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Jussie Smollett ain't out of a job in Hollywood ... at least according to Taraji P. Henson who says the embattled actor is slated to return to "Empire" ... assuming it officially gets greenlit for season 6.

Taraji dropped the news Thursday after Joy Behar straight-up asked on "The View" if Jussie's gonna be on the show -- currently in hiatus -- next season. Taraji didn't beat around the bush saying, "Yes. I haven't heard anything else." There is, of course, wiggle room here -- she may not be looped in.

The fifth season of "Empire" wrapped up last week but there's been no official word on whether season 6 is a go ... but Taraji made it sound as if it's all but official.

Check out the vid ... Taraji's also asked if she still talks to Jussie. Her answer might surprise you. Or not.

As you know ... prosecutors dropped Jussie's case but he's still in the city of Chicago's crosshairs.

Beyonce is now kickin' it with the three stripes ... cause she just signed with Adidas!!

The company just announced it's inked Bey to a new "multi-layered" deal. Adidas will also launch her signature sneakers and apparel. As part of the deal, Bey's gonna serve as a creative partner.

Beyonce had launched her own activewear line back in 2016 called Ivy Park -- a collaboration with Topshop. Her new plan is to relaunch Ivy Park under Adidas.

The singer says, “This is the partnership of a lifetime for me. Adidas has had tremendous success in pushing creative boundaries. We share a philosophy that puts creativity, growth and social responsibility at the forefront of business."

Shoe companies signing artists is nothing new. Puma signed Rihanna back in 2014 and Reebok followed suit that same year with Kendrick Lamar. Of course, Adidas started the trend by teaming with Kanye West.

You'll recall the shoe giant signed Ye back in 2013 to produce his Yeezys ... after he bounced from Nike. In 2016, Adidas described its Kanye collab as "the most significant partnership between a non-athlete and a sports brand."

Sorry, Drake ... but for Bey, it's stripes over checks.

Mally Mall has been accused in a civil lawsuit of running a major sex/human trafficking operation out of Vegas.

The lawsuit was filed by 3 Nevada prostitutes, who are asking a judge to declare the State's prostitution law unconstitutional on grounds it violates the 13th Amendment which prohibits slavery.

The lawsuit was widely covered when it was filed several weeks ago, but buried in the documents are allegations against the famed record producer. One of the prostitutes who filed the case claims in 2006 she responded to an ad for a job posting by one of Mally Mall's employees.

The company was VIP Entertainment based in Dallas. She claims this is just one of a number of shell companies Mally Mall used to disguise escort services.

She says she was trafficked across state lines and came to Vegas to work as a prostitute for the company.

The woman says Mally Mall used "methods of fraud" to entice women into working for him by saying the work was glamorous and they were like Playboy Bunnies and he was like Hugh Hefner. She says she was also "forced" to perform oral sex on him.

She says initially she was allowed to keep 30% of the money she earned but eventually she had to give up 100% to Mally. She says she was booked to travel to Chicago and Boston for sex, where she was only given a small allowance to cover food and hotels.

The woman goes on to say at the time, "Mally Mall was entering the music industry and he was recognized as a major pimp in the illegal sex trade in Las Vegas."

Anthony Davis gave a fan the bird on Wednesday ... and we ain't talkin' Pelicans.

The NBA superstar was caught flipping off a fan after the Pels vs. Hornets game in NOLA ... after he claims the person disrespected him first.

According to Pelicans Wave, the Instagram account that initially posted the encounter, AD alleges the fan said something that rubbed him the wrong way, which prompted the reaction.

Davis -- who publicly requested a trade earlier this season -- denies any bad blood toward the team or NOLA, saying, "Never disrespected the city and never will. But of course they not gonna show what the fan said"

However, the fan who captured the video, Bradley Wehmeyer, says the fan on the receiving end of the gesture flipped AD off first ... but never actually said anything.

Jahlil Okafor defended his teammate, saying, "People can’t possibly think AD just looked at a fan and decided to flip him off for no reason. Cmon now."

It's definitely not the first time we've seen these kinds of interactions between fans and players this season ... Tristan Thompson flipped off fans back in December, there were several incidents of Kevin Durant yelling profanities at fans, and Russell Westbrook threatened to "f**k up" a fan and his wife after receiving racial verbal comments.

No, Khal Drogo is NOT coming back to "Game of Thrones" but that doesn't mean Jason Momoa can't attend the hit show's premiere after-party.

Jason -- along with his incredibly talented and gorgeous wife, Lisa Bonet -- hit up HBO's bash Wednesday night in NYC as it prepares to launch season 8. As you probably already know (and if you don't, why?) Jason's character died in the season 1 finale.

There's been tons of speculation his character will be revived, given Jason's stardom exploding after playing "Aquaman" ... but Jason's put rumors to rest, saying it's never gonna happen. He says his character just doesn't fit anymore, and enjoys the strength Khaleesi's inherited since his role's demise.

Anyway ... check out the pics ... Peter Dinklage was also there, as was Sophie Turner and her fiance, Joe Jonas. Gregor Clegane -- aka The Mountain -- also made his presence known with his wife in tow.

Dave Chappelle, Keegan-Michael Key and tons of other celebs also enjoyed the 'GoT'-themed bash.

Nipsey Hussle was surrounded by family and famous friends when he was pronounced dead at the hospital after being brutally ambushed by a gunman.

Sources close to the slain rapper tell TMZ ... Nipsey's fam and closest pals in the music biz rushed to the hospital Sunday afternoon after learning he had just been gunned down outside his clothing store. Lauren London, YG, DJ Mustard, Dom Kennedy, Karen Civil, twins Malika and Khadijah, and his bodyguard, J-Roc, were there, alongside his brother, Sam, and other family members.

It took a long time for the shocking turn of events to hit home ... we're told everyone who rushed to see Nipsey waited around the hospital for hours after they were told he was dead. As you can imagine, no one wanted to believe their lover, brother, relative or friend was gone forever.

We're told everyone in the room was devastated when doctors delivered the terrible news, and those assembled prayed, cried and tried to console each other. A sad scene, for sure.

Lauren only recently broke her silence on Nipsey's passing, saying she's lost without the father of her child ... and YG posted a heartfelt tribute on social media Wednesday, saying he'll never accept Nip's sudden passing.

Prince Harry's officially in dad territory -- using his royal platform to blast Fortnite, calling it addictive and damaging to kids, and he's getting destroyed for it.

Harry took on, arguably, the world's most popular video game while visiting a YMCA Wednesday, saying ... "A game like Fortnite, for instance, may not be so good for children. Parents have got their hands up, they don’t know what to do about it. It’s like waiting for the damage to be done and kids turning up on your doorsteps and families being broken.”

He added, "That game shouldn't be allowed."

Twitter's response to Harry? Pretty simple ... Off with his head!!

Several users pointed out Harry's out of touch and doesn't realize many people play video games as escapism because, "Not everyone has the means to go wherever, whenever they want."

Others advise him to stick to killing animals on his royal hunts ... or maybe just try to get better at Fortnite.

As Twitter tees off on him ... it's worth noting Harry also ripped social media for being "more addictive than drugs and alcohol." He even said it's worse because there are no restrictions on it. He's been beating this drum about video games and social media since last year, actually.

Harry might still be weeks away from the joys of fatherhood -- Meghan Markle's reportedly due sometime this spring -- but he's already pissed off millions of kids who worship Fortnite.

Guess, Drake and Ninja won't be doing tea with Harry and Meghan anytime soon.

The Big Show is about to pin John Oliver's scathing critique about professional wrestling ... saying the sport is safer than it's ever been, and pointing to himself as proof.

Oliver DESTROYED the WWE on his HBO show, saying the organization is unsafe and exploitative of its workers, pointing to the untimely deaths of several of the past wrestlers as proof.

We got Big Show out in NYC -- gearing up for Wrestlemania35 -- and asked him what he thought of Oliver's 20-minute tirade ... and he said wrestling has cleaned up its act, and used himself as the proof.

"The industry's changed. It's done everything it can to protect the athlete and create longevity for the athlete. I'm 47 and I'm still rocking and rolling, so they're doing something right."

Show also says wrestlers -- including himself -- know the dangers before they sign up, and that's gotta mean something.

"I've had a lot of injuries, I knew from day one stepping through the ropes that it was not an easy job, it was a job that was gonna put myself at risk. I took the paychecks, I took the fame, I took the fortune."

9:30 AM PT -- Attorney Gloria Allred tells us she is representing the woman from Texas, but would not comment further on the case.

Mally Mall had his home raided and searched because police are investigating allegations of multiple sexual assaults and human sex trafficking, along with alleged importation of exotic animals ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ, but the music producer says the principal accuser is an extortionist.

Sources connected with the investigation tell us, the LAPD SWAT informed supporting officers, the raid was triggered by allegations of "multiple rapes and human sex trafficking, as well as firearms on the premises." They added they also believe, "he was illegally importing exotic species into California for people working in the entertainment industry."

As for the alleged rapes and alleged human trafficking, sources involved in the investigation tell TMZ, a woman claimed back in January, Mally Mall flew her out from Texas after seeing her fitness videos on social media. She says she was staying at his home and he drugged and raped her and locked her in a room.

The woman claimed she stayed another day and had intercourse with him a second time because she felt she had to be "submissive." The following day she says she developed a rash and went to a hospital where a nurse called the cops after observing vaginal trauma.

Sources close to Mally Mall say everything was consensual and they were partying together the entire weekend. They add the woman was in no hurry to leave his home. He also says he has voicemails and texts proving she was trying to squeeze money out of him.

We're told the woman has been in touch with various authorities, including the sex unit in the LAPD's Robbery Homicide Division. Our sources say cops believe there are at least 3 women who have come forward with similar allegations of rape.

As for the exotic animals, law enforcement sources tell us, Mally Mall's social media posts showing the various creatures triggered the interest of the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. We're told 3 animals were seized in Tuesday's raid ... 2 monkeys and a Serval cat.

Our sources say the initial search warrant was issued on March 21 but was never executed, and police went back to a judge a week later to get an extension that allowed them to conduct Tuesday's raid.

Mally Mall was NOT arrested but rather detained and released, however, cops tell us the investigations are ongoing.

Mally Mall's lawyer, Steve Sadow, tells TMZ, "If they had real evidence, they would have arrested him. They don't have evidence. It's bogus. Period."

Here's an amazing story to start your Thursday ... the dog UFC legend Frank Shamrock abandoned in a parking lot has been adopted and has a new, loving home -- TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported ... Shamrock tethered his mom's dog, Zelda, to a pickup truck at Dallas' Love Field Airport last month because he says, "I had no other solution to solve that problem."

Frank says his mother was so sick, she could no longer take care of her dogs ... and when Frank couldn't find a home for Zelda, his plan was to leave the pet in an airport parking lot for security to find.

The problem? Authorities never found her ... and the dog was left tied to the truck for 5 DAYS.

The SPCA of Texas immediately took her in once cops FINALLY located her ... and told us she was in good care, receiving plenty of "TLC."

Now ... SPCA officials say they've found a new home for her -- and believe it's a PERFECT match.

They tell us a woman who had read about Zelda's story received an alert that the pup had been officially put up for adoption Wednesday and immediately raced down to the shelter to meet her.

We're told it was love at first sight ... and, now, Zelda has a new mom and a loving home.

"Zelda’s new mom reports that Zelda is the spitting image of her beloved dog who passed away last November," an SPCA spokesperson says ... "We think that this was simply meant to be and so did she."

"According to Zelda’s new mom, 'We’re going to go home. Say goodbye to all the other doggies … they're waiting for their homes.'”

Owning a HUGE piece of John Lennon history has never been easier -- assuming you can get a little help from your friends ... and your friends are filthy rich.

The folks over at Gotta Have Rock and Roll are set to auction off the piano Lennon used to write The Beatles' eighth studio album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Fans looking to score the iconic upright piano are gonna need a small fortune ... it's expected to fetch upwards of $1.2 MILLION!!!

This is the same piano Lennon stored and used at his famous Kenwood house on St. George's Hill estate in Weybridge, England. Legend has it, he had at least 2 pianos at the crib but this particular one was his fave.

The piano itself is a piece of history ... it dates back to 1872!! It's a product of John Broadwood & Sons, which was founded in 1728 and whose previous customers include a couple of dudes named Mozart and Beethoven.

The instrument has a plaque that says, "On this piano was written: A Day in the Life, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Good Morning, Good Morning, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite and many others. John Lennon. 1971."

The online-only auction starts April 10 and ends April 19. Minimum bid is a whopping $575k.

Quick point of reference -- the piano Lennon used to write "Imagine" sold back in 2000 for an insane $1.7 MILLION ... to George Michael.

Martha Stewart abruptly canceled her book signing in New York after getting interrupted by an anti-fur activist ... and it's clear the demonstration ruffled her feathers.

We've just obtained video from Martha's book signing at the Macy's in NYC's Herald Square Wednesday night, and it's wild ... you see the demonstrator come charging at Martha, holding up a sign about killing animals, ranting about Canada Goose and Martha having "blood on their hands," as security guards quickly haul her away.

Martha's clearly freaked out by the whole thing ... we're told the signing was called off shortly after the incident.

It's unclear why the activist targeted this event ... as best we can tell, Martha doesn't have any connection to Canada Goose.

Democratic Presidential hopeful Andrew Yang wants to soften the perception he's taking a hard stance against circumcisions, and as we learned ... it's no laughing matter to him.

We got the NY entrepreneur Wednesday afternoon in Times Square and asked him to clear up his position on circumcision. If you haven't heard ... Yang made headlines last month when he said he opposed the practice.

Andrew says everyone who is on his jock needs to cut him a break. The candidate told us people have twisted his words, because his official position simply isn't that cut and dry. He cleared things up with our photog, and made it known ... he meant no offense to his Jewish homies.

One last tip: Watch all the way to the end, you'll get a glimpse of the candidate's sense of humor. Then again, maybe our guy's just not that funny.

Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman wants to get in a cage and beat the living hell outta someone ... and that person??? It's wrestling superstar Batista.

YES, Merriman wants to fight Dave Bautista ... the WWE legend turned Hollywood star in a real deal MMA fight.

"He looks good, man. I know that people will watch that," Merriman tells TMZ Sports.

"I know people wanna see that. If he was down to do it, I would do it in a second. I wouldn't even question that one."

Shawne knows Bautista's a busy guy -- he's fighting Triple H at Wrestlemania 35 this weekend and he's currently working on numerous films -- but still thinks they can make the fight happen.

"I know he's got other stuff going on, but why not give the people something they want to see."

The reason why we're even talking about this ... the former All-Pro linebacker just launched his own MMA promotion -- Lights Out Xtreme Fighting -- and he's seriously considering taking his first fight.

Thing is, 6'4", 265 lb. Bautista ain't ONLY a wrestler and actor -- he's actually won a pro fight -- and he still trains (peep this).

But, don't get it twisted ... Shawne ain't a chump. He's 34 (16 years younger than 50-year-old Batista) ... and he's a freak of an athlete.

Oh, and he's also 6'4", 265 lbs.

So, what's Shawne's message to Dave?