12:37 PM -- John's family tells TMZ the famed director suffered a stroke Wednesday while at the hospital. He's currently in the ICU and under great medical care. The family adds, "We ask that privacy be given to him and our family at this time and appreciate all of the prayers that have been pouring in from his fans, friends and colleagues."John Singleton has suffered a stroke ... family members tell TMZ.

The legendary director and screenwriter is in the hospital ... we've learned he checked himself in earlier this week after experiencing weakness in his leg. A family member tells TMZ, John had flown back from Costa Rica and the plane flight may have triggered the medical emergency.

We're told doctors are performing tests and also doing rehab. The stroke was described to us as "mild."   

As you know, Singleton is iconic in the entertainment industry ... hitting like thunder with his directorial debut ... "Boyz n the Hood" back in 1991. He was nominated for 2 Oscars -- Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. He was the youngest filmmaker to get nominations in the 2 categories. 

He had close ties with the Jackson family, directing Michael Jackson's music video, "Remember the Time" and directing Janet Jackson in "Poetic Justice." His other credits include "Rosewood," "Shaft," "2 Fast 2 Furious," and "Four Brothers."

Singleton received accolades for directing "The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story," "Empire," and "Billions."

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Pray 4 my brother 🙏🏽👊🏿✨💙. @johnsingleton

A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on Apr 20, 2019 at 3:57am PDT

Snoop Dogg is asking people to pray for John. 

John has been teaching at his alma mater recently ... USC Film School. He's teaching a course titled "Film and Culture."  

The 51-year-old also co-created "Snowfall," which chronicles the crack epidemic in the 1980s in Los Angeles.

Originally published -- 8:48 AM PT

Ben & Jerry's got blunt on 4/20 by going to battle for the disproportionate amount of minorities getting the shaft when it comes to weed busts.

The famous ice cream company made their thoughts very well known in a 29-second clip calling out white privilege ... straight-up saying it's hard to celebrate 4/20 when so many people of color are still being arrested for pot. Ben & Jerry's thinks that ain't right.

It’s hard to celebrate 4/20 when so many people of color are still being arrested for pot. We have to do better. Learn more: https://t.co/DPCcqND0SI pic.twitter.com/fLsngGteOF

— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) April 20, 2019

Check out the video ... the company wants to celebrate the holiest of holidays for stoners, but while also making sure legalization doesn't leave people of color behind. It also calls on the judicial system to expunge EVERYBODY'S weed convictions.

BTW ... weed is legal in 33 states but, according to one study, black people in NYC are 8 times more likely to be arrested for weed than whites. Ben & Jerry's says that's NOT cool.

Now that's a company that knows its audience.

Gavin DeGraw's probably hurtin' bad right now ... after slipping and planting his face on some hard ice.

The "I Don't Want To Be" hitmaker hit up Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Saturday for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Stars and Predators. He was there to sing the National Anthem and absolutely KILLED. But, as he was hyping up the crowd ... he took one step too many backward and BAM!!!

DOWN GOES GAVIN DEGRAW pic.twitter.com/aAcmhKGHxj

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 20, 2019

It ain't pretty ... Gavin's face met the ice and it looked like it was a hard collision. Tough break for the local kid. He not only lives in Nashville, but he also owns the very popular joint, Nashville Underground ... a massive 4-level joint and bar just blocks away from the arena and on the famous Honky Tonk Highway.

Naturally, the joint specializes in Nashville hot chicken ... but they also serve steak. Hear that, Gavin? Introduce some raw steak on that pretty face.

Nipsey Hussle's murderer made a mad dash to a car with a driver who was waiting to speed away from the murder scene -- and it's all captured on video.

TMZ has seen the video -- shot from a surveillance camera in the area. You see the shooter race down an alley to the waiting car. The killer stops at the car for a second, then gets inside the passenger seat and the driver floors it. It's apparent from the video ... the driver was waiting to bolt from the scene.

As we reported, the driver of the car was interviewed by LAPD detectives 2 days after the murder, but was allowed to leave without being arrested. As we reported, law enforcement sources told TMZ, "Sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot." The clear intimation ... the driver was giving cops info.

It's now been several weeks and the driver still has not been arrested, although, our law enforcement sources tell us the LAPD and the L.A. County D.A. are "actively investigating."

One law enforcement source tells us, one of the hangups is whether the driver had knowledge the killer -- whom police believe is Eric Holder -- had a gun and was intent on murdering Nipsey. We're told the driver insisted she did not know his intent or that he was armed. 

Our sources say when the car initially rolled up to The Marathon Clothing store, Holder was driving and the woman was the passenger. We're told Holder parked in the mini-mall parking lot next to the store. As the woman waited in the car, Nipsey and Holder had their initial conversation, in which Nipsey rebuffed him after suggesting he was a snitch -- which Holder denied.  

Contrary to some reports, we're told the conversation continued without animosity. The 2 engaged in some sort of friendly hand gesture, after which, Holder walked over to the burger joint in the same mall, ordered something and eventually got in the car and left.

We're told the car returned a short time later to a street that is connected to the alley that leads to the mall. The woman was driving and Holder was a passenger. We're told after Holder got out and walked toward the mall, she kept the car running and waited for him to return.

It's unclear what kind of information cops want from the woman. There were plenty of witnesses to the murder who say they have ID'd Holder. Several of the witnesses tell TMZ, they have not yet been contacted by police. 

Laura Ingraham is catching serious heat for disrespecting Nipsey Hussle, and Michelle Obama is taking a hit for going after divorced dads. So, we gotta ask ... 

Jussie Smollett is the victim of an out of control media and social media storm and the "Empire" star is suffering profound emotional issues from simply telling the truth about the "attack" ... so says his brother.

Jojo Smollett says Jussie is "violently awakening from night terrors, following the assault" ... so he says in an op-ed piece for BET.

Jojo calls claims that Jussie staged the attack "ludicrous," adding he has been insanely successful and didn't need a phony reason to boost his career opportunities or salary.

Jussie's brother says there are plenty of people who support the actor and the problem lies with the "bandwagoning and tyranny of the 'perceived' majority."

Jojo says Jussie didn't even want to contact the police following the incident in Chicago and says it was his choreographer who insisted he do so and it was actually the choreographer who called the cops. 

The message ... "What if Jussie is telling the truth?"

Kim Kardashian is mired in her studies to become a lawyer, but she's already the recipient of a big award from a legal org.

We've learned Kim and her lawyer, Shawn Holley, will receive the Women Leadership in Law Award next month for their work in getting Alice Johnson freed. The award is also for their ongoing work in the area of prison reform.

Kim and Shawn will receive the award at a conference in Bev Hills, sponsored by 2 of California's leading legal publications ... The California Lawyer and the Daily Journal. 

One of the officers from the org wrote to them, "You both are truly inspirational, and your work has been life-changing."

As you know, Kim and Shawn worked closely with Jared Kushner for months, before finally meeting with Donald Trump in the Oval Office to push for Johnson's release. The 2 women are widely credited for gaining Alice's freedom.

Kim is studying to become a lawyer in California ... one of 4 states which allow people to take the bar exam without attending law school. 

Childish Gambino's performance for weekend 2 at Coachella was lit ... literally.

The rapper headlined day 1 Friday night at Coachella and it was fiery set ... literally and figuratively. For starters, last night's performance was completely different from last week's show. He also seemed to be in a friendlier mood this time around. He told the audience last week to put their phones away, but this time around he was in the crowd taking selfies and told the crowd they were dope.

Check out the vid ... Gambino closed his set with a display of fireworks and with his hit "Redbone." 

Chance the Rapper makes a brief appearance at Childish Gambino’s #Coachella weekend two set pic.twitter.com/GCeZrkyFyb

— Erin Nyren (@ecnyren) April 20, 2019

Childish also got surprised backstage after he performed "This is America." When that set was over, he ran into Chance the Rapper and they bro'd out. Chance never took the stage nor performed. But, clearly, that didn't matter to Childish, who was stoked to see him.

Colts owner Jim Irsay just added another sweet piece of history to his impressive collection ... a super famous John Lennon piano!!!

We're told Jim paid a whopping $718,750 for the piano Lennon used to write The Beatles' eighth studio album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." As we first reported ... the famous piano went up for auction earlier this month ... with Irsay rising above the rest.

The piano is one of several Lennon stored and used at his famous Kenwood house on St. George's Hill estate in Weybridge, England. Legend has it, this was his favorite piano, which itself is a piece of history ... it's a John Broadwood & Sons piano that dates back to 1872!!!

The piano also features a plaque that says, "On this piano was written: A Day in the Life, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Good Morning, Good morning, Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite and Many others. John Lennon. 1971."

Jim's clearly ecstatic after hauling the relic piece.

I’m elated to now be the steward of John’s “Sgt. Pepper” upright piano. It’s a responsibility I take seriously, with future generations in mind. #GettingThemBackTogether #Beatles

— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) April 20, 2019

He's a HUGE music memorabilia collector. Jim also owns the Yellow Cloud electric guitar Prince used in concerts from the late 80s. He also paid nearly $1 million for Jerry Garcia's one-of-a-kind "Tiger" guitar. And, he's also the proud owner of the Fender Stratocaster used by Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival back in 1965 ... after dropping another near $1 million.

We're told Irsay hopes to open a museum in Indianapolis for all the memorabilia he's scooped up over the years. Congrats!!! 

Will Smith surprised the Coachella crowd Friday night during week 2 of the festival by joining his son, Jaden, onstage ... and he did not disappoint. The crowd went nuts. 

Will performed Jaden's hit song, "Icon" at the Sahara tent to a packed crowd. It's interesting ... you may recall, Will did a parody of the music video last year, which became a pretty big hit as well.  

Willow also performed with Jaden, as Jada Pinkett Smith watched in the crowd with approval. Before jumping onstage, Will was next to Jada filming his son and daughter onstage.

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Done Did ‘dat! #coachella

A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith) on Apr 19, 2019 at 8:28pm PDT

Once up there, Will said, "This is my first time on the Coachella stage, ain't no way I'm going off like that. Run it one more time!"

Remember ... last week Jaden brought out Jordyn Woods, which was a real statement. As you know, the Kardashians are furious at her over the whole Tristan Thompson thing, but Jada came out strong supporting Jordyn and even unfollowing Kris, Khloe and Kim. This was a further showing of support for Jordyn and presumably evidence of the fractured relationship between the Smiths and the Kardashians.