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Nicki Minaj isn't done sniping at Megan Thee Stallion -- now she's accusing her of desperately seeking sympathy when she sat down with Gayle King to discuss the Tory Lanez shooting.

The rapper, who's been on the warpath since MTS released "Hiss" last week, hopped on an X Spaces hosted by Joe Budden ... and compared Meg's 2022 CBS interview to a Rihanna interview in 2009, after Chris Brown assaulted her.

Remember, Megan couldn't hold back tears as she talked about the terrifying shooting -- and while it tugged at most viewers' heartstrings, Nicki wasn't one of those people.

NM accused Megan of making artists like Tory and DaBaby out to be attention-seeking bad guys ... before hamming it up to get a "Rihanna moment."

Minaj elaborated ... saying RiRi received a ton of support once her interview came out because she's all about being herself, and would never "milk anything." She pointed out Rihanna tried to move past Brown's assault quickly in her interview, chalking it up to youth.

But, Nicki said it's not the same with Meg ... claiming she needs "constant f***ing sympathy."

It's the latest in a long string of attacks Nicki's shot off ... including a joke she made about Meg's dead mom and releasing "Big Foot" -- a diss track aimed at MTS.

Meg's stayed silent since dropping "Hiss" with its controversial "Megan's Law" line last week ... perhaps this will finally convince her to hit back. That's clearly what Nicki wants.

Or, maybe she will take it all in stride ... it's always nice to be compared to freakin' Rihanna!!!

8:57 AM PT -- Mystery solved ... Taylor-Con is just a regular Swiftie fan convention that's going down in Dallas in March -- one that's being organized by fans, and which Taylor Swift and co. seem to want to jump on by trademarking this phrase, which will undoubtedly be circulating.

Taylor and her team don't appear to have any official affiliation with this -- she'll be touring around this time, so she definitely won't be there -- but Taylor-Con is going down, and it's already sold out.

Taylor Swift is moving into a new business era, it seems -- 'cause she's interested in locking down a certain phrase for what sounds like an event centered all around her.

The pop star just filed for a new trademark through her company, and it looks like she wants to the sole rights to the term "TAYLOR-CON." No word on what exactly that may be at this point -- but we do know what TS and co. have in mind in terms of advertising it.

According to the application, obtained by TMZ, T-Swift appears to wanna brand a wide variety of items with "TAYLOR-CON" ... which means, yes, she wants to sell you crap.

Just a taste of what she's aiming to slap this phrase on ... everything from guitar picks and jewelry to clothing/accessories and coffee cups/journals -- not to mention digital items, like sound recordings and computer media. In other words, the whole nine yards of "stuff."

Again, it's hard to say exactly what this is ... but based on the name alone, it certainly sounds big -- and you can almost guarantee it'll revolve around her almost exclusively.

Also worth noting -- this new trademark application from Taylor basically mirrors her "Midnights" application that her same company filed in 2022, which was also seeking to brand a ton of things with that label at the time. Take a look, they almost match up to a T.

On its face, you could argue this may well be a new album ... but it's too early to say.

In any case, it seems Taylor's not done taking over the world just yet ... her reign continues, and it's looking like she's getting set to make the next move in her career ... nonstop Ws.

Swifties, rejoice!

Another American staple in the food biz is fleeing Oakland because of increased crime ... the only Denny's in the city closed for good earlier this week, continuing a troubling trend.

While Denny's officials reportedly wouldn't speak on camera, a notice taped to the door cited the "safety and well-being" of employees and guests as the chief cause of the closure -- which sounds a lot like increased crime's become an issue for the 24-hour restaurant.

Employees were reportedly notified of the closure just a day before the 54-year-old Denny's officially shut down ... and the company promised to find the employees positions at other locations if they could relocate.

It'll be a minor commute for Oaklanders to get a Grand Slam at the Emeryville location, a 3-mile difference ... but it's just the latest in a shocking trend of closures precipitated by rising crime in the Bay Area.

This Denny's location had reportedly fallen victim to break-ins-robberies and violent crime ... just like the In-N-Out that's also hightailing it out of town.

As we reported ... In-N-Out's COO Denny Warnick cited crime as the major reason the super popular food chain was heading out of business -- though they'll stay open until late March.

Justin Timberlake seems to be taking back his apology to Britney Spears, and maybe even Janet Jackson too -- the timing of which couldn't have come at a worse time, TBH.

The singer performed in NYC Wednesday for a one-night-only show, and there's footage of him going around on social media that's raising eyebrows -- specifically, a clip of him winding down one song and transitioning into the next, where he says something curious.

Check it out ... JT tells the crowd that he'd like to take this moment to apologize -- but then hits a brief pause before he finishes his thought and says ... "to absolutely f***ing nobody."

Some in the audience cheered right then and there -- but this video is NOT being well-received online in the aftermath ... for a couple reasons, depending on how you look at it.

For starters, this is immediately being perceived by many as a straight-up shot to Britney -- which is probably spot-on considering he reportedly went right into "Cry Me a River" right after this ... and everyone knows that track is famously about his popstar ex.

Of course, BS herself recently apologized to JT publicly ... well, kinda. She said sorry if what she wrote in her book made anyone feel bad -- so it was a half-apology, of sorts, to him.

The other celeb people are expressing outrage on behalf of is Janet -- and that's 'cause Thursday is the 20-year anniversary of her Super Bowl performance with him, where he pulled her boob out in front of millions ... something folks are still angry about even today.

There was a lot of controversy over this a few years ago when a doc dove into the topic in great detail, and JT ended up apologizing at the time not just to JJ, but Britney as well.

Brad Pitt ain't about giving away his acting secrets ... just ask Donald Glover.

Donald's starring in the new series "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" alongside Maya Erskine -- a reboot of the 2005 film starring Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but Donald says the megastar wasn't exactly keen on passing on the torch.

Donald said Brad skirted giving him advice for the high-octane action series. He was on the 'Tonight Show' with Jimmy Fallon when he revealed a meeting with Brad didn't amount to much.

In fact, he says Brad didn't dish out any actual pointers on how Glover could take on the role. DG added, he "kind of Brad Pitted his way out of it" -- in Layman's terms, he just charmed his way through their interaction, and let him know he'd do a great job.

It's no surprise Glover was fishing for advice from Brad -- especially since "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" was a runaway hit on the big screen ... with its leads having spectacular onscreen chemistry and even falling in love IRL while filming -- something Glover's costar Maya said put heaps of pressure on her.

Maya said they were asked to "sex it up" for the show ... with a photog from the show's promo shoot even asking them to channel their inner sexual animal -- which she says was a worm.

Not really the vibes he was going for, Maya!!

Kyle Richards is seemingly giving her husband Mauricio Umansky an ultimatum -- shape up or ship out.

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star draws her line in the sand in a preview for an upcoming episode of the reality show ... though, interestingly, she makes the statement to castmate Dorit Kemsley -- not Mauricio -- saying, "If there's no effort, we're not going to end up together."

She's clearly discussing the elephant in the room this season ... the fact she and Mauricio have been estranged for several months now, but still living under the same roof with their children.

In the teaser clip, Mauricio leaves Kyle to go show some homes for The Agency -- and then she meets with Dorit to give her the lowdown on her marital struggles.

The issue, according to Kyle, is Mauricio's major focus on his booming real estate company, which touts itself as a billion-dollar brokerage firm.

Kyle grumbles to Dorit ... "He has to say yes to more things because the Agency is expanding so much. So I'm like, if we're having an issue why can't you give that energy that you give to the company?"

Obviously, Kyle is not mincing words. She wants a lot more from Mauricio or their relationship could be kaput.

What she doesn't discuss -- at least, in the clip -- is the fact they've both been seen out with other people, boosting rumors about divorce. Kyle's been hanging with Morgan Wade, who she insists is just a friend, and Mauricio partied hard in Aspen with other women.

Kyle and Mauricio officially separated after 27 years of marriage in July 2023. They have 3 daughters: Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15.

The youth baseball league that had its beloved Jackie Robinson statue stolen and destroyed has received more than enough money to replace the tribute ... with over $175k raised so far for the cause.

As we previously reported, League 42 in Wichita, Kansas had its bronze figure of the baseball legend taken from outside its facility last week ... and unfortunately, it was found wrecked beyond repair in a trash can fire at a nearby park on Tuesday.

A GoFundMe was set up to help replace the Robinson statue ... and while it had an estimated value of $75,000, the campaign has since surpassed its goal.

League 42 says it will keep the fundraiser active ... as the extra money can help the program in many other ways -- like funding the organization's education programs and revamping several fields that need new lighting and artificial turf.

League 42 says its annual budget has risen to $400k a year ... and the money raised will continue to help young kids learn the sport without having to worry about high entry fees.

The org. released a statement on the support Thursday morning ... saying, "What people are doing and have done to support League 42 makes all of us -- our families, board members, staff and players -- grateful beyond words."

"There really are no words to describe the past week. But rest assured, we are so very thankful for the support and generosity being shown to us."

T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach have been spilling their guts about their relationship -- and the latest truth bomb is strange ... 'cause they both admit they can't stand being confined.

The former 'GMA3' anchors-turned-lovers got into a new topic on the latest episode of their 'Amy & T.J.' podcast -- where they each delved into a specific type of fear they share, which is called cleithrophobia ... basically, the fear of being trapped.

T.J. took the lead in explaining the difference between this and claustrophobia -- noting the latter is a fear of being stuck in a small space, but the former is just being afraid of not being able to get out of a certain place or environment.

He says, "So if you're claustrophobic, you see a small space, you see that elevator and you go, 'Oh God.' And you get anxiety, that's claustrophobia. The other is, when I see the small space, I got no problem getting in that space. But if that buzzer goes off and I'm trapped in here now, it's a totally different situation."

Amy echoed that, adding what he'd just explained described her own fear to a T. In other words, they're both on the same page about being terrified over not being able to escape something ... and while they probably think they're bonding, others view this differently.

Fact is, they've been incredibly honest about their shared love life ... sometimes for better or worse. We heard them argue just last week, and now -- they're addressing a new element that, perhaps subconsciously, seems to be addressing their own real-life situation.

Who knows, maybe we're reading too into this ... but we certainly think we're picking up on something here -- and it might be hinting at trouble in paradise, despite what they project.

Heidi Klum is very much a free spirit -- so much so, in fact, that her children have to tell her to NOT be nude around their pals ... even though she insists she always covers up.

The supermodel shared this hilarious anecdote with Alex Cooper of 'Call Her Daddy' this week -- explaining that her comfortability with being in the nude most certainly extends to how she lives within the privacy of her home ... where she's apparently topless quite often.

HK explains ... "I mean, I try to be like that with my kids. Obviously, when you know, no one is there. I’m in my garden also, you know, I’m topless," Klum says. "And they will come, like, 'You know, my friend is coming over, mom, put your top on.' And I’m like, 'When have I ever not had a top on when your friend was coming over? Of course I will.'"

Even with her guarantee, though, Heidi says her kids always double-check to make sure she is, in fact, clothed when their buddies roll through ... and Mama Bear says she complies.

Funny enough, Cooper actually called Heidi's oldest daughter -- 19-year-old Leni -- during this chat with her mom ... and the teen said, yeah ... Heidi goes topless a lot, noting it's been pretty embarrassing over the years. With that said, she says she's gotten used to it.

It might not be that big a deal around her girlfriends, but you gotta figure any boys that are being brought to the Klum household have gotten giddy at the prospect of a visit.

Danny Masterson now has something in common with the late Charles Manson ... they were both incarcerated in the same maximum security California penitentiary.

The disgraced actor was recently transferred from North Kern State Prison in Delano to the infamous Corcoran State Prison (CSP) in Corcoran, where Manson was locked up until his death in 2017.

Manson, who passed away at 87 from acute cardiac arrest and colon cancer, was placed in the Protective Housing Unit for prisoners who might otherwise be harmed in the general population.

CSP also once housed former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, as well as some of the state's worst of the worst murderers, gang members and other criminals.

It's unclear if Masterson will receive the same high level of protection once given to Manson, who was convicted of the notorious 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders in Los Angeles.

Before arriving at CSP, Masterson was processed into the California prison system through the North Kern reception center after he was convicted of 2 counts of forcible rape and handed a 30-year sentence.

Amanda Gorman's landed in hot water, or should we say warm milk ... because PETA's coming after her for supporting a dairy industry-funded run.

The poet laureate and activist recently joined forces with MilkPEP -- a marketing arm of the dairy industry that created the famous "Got Milk?" ads -- to advertise the inaugural Every Woman’s Marathon, that's touted as "the only U.S. marathon designed for women, by women."

MilkPEP and Gorman released an ad where she recites a poem over different images of women running and training. Check out the vid -- it's a catchy poem and a pretty inspiring message.

But, not everyone's giving it two udders up. PETA's written a letter to Amanda questioning why she would support an event put on by MilkPEP ... essentially, in the org's eye, cosigning the dairy industry's alleged mistreatment of animals.

Lisa Lange, the animal rights group's senior VP of communications and distance runner, wrote the letter and expressed confusion at Gorman's partnership ... adding she'd "no more drink cow's milk at the end of a race than I would smoke a cigarette."

LL says any woman who participates in the event is a sucker, falling for a trick by the dairy industry -- which she accuses of destroying the environment, causing the cows physical and emotional distress and making a large part of the American population sick, due to lactose intolerance.

In the letter, PETA calls for Gorman to back out of the event, saying the "voice of a generation" must see "exploitation" of a female of any species -- bovine or human -- as wrong.

FWIW ... Gorman's supported animal rights causes in the past, even encouraging others to rescue animals from shelters after her beloved dog of almost 20 years died a few months ago.

As much as PETA agrees with her on that issue -- they're clearly not on the same page where this marathon's concerned. Not even close.

Kevin Conroy fans are fuming over Batman's death in a new video game, but the voice behind the Caped Crusader knew the hero's fate ... and gave the role everything he had.

The late actor's publicist, Gary Miereanu, tells TMZ ... Kevin performed his Batman lines in "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League" with "the same verve with which he approached every Batman role, always being faithful to the words on the page and the direction from the other side of the glass."

Kevin recorded his lines for the dying Batman before his own passing in 2022 ... and some fans feel the video game death is a disrespectful way to leave Conroy's legacy as the Dark Knight.

But Kevin's rep doesn't see it that way ... telling us, "I'm also certain that, while recording, Kevin’s own death never entered his mind."

Another Batman voice actor, Jason O'Mara, tells TMZ ... Bruce Wayne's going to come back in some way, shape, or form in a different story, just like Superman and many other beloved characters.

Jason is sure Kevin knew the script called for Batman to die, and says ... "No matter the scenario, he never let any Batman fan down."

Since the initial fan outrage, it's been revealed there's at least one more performance of Kevin as Batman the vault.

Move over, Tom Brady ... Patrick Mahomes' teammate, Justin Reid, says the Chiefs star is making a real-deal run at the NFL's GOAT title!!

In fact, the Kansas City defensive back tells TMZ Sports his quarterback might already have supplanted TB12 for the honor!!

"The guy is a Hall of Famer," Reid said of Mahomes. "First ballot. Probably the best player in NFL history. And he just keeps getting better."

Reid gushed over Mahomes just days after the 28-year-old signal-caller helped the Chiefs beat the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game ... saying point blank he and his squadmates never think they're out of a game as long as Mahomes is under center.

"You can be down 24," he told us. "You can be up 15. Whatever it is -- as long as Fifteen has the ball in his hands, you know you've got a shot to win."

Reid obviously has a little bias -- after all, Mahomes might help earn his second Super Bowl ring next week -- but he might not be wrong.

Pat is about to make his FOURTH trip to the Super Bowl in his sixth season as a starter -- and with two MVPs and six Pro Bowl honors already on his resume ... he'd almost certainly have a bust in Canton in five years if he retired following next week's big game.

Reid also had a bunch of other complimentary things to say about his team ... including kind words for his defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo.

Reid said the assistant coach "really cares" about his players ... and he loves him so much, he's actually created "In Spags We Trust" tees, which he's selling for a good cause.

We just got past Hump Day here at TMZ, and now -- we're in the final stretch of the week ... but that doesn't mean we're letting up on the gas for the stories we cover on TV.

On 'TMZ Live' Wednesday, we talked about the shocking arrests of Courtney Clenney's parents in Texas -- who've been knee-deep in her murder case ... perhaps too much so, according to prosecutors.

Take a listen to hear all about why they got busted, and what the authorities in Florida are alleging her folks did in an effort to clear their daughter's name ... it's absolutely wild.

Things were just as bumpy on on 'TMZ on TV,' where the gang dove into this supposed "holy war" that Donald Trump and his cronies are reportedly ready to wage against Taylor Swift.

It might sound kinda funny, but based on the reports out there about this -- DT and co. are definitely not laughing ... and they seem set to go to the mat ahead of the 2024 election.

On 'TMZ Sports,' Michael and Mojo covered this neat new auction that's hawking some footballs Tom Brady once threw for Super Bowl glory. Take a guess on how much they could fetch ... it's a lot!

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

American artist Huey Lewis was 35 years old when he and his band, Huey Lewis And The News,  took home the Grammy for their hit song "The Heart Of Rock N' Roll" back in 1986.

This song wasn't the band's first track to hit the top of the charts ... "The Power Of Love" was such a banger it was featured on the iconic 1985 movie "Back To The Future" -- with Huey making his megaphone cameo.

Lewis has recently resurfaced with Netflix's recent drop, "The Greatest Night in Pop" -- a deep dive into the making of "We Are The World" ... the 1985 charity single featuring Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner and many more legendary stars!

Leonardo DiCaprio's all-in on Paul Thomas Anderson's new movie ... shooting in NorCal for the second day in a row -- and working alongside another uber-talented star.

TMZ has obtained video and photos of Leo out at a restaurant Tuesday afternoon opposite "Scary Movie" legend Regina Hall and a younger, unknown actress ... and it looked like he brought some cool confidence to the scene.

Check out the vid -- looks like PTA is giving the Oscar winner some notes while he's chowing down. He's clearly keeping calm -- although we're sure a regular patron or two might've flipped out! The reason we say that ... this appears to have been filmed out in the open.

Eyewitnesses tell us the production team didn't fully shut down the establishment for this shoot -- and, instead, pulled an old H'Wood budget-saving move by allowing regular business to flow while they only took up a few booths to film the scene. That's what's being claimed anyway ... and we'll say this, it sure looks like normies might've been hovering around.

Leo and Regina Hall grabbing lunch together??? Definitely a shock if you happened to be passing through his restaurant. To be fair, PTA's sorta known for his low-budget, indie filmmaking ... even if Leo's normally used to more luxurious catering and a slightly larger budget -- not to mention a much more closed set than what appears to be going on here.

Also worth noting ... all these pics and videos of Leo filming are low-key giving away a lot of clues about the film's story. To be clear, we don't officially know anything about the plot yet ... but if this doesn't look like some sort of family outing, we don't know what does!

Anyway, just another day on the job for Leo. We broke the story ... LDC was filming in the same small little NorCal town Monday as well, though that scene was a bit more frantic.

Leo was in full-blown costume and makeup Monday in a dirty-looking trench coat and disheveled beard -- definitely appearing worse for wear while cop cars seemingly chased him down.

The untitled flick doesn't have a release date yet or much more in the way of details ... but we do know Sean Penn's in it -- and it seems only a matter of time before he's spotted too.