Pete Buttigieg Boeing's Under Federal Microscope ... Touts Air Safety Measures

NOTHING TO FEAR
TMZ.com

Pete Buttigieg knows Americans have travel on the brain heading into the holiday weekend, and for those concerned about Boeing's issues, he says the government's holding the company to a very high standard.

The Secretary of Transportation was on "TMZ Live" Thursday to talk about the series of technical issues plaguing the aircraft manufacturing giant in recent months, and, as a result, he says Boeing is under heavy government scrutiny.

Secretary Buttigieg says the Federal Aviation Administration's forcing Boeing to prove it can make planes safely before it's allowed to expand production on the Boeing 737 MAX ... seemingly a big condemnation of the company's recent products.

NBA Investigation Into Josh Giddey Closed

Josh Giddey is now in the clear ... months after police closed their investigation into allegations the Thunder star had an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl -- the NBA has followed suit.

Sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski the league made the decision to officially wrap up its probe into the claims this week.

No further explanation from the Association was given.

JENNIFER LOPEZ & Netflix Banned All Ben Questions Before 'Atlas' Premieres

All Bennifer questions are off-limits, at least if you're media covering Jennifer Lopez for her new movie -- and reporters were warned about it before she arrived ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Netflix alerted all the media outlets covering the Hollywood and Mexico City premieres for "Atlas" that no Ben Affleck, and no personal queries were allowed.

We're told they were also informed J Lo would only do group interviews with her costars Sterling K. Brown and Simu Liu by her side -- the studio's version of calling in backup.

Sean Kingston House Raided, Mom Arrested

UPDATE

12:12 PM PT -- Sean Kingston just addressed the raid on his IG Story writing, "People love negative energy! I am good and so is my mother!.. my lawyers are handling everything as we speak🙏🏽🙏🏽."

Sean Kingston is in the crosshairs of a criminal investigation ... and the hard evidence is that his house was just raided.

5/23/24
COPS ON THE PREMISES

The Broward Sheriff’s Office raided Kingston's residence in Southwest Ranches, FL Thursday morning. We're told his mother, Janice Turner, was arrested at the house during the raid and is facing multiple charges, including fraud and theft. Sean wasn't home at the time.

Britney Spears 'Hello to My A**' In Suns Up, Buns Up Vid

BEACH BUM

Britney Spears' latest nude moment is seriously NSFW ... as she has put all of her assets on display for all to see.

The singer took to Instagram Wednesday evening, uploading a video of herself rolling around some crystal blue water ... totally nude. At one point, Brit lifts her butt into the air ... making the video even more suggestive.

The Grammy winner deliberately drew attention to her naked bee-hind, captioning her upload ... "Hello to my ass!!"

VOICE OF SIRI, SUSAN BENNETT SCARJO RIGHT TO LAWYER UP AGAINST OPENAI!!!

Susan Bennett -- Apple's original Siri voice -- is giving a big shoutout to Scarlett Johansson for standing up against ChatGPT's newest voice sounding way too much like hers.

Speaking to "The TMZ Podcast" Thursday ... Susan acknowledged how Scarlett's fame is really shining a spotlight on the issue, which has been a problem for a while with loads of regular voice actors losing out on gigs every day because of this AI explosion.

happens all the time
TMZ.com

Susan says even her own famous voice pops up in random places ... and she relies on her pals to keep an ear out for her likeness so her agent can track down those companies and make sure she gets paid for it.

Chaka Khan's Daughter Diddy Dissed, Screamed at Mom ... Happy He's Going Down

Update

5/23 -- 3:20 PM PT -- Chaka Khan tells TMZ ... "In these troubling times, I'm reminded that the energies of violence and abuse can take many forms, affecting individuals and communities worldwide. As someone who has faced personal lessons, I believe in the power of meditation, prayer and inner peace to bring light and hope to our lives and the world around us."

"We can address most issues, prevent negativity, and cultivate compassion by seeking Self. Let us take responsibility for our actions, strive to be better, and support those who are hurting."

She concluded, "May we find strength in grace and wisdom as human beings, walking towards a more loving and just world."

Jennifer Lopez Slaps Away Ben Question From Reporter ... 'You Know Better'

5/22/24
YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT !!!

Jennifer Lopez is keeping mum over rumors of her troubled marriage to Ben Affleck – and even warned a reporter not to ask about it.

The singer/actress was sitting onstage during Wednesday's panel discussion in Mexico City for her upcoming movie, "Atlas," when she was questioned about the status of her relationship with Ben.

Check out the video ... off camera, the journalist can be heard asking J Lo to address all the speculation around Ben. J Lo got the message loud and clear, and gave the newsman a little piece of her mind.

Logan Paul's Prime Sues Ryan Garcia

Logan Paul is going head-to-head with Ryan Garcia ... but not in the ring -- the WWE Superstar's Prime Hydration just hit the boxer with a defamation lawsuit.

The Maverick aired his frustrations on social media just minutes ago ... claiming his drink company is "under attack" by false narratives being thrown around on social media -- and it's time to take action, with King Ryan being the first on his list.

"Today we begin to hold those accountable who’ve damaged our brand for attention while we correct the narrative," Paul said on Instagram. "We're here to stay and will continue to change the world of hydration with bold flavors and creative innovation 📈."

KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN URGENT FETAL SURGERY FOR LIL ROCKY TERRIFIED ME!!!

TRAUMATIC SURGERY EXPERIENCE
Hulu

Kourtney Kardashian has shed light on the emergency fetal surgery she had last year that saved her baby's life -- an ordeal that left her panic-stricken.

During "The Kardashians" season 5 premiere Wednesday, Kourtney -- who welcomed her and Travis Barker's little dude Rocky in Nov -- said she felt grateful 'cause a doctor caught something worrisome during a scan 2 months ahead of giving birth.

Kourt said, "Something caught his eye where he wanted me to see a couple of specialists and I had to go in for fetal surgery where they do surgery on the baby, which was terrifying."

Scottie Scheffler Arrest Video Shows Cop Pushing Golfer Against Car

SLAMMED AGAINST THE CAR
Louisville Metro Police Department

Cops have just released video from the scene of Scottie Scheffler's arrest last week ... and in the footage, you can see at least one officer pushed the golfer against a car -- before placing him in handcuffs.

The images were captured by a camera affixed to a street pole located just a few feet away from Valhalla Golf Club -- the site of this month's PGA Championship.

Due to its proximity to the arrest ... it did not capture the 27-year-old's initial interaction with authorities -- however, you can see it did record the moments after Louisville Metro Police were able to stop him as he tried to make his way into the course.

Celine Dion Tears Flow in New Documentary ... Determined to Get Onstage

Celine Dion's giving fans a raw look at her health crisis in a new documentary ... letting them in on a couple particularly gripping moments where she's left in tears.

The trailer for "I Am: Celine Dion" -- the new Amazon Prime doc following the singer-songwriter -- dropped Thursday and features several heartbreaking scenes ... including one where she opens up about not being able to perform anymore due to her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome.

Check out the clip ... Celine says she misses connecting with her audience -- adding it's not hard for her to perform for a sold-out stadium, but it's definitely hard to cancel on one.

'Southern Charm' Kathryn Dennis Cuffed & Crying During DUI Arrest

PLACED IN CUFFS
TMZ.com

Reality TV star Kathryn Dennis had a total meltdown after she was pulled over for drunk driving in South Carolina ... and her dramatic tear-filled arrest was all caught on video.

The former "Southern Charm" star was not so charming during her leading role in this police dashcam footage obtained by TMZ. Cops raced to the scene Monday following her 3-car collision in Goose Creek, SC.

5/20/24
CRYING IN CUSTODY
TMZ.com

Police say Kathryn was intoxicated behind the wheel of her vehicle with "glossy eyes" and alcohol on her breath, leading to her getting booked for DUI.

MEXICO STAGE COLLAPSE CAMPAIGN RALLY BLOWN AWAY, 9 DEAD

the terrifying footage

Tragedy struck in Mexico Wednesday when high winds ripped through a presidential campaign rally, collapsing the stage and taking the lives of 9 people.

The terrifying moment happened on camera as candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez campaigned in a city outside Monterrey -- and as he and several supporters got the crowd chanting, a sudden gust of wind tore down a large video screen at the back of the stage.

Álvarez Máynez and his team were seen scrambling in different directions to take cover as the scaffolding and screen came crashing down onto the stage.

JENNIFER LOPEZ BILLBOARD WARNS DON'T F*** WITH HER ... Double Entendre Much???

A Jennifer Lopez Netflix billboard is sending a strong message: don't mess with her -- or at least not with the titular character of her new action thriller movie, "Atlas."

Check out this billboard on L.A.'s famous Sunset Strip -- it's got a simple yet powerful message: "DON'T F WITH JLO" ... and while some driving by might initially think it's J Lo herself sending a warning, the Netflix logo accompanying it makes it clear it's just a clever promo for her new flick.

The marketing team nailed it ... especially 'cause the film revolves around her character, Atlas Shepherd, a data analyst who has to rely on AI to save humanity -- so yeah, she'll be doing some serious butt-kicking when it hits the streamer Friday.

Michael Richards Not Looking For a Comeback, Denies He's a Racist

"Seinfeld" star Michael Richards is not looking for a redemption arc -- even though he's finally coming out of hiding -- but he does want to clarify a few things related to his infamous Hollywood Laugh Factory incident.

The actor's rarely been seen since the 2006 rant when he shouted the n-word and other racial insults at an African-American man who was heckling him during his standup routine.

Michael told People Mag he was immediately sorry in the aftermath of that meltdown -- and nearly 2 decades later he insists ... "I'm not racist. I have nothing against Black people. The man who told me I wasn’t funny had just said what I’d been saying to myself for a while. I felt put down. I wanted to put him down."

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