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We're learning more about the sickening triple murder of a 15-year-old girl's family and the possible fate she faced if her abductor would have gotten her back to his home across the country.

Real estate records reveal Austin Lee Edwards paid $80,000 for a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom house in Saltville, VA on November 14 ... just 11 days before killing 3 people in Riverside, CA.

We spoke with neighbors who tell us Edwards almost immediately blacked out the windows of the home with car tint ... we've obtained photos showing it was next to impossible to see inside the home.

One of the neighbors tells us they had a brief conversation with Edwards, who said he chose to move there to get out of Richmond, VA. They also say Edwards wore a trench coat when he went to the water department to turn on his utilities, which they thought was odd.

As for his possessions ... we're told Edwards didn't appear to have much -- barely any furniture. We know cops have been active on the property over the last few days, removing evidence bags as they searched his home.

Cops say Edwards killed the 15-year-old girl's mother and grandparents before setting their house on fire, and then abducted the young girl. He was later caught in a police chase -- after one of the grandparents' neighbors called 911 -- which ended in a shoot-out where Edwards was killed. Cops say Edwards connected with the girl after catfishing her, pretending to be a 17-year-old boy.

Ashanti is opening up about an unsavory encounter, to put it lightly, she had with a music producer who tried to force her into sex ... as payment for studio recordings.

She exposed the incident Thursday while she was on "The Breakfast Club" ... saying she and the producer had been working closely together for a couple of weeks -- and he'd told her he'd do it for free because she was "the homie."

Ashanti says she and the producer created 2 songs but then he flipped the script … suggesting they take a shower together or else she would have to pay $40,000 a piece for the tracks!!! WTFFF?!?

After realizing he wasn't joking, Ashanti says she made a couple of phone calls to "handle the situation." It's anyone's guess what that means, but her mom Tina Douglas stepped in to confirm the story.

They also hinted at exposing the studio creep in the future in her memoir.

Sadly, the situation wasn't the first time Ashanti had to dial 911 within her inner circle.

David Robinson, one of Dog the Bounty Hunter's partners for years and star of "Dog's Most Wanted," has died.

Rainy, David's ex-wife, who also appeared on the show, tells us David was on a Zoom call Wednesday when he had some sort of medical emergency ... the police and paramedics responded, and CPR was performed, but it was unsuccessful.

Dog tells TMZ ... "I'm shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of David Robinson, my right-hand man of many years. Until we meet again, brother."

Sources close to Dog tell TMZ it appears David may have suffered some sort of heart attack or stroke ... although the official cause has yet to be determined.

Fans of "Dog's Most Wanted" know David worked closely with Dog in a handful of episodes on WGN America in 2019 -- hunting fugitives of Dog's choosing -- as opposed to tracking down those who have jumped bail.

He was 50.

RIP

Will Smith is all smiles again ... he and Jada Pinkett Smith were back doing movie star stuff for the premiere of the new film days after he called his Oscars slap on Chris Rock a burst of anger years in the making.

Will and Jada got all done up Wednesday night in Westwood where they held the "Emancipation" premiere -- they posed for the photogs on their way into the theater and held onto each other tightly.

There was one moment that seemed like a loving callback to the drama of Oscars night -- Will kissed the top of Jada's head as cameras were flashing.

The event was definitely a family affair -- Jaden, Willow, and Trey were all there to support their pops on his return to the Hollywood spotlight.

As we reported, Will broke down what led up to him storming the stage to strike Chris ... telling Trevor Noah on Monday it stemmed from rage going back to his childhood.

He also made a plea to the audience, telling them to be nice to each other ... because you never know what another person's going through, but he noted that didn't justify his behavior.

LeBron James went after media members following the Lakers' win on Wednesday night ... blasting them for not asking about the racial controversy engulfing Jerry Jones -- while wondering why they were so "quick to ask us questions" about the Kyrie Irving drama earlier this year.

The NBA star unleashed the scolding unprompted after reporters had just finished peppering him with questions about L.A.'s 128-109 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

"I got one question for you guys before you guys leave," the 37-year-old said. "I was thinking when I was on my way over here, I was wondering why I haven't gotten a question from you guys about the Jerry Jones photo."

Of course, 'Bron is referring to the 1957 picture that resurfaced last week ... showing the Dallas Cowboys owner as a teenager standing with a group of white classmates who were trying to prevent six Black students from entering an Arkansas school.

"When the Kyrie [Irving] thing was going on, you guys were quick to ask us questions about that," James said ... before continuing, "When I watch Kyrie talk and he says, 'I know who I am, but I want to keep the same energy when we're talking about my people and the things that we've been through,' and that Jerry Jones photo is one of those moments that our people, Black people, have been through in America."

"And I feel like as a Black man, as a Black athlete, as someone with power and a platform, when we do something wrong, or something that people don't agree with, it's on every single tabloid, every single news coverage, it's on the bottom ticker. It's asked about every single day."

As you know, Kyrie came under fire earlier this month after he tweeted out a link to an antisemitic film. He refused to apologize for it for days ... and, as a result, the Brooklyn Nets guard was suspended for eight games. LeBron addressed the issue multiple times, saying his former Cavaliers teammate "caused some harm to a lot of people" ... but claimed the punishment was excessive.

Jones, meanwhile, has been under siege the last few days ... after The Washington Post published the controversial photo of him last week. The 80-year-old, though, has avoided any punishment from the NFL ... while denying any participation in barring the black students from the school. He said he was simply a curious observer.

He added during a Monday radio interview, "I think the key thing is, for me, is that it's a misread if you think that I don't recognize how monumental those days were."

Jason David Frank's wife is sharing stories about what led up to his suicide ... but she's telling a very different story than what our law enforcement sources say happened the night of his death.

Tammie Frank told "People" the "Power Rangers" star struggled with mental health issues and depression before, but she had no idea he was thinking about taking his own life.

She talked about the tragic day ... "It was meant to be a fun weekend getaway, and instead, I lost the love of my life. Jason was a good man, but he was not without his demons. He was human, just like the rest of us."

Although Tammie and Jason were in the middle of a divorce, she says they were trying to reconcile and decided to take a weekend trip. She says they got separate rooms because he snored. Tammie disputes what law enforcement told TMZ ... that the 2 had argued so loudly hotel management had to come up and calm things down. She says they weren't arguing ... just having a good time.

As we reported, our law enforcement sources say they got in a second argument and he locked her out of his room. At some point she called police and they did a welfare check because Jason wasn't answering the door ... and found him hanging in the bathroom.

Tammie says she simply left his room to get him some snacks to help him sober up and was only gone 10 minutes.

She went on to blast people who she says have been harassing her online, "slandering" her husband's name and mischaracterizing their relationship.

The "Power Rangers" star died at age 49.

Brittany Aldean is making it clear ... all of her Balenciaga gear is going to the dump in a very expensive protest of the company's child BDSM photo shoot controversy.

Jason Aldean's wife used an IG post Wednesday to state her position on the scandal -- showing herself hauling out 2 garbage bags filled with thousands of dollars worth of Balenciaga. She captioned it ... "It’s trash day @balenciaga."

Performative, for sure, but Brittany's stance is one several celebs are making in the wake of the designer coming under fire for its ad campaign featuring children with stuffed bears in BDSM gear.

One pic also showed legal documents referencing child pornography.

Balenciaga's since pulled the images and placed blame on the marketing agency it hired for the campaign. It also filed a $25 million lawsuit against the agency.

Just like Brittany, rapper/YouTuber Omi In A Hellcat ripped into Balenciaga -- although, he took his protest one step further. Instead of just tossing his stuff, he burned all of it in a backyard firepit ... and cursed anyone who still supports the brand.

As we reported, Kim Kardashian first announced she was 're-evaluating' her partnership with the brand, and then pulled the plug altogether.

TMZ broke the story ... she declined an offer from the brand and has since ditched the Balenciaga outfits she was set to wear at upcoming events.

Terry Bradshaw's family show, "The Bradshaw Bunch," won't be returning for a 3rd season, TMZ has learned, and the reason has to do with Terry's health.

Production sources tell TMZ ... the E! show was renewed for a third season and filming was supposed to begin last March, but around that time Terry informed producers he had a serious health condition, which demanded his full attention.

At the time, we're told Terry didn't give specifics on his diagnosis but he let producers know he couldn't move forward with the show. In the end, our sources say the Bradshaws and E! mutually decided to not go forward with the series. The network has never disclosed the show was canceled.

Last month, Terry revealed on NFL on FOX he went in for an MRI for what he thought were neck issues ... and that's when doctors discovered a tumor and diagnosed him with Merkel cell carcinoma -- a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer.

Terry had been diagnosed with bladder cancer in November 2021, during the airing of the second season of the show.

The series, which was filmed at the family's ranch in Oklahoma, was centered around the 4-time Super Bowl champ, his wife Tammy and their 3 daughters.

Prince William and Kate Middleton spent their first night in the U.S. at a Celtics game, as one Royal controversy has exploded and another is on the way.

The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge were front and center at the Celtics game Wednesday night against the Miami Heat -- they're in town for Friday's Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony ... created by William to find solutions for global warming.

When they popped up on the jumbotron, there was a smattering ... maybe more than a smattering of boos. Now we all know that's the way Boston fans roll, but their appearance came just hours after William's Godmother, Lady Susan Hussey, stepped down from her Royal duties after asking some racist questions at an event.

And, then there's Harry and Meghan ... hours after the game Netflix dropped a trailer for their upcoming documentary, and it's clear as day they're going after the fam. Harry says, "No one sees what goes on behind closed doors. I had to do everything I could to protect my family."

The two brothers will NOT see each other during William's 3-day stay in the States. So much for a reconciliation after the Queen's death.

The controversial, antisemitic film Kyrie Irving shared on Twitter -- "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" -- is not being removed from Amazon ... says company CEO Andy Jassy.

"As a retailer of content to hundreds of millions of customers with a lot of different viewpoints, we have to allow access to those viewpoints, even if they are objectionable — objectionable and they differ from our particular viewpoints, Jassy said, who is Jewish, at The New York Times' DealBook Summit in New York City.

Jassy's comments come in the face of the retail giant facing public backlash for still carrying the book and film on its platform, which Irving shared last month.

"The reality is that we have very expansive customer reviews," he continued ... "For books with a lot of attention — especially public attention — customers do a good job monitoring other people."

Jassy told the New York Times it's a slippery slope when deciding what type of content should no longer be sold on the platform ... adding instances where violence or pedophilia is being encouraged is more "straightforward."

Of course, Jassy's comments aren't going to sit well with Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), who publicly campaigned for Amazon to join Barnes & Noble in taking the book/film down.

Bobby Brown has a lot to look forward to next year … especially hitting the road with his New Edition brothers Ralph, Ronnie, Mike, Ricky and Johnny for a new world tour!!!

We linked with Bobby Wednesday at LAX, and he was eager to spill the tea on their upcoming shows. Although the group's had legendary ups and downs since their debut in the '80s -- like Bobby leaving to launch a solo career -- BB tells us their brotherhood is too strong to ever fully break.

NE is undeniably one of the most celebrated R&B groups of all time. They've been in the game for about 40 years, and every member's had success outside the group, too -- be it hip hop supergroup Bell Biv DeVoe or solo hits from Ralph, Johnny and, of course, Bobby.

All of that adds up to fans flocking to see them whenever they tour ... so, no surprise the fellas are running it back next year.

One thing Bobby's not anticipating is the upcoming Whitney Houston biopic "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" ... which will likely document their turbulent life and times together in the '90s.

Bobby says he had zero involvement in 'I Wanna Dance' so he can't cosign on its quality, or the performance of Ashton Sanders ... the actor who's portraying him in the film.

Biaggio Ali Walsh was nothing short of dominant in his PFL debut ... though, the rising MMA star isn't really surprised, because he believes he was born to fight!

"I truly believe that I was born to do this. I believe that me and my brother [Nico] both were destined to be in combat sports. Regardless of who our grandfather is or not, I feel like we were born to fight. I do want to do this. I'm all in," the 24-year-old told Babcock when he joined the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1).

If you missed it -- possible if you blinked -- Biaggo pummeled fellow amateur fighter, Tom Graesser, during the Professional Fighters League Season Championship event on Friday ... taking just 45 seconds to KO his opponent.

Graesser was Ali Walsh's first fight with the promotion (and his 3rd overall). Biaggio knows he's fairly new to the sport, but wholeheartedly believes he's going to be champion.

"I do see myself having the belt and holding a million-dollar check sometime in my career. I don't know how I'll get there or when it'll happen. I just know that at some point in my life, I'm going to have that belt around my waist, and I'm going to hold that check."

Speaking of grandpa, we asked Ali Walsh how Muhammad Ali would've felt watching his grandson fight (and at Madison Square Garden, where Ali fought in several historic events).

"He would have told me he was proud of me. He acknowledges the fact that me and my brother have to deal with the pressure of who he was and what he stood for. He would just say he's proud of me and that would mean the world and I know he's watching and I know he is proud of me, so I'm happy for that."

As for when he'll fight again, Biaggio says he's already back in the gym in Las Vegas, training for his next fight.

Before this country boy turned into a singer, songwriter and reality television star, he was taking notes and learning music from his guitar-playing pops and enjoying the outdoor life with his sister in Nashville, Tennessee.

This cute kid stirred up quite the commotion on Hannah Brown's season 15 of "The Bachelorette," and he has carried his on-camera experience over to his Ted Talk-esque podcast. He has also dabbled in modeling and acting, which is frequently showcased on his Instagram. And while he lets it all hang out ... it's evident he's into fitness based on his ripped physique.

Elon Musk says he squashed the beef between Twitter and Apple ... after a productive meeting with the tech giant's chief executive.

Elon says he met with Apple CEO Tim Cook on Wednesday, enjoying a tour of Apple headquarters in Cupertino, CA before getting down to brass tacks.

Elon says he and Tim resolved what he's calling a "misunderstanding" about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store, among other things.

Remember ... Elon went nuclear on Apple to begin the week, railing on Apple for cutting advertising on the bird app and wondering, "Do they hate free speech in America?"

Apple never responded to Elon's attacks, even when he tagged Tim's account ... and when Musk couldn't get a response, he claimed "Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won't tell us why."

Following their Wednesday sit down, Elon says "Tim was clear that Apple never considered" removing Twitter from the App Store.

Danny Masterson's rape trial has come to an end ... a judge has declared a mistrial after a hung jury.

Masterson was in a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday waiting to hear a verdict, when the jury announced it deadlocked. The judge then declared a mistrial.

The jury began deliberations 2 weeks ago after 4 weeks of testimony from alleged victims. They had a break because of Thanksgiving, and two jurors were replaced on Monday with alternates after testing positive for COVID.

It's unclear if prosecutors will decide to try the actor again.

He was facing a maximum sentence of 45 to life behind bars if found guilty of the charges.

As we reported, Masterson was charged back in 2020 with 3 counts of rape, with the alleged victims claiming the incidents occurred between 2001 and 2003 ... right in the middle of the run of his sitcom, "That '70s Show."

Masterson's former attorney, Tom Mesereau, told TMZ at the time ... "Mr. Masterson is innocent, and we’re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify."

The actor pled not guilty to the charges ... and while he never testified in his own defense, he and his legal team maintained that the incidents either didn't happen or were consensual.

Kim Kardashian announced she's 're-evaluating' her future with Balenciaga, but it appears she's made up her mind ... declining an offer from the brand, and ditching outfits she was set to wear at upcoming events.

Sources with direct knowledge of the situation tell us the design house presented Kim an offer to do a 2023 Balenciaga campaign before the controversial child BDSM ads went live. We're told once those ads went public, Kim made the decision to reject the offer ... even before releasing a statement on the issue.

Not only that ... our sources say Kim had plans to wear Balenciaga outfits at events she's attending in coming months, but she's pulled the plug and contacted other designers for new options.

Kim took a lot of heat for not immediately denouncing Balenciaga's campaign or announcing she was leaving the brand -- but our sources say she's not even locked into a contract with Balenciaga right now, and isn't directly making money from the company.

As we reported, Balenciaga's campaign using children models holding BDSM teddy bears in a photo shoot -- along with prop legal docs referencing child porn -- pissed off the public.

Kim responded to the controversy Sunday with a statement that said, in part, "As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society -- period."

She added ... "As for my future with Balenciaga, I am currently re-evaluating my relationship with the brand, basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with — & the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children."

Clearly, Balenciaga got Kim's message and announced Monday ... "We want to ensure that new controls mark a pivot and will prevent this from happening again. We are laying the groundwork with organizations who specialize in child protection and aims at ending child abuse and exploitation."