The TMZ Podcast: Toby Keith Dies, King Charles' Cancer Diagnosis & Taylor Swift Coachella Rumors

On this episode of The TMZ podcast ...

Country music legend Toby Keith has sadly passed away surrounded by family due to complications from a lengthy battle with stomach cancer. He was just 62.

Taylor Swift's lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to a man who runs a social media page tracking her private jet whereabouts.

In other Swiftie news ... rumors have been running rampant following the Grammys that Taylor Swift is going to be Lana Del Rey's surprise guest at Coachella in April. Taylor's BF Travis Kelce revealed that he's already listened to her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, and says that "it is unbelievable!"

Rapper Killer Mike addressed his controversial arrest that took place at the Grammy awards, in which he allegedly knocked down a security guard.

Prince Harry is now in the United Kingdom to be with King Charles following his cancer diagnosis.

Plus, the lawyer behind the backup dancers suing Lizzo believes her presence at the Grammy awards was a double standard.

Subscribe to the The TMZ Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

Hosts: Charlie Cotton & Melanie Miller

Taylor Swift Fans Run Wild With Theory Stars Aligned for Coachella Pop-In?!?

Taylor Swift's loyal supporters think they've got a new theory about her all figured out -- and based on the clues, they might be on to something ... namely, a possible Coachella drop-in.

Here's the deal ... with Tay Tay announcing her new album last night during the Grammys -- "The Tortured Poets Department" -- Swifties have been kicked into high gear with speculation that her release date, April 19, is no coincidence ... especially considering who she came onstage with later in the evening during her Album of the Year win.

Of course, we're talking about Lana Del Rey ... who was among a small group of people who joined T-Swift at the end of the show when she accepted her big award.

Taylor insisted on dragging her up there ... not to mention pouring on a ton of praise -- calling Lana an absolute legend and giving her her flowers and then some in her speech.

2/4/24
accepting the big award
CBS

It's because of this strong friendship that people are thinking Taylor might hop onstage during Lana's headlining set at Coachella in April -- it's well-known at this point, the moody crooner is going to handle Friday night duties, including a big Weekend 2 set on Fri. April 19.

What a coinkidink ... that also just happens to be the day Taylor's dropping her project!

Some are suggesting Taylor's gonna take the opportunity to make a big splash to get people to listen -- which she could most certainly do without Coachella ... but something like that would absolutely break the Internet, and that's exactly what many believe will happen.

If Taylor does hit the main stage at Coachella ... it'll be her first time there, as she's never headlined before -- and she hasn't made a guest appearance either in all these years.

Lop on the fact that this year's lineup is getting crapped on left and right for being underwhelming ... and you can see why a Taylor cameo is just what Goldenvoice needs.

Oh, and did we mention that she has this April window open??? Yeah, she'll be on a break from her international "Eras" tour between March and May ... just in time for something like this. We're not saying we've heard one way or another, but fans sure seemed convinced.

TMZ INVESTIGATES
TMZ Studios

If this does come to pass as many suspect it will ... it might be one of the biggest Taylor Swift moments in a long time, and that's saying something considering the years she's had.

Time will tell ... April's right around the corner, so we'll know sooner than later what's what.

Ne-Yo MJB Earned Lovers & Friends Boost!!! And Here's a Coachella Tip

I'll Get On Any Stage
TMZ.com

Ne-Yo's one of the many music giants gracing the Lovers & Friends stage this year, and says the lineup deserves all the headlines it's making ... just as Mary J. Blige deserves her place on the marquee.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the R&B magnate in L.A., and he was surprised to hear Mary staged a short-lived holdout for better Lovers & Friends' billing -- but also has zero issue with her strategy.

After all, as Ne-Yo reminded us, she is the Queen of Hip Hop Soul. Bow down, bishes.

Ne-Yo predicts this year's show has massive potential to be the best one yet ... featuring MJB, Usher, Gwen Stefani, Lil Wayne, Timbaland, Backstreet Boys, Janet Jackson and himself! How can they possibly lose?!?

That's a question folks operating Coachella have been asking with ticket sale woes -- so, we asked Ne-Yo why he thought the once-premier festival had fallen off.

Although he doesn't have much experience performing at the event, he told us he's heard through the grapevine Coachella's lost its grassroots feel, and gone more corporate.

By contrast ... the L&F fest is collecting names to potentially launch a 2nd show.

Ne-Yo suggests Coachella can turn things around if it turns around its next lineup.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

He and MJB might be happy campers going into this year's L&F, but the powers that be should check on Juvenile -- fast!!!

He's claiming he still hasn't been paid, and doesn't care if he performs at this point.

Las entradas para Coachella ya están disponibles La venta más lenta en diez años

Puede que pronto sea el adiós al calor abrasador del desierto y al estilo boho de Vanessa Hudgens... si la venta de entradas para Coachella de este año sirve de algo.

Resulta que la gente no está muy interesada en Coachella este año. De hecho, 2024 marca la venta de entradas más lenta en una década, esto de acuerdo a SF Gate, que cita algunas estadísticas preocupantes para Goldenvoice y compañía.

En pocas palabras, los boletos para el Coachella de este año simplemente no se venden como antes y usted puede verificarlo con solo ir a su sitio, donde se puede obtener ahora mismo.

Sí, todavía están a la venta cinco días después de salir al mercado, una sorpresa total, sobre todo porque en años anteriores se agotaban en cuestión de minutos. Ahora, puedes ir a su página web y comprar el paquete de entradas que quieras, cuando quieras.

Curiosamente, este sitio también le permite a la gente comprar hasta ocho entradas de este año, mientras que en años anteriores solo podías comprar dos. Parece como si los organizadores del festival estuvieron prácticamente rogándole a la gente que derrochen algo de dinero en ellos, al menos eso es lo que parece.

Aunque nunca habían tenido este problema antes, los fans esperaron horas en colas virtuales para conseguir las codiciadas pulseras en años anteriores a pesar de los altos precios.

Esto es muy extraño, porque Coachella por lo general es un producto muy popular, vendiendo todos los boletos en 40 minutos en 2015 y en cuatro horas en 2022. Por lo tanto, el hecho de que los pases para el segundo y tercer nivel del primer fin de semana todavía estén disponibles días después dice mucho sobre la popularidad del festival en la actualidad.

tmz investiga
TMZ Studios

Recordemos que Doja Cat, No Doubt, y Lana Del Rey son cabeza de cartel este año, y si bien no son las estrelas más cotizadas, todavía tienen una base de fans masiva, por lo que es difícil decir si ellos, específicamente, son la razón detrás de las malas ventas.

Sin embargo, algunos están atribuyendo esta caída a la alineación mediocre... ha habido un montón de quejas.

En pocas palabras, parece que Coachella está perdiendo su atractivo en un mar de nuevos festivales más frescos.

El tiempo dirá si acaban agotándose las entradas cuando se acerque abril, pero a este paso... probablemente no.

COACHELLA 2024 SLOWEST TICKET SALES IN A DECADE!! ... What's the Deal?!?

It may soon be farewell to the giant ferris wheel, scorchin' desert heat, and Vanessa Hudgens' boho style -- that is ... if this year's Coachella ticket sales are any indication.

As it turns out ... people aren't all that interested in Coachella this year. In fact, 2024 marks the slowest ticket sales in a decade -- this according to SFGate, which cites some troubling stats for Goldenvoice and co.

Long story short ... passes for this year's Coachella just aren't selling like they used to -- and you can verify that yourself by just going to their site, where you can snap up tix right now.

Yes, they're very much still up for grabs 5 days after hitting the market --  a total shock, especially cause it would sell out within minutes in previous years. Now, you can just go to their homepage and buy just about whatever ticket package you want, at your leisure.

Interestingly, this site is also letting people purchase up to 8 tickets this year compared to only 2 in previous years -- so it looks as though festival organizers are practically begging people to splash some cash on them ... at least that's how it feels anyway.

Though they never had this issue before ... fans famously waited hours in virtual queues to get their hands on coveted wristbands in years gone by -- despite the steep prices.

This is very strange ... 'cause Coachella tix are usually such a hot commodity -- selling out in 40 mins in 2015 and 4 hours in 2022. So, the fact that passes for the second and third tier of the first weekend are still up for grabs days later says a lot about the festival's popularity.

TMZ INVESTIGATES
TMZ Studios

Remember ... the likes of the Doja Cat, No Doubt, and Lana Del Rey are headlining this year -- and while they aren't the biggest stars out there, they still have a massive fanbase ... so it's hard to say if they, specifically, are the reason behind the sluggish sales.

Still, some are attributing this slump to the lackluster lineup -- there have been lots of complaints.

Simply put, looks like Coachella's losing its appeal in a sea of cooler new festivals ... for one reason or another.

Time will tell if they end up selling out as it gets closer to April -- but at this rate ... probably not.

Gwen Stefani Good Genes Or Good Docs?!

Gwen Stefani's looks over the years are simply B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Here is a 35-year-old version of the blonde beauty rockin' her iconic red lip after receiving her "Most Downloaded Song of All Time" award for her song "Hollaback Girl" back in 2005 (left). This was just a year after the hit banger went viral worldwide.

And, 19 years later the punk-rock princess is still lookin' red-hot -- recently being inducted into the Orange County Hall of Fame (right).

With the latest announcement of her and her No Doubt band members heading to Coachella '24, one can only hope they'll have you feelin' hella good ... and keep on dancin'!

The question is ...

Gwen Stefani ...

Gwen Stefani ¡¿Buenos genes o buenos doctores?!

¡Los looks de Gwen Stefani a lo largo de los años son simplemente geniales!

Aquí vemos a la rubia de 35 años luciendo sus icónicos labios rojos tras recibir el premio a la canción más descargada de todos los tiempos por su tema "Hollaback Girl" en 2005 (izquierda). Esto fue justo un año después de que la canción se hiciera viral en todo el mundo.

Y 19 años después, la princesa del punk-rock sigue estando al rojo vivo: recientemente ha sido incluida en el Salón de la Fama del Condado de Orange County (derecha). A eso se suma el anuncio de que ella y los miembros de No Doubt estarán tocando prontamente en el Coachella 2024. ¡Así que solo podemos esperar a que nos siga haciendo cantar y bailar!

La pregunta es...

Gwen Stefani...

Kim K, Mariah Carey, Doja Cat Satisfy Sushi Craving At Nobu Malibu

Kim Kardashian, Mariah Carey and Doja Cat all showed up to get their sushi fix at Nobu Malibu ... as two of the celebs sat with each other with the third nearby, but seemingly worlds apart.

OUT AT THE BU
TMZ.com

TMZ obtained video of the famous trio dining at two separate but close tables Sunday, inside the restaurant on the beautiful California coastline.

In one video, Kim and Mariah are seated side by side with their kids at one table. We're told the women were engaged in a pretty intense chat as their little ones played with each other. Of course, they all enjoyed their yummy pieces of sushi prepared with that Nobu touch.

Meanwhile, in another vid, Doja is seen chowing down with her peeps at the other table right next to Kim and Mariah.

Eyewitnesses tell us the two parties never spoke or interacted during their hours-long meals. We're told that it didn't seem like there was any bad blood between Mariah/Kim and Doja ... they were just doing their own things at their tables.

TIKTOK CRASHER

In the end, Kim, Mariah and their kids got up and left the restaurant first. Doja stayed behind to hang a bit more and shoot the breeze.

While she seemed in good spirits, Doja has had an up-and-down week. First, it was announced the rapper will be one of the headliners at the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which runs from April 12-14 and April 19-21.

WORLDS COLLIDE
TMZ.com

Then her mother filed court documents accusing Doja's brother of physically and verbally abusing the artist.

Gwen Stefani y No Doubt se reúnen para encabezar Coachella

Gwen Stefani y el resto de los miembros de No Doubt se reunirán de nuevo después de un buen tiempo, y lo harán en el desierto como cabezas de cartel de Coachella, nada menos.

La alineación para el festival anual de música acaba de caer, y mientras hay tres grandes actos programados para actuar viernes y domingo durante dos fines de semana diferentes ... parece que Gwen y compañía serán el plato fuerte de la noche, porque los contrataron como cabezas de cartel.

Goldenvoice tiene a Lana Del Rey actuando el viernes 12 de abril y el 19; Tyler the Creator se encargará de las funciones de cabeza de cartel el sábado 13 de abril y el 20; y Doja Cat lo hará el domingo.

Pero, echa un vistazo a la parte inferior de este cartel, sólo se lee ... "Y ... No Doubt". Una vez más, no hay claridad sobre lo que eso significa o qué día la banda podría hacer lo suyo... es un misterio.

Curiosamente, la banda se burló de esto alrededor de una hora antes de que Coachella hiciera el anuncio, burlándose del hecho de que estaban ansiosos por reunirse de nuevo y "hacer un show". Es un clip divertido y algo producido que muestra a Gwen, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont y Adrian Young en un chat de grupo, y luego, se pasan Zoom donde dieron vueltas a la idea de actuar.

Como resulta, que van a hacer un chapoteo con su gran concierto de regreso - golpear el escenario en posiblemente la plataforma más grande en la música ... actuando frente a miles de personas.

No Doubt no ha actuado como grupo en un buen tiempo, de hecho, la última vez que subieron al escenario juntos fue en 2015 durante el Global Citizen Earth Day Concert de ese año en D.C. Desde entonces, realmente no han rockeado todos juntos.

¡Ahora, los fans tendrán la oportunidad de verlos en directo!

Gwen Stefani & No Doubt Guys, We Should Do a Show How 'Bout Coachella?!?

Gwen Stefani and the rest of the members of No Doubt are getting together again after a good long while -- and they're it in the desert ... headlining Coachella, no less.

The lineup for the annual music festival just dropped, and while there are 3 big acts slated to perform Fri-Sun on 2 different weekends ... it looks like Gwen and co. will be the real talent -- 'cause they're being listed as a general, all-around headliner ... with no specific dates.

Goldenvoice has Lana Del Rey performing on Friday April 12th and 19th; Tyler the Creator will handle headlining duties on Saturday April 13th and 20th; and Doja Cat will do Sunday.

But, take a look at the bottom of this poster, it just reads ... "And ... No Doubt." Again, no clarity on what that means or which day the band might do their thing -- it's a mystery.

Funny enough, ND actually teased this about an hour before Coachella dropped the lineup -- teasing the fact they were itching to get together again and "do a show." It's a fun, somewhat produced clip that features Gwen, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young hopping onto a group chat and then a Zoom ... where they kicked around the idea of performing.

As it turns out, they're gonna be making a splash with their big comeback gig -- hitting the stage on possibly the biggest platform in music ... performing in front of thousands of people.

No Doubt hasn't performed as a group in a while -- in fact, the last time they hit the stage together in an official capacity was in 2015 during that year's Global Citizen Earth Day Concert in D.C. Since then, they haven't really rocked out as a unit.

Now, fans will get a chance to see 'em live ... and get underneath it all in person. Sweet!

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Guess Who This Little Blue Jay Turned Into!

Before this kid in her Blue Jay hoodie turned into a singer and an actress making her feature film debut in "Power Rangers," she was just riding her rocking horse and growing up in Moreno Valley, California with her 3 younger siblings.

Her popularity and success have led to big collaborations with Christina Aguilera, David Guetta and other famous musicians. And for you wrestling fans out there, this artist opened WrestleMania 39 with "America The Beautiful," and she performed at Coachella this year!

"Dancing in the mirror and singing in the shower La-da-di, la-da-da, la-da-da!"

Can you guess who he is?

YG & Saweetie Sí, We're Dating ... PDA-Filled Getaway to Mexico!!!

YG and Saweetie are officially an item ... and they jetted down to Mexico to let the whole world know they're dating.

The rappers are packing on the PDA down in Cabo -- and there's clearly nothing platonic about their hang.

YG and Saweetie couldn't keep their hands off each other Sunday as they took a romantic dip at their resort ... embracing and making out at the edge of the pool.

Saweetie showed off her assets with a bright pink bikini ... and YG looks pretty happy with his new boo, as he should be.

The holiday weekend trip confirms dating rumors that have swirled around YG and Saweetie for months ... in case you missed it, the speculation began last month when they were seen together at Coachella.

The music festival meetup proved to not be a one-off, and there's nothing like a Cabo trip to solidify a new romance.

Guess Who This Mini Musician Turned Into!

Before this cute kid playing on his electric keyboard turned into a talented musician and deejay, he was just hangin' around the house in his pj's while watching his parents play the guitar and piano in Dansenberg, Germany.

Perhaps you've heard of one his breakout songs -- "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites" -- a collaboration he worked on with Skrillex, but if you need some more "clarity" on who this cool dude is ... he's worked with some of music's hottest stars including Hailee Steinfeld and Ariana Grande.

He's also performed at Coachella a time or two!

Can you guess who he is?

Blink-182 Concert Ghostlike Figure Is Big Travis Fan ... Casper or Kourtney???

HIDING IN PlAIN SIGHT
TMZ.com

Big mystery in Montreal over the weekend at a Blink 182 concert ... someone enveloped in a blanket is getting special attention from one Travis Barker, and lots of folks suspect it's Kourtney Kardashian!

The ghostlike figure sat underneath the blanket for the entire concert. At times the person was moving around as if they were uncomfortable ... it was super hot in the venue.

So here's the clue. When the concert was over, Travis hopped off stage, wrapped his arm around the mystery person and walked off.

Now if this were some rando, you'd think security might step in and check out what's what, but that apparently didn't happen ... further evidence it's Kourtney.

TMZ INVESTIGATES

Blink's really on a roll since Coachella.  They're now in the midst of their world tour. They perform in Toronto Monday.

Who knew Kourtney would ghost Travis!

Guess Who This 'Star Wars' Kid Turned Into!

Before this serious kiddo with wavy hair turned into a big-time Hollywood star, she was just an only child -- born in Jerusalem but growing up in Long Island, New York -- who started her acting career when she was just a young and mighty teen!

The cute kid posing in this black and white photo famously played a black and white swan next to Mila Kunis. Everyone at Coachella who sports space buns should step aside because no one does space buns like this beautiful queen!

Need one more clue? Her lightsaber is green!

Can you guess who she is?

Rae Sremmurd's Swae Lee Massive Coachella Brawl Backstage In Presence of Infant Son!!!

FIGHTING WITH SECURITY
TMZ.com

Rae Sremmurd's Swae Lee's gotta be feeling pretty lucky ... an all-out royal rumble went down with security ahead of his Coachella performance, but he and his baby managed to dodge the blows.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained footage of Swae and his entourage attempting to enter the festival grounds at a security checkpoint behind the stage ... but their path was slowed by several security workers, and that's when things got physical.

You can see Swae actually get knocked back against some fencing as all hell breaks loose ... security guards swarm in like piranhas, pummeling another man in Swae's camp. All the while, one of Swae's guards makes sure his baby -- in a big car seat -- is safe.

Management for Swae tells us ... “As Swae Lee attempted to enter the festival with his newborn son and working crew, overzealous security guards confronted them. As 1/2 of Rae Sremmurd, he was due to perform on Coachella’s Outdoor Theatre stage at 5:55 PM. Security claimed not to recognize the talent and then aggressively initiated contact as they attempted to make their way to the stage."

They continue, "The security guards, which we presume are independent contractors, are seen clearly being the aggressors and then throwing gang signs at end of the video in a celebration."

Swae's team says his own security did a bang-up job protecting him, and more importantly, his baby boy. When the dust settled, Swae and his bro Slim Jxmmi got onstage as scheduled to rock the crowd.

COACHELLA THROWDOWN

The brothers Sremm just released their "Sremm 4 Life" album and fans will have plenty of time to see them live this year ... just without the WWE-style entrances, most likely.

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