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T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are at an impasse with ABC and they will go into what promises to be a contentious mediation session with ABC Thursday -- a session that will almost certainly involve race -- sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

Our sources say ABC has made it clear to reps for the anchors -- they do not want the 2 of them back together on the same set. We're told ABC has not played its hand on whether they want one or both of them gone entirely. Our sources say once the network made it clear it doesn't want Amy and T.J. working together, their lawyers called for a mediation, and ABC agreed.

Our sources further say Amy and T.J. are coming to the mediation as a united front. It appears ABC views T.J. as more problematic than Amy, but we're told she will not accept a harsher outcome for T.J. than her own. We're also told their lawyers, Andrew Brettler (who reps Amy) and Eric George (who reps T.J.) have been working closely together.

We're told race "will become an issue" if T.J. is disciplined or fired ... especially if the punishment has no precedent with similarly situated white employees.

We're told Amy and T.J., along with their lawyers, will appear on zoom during the mediation.

The mediators' recommendations will not be binding, but it could end with some sort of resolution or compromise.

Stay tuned.

Britney Spears' fans believed something was seriously wrong with the singer after her Instagram account disappeared ... calling the cops to her home to see if she was in danger.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Britney deleted her Instagram account -- something she's done many times -- at some point within the last 12 hours. For whatever reason, fans became alarmed, believing the deleted account meant Britney was in trouble ... and called the Ventura Co. Sheriff's Office.

Deputies from the sheriff's office then went out to Britney's home and determined there was no reason to believe she was in danger. It's unclear if they spoke to Britney directly, or if someone else assured them she was OK.

The incident comes less than two weeks from when Britney was spotted at a local restaurant where witnesses tell us she became "manic," frustrating her husband, Sam Asghari, to the point of getting up and leaving. Video, obtained by TMZ, showed Spears babbling nonsense at the table.

As we reported, Britney recently changed her name on her Instagram account to River Red, posting a video dancing and announcing, "I changed my name to River Red" ... and including, "don't underestimate the power of purity."

TMZ broke the story, Britney recently started showing her Calabasas home off-market to potential buyers. She only bought the home last year -- but we're told she was never really a fan of the place -- buying it for $11.8 million and now selling it for $12 million.

The welfare check was conducted at the home she's lived in for years in Thousand Oaks.

Chris Brown was just hit with a whopping tax bill that totals $4,044,596.76 --  but never fear, the R&B artist might be able to cut into his debt if he ever decides to sell off his huge collection of designer and custom clothes

Breezy posted a video that laid out his massive clothing collection on racks ... with the scene looking very much like a department store aisle!!!

He also called out all rappers and artists who think they have more drip than him to post their own closets for comparison -- a challenge that Rick Ross, who's been known to be a hoarder in his own right, just may take on.

The timing is interesting ...  TMZ Hip Hop confirmed Breezy was recently hit with a federal tax lien for $2,245,561.50 and $1,059,967.78 for money apparently owed to Uncle Sam in 2022.

Additionally, we've learned the state of California filed a state tax lien for $739,067.48 ... so he's looking at around $4M in total!!!

Breezy's been down this road before ... having hosted a massive yard sale back in 2019 but even if Breezy doesn't sell off items this time around to pay the tax bills, he still has steady tour revenue to look forward to.

The upcoming European leg for his Under The Influence Tour recently added new dates in big cities like London, Amsterdam, and Paris after tickets sold out following the first announcement.

Kim Kardashian's daughter North West is headin' to the big screen ... breaking into the acting game in the same flick her mom's also got a part in.

The 9-year-old has been cast in the upcoming sequel, "PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie," TMZ has confirmed, lending her voice alongside Kim, who's reprising her role as Delores from the 2021 film.

Kim and North won't be the only ones in their family with a part ... we're told North's little brother, Saint, will also make a cameo in the movie.

Seems like Paramount's got a ton of confidence in the sequel, BTW -- Deadline reports some big names are joining North and Saint ... including Kristen Bell, McKenna Grace, Lil Rel Howery, James Marsden, and even Serena Williams.

Makes sense -- the children's film debuted at #1 in multiple countries when it dropped -- making over $144M worldwide.

LeBron James nearly lost his cool with a heckler on Tuesday night -- having to be held back from the man after the guy shouted insults at him, including one dig that featured a shot at the Lakers star's hairline.

The moment happened as the King and his squad were headed into the locker room at halftime of their game with the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena ... when a guy started going off on the L.A. forward.

"Hey Bron! Hey Bron!" the man said from his floor seat as the Lakers were down 77-54. "You better get this s*** together!"

The fan continued, "With that receding-ass hairline!"

LeBron turned quickly, appearing to want to go after the man, before security intervened.

"Look, he mad!" the heckler shouted as LeBron was being ushered away from the scene. "Look at him! You sick!"

It's unclear if the fan faced any punishment over the interaction.

The trolling, while clearly annoying, didn't stop James from going off ... he scored 46 points in the contest with the Clips, making him the only NBA player to score 40-plus against every team in the league.

Kanye West could be barred from entering Australia to meet his new wife's family because of his praise for Hitler and his antisemitic diatribes, government officials said Wednesday.

The rapper is reportedly planning to fly with Bianca Censori to her hometown of Melbourne next week for the get-together with her clan.

As we first reported, the couple tied the knot during a private ceremony earlier this month without filing a marriage certificate. It's not clear if Kanye has gotten a visa for the rumored trip or even applied for one.

In any case, Australia's Education Minister, Jason Clare, says if Kanye does apply for a visa it might get rejected. The Land Down Under has a history of turning away people with antisemitic beliefs.

Clare told Nine Network TV ... "I expect that if he does apply, he would have to go through the same process and answer the same questions," as anyone who has expressed such views.

As you know ... Kanye recently went on a bizarre anti-Jewish campaign, praising Hitler and Nazis. He was seen hanging out with notorious white nationalist Nick Fuentes.

Ye was suspended from Twitter after posting an image of a Swastika merged with the Star of David. Kanye also went live on-air with alt-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for his show, "Infowars." Among other things, Kanye said, "I like Hitler."

Given his rhetoric, it appears Kanye has an uphill battle with Australian Jewish groups, who have already called for him to be refused entry in anticipation of any visa request.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief Peter Wertheim told Sky News ..."We’ve made the case that this particular individual does not meet the character test and that it would be in the national interest not to grant him a visa and we set out our reasons in some detail."

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles will make the final decision on whether to let Kanye into the country, if it comes to that.

Stay tuned.

New details have emerged in Jeremy Renner's horrific snowplow accident ... police say he was indeed trying to save a family member when the snowcat vehicle crushed him, and there are signs the machine was malfunctioning.

The "Hawkeye" star was attempting to stop the vehicle from sliding and hitting his grown nephew on January 1 -- according to the redacted police report, obtained by CNN ... noting the emergency brake wasn't engaged when it started sliding.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office says the brake would've stopped the machine from moving ... but the brake indicator light inside the cab of the vehicle wasn't functioning -- indicating mechanical issues might've also been a factor.

The report says Renner would've had to climb directly onto the plow's moving track in order to get back into the cab, which is when cops say he was "immediately pulled under" by the machine as it continued down the road.

It says the actor focused on breathing after getting crushed while his nephew helped him until medical professionals arrived. The report also says drug or alcohol impairment was ruled out as a factor.

ABC does not yet have eyes on potential replacements for T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, despite speculation the 'GMA3' anchors are on the way out ... TMZ has learned.

Sources at the network tell us the main focus for honchos is still completing a full investigation into whether or not T.J. and Amy's relationship violated company protocols. They're also looking into additional reports of affairs Holmes might have had while employed at 'GMA' -- including one with an intern -- and any potential issues there.

While some reports have speculated DeMarco Morgan -- who has been at the 'GMA 3' desk during T.J. and Amy's leave -- has already been tapped to fill Holmes' spot permanently, our network sources say that just isn't the case, and he isn't currently being "tested" to take over the position.

The same is true for Rhiannon Ally, Gio Benitez and Stephanie Ramos -- who have all covered the show's anchor desk in Amy and T.J.'s absence.

We're told if and when ABC looks to fill spots, it'll be after the investigation has totally wrapped and Amy and T.J.'s fates are decided.

TMZ broke the story ... both T.J. and Amy have lawyered up in recent weeks -- Amy with Andrew Brettler and Holmes with Eric George -- to possibly take legal action against ABC.

We're told if the anchors are shown the door, their attorneys are ready to file suit, and raise the issue of race -- asking the network, "Has ABC ever used the morals or conduct clause to fire or discipline 2 consenting adults at equal levels when both were white?"

Of course, we've seen T.J. and Amy out and about living their lives as a couple since getting pulled off the air ... spending the holidays together and even hanging out the day before he filed to divorce his estranged wife.

Tragic news in the boxing world ... Donovan Garcia -- a decorated teenage boxer out of Colorado -- has died after suffering significant injuries in a car crash, his family revealed this week.

He was just 15 years old.

According to a GoFundMe page set up by the promising young pugilist's family, he was involved in a "major car accident" on Jan. 11.

The fighter was rushed to the hospital where he battled to recover ... but, sadly, his family said he passed away days later.

"Donovan fought his biggest battle and went 7 rounds, but he was tired," the family said. "His family wants everyone to know that he is at peace and they are at peace with God's will."

Garcia earned several major awards throughout his young career -- according to his social media page, he garnered Silver Gloves State Champion honors as well Junior Olympics State Champion accolades ... and more.

His family wrote in an obituary that he "was loved by the boxing community and many more."

"Boxing was his passion & he won many championships including 2019 golden gloves," the family said. "Donovan has a heart of gold and put everyone before himself."

The GoFundMe page has already raised over $5,000. Its goal is $15K.

Boxing reporter Elie Seckbach first reported the news.

Paris Hilton's wish to become a mother is now a reality ... she and her husband Carter Reum just announced they have a brand new baby.

Paris isn't revealing their bundle's name or gender yet, but she did post an adorable pic of the infant's hand gripping hers. The proud mom says, "You are already loved beyond words."

Unclear if Carter and Paris adopted or had the child by surrogate ... but we've seen Paris out and about, and she definitely was not pregnant.

If you missed her New Year's Eve performance at Miley Cyrus' TV special -- well, you can see ... a baby bump was not part of her ensemble!

We know Paris was undergoing IVF treatments ... she talked to us about it back in November, after her mother, Kathy Hilton, had suggested Paris was struggling to get pregnant.

Paris and Carter, who are both 41, have been pretty clear about their desire to start a family ever since their lavish wedding weekend back in 2021.

Whatever course the happy couple chose ... it was successful.

Congrats to the new parents!

Emmett Till's family is saddened and stunned the Motion Picture Academy overlooked the film about this tragic and pivotal story in American history ... and it did so in every Oscar category.

Emmett's cousin and cofounder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, Deborah Watts, tells TMZ ... the family is extremely disappointed the movie "Till" and its lead actress Danielle Deadwyler -- who plays Emmett's mom -- received zero nominations.

Deborah says Danielle "embodied and delivered the true essence of our cousin, a loving and courageous mother, Mamie Till Mobley. She reached deeply and poured her heart and soul in this role as she embraced us intimately like no other, while transforming into Mamie and bringing her true essence and story to life."

As you know, the film tells the story of Emmett's 1955 abduction and lynching in Mississippi ... which sent shockwaves across the nation when a photo of his brutally beaten body was made public.

The family's sentiment about Danielle being snubbed falls in line with a social media trend -- folks pointing out no Black women were nominated in the Best Actor category ... and this wouldn't be the first time.

Some users noted Viola Davis was another worthy contender for her performance in the box office hit, "The Woman King".

Going forward, Deborah says "The Emmett Till Legacy Family and community of supporters will ensure Emmett and Mamie's legacies and story will continue to be told with or without any awards."

Danielle has yet to react publicly -- we reached out to her reps, but the reality is, actors rarely say anything about snubs.

Justin Bieber's feeling himself after selling the rights to his entire library of music for $200 million ... and the proof is in the pants.

The Biebs busted out some eye-catching polka dot trousers Tuesday night as he headed out to dinner with wife, Hailey in New York City ... fresh off his huge payday.

Justin also rocked a pink jacket, beanie and a pair of black and brown boots ...  while Hailey wore a leather jacket and matching vest and heels.

The couple's got $200 million reasons to enjoy a night out in the Big Apple ... earlier in the day, Justin officially sold the rights to his publishing and artist royalties from his song catalog to Hipgnosis Songs Capital.

As we reported ... the deal's been in the works since December and it's being hailed as the most lucrative music rights sale for any artist from Justin's generation.

The $200 million pact reportedly covers all 290+ songs in Justin's library released through 2021 ... including his latest album, "Justice."

Something tells us Justin's picking up the tab tonight.

Mark Ronson says Justin Bieber's call to sell off his music catalog is a sweet decision, and he also says Bieb fans can chill ... this is not a sign the singer's ready to hang it up.

We got the producer/DJ Tuesday at LAX, and he doesn't see J.B.'s estimated $200 million catalog sale as a dead end -- noting it could be a good thing for fans, possibly showing Justin has a bunch more music to make, and is just looking to maximize profits off what he's done so far.

Obviously, Mark doesn't know exactly what's going through Justin's head ... but he notes money's got to be a big factor.

As we reported, Justin had his eyes on the big deal with Hipgnosis Songs Capital in December, which included his entire music catalog -- 6 albums over a decade, as well as all singles and collabs. Hipgnosis announced the closing of the mega sale Tuesday.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar says Ticketmaster's stranglehold on the concert tickets and venues is a longstanding problem -- but she gives full credit to Taylor Swift fans for pushing the issue over the hump.

The Senator from Minnesota joins us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to reveal why Swifties' making a historic fuss over the botched presale for Taylor's tour, directly led to Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee grilling of Live Nation, Ticketmaster's parent company.

Klobuchar dropped something that's always a bombshell in Washington -- the 'B' word ... as in, bipartisanship! She tells us the much-anticipated hearing had lawmakers in agreement about Ticketmaster's monopoly, and the need for the company to finally face the music.

Although Swifties got the ball rolling ... she says this issue goes well beyond Taylor's tour -- because Ticketmaster dominates the game by selling tickets, running promotions and even owning some of the venues.

The Senator says testimony from industry experts -- including some musicians -- makes it clear to her it's nearly impossible for competitors to drive down rising ticket prices.

She says bands have been sounding the alarm for years, including Pearl Jam back in the day -- but the dam broke in November, when Taylor's legion of fans got pissed off and even Taylor called out Ticketmaster.

Sen. Klobuchar says the tide's finally turning, and she expects real changes from Ticketmaster ... and quickly. You can see the full interview on Wednesday's "TMZ Live" ... check your local listings.

Gilbert Burns wasn't touched during his first round submission win on Saturday ... and the UFC star already knows who and where he wants next -- Colby Covington on "The Ultimate Fighter"!

TMZ Sports talked to the 35-year-old fighter after he choked out Neil Magny at UFC 283 about where he goes from here.

"If I could pick, because I couldn't pick for a while, I want Colby. That's a go-to title shot. If I beat Colby, especially right now. I would love to make a coach [on TUF] and compete against Colby," Burns told us.

FYI, 34-year-old Covington, who last fought at UFC 272 against rival Jorge Masvidal (Colby won by unanimous decision), is ranked second in the division ... behind longtime champ, Kamaru Usman.

Of course, "The Ultimate Fighter" was launched by Dana White and the UFC in 2005 ... putting a group of fighters in a house. Think a UFC and 'Real World' mash-up.

The first season featured coaches Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar. The men famously fought at the end of the season ... in one of the greatest matches in the promotion's history.

Since the show's inception, stars like Conor McGregor, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and many others have appeared on the TV show.

Gilbert says Dana told him they'd meet this week and go over options for the future.

"I talked to Dana and Hunter right after the fight. They said they would have a meeting [Monday] or Tuesday and they will let me know. I already put a lot of options. That's my number one pick."

Burns talks about his relationship with Covington (believe it or not, GB doesn't hate CC) ... but if the fight doesn't happen, Gilbert says he's down to rematch Khamzat Chimaev.

The men fought in a barn-burner of a contest last year ... and Gilbert pushed the previously untouched and untested (in the UFC, at least) undefeated fighter.

Burns lost by decision ... but is confident he can beat Chimaev.

"100 percent I'd fight him again," Gilbert said.

American YouTuber and actor Lucas Cruikshank aka Fred Figglehorn was just 13 years old when he started his YouTube channel, wrangling in millions of subscribers with his auto-tuned voice and close-up camera angles back in 2006.

With the success of Lucas's channel, he earned sponsorships and even landed on Disney's "Hannah Montana" with Miley Cyrus in 2009. During this time, he also filmed his first Nickelodeon movie "Fred: The Movie" starring John Cena ... "Fred: The Show" and "Fred 3: Camp Fred" would soon follow.

Cruikshank holds the title for first YouTuber to hit 1 million subscribers.