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The feds in R. Kelly's case want to keep potential jurors protected -- even by armed guards, at times, because they feel Kelly's legal team poses a threat to jurors, but the singer's team's not having it.

The feds filed legal docs in the Eastern District of NY requesting the jurors remain anonymous and partially sequestered because they fear Kelly's team could mess with the jurors.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds say they want the jurors' identities, addresses and places of employment to be kept under wraps from the defense and prosecutors. They also want the U.S. Marshals to escort the jury in and out of the courthouse, and make the jurors eat lunch together so they're not bombarded by intense media coverage.

The feds insist the jurors' identities are not crucial to the jury selection process and argue "these measures are necessary to safeguard the jurors and the fair administration of process."

The prosecution claims Kelly and his associates have previously attempted to obstruct justice ... calling Kelly "the leader of a racketeering enterprise he created and used for decades to sexually abuse and exploit women and girls for his own sexual gratification, including through the use of bribery, kidnapping and forced labor." The judge has yet to sign off on the government's request.

Remember, the government in the past has contended Kelly "has a history of coercing women to write letters containing false and embarrassing allegations" so he can later use them as blackmail.

R. Kelly's lawyer, Steven Greenberg, tells TMZ ... he's all for the Marshals walking the jury in and out of the courthouse saying, "They don't have to put up with [the] circus of outside influences and agitators like the Weinstein jurors."

But, he also says, "It's absurd not to know where people are from or what kind of employment they are engaging in. Those are essential things to understand -- how people think and view things. Imagine if there's an FBI agent on the jury or a district attorney or someone who works for a battered woman's shelter. The stuff about Kelly tampering and being dangerous is just a regurgitation of their same argument which we disagreed with all along."

Kanye West says he's done supporting President Trump -- but there's even more he's spilling that's just as surprising in terms of his run for the White House. Oh boy, where to begin ...

Ye sat down with Forbes in a verrrry wide-ranging interview, but primarily about his Presidential campaign ... and the would-be candidate declared he's "taking off the red hat." The only specific he offered as to why was that he doesn't like what he heard about 45 hiding in a bunker recently.

He also says, "One of the main reasons I wore the red hat as a protest to the segregation of votes in the Black community." As Kanye's stated before, he hates the fact that Democrats assume all black people have to vote for them.

He added he was down with POTUS because "I like Trump hotels and the saxophones in the lobby."

As for HIS presidential run ... he says he IS serious, and that he's got some unconventional ideas to help get him there. Buckle in, 'cause this gets weird.

He told Forbes he's running as part of a new party called the Birthday Party, because ... "[W]hen we win, it’s everybody’s birthday."

He also says he's having Elon Musk help with his campaign and is considering using him for his own space program. He's already got a VP in mind ... a Wyoming preacher -- and showing a little campaign bravado, he kinda bashed Joe Biden as "not special."

Politics aside, Kanye says he contracted the coronavirus in February -- but didn't say if he learned that from getting tested -- and sounded like quite the anti-vaxxer. He called any coronavirus vaccine "the mark of the beast."

He goes on to explain, "They want to put chips inside of us, they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we can’t cross the gates of heaven."

One thing he didn't cover, but clearly relevant for a Presidential candidate, is his mental health. Kanye has publicly said he's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and he's also said -- notably on "TMZ Live" in May 2018 -- he doesn't take his medication sometimes because it dulls his creativity.

A Disney accessory depicting a noose is now in slightly less circulation after a collectibles site took action -- but the question remains ... how did this ever get made in the first place???

Back in 2006, when "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was released, the Mouse House also dropped a limited couture jewelry line as part of the promotional rollout. It featured rings shaped out of swords, pendants made to look like locks and keys ... basically, gimmicky 'Pirates'-themed bling that sold like hot cakes.

Now, one of those items was a 14k gold-plated 20" necklace with a noose pendant attached ... and it couldn't be any clearer as to what it is if you look at it for yourself.

Most of these 'Pirates' items sold out while being hawked at stores like Disney's online shop, Kitson and Nordstrom -- but some of the pieces are still floating out there ... including this noose necklace, which was recently spotted on the collectibles site, WorthPoint.

You can't buy anything from there -- it's a company that mines for old collectibles and antiques, providing stats, prices, and photos about any particular item -- including this noose.

When we reached out to WorthPoint to see why they were featuring the offensive and racist item, they told us they'd take it down immediately ... which they did. A rep went on to tell us it probably never should've been up, but might've slipped through their algorithm cracks.

Now, back to the real issue ... how something so racially charged could've ever found its way to the marketplace? We reached out to Disney ... radio silence.

The answer's probably in the movies themselves. If you've seen any of them, you know there are several scenes where people -- including Johnny Depp's character, Captain Jack Sparrow --  are set to be put to death by hanging. It's a recurring theme throughout the franchise.

The father of the late singer Selena is going after a man planning a rally for Donald Trump at her memorial statue ... threatening to sue if he goes through with it.

According to a cease and desist letter sent by Abraham Quintanilla, Jr.'s legal team to Joe Michael Perez ... Abraham owns the rights to his daughter's name, image, likeness and trademarks.

He claims Perez is infringing upon all of the above by organizing his "Trump Supporter Gathering" at Selena's statue in Corpus Christi, TX. It's scheduled for July 11, and Perez is using Selena's name and image to promote it on Facebook.

In the letter -- obtained by TMZ -- Selena's dad says her name and "treasured legacy" have never been associated with partisan politics and claims Perez has associated her with Trump without permission by promoting his event ... which features an image from last month of Perez putting a Trump hat on her statue.

Abraham also says linking Selena to a single politician -- "particularly with the divisiveness and discord commonly attributed to Donald J. Trump" -- is damaging to her brand and her name.

The letter also points to Perez using "Bidi Bidi Trump Trump" as a promotional slogan, claiming it infringes upon her famous "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" song ... and accuses him of using her image to sell merchandise, as well.

Selena's father's warning Perez to delete his Selena-themed July 11 Facebook event page -- and stop selling Selena-related gear -- or else ... a lawsuit's on the way.

Perez tells TMZ, he's ignoring the cease and desist letter and ... "We are going to continue with our gathering on July 11 at the Selena Statue in Corpus Christi, Texas to show support for Trump for all races and ethnicities."

Mary Kay Letourneau -- the former teacher imprisoned after pleading guilty to raping her student, whom she later married -- is dead after battling stage 4 colon cancer ... TMZ has learned.

Mary's now-estranged husband, Vili Fualaau, previously shared her stage 4 cancer diagnosis on Instagram, sharing a photo of himself wearing a medical mask with the caption, "Praying for a miracle."

Her attorney, David H. Gehrke, tells us Mary Kay had been in hospice care for the past month, and Vili had been by her side ... helping take care of her.

Mary and Vili notoriously made headlines in the late '90s, as she was 34, married and had 4 children when she began having sex with him -- her 6th grade student. He was either 12 or 13 at the time.

She pled guilty in 1997 to 2 counts of felony second-degree rape of a child and ended up serving 7 years in prison.

Mary gave birth to 2 of Vili's kids, and they wed in 2005 after she was released from prison. TMZ broke the story ... the couple split in 2017.

Netflix's revival of "Unsolved Mysteries" might need to change its name to "Case Closed" -- because the team's getting inundated with new leads that may very well crack some of these cases.

The show's original creator, Terry Dunn Meurer, is once again heading up the rebooted series ... and she tells TMZ that skyrocketing popularity and renewed interest has yielded some actual tips she and her team believe could lead to more clues -- or, in some cases, arrests.

Terry says 'Unsolved' has received upwards of 1,500 tips over their 6 new episodes up on the streaming service -- and of those ... she tells us about 50 were flagged as possibly legit and forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

And, get this ... she says the one that is most likely to get buttoned up first is the case of Alonzo Brooks ... who disappeared from a Kansas party in the early 2000s.

If you're unfamiliar ... 22-year-old Alonzo and a group of friends went to a party in rural Kansas, where he ended up being the only black guy there among what's described as a bunch of rednecks and cowboy types ... with one of whom he almost fought.

His pals eventually dispersed -- and Alonzo never made it home. A month later, his body was found in a creek. He'd been murdered.

The killing was considered a hate crime, but investigators could never link it to anyone -- the case went unsolved for years. Terry, however, says that could change soon -- as her crew has forwarded names to the FBI ... which recently reopened his case.

Here's another thing -- one uber-popular installment in the new 'Unsolved' series chronicles the supposed suicide of Rey Rivera ... whom many fans speculate might have planned and carried out his own death after the '90s flick, "The Game," and its famous rooftop jump scene.

Michele Morrone is quickly learning it pays to be tall, dark and handsome ... the "365 Days" star just scored his first big-time modeling gig, which comes with a fat payday!!!

Famous fashion designer Paul Marciano tells TMZ ... Michele just signed a deal to be the next male model for a couple holiday campaigns this year with Marciano and Guess by Marciano.

Paul says Michele, fresh off his stunning performance as Massimo in Netflix's No. 1 movie, will start shooting the campaign next week at a lavish villa in Lake Como, Italy.

We're told Michele's shoot will include 2 female models ... and he'll be modeling dressy clothing items -- fine menswear only for his debut with the company.

No surprise, but we're told Paul's wife gave a big thumbs up when he flew to meet MM in Switzerland to negotiate the deal. She's a fan after seeing '365.'

Our sources say Michele scored a 6-figure deal ... which will have him doing photoshoots, social media obligations, public appearances and possibly a runway show. And yes, he is getting paid more than the average male model -- thanks to his smash hit movie role.

Here's how quickly the guy's life is changing ... Michele told Paul that before his big movie break, he was making $600 a month as a gardener and was prepared to go back to the low-paying job if needed.

That same day, Michele went to a Marciano fashion show and impressed everyone with the way he worked the room. A few hours later the deal was sealed.

From baking bread to playing board games, the early days of self-quarantine were highlighted by indoor activities to pass the time ... but now that it's nice out, people are showing off their green thumbs -- celebrities included.

Plant yourselves right there for some horticultural inspiration during these trying days of the relentless COVID-19 pandemic. There's no shortage of impressive gardening and top-notch nurseries from the likes of supermodel Bella Hadid, 'Jersey Shore' star Vinny Guadagnino, Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart.

Need more motivation to get growing? Check out the greenery from Eva Longoria, Antoni Porowski, Adrian Grenier, Danny Trejo, Beth Behrs, Yolanda Hadid, Robin Thicke, Kat Dennings, Brooke Burke and Tiffany Haddish.

"Stop being a little salty bastard, get over [losing to me], 'cause I'm gonna do it again this weekend."

That's Alex Volkanovski comin' for Max Holloway's neck -- officially putting an end to their buddy-buddy relationship -- only days before their massive UFC 251 scrap on Fight Island.

The champ and former champ were super cool with each other ... but that all officially stopped when TMZ Sports talked to the 31-year-old featherweight titleholder, and asked if it'll be hard to hurt someone he likes.

"To be honest with ya, I don't go out to ever hurt my opponent, but we've got a job to do. I'm gonna punch his face either way, I'm gonna punch his head through the canvas is what I plan on doing."

Now, cue the beef.

"To be honest, he's sorta showing a side of himself that I haven't really seen before. Some of the things he's saying," AV says ... "He sounds like he's a little sour, he sounds a little salty about losing. Some of the things he's saying take me by surprise."

"I didn't take him to be a guy like that, to be a bit of a sore loser, I feel like I'm getting that out of him. But, again if he wants to act like that, so be it, it'll make punching him in the face even easier."

FYI, Volkanovski beat 28-year-old Holloway -- regarded by many as the greatest featherweight ever -- via unanimous decision in December 2019.

It's unclear exactly what Max -- who is seeking to avenge the L -- said to get Alex so fired up ... but the champ's adamant Saturday night will be less about revenge, and more about Holloway getting his head punched in.

"I can see myself hurting him, getting him to the ground, and if he's still going, just punching the head through the canvas."

Uh, yeaaaaaa, safe to say these guys ain't buds anymore.

Before this cute kid in a pair of good looking glasses was blocking out Los Angeles sunshine and Hollywood flashbulbs, she was just another shady baby with a bright future growing up in the Big Apple.

Although this small little sprout was only 15 years old when she burst onto the scene with a major role in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," she's actually aged like a vampire and now looks stuck in time at 34 years old.

If you're still stumped who the cutie is behind the fashionable frames ... hopefully, a little gossip might spark your inspiration.

Jordana Brewster is waving the white flag on her marriage ... because she just filed for divorce.

The "Fast and the Furious" star filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week to divorce film producer Andrew Form after more than 13 years of marriage.

Jordana and Andrew tied the knot way back in May 2007 in a super-private wedding ceremony on Nevis Island in the Caribbean. They dated for two months before getting married, meeting on the set of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning." Jordana starred in that movie, which Andrew produced.

It's not clear what led to the split, but Jordana and Andrew reportedly separated earlier this year and it's said to be amicable.

The estranged couple will have to settle child custody and/or support issues --- they have two young sons, 6-year-old Julian and 4-year-old Rowan.

We reached out to reps for Jordana and Andrew ... so far, no word back.

The Trump supporters who tried using black paint to cover up a Black Lives Matter street mural in the Bay Area have just been charged with a hate crime.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office charged Nichole Anderson and David Nelson with misdemeanor counts Tuesday for their alleged actions on July 4, when Anderson was caught on camera covering up a yellow 'BLM' mural with black paint.

The D.A. says Nelson directly aided in the alleged criminal conduct ... and the Martinez, CA couple are both being charged with a violation of civil rights, vandalism under $400 and possession of tools to commit vandalism or graffiti.

Prosecutors are classifying it as a hate crime because under California penal code ... the alleged civil rights violation was motivated by the race of the victim.

As we reported ... the MAGA couple painted over a 'BLM' mural on a street outside their local courthouse, a mural that had been approved by city officials.

Video showed Anderson using a paint roller to spread black paint over the large yellow letters, while Nelson got into shouting matches with bystanders.

The mural was repainted and our law enforcement sources say police tracked down the couple, who were not arrested, and turned the case over the Contra Costa D.A.

Dan Bilzerian fired a whistleblower who sounded the alarm on strange spending patterns at Dan's cannabis and CBD company ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The popular playboy poker player and cannabis sector CEO is being sued by Curtis Heffernan, who claims he was fired from his job at Dan's weed company, Ignite, after noticing some company funds were being spent on things that seemed personal ... and then blowing the whistle.

According to the lawsuit obtained by TMZ ... Heffernan, who was Ignite's Executive VP, claims he flagged tons of purchases to the company board, such as lavish spending on a $75,000 paintball field, $40k on a rock climbing wall, $60k on a 'Star Wars' gun set, $31k on pool renovations, $50k on a bed frame, $15k on a ping pong table and $88k on a vault.

In the docs, Heffernan claims Dan's company was also burning tons of money on luxury yacht rentals, plus transportation for hot models ... and he says he found other "business expenses" that turned out to be charges for groceries and various household items.

According to the suit, Heffernan claims he told the board at Ignite the company could not afford to keep spending money in the same manner during the pandemic, and in response, Dan falsely accused him of doing drugs and he got canned.

Heffernan is going after Bilzerian for damages.

We reached out to Dan ... no word back, so far.

A man unleashed a viciously racist verbal attack against a family that was doing nothing but minding their business -- and it turns out ... the guy's the head of a major IT company.

The guy here has been identified as Michael Lofthouse -- CEO of cloud-computing startup Solid8 out in Silicon Valley ... and he was caught on camera this past weekend in Monterey, CA going off on a group of people who were of Asian descent. Lofthouse himself is from the U.K.

Anyway, the video starts after he'd apparently said something pretty vile from his table at a restaurant ... but when the people he attacked started recording him, he clammed up. Only briefly though, because Lofthouse eventually cut loose again, calling the person recording him an "Asian piece of s***."

He went on to invoke President Trump's name ... saying POTUS was gonna screw 'em in November. An employee demanded Lofthouse get the hell out.

The woman who recorded this says the guy's attack was completely unprovoked. She went on to post info about him, including a back and forth in a comment section which appears to show him threatening to kill a guy who called him out for his behavior.

Lofthouse has since gotten rid of his social media accounts. Solid8 hasn't spoken on it yet.

Now, here's a little more context. According to Stop AAPI Hate (an org that documents incidents of discrimination against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders) ... 832 people in their community have self-reported experiences of harassment in the last three months.

That jibes with what we've seen on the streets, especially in L.A. ... with folks like SoCal Karen spewing hate.

The reason for this uptick? Well, the Prez has been blaming China for coronavirus for months now. Still think his "kung flu" jokes are harmless?