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Black Eyed Peas member Will.i.am claims a Quantas flight attendant had it out for him because he's black ... this after a confrontation that ended with a police escort.

The rapper was on a flight from Brisbane to Sydney when he says the flight attendants were preparing for landing and asked passengers to store their electronic equipment. Will.i.am says he was using his laptop but didn't hear the announcement because he was wearing noise-canceling headphones.

He claims the flight attendant unloaded on him and someone on the flight -- presumably the pilot -- called ahead for cops to meet the plane when it landed. Will.i.am was escorted off the plane by 5 officers.

He tweeted, "I’m currently on a flight from Brisbane to Sydney.” “I’m sorry to say me and my group have experienced they worse service due to an overly aggressive flight attendant… I don’t want to believe she racist. But she has clearly aimed all her frustrations only at the people of colour.”

Will.i.am then posted a photo of one of the cops who met the plane, saying "@Qantas I was making music wearing noise cancelling headphones on the plane… I’m sorry I couldn’t hear the P.A…I complied when she’s tapped me on the shoulder to put my laptop away… It’s sad that your #RacistFlightAttendant sent the police…”

He wasn't finished: “This is how your [sic] greeted when you land from Brisbane to Sydney flying @qantas with a #RacistFlightattendant. She sent the police after me because [sic] I couldn’t hear the P.A while making beats on the plane wearing noise cancelling headphones…”

He expressed gratitude to the passengers who took his side ... “Your #RacistFlightattendant was beyond rude & took it to the next level by calling the police on me. thank god the other passengers testified that SHE was out of Control. the police finally let me go. imagine if the police were as aggressive as [flight attendant].”

Will.i.am got mixed reviews for posting the name and badge number of the flight attendant.

He said, “If I did something wrong....or if I was the slightest bit rude to a FAN or a journalist during work, I would be publicly named...this is what Twitter is for...we are supposed to call out wrong doings so we can have a safer more compassionate world.”

Jeff Bezos must be licking his wounds today because he's now only the second richest person on planet Earth.

Yep ... the Microsoft stock climb has allowed Bill Gates to reclaim the top spot. At the close of business Friday, Bezos' net worth was $108.7 billion ... close but no cigar next to Gates, who came in at $110 bil.

Microsoft's been on a roll this year. The stock value has increased by 48%, and that was enough to get bragging rights ... at least today. Amazon's stock took a tumble Friday ... enough for Bezos to lose top position.

Kanye West's appearance at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston Sunday will be the most important appearance Ye has made since devoting himself to God, and there's such a demand for tickets we've learned scalpers have reared their ugly heads.

Kanye will have all eyes on him Sunday morning when he takes the stage with Joel Osteen -- which normally isn't an issue -- except this time, the crowd won't be full of Yeezy fans.

Kanye is set to take part in Joel's 11 AM ceremony at Lakewood Church Sunday and will chat with Joel for 20-30 mins about his religious journey. It'll mark the first time Kanye's talked about his religious transformation in front of a large audience -- 45,000 people!!!

Joel's 11 AM service will mostly be made up of his regular churchgoers, and not droves of Kanye fans like at Ye's Sunday Service ... so for Kanye, this is uncharted territory.

Our sources say he's excited to share his message and journey with a room that not only includes Joel but those who have had their own religious awakenings.

As for the service Sunday night -- when Kanye's choir will perform -- we're told both Kanye and Joel's teams expect a crowd made up of mostly Yeezy faithful. TMZ broke the story ... Lakewood teamed up with Ticketmaster to coordinate ticket distribution.

Our sources say scalpers are already trying to mess things up. The tickets are free, but some have already been scooped up by people who just want to make a buck. We're told the tickets they have identified as being held by scalpers have been invalidated.

Dan Bilzerian's dead set on running for President of the United States and winning, and to show he's serious ... he's willing to give up a few of his favorite things.

The popular playboy poker player tells TMZ ... he wasn't joking when he recently told us he plans to run for Prez in 2024, and he vows to go straight edge if he's elected -- no sex, drugs or alcohol -- and will abstain his entire time in office.

Dan says he'll be quitting those activities to both focus on the task at hand and prove to voters he means business ... consider it his major campaign promise.

As for what else he'll run on ... Bilzerian tells us he believes the world needs his help, there's too much corruption and too many laws, and saving the environment should be a top priority.

He also says he'll run as a Republican, but points out he has some traditionally liberal views too. For instance -- Dan's very pro-gun, but he's also pro-choice. He says he's pro-gay rights but doesn't agree with hormone treatments or sex changes for people under 18.

Bilzerian does give us a caveat -- he recognizes becoming a presidential candidate will drastically alter his life, so he says he might need more time to commit ... in which case he'll run in 2028.

Dan's already got one thing going for him -- he's pretty damn rich. With an estimated net worth of $150 million, he says he plans to use half his money for his campaign and the other half for philanthropy.

He tells us he plans on giving it his all and thinks he has a pretty good chance of winning. Of course, he seems to think he'll have an even better shot if Kanye West isn't one of his opponents.

Taylor Swift reignited her war with Scooter Braun and Big Machine, and Colin Kaepernick is getting another shot at the NFL, although some think it's all for show. So, we gotta ask ...

Cris Collinsworth is publicly lobbying for his old team to sign Colin Kaepernick -- telling TMZ Sports the 32-year-old can help the Cincinnati Bengals turn things around.

Of course, Cris was a star WR for the Bengals in the '80s and now he's one of the most powerful broadcasters in sports ... so what he says matters.

And, on his way into Craig's in L.A., we asked if he thinks a team will sign Kaepernick after his workout in Atlanta on Saturday.

"I hope so. He's a good player. That would be great."

And, where would Kap be the best fit?

"The Bengals hopefully. He'll fix 'em!"

It's BAD in Cinci right now -- the Bengals have the worst record in pro football, 0-9. Winless. Sad. Pathetic.

The team benched starter Andy Dalton earlier this season in place of rookie Ryan Finley, but it hasn't gone much better.

C. Thomas Howell is ready to spring into action and help his alma mater in Santa Clarita recover ... after the California school became the site of the 366th U.S. mass shooting this year.

Tommy tells TMZ ... he was absolutely stunned when he heard Saugus High School -- where he graduated from in 1984 -- had been placed on lockdown Thursday after a 16-year-old student opened fire ... shooting 5 students, killing 2 and then turning the gun on himself.

The actor -- star of the cult classic "The Outsiders" -- said the news of the shooting stopped him in his tracks because he grew up in the sleepy town ... a town he says is known for being a safe neighborhood and a city where anyone would wanna raise their family.

Tommy, who splits time between L.A. and his home in Georgia where he's currently at, says he's getting in touch with the school and will see if there's anything he can do to help out.

He says he would talk to the students to offer some comforting words and help in any other way possible. Tommy -- who currently stars in the AMC hit show "The Terror" and is known for his role as a brash LAPD cop in the hit show "Southland" -- says he's praying for the family of the victims and the community.

Don't let these two almost identical images of actor Michael Ealy have you seeing double! Keep your focus and see if you can figure out what sneaky switches have been made to this tricky pic.

The "Stumptown" star was spotted at an after-party in Los Angeles, California, this past week. We've made a few changes to the pic above and now it's up to you to decide what they are. So, take a really good look and see if you can figure out the differences between these two super similar snaps.

Forget about the outdoors for a bit and join these fireside stars inside as they warm up to the idea of colder weather!

From Tenille Dashwood and Megan Thee Stallion to Dillon Francis and Samira Wiley, these famous faces are sharing the time they're spending trying to get cozy next to their new flames ... And who can blame them?

Bring on the snuggle season and join in on the fun by taking a look at our gallery of stars lounging by the fire. Get a good look at all the celebs that have decided to heat things up!

Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme is splitting from his wife ... she just filed for separation after 14 years of marriage.

According to court records ... Josh's wife, Brody Dalle-Homme, filed docs Friday for legal separation. It's not clear what led to the split.

Josh and Brody tied the knot way back in 2005 after dating for a couple years. The former couple has three children together ... including 13-year-old daughter Camille, 8-year-old son Orrin and 3-year-old son Wolf.

Brody's from Australia and was 17 when they first met. Josh was 23.

Kanye West is breaking ground on his very own amphitheater on his sprawling Wyoming ranch ... TMZ has confirmed.

Kanye and Park County, Wyoming officials are already deep into communications about the project -- and in docs, obtained by TMZ, Ye says he wants to build a 70,684-square-foot amphitheater. Photos from the site show he's already moved large amounts of land, apparently clearing a footprint.

Kanye describes the facility as the "West Meditation Space Large Impact Structure."

In the latest docs, County officials inform Kanye he'll have to construct 175 parking spaces, but the State says he could get an exemption to reduce that number in half. Kanye says in his application he does not intend to bring any utilities on the property -- no electricity or plumbing. Sooo ... strictly a port-a-potty situation?

Kanye says the facility will be open-air, the amphitheater will be a circular, concrete design with the ground sloping downhill towards the center of the circle. Sounds like a theater-in-the-round.

It's interesting ... the Park County Planning and Zoning Department is pushing back on some things, they submitted docs asking for more information on the impact construction would have on local wildlife. Officials are suggesting Ye avoid construction in winter months because it would disrupt local wildlife migration patterns.

Kim Kardashian West isn't just lobbying to set a death row inmate free ... she met with him face-to-face with the clock ticking to try to figure out a plan.

We broke the story ... Kim's desperately trying to stay the execution of Rodney Reed -- which was originally scheduled for November 20 -- because she and many others believe there is substantial evidence to exonerate him of the murder he was convicted of more than 20 years ago.

Lucky for both Kim and Rodney, on Friday the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued the stay of execution -- recommending a 120-day reprieve.

Our sources say Kim -- who traveled to Texas with Kanye for his upcoming performance at Joel Osteen's church -- was granted special permission by authorities to meet with Reed Friday.

We're told she wanted the chance to speak with him in person, hear his story and hash out a last-ditch effort to save his life. As we told you, she's publicly pleaded for Governor Greg Abbott to stop the execution.

Rodney is on death row in Livingston, TX for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites -- where cops initially said he'd raped, assaulted and strangled her to death. Reed has claimed the 2 had a consensual affair, but he's maintained his innocence of killing her for over 20 years now.

Just recently, a former inmate claimed to know the real murderer -- the guy alleges Stites' own fiance confessed to him while behind bars that he killed her for sleeping around.

An active shooter situation is going down at a high school in California ... and at least 5 people have been injured, according to the Santa Clarita Sheriff's Department.

Authorities in Los Angeles County responded Thursday morning to reports of shots being fired at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita ... and an Asian male suspect wearing all black is still at large.

Saugus HS was placed on lockdown -- along with all schools in the district -- as at least 2 reported shooting victims have been loaded into ambulances and taken to the hospital. Various reports say as many as 7 people have been injured.

A video does show some students being evacuated with an armed officer.

Cops are still on the hunt for the suspect.

Story developing ...

Jane Fonda's still walking the walk -- marching with and sitting in with environmental protesters in D.C. -- but now when the cops move in, Jane heads for higher ground.

The iconic actress and activist was there to stage the sixth consecutive Fire Drill Fridays protest on Capitol Hill. As you know, Jane's been arrested 4 times, but she did not end up in handcuffs this time. Police moved in when the group sat and chanted in the rotunda of the Capitol, and warned demonstrators they were about to be rounded up.

At that point, Jane was high above on a balcony ... still chanting along with her comrades in protest -- but steering clear of arrest. It's the second week she hasn't been arrested -- and as we reported last week ... that's exactly what the protest planners want.

The folks behind Fire Drill Fridays say Jane's best value to the group is remaining the weekly face of their activities on the Hill -- and they begged her to avoid a 5th arrest.

As we told you, due to a previous bust ... Jane already has an open court date, and if she's thrown in jail a fifth time she risks remaining behind bars for 30 to 90 days.

The last time cops took Jane into custody, on November 1, she had to spend a night in jail -- but for now, she's staying high.

Kanye West brought the soulful sounds of his Sunday Service choir to prisoners in Texas just days before his face-to-face with Joel Osteen.

Law enforcement sources tell us Kanye and his choir showed up at the Harris County Jail in Houston Friday morning to put on a show. We're told the whole thing was a surprise to almost everyone, with only a few who helped to put it together.

Our sources say Kanye and the team stayed for a couple of hours and performed for a select group of prisoners and staff members.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye will make an appearance and chat with Joel Osteen Sunday at Osteen's Lakewood Church service. Sunday night, Kanye and his Sunday Service choir will take the stage at Lakewood for a performance of their own.

Osteen's team has been working feverishly behind the scenes, teaming up with Ticketmaster to make sure everyone -- Kanye fans and churchgoers alike -- get a chance to see the performance.

Originally Published -- 12:37 PM PT

The mother of the woman who died following an incident at Montae Nicholson's home is breaking her silence ... saying the Redskins DB "could have done more" to save the girl's life.

According to Nicholson's attorney, the NFL player found a 21-year-old woman unresponsive at a bathroom in his Ashburn, Virginia home late Wednesday night.

Nicholson and a friend took the woman to a nearby hospital ... but officials say she later died there, suspecting a drug overdose.

The deceased woman has since been identified as Julia Crabbe ... and when FOX 5 in DC spoke with her mother, Michelle, on Friday, she said Nicholson could have done more to save her daughter.

"I'm perfectly happy to sit down and talk with him," Michelle said, adding, "[Julia's] life was so much more than what happened Wednesday. So much more."

Nicholson has yet to comment on the matter ... but the Redskins said in a statement the 23-year-old defensive back and the team are cooperating with authorities.