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Hugh Hefner still had a hand in Playboy's centerfold biz as his health was failing ... according to Miss September, who's floored she'll now be mentioned in the same sentence as Marilyn Monroe.

Jessica Wall -- who's 34-24-35 from Chicago -- tells us she was the final pick for Playmate Hef made before his death. She says it really hit her that she was now ending a tradition that started with Marilyn way back in 1953.

However, she hopes the Playboy mogul will be remembered for much more than handpicking hot women to grace his magazine. She explained why he was so much more than that.

While it's a good bet she'll be at the final Playboy Mansion party -- Jess says she and the Playmates have something else cooking to honor Hef. Good luck getting it out of her though. No loose lips, here.

Herschel Walker says Donald Trump is RIGHT when it comes to national anthem protests -- saying the NFL needs to impose rules banning players from kneeling during The Star-Spangled Banner.

Walker has been a Trump supporter from the beginning -- and while he says they don't agree on everything, he's HAPPY Donald is sticking to his guns on the anthem issue.

The ex-NFL superstar says if anyone should fight for Americans to stand up for the flag, it's the President.

Walker says he's not trying to minimize the issue of racism in America, or police brutality -- in fact, Herschel says he'll gladly protest WITH activists after the season is over.

You can tell Hugh Hefner was seriously beloved because even his former employees are rallying to celebrate his life.

Our Playboy Mansion sources tell us ... staff members, new and old, started planning the reunion almost immediately after Hef died Wednesday. We're told 2 former butlers created a Facebook group that night to put the band back together -- employees, Playmates and Hef's children are all invited.

We're told the employees -- many of whom were featured in "The Girls Next Door" -- wanted to get together out of respect for Hef and the close-knit environment he created at the Mansion. Although many of them were laid off 2 years ago, we're told they still treat each other like family.

The staff event will be off-site from the Mansion, and is separate from the final tribute party to Hefner.

Former Bad Boy Records singer/producer Mario Winans got arrested for some serious deadbeat daddery ... as in $178,000 ... TMZ has learned.

Sheriff's deputies took Mario -- who featured on Diddy's hit, "I Need a Girl Part 2" -- into custody Wednesday in Bergen County, New Jersey for failure to pay back child support. According to docs, he's supposed to be paying $3,500 per month for his kid ... so he's clearly way behind.

In docs, Mario says he makes about $3,000 per month off his songwriting. He told the court he could secure a loan to immediately pay offr $10,000 off the debt.

That satisfied the judge enough that Winans was released, but with a GPS ankle monitor.

Bella Thorne got damn near naked for her GQ, and lucky for you ... there's video of her shaking her bare ass for the photo shoot!

The behind-the-scenes footage shows the 19-year-old strutting in lingerie, and searching for the perfect pose during the recent GQ Mexico cover shoot.

Bella's boasted the photos won't be airbrushed at all. Based on what we're seeing in this untouched video, there'd be ZERO reasons to Photoshop a damn thing. Hope Scott Disick's happy with Sofia Richie.

Like ... REALLY happy.

The Kardashians' DASH store employees were forced to hide in a back room while a gun-wielding woman terrorized them ... according to the frantic 911 call.

TMZ obtained the gripping call one worker made to cops, moments after the suspect, Maricia Medrano, held her at gunpoint and trashed the store. You can hear the fear in the female employee's voice as she tries to describe the suspect for cops. She was especially panicked because Medrano was still there.

The employee told cops Medrano was ranting about killing the Kardashians if they didn't stay out of Cuba. As we reported, Medrano fled the store, but returned later with a machete.

Cops eventually arrested Medrano for assault and criminal threats. She's being held on $50,000 bail.

Former Playmate Donna D'Errico says Hugh Hefner will be remembered as a kind and generous man -- and she's emotional about missing her final chance to see him.

The "Baywatch" star, and Miss September '95, told us Hef's public persona only tells part of his story. She says behind the scenes he was a warm, caring man who treated Playboy models like family ... and still looked out for them years after they'd appeared in the magazine.

Donna also expressed regret about a decision she made over the summer ... explaining how she missed seeing Hef to say goodbye.

It won't be the same, but as we first reported, there's still one final Playboy Mansion party for Donna to pay her respects.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was too busy racing to get his flu shot to address the flak over him chartering private flights with taxpayer money.

President Trump says he's not happy and plans to look into claims Price ripped off taxpayers. We got him in D.C. and asked if he was worried about hearing Trump's tagline ... "You're fired."

The HHS Sec. has since apologized, saying he won't take private charters anymore, and will reimburse the expenses for the ones he's already taken. Still, you can tell Price was already feeling the heat, and used the flu to evade questions.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus says she has breast cancer ... and the "Veep" star took a shot at President Trump and Congress while announcing her diagnosis.

Julia just posted, "1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I'm the one."

She added, "The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring family and friends, and fantastic insurance through my union." 56-year-old Julia didn't say anything about what stage she's in, or if doctors caught it early.

She did however take a shot at the battle over health care, saying not all women have the benefits she does, "so let's fight all cancers and make universal health care a reality."

Hugh Hefner's not going out without one more legendary Playboy party ... TMZ has learned planning is underway for a celebration of his life at the Mansion.

Sources close to Daren Metropoulos -- the Pabst heir who bought the mansion last year -- tell us he's going to sign off on a party for Hef sometime soon. We're told the get-together will be more of a tribute to the Playboy founder's life ... and less of the standard Playboy blowout bash.

Daren needs to OK all parties since he made the purchase.

We broke the story ... Daren bought the Playboy Mansion last year for a cool $100 mil, on the condition that Hef could live there for the rest of his life. Sources say he plans on combining an adjacent estate he owns with the Mansion and restoring both to their OG condition.

As for the birds, monkeys and other animals that call the mansion home ... we're told they'll all stay on the property when Daren moves in.

Daren released a statement Thursday on the passing of Hef, saying ... "Hugh Hefner was a visionary in business, a giant in media and an iconic figure of pop culture whose legacy will leave a lasting impact."

Black Lives Matter and one of its leaders, DeRay McKesson, won't be held responsible for an officer's injuries during a protest last year, because a judge tossed the cop's lawsuit ... TMZ has learned.

According to new docs ... the case is dismissed because BLM is considered a social movement and "not an entity of any sort," so it can't be sued. As for McKesson, the federal judge ruled he was expressing his right to free speech at the July 2016 demonstration where the cop got hurt ... but it wasn't his fault.

As we reported ... the Baton Rouge cop filed a suit against DeRay and BLM, claiming McKesson incited violence at the protest and blaming him for injuries he suffered after getting hit in the face with a rock.

Hugh Hefner will be in good company in his final resting place -- the cemetery where he'll be buried is filled with more celebs than the Holmby Hills 'hood where he lived in the Playboy Mansion.

Hef bought the crypt next to Marilyn Monroe years ago at the Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery -- but she's just the start. Merv Griffin, Farrah Fawcett, Florence Henderson and Rodney Dangerfield are also nearby.

Farrah graced the cover of Playboy in 1978 and then again 1995, when she also posed naked inside. There's also at least one other famous playmate of the month and centerfold buried there, too.

HINT: She was Playboy's "Miss January 1955."

Over on Hollywood Boulevard, a less permanent memorial went up Thursday morning ... the Chamber of Commerce placed a wreath over Hef's star.

Nothing says "You Can't Sit With Us" like Donald Trump's 3 predecessors crashing the Presidents Cup to watch the first tee shots -- sans the current Prez ... who loves golf.

Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton attended the trophy presentation together Thursday at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, before the foursome matches kicked off between America and its international competition.

The ex-Presidents looked super chummy, greeting the crowd and shaking hands. The irony, of course, is Prez Trump is a big-time golfer, and even has a golf course just 40 miles away from where the ex-Presidents were chilling.

Then again, Trump has bigger things to worry about now -- while these guys have done their duty already.

Heidi Klum's ex managed to do what's seemingly impossible -- get busted for mushrooms at Burning Man.

According to docs obtained by TMZ ... Vito Schnabel was arrested September 3 by Pershing County Sheriffs and charged with distribution and manufacture of a controlled substance ... a felony.

In the report, prosecutors say Vito was in possession of Psilocybin -- the scientific name for psychedelic 'shrooms ... which is a Schedule I controlled substance. He's pled not guilty.

Vito's no stranger to Burning Man. He was there last year with Heidi. They split up Monday after a 3-year relationship.

Vito faces up to 5 years in prison if convicted. We've reached out to him, so far no word back.