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Another "American Idol" alum is going to fill Simon Cowell's shoes while he recovers from his broken back -- Kelly Clarkson's stepping into the spotlight for "America's Got Talent."

Kelly herself made the announcement Monday with a mock 'AGT' memo sent to "All Staff." It reads, "My friend, Simon Cowell, is doing better now but was in an accident and won’t be able to make Tuesday and Wednesday’s live shows for AGT, but no worries America, someone far wiser, cooler, and hotter is taking his seat!"

It continues, "The unbelievably amazing Kelly Clarkson 😜 You’re welcome in advance!" Kelly will tape Tuesday and Wednesday's live shows alongside Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum. Sounds like it'll just be 2 days until Simon's able to return to his judge's chair.

As we reported ... the record label exec broke his back this past weekend while riding an e-bike out in Malibu. He underwent a 6-hour surgery and is now recuperating. It's unclear if he'll miss any more live shows -- but if he does, his seat will be in good hands if they have KC fill in again.

Smash Mouth's proving they might still be All-Stars -- 2 decades after their biggest hit -- but based on their appearance at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally ... they're not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of rowdy and excited bikers threw coronavirus caution to the wind Sunday night in South Dakota, and packed an outdoor venue to watch Smash Mouth perform.

The band's frontman, Steve Harwell, told the crowd at one point ... "We’re all here together tonight! F**k that COVID s**t!"

Though the venue, The Buffalo Chip, was reportedly at half capacity -- and Smash Mouth's manager says the promoter did a "fantastic job" with COVID-19 protocol -- video of the event seems to tell a different story.

As you can see ... attendees didn't seem to give a damn about wearing masks or practicing physical distancing as they prepared to take in Smash Mouth's hit tracks such as "Walkin' on the Sun" and "Can't Get Enough of You Baby."

Of course, the same carefree and reckless behavior went down Saturday night as Sturgis folks packed the Full Throttle Saloon as well.

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli are running for the hills ... cause that's where their new house is located after dropping almost $10 million.

Aunt Becky and Mossimo are the new owners of a 6-bedroom, 9-bathroom crib in Hidden Hills. It's practically a brand new house ... it was built in 2019, but nobody's lived in it. The couple dropped $9.5 million for the 11,748-square-foot pad, which is tucked inside a super-exclusive gated community.

The farmhouse-style crib offers a "fresh take on luxury country living" ... from marble countertops and high ceilings to a sprawling, grassy backyard and swimming pool. There's also a temperature-controlled wine closet, movie theater and home gym.

The new crib is a little less baller than their Bel-Air estate, which they just sold. As we first reported ... Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen got a deal at $18.75 million.

Federal agents say a massive shipment of footwear on its way to Mexico contained millions of dollars worth of fake shoes -- including some coveted, rare Jordans and Yeezys.

U.S Customs and Border Protection announced the bust their agents down at the Dallas/Fort Worth port this week -- where they seized a haul which included over 1,800 pairs of phony Limited Edition Dior X Air Jordan 1 kicks that were heading to retailers south of the border.

These specific shoes retail for about $2,000 a pop on the market, and all in all ... the feds say the shipment was worth upwards of $4.3 million.

The agents add that the boxes -- about 60 of which were targeted, all coming from China -- had all the markings of a scam ... bad packaging, poor quality and the officers' previous experience with this sort of thing told them the shoes weren't legit, so they halted them.

The Jordans weren't the only sneakers in the mix -- as you can see in the photo above, it looks like there are some Yeezy 350 Boosts scattered throughout as well ... knock-offs, we should note. USCBP says several different shoes with Nike and Adidas logos were spotted.

They also say they gave the shipment's cosigner the chance to submit proof of Trademark Licensing before taking it outta their hands. Obviously, their paperwork wasn't up to snuff.

BTW ... this sorta scheme can generate tens of millions of dollars if it goes undetected -- according to the customs team, more than $37 mil of an MRSP was recorded in counterfeit shoe sales in 2019 alone. So, be on the lookout for Jordans and Yeezees on the street.

The wild black bear caught on camera taking a big ol' up-close whiff of a woman in a nature park has paid a dear price -- he's been captured and castrated.

The juvenile animal underwent the painful procedure after authorities deemed him a threat to visitors at the Chipinque Ecological Park in Mexico, where the bear was known for his close encounters with humans.

As we reported ... video last month showed the curious bear getting on its hind legs to sniff a woman's hair as she calmly took a selfie. The bear also put a paw on her and seemed to nuzzle her.

Folks who live near the park reportedly call the animal "the friendly bear" ... and officials are coming under fire for their decision to capture and castrate the young bear, which weighs 212 pounds.

The black bear was captured by officials from Mexico's federal environmental protection agency while sleeping in someone's backyard. Not the best way to wake up from a nap.

George Floyd was terrified and afraid when cops first approached him in his car ... pleading for his life with a gun trained on his head.

The footage -- just released by a judge -- from Floyd's fatal interaction with Minnesota cops shows him begging Thomas Lane at gunpoint, "Mr. Officer, please don't shoot me." George also tells Lane his mom just died while pleading with him not to pull the trigger.

A distressed Floyd was finally yanked outta the driver's seat and police yelled at him to stop resisting arrest as they slapped on a pair of handcuffs. Lane and J. Alexander Kueng walked George across the street and tried to stuff him in the back of a police SUV ... and that's when things got way more tense.

In the video, George again says he's not resisting and didn't do anything, then sobs and wails while telling the officers he's afraid of getting in the back of the SUV because he's claustrophobic.

Floyd told the officers he's "going to die in here" as they manhandled him into the back of the car. He said he was scared and anxious, then screamed and sobbed as they forced him inside.

A massive struggle ensues and suddenly Floyd is on the pavement and Derek Chauvin's knee is pinned on his neck. All the while, George tells the cops he can't breathe.

You know what happens next ... Chauvin's knee remains on Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes and he dies.

Although a judge just made this video available to the media ... it had been leaked a week ago.

The boy in the video allegedly punched his teacher in the chest and cops were called to his school, Gerald Adams Elementary, and arrested him on a felony battery charge ... this according to the police report obtained by TMZ.

The report says the kid cursed at the teacher and told her "my mom is going to beat your a**" before punching the teacher in the chest with his right hand. The teacher says it all started when the kid wasn't properly sitting on a bench.

The alleged incident happened on Dec. 14, 2018 and the status of the case is unclear. The video started circulating Monday and Key West Police Chief Sean T. Brandenburg told the Miami Herald his officers didn't do anything wrong.

Here's police in Florida scaring an 8-year-old boy into straightening up his act ... by slapping handcuffs on him and taking him to the slammer.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump claims the boy Key West police tried to scare straight has special needs, and he's ripping cops for their tactics.

As you can see in the video, the young boy is so small his hands are too tiny for the cuffs and they fall off his wrists. Crump says the kid is only 3.5 feet tall and 64 pounds.

Police body cam footage also shows officers lecturing the boy as they lead him out of his elementary school and into the back of a squad car. Crump says the kid was then taken to a real jail for processing. Ya know, just like an adult.

U.S. politician Julian Castro also shared the shocking footage on social media, calling the incident "unbelievable" and saying "police should have no role in punishing our kids or pulling traumatic stunts like this on our schools."

We reached out to Key West cops to find out what led up to the arrest, but so far no word back.

A Louisiana woman's lucky to be alive after a frightening encounter with mother nature when a lightning strike obliterated a tree, sending thousands of pieces flying ... and it was all caught on video.

The incident went down in the small town of Morgan City, Louisiana -- about 86 miles west of New Orleans -- where home security footage captured the moment Sarah Ribardi came incredibly close to being struck by wood shrapnel that came flying in her direction after the tree near her home was reduced to rubble in less than a second.

Watch the video ... it's incredible the woman was able to immediately run back inside after the huge tree splintered. The video, shot Friday, shows a nanosecond of a bright flash ... and then a deafening crack.

Donald Trump is campaigning hard for college football -- urging programs NOT to cancel the 2020 season.

And, he's on board the #WeWantToPlay movement, which is being led by his old fast-food buddy, Trevor Lawrence.

"The student-athletes have been working too hard for their season to be cancelled," POTUS tweeted Monday ... adding the hashtag, "#WeWantToPlay"

Trump made the comments while quote tweeting the Clemson QB's demands for a college football season.

As we previously reported, Lawrence -- along with other top college football stars -- spelled out a list of demands in order for the players to be on board with a 2020 football season.

Among the demands ... "Universal mandated health and safety procedures to protect college athletes against covid-19 among all conferences throughout the NCAA."

"Give players the opportunity to opt out and respect their decision."

Trump and Lawrence go way back -- remember, Trevor's Clemson football team was invited to the White House back in January 2019 to celebrate their national championship season.

Trump was widely mocked for the fast-food catering, but Lawrence had nothing but praise for POTUS on the way out ... saying the food was "awesome."

The family of Don Lewis -- Carole Baskin's millionaire husband who went missing in 1997, whose story was featured on 'Tiger King' -- is going all out to find out what happened to him ... including putting up billboards and offering a $100k reward.

Don's 3 daughters, alongside attorney John Phillips and family spokesperson Jack Smith, announced a series of steps currently in place to get more info on his disappearance ... which occurred on August 18, 1997, after Don left his Tampa home.

Don's daughters say a team is in place, led by Smith, that has restored their hope of finding out what happened to their father ... and they believe Phillips is the lawyer they've been waiting for to handle the case.

Along with erecting 4 billboards across Tampa reading, "Who Murdered Don Lewis?" -- which also highlights the reward for info -- Don's family spokesperson says a cold case group on Facebook was started to hunt for clues ... which he says has already yielded results.

For instance, they looked into details about a septic tank installation allegedly connected to the case, and claim they found a discrepancy with what Carole had previously stated about it.

Other revelations from the Monday press conference include Phillips' plan to sue Baskin -- presumably for wrongful death -- and that the $100k reward money was made possible by an anonymous donor. BTW ... Carole has denied any involvement in Don's disappearance.

The team said it would not discuss further evidence at this time, but TMZ's learned an anonymous letter was sent to Jeff Lowe at the GW Zoo allegedly detailing where Don's body is buried ... so the letter writer claimed. We're told Jeff turned the letter over to authorities.

The family hopes the money and heightened interest in the case will lead to someone finally coming forward with a helpful tip that breaks the cold case open ... and results in justice for Don.

As you may know ... rumors over the cause of Don's death were fueled on 'Tiger King' by Joe Exotic, who made it clear he believes Baskin killed him. Although Carole's not a suspect, the Sheriff has said he's suspicious.

Shocking new details in the Derrius Guice domestic violence case ... the NFL player's GF told cops he choked her unconscious during a March incident and when she came to, he was crying next to her.

It's all in new court documents obtained by TMZ Sports ... which spell out the allegations from 3 separate incidents allegedly involving the former Washington Football Team running back, beginning on Valentine's Day.

INCIDENT #1 -- Feb. 14, 2020

Guice's girlfriend told cops he "pushed her to the ground in his bedroom bathroom, causing injury to her left thumbnail where she caught her fall."

The woman says the nail eventually fell off due to a "popped blood vessel."

INCIDENT #2 -- March 13, 2020

Guice's GF told cops he "strangled her until she was unconscious by putting his hands around her neck and applying pressure."

The woman says when she regained consciousness, Guice was "crying and tapping her."

She told cops Guice had also pushed her and pulled her hair more than once that same day.

The woman says she left the house to catch a flight and didn't look in the mirror until she was at the airport. That's when she realized she was badly bruised and took photos of her injuries, which she submitted to police.

INCIDENT #3 -- April 17, 2020

The woman says Guice pushed her to the ground outside of his Ashburn, Virginia home causing injuries to her body, which she again photographed.

She claims Guice also thew her cell phone into the street, causing it to shatter.

As we previously reported, Guice was arrested on Friday and hit with multiple serious charges including assault and battery, felony strangulation and destruction of property.

If convicted on the felony, the faces up to 5 years in prison.

He was released on bond -- and cut by the Washington Football Team later that day.

Guice was a top running back at LSU during his college days and was selected in the 2nd-round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He flashed huge potential but was hampered by injuries.

Fans were really down to insert Viola Davis into Cardi B's new song -- even at the expense of Kylie Jenner -- and the actress was all about it ... CB was too.

Viola posted a couple different fan tributes that creatively embedded her into Cardi and Meg Thee Stallion's music video for "WAP" -- one of which swapped VD's face and body for Kylie's. Viola seemed to think it was funny -- she wrote, "Who did this?" and added emojis.

She posted another fan rendition, which spliced in a scene of "How to Get Away with Murder" ... seamlessly syncing up Viola dancing to the "WAP" beat in the background. Viola liked that one too, reposting it and adding flamenco emojis with the hashtag #HowToGetAwayWithWAP.

That last shout-out caught the attention of Cardi herself, who appeared pretty starstruck with the love Viola was showing. She retweeted Viola's post with the caption, "I'm so fan out right now ya don't even know." Looks like both ladies are pretty fond of each other. Who knew?!?

The video's taken off since it was released last week ... it's already got 59 million-plus views, and it's spurred meme after meme after meme, including the Viola one you see above. Like we told you, the purpose of the project was to showcase women empowerment and solidarity.

The L.A. County Sheriffs are under fire again after pointing guns at three black teens who actually needed their help following several 911 calls.

The incident went down Friday in Santa Clarita, about 35 miles north of L.A., and you see in the video a bunch of deputies roll up as several other deputies are already pointing high-powered weapons at the teens, who have their hands up.

Tammi Collins, the mother of one of the teens, says her son and a couple of friends were sitting at a bus stop when a homeless man asked if they had any crack and then tried to steal their stuff. She says the man became super aggro, ripped his shirt off and pulled a knife on them, and attempted to stab them.  She says the kids fended the man off with their skateboards.

Tammi says several 911 calls were placed and all but one claimed the boys were the victims, but one caller, she says, told the dispatcher "two black guys were attacking a homeless man."

The deputies have their weapons trained on the teens, as bystanders explained they were the victims, but the cops were unmoved. It's unclear if the teens were placed under arrest. We have no idea if the cops detained the homeless man, or if he was even around when they arrived.

We reached out to the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. ... so far, no word back.

Patrick Schwarzenegger spilled the beans, possibly unintentionally, but his sister, Katherine, and her hubby, Chris Pratt, have had their baby.

The news came after a photographer spotted Patrick Sunday and congratulated him on becoming an uncle and then asked how Katherine and the baby are doing. PS responded, "Doing great, just got her a little gift." He then made it even clearer by showing the photog the gift, wrapped in a pink ribbon.

So, Katherine and Chris had a girl!!! It's Katherine's first child and Chris' second. He and ex-wife Anna Faris have a son, Jack. ET first broke the story.

They tied the knot in June 2019 ... remember those days?

So that makes The Terminator a first-time granddad and, of course, Maria Shriver a first-time grandma!!!

Congrats all!!!

Rachael Ray's home in upstate New York appears to have suffered major damage from a fire that ripped through the inside, shooting flames out the roof.

Firefighters were called to the celebrity cook's house in Lake Luzerne Sunday night around 8 PM to battle the blaze, the cause of which is still unknown ... according to officials.

Fortunately, Rachael and her husband, John Cusimano, are safe. Rachael's rep, Charlie Dougiello, tells TMZ ... "Rachael, her husband John and their dog Bella are safe. Their home was unfortunately damaged and we are in the process of accessing to what extent."

Rachael has owned the home since 2013, and has been filming live cooking segments of her daytime talk show there during the coronavirus pandemic.

She was at a charity golf outing with John earlier Sunday and had shared photos of elaborate spreads of food just hours before the fire.

Dan Snyder claims a fired ex-employee is taking bribes to feed information to a foreign-based website that's out to get him, and now he's naming names in court.

The Washington Football Team owner is calling out Mary Ellen Blair, whom he describes as a former executive assistant in the team's offices. In docs filed Monday morning, Snyder claims Blair -- who was first demoted and then fired in 2017 -- contacted a current team employee in late May or early June to say a Washington Post story was coming out that would "not [be] good for Dan." Snyder insinuates she used stolen information, such as team contacts, to fish for negative information for that story.

BTW, The WaPo story that came out on July 5 claimed "minority owners" of the Washington Football Team are pissed at Snyder and wanted to sell their stakes.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Blair contacted team employees again in early July, and said another big story was coming out claiming Snyder did "dirty and illegal" things.

He claims Blair told one employee, you'd "probably make a lot of money" for info on Snyder. Sources connected to Snyder tell us he also has recordings of Blair and multiple affidavits indicating she actually offered bribes to contacts.

Snyder, who's hired high-powered attorney Joe Tacopina, says the employee didn't take the bait, and points out the WaPo story that was published July 16 alleged sexual harassment in Team offices ... but he was not accused.

However, around that time meaww.com did post stories alleging Snyder was involved in sex trafficking and tied to Jeffrey Epstein. As TMZ Sports first reported, he's filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against the site, and now wants a judge to allow him to dig into Blair's recent contacts, her finances ... and especially her housing.

Snyder claims she's lived in a swanky apartment for years -- despite being in "dire financial straits" -- and says within the last 60 days she upgraded to an even higher-end home.