 8 days before the alleged attack.

You'll recall ... the Chicago PD Superintendent claimed Jussie sent it to himself, but our sources say the FBI had not reached that conclusion yet.

8:45 AM PT -- Jussie's family has also released a statement celebrating the news. They state, "This morning truth has prevailed and (Jussie) has been vindicated."

They continue, "While many were quick to rush to judgement before hearing the actual truth, we are grateful that the truth about Jussie has come to light. We look forward to bringing the real perpetrators to justice."

8:35 AM PT -- State's Attorney Kim Foxx's office says, "After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett's volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case."

The statement is consistent with what our sources said about Jussie only getting community service if he'd been convicted. The decision is NOT sitting well with Chicago PD.

On the other hand, Jussie's co-workers on "Empire" are celebrating on Twitter.

Jussie Smollett will not be prosecuted for allegedly faking a racial attack, because all charges have been dropped!!!

Jussie and his lawyers ran to court Tuesday morning in Chicago, where he was facing 16 felony counts of lying to police in the alleged racial and homophobic attack.

Jussie will surrender his $10,000 bond. But, that's it. The case is over.

We're told the State's Attorney, Kim Foxx, told Chicago police she was dropping the case because Jussie would have only gotten community service if convicted and she said he has already performed community service so there is no point in prosecuting him. We could not find any record of Smollett doing community service.

We're told Chicago police are "furious" and feel something untoward is going on with Kim Foxx.