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Bam Margera insists he doesn't need professional help when it comes to booze, but one of his closest friends believes Bam's very life is at stake after he prematurely left rehab.

'Jackass' star Brandon Novak -- who used to appear on the stunt show with Bam -- tells us he is deeply concerned after Bam checked himself out of a Bay Area rehab facility this week. He explained his decision to leave on social media.

According to Bam's lengthy journal entry, he says he realized he didn't need to be in rehab a few days into his latest treatment, his third time. Bam says he bailed because he didn't need any detox or medication to kick his alcohol cravings.

Not only that, but Bam said he was sitting around doing nothing in rehab and feels unproductive. Plus, he says he was missing out on important business opportunities, and needed to leave to make money and keep his mind occupied.

Well, Brandon doesn't think it's that simple. He tells us he and some of Bam's closest family members and friends staged an intervention late last year because they were genuinely concerned about Bam's drinking ... and wanted him to kick the habit once and for all.

Even worse, Brandon says he believes Bam could end up killing himself if he doesn't get clean. He tells us, "enable an addict, bury an addict." FWIW, Brandon is fully sober now after struggling with addiction through much of his adult life.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter thinks the meteorologist who used a racial slur while saying her father's name deserves a shot at redemption ... but only after some rehabilitation.

Dr. Bernice King tells TMZ ... the recent firing of Rochester, NY weatherman Jeremy Kappell went too far. If you haven't seen it, Kappell referred to a park named for MLK ... "Martin Luther Coon King Jr. Park" while he was on air last week.

Shocking, but still ... Bernice believes there's a better way to handle the situation than 86ing the guy.

Bernice says, in this instance, Kappell's racial slur seems to be a one-time flub ... so the station should have cut him some slack. She agrees there needs to be repercussions -- along with an apology -- but suggests it doesn't do anyone any good to just fire the guy.

She told us what she think the better course of action would have been.

As for Kappell, he issued a public apology with his wife on Facebook, insisting he accidentally jumbled his words and didn't do it with malice. He also criticized the TV station for letting him go and not supporting him, adding ... "I would never intend harm that way to anyone."

Speaking of intent, we asked Bernice about that too, and she tells us someone who says "coon" publicly has probably heard it frequently in private or even said it in the past, which is why rehabilitation is so important.

And, for what it's worth -- maybe the most famous meteorologist, Al Roker, is on Jeremy's side.

Cops showed up at R. Kelly's birthday celebration at a Chicago nightclub, responding to a call about a warrant for the singer's arrest ... TMZ has learned.

Kelly was partying his ass off at V75 Chicago early Thursday morning when cops say someone dropped a dime ... calling them to say Kelly was there, and had a warrant for his arrest. Check out the police dispatcher putting the call out to Chicago PD units.

Law enforcement confirmed to TMZ they did indeed go to the club and made contact with Kelly -- however, once they determined there was NO actual arrest warrant ... Kelly was free to go about his business.

It's unclear if the caller was just pranking Kelly, or if the person really thought there was an arrest warrant ... but cops tell us they routinely respond to such calls ... just to make sure.

As for Kelly's party ... it was a pretty wild scene.

He was surrounded by screaming fans as he grabbed the mic and declared, "I don't give a f**k about what's going on!!" -- a clear reference to the controversy swirling around him after the airing of "Surviving R. Kelly."

Two USC fans have been charged for allegedly vandalizing UCLA's on-campus statue and now face up to 3 YEARS in JAIL.

Louis Torres (19) and Willie Johnson (18) allegedly hit up UCLA's campus on Nov. 13 -- just days before the Trojans' rivalry game with the Bruins -- and sought to violate the bear statue.

Officials say the two men doused the statue in Trojan-colored paint ... and also inked the letters "SC" into the landmark's pedestal.

It's interesting ... 'cause in preparation for the big game -- UCLA officials actually boxed up the bear ... which means the vandals had to go the extra mile to get to it ... physically prying open the box to get to the statue.

Reports estimate the vandalism caused $15,000 worth of damage ... and now, officials say both suspects could face up to 3 years in jail, if convicted.

This ain't the first time the Bruin bear has been subject to USC antics ... back in 2009, it was also doused in red and yellow paint -- which caused a reported $20,000 of damage.

Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos did NOT have a prenuptial agreement so, by all rights, they will split their incredible fortune right down the middle ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

The couple will file divorce docs in Washington, where community property rules ... translation -- all earnings and income during the marriage are split 50/50.

When the couple married in 1993 -- 6 months after meeting -- Jeff wasn't even a millionaire. He didn't become one until 1997, so dreams of being the richest man in the world were pie in the sky.

The division of assets will be incredibly complicated. Aside from cold hard cash, the former couple is hardcore baronial -- they own 400,000 acres of property, making them 2 of the biggest landholders in the country. Valuing that land is complicated.

As we reported, Bezos is in a relationship with former "So You Think You Can Dance" host Lauren Sanchez, who's estranged from talent mogul Patrick Whitesell. Our sources say Lauren and Jeff started hooking up in the latter half of 2018, after they separated from their respective spouses. Lauren and Patrick are also in the middle of divorcing.

We're also told both Patrick and MacKenzie have known about Jeff and Lauren's relationship. It's still awkward -- Lauren and Patrick were super close to Jeff and MacKenzie for a decade.

Bezos has said his divorce is super amicable.

Acclaimed director Peter Farrelly is apologizing to Cameron Diaz and others for repeatedly flashing his penis on movie sets back in the day, which he now calls a poor attempt at humor.

Peter's public apology comes after Cameron's interviews from 20 years ago resurfaced. The actress, who starred in his '98 hit, "There's Something About Mary," said Peter flashed his genitals on set and during her audition.

Peter told The Hollywood Reporter it's all true, saying, "I was an idiot. I did this decades ago and I thought I was being funny and the truth is I'm embarrassed and it makes me cringe now. I'm deeply sorry."

Worth noting, when Cameron talked about the 'Mary' audition incident, she said she wasn't appalled. As she put it back then, "When a director shows you his penis the first time you meet him, you've got to recognize the creative genius."

The guys from "Riverdale" are definitely enjoying their mid-season break right now -- and it looks like Archie's still in tip-top shape without a shirt on. Ditto for Jughead!

KJ Apa -- who plays Archie -- and his right-hand man, Cole Sprouse, were spotted enjoying a day at a lake this week down in New Zealand, where they stripped down and took a much-needed dip.

We say much-needed because fans of the TV show are anxiously waiting for season 3 to continue. For now, these hot shots are gonna have to quench their thirst.

In the mid-season finale of "Riverdale" ... Archie was also shirtless and kicking some serious ass in an underground fight club at a juvenile detention center, from which he escaped.

If this outing is any indication, KJ will hopefully stay topless through the rest of the season when the show returns later this month.

Two things really seem to make Meghan Markle crack a huge smile ... holding her ever-growing baby bump and helping others.

The Duchess of Sussex was all smiles Thursday as she hit up St. Charles Hospital in west London, where she became a royal patron at Smart Works. It's an awesome charity ... they help unemployed and vulnerable women get back into the workplace.

Meghan -- who is about 6 months pregnant -- looked stunning in a black dress from the maternity brand, Hatch. She also sported a long, brown Oscar de la Renta coat.

Lady Gaga's sorry she ever worked with R. Kelly, saying she's going to pull their 2013 track from iTunes and other streaming services as an act of solidarity with the women he allegedly abused.

Gaga spoke out against Kelly early Thursday morn, saying the claims against him are "absolutely horrifying and indefensible" ... and she stands behind the women 1000%.

She says her single with Kelly, called "Do What U Want (With My Body)," came at a dark time in her life -- when her thinking was "explicitly twisted" because she was dealing with the trauma of being a sexual assault survivor herself.

Lady Gaga says she's grown and gotten help since then, and vows going forward to "continue to support women, men and people of all sexual identities, and of all races, who are victims of sexual assault."

She plans to remove the 2013 collab with Kelly online and adds ... "I'm sorry, both for my poor judgment when I was young, and for not speaking out sooner." Interestingly, since posting her plan to pull the track, it's been purchased and streamed way more. Seems like people are getting their last licks.

As you know ... Gaga's statement comes on the heels of major controversy involving Lifetime's docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly," in which he's accused of sexual abuse, pedophilia and predatory behavior.

She'd been mum on the subject until now and taken some heat for it ... especially since she's very much in the public eye right now with all the awards season buzz for "A Star is Born."

1:22 PM PT -- Ronaldo's attorney, Peter S. Christiansen, tells TMZ Sports, "Mr. Ronaldo has always maintained, as he does today, that what occurred in Las Vegas in 2009 was consensual in nature, so it is not surprising that DNA would be present, nor that the police would make this very standard request as part of their investigation."

Cristiano Ronaldo has been asked to submit a DNA sample as part of the police investigation into his Las Vegas rape case ... and we're told he plans on cooperating 100%.

As we previously reported, the Las Vegas Metro PD has reopened the investigation into claims made by Kathryn Mayorga ... that CR7 sexually assaulted her in his hotel room back in 2009.

Mayorga went to cops back in '09 but didn't identify Ronaldo by name out of fear of retaliation.

Just a few months ago, Mayorga filed a new lawsuit against the soccer star saying Ronaldo and his team of "fixers" coerced her into signing a settlement at the time -- and paid her $375k in exchange for her silence.

When that lawsuit went public, cops said they would reopen the case now that they had the name of the alleged assailant and, as part of the renewed investigation, they went to Ronaldo within the last week and asked for a DNA sample as part of standard sexual assault investigation protocol.

Our Ronaldo sources tell us the 33-year-old continues to deny all wrongdoing and plans on cooperating with investigators to prove his innocence.

Ne-Yo doesn't think allegations against R. Kelly are comparable to allegations against Michael Jackson -- they're worse.

We got the R&B singer Wednesday night at LAX ... and he jumped on the comparison, noting, unlike R. Kelly, there was no video evidence of Michael Jackson abusing anyone.

Ne-Yo also claimed some of Jackson's accusers recanted after the singer's death. He did not mention that Jackson paid $20 million to settle the sexual assault lawsuit filed by Jordan Chandler's parents.

Ne-Yo says he never looked at the video of R. Kelly urinating on a minor when he toured with the singer. He just assumed the vid wasn't real. He now regrets it and says he sees things differently now that he has a daughter.

MJ is the subject of a new documentary premiering at Sundance detailing his alleged sexual abuse of little boys, something that has enraged the Michael Jackson Estate.

Verne Troyer had a sizeable collection of celebrity memorabilia and just under $80,000 in cash when he died ... TMZ has learned.

The final appraisal on Verne's estate came in at $139,283.16 ... according to docs, obtained by TMZ. His attorney submitted the estimated value this week to the probate in L.A. County.

The docs show Verne had $21,000 worth of autographed memorabilia. There's no detail about the merchandise. He also had $78,283 in the bank.

We also know Verne was riding in style before he died in April 2018. The docs say he had a 2015 Audi S4 with only 3,490 miles on it -- guess he wasn't making a lot of road trips. The whip's valued at $38k. He also had a couple thousand bucks in furniture and personal belongings.

R. Kelly is still being booked for concerts in the wake of Lifetime's docuseries -- but don't go looking for him onstage in the U.S. of A. ... 'cause, as of now, they're only lining up for him in Germany.

Kelly is scheduled to perform in Ludwigsburg this coming April. Tickets are currently going for $115 and up, as of this post. He's even offering a meet and greet -- yes, even now -- which will cost fans about $355, if they're so inclined.

Sources close to Kelly tell us the singer also just locked down shows in Hamburg and Oberhausen. What's interesting about those dates is ... they were sealed in the last few days, AFTER "Surviving R. Kelly" aired.

A rep for the venue in Ludwigsburg tells TMZ ... the promoter is fully aware of what's happening with Kelly in the States, and is monitoring to see how things unfold. The rep says, "You can be assured that we are carefully following the situation and, if necessary, will act accordingly."

The rep's clearly referring to the open investigation in Fulton County, GA and any potential criminal cases in Illinois. We also reached out to Belaire -- a listed sponsor on a promotional flyer for this event -- and they told us they had no connection (direct or indirect) to Kelly.

Remember, Kelly's American concerts were getting canceled left and right back in 2017 when BuzzFeed first posted a bombshell report about the alleged sex cult. The airing of 'Surviving' has turned up the heat and spiked public outrage against Kelly.

For now, though, #MuteRKelly doesn't translate well in German.

NBA star Nick Young has been named a suspect in an alleged robbery that went down last week -- in which Swaggy's accused of striking a guy in his testicles and stealing his phone.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the LAPD received a call on Jan. 4 from a man who claims he was assaulted by Swaggy P when he tried to take his photo at a popular L.A. car wash.

We're told the alleged victim does not appear to be a paparazzo -- just a basketball fan who recognized the former Lakers star and wanted a photo.

The man acknowledged Young didn't want to be photographed but he snapped a pic anyway -- and that's when Young snapped ... confronting the fan, allegedly firing off a nut shot and swiping the phone.

We're told cops took a report and are investigating. So far, no arrests have been made.

It's not the first time Young has been accused of wrongdoing -- he was arrested in August 2018 for obstruction of justice after he was pulled over by police.

And in 2016, Young was sued for allegedly attacking a man at a pickup basketball game at a church.

We've reached out to Young for comment -- so far, no word back.

Lifetime pulled a major Scrooge move in one of its heartwarming holiday flicks by taking a real-life family that had nothing to do with the movie and calling 'em ugly ... according to the fam, anyway.

Setiam and Katherine Allah are suing the cable channel over a scene in "Christmas Harmony" ... which they did not find the least bit harmonious or Christmas-y. In a lawsuit, the Allahs say one of their family photos somehow ended up as a prop on the movie's set without their permission.

If you saw the movie ('cause who didn't?), the lead character, Harmony, pins a random family pic to the wall ... only to have her love interest tell her to take it down immediately. Harmony protests, but her guy fires back ... "They're ugly!"

The Allahs were embarrassed when friends and family called to say they easily recognized them while watching the film. According to the suit, the Allahs only sent out about 50 of those family portraits, but not to anyone who works for Lifetime.

The movie aired back in November, so for the Allahs, the damage is done. They're suing Lifetime for all of the movie's profits. Bah humbug!

Floyd Mayweather has one helluva watch collection -- 41 time pieces in total -- including a crown jewel, the $18 million "One and Only."

Seems Floyd was just bored on Wednesday and felt like stuntin' on all of us normies -- so he broke out the briefcases with his super expensive man jewelry ... and showed it all off.

"When I go on pay-cation for 30 days," Floyd said ... "I take 30 watches with me."

"But, you know what, if we add 10 more days, I take 10 more watches," he explained while opening a 2nd case.

And, then the big daddy ...

"But then, I say 'f*ck it. If I wanna bring out the one and only, then I'll take out the watch that costs $18 million."

The watch is technically called "The Billionaire Watch" -- made by Jacob & Co. back in 2015, it features 239 emerald-cut baguette diamond stones, each weighing up to 3 carats.

Floyd says he bought the watch last summer from a Japanese jeweler named Tadashi Fukushima -- and claimed he'd never buy any jewelry from anyone else ever again.

But, if he sees the right watch somewhere else ...

Floyd has made a ton of money during his pro boxing career -- $300 mil to fight Pacquiao, $300 mil to fight McGregor ... and $9 mil to fight Tenshin Nasukawa.