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The Rock's daughter -- NXT Superstar Ava -- says her inbox has been flooded with hate over WWE's new storyline involving her famous pops ... claiming she's been on the receiving end of death threats over the whole ordeal.

Wrestling fans have been up in arms following Dwayne Johnson's appearance on SmackDown last week ... with many criticizing the move as it seemingly derailed what was brewing between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns.

Ava is seemingly catching strays in the process ... 'cause she went to social media to address the backlash on Monday.

"can ya'll just leave me out of this ffs i'm busy running a SHOW," Ava -- NXT's General Manager -- said on X ... adding, "death threats over a situation i have nothing to do with … bffr."

Nothing is set in stone when it comes to Rock and RR, but there are rumblings the two could face off at WrestleMania in April ... which would piss a lot of fans off, as Cody earned that right after winning the Royal Rumble last month.

One of the prosecutors who was on the O.J. Simpson case is now trying to put on a robe and sit behind the bench -- and he's got the backing of one of the victims who was slain.

Chris Darden is running for an open seat on the L.A. County Superior Court -- and ahead of election day in March, his campaign has announced a new endorsement ... coming from none other than Kim and Fred Goldman, the sister and father of the late Ron Goldman.

Kim says of CD's bid ... "Christopher Darden was a friend to my family during one of the darkest times in our lives. He helped change the focus of a 'celebrity murder trial' and made it about the victims."

She adds, "My family has never forgotten that, and I am sure it is remembered by countless other family members for whom he has been an advocate and a champion."

One last note from KG about Darden ... "He not only has the legal skills but also the humanity and empathy for victims, along with a true dedication to ensuring
justice for all. My family wholeheartedly supports him and encourages everyone
else to do the same. He will be an outstanding judge."

This is just the latest vote of confidence he's received from someone connected to the O.J. case --- which Darden lost alongside his co-counsel Marcia Clark in the '90s. Back in November, Chris secured another endorsement from one Lance Ito ... the retired judge who presided over the double murder trial.

Darden has snagged a number of other endorsements as well in recent months -- including a bunch of other judges ... as well as his old boss, ex-District Attorney Gil Garcetti.

He seems to have a good shot at winning -- only two other candidates are running for Seat No. 130 ... and Chris has a ton of support carrying his sails at this point. The one person who hasn't come out for him just yet is Marcia herself.

Taylor Swift's loyal supporters think they've got a new theory about her all figured out -- and based on the clues, they might be on to something ... namely, a possible Coachella drop-in.

Here's the deal ... with Tay Tay announcing her new album last night during the Grammys -- "The Tortured Poets Department" -- Swifties have been kicked into high gear with speculation that her release date, April 19, is no coincidence ... especially considering who she came onstage with later in the evening during her Album of the Year win.

Of course, we're talking about Lana Del Rey ... who was among a small group of people who joined T-Swift at the end of the show when she accepted her big award.

Taylor insisted on dragging her up there ... not to mention pouring on a ton of praise -- calling Lana an absolute legend and giving her her flowers and then some in her speech.

It's because of this strong friendship that people are thinking Taylor might hop onstage during Lana's headlining set at Coachella in April -- it's well-known at this point, the moody crooner is going to handle Friday night duties, including a big Weekend 2 set on Fri. April 19.

What a coinkidink ... that also just happens to be the day Taylor's dropping her project!

Some are suggesting Taylor's gonna take the opportunity to make a big splash to get people to listen -- which she could most certainly do without Coachella ... but something like that would absolutely break the Internet, and that's exactly what many believe will happen.

If Taylor does hit the main stage at Coachella ... it'll be her first time there, as she's never headlined before -- and she hasn't made a guest appearance either in all these years.

Lop on the fact that this year's lineup is getting crapped on left and right for being underwhelming ... and you can see why a Taylor cameo is just what Goldenvoice needs.

Oh, and did we mention that she has this April window open??? Yeah, she'll be on a break from her international "Eras" tour between March and May ... just in time for something like this. We're not saying we've heard one way or another, but fans sure seemed convinced.

If this does come to pass as many suspect it will ... it might be one of the biggest Taylor Swift moments in a long time, and that's saying something considering the years she's had.

Jay-Z says the Recording Academy is at fault for Beyoncé never winning the top prize at the Grammys ... but Bey's pops says her own record label is also contributing to the snub.

Mathew Knowles joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday, and we asked him about Jay's spicy speech at the Grammys, and what's holding Beyoncé back from winning Album of the Year.

While HOV pointed the finger at the voters, Mathew claims Beyonce's record label, Columbia Records, isn't doing its part behind the scenes ... suggesting it's not going to bat for her when it comes to the voting process or the lobbying involved for award shows.

As Mathew explains, record labels can only support one artist per category, which becomes an issue when artists from the same label are nominated for the same award ... as has been the case with Beyoncé at least twice.

Mathew says this exact scenario played out back in 2017 ... when Beyoncé and Adele, who is also signed to Columbia, were both nominated for AOTY. Bey's dad claims Columbia Records threw its support behind Adele, and she ended up trumping Bey for the Grammy.

Harry Styles is also on Columbia, BTW ... and last year, he beat out Beyoncé for AOTY.

Mathew says there are all sorts of reasons a record label would support one artist over another -- he broke down a few for us, while also pointing out it's not always about the music itself.

Jay-Z admitted in his speech this whole process is subjective, and Mathew's not denying that ... but he says money is a big motivator here too.

Beyoncé may very well win AOTY somewhere down the line ... but at the moment, her father seems to be implying the powers that be just aren't in her corner for the top prize.

Of course, Jay's solution was to "keep showing up," to the point where she can no longer be denied ... but Mathew's saying Beyonce's label has to show up for her.

Steve Harwell and C-Knight's omissions from the Grammys' "In Memoriam" segment Sunday was rude and disrespectful ... according to their nearest and dearest.

Robert Hayes, a rep for Smash Mouth's late lead singer, is hurt over the snub ... though he tells TMZ it didn't surprise him because the Recording Academy never acknowledged Steve when he was alive ... so why would they honor him when he passed?

Smash Mouth was nominated for a Grammy once, in 2000, but didn't win.

His remarks were cutting ... asking who even bothered to watch the Grammys anymore -- and expressing his belief the award ceremony hadn't been good in more than 20 years.

Steve left a lasting influence in the music industry before he passed away in Sept 2023 ... and only 2 months later, fellow artist C-Knight also died, having been taken off life support following complications from diabetes.

C-Knight's brother George Lee Blount echoed similar feelings of hurt and outrage over the "In Memoriam" exclusion.

George tells TMZ ... while C-Knight and his band The Dove Shack never scooped a Grammy, their impact on G-funk and hip hop is undeniable -- adding he was a hip hop legend, and the least they could've done was give him a mention.

George is hoping the same mistake doesn't happen again, urging the Grammys to do more research into artists to understand the hard work and sacrifice they put into their music careers.

Taylor Swift briefly crossed paths with her ex-boyfriend, Calvin Harris, at the Grammys this weekend -- and while he may have seen her ... she didn't notice him.

Fans were quick to notice the two music stars briefly coming within feet of one another Sunday inside of Crypto.com Arena -- specifically, when Taylor was making her big entrance and getting a round of applause from everyone.

There's video and photos of this moment that have been circulating ... and you can see Tay Tay walking right past CH -- who was sitting at a table with his back turned to her.

In a clip of this, it appears Calvin saw Taylor but turned his head to avoid eye contact -- and this led fans to run wild with theories that Taylor saw him too ... and that there, perhaps, was a little awkwardness between them since they were both in the building and mingling.

Unfortunately for the gossip crowd, there's nothing to speculate on. Eyewitnesses who were there tell us Taylor and Calvin didn't talk -- nor did they have any kind of specific run-in that would require them to chat ... let alone acknowledge one another's presence.

We're told T-Swift and Calvin weren't even in the same space during the show -- outside of this one fleeting moment when she happened to pass by him -- and eyewitnesses insist ... he was preoccupied with his beautiful wife, Vick Hope, and was paying no mind to Taylor.

Lucky for him ... that feeling applies to Taylor too. Sources with direct knowledge tell us she didn't even register he was in attendance -- so he might as well have not been there at all.

Taylor and Calvin dated for a hot minute in 2015 and 2016 -- they were together for a little over a year ... and then their romance flamed out before they each moved on to the next.

Considering Taylor still seems to have it for some exes -- see the Joe Alwyn connection to her new album -- it makes sense why some would assume there was bad blood here.

That's just not the case though ... Calvin is in her rearview, and wasn't even invisible in her side-view mirrors for this brief reunion of sorts.

Tyreek Hill and Keeta Vaccaro are staying together after all ... TMZ Sports has learned the Miami Dolphins star's divorce case has been dismissed.

Broward County court records show the wideout filed to drop his petition on Jan. 30 ... just eight days after it was initially filed.

The records now show the matter has been "dismissed, settled or disposed before hearing."

Of course, Hill told the public late last month this would be coming ... saying on a live stream that he never gave his people the green light to file the papers in the first place.

He added at the time that he "fired the f***ing bonehead that did that mistake."

Hill also said in a post on his X page that he and Keeta "are happily married and gone stay that way."

The two have presented a united front ever since the divorce filing went public -- Keeta shared some loving snaps of them on social media ... and she even traveled with him to last weekend's Pro Bowl Games in Orlando.

It never rains in Southern California -- except when it does, it pours ... just like it's doing right now in the City of Angels, and it's causing a major headache, not to mention damage.

Los Angeles is currently on high alert for flash flooding and other extreme weather conditions that are hitting the West Coast -- and yes, that means a helluva lot of precipitation between now and Wednesday ... at least that's what meteorologists predict.

The forecast of heavy showers came true on Monday ... and lo and behold -- it's been wreaking some havoc on homeowners and Angelenos at large throughout the area.

Take a look at these shots of some of the wreckage that's been caused as a result of the storm -- depending on which part of L.A. you're in, you might have it worse than others ... and those that are located on mountainsides or near canyons and such certainly got it bad.

The fast-moving waters have given way to some catastrophic landslides ... sending large boulders and debris careening down the Hollywood Hills.

Many cars are buried in the water right now, while trees have struck down others -- leaving them completely totaled.

2 deaths have been reported up North -- one in Santa Cruz and another in Yuba County -- but thankfully everyone's still safe in L.A.

10:43 AM PT -- King Charles III has notified both of his sons -- Prince William and Prince Harry -- about his diagnosis ... and both of them are rushing to be by his side. Will is said to be in regular contact with his dad, and is obviously nearby to see him in person too.

As for Harry ... he's reported to be flying into the UK in the coming days to see his father.

Major health update out of Buckingham Palace ... King Charles III is fighting cancer.

Buckingham Palace – the United Kingdom's royal residence – released an official statement Monday saying ... "During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer."

The Palace adds ... "His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties."

Charles, the Palace says, will continue with his state business and official paperwork despite the diagnosis.

As we reported, Charles was admitted to a London hospital last month for a "corrective procedure" for an enlarged prostate. Kate Middleton was in the same hospital at the same time for stomach surgery.

The Palace says Charles "remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible."

The Royal family says it's announcing Charles' diagnosis "to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer."

It's interesting ... Charles' cancer announcement comes on the heels of World Cancer Day.

The King's wife, Queen Camilla, last week opened a new cancer support center at Royal Free Hospital in the UK.

Usher is hopping aboard Kim Kardashian's undergarment train -- he's just the most recent star to partner up with her and promote her SKIMS line ... and yeah, he's shirtless for it.

Kim and co. were able to get Usher to agree to be the newest face for their SKIMS Men's campaign -- and they got him to rock their underwear line for fellas ... including their SKIMS Stretch collection as well as their SKIMS Cotton collection.

As part of this new drop featuring Usher ... they're also releasing 4 new colorways.

It goes without saying -- the fact KK signed Usher to SKIMS is a huge deal ... especially since he's a well-known sex symbol, even these days. That's sorta alluded to in this photo shoot here -- where Mr. Raymond is baring his torso, with his chiseled abs on display.

BTW, there was a video filmed for this team-up as well ... and in it, Usher talks about why he signed on, but more importantly -- how it relates to this new album of his, "Coming Home."

Based on what he says here, you could argue this is a full circle moment for him -- Usher seems to be leaning into his R&B roots ... including what made him uber popular to begin with, like his killer looks. There's a limited edition digital version of his album that's dropping as part of the partnership ... it's releasing on Feb. 8 at 9 PM PT/Feb. 9 at midnight ET.

As for these new SKIMS products themselves ... the undies are gonna be up for grabs starting Feb. 12 at 9 AM PT -- you can obviously get 'em on the SKIMS Men Shop website.

Usher's addition to the lineup comes on the heels of Kim snagging other hunks in the industry to advertise her company -- remember, she already got Neymar Jr., Nick Bosa and other hot dudes to rock the gear ... and now, Usher is in the mix as well.

SKIMS is low-key taking over the fashion world -- everyone seems willing to strip down and pimp the product ... making ya wonder, how the hell do these things feel in person.

Tate McRae seems to have a new flame in The Kid LAROI -- that is, if their hand-hold over the weekend is any indication ... and it most certainly seems to be.

The singer was spotted getting cozy with the Aussie entertainer ... as they were photographed hand in hand while exiting dinner with Justin and Hailey Bieber Saturday -- this on the heels of her headlining the NHL All-Star game in dramatic fashion.

From the PDA alone, most everyone is assuming the obvious ... they're dating.

Tate's and TKL's body language definitely seemed to be telegraphing a new relationship status between them ... and the Kid was happy to play gentleman, leading TMR to their car through a massive pap crush.

This has been a long time coming if you've been following along -- the pair kicked off dating rumors just last month ... they appeared to vacation in Mexico together, and were later spotted enjoying some alone time at L.A.'s upscale Italian restaurant Giorgio Baldi.

Tate was previously dating ice hockey star Cole Sillinger ... who supposedly inspired her 2023 mega-hit "Greedy" ... which she tellingly filmed at an ice hockey rink.

Her performance this past weekend was a bit ironic in that sense -- but now, she's got a new boo.

As for Kid, he was dating influencer Katarina Deme for 3 years ... before scrubbing all traces of her from her IG in August 2023. On the face of it, they're all in on each other.

Killer Mike's officially putting his arrest at the Grammys on the back burner, because after a long wait, his oldest son is finally getting a kidney transplant ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

Sources connected to the Grammy-winning rapper tell us Mike is with his son Mikael "Pony Boy" Render Monday as he undergoes the transplant surgery. The 21-year-old has been waiting for a kidney match for 3 years.

Back in November, Mikael got bumped up on the transplant waitlist, and his proud dad talked about it during an interview with Graham Bensinger.

Mike has said Mikael -- who's a musician and rapper, just like Dad -- never had a chance to fully experience his teenage years, because of his battle with kidney disease.

The fact Pony Boy's number got called for the transplant today, of all days, seems like a strange twist of fate ... considering his dad's weekend of some major ups and downs.

TMZ broke the story ... Killer Mike was awarded 3 Grammys Sunday at L.A.'s Crytpo.com Arena -- but he also got arrested.

He was booked for misdemeanor battery after allegedly knocking over a security guard at the venue, but was quickly released on his own recognizance. After getting released ... Mike was in relatively good spirits, even though he'd gone through a fairly dramatic situation.

Paps tried talking to him about it in the aftermath -- but he wasn't really trying to talk much about it ... keeping his attention on the music. In light of this news about his son ... his mind was clearly elsewhere, as he had more important matters to attend to.

Mike won Grammys for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance -- but today his focus is purely on Mikael's surgery.

Taylor Swift might have one more dig for her ex-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn -- that is, if her new album is in any tied to a boy's club he admitted to have created ... and it sure seems to be.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Tay Tay's forthcoming project -- which she's titled "The Tortured Poets Department" -- sounds eerily similar to a group that Joe once admitted he'd created among his buddies in the virtual world ... and on its face, Taylor might be trolling it.

The reason many are jumping to that conclusion -- Joe spilled this little detail a couple years ago during an interview he did with Paul Mescal on an 'Actors on Actors' segment.

In the sit-down, Paul and Joe -- who are friends, BTW -- reveal they're part of a WhatsApp group called the 'Tortured Man Club' ... where they apparently share their woes about their significant others. They had a good laugh about it, noting they weren't so tortured anymore.

This was during a time when Paul and Joe were both in relationships -- Joe was obviously still with Tay Tay in late 2022, and PM himself was dating singer Phoebe Bridgers.

Of course, the name of their joke-y club sounds eerily similar to Taylor's new album title ... almost to a T. And considering that Paul broke up with Phoebe not too long after this chat with Joe (not to mention Joe and Taylor hitting Splitsville) ... it's all seemingly connected.

Funny enough, Taylor and Phoebe are low-key BFFs these days ... so yeah, it's a dig.

While her fans are reveling in this perceived connection -- basically, it's yet another post-breakup album with Taylor torching her ex -- some are raising an eyebrow if this is in fact the route she's pursuing ... 'cause she's knee-deep in a relationship with Travis Kelce.

Fact is ... if Taylor's gonna use a whole album (or a good portion of it) to trash Joe/air out her feelings about their breakup -- which most people assume is the case at this point -- then it makes ya wonder ... how does TK feel about that???

He's not the type to hold his tongue -- and you gotta imagine if he's bothered by it, he'd let it be known. Her album is coming out in about 2 months ... so we'll see, we suppose.

BTW, we recently ran into "Million Dollar Matchmaker" star Patti Stanger ... and we got her thoughts about Taylor and Travis, generally, and whether she thinks they'll go the distance.

As it turns out ... PS does think they'll get hitched eventually, and had some other interesting insights -- including what their sexual chemistry might be like between the sheets. According to her, they have great sex!

One more thing we'll leave you with regarding TS -- we actually have a new podcast coming out this week that touches on all things T-Swift ... it's called "TMZ Swift-Tea" and we're going to be talking all about Tay Tay and everything that comes with her ... good or bad.

Ludacris is recalling a wild moment from his win at the Grammys back in the day ... and it's all about Justin Timberlake's explicit reaction to Luda's big night -- which sounds jarring.

The story, as Ludacris explained on "Drink Champs," goes like this ... Ludacris was backstage at the 2007 Grammys after winning the award for Best Rap Album and he was dropping f-bombs and letting out his emotions.

Back then, Ludacris says artists went into little holding areas only separated by thin curtains ... which didn't offer much privacy.

Once Ludacris ended his celebration, he says he heard a voice from the other side of the curtain ... "Shut the f*** up, some of us didn't win any g****** Grammys!!!"

Luda says he pulled back the curtain ... only to find Justin Timberlake standing there, and in his mind -- it was clearly him who yelled it.

Hard to tell if Luda is all that bent out of shape about it -- if anything, he seems to find it more amusing than anything all these years later. Based on his demeanor here, he clearly loves to tell the tale and still gets a kick out of it in 2024.

Ludacris says he was extra amped after winning the award because he had come up short for years and set out to win a Grammy when he recorded "Release Therapy."

Justin's funny outburst was a bit premature ... he lost Best Pop Vocal Album and Album Of The Year for "FutureSex/LoveSounds" but won two Grammys ... Best Rap/Song Collaboration for "My Love" and Best Dance Recording for "Sexy Back."

FWIW, Luda says it's all love with Justin ... calling JT "gangsta" -- so he's good in his book.

Patrick Mahomes' father will still be allowed to travel to the Super Bowl this weekend in spite of his Saturday arrest ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Judge James Meredith -- who handled the case in Smith County, Texas on Sunday following Mahomes Sr.'s DWI arrest -- tells us he didn't impose any travel ban on the elder Mahomes as part of his bond conditions ... paving the way for Dad to watch his son play in Las Vegas in SB LVIII.

Of course, it's unclear if the Chiefs star will want him there now following the added distraction in the leadup to the Big Game ... but, at least in the eyes of the law, Mahomes Sr. will be allowed to leave the state for it.

As part of the conditions of his bond, however, we're told Mahomes Sr. will not be able to take part in much partying in Sin City if he does make the trip. Law enforcement officials say he's been barred from possessing or consuming alcohol and/or illegal drugs. He's also been required to have an interlock device on his car -- as well as submit to random testing.

As we reported, Mahomes Sr. was thrown behind bars late Saturday night on a felony charge of driving while intoxicated.

A spokesperson for the Tyler Police Dept. said on Monday morning cops initially pulled over Mahomes Sr. at around 8:30 PM for a routine traffic stop ... though "evidence obtained during the stop led to the arrest."

Miley Cyrus' big night at the Grammys -- scooping up 2 trophies -- is raising eyebrows because she totally excluded her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, from her acceptance speeches.

Miley first bagged the Best Pop Solo Performance Award for her hit song "Flowers" before the song later cinched the Record of the Year trophy -- and while she thanked several key people in her life onstage, she notably omitted mention of the iconic country musician.

The former Disney star went through the laundry list of people she wanted to thank -- her team, everyone onstage with her, her BF Maxx Morando, as well as her mom, Tish Cyrus, and sister, Brandi Cyrus -- but Billy didn't get a coveted shout-out.

The snub was even more pronounced as Miley made a concerted effort to ensure she didn't overlook anyone ... turning to her team behind her, asking: "Anyone else? Your wife, your fiancée, all the people that we love. Thank you all so much."

Even her undergarments got a playful shout-out, as she joked: "I don't think I forgot anyone. But, I might have forgotten underwear. Bye!" ... but as for a mention of Billy? Nada!

The omission may be a wholly innocent slip of the mind or may allude to an extension of reports from 2022 that Miley's relationship with Billy was strained following his divorce from Tish ... who attended the Grammys with her daughter.

Remember, Miley once shared a special bond with Billy who played a pivotal role in launching her career through "Hannah Montana" -- they shared the screen on all 4 seasons of the TV show, and the subsequent film.

If there is family tension, Miley didn't show it though -- she was glowing during the rest of her acceptance speech, saying: "This award is amazing, but I really hope it doesn't change anything because my life was beautiful yesterday."

Miley added, "Not everyone will get a Grammy, but everyone in this world is spectacular, so please don't think this is important, even though it's very important."