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Ne-Yo believes there's an opportunity for a hip-hop artist to be a champion for the LGBT community ... and the job's open for the taking.

The singer and "World of Dance" judge was leaving LAX Friday when we brought up the controversy over a transgender model being edited out of Travis Scott's new album cover. Ne-Yo doesn't slam the rapper -- especially since Travis' team says it wasn't his fault -- but he makes it clear LGBT models deserve more respect and equal treatment in hip-hop.

And, if someone were to spearhead a movement on behalf of those models ... Ne-Yo says they'd go down in history.

Dana White says it's 100% on ... Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov is set for Oct. 6 at UFC 229 in Las Vegas!!!

It'll undoubtedly be the biggest fight of the year for the UFC -- Conor's first fight back in the Octagon since his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.

The last time Conor fought for the UFC was back in 2016 when he avenged his loss against Nate Diaz.

Tekashi69's famous Jigsaw necklace and a ton of his other bling are back around the rapper's neck ... but we're told they're not the OG pieces.

Tekashi was out in NYC Thursday night flaunting his bling -- identical to the pieces stolen from the rapper's home last month -- and he let everyone know he's got at least a million bucks around his neck.

It would appear 6ix9ine has recovered the jacked goods -- but sources close tell us he simply had the original pieces recommissioned, shelling out a whole lotta dough in the process.

TMZ broke the story, Tekashi was hospitalized after he was allegedly pistol whipped by armed robbers just a couple weeks ago. Sources close to the rapper told us a different string of events than what Tekashi told cops ... but nonetheless, maintained his bling was gone.

L.B. Bonner -- who appeared on "My 600-lb Life" and ultimately dropped over 300 pounds -- was found dead in a ditch with a gunshot wound ... TMZ has learned.

Police were making a welfare check Thursday night when they found him in a park in Lexington, South Carolina ... this according to a police report obtained by TMZ. The circumstances surrounding his death are now under investigation.

L.B. appeared in last season's "My 600-lb Life" that documented his incredible weight-loss journey. He started at 642 pounds and trimmed off a whopping 316 pounds, but kept shedding the weight even after filming the show.

L.B. had posted a cryptic message Thursday night on Facebook saying, "I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shown me love and support throughout my journey...I've realized a few things over the last few days and its time that, I face my demons head on."

He went on to say, "No matter what you change or the efforts you put forth in life, sometimes you just have to take it on the chin and deal with things your own way...Again, thank y'all so much... Please don't ever let people you care about not know how you feel."

Cops have not yet officially ruled Bonner's death a suicide, but tell us they're not looking for any other persons of interest in the case.

Terry Crews is kicking 50's ASS ... cause he looks like he just turned 25 with that beach bod.

Terry celebrated the big 5-0 earlier this week with a vacay to the 50th state, going shirtless for a stroll on a Maui beach. He thanked fans on social media, saying, "MY BEST DAYS ARE STILL AHEAD OF ME!"

Appropriate he's in Hawaii because the state just passed a Sexual Assault Survivors Rights law. As you know, Terry gave insight to his own experience when he testified for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee last month.

XXXTentacion's posthumously off the hook for an alleged beating of his ex-girlfriend ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper was awaiting trial for his domestic violence case involving Geneva Ayala -- who claimed he abused her when she was pregnant with his child. The charges were dropped at a court hearing this week in Florida ... due to his death.

X was also facing multiple counts of witness tampering because prosecutors believed he coerced Geneva into not testifying against him. Those charges are obviously expected to be dropped as well.

As we reported ... Ayala was devastated by XXXTentacion's murder -- despite the abuse allegations -- saying, "everyone expecting me to be relieved or happy?! no, i'm broken."

Seth Rogen says he immediately stepped in when he found out a child actor was put in blackface on the set of the comedy, "Good Boys," which he's producing.

TMZ broke the story ... a stand-in for 11-year-old actor Keith L. Williams was wearing brown makeup to darken his skin, and an afro wig during filming last week in Vancouver. Seth says he's "terribly sorry" it happened.

He says, "As soon as I was made aware of it, I ensured we put an end to it -- and I give my word that on any project my team and I are involved in, we will take every precaution to make sure something similar does not take place again."

As we reported, production sources claimed the makeup was used on the stand-in to match Keith's complexion ... strictly for lighting purposes.

Cops say Rick Genest -- best known as Zombie Boy -- jumped to his death ... but his family believes it was an accident.

Montreal law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Canadian artist and fashion model jumped from a 4th floor balcony of an apartment building Wednesday around 5 PM in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal. We're told paramedics rushed to the scene and performed CPR, but could not revive him.

We spoke with Genest's manager, Karim Leduc, who tells us Rick's family believes his death was an accident. Leduc says Rick would smoke on his balcony, and lean back on a railing while doing so ... and his family believes this caused him to fall.

Leduc also says the fact Rick didn't leave any type of suicide note also plays to the family's suspicions, as he loved to write and would articulate his feelings through his work. Rick's family believes he would have left a suicide note for them.

As we reported ... Zombie Boy rose to mainstream fame in 2011 after appearing in Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" music video. That gig led to more high-profile fashion work on the runway with Rocawear's relaunch in Europe and modeling for magazines like GQ and Vanity Fair.

Lady Gaga responded to the sad news by calling the suicide of her friend, "beyond devastating." She also urged anyone suffering from mental health issues to reach out to friends and family, adding ... "We must save each other."

Zombie Boy was 32.

#RIP

Harvey Weinstein got what he wanted in his ongoing sex crime cases -- a judge has allowed him to go public with emails he got from his rape accuser ... emails that he says show the woman was anything but a rape victim -- even professing love for him -- and as a result he wants all criminal charges dismissed.

The emails -- just filed in the criminal case and obtained by TMZ -- were written between April 2013 and February 2017 by the woman who claims she was raped by Weinstein on March 18, 2013 in NYC.

One of the emails -- written April 11, 2013 -- says, "I was able to talk to [redacted] today and will be connected with [redacted]. :) Thanks, and I hope to see you sooner thank (sic) later ..."

On April 17, the email reads, "It would be great to see you again, and catch up!"

Another email on Sept. 11, 2013 says ... "Miss you big guy."

In January 2014, she wrote, "Your the one who makes it look good with your smile and beautiful eyes!!"

And, on July 10, 2014, she emailed, "There's no one else I would enjoy catching up with that understands me quite like you."

And then there's this on Feburary 8, 2017 ... "I love you, always do. But I hate feeling like a booty call. :)."

Throughout the email chain over the years, they go back and forth talking about meeting up. At one point, she asks for a Soho House membership referral ... she wanted to be a member and use him to get in.

The emails were attached to a motion to have the rape indictment dismissed based on prosecutorial misconduct, because the emails were allegedly withheld from the Grand Jury and would prove exculpatory.

Weinstein says the alleged misconduct is so egregious, it taints the entire indictment involving all 3 accusers and he is asking the judge to dismiss all criminal charges.

David Faustino says the Bundys -- just like the Conners -- might be returning to television soon. You better believe it, Bud!!

We got Al and Peg's youngest son out in WeHo Thursday and asked if a "Married with Children" reboot was going to happen. According to Dave ... the cast is all about it! As he put it, they're "all in."

Don't set your DVR just yet ... he also told us there's some red tape to cut through. But, he's definitely saying there's a chance. It would be awesome to see the whole gang back together -- assuming Ed O'Neill can juggle 2 TV families.

The only bummer would be Buck the Dog, who died in 1995. But we're down for Ghost Buck!

The woman who was arrested for scaling the Statue of Liberty on Independence Day to protest President Trump's immigration policy is at it again, and this time her target's Melania.

Patricia Okoumou showed up for her court hearing Friday in Manhattan wearing a green dress with the words, "I REALLY CARE WHY WON'T U?" and "BE BEST" written on her backside.

The first message is a shot at the First Lady for the tone-deaf jacket she wore in June that read, "I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U?" on her way to visit child detention centers in Texas.

Okoumou's "Be Best" refers to Melania's initiative of the same name to promote online safety for kids ... which has been ripped for allegedly plagiarizing from the Obama administration.

Shawn Stockman in no way, shape or form has reached the end of the road with Boyz II Men now that he's gone solo, and anyone asking -- like our camera guy -- better check themselves.

We got Shawn at LAX Thursday and congratulated him on dropping his solo single, "Feelin Lil Som’n," last week. But, our photog wondered ... does this mean he's breaking away from the group to focus on his solo career?

Shawn was thrown off by the question ... and, for good measure, said if no one hated on Paul McCartney and John Lennon, then back off his pursuit.

Demi Lovato was in such dire condition when she OD'd her assistant thought she was dead, and one of her bodyguards may have saved her life ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, the bodyguard somehow knew there was an emergency at Demi's home a week ago Tuesday morning, and when he entered the home Demi's assistant was screaming, "She's dead, she's dead!"

We're told the bodyguard rushed to Demi's side and it appeared she was not breathing. Our sources say there was blood on her pillow ... an ominous sign, because it's evidence of hemorrhaging. It appears there was also vomit and her airways may have been clogged.

Our sources say the bodyguard administered some sort of first aid to keep Demi alive before paramedics arrived. Based on what we're told it appears the bodyguard propped Demi up and tried clearing her airway which allowed her to breathe.

As we reported ... when paramedics arrived they administered Narcan, which reverses the effects of an opioid OD.

Our sources say the bodyguard, the assistant and others on Demi's team were aware she had fallen off the wagon months before. As early as Coachella in April, we're told Demi was "way out of it" at French Montana's house party.

Selma Blair says James Gunn is a good man who told a few stupid jokes a decade ago, and his haters are looking at him through a 2018 lens which just ain't right.

We got Selma at LAX Thursday afternoon and she explained why she quit Twitter over the reaction to Gunn's rape and pedophilia jokes. As you know, Gunn was 86'd from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise ... pretty clear reaction to the torrent of social media outrage.

Selma -- who credits Gunn for helping her come forward with her story about another director she says sexually harassed her -- says she left Twitter 'cause she wasn't in the mood to take any abuse from trolls because she supports Gunn.

Kris Jenner took a page out of Kylie's cosmetics' playbook, 'cause she sure knows how to shade.

Kris broke bread with Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi Thursday night in WeHo at Craig's, and on her way out our photog asked about Kim's feud with Tyson Beckford.

As you know, Tyson triggered the war by body shaming Kim, and Kim responded with what many say was a homophobic response. Tyson came back with a bizarre, look at my muscles 'cause I work out and support the LGBTQ community but let me make it clear I'm not gay response.

Here's Tom Hanks being the Captain, now -- but apparently, being the Boss carries more weight in the waters off Italy.

Tom and Rita Wilson were doing the dinghy thing Friday off the island of Capri while their pals, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, were not too far maxing and relaxing on the deck of the Rising Sun ... David Geffen's 454-foot luxury yacht.

Looks like someone needs a better travel agent, right?

Not really. Yes, the Springsteens are kicking it in the lap of luxury -- but, Tom and Rita were on an excursion ... exploring Capri's famous Blue Grotto, where only dinghys can go.

Yes, Tom's gonna need a much bigger boat, which is why we're betting he'll rendezvous with Bruce and co. aboard Geffen's Rising Sun. He's a frequent guest.

#thelife