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Tom Hardy says he drew inspiration for his movie "Venom" from the Champ Champ -- saying the character he plays in the movie was hugely influenced by Conor McGregor.

Hardy plays Eddie Brock in the comic book flick -- a tough guy reporter who becomes Venom after merging with an alien life form.

Hardy says there were elements of Brock's character that felt very Conor-ish to him -- so, he ran with it.

"There were more elements of Eddie Brock which needed to be pinned on somebody who's incredibly handy physically. And, obviously, Conor is incredibly handy physically," Hardy told RTE Entertainment.

"There was an aspect the studio wanted somebody who could fight, which they always do in these sort of hero movies. They want somebody who can have a scrap. Conor obviously wants to have a scrap with everybody, so that's useful."

"But then, there were elements like the neuroses of Woody Allen. So, if you put that and Conor together, there was that too."

When asked if he thinks Conor will be flattered by the revelation, Hardy explained -- "I don't think he'd be bothered, really. Conor doesn't strike me as the type of person who might be that bothered!"

It's not the first time a major actor has used Conor for inspiration -- Charlie Hunnam said he drew from McGregor when he starred as 'King Arthur' in the 2017 flick.

By the way, Venom comes out Oct. 5 -- just 1 day before Conor fights Khabib.

Kourtney Kardashian's juices are flowing ... with a dude who looks almost exactly like her ex.

Kourtney was spotted grabbing a matcha latte Tuesday at Alfred Tea in WeHo. There's no mistake about it ... the guy looks EXACTLY like Younes Bendjima, Kourt's ex. The resemblance is uncanny. It's unclear who the guy is, but what's clear is they're VERY thirsty ... judging from the 3 drinks at hand.

As we've reported ... Kourtney dumped Younes back in July amid rumors he cheated on her. The 25-year-old model has been adjusting back to a normal way of living, though he and Kourtney have been spotted together once since their split. But, that meeting was all about closure.

Brett Kavanaugh is facing new allegations of sexual misconduct from a woman claiming he and his friends spiked punch at parties in order to assault women -- and says she was gang raped at one of them.

Julie Swetnick claims she attended high school parties in the early '80s where Kavanaugh and his friend, Mark Judge, were present and engaged in highly inappropriate conduct -- including fondling and grabbing girls without their consent.

In a sworn affidavit she says she witnessed their efforts to "cause girls to become inebriated" at these parties by spiking the punch with drugs or grain alcohol so they would lose their inhibitions and their ability to say, "No" ... so the girls could be "gang raped."

She says -- in the doc released by her attorney, Michael Avenatti -- she has a "firm recollection of seeing boys lined up outside rooms at many of these parties waiting for their 'turn' with a girl inside the room. These boys included Mark Judge and Brett Kavanaugh."

Swetnick claims she too was drugged and became the “victim of one of these ‘gang’ or ‘train’ rapes" at a 1982 party in the D.C. area ... where both Kavanaugh and Judge were present.

Avenatti is demanding an immediate FBI investigation into the allegations.

Swetnick's claims come on the heels of allegations made by Deborah Ramirez earlier this week. She claims Kavanaugh put his exposed penis in her face at a dorm party during their freshman year at Yale sometime between 1983 and '84.

And of course, both sets of allegations come just before Thursday's scheduled hearing in D.C. in which Kavanaugh's set to face off against Christine Blasey Ford ... who first accused him of sexual assault in high school.

AJ McLean has all but signed up to be Demi Lovato's sponsor when she finishes up with rehab ... and he's got an entire plan laid out for her if she's listening.

We got the Backstreet Boy leaving Craig's in WeHo Tuesday night and wanted to know if he has some advice for Demi on how she can stay on the right path once she's out of rehab. Remember, AJ's been open about his addiction in the past and he's been on the straight and narrow path ever since.

AJ personally offers to help Demi battle with addiction and seems to have a plan that's relapse-proof. Among the advice -- surround herself "with people that aren't gonna 'yes' you to death." It's been just over 2 months since Demi's near-fatal overdose, but she seems to be doing much better these days.

"Wizards of Waverly Place" star David Henrie has been officially charged for bringing a loaded gun to an airport ... TMZ has learned.

The L.A. City Attorney's Office has filed three charges against Henrie -- carrying a loaded firearm, carrying a concealed firearm and possessing a weapon in a sterile area of the airport.

We broke the story ... Henrie was busted earlier this month after TSA agents discovered he had a loaded gun on him. He was taken into custody shortly afterward. The weapon was an M&P Shield 9mm pistol.

Our cameras spoke with David after his release and he told us the whole thing was a mistake, and the gun was totally legal. He also praised cops for their handling of the incident. In a statement, he said, "More than anything I am humiliated and embarrassed that this even happened."

If convicted, he faces a maximum of one year behind bars.

Cardi B isn't ruffling feathers at Paris fashion shows ... she's just flaunting 'em now.

The rapper performed Tuesday during the Etam Spring/Summer show as part of Paris Fashion Week. She matched her purple dyed hair with a purple suit and strutted some very large purple feathers on the runway.

All this while model hotties pranced around her in tiny outfits.

Yup, Cardi's still in hot demand with fashionistas. TMZ broke the story ... the rapper's NYFW rumble with Nicki Minaj raised her profile in the fashion world, and this Paris reception is proof.

Here's frightening footage from INSIDE Yasiel Puig's bedroom -- capturing the moment two burglars raided the MLB star's L.A. home last week and ripped the place apart searching for his safe.

The footage was shot by a surveillance camera which appears to be hidden from the burglars. You can hear the alarm blaring in the background as the crooks tear through drawers looking for valuables.

After going under the bed and raiding the closet, one of the dirtbags locates Puig's safe on the side of the room and yells for his pal to come over and help him crack it open.

It proved too tough of a job -- and they fled the scene without being able to unlock it or boost it out of the house.

The burglary took place on Tuesday Sept. 18 -- while Puig was at Dodger Stadium taking on the Colorado Rockies. Seems the bad guys knew Puig would be out of the home.

As we reported ... it's the 4th time Puig's home has been hit in the past 2 years.

There's more security footage ... Puig's Ring system at his door captured the guys donkey kicking their way into the home before they made their way to the bedroom.

Bill Cosby is now at the prison he will call home for 3 to 10 years.

Cosby's official inmate number is NN7687. He was moved Tuesday after his sentencing to the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution Phoenix in Schwenksville, PA.

It's significant ... prison is a maximum security facility, meaning it houses some of the most violent offenders in the state. The prison is fairly new and has 3,830 beds.

The judge deemed Cosby a "sexually violent predator" ... which apparently was the trigger for the choice of prison.

Cosby will be housed in a single cell next to the infirmary ... possibly because of his medical problems. He's allowed phone calls and visitation consistent with prison policies.

A prison official says, "We are taking all of the necessary precautions to ensure Mr. Cosby's safety and general welfare in our institution." The official says the long-term goal is for Cosby to go into the general population.

The disgraced comedian spent a few hours at the county jail before being transferred to the prison facility.

If Cosby serves the full 10-year sentence, he will be 91 when he is released.

Jeremy Piven dropped some cuss words last week in front of what might have been the wrong crowd, but some guests say it certainly wasn't as shocking as it's been made out to be.

Piven hosted a fundraising gala this past weekend for Face Forward -- an org that offers reconstructive surgery and emotional support for victims of DV and human trafficking. At one point during the event, Piven got on the mic and did a comedy set of sorts.

A report said he went on an expletive-laced tirade -- which ended with a "F*** you all" when some of his final jokes fell flat. But, based on this clip, which we're told mostly comprises the first half of Piven's remarks, nobody seemed too bothered by his swearing.

Again, it might've been a risky venture to drop words like "bulls**t" or the f-bomb in front of an audience like this -- but according to 2 victims at the event ... Piven's jokes were perfectly fine.

Andreas Christopheros tells us he appreciates people being mindful of his trauma, but says, "survivors need to laugh like anyone else." On Jeremy's performance, he adds, "I don’t know anyone in that room that was offended he was making some edgy jokes."

Theresa Gentry -- a Face Forward patient who was also present -- says, "I didn’t take anything in Jeremy’s set personally and it was comedy. I remember at one point he asked if he should go deeper, meaning more risqué not anything sexual! And we all yelled yes!!"

Stevie Wonder is clearly having a hard time grappling with Bill Cosby being locked up -- but his ultimate wish ... that God graces the disgraced comedian when it's all said and done.

We got Stevie leaving LAX Tuesday on the heels of Cosby's sentencing -- where he was given three to ten years in a state prison -- and he tells us he's praying for the new convict, while also going on to acknowledge Cosby's positive contributions to society.

It's interesting ... our photog asks if he thinks the prison sentence was too long, or if Cosby should've gotten house arrest instead. Stevie's answer seems to imply that he doesn't believe BC should've been thrown behind bars ... despite his long list of accusations.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is sounding more and more like a guy who is running for prez in 2020 after coming to Sen. Ted Cruz's defense ... and getting critical of President Trump.

We got hizzoner at Avalon in Hollywood Tuesday night where he was hosting a fundraiser for the Democratic party. We wanted to get Garcetti's take on Cruz getting heckled out of a D.C. restaurant ... a la Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Garcetti tells us he was NOT down with activists chasing Cruz and his wife out of the D.C. joint and you gotta watch -- because it's the words he uses that have presidential campaign written all over it. He hasn't announced yet, but based on our recon ... Garcetti's definitely running in 2020.

The Mayor also had some parting shots for Trump, laying full blame on 45 for what he considers America's failing image in the world's eyes. Garcetti's point ... he would've LOL'd with the rest of the United Nations Assembly.

The lawyers for Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Ford both have strong Hillary Clinton connections.

It's interesting ... Kavanaugh's lawyer, Beth Wilkinson, is a high-powered, Washington D.C. lawyer who represented multiple top Clinton aides involved in the FBI email investigation during the campaign. She's also a long-time Democratic booster, and is married to CNN contributor David Gregory.

As for Dr. Ford ... her lawyer, Debra Katz, was a campaign fundraiser for Clinton during her 2016 Presidential campaign. Earlier, we posted a pic of Hillary with a woman who'd mistakenly been identified as Katz, but it wasn't her.

Couple other facts about the attorneys at the center of Thursday's Senate hearing -- Katz famously represented a University of Colorado student who claimed she was the victim of retaliation by the school after she said she was subjected to a sexually hostile academic environment.

Wilkinson was a prosecutor in the case of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and successfully argued for the death penalty.

Bill Cosby could still work a room in the clink, but it won't be in any comedic capacity -- mostly just in kitchen duty and stitching s*** up for pennies ... TMZ has learned.

A Pennsylvania Dept. of Corrections official tells us, if Cosby wants to, he can go right to work if there are positions available. While working isn't mandatory, Cosby certainly has a lot of ways to make up to nearly half a buck an hour.

Just a few examples of what he could do ... maintenance (inside or outside), kitchen work, assisting infirm inmates or working in garment factories. We're told that if Cosby was placed in any of these departments ... he'd work a job that'd accommodate his legal blindness. In other words ... he probably won't slop gruel on trays.

Salaries for these gigs range from $0.19 to $0.45 per hour -- just a slight dip from when he was crowned the world's highest-paid actor, reportedly earning a total of $84 million in 1986 and 1987 ... and millions more he raked in when his hit show eventually went into syndication.

As we reported ... Cosby was sentenced Tuesday to three to ten years in a state prison after being convicted of sexual assault. He was taken into custody immediately, and eventually posed for a very sad mug shot. It's unclear where exactly he'll ultimately serve his sentence ... but his first meal behind bars featured a snack he was very familiar with.

A couple other notes about his prison stint -- Bill will likely be housed with other inmates, unless there's some sort of gang affiliation we're not aware of. He also won't be separated from the general population ... unless he comes down with some serious illness that sends him to the infirmary.

Rihanna's crib is becoming a regular route for cops, who rushed there for a break-in late Tuesday night -- the second time someone illegally entered the home this year.

Police responded to RiRi's Hollywood Hills home after an alarm went off around 10:30 PM PT. Neighbors told police they saw as many as 3 suspects fleeing in a silver vehicle after the alarm was triggered.

LAPD swarmed to her house -- and we're told it's unclear if they made off with any loot -- but police say Rihanna was not home at the time.

This is the second break-in and the third time police have responded to her home in force this year.

Her house was burglarized in May, when a man had spent the night. He allegedly told cops he was waiting to have sex with the singer. The suspect was charged with felony stalking and burglary shortly after.

And, you'll recall ... cops also raced to the house just last month after her alarm was accidentally triggered.

Looks like her alarm system got it right this time around. Time to follow in Kendall's footsteps, Ri?

Bill Cosby's got a lot to think about while he's behind bars ... like figuring out how to pay his ex-lawyers who just reminded the disgraced comedian he owes them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Cosby's former law firm -- Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis -- has filed new legal docs obtained by TMZ outlining exactly how much the 81-year-old is on the hook for ... $282,948.40 in unpaid legal bills.

We broke the story ... the law firm sued Cosby earlier this month but the details were scant. The firm now says Cosby owes them for work from August 2017 through August 2018.

Cosby would later go on to hire Michael Jackson's lawyer, Tom Mesereau, but that fizzled too.

Making matters worse ... Cosby -- who was sentenced to at least 3 years behind bars -- was also fined $25k in his sexual assault case plus the costs of the prosecution team.

"America's Got Talent" finalist Michael Ketterer will not be charged after getting arrested last week for domestic violence ... TMZ has learned.

The L.A. City Attorney's Office tells us it's declined to file charges against Ketterer, and has instead opted to hold a City Attorney hearing for the 'AGT' singer. The hearing is often used as an alternative to criminal prosecution for low-level crimes.

We're told the Office looked at the evidence in Ketterer's case, and decided a hearing would be the best route. During the hearing, Ketterer will receive counseling on domestic violence, violence prevention and warned of the consequences for any repeat violations. It's essentially a stern talking-to.

TMZ broke the story ... Ketterer was put in cuffs last Thursday in Hollywood after cops were called to a hotel where he and his wife were staying. When officers arrived, they saw a visible red mark on Ketterer's wife, and arrested him for felony domestic violence.

Our law enforcement sources tell us cops had to book Ketterer for felony DV due to the mark, but the charge was being reduced to a misdemeanor because the injury was minor.