Kendrick Lamar is about to find out if his smash hit "Not Like Us" is as popular with NFL and network lawyers and execs as it is with the public -- and his Super Bowl Halftime Show hangs in the balance.
This is a big day down in the Big Easy, as Kendrick's set list is expected to be handed off to the NFL and FOX honchos gathered in New Orleans for the game. Wednesday is typically the day Halftime Show performers pull back the curtain for the league, and reveal the songs they're going to perform.
But, this year there's extra attention on Kendrick's plans, because of "Not Like Us," and the defamation lawsuit Drake filed against Universal Music Group over the diss track ... which, as we all know, flat-out calls Drake a "certified pedophile."
TMZ has a new podcast with Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos -- "Two Angry Men" -- and in our first episode we broke down the Blake-Baldoni beef with special guest Bryan Freedman, the attorney repping Justin.
Harvey hammers Bryan about potentially deposing Taylor ... because she's central to the dispute by virtue of her involvement in an infamous meeting between Justin, Blake and Ryan.
Comic Cristina Payne says comedian Corey Holcomb is lying about their physical altercation outside a popular comedy club ... she says he hit her, not the other way around -- as Corey is now claiming.
We got Cristina in downtown Los Angeles and our photog asked her about Corey's recent legal filing ... a restraining order request where he alleged she sucker-punched him.
Cristina tells us Corey is flipping the narrative when he's really the attacker here ... and she says he's lying to avoid potential jail time and to protect his new comedy gig.
Drake is still in his feelings when it comes to LeBron James ... 'cause the rap superstar switched up his song lyrics to take shots at the Lakers champion amid their apparent feud.
Drizzy's in Australia for his "Anita Max Wynn Tour" this week ... and when it came time to perform his track, "Nonstop," on Tuesday -- he notably revised a line that name-dropped the King.
The line usually goes, "How I go from 6 to 23 like I'm LeBron?" ... but instead, the 6ix God changed it to "but NOT LeBron."
Don Lemon is firing back at Kanye West’s Grammy rant against him ... telling us he doesn’t get why the rapper had to throw a racial slur into the mix.
We caught up with Don about the situation, and he clarifies he was just trying to ask Kanye a music question on the Grammys red carpet Sunday -- so he has no idea where Ye’s claims that Don was behind the false reports of him getting booted from the ceremony came from.
But Don was clear one thing ... saying Kanye calling him a "k***" was totally unwarranted.
Blake Lively is emotionally zapped, but more than eager to get her day in court for the Justin Baldoni case ... where she is confident her facts will overcome his "sideshow."
A source close to Blake tells TMZ ... the whole Baldoni drama is taking a deep emotional toll on Blake and her family, causing her and Ryan Reynolds severe anguish, which allegedly started way back on the set of "It Ends With Us" ... and she wants to get this all buttoned up.
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Blake and Justin's legal teams were in court Monday for the first time since she sued him for sexual harassment and he fired back with his counter suit against her and the New York Times ... and we're told Blake is grateful with how the first hearing played out.
Blake Lively's living in a fantasy land when it comes to the first court date in the Justin Baldoni case ... at least according to his camp.
Justin's "It Ends With Us" costar and legal foe believes the judge ruled in her favor at Monday's hearing ... but Baldoni's side has a completely opposite takeaway.
Sources close to Justin's team tell TMZ ... "The judge did not rule in Ms. Lively's favor, what they had asked of the court was a gag order, for Blake not to be deposed by Bryan and for the entire case to be dismissed against them -- none of that happened."
Kanye West and Bianca Censori are on the same page regarding her gratuitous displays of public nudity ... Ye's longtime pal has seen the cooperation with his own two eyes!!!
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Malik Yusef tells TMZ Hip Hop that Ye and Bianca's marriage union is strong and they make decisions together ... which includes her deciding to get buck naked on the Grammys red carpet!!!
Neither Ye nor Malik won the Grammys they were nominated for on Sunday, but the Internet determined Bianca stole the show -- something the megastar rapper had no problem bragging about this morning.
Shared by the "Deadpool" star on IG Monday, Blake looked fab snapping the pic while Ryan kept her close, arm wrapped around her, on a dimly lit street -- showing he's got her back and, judging by those grins, feeling confident they’ve got this legal conflict in the bag.
The selfie is posted in the middle a string of pics -- including one of Ryan visiting Elihu Yale’s tomb in the UK and another from a Q&A at The Paley Center in NYC -- showing he’s booked, busy, and treating this lawsuit war like no biggie.
11:10 AM PT -- Blake Lively's attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson tell TMZ ... “We are pleased with the result of today’s hearing and eager to move forward immediately with discovery in this case. The Court granted our request that all attorneys in the matter actually follow the rule of law and not make any statements that could prejudice a jury. This case deals with serious allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. We will hold the defendants accountable, and we are confident that once all the evidence is submitted in this matter, Ms. Lively will prevail.”
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The judge required both sides to abide by New York Rules of Professional Conduct, which prevents lawyers from making statements with a “substantial likelihood” they could taint a jury. Still, the rules afford attorneys the opportunity to speak with the media to protect their clients from negative publicity.
Baldoni's attorney Bryan Freedman says he's cool with those rules, and for now, so are Blake's attorneys.
Justin Baldoni just scored what he sees as a legal win over Blake Lively ... because the first court hearing in their beef ended with half a gag order for Justin's lawyer.
The "It Ends With Us" stars had their legal teams go before a judge Monday in New York for the first time since Blake filed her sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin, who fired back with his own $400 million defamation suit.
Blake's been trying to get Justin's attorney, Bryan Freedman, to stop blabbing about the case in the media.
Janelle Monae roasted Nelly at a Grammys after-party in L.A. Sunday night, blasting him for recently performing at President Trump's inauguration during an impromptu rap session with Anderson .Paak.
The outspoken singer/actress hopped onstage with Anderson at Andy's in West Hollywood -- which is co-owned by .Paak -- after the two had attended the Grammys at Crypto.com Arena.
We're told Anderson and Janelle began singing a medley of songs — one of which was Nelly's hit, "Hot in Herre," which totally set off Janelle.
A major beef ended at the Grammy Awards Sunday ... not between two artists, but between an artist and the academy itself -- 'cause The Weeknd is back in the Grammys fold.
Harvey Mason Jr. -- the Recording Academy CEO -- stepped up to talk about all the changes he's tried to implement in the last four years ... ever since The Weeknd called out the academy for a lack of transparency.
Remember ... back in 2020, The Weeknd's song "Blinding Lights" -- a super popular track which ended up skyrocketing to the top of the charts -- wasn't nominated at the 2021 Grammys.
Justin Baldoni's dropping a sex talk bombshell in his legal war with Blake Lively -- revealing notes from a crucial meeting about all the "It Ends With Us" sex scenes ... a meeting he claims Blake refused to attend.
The documents detail the director's April 21, 2023 meeting with an intimacy coordinator -- who was a woman -- to discuss how best to shoot the film's steamier moments. In his notes, Justin says it was important to have a female coordinator to craft sex scenes, because "It Ends With Us" fans are predominantly women ... so, he wanted it written for the "female gaze."
The notes, released Saturday on Baldoni's new website thelawsuitinfo.com, include x-rated language -- like, "goes down on her," "orgasm," "foreplay" and "the clit test" -- but Justin points out all of that came directly from the intimacy coordinator during their meeting.
Kanye West has Taylor Swifton his mind heading into music's biggest night ... which could be an ominous sign for Sunday night's Grammys, or it's just a masterful troll.
As of Saturday night, Ye's Instagram account had unfollowed everyone -- including his wife Bianca Censori -- with the exception of Taylor. Of course, if you're Taylor, that move coming on the eve of the Grammys could make you pretty uneasy ... considering Tay and Ye's infamous history at award shows.
For what it's worth, Taylor and Beyoncé will both be at Crypto.com arena Sunday night -- Taylor has 6 nominations and Bey's up for 11 -- so, Ye could be the wild card once again.
Bhad Bhabie has had it with Alabama Barkercoming after her online ... warning that something might happen the next time they see each other.
BB went off on Travis Barker's daughter Saturday ... sharing a series of posts to her Instagram story calling out the 19-year-old who announced she plans to drop a track called "Cry Bhabie" in response to Bhad's "Over Cooked."
Among her posts, she shared a video ... and, she started it by saying that all of Alabama's actions show "the type of b**** she is."
Justin Baldoni is pulling out all the stops in his war with Blake Lively ... because he's got a new tool designed to present JB's side of the story.
The "It Ends With Us" star just published a new website dedicated to the Blake case ... and he's defending himself against Blake's allegation he sexually harassed her when they were making the movie.
The website currently has two links on it ... one to the amended complaint filed by Justin Baldoni and his studio against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds -- and the other showing a timeline of relevant events in the case.