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Young Thug's YSL RICO trial continues to provide unintentional entertainment ... today's edition introduced an unlikely name into the mix -- LeBron James!!!

On Thursday, YSL co-founder Trontavious "Tick" Stephens took the stand yet again when he was quizzed about LBJ's potential ties to the YSL -- due to the fact the NBA's scoring leader occasionally doing the "wipe your nose" hand sign with teammates and calling them "slime" as a term of endearment.

Prosecutors argue the WYN gesture is code for offing a rival in the streets and "slime" is also a gang-related term and pressured Tick to cough up what he knew about LBJ and YSL ... which wasn't much.

Tick admitted he's seen LBJ pull off different handshakes with his team -- but his mind seemed to slip into the Twilight Zone on the other questions .. namely, he couldn't remember.

The case has been bridged on potentially having YT potentially having crimes in his rap lyrics and the court played his and Rich Homie Quan's 2014 hit "Lifestyle" for everyone to analyze.

We're not sure what streaming the party track accomplished ... Thug, Yak Gotti and others remained emotionless as the platinum smash blared in the courtroom but it looked like the attorneys were trying hard not to catch a vibe.

FKA Twigs recently did a Calvin Klein campaign where she showed a little skin -- which was apparently too risque for the United Kingdom ... but she's calling it BS, and outright unfair.

Here's the deal ... the singer is one of the newest faces for the famed fashion line, and one of the shots that was released as part of her campaign has actually gotten censored in the UK -- all thanks to a government agency known as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

According to them, this specific ad featuring FKA violates one of its provisions in that it could "present her as a stereotypical sexual object" ... this because the pic places "viewers' focus on the model's body rather than on the clothing being advertised." They go on to say that this image is likely to cause serious offense ... so they're completely yanking it in public.

The photo in question shows Twigs butt naked -- but covered up with a denim shirt of some kind, which is draped over her ... and some side-boob showing, as well as some butt/thigh.

It's not the raciest shot in the world, and yet ... it seems to have been too much for the Brits. FKA came out and slammed the decision, saying she sees herself as a strong woman of color in this photo -- while going on to suggest there are double standards at play here.

She might have a point ... there's another recent Calvin Klein ad with Kendall Jenner -- where she too is somewhat topless -- that's been running in the UK without issue.

Of course, there's also the Jeremy Allen White campaign that dropped last week -- and we're sure that's getting a ton of play across the pond. Unclear if FKA thinks this enforcement on her pertains to race, sex or both ... but in any case, she feels she's getting a raw deal.

She writes, "i am proud of my physicality and hold the art i create with my vessel to the standards of women like josephine baker, eartha kitt and grace jones who broke down barriers of what it looks like to be empowered and harness a unique embodied sensuality."

Darnell 'SuperChef' Ferguson's estranged wife is looking to protect herself after he allegedly attacked her ... because we've learned she filed a TRO against him.

According to new docs, obtained by TMZ, Tatahda Ferguson filed in Lousiville, Kentucky Monday -- the day before Darnell was arrested -- seeking protection for her and their 3 kids.

She's also asking for Darnell to stay away from her work, home, and their kids' school ... and Tatahda is seeking temporary custody and child support.

In the docs, Tatahda claims Darnell came into her home without her permission on January 2 while she "had a guy friend sleeping with me." She says the guy took off when Darnell arrived.

She claims Darnell was upset that she wasn't responding to his calls, as well as the man sleeping with her, and got irate ... allegedly breaking her door and punching a hole in her wall before choking her out.

Tatahda says Darnell ripped her shorts off and demanded to see her private parts, "because I was his and no one else's."

As we reported, Darnell pleaded not guilty in court to the criminal charges related to this alleged incident, and his bond was set at $10k. Records show he posted bail Wednesday and was released.

Michael Irvin has recently been accused of misconduct in Texas ... cops tell TMZ Sports they've launched a criminal investigation into the Dallas Cowboys legend.

A spokesperson for the Allen Police Department would not confirm details of the new probe into the Hall of Famer ... but the rep did say, "It's very early in the investigation."

"At this point," the spokesperson said, "we aren't prepared to release any classification regarding Mr. Irvin."

Levi McCathern, Irvin's attorney, said in a statement to Pro Football Talk his client has done nothing "wrong or inappropriate."

McCathern added it "will turn out to be much ado about nothing."

This, of course, is not the first time in the last year the 58-year-old has been accused of misconduct ... back in February, a hotel employee in Arizona said Irvin acted inappropriately when he had an encounter with her while he was in town to help cover the Super Bowl.

Irvin was adamant he did nothing wrong ... and filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit that was settled roughly seven months after the allegations first surfaced.

The Playmaker has since made regular appearances on both Fox Sports 1 and NFL Network. In fact, he was just recently on an episode of "Undisputed," arguing the Cowboys should sign Dalvin Cook.

Marisa Abela's casting as Amy Winehouse has been pissing people off for about a year -- and loads are STILL fuming after the trailer for the biopic dropped ... can't win 'em all.

As far as we can see, Marisa's not a dead ringer for the late icon ... but she's close enough -- going from an average everyday Londoner to a beehive-wearing, heavily-tatted powerhouse in the first international teaser trailer for "Back to Black," showing her rise in the biz.

Some refuse to cut her slack, with a crap ton of haters hitting X with their fuming takes on Marisa's casting & also predicting the movie will tank at the box office. Long story short -- a lot of users feel she's just not believable as the late, great AW ... both in look, and in voice.

It ain't all bleak, though -- others admit they're pleasantly surprised at the trailer ... enough for them to make a theatre trip -- adding that it looks super emotional.

The trailer definitely stirs up some poignancy ... Abela's Winehouse is heard saying she doesn't pen songs to be famous ... only doing it cause she doesn't know what else she'd do if she didn't.

She also hopes people forget their troubles when listening to her voice -- which arguably they did as Amy's music touched millions before her tragic passing at 27 from accidental alcohol poisoning in 2011.

The mixed reaction to the Sam Taylor-Johnson-directed biopic doesn't come as a surprise as Amy fans have been venting for a while over Marisa looking nothing like the star -- also slamming the need for a biopic in the first place.

Though, Amy's own dad Mitch is totally cool with the biopic ... telling TMZ early last year Marisa's a great choice for the role -- even if she doesn't look exactly like Amy.

Jack O'Connell plays Amy's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, and Juliet Cowan & Eddie Marsan play her mom and dad, Janis and Mitch Winehouse.

9:58 AM PT -- NYC Mayor Adams' 'Rat Czar' Kathleen Corradi tells TMZ ... "Mayor Adams declared war on rats when he took office, and under this administration, we are winning that war day by day. Rat sighting complaints are down 7 percent citywide since May and down 20 percent in 2023 in rat mitigation zones, where we are deploying targeted and effective rat reduction strategies."

She adds, "We’re employing a whole-of-government approach which includes the Sanitation Department’s ambitious, paradigm-changing plans to containerize all garbage in New York City and bring free, no-hassle, curbside composting to all 8.3 million New Yorkers by this fall. The Adams administration will continue this fight until we can definitively declare victory"

Move over Pizza Rat -- there's a new video of New York City rodents running the streets ... and this time it all has to do with a fellow subway bedfellow ... of the human variety.

Check out this wild video from a Big Apple subway station that was posted this week ... you can see commuters walk over to a homeless person sleeping under a blanket, and dozens of rats scurry out from under the covers.

It starts with a few rats running away as subway riders approach, then a massive stampede follows ... with the rodents scurrying down onto the train tracks. It all happens in a matter of seconds.

The sheer number of rats seemingly sleeping with this homeless person -- cozying up under the blanket, no less -- is shocking. We're talking about at least a dozen of the mouse-y monsters here, if not more.

Looks like New York City's new "Rat Czar" Kathleen Corradi has her work cut out for her.

We've seen rats dragging pizza slices, fighting over pizza and attacking pigeons over the years in NYC ... and this video is right up there in the NYC Rat Hall of Fame.

One last thing ... the video doesn't show the homeless person under the blanket or who pulls the blanket up, leaving some folks to wonder if this was all staged. It does all play out a little too perfectly, and like we said ... there's a lot you don't see in the viral clip.

Anyway ... talk about a rat pack, huh?

Paps got Callum Turner on the way out of the party last night, and it looks like a few people caught wind of his and Dua Lipa's dance -- asking him if they were together or not.

The dude breezes right by without saying a thing -- which is interesting. If he wasn't involved with her, you figure he'd just say so straight up ... his silence here is pretty telling.

Dua Lipa appears to have a new love interest -- at least that's what it looks like from this slow dance she shared with this stud ... whose identity might not be all that mysterious.

TMZ has obtained video of the British pop star at an after-party in L.A. Wednesday night -- where a private bash was being held to celebrate the "Masters of the Air" premiere. It's a new limited series on Apple ... and it's got a ton of big stars, including Austin Butler, etc.

Unclear why Dua was there -- she doesn't have any official tie to this show as far as we can tell -- but she was front and center at the shindig that was being held at Avra in Bev Hills ... the back entrance which was slightly cracked open, leading to a room where Dua could be seen getting cozy with a dude ... and slow dancing the night away, albeit briefly.

They're only swaying here for a bit -- and at one point ... it even looks like she may have gone in for a kiss, although it's hard to tell for sure. It sure looks romantic, though.

In the clip, you never see the guy's face -- but he's wearing a dark suit ... and word is, this may have been an actor on the 'MOTA' show -- namely, fellow Brit Callum Turner.

He was also obviously at the premiere ... and his suit certainly seems to match up.

Again, this is kinda in the weeds -- but Callum's all-black getup certainly looks like our mystery man here ... especially with the white collar popping out as he and Dua eventually walk back into the party. We should note ... DL is reportedly recently single (again).

She was dating director Romain Gavras last year, but they supposedly split last month.

If that's true, then she certainly would be on the market ... and CT is an eligible bachelor as an up-and-coming actor. Of course, their dancing could also be much ado about nothing ... but it's interesting they're all cuddled up here the way they are.

Anyway, Dua eventually left the party through this same back entrance ... and she was being trailed by another mystery dude -- however, different than the one she was dancing with ... seems to just be a pal of hers. She sure seemed to have fun ... smiling ear to ear.

If there is a new couple alert between Dua and Callum ... it'd be a pretty big deal. She's arguably one of the biggest stars in the world -- especially post-"Barbie" -- and she's landing movie roles too now herself. Time will tell if we see them out together again anytime soon.

Tina Fey's been trying to downplay the possibility of any major cameos from any of the old "Mean Girls" stars in the rebooted musical -- but unfortunately ... the cat's outta the bag.

!!MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD ... DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT IT RUINED!!

The new "Mean Girls" hits theaters this Friday here in the States, but a clip circulating online that appears to show a Spanish-dubbed version of the movie -- which has already been released abroad, including in Europe -- is letting fans know early who's back from the past.

As it turns out ... it's Lindsay Lohan, go figure. Indeed, Cady Heron herself is in the new one.

The scene from the movie that's already leaked shows some kind of academic decathlon between students, including the new main character -- played by Angourie Rice. As they're reciting lines/singing ... you can see LiLo serving as the moderator of the contest.

So, she's not reprising her old role, per se, but she does pop up in a fun, quick moment. LiLo also appears to have some dialogue ... commenting on how this feels familiar. Of course, it's all a callback to another big scene from the OG -- aka, "The limit does not exist!"

Lindsay's appearance only seems to last a few seconds ... but it's sure to delight all longtime 'MG' fans. So far, no word of any of the other Plastics having shown up -- not yet anyway.

If you didn't already know -- seriously, how could you not?! -- Lindsay starred as Cady Heron in the original movie -- an innocent teen who goes on a tumultuous journey by Queen Bee Regina George after being initiated into the Plastics at her new high school.

The cameo comes after LL reunited with OG cast member Tina Fey -- who not only wrote the screenplay for the new film but also the musical that came before it. She's also reprising her role as Ms. Norbury in the new flick.

Lindsay's long made her desire for a "Mean Girls" return apparent ... even reuniting with other cast members Amanda Seyfried & Lacey Chabert for an 'MG'-themed commercial for Walmart last year.

But, if you're looking for a serious dose of nostalgia ... head to the cinema Friday cause that's when "Mean Girls" is officially out in the States!

Ozzy Osbourne is giving props where they’re due, because he's deemed T-Pain's cover of his classic rock anthem “War Pigs” ... the best ever.

T-Pain recently rocked out to the 1970 Black Sabbath song during a live performance ... and when it ended up on Ozzy’s radar, he says it blew him away!!!

The rock icon was puzzled as to why he wasn’t brought in for the fun with his anti-war hit, to which T-Pain told him he’s always invited ... opening the door for a monster collaboration down the line 👀.

Elton John is auctioning off some incredible finds from his gorgeous Atlanta home ... and bidders can get their hands on some of the Rocket Man's most recognizable memorabilia.

The auction, called "The Collection of Sir Elton John: Goodbye Peachtree Road" is going down next month at Christie's in New York -- with everything belonging to the singer coming from his condo in Georgia, which he bought back in 1992.

Folks can bid on a diamond necklace that says "The Bitch Is Back," which is expected to fetch up to $40,000 ... or a pair of performance-worn silver platform boots with his initials on it, which could snag $10k.

Elton's beautiful grand piano is also heading to the auction block, and is expected to go from $30-50k ... and we're guessing something like that comes with a lot of history.

Also up for auction are more pieces of his elegant wardrobe, photographs, a unique 18K gold watch, a Julian Schnabel portrait of Elon -- which could make up to $300k -- and other artwork.

Bids open next month, and the exhibit will be open to the public throughout February at Christie's NYC showroom ... so start saving now if you're a mega fan and want some of this stuff.

Michael Strahan came on his own show to share that his daughter was recently diagnosed with a rare brain cancer ... and it explains why he'd taken off so much time from his TV jobs back in the fall.

The 'GMA' host sat for a segment on the ABC program Thursday opposite his coworker Robin Roberts -- where he and his 19-year-old, Isabella, revealed she's been receiving treatment lately for a malignant tumor doctors found in her brain in October.

The cancer is known as medulloblastoma, and in the package they aired ... Roberts goes into detail about the size of the tumor that was discovered by doctors -- noting it was about as big as a golf ball and lodged toward the base of her skull.

Once they discovered the tumor, Isabella underwent emergency surgery at Cedars-Sinai in L.A. ... which is where Michael's daughter was attending college at USC.

Once her father caught wind of everything, he says he booked it to the West Coast -- Mike's normally working in NYC -- and he was by Isabella's side for a good long while ... which now explains his absence from 'GMA' and Fox NFL Sunday around that time.

The procedure to remove the mass appears to have been a success -- with the operation happening right around her 19th birthday -- and her recovery was long and arduous.

Now, though ... Isabella says she's doing much better as she continues to receive treatment -- including radiation, which has caused her to lose her hair. In February, Michael says she'll begin chemo as well. Of course, the whole journey has been stressful on the family.

Larsa Pippen wasted no time scrubbing her latest sexy snap from social media on Wednesday ... and we're told it's all due to her own pops getting involved.

The 49-year-old reality TV star had people talking after sharing a beach pic in a tiny, black bikini with her 5.4 million Instagram followers ... which featured a suggestive pose and the caption, "Sunshine on my mind."

The post was later removed from her profile ... leaving folks wondering if she had second thoughts about the risqué image.

Sources tell TMZ Sports Larsa's dad is the reason behind the move ... as he hit her up to express his disapproval of the shot.

Worth noting -- Larsa's dad has intervened with her sex appeal in the past ... as she explained back in 2022 he begged her to delete her OnlyFans account, even though she doesn't go nude on the subscription platform.

But, it's not just Larsa's pops who got upset over her latest IG post -- some folks flooded the comments with criticism ... even accusing her of touching up her body with Photoshop.

"Bro this soooooo edited it’s sad," one user said ... with another pointing out Larsa's kids probably weren't too thrilled with their mom putting so much on display.

"Don’t need to see all that!" another said. "Don't you have teenagers?? Be a role model, Mom!"

There were also some supportive replies ... with people praising Pippen for doing her thing and feeling comfortable in her own skin.

The late, great George Carlin has a new comedy special out -- thanks to the use of AI technology ... but one person who is up in arms about it is his daughter, Kelly.

The producer/screenwriter dished her thoughts on this new AI special, "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead," that's making the rounds right now ... in which a fake George Carlin -- recreated through an AI program -- cranked out new jokes ... in the vein of the real McCoy.

It sure sounds like GC, and the delivery is the same too -- as are the topics he famously touched on -- like religion, and some new material on Elon Musk, streaming, and more.

Kelly responded, laying it all out there in a statement, saying, "My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life, brain and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius."

She says artificial intelligence products are "clever attempts at trying to recreate a mind that will never exist again" -- adding the whole thing "stepped over a line."

Kelly urges folks to let the artist's work speak for itself ... reminding fans that the real George Carlin has 14 specials that are available everywhere -- if ya wanna listen to the actual material.

The bizarre standup set was made as part of the Podcast, Dudesy -- hosted by Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen -- and folks online have been siding with Kelly, thinking the whole thing is just weird.

And we'll say ... however close AI will get to the real thing, it'll never top the perfection that George brought to the stage for decades. Kelly has a point -- this is close, but no cigar.

An Ohio mother is behind bars after being accused of lying about her daughter's cancer, and using it to raise money in a case eerily reminiscent of Gypsy Rose Blanchard's ordeal.

Pamela Reed was arrested Monday after authorities say she told friends and family for years her 7-year-old daughter, identified as AR, had cancer -- specifically myeloid leukemia -- suffered from seizures and was blind in her right eye.

Law enforcement says Pamela even shaved AR's head to bolster her claims, and had raised about $8,000 ... which was given to help aid AR's cancer treatment expenses.

But, according to the arrest affidavit, it all came to an end when AR's school nurse discovered she wasn't blind in her right eye, and after calling the girl's doctor, learned she did not have cancer.

Cops say Reed later confessed to doctoring AR's paperwork for the school and told cops she repackaged prescriptions to make it seem like they were for cancer treatment.

Officials also claim she gave AR seizure medication she didn't need.

When cops grilled her, Reed admitted carrying on the big lie for so long, because she enjoyed all the financial support.

According to cops, Reed has been posting about her daughter's health concerns since she was 20 months old.

Well, that was quick!

Selena Gomez is already back on Instagram 20 hours after she said she was taking a break from social media.

On Thursday, the singer/actress posted an IG photo depicting her with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in her house. Her caption read, "@gordongram stepped into my kitchen and showed me how to make an amazing Breakfast Burger."

A day earlier, Selena announced she was cooling it for a bit on social after posting a video of her and her boyfriend, Benny Blanco having fun with some kids, presumably family.

This isn't the first time Selena has stepped away from Instagram, but it was probably her fastest return.

You may recall, she recently took a break after she came under scrutiny for her remarks about the Israel-Hamas war.

Kyle Richards says she was pissed at ladies sliding into Mauricio Umansky's DM's ... and claims they've even fought over it.

Kyle revealed the beef in Wednesday's episode of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" ... she was asked what's appropriate for husbands when it comes to online interaction with other women.

KR was triggered, referencing "murder" ... then admitting she's fought Mo before over stuff like this.

In a separate interview, Kyle claimed Mauricio's DMs are filled with women who, according to her, don't care he's married and are always "the aggressor."

It sounds like these spats went down before their separation last July ... although she never directly addresses when the fight went down.

As we reported, Mauricio was having fun on the Aspen slopes last month with Lele Pons and Anitta -- he filmed the girls nearly naked skiing down a hill, and was later spotted dancing shirtless at a nearby restaurant.