DANIELLE STAUB HINTS at 'Housewives' Return 'I Met With Andy Cohen'

THE B*TCH IS BACK ... well, almost ... 'cause Danielle Staub says she had a meeting with Bravo honcho Andy Cohen yesterday and claims they totally talked "Housewives." Staub -- who was booted from "Real Housewives of New Jersey" in 2010 -- was in NYC with her daughter yesterday when she told us about the sit-down with Cohen. "It was a general meeting," Staub says ... adding, "There was a lot of talk about everything -- including Housewives." As for Rumors that Staub ALREADY has a deal in place to return to the show, Staub says it's bogus ... nothing is official ... yet. But if she does return, it's gonna be great -- 'cause it's clear she still HATES her former castmates. When we asked if she's spoken to any of the women, Staub shot back -- "No, I have absolutely no interest in speaking to any of them." Awesome!!!

Danielle Staub -- I Had a Meeting w/ Andy Cohen ... ABOUT 'HOUSEWIVES' - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe

NEW LIFE: BRITNEY SPEARS Buys $8.5 MILLION Mansion with Jason Trawick

Britney Spears has left Calabasas ... and moved into a brand new $8.5 MILLION mansion even further away from all of the Hollywood madness. The 8,456 square foot home is located inside a swanky private community in Thousand Oaks, CA -- about 16 miles from Brit's old mansion in Calabasas. Here are the stats -- 5 bedrooms, 7 baths, wine cellar, home theater and massive infinity pool. We're told Britney made the move because she's starting a new life with fiance Jason Trawick ... and wants to be in a new home in a secure location. The move puts Britney even further away from the hub of Hollywood -- but we've learned Brit will stay in a super-fancy L.A. hotel when "X Factor" comes to Los Angeles in a few weeks.

WHY: MILDRED BAENA Reads Arnold's Book Why'd He Skip The Sex?

Looking to relive her adulterous glory days, Arnold Schwarzenegger's baby madre Mildred Baena has decided to read Arnie's tell-all book "Total Recall" ... but the problem is, Arnie didn't really tell all. Mildred shamelessly brought the book out to a cafe in Bakersfield yesterday -- in full view of a photog who just happened to be there -- where she may have finally learned that the steamiest parts of her affair were CHOPPED from the final version. Seriously ... when Arnold brings up Mildred in "Recall," he goes from "she worked in the house" right to "when she gave birth to the kid" ... completely blowing off the dirty details of the courtship. Here's the exact passage: "Mildred had been working in our household for 5 years and all of the sudden we were alone in the guest house. When Mildred gave birth the following August, she named the baby Joseph." Pretty big gap -- but Mildred can fill them in for herself.

MAD MAN: FLAVOR FLAV Accused Of Double-Knife Rampage Before Arrest

Flavor Flav violently threw his fiancee to the ground last night, ripped out her earring, then chased her teenage son around the house while clutching TWO KNIVES -- this according to the police report from the rapper's domestic dispute yesterday. According to the Vegas police report, the argument between the rapper and his 39-year-old fiancee started over accusations Flav had cheated on her -- and quickly turned violent, with Flav grabbing his fiancee and throwing her to the ground twice. According to the report, Flav's fiancee claims her earring was ripped out during the altercation ... and her 17-year-old son jumped in to defend her. At that point, the report continues, Flav grabbed two knives and chased her son around the house -- eventually kicking down a locked door to get to him. Flav then allegedly threatened to kill him. According to the report, Flav denied chasing the teenager with the knives. He also denied the whole death threat thing. TMZ broke the story ... Flav was arrested for domestic violence early yesterday morning and subsequently booked on two charges -- misdemeanor battery (for allegedly attacking his fiancee) and felony assault with a deadly weapon (for the knife thing). Flav subsequently posted $23,000 bail and is due back in court next week.

BIG DISGRACE: EX-MAFIA BOSS 'Jersey Shore' Guys Are 'Disgrace to the Italians'

Ex-Philadelphia mafia boss "Skinny Joey" Merlino -- who served 12 years in federal prison for racketeering -- says the guys from "Jersey Shore" are a big, fat "disgrace to the Italians" ... seriously. Merlino -- who was released from the slammer last year -- was at LAX yesterday, where he was picked up from the airport by Howard Stern's favorite mob family member Johnny Fratto. It's unclear why Joey is in L.A. -- but as Johnny drove off with Merlino riding shotgun, he picked an interesting song choice to bump in his car ... Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom." FYI -- Merlino was rumored to have been a heavy gambler before he got locked up ... and when we asked if he had any advice for Harvey (who's been getting killed with his NFL picks) ... "Skinny Joey" had one solid piece of advice ... and it involves one Thomas Edward Patrick Brady.

Ex-Mob Boss 'Skinny Joey' Merlino -- Jersey Shore Cast is 'Disgrace to the Italians' - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe

DRUG ABUSE: EAGLES COACH ANDY REID Heroin Overdose Killed His Son

Eagles head coach Andy Reid's son died from a self-injected heroin overdose ... according to the Coroner's investigation of Garrett Reid's death. Garrett was found dead on August 5 in his room at Lehigh University ... where the Eagles were holding training camp. The Northampton County Coroner and D.A.'s Office announced the results of their investigations -- and reveled they had found 47 syringes, 65 needles, and a number of spoons in Garrett's gym bag. 29-year-old Garrett had battled drug addiction for years. The D.A. said they are still looking into where Garrett got the heroin and the paraphernalia.

Season Of Love: KOBE BRYANT & VANESSA HOT LUNCH DATE

Another positive sign for Kobe Bryant's marriage -- the NBA star took his estranged wife Vanessa out on a romantic lunch date today ... and they totally SPLIT A SANDWICH & SOUP COMBO MEAL!!! The two rolled in to the PDM Bakery and Cafe in Newport Beach, CA this afternoon looking and acting very coupley -- despite the fact their divorce is still pending. Sources tell us ... Kobe and Vanessa split the Tuscan chicken sandwich (served hot) and tortilla soup combo meal -- and washed it down with a pair of iced teas. We're told the Bryants hung out at the restaurant for about an hour ... and couldn't have been nicer. Vanessa filed for divorce back in December ... but it seems like they're all but reconciled these days. Not only did Vanessa support Kobe in London during the Olympics, she also attended the Lakers pre-season game last night.

CNN Tries to Blunt Romney Criticism Over Candy

CNN's Managing Editor sent an email around the office today, praising Candy Crowley and trying to blunt criticism that she was unfair to Mitt Romney. The email -- sent by Mark Whitaker and obtained by TMZ -- is almost a series of talking points to address Candy's critics. Here's the full email: "Let's start with a big round of applause for Candy Crowley for a superb job under the most difficult circumstances imaginable. She and her team had to select and sequence questions in a matter of hours, and then she had to deal with the tricky format, the nervous questioners, the aggressive debaters, all while shutting out the pre-debate attempts to spin and intimidate her. She pulled it off masterfully. The reviews on Candy's performance have been overwhelmingly positive but Romney supporters are going after her on two points, no doubt because their man did not have as good a night as he had in Denver. On the legitimacy of Candy fact-checking Romney on Obama's Rose Garden statement, it should be stressed that she was just stating a point of fact: Obama did talk about an act (or acts) of terror, no matter what you think he meant by that at the time. On why Obama got more time to speak, it should be noted that Candy and her commission producers tried to keep it even but that Obama went on longer largely because he speaks more slowly. We're going to do a word count to see whether, as in Denver, Romney actually got more words in even if he talked for a shorter period of time." TMZ broke the story ... some honchos at CNN want the criticism to go away, even though it's shining a light on one of their most high-profile personalities -- and you just can't buy this type of publicity.

GETTING WORSE: LANCE ARMSTRONG THREE MORE SPONSORS PULL OUT

The bloodletting continues for Lance Armstrong ... the disgraced cyclist just lost THREE more huge sponsors ... including his bike deal. Trek Bicycles has officially ended their deal with Armstrong ... ditto for the FRS energy drink company. Anheuser-Busch has also announced it will NOT renew Lance's deal to endorse its Michelob Ultra line when it expires at the end of the year. Of course, Lance was already fired by Nike this morning -- and hours later, his bike helmet company followed suit. How's your Wednesday going?

Joe Jackson -- I CARRY A GUN ... and I'm Not Afraid to Use It

Joe Jackson -- I CARRY A GUN ... and I'm Not Afraid to Use It - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe

Joe Jackson FLASHED A HANDGUN to a room full of people at a recent event in Vegas ... and told the crowd it's just like an American Express card ... he doesn't leave home without it.

Working It Out: RUPERT SANDERS & LIBERTY ROSS HUGGIN' IT OUT

Rupert Sanders has proven ... you CAN bang a hot Hollywood actress behind your wife's back and still make it all good again ... and we have the pics to prove it. Rupert and Liberty Ross shared a great big HUG after leaving a counseling session in Beverly Hills Wednesday. We broke the story ... just weeks after the Kristen Stewart cheating scandal broke, Liberty and Rupert were seeing the counselor. We also told you ... Liberty went to see a divorce lawyer after the story broke but she has not pulled the trigger and wants to save the marriage. Our sources say Liberty has laid down some ground rules for any reconciliation ... which includes an extramarital banging ban. Judging by the hug, it seems they're making some serious progress ... but neither Rupert nor Liberty was wearing a wedding ring at the time of the embrace. They arrived and left separately. Seems to be the season for forgiveness ... just a few days ago, Robert Pattinson was photographed hangin' out with Kristen.

IT'S REAL: NIGEL LYTHGOE Mariah & Nicki Beef Is REAL ... And Here's Proof

"American Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe is adamant ... the bitter feud between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj is as real as it gets -- and his proof lies in simple logic. Nigel was out in L.A. yesterday when we asked for the final word -- did he or did he not stage the feud for ratings??? -- and Nigel replied, "I have no idea why I would be doing it [for ratings] five months before the show went out." He added, "I would only do ANYTHING for ratings a month before the show went out. They've got my timing wrong." Translation: keep your eyes out for a crazy "Idol" ratings ploy in three months.

Nigel Lythgoe -- Mariah Carey & Nicki Minaj Beef Is REAL ... And Here's Proof - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe

I'M INNOCENT: 'INNOCENCE OF MUSLIMS' ACTRESS Takes 2nd Swing at Blocking Film

Cindy Lee Garcia, one of the stars of the controversial film "Innocence of Muslims" ... is renewing her battle to get it yanked off YouTube ... just as the movie stands to become a critical issue in the Presidential election. Garcia filed a request for a temporary restraining order in federal court on Wednesday -- and in the documents she says she "never signed a release of any kind to her rights to her dramatic performance." She's basically saying the filmmakers have no right to show her in the movie.

Garcia also claims she's received "gruesome, credible death threats" since the movie came out -- and her filing includes an Egyptian cleric's fatwa ... calling for Muslims to "kill the director, the producer and the actors and everyone who helped and promoted the film." "Innocence of Muslims" -- and the Middle Eastern violence that erupted after its release -- is certain to be front and center during Monday night's Presidential debate which focuses on foreign policy. Garcia previously requested a TRO in a California state court that would force Google and YouTube to remove the film -- but a judge rejected it last month.

BUBBA THE LOVE SPONGE HULK HOGAN May Have Leaked Sex Tape

Bubba the Love Sponge just went on his radio show ... and claimed Hulk Hogan may have played a role in the release of the sex tape ... despite several public denials. During the show, Bubba made it clear ... he and Hulk are no longer best friends -- in fact, it sounds like they pretty much hate each other's guts. At one point in the show, Bubba called Hulk a "self-centered" man who has delusionally convinced himself that Nick was innocent in that 2007 car crash, Brooke actually has talent and that Linda is "whore." Bubba actually defends Linda throughout the show. Bubba never really denied having anything to do with the sex tape -- but said, "I'm gonna be honest with you, I have not seen the tape ... including me supposedly bragging and being a horse's ass." We broke the story, there is footage of Bubba on the sex tape ... talking about selling the footage if he ever wanted to be rich enough to retire. On the radio show, Bubba continued, "At the end of the day, I can't even comment on the validity ... [Hulk] could have had something to do with the leak of it," Bubba also touched on the fact that he let Hulk have sex with his then-wife Heather Clem -- saying they all consensually agreed to it and reminding Hulk, "Nobody put a gun to your head." As we previously reported, Hulk is suing Bubba and Heather over the footage -- claiming they taped him without his consent.

OFFICIAL: KHLOE K & MARIO LOPEZ Officially Sign On to 'X FACTOR'

It's official ... Khloe Kardashian and Mario Lopez will be the new co-hosts of "X Factor" ... TMZ has confirmed with sources connected to the show. We broke the story ... Khloe and Mario had been thiiiiiiis close to a deal for months ... but now we've confirmed they've both signed on the dotted line ... it's a done deal. We're told the duo's salaries will add millions to the budget -- on top of an already enormous talent budget ... with Britney Spears in the lead at $15 mil. K&M are expected to debut on the show in November.

It's All About The SUPERBOWL: BEYONCE LOCKED IN for Super Bowl Halftime Show

Beyonce is GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL ... to perform ... at halftime. Hooray! Mrs. Jay-Z has signed on to perform at Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3rd at the Superdome in New Orleans ... so says the Associated Press. Both sides are expected to make an official announcement about the show sometime tomorrow. Beyonce will follow in the footsteps of Madonna ... and a slew of old white guys including The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, U2, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson.

CLOSER: KRISTEN STEWART Dropped $2.2 Mil To Live 1.5 Miles From Rob

Just one month after Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson allegedly called it quits ... KStew bought a house within monitoring distance of her ex ... a very weird move indeed. Stewart dropped $2.2 mil on a Los Feliz pad that is just 1.5 miles away from her scorned ex. RPatz kicked KStew out in July after photos surfaced that showed pretty clearly ... she was banging her married "Snow White" director Rupert Sanders. Stewart's new home gave her easy access to R.P. -- it's a 5 minute car ride. If the break-up was real ... her plan may have worked, because KStew and RPatz have been seen TWICE together in L.A. -- once at a local bar and again yesterday in Hollywood. As for her house, according to Real Estalker it's pretty sweet ... 4-bedrooms, 5-baths, pool, spa, fire pits, sun terrace -- the works. The question now ... Will one of their homes go up for sale?

Don't Bang My Pals: RPATZ & KSTEW REUNITED ... Like She Never Cheated

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart continued their public display of forgiveness ... hanging out together for lunch in Hollywood. Rob and Kristen were spotted leaving a restaurant with a group of friends Monday afternoon -- never holding hands ... but standing mere feet from each other. This was the 2nd time in 24 hours they were seen together around L.A. ... just 3 months after Kristen admitted cheating with director Rupert Sanders -- but, even more telling, exactly one month before the release of the last "Twilight" movie. Hmm ... Happy now, Twihards?

PROMISING START: PORN STAR PINKY I Will GLADLY Bone Mystikal on Tape

Rapper Mystikal's porn career is off to a promising start -- TMZ has learned, Mystikal's #1 porn star crush has AGREED to have sex with him on film ... but he better not plan to get paid for it. XXX star Pinky -- who Mystikal named as his top choice to pop his porn cherry -- tells TMZ, she's flattered the rapper picked her ... and will gladly film a sex tape with him for her website. But Pinky says she refuses to pay him -- because Mystikal is currently an "amateur" and Pinky doesn't pay amateurs ... "no matter how good he is in bed." As we first reported, Mystikal says he's taking one last stab at the music biz before he gives up and turns to porn ... seriously. As for his six-year prison stint for sexual battery, Pinky says it doesn't bother her one iota -- telling us, "I think he came out looking better than when he went in."

Rest In Peace THE LEGEND: GARY COLLINS DEAD AT 74

Gary Collins, a legendary TV actor and host, died early this morning in Biloxi, MS at the age of 74. Harrison County Deputy Coroner Brian Switzer tells TMZ he passed of natural causes just before 1:00 AM at Biloxi Regional Medical Center. Collins' resumé is a mile long ... having appeared on episodes of such hit shows as "Fantasy Island," "Charlie's Angels," "Alice," "The Love Boat," "Police Story" ... the list goes on. Collins was also known for hosting the talk show "Hour Magazine" and from 1980-1988 and hosted the Miss America Pageant from 1985-1989. He married former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley in 1967 and the couple had one child together. They separated last year. Collins also had two children from a previous marriage. Over the last few years, Collins had several run-ins with the law, including a DUI arrest where his blood alcohol level was a whopping .29.

I LOVE THIS HOTEL: LINDSAY LOHAN My Chateau Marmont Ban IS OVER

Lindsay Lohan is OFF THE CHATEAU MARMONT BLACKLIST -- which explains why she was there Thursday night -- and TMZ has learned it's all thanks to a Hail Mary phone call to the owner himself. As TMZ first reported, LiLo was BARRED from the legendary hotel after she didn't pay her massive $46,000 bill -- which she racked up buying cigarettes, mini-bar goodies and candles. Lindsay claimed she thought the production co. behind "Liz and Dick" -- which she was filming at the time of the charges -- was footing the tab. Sources close to Lilo tell TMZ ... the actress reached out to hotel magnate Andre Balazs -- owner of the Chateau along with a slew of other properties -- in hopes to reclaim her stomping grounds. We're told LiLo and Andre have been friends for years and she made it clear that the whole ordeal was a giant misunderstanding. Lilo offered to pay off the debt (which we're told she did) if Andre could have a chat with the Chateau staff. Our sources tell us, Andre informed LiLo he had no idea she had been blacklisted and promised to remedy the situation ASAP.

MOST WANTED MAN: SCOTT STORCH Wanted By Cops in Florida ... Over Baby Mama Money

Scott Storch is officially a wanted man -- a Florida court has ordered the legendary hip-hop producer to be arrested immediately for failing to pay over $20,000 in child support and other bills ... TMZ has learned. According to court docs, Storch has failed to cough up $28,300 to his baby mama as ordered by the court -- then failed to appear in court to explain himself. Following the missed court date, a judge issued an arrest order, directing cops to nab Storch asap and bring him to court. Fun Fact -- Storch can make it all go away if he coughs up the $28,300 he allegedly owes. Scott also has problems on the West Coast -- we've learned the Beverly Hills Hotel filed a police report this week, claiming the producer skipped out on a $4,000 bill ... and now cops are hoping for a chat. They even reached out to Bradford Cohen -- Stroch's former lawyer-- hoping to find him. Calls to Storch's people were not returned.

You A'int Broke "Pay Up Or Get Out": TYGA Sued Over Malibu Mansion PAY UP OR GET OUT!

"Rack City" rapper Tyga owes WAY more than ten, ten, ten, twenties, and them fifties on his rented Malibu mansion -- so says Tyga's landlord ... and now, the guy's suing to get his money. A man named Gholamreza Rezai filed the lawsuit against Tyga and his music company, claiming Tyga signed a one-year lease in June, agreeing to pay $16,000 per month to live in the luxurious pad ... but he stopped paying rent last month. Rezai claims Tyga expressed a desire to move out by September 30th -- informing Rezai that fans kept showing up at his front door ... and Tyga was worried the home didn't offer enough security.

According to the suit, Rezai refused to terminate the lease agreement and demanded September's rent -- but Tyga still wouldn't ante up. What's worse, Rezai claims Tyga still hadn't vacated the premises by September 30th ... and the rapper allegedly continues to live there. We called Tyga for his side of the story, but were unable to reach him. Rezai is suing for the past-due rent, plus damages, and he wants Tyga booted from the home ASAP.

TRACK IT DOWN: HULK HOGAN CONTACTS FBI Over Leaked Sex Tape

Hulk Hogan is taking his sex tape fight to the big dogs -- contacting the FBI this week to help him track down the low-life who leaked his naked fun time footage to the media ... TMZ has learned. Hulk's attorney tells TMZ, the wrestler had previously attempted to file a police report in Florida -- but local police couldn't help him for two reasons: 1) Because the tape was recorded in 2006, the four-year statute of limitations had expired on the offense of unlawfully recording Hulk without his permission. 2) The other offense -- distributing the illegal footage to the media -- crosses state lines, so it's a federal problem ... not a local one. As a result, Hulk's lawyer says he has contacted the FBI to track down the sex tape leaker ... and bring that person to justice. We're told Hulk plans to meet with FBI agents on Monday.