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Judge Judy might not have been a fan of Justin Bieber in the past, but now she's singing his praises ... saying she couldn't be happier he's gotten his life on the right track.

We caught up with the famous judge in Bev Hills, and asked about her former neighbor JB, after she recently opened up about their tense relationship over the years ... which she chalks up to him being young and reckless.

Judy tells us, she hasn't spoken to the pop star recently but she's seen him and he looks better than ever ... and seeing him doing so well makes her really happy.

ICYMI, JJ recently put the pop star on blast for his behavior back in the day ... saying Justin was once "scared to death" of her after she called him out, following his DUI bust in 2014.

She told "Access Hollywood" ... "There was a period of time before he grew up, when he was foolish and doing foolish things."

But, now that's all water under the bridge and she seems really impressed with his maturity.

Before this cute guy in his helmet was putting on his boxing mitts and influencing on social media, he was just skateboarding around the neighborhood with his bro in Cleveland, Ohio and rockin' the heck out of his bleach blonde buzz cut!

After going viral on Vine in the early 2010s, he made his way to television and appeared on Disney's show "Bizaardvark" alongside Madison Hu and Olivia Rodrigo. He also ventured into the music industry, and he was definitely looking Fresh Out Of London!

Need one more clue? Stay away from this "Problem Child!"

Lola Mitchell, AKA Gangsta Boo -- a former member of Three 6 Mafia and a pioneer of female rap -- has died.

The hip hop star's passing was confirmed by her former labelmate DJ Paul -- who threw up a photo of her on IG ... seemingly as a tribute. Several prominent artists commented with messages of condolences. The exact circumstances surrounding her death are unknown.

Gangsta Boo's career officially started in the '90s, when she linked up with Paul, Juicy J and other founding members of the rap group -- which included the likes of Lord Infamous, Crunchy Black, Koopsta Knicca and more. Gangsta Boo was one of the only female rappers with the crew, but she held her own and paved her own lane for years as part of T6M.

In addition to her own solo albums that she was cranking out at the time -- to much acclaim -- Gangsta was also featured on Three 6 Mafia's first 5 studio albums ... including their debut record in '95's "Mystic Stylez" ... as well as other notable projects like 'Chapter 1,' 'When the Smoke Clears' and even the 'Choices' album that served as the soundtrack to the movie.

Gangsta Boo left Three 6 in the early 2000s, but went on to have a notable career thereafter -- cranking out another solo studio album, and several mixtapes through the rest of the aughts and 2010s. This, of course, doesn't include the countless features she's been a part of -- working with rap titans like Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, OutKast, E-40, T.I., The Game and more.

She continued rapping into the 2020s as well ... often collaborating with Killer Mike and El-P in their hip hop duo Run The Jewels. Gangsta Boo was also continuing to partner up with different media outlets to put out music, such as UPROXX and others.

Gangsta Boo was a staple in the Memphis community and music scene -- and seems to have been beloved by the people there. She was active on social media quite recently.

She was 43.

RIP

Brody Jenner is about to venture into fatherhood -- announcing that he's got a bundle of joy on the way with his pro surfer girlfriend, Tia Blanco.

The couple shared the news together Sunday, taking to IG with a joint post that shows off an ultrasound being conducted on Tia ... which reveals there's a little baby growing in her belly. You can hear both Brody and Tia, with BJ noting there's a heart that's forming.

The clip then jumps to the actual sounds of the heartbeat, and it's going pretty strong. It appears the procedure was done earlier in December -- on the 9th -- so it sounds like Tia's been pregnant for a little bit now.

Brody and Tia's caption reads, "To start off this new year, we’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of our friends, family and followers health, happiness & an abundance of love. We truly appreciate & love you all. We are excited to share with you the blessing of a new life in the new year…Our little angel is on their way 💙 Happy new year!"

It's major news, as this would be both Brody and Tia's first child together ... and first child for either of them, period. Plus, they're a relatively new pair in general -- Brody and Tia went public this past June, this after rumblings that they were dating surfaced in April.

Less than a year later ... and they're expecting. No word on whether the kid's a boy or a girl, but it seems like things are moving along nicely for the parents-to-be. Also, this means a new Jenner is being welcomed to the family -- which is always welcome.

Worth noting ... Brody has broached the topic of kids in his past relationships -- including with Kaitlynn Carter -- but never seemed to be able to land on the same page with anyone.

From Mr. Paris to Mr. Bond -- that seems to be the trajectory Lucien Laviscount might be on ... if you believe the reports that he's in the running as the next 007.

The British actor -- famous for his recurring role on Netflix's 'Emily in Paris' -- is said to have captured the attention of movie producer Barbara Broccoli ... who also holds the rights to the James Bond franchise, and who's in search of a new agent to replace Daniel Craig.

According to the Daily Mail ... his work in 'EIP' -- where he plays the main character's love interest, Alfie -- is what landed him as a frontrunner for the job. He's been on for 2 seasons.

DM cites one purported insider as saying, "Lucien ticks all of the boxes. He is a super talented actor, is extremely handsome and in the past 18 months has won lots of new fans since he joined Emily In Paris. Bond bosses are already saying how you can see him in the 007 tuxedo, how dapper and fitting to the role he will look."

The thing that might hurt him, apparently ... his time on 'Celebrity Big Brother,' on which he competed in 2011. According to this source, the Bond producers think it's low brow stuff not fitting of a Bond actor, even though they're supposedly still pretty high on him in general.

The other interesting tidbit coming out of this report ... Broccoli is said to have greenlit stunt work testing over at Pinewood Studios, where they've shot a lot of Bond content. If true, that would mean they're ramping up to start the next chapter post-Craig/'No Time to Die.'

There'd been rumblings that Idris Elba was being considered to play the next Bond, but frankly ... he's too old, and Lucien fits the bill for what Broccoli and co. have recently said they want in their next iteration of the character. A young whippersnapper, that is.

We'll say this ... Lucien's definitely got the look down. Handsome, fit and natural elegance. All the right stuff that makes Bond an international heartthrob.

Here's hoping the Bond honchos figure it out sooner than later. The gap between Pierce Brosnan and Craig (4 years) was longer than any period from previous actors -- meaning, when one guy left ... the other slid in rather seamlessly in a matter of a year or two.

The Idaho murder suspect's family is urging the public to refrain from judgment, and to presume he's innocent -- this as more info about his background starts to surface, including the notion he was a black sheep in his field of study ... understanding the criminal mind.

A statement by the Kohberger family was just released -- and obtained by TMZ -- which both addresses the charges against Bryan Kohberger and the murders that happened in Idaho.

It reads, "First and foremost, we care deeply for the four families who have lost their precious children. There are no words that can adequately express the sadness we feel, and we pray each day for them. We will continue to let the legal process unfold and as a family we will love and support our son and brother."

The Kohberger family adds, "We have fully cooperated with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to seek the truth and promote his presumption of innocence rather than judge unknown facts and make erroneous assumptions. We respect privacy in this matter as our family and the families suffering loss can move forward through the legal process."

In other words, they're standing by Bryan for now ... and, like everyone else, want to see what exactly prosecutors have against him that makes them believe he's the killer. The timing of this comes on the heels of a troubling profile that's emerging ... one of an outsider who was obsessive over dissecting the mind of a murderer, to a T.

The New York Times spoke to a handful of Bryan Kohberger's former classmates and colleagues while he attended DeSales University and Washington State University, pursuing degrees in criminology. By most accounts, he was deeply entrenched in his major, but to a point that it was off-putting and combative ... which reportedly led to conflict in his life.

There are two specific anecdotes that paint a picture of the type of person Kohberger was in academia -- both of which happened at WSU. In one instance, a former classmate of his tells the Times that Kohberger once got into a heated discussion with another fellow Ph.D. student about a criminology concept ... and was accused of mansplaining to the woman. She got so upset over the conversation that she left the class, leaving behind personal items.

Kohberger was also a T.A. at WSU, but a student who was in one the classes he helped teach says he avoided eye contact with them all ... and was supposedly a harsh grader, leaving extensive notes on their papers. It got so bad, the students complained en masse.

This same student also claims that later in the fall -- around the time of the Idaho killings -- Kohberger loosened up on grading, and stopped leaving notes on their papers altogether.

There are other accounts of Bryan being highly engaged in discussions about criminology -- and the NYT piece also notes he was under the tutelage of professors who focused on serial killers and gruesome crimes. The story points out that many at DeSales and WSU viewed him as quiet, awkward and on his own ... while also overly intrigued with the curriculum.

We've already heard other stories about Bryan that make him out to be aggressive and quick to anger -- but clearly, his loved ones want everyone not to jump to conclusions based on any of that.

Celine Dion's heart might go on, but her fans are having a hard time getting past this snub by Rolling Stone ... which left her off their list of G.O.A.T. crooners.

The magazine posted a refreshed 200 Greatest Singers of All Time -- and their roster is pretty extensive ... spanning decades of music, and even roping in some acts that are raising eyebrows (like Ozzy Osbourne, for example). Still, it's a well-rounded mashup of talent.

While some no-brainers made the cut -- Aretha, Whitney, Adele, Michael, Mariah, Freddie, etc. -- there's one person who's noticeably missing entirely ... Ms. Titanic herself.

There are other names that were excluded, which are drawing some outrage, but none quite measure up to Celine not being included. Fact is ... she is far and away one of the most accomplished and impactful singers in modern history, commercially and critically.

Of course, Celine has won countless accolades ... not the least of which include 5 Grammys, 6 AMAs, 7 Billboard Awards, 12 World Music Awards, 20 JUNO Awards, and on and on. Plus, seven of her albums have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide -- a benchmark only a handful of solo female artists have achieved. Several of her records have been certified gold, platinum and diamond -- and she's got multiple #1 hits from a charts perspective.

Even by Rolling Stone's own standard on what warrants a great "singer" -- where they consider the full breadth of their work and showmanship, rather than focus on raw vocal talent -- Celine checks all the boxes and then some. She should be on there somewhere.

Celine herself doesn't seem to mind. She hasn't responded to the slight, but rather ... is busy celebrating her storied career. Still, as some have noted -- someone screwed the pooch here.

The Black Eyed Peas showed solidarity with the LGBT community to ring in the new year -- doing so on Polish territory ... and on a state-sanctioned TV channel, no less.

The music group was hired as the headlining gig for TVP's "New Year's of Dreams" show, and when they finally hit the stage ... all 4 members came out wearing rainbow armbands. It seems they kept them on for a good while, too, as they went through their set.

Of course, that sparked outrage among Poland's Law and Justice Party (PiS), which is in power at the moment -- and which has taken on very strong anti-LGBT views and policies ... trickling throughout much of the country and embraced by several citizens as well.

One such member of PiS, Marcin Warchol, expressed his indignation at the BEP's accessories, writing ... "LGBT promotion in TVP2 . DISGRACE! It’s not a New Year’s Eve of Dreams but a New Year’s Eve of Deviance."

The funny thing is that TVP is, more or less, a state broadcaster -- they regularly air programming that aligns with PiS ... and the Black Eyed Peas were presumably hired by someone working there/with ties to the ruling party. So ... this is kinda on them.

Will.i.am caught wind of the backlash and responded, writing ... "#WHEREStheLOVE??? Unity, tolerance, understanding, oneness, respect, diversity & inclusion…THATS LOVE…people are people & we should all practice to honor & love all the different types of people on earth & learn from them…I LOVE YOU your country…"

He further addressed the matter on video, posting a clip of himself talking about why they did what they did -- and it all comes down to trying to reach people who don't see eye to eye.

Anita Pointer, one of the founders of the iconic group bearing her name, has died.

Anita's rep tells TMZ ... her death was the result of a "somewhat lengthy and heroic battle with cancer." We're told she died peacefully at home Saturday, surrounded by her family.

The Pointer Sisters formed in the late '60s after Anita quit her job as a secretary and formed the soon-to-be-famous group with her sisters Bonnie, June and Ruth.

They became one of the most popular groups in the '70s, with iconic hit after hit.

To name a few ... "I'm So Excited," "Jump," "Slow Hand," "Fire," "He's So Shy," and "Neutron Dance." If you haven't heard all these songs, you should take a listen, because they're awesome.

The group won Grammys and many other awards, and they were the first African American group to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

Anita's sister and group member Ruth, along with brothers Aaron and Fritz, said,  "While we are deeply saddened by the loss of Anita, we are comforted in knowing she is now with her daughter, Jada and her sisters June & Bonnie and at peace."

They went on ...  "She was the one that kept all of us close and together for so long. Her love of our family will live on in each of us. Please respect our privacy during this period of grief and loss. Heaven is a more loving beautiful place with Anita there."

Bryan Kohberger seems inclined not to fight Idaho authorities wanting him in their jurisdiction ASAP -- but sounds confident he'll beat the charges ... according to his lawyer.

Jason LaBar -- Kohberger's extradition hearing attorney -- tells TMZ his client is, for now, likely to waive his right to have his looming transportation back to ID heard in front of a judge ... which, if it holds true, would mean Kohberger will get shipped back Latah County this upcoming week without any further delay -- where he'd be expected to enter a plea.

While LaBar notes Kohberger has neither denied or admitted to the charges against him -- implicitly or explicitly -- he did say his client told him he felt he would be exonerated, which obviously suggests he believes he's innocent.

We're told Kohberger and his parents are shocked by his arrest -- telling us their home in PA was descended upon by feds very early Friday morning ... where they were surrounded by law enforcement and instructed to comply, which LaBar says Kohberger did without issue.

Part of the reason Kohberger might wanna get this over with quickly has to do with the fact he told his attorney he wasn't on the run. On the contrary, LaBar says Kohberger relayed that he and his father drove a white Hyundai from Washington -- where Bryan currently attends university -- back to PA on Dec. 18 ... a plan they'd apparently had all along.

The implication ... Kohberger was neither in hiding nor fleeing, as the murders occurred in mid-November. Remember, though ... Kohberger was within a stone's throw from the University of Idaho during this time -- pursuing a graduate's degree in criminology at Washington State University -- so this supposedly chill father-son road trip doesn't really clear him one way or another. It simply explains his movements during the holidays.

Of course, Kohberger has time to change his mind on the extradition hearing -- which could jam things up. Otherwise, court proceedings will begin and prosecutors will have to show their cards on what exactly they have that implicates him as the quadruple murderer.

There have been reports saying Kohberger has been getting surveilled for a while now, and that the feds were tracking his whereabouts these past few weeks. Also, the word is that the police have DNA evidence -- putting him at the scene of the crime -- and a match on the Hyundai seen in the area that night ... which they've reportedly traced to Kohberger.

Nick Cannon has words for anyone who thinks he's had too many kids ... "My body, My choice!"

Nick appeared on CNN's NYE show and the ever-inquisitive Andy Cohen asked him if he'd consider getting a vasectomy. Nick's response was essentially ... not anyone's biz but mine.

Andy pressed the father of 12 ... "Do you want to hit 20?"

Nick was honest, even if the answer wasn't especially satisfying ... "Clearly, I don't have a plan. That should've been clear from the jump."

As we reported, Nick welcomed baby #12 last month. Another great name -- Halo, the little girl he had with Alyssa Scott.

A month before that, Nick welcomed another baby girl, Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa. And in September, he welcomed son Rise Messiah with Brittany Bell.

Two weeks before Rise was born, Nick welcomed daughter Onyx Ice with LaNisha Cole, a 'Price is Right' model.

And in June, he and Bre Tiesi welcomed their first child together, Legendary.

Jennifer Lopez rang in the new year in traditional fashion, sippin' the bubbly as the clock struck 12, and she was not alone.

Tons of celebs put on their Saturday/Sunday finest and mugged for the cam.  Khloe Kardashian rocked 2023 shades, in case anyone forgot what year we were entering.

Bad Bunny stripped it all down to the essentials ... partying with a red solo cup.

David Beckham and fam celebrated with fireworks, while Gwyneth Paltrow escaped L.A.'s cement jungle for a tropical vacay with her brood.

Courteney Cox got all sentimental, planting a big smooch on BF Johnny McDaid, and Nick Carter dined with friends at Carbone in Vegas.

There were more ... Kylie and Kendall Jenner grabbed some grub with pals Hailey Bieber and Stassie Karanikolaou in Aspen after a day of skiing.

Jeremiah Green, co-founder and drummer for Modest Mouse, has died just days after the band announced he was battling stage 4 cancer.

The group made the announcement on New Year's Eve, saying ... "I don’t know a way to ease into this: Today we lost our dear friend Jeremiah. He laid down to rest and simply faded out. I’d like to say a bunch of pretty words right now, but it just isn’t the time. These will come later, and from many people. Please appreciate all the love you give, get, have given, and will get. Above all, Jeremiah was about love. We love you."

As we reported, Jeremiah was in treatment for cancer and all indications were it was going well. The band had asked fans to think of Jeremiah because they felt the positive energy would work.

Jeremiah and Isaac Brock found the group in 1992 and for the most part -- except for a short break in 2003 -- Green stayed in the band.

He was listed as #37 of the top 50 best rock drummers by Stylus Mag.

The band had success ... it was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the Grammys in 2005.

Modest Mouse released 7 albums, including "This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About." Music aside, it's one of the best titles ever! Some of their songs, including, "Lampshades on Fire," "Float On," "Ocean Breathes Salty," and "Dashboard" were especially popular.

Ice Cube says he's never giving up on the fight to obtain the rights to his beloved "Friday" franchise -- but won't go to court to get the job done.

TMZ Hip Hop recently caught the legendary rapper outside of Dash Radio, asking him about his struggle to own "Friday" and about any potential spin-off opportunities for the franchise.

Cube, clearly amused by the question, reminded us the contracts he's got with Warner Bros for the film have a ton of fine print -- including that using the same characters in any capacity on a new project wouldn't fly.

Cube has been pushing to get the rights back from WB for years now ... and it's been an uphill battle. Several original cast members like Tommy Lister Jr. and Anthony Johnson have passed away and Cube recently scoffed at the suggestion from Mike Tyson to buy his own rights back.

"Supernatural" star Jim Beaver apparently wants to move back in with his estranged wife, but there's a problem ... she says he wants to bring his adult daughter with him and it's a recipe for disaster.

The TV actor's estranged wife, actress and singer Sarah Spiegel, says she's been living in the couple's Studio City home during the divorce ... but in new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Sarah claims Jim recently told her he's moving back and plans to bring his 21-year-old daughter Madeline in tow ... and now Sarah wants a court to step in and stop it.

The reason ... Sarah claims Madeline's had beef with her for years ... ever since Madeline returned home from college back in 2019 to find Sarah had cleaned out her room, triggering what she says was a temper tantrum.

Sarah says Madeline seemed "totally unhinged" ... screaming and pounding her fists against the wall ... and ever since, Sarah claims she's been afraid Madeline might physically harm her.

In the docs, Sarah says Jim even rented an apartment for his daughter during the pandemic, rather than have them all live under the same roof in 2020 when Madeline's college shifted away from in-person learning.

Sarah says she eventually tried to give Madeline another chance after college graduation, but says it was a mistake to think they could all live under one roof. Sarah claims when Madeline came home after finishing school at the end of 2021, she would start screaming at her out of nowhere, slamming doors, throwing tantrums and threatening suicide.

TMZ broke the story ... Jim filed for divorce August 25, listing August 14 as the date of separation. Sarah says Jim left the home August 11 and she's been living there alone ever since.

Sarah claims Jim recently told her he and Madeline would be moving back in ... so she beelined it to court this month and filed for a temporary restraining order against Jim's daughter, asking the judge to block Madeline from moving back in.

In the docs, Sarah says she's afraid of what Madeline might do if she moves back in ... and she wants the court to step in and protect her from what she thinks will be "unwarranted abusive behavior" by Madeline.

Henry Winkler tells TMZ Sports he and Patrick Mahomes do, indeed, have a genuine bromance going on ... and he said it's blossomed so much in the past few weeks -- they're actually going to do dinner soon!!!

The Fonz broke down the improbable friendship for us out at Il Pastaio recently ... explaining the whole thing actually started when he praised the Chiefs star during an interview on "The Rich Eisen Show" some six months ago.

Winkler called Mahomes one of his "heroes" ... and gushed over the QB's talent. A few months later, the 27-year-old signal-caller heard the kind words -- and invited him out to the Chiefs vs. Chargers game in LA.

Winkler ended up coming -- and the two shared an amazing moment in the pregame at SoFi Stadium. And, the 77-year-old acting legend tells us they've remained tight ever since.

In fact, Winkler not only said he's planning on hosting Mahomes for a chicken-stuffed-with-ricotta dinner night -- he told us he actually got a gift for the quarterback's newborn baby boy too!!

As for when the dinner date will go down ... Winkler said it'll have to be at least sometime next month -- because, "I'm going to let him play in the Super Bowl and win first."