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Carmen Electra made a massive life change this past week -- filing to ditch her birth name to formally go by her long-known stage name ... and now we know exactly why.

Sources close to the "Baywatch" star tell TMZ ... there's really no big reason behind the decision -- we're told it's just something she's been thinking about for a while and finally took the plunge, since there's no better time than the New Year to start fresh.

We should note, she hasn't gone by her birth name -- Tara Leigh Patrick -- in decades.

TMZ obtained the legal docs earlier this week ... revealing she wants to formally change her name to "Carmen Electra" ... so looks like this is officially goodbye to Tara! It's also just formalizing what everyone has known her as for decades now.

Fun fact -- CE didn't come up with the zippy stage name herself -- it was actually birthed as a result of the late icon, Prince ... who bestowed the name upon her when she auditioned to be part of an all-girl group he was assembling in the early '90s.

Unfortunately, she didn't make the cut ... but she went on to make a splash on TV and elsewhere, and she kept the cool moniker for herself.

Matthew Stafford better have brought his tough-guy helmet with him to Detroit this weekend ... 'cause Calvin Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's not expecting Lions fans to welcome their former QB with open arms.

Of course, Megatron says there will likely be some cheers and even some people decked out in Stafford's former No. 9 jerseys at Ford Field when the Rams visit for their much-anticipated Wild Card round game Sunday night ... but the Hall of Famer tells us, "I'm sure there will be people booing."

As for how Johnson will feel ... it seems he's feeling conflicted on how to handle it all as well.

"I'm definitely a Matthew fan -- that's my guy," said Johnson, who caught passes from Stafford from 2009 to 2015 with the Lions. "But I want him to come in here and come into the Lion's Den and not go home!"

Some Detroit fans, meanwhile, have already given a bit of a preview into how they'll respond when Stafford runs out onto the field later Sunday ... advocating a ban on wearing old No. 9 uniforms to the game -- something Matthew's wife was not pleased about.

Antics in the crowd aside, Johnson expects his old team will ultimately get the win over Stafford -- though he says the score will be very close.

Cillian Murphy's looks over the years have earned him a BIG STANDING O!

Here is a 26-year-old version of the fresh-faced fella at the premiere of "Intermission" -- just one of his many iconic films -- back in 2003 (right). This was one year after he rose to prominence with his breakout role in "28 Days Later."

And, 21 years later and just coming off a golden win at last weekend's Globe Awards, Mr. Murphy put his icy-blue eyes on full display (left) and proved he can STILL GET IT with his plump lips and defined facial features.

Clearly, he's doin' something right, but the question is ...

Tory Lanez was paid a visit from a very special person while behind bars -- his son Kai.

Ceasar McDowell, a member of Tory's legal team and CEO of Unite the People tells TMZ ... the 6-year-old got to visit his dad 2 weekends in a row at California Correctional Institution Tehachapi ... where the rapper is less than 4 months into his 10-yr sentence for shooting Meg Thee Stallion in the foot.

We're told a family member brought the youngster to the prison ... and they didn't have to talk through glass. In fact, they got to sit at a table and spend 4-5 hours together on both Sat & Sun.

The father/son duo played board games, did some drawing, and ate food out of the vending machine.

Tory was happy to hug his son ... and it was especially good to see him as he'd been unable to spend time with him for the holidays -- though they communicate frequently.

You'll recall ... Tory brought Kai to court several times during his shooting trial in 2022.

Tory was sentenced in August 2023 ... found guilty of all 3 charges against him -- negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm.

TMZ has posted a lot of stories this week -- but some stood out to us on the TV side of things -- and we thought we'd let people have a second look at a few of our biggest topics.

One of the buzzier things we tackled was the Zendaya/Tom Holland breakup rumors that were swirling for a couple weeks -- when she unfollowed literally everybody on her Instagram account ... including her British boyfriend, who was still following her.

On "TMZ Live," we dove right into this ... piecing together all the clues/red flags that had people worried that Zen and Tom might, perhaps, be over and done with. TH himself squashed it all on Friday, but there was an interesting maze of intel leading up to that.

Anyway ... on "TMZ on TV' side, we also talked Kevin Hart and his renewed disavowal of ever wanting to host the Oscars -- this after infamously missing out a few years ago.

He was defending Jo Koy's Globes job ... but it felt like he might still have some sour grapes about the past -- and our office had a good time debating how sincere KH really is.

Finally on the "TMZ Sports" side ... we discussed this proposed jersey ban as Matthew Stafford heads back to Detroit to take on the Lions -- this as the new QB of the Los Angeles Rams.

Wow, did Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Kimmel get into it, and did Kylie really tell her BF NOT to take a pic with Selena? So we gotta ask ...

Concealed in this mashed-up photo is a lady from Livingston, New Jersey who's been providing laughs since the early 2000s! She may be the youngest of 6, but she definitely speaks her mind and drops the mic! Can you guess who she is?

This comedian loves a good ski run down the mountain (but do it topless of course 😜)! And, when she's not sharing her travels on socials, she enjoys lighting one up and snuggling with Bert and Bernice.

Yo Gotti's brother, Anthony 'Big Jook' Mims, was shot and killed this weekend ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the rapper's older sibling was gunned down Saturday in Memphis on near Winchester Road. Per reports, this murder took place after he'd attended a funeral service in the area.

There are photos and videos circulating online that purportedly show Jook bleeding on the ground with people attending to him. The exact details of the shooting are unclear at this point ... but Jook is confirmed dead.

Big Jook was incredibly close to his famous brother ... he appears to officially be affiliated with Gotti's label Collective Music Group -- promoting artists under the imprint and appearing in music videos for them as well. Jook seemed to be more so on the business side.

It's sad that he happened to be killed during a time of mourning -- something he alluded to in one of his last IG Stories Saturday ... where he was honoring a fallen relative.

Unclear if Gotti himself was with Jook during the killing -- he hasn't addressed his brother's murder just yet either. Another element to this is the possibility that this might be related to the murder of Young Dolph in 2021 ... at least that's the speculation online anyway.

As we reported ... cops rushed to Gotti's Memphis restaurant shortly after the young rapper was shot down himself outside of a cookie store -- this out of fear of possible retaliation.

It's no secret Dolph and Gotti had beef ... and now, many suspect this might be connected. Also worth noting -- the location of Jook's murder is not far from Gotti's establishment ... in fact, it's on the same block. This is also not very far from where Dolph's murder took place.

Alec Musser -- famous from 'All My Children' -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The actor's fiancée, Paige Press, tells us Musser passed away Friday night at his home in Del Mar, CA. His uncle, Robert, confirmed his nephew's death to us as well ... but neither he nor Press would elaborate on the circumstances or exact cause.

Musser will best be remembered for playing Del Henry on the beloved, long-running soap opera between 2005 and 2007 ... during which he appeared in a total of 43 episodes.

Other films/TV shows he starred in include ... 'Grown Ups,' 'Rita Rocks,' 'Desperate Housewives' and 'Road to the Altar.' He only had 6 acting credits -- but Musser was known in showbiz outside of his on-camera work ... namely, through is fitness modeling career.

He had graced the covers of several magazines -- including Men's Health, Men's Workout, Exercise Health and others. The guy was a bodybuilder, and had a great physique.

AM might not have acted in H'wood lately, but he was still a big presence on social media -- highlighting his continued health/fitness journey, his active lifestyle and even pics with loved ones. On its face, nothing seemed to be amiss ... making his passing all the more shocking.

Musser was only 50 years old.

Robert Downey Jr. isn't apologizing for his controversial role in "Tropic Thunder" ... and he's using another polarizing show from back in the day to make a nuanced point.

The actor -- who just won a Golden Globe for his part in "Oppenheimer" last weekend -- recently went on the "Literally! with Rob Lowe" podcast to defend the work he did in the '08 film, in which he plays a method actor playing a Black man ... in full blackface.

RDJ says people should look beyond the surface of his performance -- where he was playing a caricature of a person -- and consider the larger message the film was trying to convey about his character ... namely, highlighting tropes that had been perpetuated for years.

Interestingly enough, he says the show 'All in the Family' is a good example of this -- telling a quick anecdote about attending Norman Lear's shiva ... and them playing a disclaimer before running a clip from his famous sitcom. Listen -- RDJ's telling us all something here.

The disclaimer read, "The program you are about to see is ‘All in the Family.’ It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show -- in a mature fashion -- just how absurd they are."

Downey says there used to be an understanding between creators and audiences about this type of stuff, and it didn't have to be handled with kid gloves the way it does nowadays.

Robert's biggest issue is that he says the modern world is experiencing a "clickbait addiction to grievance" ... basically saying it's so easy to get mad at jokes and film choices without looking at the greater context, or the bigger-picture message. Sadly, times have changed.

Selena Gomez and Emily Blunt didn't take any chances at the American Film Institute awards Friday night ... covering up their mouths to thwart lipreaders with active imaginations.

The superstar actresses got together for a fun photo at the event where they hit the "speak no evil" pose -- a reference, no doubt, to some Golden Globes gossip sparked by everyone's favorite rumor mill ... social media.

Selena threw this pic up on her IG story and wrote, "We shall not speak lol."

ICYMI ... during the Globes on Sunday night, Selena rushed over to talk to her close friends Taylor Swift and Keleigh Teller, Miles Teller's wife. Her expression screamed hot goss and lipreading "experts" immediately got to work cracking the code.

Some interpreted it as her gossiping about Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner ... even though SG later denied it, saying she was discussing two other pals of hers.

Now as for Emily ... she and husband John Krasinski hit the red carpet before the event and, through their smiles, JK seemed to say a word that sounded suspiciously like "divorce."

Of course, the internet went crazy. Blunt and Krasinski are a beloved couple and the thought of them divorcing threw corners of the internet into turmoil ... until a helpful TikToker pointed out he easily could've been complaining about the elements saying, "I can't wait til we're indoors."

We gotta say ... that makes a whole lot more sense than talking about a pending divorce nonchalantly in front of dozens of red carpet cameras, especially if you're trying to keep it a secret. Their body language also didn't telegraph any trouble in paradise, FWIW.

Selena and Emily could've ended up telling each other what was really said in each convo last Sunday ... but eagle-eyed fans won't get another chance to figure it out, unfortunately.

Jeff Bezos turned 60 yesterday, and a day later -- he emerged looking like he's in his 20s again ... at least that's what his outfit's screaming here all the way over in Europe.

The Amazon founder/multibillionaire hit the town Saturday in Milan -- where he and his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, are visiting as he celebrates the big 6-0 in style. Emphasis on that last part ... 'cause, as you can see here, they left their hotel dressed to the nines.

JB was in an all-black getup ... rocking a leather jacket and some nifty shades, while his lady was in a matching black-and-white ensemble. Indeed, they look very power couple-y.

Of course, there were a ton of paps around snapping their exit, and Jeff made sure Lauren got into their waiting car first -- ever the gentleman. Gotta say ... dude's a bit of a butterfly.

By that ... we mean he's glowed up quite a bit over the past 2 decades -- especially ever since he got with Lauren. Jeff's in the best shape of his life, and he's finally dressing like the uber-wealthy tech mogul that he is. This fashionable outfit is Exhibit A on that.

Consider what he looked like when he first started Amazon in the '90s .. a stark difference.

Now, homeboy's in his Lex Luthor phase ... and he's definitely living it big as one of the richest men on the planet. Luckily for him, Lauren completely complements that vibe too.

They've been on a nonstop unofficial honeymoon ever since they got together -- traveling the world and soaking in vacays everywhere you can imagine. Safe to say, she's brought him out of his shell a bit ... or dare we say, his cocoon!

Tony Dungy's stirring up bad blood with the NFL's new golden goose in Taylor Swift ... essentially saying she distracts from the sport, which he thinks is a very bad thing.

In a recent interview with Fox News, the former NFL player/coach was asked how he felt about Travis Kelce's biggest fan, and he said the "Taylor Swift effect" takes away from on-field action ... going on to compare her to outside noise now infecting the game itself.

TD said, "That's the thing that's disenchanting people with sports now. There's so much on the outside coming in. Entertainment value and different things taking away from what really happens on the field."

Dungy's not some just loud-mouthed commentator either ... the guy's got credentials to back up his claims. Tony played three seasons in the NFL before embarking on a coaching career which earned him a Super Bowl title and a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Of course, Taylor's been a frequent guest in Travis' suite at Chiefs games since mid-September and even showed up as recently as New Year's Eve against the Bengals. She'll reportedly hit up the playoff game in K.C. against the Dolphins tonight despite ice-cold temperatures.

We don't know if TS has seen the interview yet, but we have a pretty good idea of what her reaction might be ... if her viral Golden Globes stare-down of Jo Koy is any indication.

Remember, Taylor shot daggers at the GG host during his rough opening monologue when he said, "The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL -- on the Golden Globes we have fewer camera shots to Taylor Swift."

A seemingly harmless joke that didn't go over well, but Dungy and Koy seem to have the same point here ... Taylor herself isn't the issue. It's the NFL tearing focus away from its primary product, its own games, to grab interest from a new audience.

Jo Koy is still reflecting on his poorly-received Golden Globes hosting gig -- calling the star-studded crowd a bunch of softies ... this as he gets back to regular routine.

Variety sent one of their reporters to St. Louis Friday -- where Jo was scheduled to perform ... marking his first regular stand-up set since the big show. According to the outlet, he immediately dove into the topic after arriving late due to bad weather.

He got a warm welcome from the crowd, and Jo reportedly said ... "Holy s***, right? This big hug that you gave me is all I need, swear to god. F***ing whirlwind, goddamn."

JK then went on to trash the Globes audience -- which, BTW, were nothing but a bunch of celebs/industry people -- by saying this ... "Lot a marshmallows, man. They’re delicious, but goddamn, they’re soft. I just come from a different time. I see the changes that are happening. I get it, but goddamn, can we f***ing laugh at ourselves?"

Variety says the crowd on hand for Jo last night ate all this up ... cheering him on and one person even apparently yelling "F*** 'em!" in support of Jo.

Jo then reportedly said this about the GG broadcast ... "Koy said, 'I got a feeling none of you motherf***ers watched it, and I’m kinda happy. Oh my god. It feels good to live in this country. We get to say what we want to say. Don’t be apologetic about it at all. Be able to…speak your mind.'"

Like we mentioned ... Jo's opening monologue got torn to shreds on a number of different fronts -- with many accusing him of sexism/misogyny ... and just terrible material generally.

Drake's music might technically be considered "rap" if you had to throw it in a genre bin -- but Yasiin Bey (aka, Mos Def) says it ain't pure hip hop as far as he's considered.

The legendary MC recently sat down for an interview on "The Cutting Room Floor" ... where the host asks him straight up if he considers Drizzy to be "hip hop," which made for a fascinating exchange. Long story short, no ... Mos doesn't think Aubrey's in the circle.

Check out the video to see his full response on this ... 'cause it's pretty brutal. MD says Drake's tunes are like shopping music -- namely, friendly/easy to listen to and digest ... perhaps with a little edge every now and then.

He also uses Target to make his point here ... noting Drake, by and large, is as mainstream and commercial as they come, and calling him pop more than hip hop. Yeah, it's harsh.

Mos had even more to say on the topic ... rhetorically asking if Drake actually challenges his audience with art they might not necessarily enjoy -- going on to suggest that everybody thinks Drizzy's music is always "great," and that there's a lot of pom-pom cheering.

Of course, this has been a raging debate forever now -- with hip hop purists constantly s****ing on Drake as too soft for their taste ... and now, a hip hop great is piling on.

Drake has defended himself on this issue, and yes ... he's proven he can spit with the best of them, so his hip hop bona fides have been proven. Still though, it sounds like he continues to be considered a little too pop-y for some of his contemporaries... which is fine.

Fact is, he's one of the most famous artists in the world, and he's wildly wealthy too. You trade one thing for the other, we suppose ... mass appeal is pretty freaking profitable.🤷🏽‍♂️