Rumors have been swirling that The Black Eyed Peas might be breaking up -- but yesterday at LAX, Fergie and Taboo cleared it all up ... they're taking a break, not breaking up.

Is that a good thing?

The Black Eyed Peas have PULLED OUT of Saturday's big Michael Jackson Tribute Concert -- after promoters claim they have suddenly become "unable to perform."

The details are still unclear -- but the promoters just released a statement saying, "Due to unavoidable circumstances, the Black Eyed Peas will be unable to perform at this Saturday’s Michael Forever event."

Chris Hunt, the CEO of Global Live Events -- the company behind the show -- claims the show will still feature several other "earth shattering artists" ... such as Christina Aguilera and Cee-Lo Green.

TMZ reached out to a rep for the Peas ... who confirmed the group is out of the show, but wouldn't expand on the reason behind the decision.

Will.i.am (right) from the Black Eyed Peas posed with another member from the group who isn't Fergie while at a premiere of a documentary movie earlier this week.

The question is...

Fergie is coming to Christina Aguilera's defense after she flubbed the national anthem yesterday before the Super Bowl -- claiming Xtina's "human" ... and everyone makes mistakes.



Fergie was on the Dan Patrick Show this morning -- where she admitted her own performance with the Black Eyed Peas also failed to meet her expectations ... calling some of her notes "pitchy."

Boom boom pffft.

Will.i.am went on a furious hunt for justice after some scumbag broke into his Bentley last week and now cops say Will's detective work -- aided by his iPad -- may have brought down a one-man crime wave.


As TMZ first reported, some bad guy made off with over $10,000 worth of the rapper's jewelry and personal property -- including a sleek new iPad -- when he broke into the Black Eyed Peas member's ride ... which was parked in the Hollywood Hills.

But according to law enforcement sources, Will had a secret weapon -- he used his iPad's built-in tracking system to locate the thief's whereabouts ... and then forwarded the info to cops.

We're told police already got most of Will.i.am's stuff returned to him and are this close to arresting the perp -- who's currently on the run.

Will.i.am's ride got boom boom pow'd in the Hollywood Hills Monday night -- according to law enforcement sources, bad guys broke into his Bentley and jacked over $10,000 worth of stuff.



TMZ has learned the Black Eyed Peas star made the shocking discovery himself and called the police to file a report. According to sources, the loot included jewelry and several of the singer's personal items.

We're told cops are hot on the trail of the bad guys -- and some of the stolen property has already been recovered. 

First Megan Fox ... now Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas is talkin' about her attraction to the lovely lumps of other ladies.

According to The Sun, Fergie Ferg claims she screwed around with chicks before saying, "Put it this way, I've experimented definitely, but I have never had a steady girlfriend."

Ferg just married Josh Duhamel -- that lucky sonofabitch.

apl.de.ap only had two words for Clay Aiken and Ricky Martin last night -- "I'm sorry."

That sure beats the two he had for them last time -- "That's gay" -- when asked about the two boys going the turkey baster route for babymaking.

apl.de.ap from the Black Eyes Peas needs to take a cue from his songs and learn when to "Shut Up" -- especially when he's throwing the G-bomb around.

When asked about Ricky Martin's in vitro twins and the Claby, the Pea's eloquent response was "that's gay" -- but literally seconds after he dropped the statement, the furious backtracking began! His assistant wanted us to "edit that part out." We didn't.

TMZ got a hold of some Fergie photos from back in the day -- when she was just known simply as Stacy Ferguson.

This was probably around the time she got that ridic eyebrow piercing she's had forever.