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Barbie collectors can start counting the Benjamins, 'cause the movie's Oscar noms are about to blow up the Barbie resale market ... according to one toy expert.

We talked to "America's Toy Scout" Joel Magee -- a frequent "Pawn Stars" guest with more than 20 years experience in the collectibles world -- and he says he's expecting prices to just keep on climbing since the movie picked up 8 noms for this year's Academy Awards

JM says all the buzz around the movie and awards season is indoctrinating the young generation into collectible culture. So, whereas a few years ago the biggest buyer of Barbies might be your nostalgic Grandma Sue, it's now fashionable among the Gen Z crowd to buy Barbie.

And, Magee pulled out his magic 8 ball to make a prediction for us ... saying the mass producer of Barbie, Mattel, is really smart and loves its limited-edition drops -- so keep your eyes peeled for an Oscar-themed Barbie possibly hitting the market very soon.

Now, of course, Ryan Gosling was nominated for an Oscar while Margot Robbie missed out in the acting category, but Magee says the breadwinner has always been, and will remain, Barbie. Sorry, Ken.

Joel tells us collectors go out to buy different Barbies -- Astronaut Barbie, Doctor Barbie, Birthing Dog Barbie, etc. -- and they'll get the accompanying Ken to complete the set, but he's not the draw.

Translation: He's just Ken.

That said ... an Academy Award for Gosling will jack up those Ken prices -- Magee's talking doubling or tripling the value. And, if he's not Kenough for the voters, Joel still sees a 40 or 50% increase for the nomination alone. Cha-ching!!!

Magee's final piece of advice for collectors -- buy those limited-edition Barbies, like the Oscar Barbie he predicts could be coming down the pike.

King Charles III was hospitalized Friday in London to undergo a "corrective procedure" for his enlarged prostate – and he'll have another royal to keep him company while he's there.

Charles was admitted this morning to the London Clinic where the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, is currently resting after having stomach surgery. Following his arrival, the king paid a visit to the princess for a little bonding session.

Buckingham Palace – the United Kingdom's royal residence – released an official statement ... “The King was this morning admitted to a London hospital for scheduled treatment. His Majesty would like to thank all those who have sent their good wishes over the past week.''

The statement went on to say the king was "delighted to learn that his diagnosis is having a positive impact on public health awareness" for those suffering from his condition.

Last week, the palace announced Charles would be having the medical procedure and postponing all public events for a short period as he recuperates.

In mid-January, Charles learned he had a benign, non-cancerous prostate enlargement after he went to a doctor for a check-up because he was experiencing "symptoms."

The father of singer-actor Harry Connick Jr. has died in Louisiana, according to the Associated Press.

Harry Connick Sr. passed away peacefully in his New Orleans home Thursday, the AP reported, although his cause of death was not disclosed. He was surrounded by his wife, Londa and two children, daughter Suzanna and his famous son Harry.

Connick Sr. was the New Orleans District Attorney for three decades, winning his first election in 1973 and unseating incumbent prosecutor Jim Garrison. He stayed as the city's D.A. for many years, getting reelected four times by developing biracial support among the city's politically powerful African American base.

After his retirement in 2003, Connick Sr. faced harsh criticism for allegedly hiding evidence that could have tipped the scales in favor of several defendants, who later had their convictions overturned.

In one case, John Thompson was exonerated for a murder he did not commit after 14 years on Louisiana's Death Row.

Thompson filed a lawsuit in state court against the New Orleans D.A.'s Office, accusing Connick Sr. of withholding key evidence that would have found him innocent at trial. The judge awarded Thompson $14 million, but the U.S. Supreme Court later overturned the decision by a 5-4 vote.

In 2014, Connick Sr. again came under scrutiny when a judge tossed out the 1990 murder conviction of Reginald Adams.

Adams was released from prison after serving 34 years. His attorneys proved that Connick Sr. kept vital evidence under wraps during his trial.

Later, Adams sued the D.A.'s Office, agreeing to a $1.25 million settlement.

Over the years, Connick Sr. kept silent about his controversial reign as D.A., but he finally defended his legacy in a 2012 interview with The Times-Picayune.

He was 97.

It's just about the end of the week here, and best believe we're finishing at TMZ -- especially when it comes to what we're covering on our TV shows ... and Thursday was no excpetion.

Let's start with 'TMZ Live,' where Harvey and Charles touched an ever-growing problem in the modern world -- namely, the fact that AI is starting to get VERY good at creating deepfake imagery, especially as it pertains to celebs. In this case, Taylor Swift herself was victimized.

We spoke with an AI expert about this ... and he told us to buckle up, it's just getting started.

On 'TMZ on TV,' the gang got to talking about Jason Momoa's new Super Bowl ad -- which he was seen filming this week out in the Valley ... alongside none other than Zach Braff and Donald Faison. Yes, it's for T-Mobile ... and yes, it's another musical/dance number thing.

We'll say this ... JM looked like he was having fun -- can you tell by the 'Flashdance' tribute?

Down in the 'TMZ Sports' world ... Mojo and Babcock got to talking about this new 'Road House' movie, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. The reason that's relevant to sports is because none other than Conor McGregor is also in the flick ... and he and JG face off in a BIG way.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Before this sweet girl in her red sweater turned into a singer and songwriter from Tennessee, she was just grinning from-ear-to-ear ... proudly showing off her babydoll, taking dance lessons and leading her church choir.

After briefly attending Lipscomb University where she studied communications and marketing ... she decided pursuing music was her true passion! This country-pop star is Unapologetically herself, and you can see so with her candid posts on social media.

Need one more hint? She holds the title for being the only female country artist to hit #1 with three consecutive singles.

Ginnifer Goodwin is all about a good Prince Charming ... and she trusts Disney to make the right call when it comes to his role, or lack thereof, in the live-action "Snow White."

We got Ginnifer at Porta Via in Los Angeles on Thursday and our photog asked her how Prince Charming fits into the Snow White fairytale.

Ginnifer famously played Snow White in the ABC fantasy series "Once Upon a Time" ... and she says Prince Charming was pretty important to her.

Of course, Ginnifer's talking about her husband, Josh Dallas ... she says Josh was her Prince Charming in real life ... they got married and plan to live happily ever after.

The 'Snow White' live-action remake might do away with the love story altogether ... which is causing a bunch of uproar, on top of the controversy surrounding the original Seven Dwarfs.

Personal experience aside, Ginnifer's leaving it up to Disney to decide what's best for this movie ... she says the studio's track record speaks for itself.

The director of a 'Road House" reboot is mad the movie won't run in movie theaters -- potentially costing Jake Gyllenhaal an Oscar -- but Patrick Swayze's widow says that's a highbrow aim compared to the OG film ... which was never meant to win Academy Awards.

Lisa Niemi Swayze tells TMZ ... the original "Road House" wasn't really Oscar-worthy material and it never tried to be ... it was just supposed to be a guilty pleasure.

Doug Liman directed the new 'RH' with Jake playing Patrick's main character role of John Dalton ... and he's ripping Amazon for sending it straight to its Prime Video streaming service, instead of giving it a theatrical run first.

Doug says Amazon is depriving Jake from being recognized come award season for what he says is a career-best acting performance ... and he's boycotting SXSW, where the film is set to debut.

Patrick's wife isn't bashing Doug or the new movie when she says the original wasn't geared at winning Academy Awards, though ... she's just saying the 1989 film was really just for pure entertainment.

In fact, Lisa says Patrick truly respected Jake as an actor and thought he was a great talent.

As for the raging debate over the benefits of a theatrical release versus a straight-to-streaming release ... Lisa says she's not qualified to give a hot take.

Storm Reid's at the top of her game in Hollywood -- especially after winning an Emmy -- but that doesn't make her above anyone else on campus ... yes, she's still in school!

We got the professional actress -- who just took some hardware in recent weeks -- at LAX Thursday ... she says despite bagging the Outstanding Guest Actress award in a Drama Series for her role in HBO's "The Last of Us," she's still treated the same at USC School of Dramatic Arts -- where she's studying drama/theater.

The obvious question is ... how are folks treating you after the Emmy win?!? As it turns out, Storm tells people are pretty regular with her -- and, apparently, just excited and proud of her, as they come up to congratulate her ... at least that's what Storm's saying.

Clearly, she's staying humble ... but we'll say -- it is fascinating that her shiny new accolade doesn't seem to change her dynamic between her theatre teachers, or her peers.

From this chat here ... you'd almost never know she was a decorated, pro actor!

With that said, Storm's pleased to be learning loads of new techniques from the acting curriculum ... which she's already implementing in her on-screen work.

The gist here is that she's very happy in her Hannah Montana era -- living the best of both worlds -- a Hollywood star and an average, everyday dorm-living college student.

Kurt Cobain died nearly 30 years ago -- but one man has been following the case since, and published what he claims is the official autopsy report ... unviewed publicly until now.

A private investigator named Tom Grant threw up this PDF on his Twitter account Wednesday -- writing ... "Download link for a free copy of the Kurt Cobain Autopsy Report at: http://cobaincase.com/Cobain Autopsy.pdf  Copy/paste the entire link, including 'Autopsy.pdf' into your browser window). This is the first time this report has been made public."

From the looks of it ... Tom has his own site that's been chronicling his investigation into the death case -- dating back to when Kurt took his own life in 1994 -- and it seems TG's come to his own conclusions about it all ... but the bigger point is this document he's published.

He claims it's the real deal, although ... he doesn't explain how he obtained it. Kurt's autopsy was never released back then -- and it all had to with some Washington state laws that prevent the disclosure of that type of info. They do release these docs to family though.

Anyway, you can take a look at the purported report yourself if you want ... because, we'll admit, if it is real -- it most certainly is an interesting read, for Nirvana fans or otherwise.

We won't get into the nitty-gritty of it all, because it's quite graphic ... but what we will say is that the alleged report purports to confirm what most everyone has known about his death for years -- namely, that he tragically died by suicide, and that he used to a shotgun on himself.

There's also info in here about what medical professionals say was found to be in Kurt's system at the time -- and it looks like there was a mix of substances. We've attempted to verify the authenticity of this report ... but King County officials wouldn't comment, and again cited the Washington law.

Kurt left behind his wife, Courtney Love, and his daughter Frances Bean. He was only 27.

Masuimi Max -- an actress and model who appeared in big publications like Playboy and Maxim -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops got a call just before 8:30 AM PT this morning and responded to Max's Las Vegas-area home where they found Max. We're told no foul play is immediately suspected ... though a thorough investigation will be conducted.

No further details about the circumstances of her death were immediately available.

Max started modeling back in 2000, according to her LinkedIn ... over the years she appeared in numerous publications like Maxim, Alt Magazine, Bizarre Magazine and a number of other outlets over the years.

Fans may remember her from the times she posed for Playboy -- MM also hit up events at the Playboy Mansion throughout the late 2000s/early 2010s.

She's got some credits on IMDb ... though mostly B-movies like "Cornman: American Vegetable Hero" and "Giantess Battle Attack." She did have an uncredited role in "xXx: State of the Union" starring Samuel L. Jackson and Ice Cube ... where she played the girlfriend of Zeke -- rapper Xzibit's role in the movie.

She's mostly been into alternative modeling in recent years ... gravitating toward make-up-heavy horror/cabaret shows and YouTube videos. She'd amassed a solid fanbase online, with more than 300k dedicated IG followers.

Masuimi was 45.

50 Cent dodging a criminal charge for decking a DJ with a microphone doesn't mean he's out of the woods ... 'cause he's now staring down the barrel of a hefty lawsuit.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained the docs filed by Bryhana Monegain, the Los Angeles-based radio host for Power 106 who was hospitalized following 50's Final Lap Tour set inside the Crypto.com Arena on August 3, 2023.

According to the suit ... once 50 realized his mic was malfunctioning, he opted to throw it in the crowd, where Bryhana claims it struck her in the face and wrist ... resulting in severe and permanent injuries.

Her alleged injuries, specified in the docs, align with the story we broke at the time ... Bryhana says she suffered a concussion and a forehead laceration, among other bumps and bruises.

Bryhana's since returned to work at her afternoon radio slot, but says she continues to suffer from emotional distress over the incident.

She's suing for the wages she lost during her recovery, in addition to medical expenses and other damages.

We know 50, through an attorney, had previously denied intentionally harming anyone -- but that was when he was being criminally investigated over this ... which he's now clear of.

Taylor Swift's stalker is going to get his head checked ... because a judge wants to see if he's mentally able to stand trial.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the guy who has been arrested multiple times outside Taylor's NYC townhouse this month is being sent for a psychological exam.

As we reported ... David Crowe -- the man who prosecutors say has been lurking around Taylor's NYC home for a while now -- was arraigned Wednesday on stalking and harassment charges. He was set free and then was arrested again 2 hours later after going back to Taylor's block.

Now, David's facing a new charge of contempt in the second degree for intentionally violating an order of protection. His defense wants him to get a psych exam before a potential trial, and a judge agreed.

Taylor's actually been in the Big Apple while all of this has been going down ... though it's unclear if she was ever home when David was getting busted outside.

Snoop Dogg once pushed his luck blowin' ganja clouds in Michael Jackson's direction, which would've been an epic moment -- but the King of Pop wasn't with the smoke.

While speaking to Andy Cohen, Snoop recalled the moment he pissed off MJ ... back in May 2008, both superstars attended and performed at late fashion designer Christian Audigier's Vegas birthday bash.

Following their sets, Snoop says he hightailed it back to his dressing room and lit up a blunt -- where he was put on high alert that his dressing room was right next to Mike's.

Snoop says he hopped up in disbelief, opened the door, and blew a bunch of smoke into the hallway ... and MJ was standing right there looking at him and told him, "Snoop, don't do that."

That smokey encounter didn't damage their relationship too much ... Snoop says he and MJ collaborated on a long-lost track for a philanthropy project, but he has no idea where the vocals are now.

The investigation into Michael B. Jordan's violent Ferrari crash is closed, and he won't face any criminal repercussions ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement tells us there's just not enough evidence to prove what happened during the December crash in Hollywood ... despite a video showing Michael racing another driver -- also in a Ferrari -- moments before Michael careened into a parked KIA.

Cops say the video is part of the puzzle of what happened during the accident, but it's not enough to complete it -- especially as it doesn't capture whether MBJ was behind the wheel.

If a crime had been committed, we're told it would be street racing, and because that's a misdemeanor ... an officer would need to witness Jordan driving. That didn't happen as cops only responded after the fact.

Ditto for speeding -- we're told it isn't clear from the vid just how fast Michael's car was going as he apparently raced the other down Sunset Blvd.

So, when you put it all together ... just too many question marks to prosecute.

Hasan Minhaj almost ended "The Daily Show" producers' search for a permanent host months ago ... only for his embellishing scandal to blow the deal -- according to reports.

Here's the deal ... The Hollywood Reporter gave fans of 'TDS' an inside look at how Jon Stewart's return to Comedy Central's flagship satirical news show came to fruition -- and Minhaj got name-dropped in the piece.

Basically, THR says the deal was right at the finish line, just needing to cross the t's and dot the i's over the summer to bring HM on as Trevor Noah's replacement ... until the New Yorker published their exposé on Hasan embellishing stories in his stand-up special.

Remember, the magazine alleged Hasan hammed up stories for the shock value ... including one about taking his daughter to the hospital because of an anthrax scare and another where he said he was turned down by a girl he asked out because of his race -- something the woman in question flat-out denied BTW.

Minhaj -- who appeared as a guest host in the year-plus since Noah went off the air -- has defended himself, denying some of the New Yorker's assertions ... but THR says the scandal was "suddenly seen as a liability" so higher-ups backed off hiring him.

The backlash to Hasan's scandal was swift ... with some comedians frustrated over Minhaj saying they all embellish with their stand-ups. Bill Maher straight-up called the guy a liar on an episode of his show back in October.

As we previously reported ... producers recently announced a tried and true part-time option -- bringing back Jon Stewart to host the show on Mondays through election season and executive produce the show through at least 2025. Hosting duties from Tuesday to Thursday will be handled by correspondents on a rotating basis.

Jillian Michaels gave Dr. Terry Dubrow a taste of his own medicine ... this after he implored people to ignore her anti-Ozempic stance cause she was merely a personal trainer.

We got JM on "TMZ Live" Thursday ... who says, contrary to what Dubrow believes, she's actually the foremost expert when it comes to helping people lose weight -- and says he shared her same views on the drug not too long ago ... pulling out receipts for evidence.

Jillian cites a July 2023 NY Post interview with the "Botched" star ... where, sure enough, he urged the weight loss community to raise awareness of the dangers of Ozempic ... saying it could cost people their lives.

The article also claims that 3 of TD's patients were hospitalized at the time ... over intestinal problems and pancreatitis linked with Ozempic use.

So, yeah ... Jillian doubles down here on her OG assertion that Ozempic isn't the silver bullet solution for weight loss ... adding if it were the easy way out, she too would be using it.

In fact, she tells us if she believed the drug could healthily cure obesity... she'd also sell it through her weight loss platform/app -- profiting from it both personally and professionally.

The bottom line is she's merely trying to educate people on the side effects of Ozempic -- and clearly thinks Dubrow's attack on her was unwarranted.