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Before this blondie hit it big on the big screen, she was a self-proclaimed goody two-shoes who grew up in western Massachusetts. She was also a super bookworm -- graduating Magna Cum Laude at the University of Pennsylvania. She later attended the prestigious American Conservatory Theater and worked in theater in NYC before landing some small roles.

But, soon the small gigs turned into big roles ... first as Betty Brant in "Spider-Man" and later in Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me If You Can" and Oliver Stone's biopic of George W. Bush, "W."

Truth be told ... ya might have LOL'd during her scenes in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin."

Jennifer Lopez is driving into her 50th year of life in style -- all thanks to her hubby-to-be, Alex Rodriguez, who bought her a brand spankin' new sports car.

J Lo was spotted Wednesday testing out her new whip -- which looks like a 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 -- with cameras rolling in Miami, and A-Rod standing nearby making sure everything went off without a hitch.

Gotta say, the fire red ride suits Jennifer well -- hot, sexy, classic ... just like its owner!!!

Meanwhile, it  looks like A-Rod was inspecting the gift upon delivery ... which showed up with a giant yellow ribbon on the hood. Nothing less than perfect for your honey, right?

J Lo is celebrating the big 5-0 at a shindig on Star Island -- just off the coast of Miami Beach. Seems like it's gonna be a giant birthday bash too, considering what was being brought in and all the prep work that was going into getting the place set up.

You can see giant golden orbs that are hanging all around a bunch of gazebos on the waterfront. Ya gotta assume J Lo's gonna go all out for her big day. And, rightfully so, of course ... it's a major milestone for her storied life.

Cameron Boyce's memory is living on in the people he was closest to in his career -- which couldn't have been more clear than at Kenny Ortega's Walk of Fame ceremony.

The esteemed director -- who headed up Disney's "Descendants" film, which starred Cameron -- was honored Wednesday with his own star on Hollywood Boulevard. During his speech, he made sure to mention the late actor, who tragically died this month.

Kenny said Cameron -- whose father and sister attended the event as well -- had inspired him beyond words, and also inspired a generation of kids who were familiar with his work.

He went on to say that Cameron told him something once that he relayed to the crowd -- watch the clip ... it's pretty profound that Cameron was talking like that before his sudden passing. Kenny also touted a foundation Cameron's family has started in his name.

As we've reported ... Cameron suffered from epilepsy throughout his life, before dying in his sleep in early July after enduring a fatal seizure. His exact cause of death has yet to be released, but authorities have listed it as a "natural death."

His family has thanked all of Cameron's fans for the outpouring of love and support, and said of their son ... "He was and is, so cherished and we will hold him in our hearts forever. He is our shooting star."

One of R. Kelly's live-in girlfriend is looking a lot like her old self on social media -- which has her family incredibly encouraged they can get her back.

Azriel Clary -- one of the singer's girlfriends, who's stood by his side to this day -- has been popping up A LOT on social media after being a relative recluse prior to R. Kelly getting re-arrested on new federal charges. The 180 has her family hopeful.

Family sources tell TMZ ... Azriel's immediate brood has been seeing flashes of the daughter they once knew in recently-surfaced Snapchat videos and other clips that show Azriel dancing, trying on clothes, laughing ... and acting like a normal person again.

A lot of these videos appear to be filmed inside R. Kelly's Trump Tower apartment in Chicago -- where Azriel and Joycelyn Savage are presumably still staying -- but the fact that she's getting out there again (in a sense) is giving her fam hope R. Kelly's losing his grasp over her.

We're told Azriel has maintained this entire time that she's had a phone and has been on social media, but the fact is ... she seems to be getting on it a lot more now that R. Kelly's not around. She's been posting content about 4 to 5 times a day.

There's also this ... we're told some of Azriel's old friends have been reconnecting with her on social media, which is yet another sign she's coming back.

Steve Ballmer is a MANIAC ... and we love it!!!

The L.A. Clippers chairman -- who's worth $52 BILLION -- just went absolutely BERSERK while introducing Kawhi Leonard and Paul George as the newest members of his team.

He screamed, his voice cracked ... he got the whole media group to stand up and cheer for the Clip Squad -- it was hype!!!

Ballmer says Kawhi and Paul are the two missing pieces the Clippers need to get the Larry O'Brien Trophy ... which he now calls the "Larry O.B.!"

Steve said it's championship or bust ... and gave an old Bronx Cheer when discussing the possibility of a 2nd place finish during the 2019-20 season.

HE EVEN GOT KAWHI TO SMILE!!!!!!

As for Kawhi and Paul, they couldn't have been more respectful to their previous teams and thanked their old cities and teammates ... before talking about how excited they are to play in L.A.

BUT BALLMER STOLE THE SHOW!!!

By the way, Ballmer has been going H.A.M. at public events for decades ... don't forget all the craziness from his Microsoft days. Classic!

Eddie Murphy's ex-wife, Nicole Murphy, is now clarifying and apologizing for locking lips with a very married man.

Nicole was spotted kissing director Antoine Fuqua over the weekend while vacationing in Italy, and was photographed doing so on at least two occasions. They were definitely getting cozy and appeared to be interacting romantically.

Nicole initially said they were just "family friends" and had simply exchanged a "friendly hello." She has another version now, telling TMZ ... "Without going into the entire situation, I want to apologize to my family, and to Lela and the Fuqua family for what transpired."

Nicole goes on to explain, "It was not my intention to be in this situation. I do not condone women kissing or interacting in anyway inappropriately with a married man. I too was once married and I would never intentionally undermine another woman, despite what has been written."

As for why Nicole kissed Fuqua, who's been married to actress Lela Rochon since 1999 ... we're told she thought the status of their relationship was ... over.

Sources tell us, Nicole was under the impression that Antoine was divorced, and that's why she engaged with him the way she did. We're told she feels terrible about this and hopes folks can forgive her for the mistake.

It's unclear if Nicole was told by Antoine that he was single -- we're working on getting clarification for that. As for Antoine, we've reached out to his camp ... so far, no word back.

One of the last times the "Training Day" director was photographed with his wife in a public setting was February of this year. It's possible they've separated since then, but there's no indication thus far that's happened.

Meek Mill is getting a second shot at justice -- his 2008 gun conviction was just thrown out ... and he's being granted a new trial AND a new judge to re-fight the charge.

A panel of judges handed down their decision Wednesday in Pennsylvania Superior Court -- saying Meek does in fact deserve a new trial, with a new jury ... and most importantly a new judge who ISN'T Judge Genece Brinkley ... who many believe had it out for him the first time around.

Meek celebrated the decision on social media, writing ... "As of right now I’m not on probation and I am not a felon anymore," adding a bunch of praying hands. He went on to say, "today was mega!!!"

As we reported, the key witness in the case turned out to be a dirty cop. Even the prosecutor wanted a new trial -- especially after Meek was released from prison over a year ago -- but Judge Brinkley wouldn't budge. This time around, a panel of 3 judges who were not previously involved in the case unanimously made the decision to throw out the conviction.

You'll recall ... Meek has been through the ringer over the past two years in Philly. He was thrown back in prison back in the fall of 2017 after Judge Brinkley found that he'd violated his probation on at least two occasions from recent arrests ... one for allegedly getting into a fight at an airport, and another for reckless driving.

Despite both cases being dropped, Judge Brinkley found that the arrests alone were violations of his probation from his '08 case ... and harshly sentenced him to a 2-4 year prison sentence.

Meek was locked up for a little while -- with many people fighting for his freedom from the outside -- until finally in April of 2018 ... he was cut loose by the Supreme Court of PA, which overruled Judge Brinkley, who refused to let him out. He walked out of prison and straight to a Philadelphia 76ers game right afterward, with his entire journey documented from helicopter.

Meek just said, "I'd like to thank the Pennsylvania Superior Court judges for their wisdom and their transparency in reviewing my case, unanimously overturning my conviction and granting me a new trial. The past 11 years have been mentally and emotionally challenging, but I'm ecstatic that justice prevailed."

He goes on ... "This positive outcome wouldn't have been possible without the support of my family, my attorneys, Jay Z, Desiree Perez, Michael Rubin, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office and my supporters who have stood with me through the ups and downs."

Meek makes it clear, not everyone is this lucky ... "Unfortunately, millions of people are dealing with similar issues in our country and don't have the resources to fight back like I did. We need to continue supporting them. I'm committed to working with my team at the REFORM Alliance to change these outdated laws and fix our broken criminal justice system."

Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who has been a stalwart in the fight to overturn the conviction, says, "In this case although justice was delayed it was not denied!"

Rutger Hauer -- the Dutch actor best known for costarring with Harrison Ford in the classic film "Blade Runner" -- has died.

The veteran actor died at his home in the Netherlands last week after a short illness, according to his agent. His funeral was held Wednesday.

Hauer's Hollywood career spanned over 5 decades, and his credits include leading roles in movies like "The Hitcher" and playing Roy Batty in Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi film, "Blade Runner."

Rutger won a Golden Globe in 1988 for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in the TV series "Escape from Sobibor," and was nominated again in 1995 for "Fatherland."

His more recent credits include "Sin City," "Batman Begins" and the titular role in 2011's "Hobo with a Shotgun." He also had a notable supporting role on the HBO series, "True Blood."

After several big roles in the Netherlands in the '70s, Hauer made his mark on American cinema in 1981, starring alongside Sly Stallone in "Nighthawks."

He was big in the horror genre, as well -- he played Van Helsing in 2012's "Dracula 3D" to follow up going full vampire in the 2004 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s "Salem’s Lot."

Rutger was 75.

Demi Lovato could NOT look happier celebrating her 1 year anniversary of sobriety.

The singer and a big group of friends hit up Barton G in WeHo Tuesday night for dinner. As they left, Demi struck a chic pose with her buds to commemorate the occasion, no doubt a pivotal moment for the singer.

It was exactly a year ago Wednesday when Demi -- who struggled with addiction for years -- was rushed to the hospital following her near-fatal overdose. She'd been sober for 6 years before relapsing but has made it priority No. 1 to live a sober life again.

Demi's surrounded herself with a strong support system. In fact ... her team back in January surprised her with a slice of cake to celebrate 6 months of sobriety with a note that read in part, "We are so f**king proud of you!!"

Kanye West wants to be holier-than-thou when it comes to hawking apparel embossed with his now-famous Sunday Service, because he's asking the feds to allow him to corner the market.

Ye just filed legal docs asking for exclusive ownership of clothing, dresses, footwear, headwear, jackets loungewear, scarves, shirts, socks and clothing tops.

If approved, he'll get a trademark that gives his exclusive rights to sell the merch.

Kanye had a merch booth at Coachella during his Sunday Service on Easter Sunday. He sold hoodies for $165 and $225 a pop and socks for ... $50!!!

He took some heat from some folks on social media who felt it was untoward to make a buck on such a holy day.

The Sunday Service has become quite the thing ... riddled with celebs such as Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Kid Cudi and, of course, the entire Kardashian Klan.

Joe Rogan didn't deserve this.

The UFC commentator/podcast titan/comedian had parked his truck at LAX during his Summer vacation to Europe ... and when he got back, he noticed the whip was covered in cat logs.

"I parked my truck for 11 days at LAX and cats decided to sh*t and piss ALL over the sunroof," Rogan said.

"This is what was left after I drove 35 miles home. There was WAY more when I got into the car. Luckily it’s hot out so the sh*t was dry and hard, but f*ck is it disgusting."

There's more ...

"When I got in the car I was confused because it looked like someone poured a drink all over the windshield. We stopped at the exit and realized the entire top of the truck was covered with sh*t and piss."

So, what's the moral of the story ...

The "Big Brother" house sounds a lot like a breeding ground for racism ... a white houseguest is in hot water after a racially charged joke about an Asian houseguest was caught on camera.

In a clip that was captured on the live feed inside the 'BB21' house this week, you hear Jack Matthews crack a joke about "rice pudding" in reference to Isabella Wang, who is Asian.

The other houseguests who heard the joke -- they are all white, BTW -- don't seem at all bothered by the clearly racist reference ... but people on social media are OUTRAGED.

In another clip captured on the live feed this week, you hear Jack talking about his "rice pudding" comment with another houseguest ... and it seems pretty clear Jack got a stern talking to from show producers. However, he says his joke was misconstrued ... he doesn't explain how.

It's another example of what people are calling rampant racism in the 'BB' house ... former houseguest Kemi Fakunle, who is black, says she was "disgusted by the behavior" in the house ... and some viewers have pointed out 3 minority houseguests got the boot on the same night.

Work hard, yacht harder!!!

After wrapping up a few DJ performances in Europe, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal decided to relax a bit on a big, ass yacht off the coast of Formentera, Spain.

The pics are great ... look at Shaq DWARF the regular-sized people on the ship!

Also, weird that he's diving into the water with his shoes on, right!?!

Of course, 47-year-old Shaq recently took his DJ skills to the Tomorrowland Festival in Belgium where he was spotted raging with the crowd after his set. He then jetted over to Croatia to perform at the POW WOW Festival at the Noa Beach Club on Monday.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is alive and hilarious!!!

RBG appeared on NPR Wednesday and addressed the deep concerns millions of Americans have expressed over her health and the possibility Donald Trump will get another swing at stacking the court with ultra-conservative justices.

Justice Ginsburg, who was on the ropes late last year with another cancer bout, said, "There was a senator, I think it was after pancreatic cancer, who announced with great glee that I was going to be dead within six months ... that senator, whose name I have forgotten, is now himself dead, and I am very much alive."

BTW ... the politician was Kentucky Republican Senator Jim Bunning, who died in 2017.

Hate the airport?! Can't stand the screaming kids, the never-ending baggage lines or watching people put their gross barefeet on stuff?!?

Yeah, Tiffany Haddish does too ... which is why she hit up LAX wearing a full Virtual Reality headset -- AND IT WORKED!

Instead of the usual airport madness, Tiffany says she was transformed into a "beautiful garden ... a garden of success!"

Not really sure what that means ... but we know the damn Oculus Go headset she was wearing prevented her from seeing REAL-LIFE stuff like curbs, escalators and doors.

... but don't worry -- she's rich and had an assistant walk her through the airport while she stayed in virtual zen mode.

Tiff DID have to remove the VR device to get through security -- but says she'll strap it back on during the plane ride.

Talk about having your cake and eating it too -- Bindi Irwin got a big birthday surprise when her boyfriend proposed ... and she said crikey! Jk, she said yes.

The daughter of "The Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin is engaged to Chandler Powell after he popped the question at the Australia Zoo as the couple was celebrating her turning 21.

The conservationist and TV star shared the news on social media ... along with a photo showing off her new rock.

She wrote, "On my birthday I said ‘yes’ & ‘forever’ to the love of my life" and added ... "close to 6 years ago I fell in love with you & every day since has been a whirlwind of adventure & true happiness. Here’s to a lifetime of friendship, purpose & unconditional love."

Chandler says he was able to pull off the surprise proposal by setting up a photo shoot for her to celebrate her 21st ... but right before they started to shoot, he took her to a special part of the zoo and asked her to be his wife.

Bindi's mom, Terri, also tweeted about the happy news, writing ... "Best day ever! ... I am so very happy, and I know Steve would be too. Congratulations!!"