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Claudia Jordan is coming to the defense of her former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' costar, Kenya Moore ... after the latter exited the show following an alleged scandal.

We caught up with Claudia in L.A., who called Kenya's early exit from season 16 a tragedy ... and suggested the show may not be watchable without KM's loud and proud personality.

CJ, who appeared on seasons 7 and 8 of 'RHOA,' added ... "I think she's a big part of that success and I hope it's only a temporary thing."

Glen "Big Baby" Davis is clearly not worried about his impending prison sentence ... the ex-NBA star was all smiles this week -- telling TMZ Sports he thinks it might actually lead him to the body of his dreams.

The former Boston Celtics power forward was ordered in May to spend 40 months behind bars for his role in a scheme that defrauded the NBA's Players' Health and Benefit Welfare Plan out of a ton of coin ... but when we caught up with him out at LAX, he made it apparent, he's not sweating things.

The 38-year-old was downright jovial, and said he's "not nervous" to be thrown in the slammer.

Death Valley is on the verge of breaking the insane heat record of 130 degrees -- but adventure seekers be warned, one misstep in the park could be your last ... TMZ has learned.

The National Weather Service is warning the famed national park in California's Mojave Desert will become a legit inferno, amid a national heatwave, which means Death Valley could break its own record -- 130 degrees -- for the highest temperature ever reliably recorded ... and that's raising concerns for park officials.

DVNP spokeswoman Abby Wines tells TMZ ... visitors need to be very smart about moving around the park during this time, because -- in some cases -- park rangers won't be able to rescue you from danger.

Bodybuilder Simeon Panda is the latest to fall victim to the rash of celebrity burglaries in Los Angeles ... TMZ Sports has learned the star bodybuilder's crib was recently hit by multiple thieves.

Our sources tell us the L.A. home of 38-year-old Panda, a YouTuber and competitive bodybuilder, was broken into by three masked men in mid-June ... with the burglars breaking in using a back glass door.

Fortunately, Simeon, who wasn't home at the time (or perhaps fortunate for the burglars), had an alarm and security cameras ... and he was quickly alerted to the intrusion. Cops were called, however, despite a quick response, the men were already gone by the time police arrived.

Kamala Harris is currently the top choice among fellow democrats to replace Joe Biden at the head of the ticket if he bows out of the presidential race -- and there's been a recent shift within the party to try to make that happen -- yet Donald Trump couldn't be happier with that possible scenario, TMZ has learned.

Former Democratic Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan tells TMZ ... the American people are realizing it's not realistic to move forward with President Biden after the commander-in-chief's disastrous June 27 debate against Trump -- his Republican rival. Instead, many dems are beginning to recognize that Kamala is their path forward.

"She is the only candidate [because] she is VP and on the ticket with him that will inherit his war chest and campaign infrastructure," according to Ryan, who lost reelection to J.D. Vance in 2020 after more than 20 years in office.

Danny Trejo's Fourth of July brawl was crazier than we originally thought – as TMZ obtained new video, showing the actor throwing the first punch – and a chair -- after getting provoked.

As we reported Thursday, Danny got into a heated battle with some locals at the Sunland-Tujunga, California parade to celebrate America's Independence Day.

But, check out this fresh footage ... which brings the entire incident into focus and shines a bright light on what triggered Danny. It opens with Danny sitting shotgun in a convertible when someone on the street pelts him with a water balloon.

Furious, Danny jumped out of the car and stomped up to a group of people in tents on a sidewalk, zeroing in on the suspected culprit. Suddenly, Danny punched the individual, causing water to splash everywhere and a melee to ensue.

During the fracas, Danny was knocked down, but he got right back up and grabbed a chair, tossing it into the mob. The fight eventually broke up as Danny retreated into the street with some friends.

But then, someone threw another water balloon at Danny, showering his head with H2O. Danny's posse held him back so he wouldn't start throwing left hooks again.

Meanwhile, cops were called to the scene and dispersed the crowd without arresting anyone.

That was good news for Danny, who announced some bad news last week when he posted on Instagram that his beloved chihuahua, Dixie, had died.

Elisa Jordana's putting her legal troubles behind her ... copping a plea in her battery case... but officials will take a look at her mental health as part of the deal.

The former 'Howard Stern Show' star took a plea deal back in May ... receiving 12 months probation, 45 hours of community service, anger management courses and a small fine.

The judge also ordered Jordana to undergo a mental health evaluation and receive any treatment the evaluator recommends.

Late Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock was sober and happy a few months before his accidental drug overdose ... and seemed committed to staying on the wagon.

TMZ obtained footage from one of Shifty's final interviews before his sudden death, and he was talking sobriety with Mayra Dias Gomes.

The singer -- real name Seth Binzer -- was an invited guest at a Rock to Recovery benefit concert last August at the Fonda Theater in Hollywood, but he made a rare public appearance.

Jake Paul is celebrating the launch of his new W body care line in the flashiest way possible ... by getting a $650k diamond pendant and chain to rep the brand!!

TMZ Sports has learned Paul -- a 9-1 cruiserweight boxer, Internet sensation and businessman -- hit up his go-to jeweler Vobara in Miami to make him a piece in honor of his newest endeavor.

Vobara -- who has made pieces for celebs like Rick Ross, Udonis Haslem and DJ Khaled -- made sure the pendant looked just like the W logo ... and we're told it's filled with VS/VVS diamonds including 20, 50 and 80 pointers in a mosaic setting.

Kim Zolciak and Chet Hanks never left the friend zone while filming the new season of 'Surreal Life' ... despite a recent trailer suggesting otherwise.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the Bravo personality and Tom Hanks' son did NOT hook up during their time in the 'Surreal Life' house -- though some people in the cast did feel the pair had sexual chemistry.

Still, we're told nothing physical occurred between Kim and Chet ... even though MTV's first look for "Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets" showed the 2 contestants embracing in a bedroom with the lights off.

Javon "Wanna" Walton is a professional boxer and an established actor ... and the "Euphoria" star could one day combine both his passions -- telling TMZ Sports he's down to take on a role as a fighter!!

17-year-old Wanna made his professional debut as a Most Valuable Promotions pugilist in a draw against Joshua Torres in March ... and prior to the fight, he said his career in the ring would be his priority moving forward.

But he's not giving up his career on the screen entirely ... 'cause when we asked if he'd ever put both of his strengths together -- he got pumped over the idea.

Zak Bagans is conjuring up a frightening movie prop to add to his Haunted Museum ... a demon from "The Conjuring 2" horror film.

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... he just got his hands on the original demon prop used in filming for the sequel, designed by 'TC2' director James Wan and special makeup effects designer Justin Raleigh.

Zak says Wan considers this animatronic suit the best demon he's ever used.

Paige VanZant's getting a peer review of her Power Slap debut ... with fellow competitor Sheena Bathory telling TMZ Sports it was overall a good performance -- but there's one thing in particular that caught her attention.

The former UFC fighter went up against Christine Wolmarans in Power Slap 8 last week ... the first-ever slap battle of her combat sports career.

VanZant knocked Wolmaran down twice in the four-round match and withstood her opponent's hard strikes ... getting the unanimous decision victory. The victory was met with criticism, as many believed Paige flinched before getting hit -- a big no-no in the sport.

Danny Trejo got seriously heated during a Fourth of July parade ... and it had nothing to do with the hot weather.

The actor found himself in an altercation at the Sunland-Tujunga, California parade commemorating America's birthday ... though there was nothing celebratory about this incident.

Check it out ... Danny was beefin' with locals at the event after his vintage car was targeted by a rogue water balloon. Sources tell TMZ ... Danny and co. freaked out over the water balloon and got out of the car ... but confronted the wrong people.

Shaquille O'Neal is giving the "Hawk Tuah" girl some sage advice ... how to navigate her newfound celebrity status.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... when Shaq and Hailey Welch linked up in Nashville last weekend, the NBA legend started dropping knowledge.

We're told Shaq gave Hailey a bunch of tips on how to deal with fame ... advising her to keep a smart team around because folks will come out of the woodwork to try and take advantage of her.