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Britney Spears got a jump on her big 4-0 ... courtesy of her fiance.

Brit and Sam Asghari boarded a private jet for parts unknown ... and the celebration got underway even before they fastened their seatbelts.

The plane was adorned with bouquets of roses, but that was just the beginning. There was a pretty incredible birthday cake ... white meringue if you want to know. Her reaction was, "Oh my God!' as he sang happy birthday. There were birthday cards and when they landed there was a big smooch for their big exit.

It was all followed by fireworks ... and if you look closely you see 2 lounge chairs, so it seems they're at some sort of beach resort. Britney's go-to is Maui, so that would be an excellent guess.

Sam posted this ... "I call you Lioness because I admire your relentless strength, I'm inspired by your beautiful heart, I celebrate your smile that lights up my world ❤️ Everyday is your birthday my queen 👑 Happy 1st birthday to my wife."

It's interesting he referred to her as his "wife" ... don't read too much into it. He's said this before. There are things that have to happen before they tie the knot ... like a prenup.

Is there anyone on the planet who doesn't know who Drake is?!?

The last two people who don't might've ended up courtside next to the megastar at the OKC Thunder vs. Houston Rockets game on Wednesday ... and the interaction is priceless!!!

The "Certified Lover Boy" was sitting in the front row as the Rockets were set to take the court in OKC ... and when cameras started showing Drizzy at his seat, the old guy sitting next to him seemed to ask if he was someone of importance.

Drake was clearly amused by whatever was said -- he starts cracking up and calls for the camera to focus on his new friend ... as Rumble, OKC's mascot, comes over to join in on the fun.

After the interaction, Drake and his new friends even posed for a selfie ... captioning it, "My new parents."

BTW -- Drake was at the game to support fellow Toronto guy Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ... who chatted it up with him after scoring 39 points in the 114-110 loss.

The lawyer for the assistant director on "Rust" is backing Alec Baldwin's claim he did not pull the trigger on the gun that caused the death of Halyna Hutchins.

Lisa Torraco appeared on "Good Morning America" Thursday and actually went a step further, saying her client told her from day 1 not only did Baldwin not pull the trigger, he didn't even have his finger on the trigger.

Torraco said, “...that the entire time Baldwin had his finger outside the trigger guard, parallel to the barrel, and that he told me since day one he thought it was a misfire. I know, and until Alec said that, it was just really hard to believe, but Dave has told me since the very first day I met him that Alec did not pull that trigger.”

For starters, the word "misfire" is being used improperly. A misfire is when you pull the trigger and nothing happens because there's something wrong with the ammo.

The core issue, however -- can a gun discharge a bullet when someone does not pull the trigger? Weapons expert Steve Wolf tells TMZ, yes, if someone drops a loaded gun the inertia of the trigger hitting the ground could cause enough movement for the gun to discharge.

But, Wolf is clear ... if someone is holding a gun, he says it will not fire without the user pulling the trigger. He says some of these weapons have "very light trigger action" ... meaning a gentle tap could cause a discharge. But, he says there can't be a discharge without some trigger movement.

Evander Kane's estranged wife released a video on Wednesday showing the NHL star pointing a gun at her -- but the hockey player says the whole thing is not what it appears to be.

Anna Kane -- who's in the middle of an extremely contentious divorce with Evander -- posted the footage on her social media page ... saying it showed the 30-year-old with a "loaded" firearm.

In the clip, Evander -- wearing a white button-down shirt -- can be seen walking into a garage with the gun, before he eventually raised it in the air and then pointed it in Anna's direction.

"Pointing a loaded gun at me," Anna said in the caption on the video, adding, "Psycho path."

Evander's attorneys, though, say the vid is "intentionally taken out of context" -- and claim it's all another "tactic" by Anna "to defame Evander in the public eye."

"She posted videos, taken intentionally out of context, from a professional photo shoot both parties participated in back in 2020," Evander's attorneys said in a statement to TMZ Sports.

"Her conduct, unfortunately, is consistent with her prior actions throughout this [divorce] case. Each time, we hope it will be the last. Each time, we strive to keep the peace and put the best foot forward. Each time, Evander is exonerated and Ms. Kane's allegations are unsubstantiated."

The attorneys continued, "Evander continues to hope Ms. Kane gets the help she needs, and requests privacy for everyone involved."

As we previously reported, Anna filed for divorce from Evander in July -- and the two have been combative ever since, accusing each other in court documents of heinous things.

Evander said Anna beat him multiple times and faked a pregnancy for months. Anna, meanwhile, claimed Evander sexually assaulted her, hit her on multiple occasions, and bet on his own NHL games.

Jonshel Alexander, the former child actor who co-starred in the Oscar-nominated film “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” is dead after a shooting in her native Louisiana.

Jonshel -- who was 12 when she got the role in the 2012 film -- was sitting in a vehicle with a man last Saturday in New Orleans when someone opened fire on them. Jonshel was pronounced dead on the scene, her friend survived and went to a hospital for treatment.

Police have released a photo of a person of interest -- a Black male wearing a ski mask -- and are asking the public for help identifying and locating him.

Jonshel played Joy Strong in 'Beasts' ... a drama filmed in Louisiana about a struggling bayou community, which also had then-6-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis in the lead role. The movie got 4 Oscar noms, including Best Picture, and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Director Benh Zeitlin has said he pretty much created the role of Joy specifically for Jonshel. As he put it, “A lot of the lines were written by her, and so much of the character grew out of who Jonshel was. Her character in the film is named Joy Strong, which always seemed like a perfect description of Jonshel. She was a really bright burning light.”

'Beasts' was her only acting role. After graduating high school, Jonshel worked as a hostess in restaurants and had a daughter ... according to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate.

Jonshel was 22.

Neighbors of Clarence and Jacqueline Avant have been alarmed by the crime wave in Beverly Hills and L.A. ... so much so they hired armed guards before Wednesday's fatal home invasion.

Residents in Trousdale Estate tell us just last week a bunch of neighbors got together and hired a private security firm. Law enforcement tells us there has been a spike in home and vehicle burglaries in Trousdale ... and it's got residents scared stiff.

Our source tells us the neighbors pooled cash and hired the security company ... problem is, the guards hadn't started patrols yet.

Some residents are so concerned after Wednesday's home invasion ... they've individually hired armed guards. And, on top of that, sources at the Beverly Hills PD tell us they will be measurably increasing patrols in the area. The PD has also hired a private security company to make sure the area is adequately covered.

Our BHPD sources tell us as far as they can see there is no connection to the smash-and-grab robberies in Beverly Hills and L.A. Louis Vuitton and Saks Fifth Avenue were both hit recently in Bev Hills.

TMZ broke the story, Avant was killed in her home early Wednesday morning. We know at least one suspect made their way into the home where Jackie was shot in the stomach ... she was awake and alert when paramedics arrived, but later died at the hospital.

Tiger Woods might not be healthy enough to play a full round of golf -- but his leg is certainly feelin' good enough for him to bro down on the range with Bryson DeChambeau!!

TMZ Sports has obtained video of the two golf superstars goofin' around with a football on a practice course in the Bahamas on Wednesday afternoon ... and it ain't hard to see Woods is in great spirits.

Bryson was firing footballs off a tee box -- and Woods was loving it, dappin' up his golf buddy and then playing a little catch with him too.

At one point, Tiger put a little too much heat on a toss to Bryson ... and, yeah, watch the clip, DeChambeau needed a second to recover.

Of course, it's all just another good indication that Woods' life is turning back to normal just nine months after he nearly lost his leg in a violent car crash in Los Angeles.

As we reported, Woods has said several times this week that he's doing well -- and he is, in fact, trying to make a comeback to the PGA Tour.

But, Tiger noted there's still a long recovery process to go ... adding that he'll likely never be a full-time pro again due to everything his body's gone through.

T.I. and Isaac Hayes III might have helped to end Felicia Moore's shot at being Atlanta's next mayor by spreading fake news about her and strip clubs ... at least according to the candidate herself.

Moore, who just lost ATL's runoff race against Andre Dickens, tells TMZ ... T.I. and Hayes have been spreading "lies" about her and her proposed policies, which likely helped to tip the scales against her in the final days leading up to election day. Now, she's calling them out over it and thinks others should too.

The misinformation Moore thinks they spread is a made-up smear against her based on an article they screen-grabbed and reposted -- its headline read, "Woman Running for Atlanta Mayor Promises to CLOSE ALL STRIP CLUBS!!!"

Neither Tip nor Hayes -- son of late, great soul singer Isaac Hayes -- attached the OG source, but the story can be easily found with a search.

The article posted an out-of-context clip of Moore from years ago -- talking about special use permits for certain businesses -- which had nothing to do with strip clubs.

Instead, it was about recording studios -- Moore says she never mentioned strip clubs during the campaign, and thinks T.I. was well aware of that when he showcased the bogus headline. She says the rapper's been outspoken against her, so she sees this as just another attempt to make her look bad.

Virgil Abloh was a game-changer in the fashion world, but not only for his designs -- he was also committed to bringing diversity to the industry ... according to Billy Porter.

BP was at Dulles Int'l Airport Tuesday when we got his thoughts on Virgil's passing ... which rocked the fashion world and beyond. Like mostly everyone else who got the sad and sudden news, Billy was equally shocked.

We asked Billy what Virgil meant to the culture, and he told us there's a big shift right now in the fashion industry toward more diversity and inclusion -- and he's giving Virgil big props for sparking it.

Seeing how Virgil was the first Black man in history tapped to head up Louis Vuitton's menswear line, it goes without saying he did so much in that regard ... and Billy emphasizes that here.

BTW, Billy had just touched down from overseas, where it sounds like he attended a fashion award show -- and it seems folks there were just as somber about Virgil's passing as here in the States.

Chicago born artist Skee-Lo (real name Antoine Roundtree) was only 20 years old when his height-based single "I Wish" became the summer jam of 1995 and even landed at number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100 ... and opened the door for his debut album to be released later the same year.

Along with the '64 Impala and aspiring basketball skills song -- which even got a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance ... Skee-Lo's "I Wish" album also included the second single "Top Of The Stairs."

Skee-Lo continued to make music and created two more albums ... but never had the same commercial success as his wishful first release.

The Pussycat Doll is taking the stage for the first time on "The Masked Singer" ... Nicole Scherzinger is getting out from behind her judge's table and grabbing the mic.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Nicole will perform on the FOX singing competition show after 6 seasons of fans begging to see her show off her pipes.

It sounds like this will be a duet ... we're told Nicole will join the stage with the Queen of Hearts.

While the performance is a long time coming, our sources say it wasn't exactly easy to pull off.

We're told Nicole wanted to make her debut extra special -- ya can't blame her after 6 seasons sitting back and judging everyone else -- so she had 3 outfits to pick from and did 3 wardrobe changes during rehearsals, asking production to rehearse the song 3 times before settling on her look.

Braunwyn Windham-Burke might be an OC girl, but she sure does look good in Florida ... especially in the arms of this beauty.

The 'Real Housewives' alum was enjoying the rays of Miami Beach this week, splashing in the waves alongside a woman she was more than happy to embrace in public. More than just that ... they were putting on a full-blown PDA clinic.

We've figured out her mystery playmate is Victoria Brito, and sources tell us she and Braunwyn have been dating for a month. They met via mutual friends and they've been talking on IG.

We're told they're keeping it pretty casual for now, although Braunwyn is apparently smitten ... which is obvious in the beach pics.

As for VB, she's coming up in the game -- having recently shot a campaign for PUMA.

Of course, we know what you're thinking ... has Victoria met Braunwyn's kids with Sean??? Our sources say not yet, but Braunwyn plans to introduce Victoria to her kids around Christmas when they travel to CA together.

Clarence Avant, a legendary music exec who was just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a tragedy at home Tuesday night ... a home invasion where his wife of 54 years -- Jacqueline Avant -- was shot and killed ... TMZ has learned.

It happened in the Trousdale Estates ... a high-end area neighboring Beverly Hills. Law enforcement tells TMZ, Beverly Hills PD got a call at 2:30 AM for a home invasion. The caller told the dispatcher someone had been shot. By the time they arrived, Jackie had already been rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A family source tells us the people who broke into the house fired shots and hit Jackie. Clarence was home at the time. We do not know if he was hurt.

Jackie and Clarence's daughter is Nicole Avant, who is married to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.

Clarence is known as the Godfather of Black Music. He's been regularly celebrated by the likes of Jay-Z and Diddy, L.A. Reid and Babyface. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in October.

Jackie served as the President of the Neighbors of Watts, a support group that focused on child care. She was also on the Board of Directors of UCLA's International Student Center.

Jacqueline was 81.

RIP

Dana White didn't make it through the Thanksgiving holiday unscathed ... 'cause the UFC boss announced he tested positive for COVID-19 -- but thankfully he says he's feelin' okay.

White broke the news during an interview with Jim Rome ... revealing his entire family caught the virus after a weekend at his house in Maine.

“We just went up to my place in Maine and for Thanksgiving, it’s tradition we go up there, and somebody had it, and we get back, and we all tested positive for COVID,” White said.

Dana says he felt fine but realized something was wrong when he couldn't smell anything.

“We got back on Saturday. On Sunday, I cold plunge and steam every day,” White continued. “So I get out of the cold plunge and steam, and I spray the eucalyptus and I was like, ‘What the hell?’ I couldn’t smell anything."

White -- who's fully vaccinated -- says aside from losing taste and smell, his symptoms were minimal.

But, who do you call when you have COVID? Joe Rogan, of course!

Of course, nothing says controversy like Rogan and COVID. The JRE host was slammed by CNN and other outlets for using Ivermectin to battle the virus.

Still, everyone from Aaron Rodgers and now the UFC prez have consulted with Joe ... who himself battled and beat COVID.

As for Dana, he says he's doing fine and is actually gunning to attend the UFC fights this weekend.

Rep. Tim Burchett is not happy about the Pentagon starting up a new agency to head up UFO research -- because he, like others, sees it as more secrets ... and less transparency.

The Tennessee congressman gave his thoughts on the matter Wednesday on Capitol Hill, and to put it frankly ... he ain't a fan of the move, especially since it felt like things were finally coming to light after decades of keeping this type of talk on the DL.

In Rep. Burchett's eyes ... the Pentagon is only going to keep asking for more funding (from Congress) without giving up the goods on what they know, and the House member thinks going down that road is plain foolish.

That's pretty much what UFO expert Jeremy Corbell told us just last week about this ... he called it a shadow operation that's being presented as something the Defense Dept. is taking seriously -- when he thinks it's the exact opposite in practice.

Now, as for why the DoD would rather sweep this under the rug further -- Burchett has a theory. It all has to do with "industrial complexes" and societal institutions that would probably crumble if we learned the truth about what's out there.

Atlanta Braves star Marcell Ozuna had his hand aggressively wrapped around his wife's neck just minutes before his arrest last May ... new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

The incident all went down on May 29 in Sandy Springs, GA., after cops say they were called to a residence regarding "an assault in progress."

In an officer's bodycam footage from the scene, you can see as the cop arrived at the home, Ozuna grabbed his wife around her throat with his right hand.

"Get your hands off her!" the officer can be heard telling the 6-foot-1, 225-pound MLB player in the footage. "Get on the ground! Get on the ground!"

Ozuna -- who was wearing a hard cast on his left hand due to an injury he had suffered in a game just days before the incident -- complied, and was eventually arrested.

In police documents, cops say Ozuna's wife told them the altercation had all begun over cheating claims.

Ozuna was initially hit with felony charges over the incident, including aggravated assault by strangulation. But, the counts were eventually reduced to misdemeanor family violence charges -- and Ozuna agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion program to close out the case.

Ozuna was ordered to, among other things, complete at least 200 hours of community service as well as take an anger management course. He was also placed on six months of supervision.

The outfielder was ultimately suspended by the MLB over it all this week, getting hit with a 20-game ban -- although because the punishment was retroactive in nature, Ozuna is now eligible to return as soon as the 2022 season begins.

"Any instance of domestic violence is unacceptable, and we fully support the decision by the commissioner's office regarding Marcell," the Braves said after the MLB announced the suspension.

"We are encouraged to know that Marcell has accepted full responsibility for his actions and is taking the necessary measures to learn and grow from the situation."

We've reached out to both the MLB and the Braves following the release of the police video, but so far, no word back yet.