Gwyneth Paltrow broke down on the stand Monday afternoon, testifying she's weary of fearing the man who's been stalking her for 17 years.

Gwyneth told the jury she got an attack dog to protect her and her family. At one point she asked her bodyguard to come over and teach the dog attack and bite commands. She was alone at home with the kids and scared.  

The actress is testifying against Dante Soiu, who faces felony criminal charges. Cops say he's sent her 66 letters and has tried to get to her in various other ways.

Gwyneth is telling the judge Soiu threatened to use a scalpel "to cut out sin" in her body. 

Authorities say in the past Soiu has made "a threat of a sexual nature."

He's left presents at her parents' home, sent sexually graphic material, love notes, flowers and candy.

"Orange Is the New Black" star Taryn Manning is suing the Big Apple for arresting her based on accusations from a woman previously busted for stalking her.

Taryn was busted in November 2014 for violating a restraining order by allegedly sending threatening texts to her former pal Jeanine Heller. Jeanine told cops one of the messages said, "I will kill you, bitch."

Taryn says she didn't dodge the law ... in fact she and her attorney went to cops to explain Jeanine's allegations were false and this was really a case of Jeanine stalking Taryn. Cops didn't budge, cuffing her and putting her in a holding cell for about 3.5 hours ... according to Taryn.

She claims the arrest was eventually voided, but the damage is done as far as Taryn's concerned. She's suing the city for false arrest and imprisonment ... and wants damages, aka money.

Beyonce put the spotlight on the killing of Mario Woods ... and no one's more grateful than Mario's mother.

Adante Pointer, an attorney for the Woods' family, tells us Mario's mother, Gwen, loved Beyonce's halftime performance, especially the show of support for her late son.

We're told Gwen had no clue Bey was going to reference Mario. She's glad to know celebrities feel a connection to Mario, spreading the message to millions.

Beyonce's backup dancers held up a "Justice 4 Mario Woods" sign on the field ... the 26-year-old was shot and killed by San Francisco cops.

We're told Gwen would love to follow up with B ... if the singer's interested in speaking.

Several locks of John Lennon's hair are on the auction block, and even though it's already going for five figures ... it's a steal as Lennon memorabilia goes.

Heritage Auction out of Dallas is hawking a 4-inch chunk of John's hair -- a hairdresser cut it off before his role in a 1967 movie called, "How I Won The War" -- and the current bid is at $12k.

Past Lennon items have gone for way more than that: his '65 Rolls Royce Phantom V sold for $2.23 MILLION, and Lennon's handwritten lyrics to "All You Need is Love" fetched $1.25 million.

So chances are the price on Lennon's locks will go through the roof too. Get your bids in now!

Teresa Giudice is a shoo-in for season 7 of 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' but 3 other women are suddenly unemployed ... TMZ has learned.

Our production sources tell us Dina Manzo and the twins Teresa Aprea and Nicole Napolitano all got the ax. 

No word yet on who will fill the vacancies ... we're told Bravo's currently shopping for other housewives.

As of now, Teresa's sister-in-law, Melissa Gorga, and former member cast member Jacqueline Laurita are the only others locked in ... but it's gonna be the Teresa show all the way.

Cameras have been following Teresa since her release from prison and it'll provide a chunk of the story line.

Iggy Azalea and Nick Young's kids won't just be bicoastal -- they'll be bicontinental if she has her way ... she's just in no hurry to have 'em.

Iggy talked all about raising babies with us at LAX, making it clear she wants them to be proud Aussies as well as Americans.

She also dropped a tiny, tiny hint that maybe, just maybe she and the Lakers star have already traded "I Dos." Pay attention to her choice of words at the end of the clip. 

But something tells us Iggy's wedding won't go unnoticed.

Beyonce was fired up about social issues during the Super Bowl halftime show, but she was nothing but zen before and after ... because the house she rented is the picture of tranquility.

The estate is located in Los Altos Hills ... about 30 minutes from Levi's Stadium. The $50 million home sits on 12-acres ... self-sustaining with 5 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms.

The neighbors got wise to the famous renter after a police motorcade with blacked-out SUV windows were traversing the area.  

Beyonce posted a picture of herself inside the house to her social media accounts. 

The rental -- which goes for $10k a night on Airbnb --  has a rooftop vegetable garden, an orchard and live chickens!  Of course, it comes with an infinity pool, game room with a pool table and a fitness center.

That Prius Super Bowl commercial rubbed cops the wrong way -- not because it made high speed chases look like good, clean fun ... but because it's a big fat lie!

Several law enforcement sources tell us the Prius spot was hysterically unrealistic. One source said, "Loved it, funny as hell ... like a Prius is going to outrun anything."

Other reviews included:
- "overdone"
- "silly"
- "you can't outrun a helicopter"

They've got a point. The new Prius 4 tops out around 105 mph, while a police cruiser can do at least 120 mph -- and their 0-60 times are a laughable 10.5 seconds compared to 6 flat.

Now, a few sources were concerned about the ad's overall message, saying ... "I had to tell my kids running from cops is a bad thing." But the overall take on Prius' attempt to look worthy of a felony -- "goobery and dumb."

Beyonce made a stirring political statement during the Super Bowl halftime show, in what appears to be a tribute to the Black Panthers, a '60s group that advocated violence to correct racial injustice.

The singer was flanked by backup dancers who wore berets, similar to the berets worn by the group. They also raised their fists, symbolic of the Black Power movement.

At one point the dancers posed with a sign that read "Justice 4 Mario Woods," the man shot and killed by San Francisco cops.

The dancers on the field also formed an "X" on the field, which seemed symbolic of civil rights militant Malcolm X. Beyonce also had a strap on her chest in the form of an "X" -- but that looks like a homage to Michael Jackson's '93 Super Bowl show.  

Tina Knowles posed with the dancers, fists raised high. It's not only a symbol of the Panthers, it's also a gesture used by Tommie Smith and John Carlos during the '68 Olympics.

Bella Hadid's either studying for medical school or she's just a very, VERY caring friend willing to conduct free breast exams ... on camera. Thank you, God.  

So many things to envy here -- Bella's bikini bod, the 82 degree winter weather and yes ... Bella copping a feel on her singer pal, Jesse Jo Stark. 

All signs point to The Weeknd's GF shaking off that whole getting a crap table thing at Craig's. 

Thanks for the pics, Bella ... said all of Minneapolis where the thermometer reads 12 degrees. 

Gwyneth Paltrow and Jay Z fanboyed/girled out while their spouses did their thing during the Super Bowl halftime show.

As Chris Martin and Beyonce hit the field, Gwyneth and Jay kept one eye on the performance and the other on Blue Ivy, Moses and Apple.

BTW ... Gwyn and Chris aren't officially divorced.

If you think Denver Broncos corner Aqib Talib was embarrassed by his post-game slip and fall ... you're outta your mind -- dude LOVED it ... bragging afterward, "I'M VIRAL BABY!" 

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