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Philadelphia-born Bobby Rydell (real name Robert Louis Ridarelli) shot to stardom in the early '60s as a rock musician and teen idol with smash songs like "Volare," "Sway," "I'll Never Dance Again" and "Wild One."

After a flood of rockin' songs, Bobby Rydell took to the big screen and was cast as the jealous boyfriend, Hugo Peabody, in the iconic 1963 movie adaptation of "Bye Bye Birdie" alongside Ann-Margret as the smooching Kim McAfee and Dick Van Dyke as the scientific Albert F. Peterson.

Rydell has been recently ramping up for a string of shows across the states later in 2020.

Ne-Yo loves himself so much, he listens to his own music when he has sex, but he's now confessing that can create certain, umm ... performance issues.

We got the singer at LAX and our photog asked about his recent revelation -- he makes love to his own tracks! As for which songs ... Ne-Yo told us his wife, Crystal Renay, usually picks the playlist. He's a gentleman, after all.

Ne-Yo's got a huge catalog, packed with perfect songs for doing the deed, but he says the slower tunes usually set the mood just right -- in particular, he says "Mirror" is the #1 request. Feel free to try it yourself!

If there was ever any doubt, Ne-Yo is a perfectionist ... you gotta see him explain the one hazard of banging while his voice is blaring on a speaker. Let's just say it has to do with different strokes.

Olympic athletes looking to follow Colin Kaepernick's lead will have to do it somewhere other than Tokyo ... 'cause the IOC has banned kneeling and raising fists in protests at the 2020 games.

The International Olympic Committee released its guidelines for the upcoming Summer Games ... and it's clear the committee is trying very hard to keep politics out of it.

"The unique nature of the Olympic Games enables athletes from all over the world to come together in peace and harmony," the guidelines say.

"We believe that the example we set by competing with the world’s best while living in harmony in the Olympic Village is a uniquely positive message to send to an increasingly divided world."

"This is why it is important, on both a personal and a global level, that we keep the venues, the Olympic Village and the podium neutral and free from any form of political, religious or ethnic demonstrations."

Edd Byrnes, who became famous acting in movies like "Grease" and iconic TV shows like "77 Sunset Strip" is dead.

Byrnes died unexpectedly Wednesday at his Santa Monica home of natural causes.

His career had a bunch of high points. Edd played Vince Fontaine in "Grease," he was the host of the famous National Bandstand dance-off.

As for "77 Sunset Strip" -- which ran from 1958-1964 -- it was one of the most popular shows on the boob tube. He became the breakout star -- Kookie. For most of you who have never heard of the show, he was as big as Luke Perry's character in '90210' ... and not dissimilar.

Edd even scored a gold record for the hit with Connie Stevens, "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)," which hit #4 in 1959 and spent 13 weeks on the Billboard chart. The character Kookie was famous for combing his impressive locks with a comb.

Other credits include "Charlie's Angels," "Fantasy Island," "Married With Children," "Murder, She Wrote," "Maverick," and, of course -- where every star eventually landed -- "The Love Boat."

He leaves behind his son, Logan, an evening news anchor in San Diego and his longtime partner, Catherine Gross.

Edd was 87. RIP

Don't write off Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich's marriage just yet! If the couple's having marital issues, they sure as hell didn't show it during a very loving airport embrace.

Julianne picked up her hockey star husband Thursday morning at the Hollywood Burbank Airport Thursday, where they exchanged smiles and a loooooong hug before driving off together.

The PDA didn't include any kissing, but the reunion was romantic enough ... especially considering all the rumors about them separating. It is interesting, though ... while Julianne picked up Brooks, she still wasn't wearing her wedding ring -- part of what started the rumors. Brooks was wearing his.

Mark Wahlberg's nine days into 2020 and it appears he's never wearing a shirt ever again ... not that anyone's complaining.

Marky Mark's still in vacay mode and this time he's enjoying the picturesque beaches of Hawaii. The action star's actually in town competing in the Hawaii Sony Open Pro-Am. Talented actor and athlete. Yeah ... dude can hit a mean stroke. He's been known to do "golf cardio" ... where astoundingly he plays 18 holes in an hour.

And, like every star who works hard, he's still partying hard ... putting everyone's New Year's resolution diet/exercising plan to shame with his ripped bod. Seems he's got zero plans to slow down his R&R sesh.

Alexis Eddy -- who rose to fame on MTV's "Are You The One?" -- has been found dead in West Virginia ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops got a call just before 7AM Thursday morning for a female in cardiac arrest. We're told no foul play is suspected, but authorities are still waiting on a toxicology report to determine cause of death.

A West Virginia native, Alexis was a contestant on the reality dating show back in 2017, and she caused quite a stir in the house for her character and backstory, revealing on-camera her cousin is a convicted murderer.

Alexis was very open on social media about her struggles with substance abuse ... but as recently as late September she said she and her father were both clean and sober. She also posted pics comparing the 2 in a side-by-side from a couple years ago.

A family member tells us Alexis came home to her mom's house Wednesday night around 11 PM and seemed to be fine. She was found by another family member ... and they believe she was still sober.

In October of 2019, Alexis announced she was engaged, but it appears that engagement was recently ended.

RIP

Madame Tussauds don't play, and she's also kinda petty, because Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wax figures are already 86'd from the Royal Family display in London!!!

Just hours after the royal couple shocked the world -- and pissed off all the other royals -- by announcing they were stepping down from their senior duties ... the famed wax museum yanked Harry and Meghan. Their figures previously stood alongside Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Madame Tussauds London tells us Harry and Meghan's wax figures were removed to reflect the upcoming shakeup with the Royals. The museum says, "Alongside the rest of the world we are reacting to the surprising news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be stepping back as senior Royals. From today Meghan and Harry’s figures will no longer appear in our Royal Family set ... to mirror their ‘progressive new role within the Royal institution’."

That last line definitely feels like a jab at Harry and Meg's official announcement.

Jenelle Evans' estranged husband, David Eason, is a wanted man in North Carolina ... and it all stems from an allegedly illegal truck-towing incident in 2018.

The embattled former reality TV star was ordered to appear in court Thursday for the case, but he no-showed, so the judge signed a warrant for his arrest ... according to the New Hanover Criminal Court Clerk.

The case centers around an incident that went down way back in the summer of 2018, in which Eason appeared to illegally tow a man's truck. David kinda shot himself in the foot on this one too -- he shared the video Jenelle took of him towing the truck that he claimed had blocked him in a space.

Jillian Michaels stands by her comment about Lizzo's weight, but says don't for a second think she was fat shaming her over her worth as an entertainer ... it was all about her health.

We got the fitness guru Thursday morning in NYC, and she was playing a little defense over her Wednesday interview where she said, "Why are we celebrating [Lizzo's] body? Why does it matter? Why aren't we celebrating her music? 'Cause it isn't gonna be awesome if she gets diabetes."

Lizzo fans came for JM's head immediately, but she says everyone's got it twisted. Jillian told us she's always preached, "Your weight and your size have no bearing or merit on your value, your beauty, your worth, your ability."

Now, health? That's a whole other issue, and Jillian ain't about to back down on that front!

She told us why she believes acting like Lizzo's size isn't opening her up to several serious health risks ... is downright irresponsible. She runs down a few of the dangers the singer could be facing ... again, in Jillian's eyes.

Watch the clip, as a health and fitness expert, Jillian's definitely confident in what she's saying here -- but will Lizzo fans feel good as hell about it?

We highly doubt it.

Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli have a secret weapon in their college admissions criminal case -- the former head of the USC athletics department, who made it clear during his tenure -- the school gave him a clear directive to raise money, and lots of it.

As we reported, our sources say Lori and Mossimo will NOT enter a plea bargain ... they are determined to win at trial. Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, one of the key witnesses could be former Athletic Director Pat Haden, who is on video from 2011 talking about his mission from the University to fundraise.

We're told at its core Lori and Mossimo's defense is that they did NOT bribe the former Senior Associate Athletic Director Donna Heinel, something the U.S. Attorney disputes. Thing is ... we found out Mossimo did indeed send Heinel a check for $50,000 but it could not have been a bribe because the payee was USC. That money was sent at the direction of the ringleader, Rick Singer.

Singer also told Mossimo to give him a check for $200,000, to help fund one of Singer's charities. Again, not a bribe.

The U.S. Attorney says the smoking gun is that Heinel received $20,000 a month from Rick Singer, which prosecutors say is proof of a bribe. The thing about this ... both of Lori's daughters were accepted BEFORE Heinel received a penny, and our sources say that money was sent to her only by Singer and for various things Heinel did for several families. But, Lori and Mossimo's position is that whatever Singer did in terms of paying money, he did on his own.

Cops are at R. Kelly's pad in Chicago because his 2 girlfriends got into a brawl ... and it was all on camera.

TMZ has learned Chicago PD responded to a reported battery at Kelly's Trump Tower condo shortly after Azriel Clary and Joycelyn Savage came to blows. Azriel was on Instagram Live Wednesday afternoon as she appeared to be gathering her things to move out of the condo -- and when Joycelyn came in the room both women went off on each other.

Azriel said she was looking out for herself, and then threatened to send Joycelyn to jail for the very thing Kelly's facing ... having sex with a minor. Azriel claimed she was a minor when she had sex with Joycelyn -- perhaps in a threesome with Kelly -- and said she'd report Joycelyn to cops.

The body of a 21-year-old college soccer player was found being devoured by sharks in Western Australia ... after the man went missing in the ocean last week.

Rising star Eric Birighitti -- from Perth, Australia -- was a stand-out player for Hastings College in Nebraska and won a national title with the team in 2016.

Birighitti was at Twilight Beach near Esperance last Thursday when he was swept into the ocean by a swell. Friends tried to save him with a life preserver ... but the current was too strong.

The man's body was discovered on Tuesday when the sharks were spotted attacking the corpse in the water, witnesses tell to 9 News Perth.

"My sister and my father saw the sharks attacking the body. And it was quite a big one, they say," the witness told the outlet.

Birighitti's college team released a statement on his death, saying, "The Broncos family are saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Eric Birighitti."

"Eric played for Hastings during the 2016 & 2017 season and won a national title with the team."

Happy birthday, Kate Middleton -- and for your gift ... a bright, shiny box of REALLY CRAPPY TIMING!!! Enjoy it.

The Duchess of Cambridge's dour face said it all as she pulled into Kensington Palace Thursday. Yes, it's her 38th birthday, but no one in the royal family's in the mood for cake due to her bro-in-law, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, deciding to rock the royal boat one day earlier.

According to multiple reports, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Prince William are royally pissed off at Harry and Meg for going public with their plans to pull out of their Senior Royal duties and move, at least part-time, to Canada.

Word is QE2 told Harry to hold off on the announcement, but he defied Grandma ... and now there's talk he and Meghan could face some sort of punishment.

Meanwhile, poor Kate's like ... umm, it's my birth -- oh, never mind.

Hey, at least she looks happy in the official Instagram bday shot. That's something, right?

Fact is, Prince William and Prince Harry were already on the outs -- allegedly because Wills wasn't down with his decision to get married.

Now, William's gotta pull his wife's bday celebration out of Harry's fire?? Good times.

Brad Pitt opened up about his sobriety in a surprise way ... by crediting Bradley Cooper for helping him get there after his pal presented him an award.

Brad won Best Supporting Actor at the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala on Wednesday night, and after being handed the award and hugging it out, he praised Bradley in his speech for being a great dad ... and a great friend.

Pitt said Cooper rushed to the event after putting his daughter to bed, called him a sweetheart, then added ... "I got sober because of this guy, and every day has been happier ever since."

Alex Trebek says he's gotten super close with Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer over the years ... and having them back on "Jeopardy!" feels like a family reunion.

The beloved game show host joined us for "TMZ Live" and told us he's enjoying the hell outta hosting the greatest "Jeopardy!" contestants of all time. Alex says they've got an incredibly strong bond, forged during their long runs on the show.

If you've tuned in to the tournament of champions, you've probably noticed how much fun Alex has been having. It's been a trying 10 months for Trebek, who's battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer, but he tells us he's really enjoying this special competition.

Alex says he's still hanging in there in his fight against cancer ... he has his good days and bad, but it seems this reunion of sorts is really lifting his spirits. Really puts a smile on your face.