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E-40 can officially be referred to as Dr. E-40 now that he has an honorary doctorate from the same school he attended as an undergrad way back in the '80s.

The legendary rapper was awarded the degree Friday during Grambling State University's commencement ceremony in Louisiana ... and he made sure to drop some words of wisdom and encouragement to the graduating class before he left the stage.

And, it appeared to be a super special moment for 40, who's proudly continued to support the University he once called home.

As we reported, earlier this year he donated $100K to the HBCU's music department to help install a recording studio so students could follow their dreams as he did. GSU surprised him by naming it the Earl "E-40" Stevens Sound Recording studio.

For those who don't know, 40 was a Grambling Tiger in 1986 ... before he became the hip hop mogul we know today.

Britney Spears has paid the law firm of her lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, millions of dollars in legal fees, and our sources say members of her team became agitated enough that Rosengart has now agreed to provide free legal services for the immediate future.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Britney has paid Rosengart's firm $4,201,856 for the period November 2021 through March 2023. That represents the legal work Rosengart performed mostly after the conservatorship ended.

Our sources say that figure represents only a part of what Britney has paid Rosengart's firm, and that the fees now approach $6 million total.

We're told Britney's team pushed back on Rosengart over his fees, and the lawyer has now agreed to work pro bono for the remainder of the case against Jamie Spears.

We know Rosengart has been providing legal services in various areas of Britney's life, including ending the conservatorship, an ongoing case against Jamie, music, her book deal and other matters.

Rosengart has been critical of some of the eye-popping lawyers fees connected to the conservatorship. According to legal docs filed by Rosengart, dozens of lawyers in the 13-year-long conservatorship case made a total of more than $30 million.

Britney was reportedly worth $60 million when the conservatorship ended. Our sources say it's now a lot less.

We reached out to Rosengart and his law firm for comment ... so far, no word back.

Shakira fans freaking out about her potentially dating Tom Cruise can all breathe a sigh of relief ... we've learned they're NOT a couple, and things were never heading that way.

Sources close to Shakira tell us she's very much single, and only happened to be around Cruise at the F1 Miami Grand Prix because they share a famous mutual friend.

Our sources say both Tom and Shakira were invited to the event by Team Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who, of course, is the biggest name in the sport -- so that's why they were together several times during the race.

As for the Page Six report Tom sent Shakira flowers ... our source didn't know whether or not that was legit, but did say Shakira's just not interested in dating right now.

Shakira was spotted on a boat with friends, including Hamilton, on Wednesday -- but again, we're told there's nothing romantic there either, it's all friendly.

Franky Venegas, one of the twins from the viral Island Boys duo, is about to be a distant and faded memory for his ex-girlfriend ... who's erasing him from her body on the heels of him allegedly getting physical with her.

Franky's ex, Amina, went to Bad Habits Tattoos & Laser Tattoo Removal in Fort Lauderdale this week. Owner Liz Chaviano tells TMZ, it was the first of many sessions to scrub Amina's tattoos of Franky.

We're told she has a total of 3 ink pieces in honor of Kodiyakredd -- Franky's Island Boys alias -- a tattoo of his face on her neck, his name across her chest and another on her wrist.

Liz says the whole process can take up to a year and a half, depending on how deep the ink's been absorbed into the skin.

Interestingly, she says they seem to be so badly done, their removal could go pretty quickly. One removal session is done every 6 weeks.

As we reported, Franky was arrested for domestic battery after Amina told cops they got into an argument on Saturday by the pool of their Airbnb in Pompano Beach. She claims he slapped her and pushed her into the water after she threatened to break things off with him.

You'll recall, he later posted a vid outside the jail ... letting folks know he was released from police custody.

Kendrick Perkins and JJ Redick don't always see eye to eye when debating sports, but the NBA champ tells TMZ Sports he loves the idea of the former three-point sniper becoming an NBA head coach -- saying, "He knows his s***."

We caught up with Perkins at LAX, where we asked how he felt about the Raptors reportedly interviewing Redick for the open spot after they fired Nick Nurse following a disappointing season, and he gave his ESPN colleague a ringing endorsement.

"I actually love it, to be honest with you," Perkins told us. "One thing about it, he [Redick] knows his s***. Also, on top of that, man, any time you can see a former player that played the game get an opportunity to go sit in that seat, you would love to see it."

Perk said if Toronto hires Redick ahead of other viable candidates with more coaching experience, he would feel bad. Nevertheless, Perk told us he'd be happy if Redick became an NBA head coach, believing he brings value to any team's locker room.

"Obviously, he's jumping ahead of a few guys that I would love to see get an opportunity that's been waiting in line," Perk said. "Sam Cassell. Phil Handy. You hate to see it because those guys served as assistants for about 10, 15, 20 years."

"But you always want to see a guy like JJ do it. He knows his s***," he continued.

Perkins and Redick have gained popularity for their spirited back-and-forth on "First Take" about who should win the NBA MVP Award this season, but Kendrick reassured fans it's all love between him and JJ and gave the impression there's mutual respect on both sides.

"The Bear" and "Shameless" star Jeremy Allen White's actress wife is bringing down the curtain on their marriage ... because she just filed for divorce.

Jeremy's wife, Addison Timlin, beelined it to court Thursday and filed for divorce after more than 3 years of marriage ... according to court records.

It's unclear what led to the split ... but the divorce could be complicated by the fact Jeremy and Addison have 2 young daughters together -- Ezer is 4 years old and Dolores is 2 years old.

Jeremy and Addison -- who acts in plays, TV shows, and movies -- first met when they were teenagers on the set of the 2008 film, "Afterschool." She hinted they were dating in 2013, and in June 2018 they announced her pregnancy.

Addison gave birth to the couple's first child in October 2018, and the following October they tied the knot at the Bev Hills courthouse.

When Jeremy won the best actor Golden Globe this year for his starring role in "The Bear," he shouted out Addison in his acceptance speech, saying ... "I love you deep in my bones. Thank you for all that you do, thank you for everything that you've done."

Babyface fans are enraged the plug was pulled on his latest performance, something he seemed to blame on the show's headliner, Anita Baker -- which is odd, because the actual villain is technology ... and time.

Anita and Babyface's tour stopped in Newark, NJ Wednesday night, and slowly turned into a nightmare for fans. The show was delayed 2 hours, and when it finally started the audience was told there were "technical issues" and Babyface, the opening act, would not be performing. The boos rained down immediately.

The fan rage really boiled over, though, when Babyface posted a message explaining why he didn't go on, saying ... "I was asked not to perform in order to give Ms. Baker her space and time to perform her show in its entirety."

After that, the comment section was lit, with many folks teeing off on Auntie Anita ... accusing her of all sorts of diva-ness.

However, sources involved in the production tell TMZ ... the "technical issue" was a problem with the massive video wall for Anita's set -- we're told the touring company could not get it to work properly -- and there were also sound problems.

After such a long delay, the whole show was up against curfew -- the concert had to end by 11 PM -- and tough decisions had to be made. We're told there was a discussion about Babyface shortening his usual 1-hour set, but ultimately that didn't happen.

Anita did go on around 9 PM and perform her full set, but she still had to combat audio issues ... and those crappy video screens.

As for why Babyface seemingly shaded Anita so badly ... it's a mystery. Our sources say there have been no signs of tension between them during the tour, which started back in January. We've reached out to his camp, but no word back yet.

Kim Zolciak isn't letting her ongoing divorce war with Kroy Biermann stop her from taking care of the couple's 4 kiddos ... still going full mommy mode to keep things as normal as possible ... despite the fact her estranged husband is gunning to take the kids.

Check out the pics, obtained by TMZ, showing Zolciak driving her Range Rover Wednesday to pick up her son, Kane, from school. Our sources say this is a regular occurrence, but something Kim wants to continue to do in order to keep the kids comfortable and calm.

Kroy stated in his divorce petition he wants sole custody of their four kids -- he wants them to live with him, though he didn't specify where. Our Kim sources say despite what Kroy insinuates in the docs, both Kim and Kroy are still living under the same roof with their children.

TMZ broke the story, both Kim and Kroy filed separate divorce petitions, a clear indication things are getting very nasty behind the scenes.

Kroy is asking for both sole legal and physical custody of the kids, without any mention of visitation for Kim. He's also asking she vacate their family home, the same one that went into foreclosure earlier this year.

For her part, Kim's asking for sole physical and joint legal custody of the kids, with visitation for Kroy.

We were the first to report the estranged couple is in serious financial trouble, owing more than $1 million to the IRS ... in his divorce docs, Kroy requested Kim maintain all financial records -- including expense reports as well as income and tax records.

Important warning for all Internet pranksters -- licking ice cream and putting it back in a grocery store freezer can have serious consequences, as cops are now investigating a recent viral clip showing just that.

A spokesperson for the Portsmouth Police Department in Virginia tells us a ton of pissed-off people recently made them aware of the video of Tequan Hines and his gf, Asia, grabbing a quart of Blue Bunny ice cream and licking it.

The rep says cops are currently investigating the video to figure out which store the incident might have occurred at, adding, "Thus far no business has come forward as a victim in our jurisdiction."

However, the consensus online is Hines and Asia live in the Portsmouth area ... as indicated in their social media profiles.

As we reported, the video -- first posted and then deleted by Tequan -- blew up on social media, with many calling for the pair to be arrested and charged for the disgusting act.

It's still unclear as to whether or not Tequan and Asia eventually paid for the ice cream, but they clearly felt the heat online ... deleting their original posting.

BTW ... if the couple ends up getting in trouble, they wouldn't be the first.

Back in 2020, D’Adrien L’Quinn Anderson pled guilty to criminal mischief for licking some Blue Bell ice cream and was sentenced to 30 days behind bars.

Someone's about to live like a champion -- a very wealthy World Series champion -- 'cause Braves legend Chipper Jones just unloaded his gigantic mansion in Georgia for $11 MILLION!!

The estate was built in 2013 and sits on 37 wooded acres in Canton, only 13 miles northeast of Atlanta ... where the Braves star was one of the greatest players of his generation.

The gated estate has eight bedrooms, nine baths, a nine-car garage, and entertainment for days including a home theater, game room, dirt bike track, and a 4-stall horse barn.

BTW, the stable has a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment inside, as well.

But, perhaps the best perk is the heated Olympic-sized pool on the mansion grounds!

The interior features floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors, natural stone, and high ceilings.

The Jones property was listed by Katie McGuirk of Ansley Real Estate for $15 million in 2022, but after months on the market, the crib finally sold this week for $11M. Jones bought the property in 2018 for $9.25M.

Now, why would Jones let this beautiful place go? We're told he's simply downsizing.

Of course, Jones has been a beloved Atlanta resident since the Braves selected the third baseman as the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB Draft ... and during his 19 seasons, he became an 8-time All-Star, a 2-time Silver Slugger winner, an MLB batting champ, NL MVP, and a World Series champ.

The Braves retired his No. 10 jersey and he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. He's currently the Braves' assistant hitting consultant.

Will Forte says Hollywood writers might be on the picket line longer than anticipated if they can't get the kind of money they used to ... which has changed a lot due to technology.

The 'SNL' alum was showing support Wednesday with protesters outside of Sony's HQ in Culver City -- and he chopped it up with us about one of the key sticking points in the WGA's negotiations with studio execs ... namely, a sharp decrease in residuals earned in TV.

As Will explains, writers used to get extra cash every time their work aired -- that's on top of their going rate to do the job. However, in the era of streaming-first programming, those residuals have mostly gone down the drain.

Not just that, but Will says there are fewer episodes per season being made these days. Whereas a regular season on cable or a network back in the day used to run 20+ episodes -- streaming shows now are much shorter, clocking in at about 10 episodes a season or less.

Bottom line ... writers have gotten screwed on getting paid on multiple fronts -- which is one of the big reasons why this strike is happening ... among other factors, like AI, staffing, etc.

Considering the media landscape has changed drastically in the past 10-15 years ... Will predicts this impasse will last for a little while. There are some major corrections writers are demanding in any new agreement -- and the studios are gonna need to meet them halfway.

The question ... how long will this go on? Content is getting cranked out at a way faster pace than the last strike, so studios presumably have stuff in the vault and can hold a while.

Jake Paul doesn't step in the boxing ring for another three months, but he's already got his sights set on his next opponent after Nate Diaz ... and it's none other than Conor McGregor!!

The Problem Child -- who's fighting Diaz on Aug. 5 in Dallas -- laid out his plans to Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show on FS1 ... saying he fully intends to knock Diaz out (something Conor never did), and then lock in a fight with Notorious.

Of course, Nate and Conor have one of the greatest rivalries in UFC history ... and with their series tied up at one win a piece, Diaz wants to take care of business against Jake and then revisit his old nemesis one last time.

But, Jake says he's going to spoil Nate's plans of a trilogy fight by jumping him in line for a shot at Conor ... and he thinks McGregor will have "no choice but to make the biggest fight in combat sports."

Paul -- 6-1 as a pro boxer -- understands Conor would need permission from UFC honcho Dana White to make the fight happen ... but he seems optimistic that the money would do enough talking to get him to agree.

Remember, Jake has gone after a fight with McGregor a few times in the past ... trolling the UFC superstar nearly every chance he's gotten over the years. McGregor has fired back from time to time too -- but they haven't been able to mix it up in a ring.

If a fight does eventually go down, Jake says he's hopeful it'd be a boxing match ... but he told us he ain't opposed to MMA either.

"We can do a two-part series," the 24-year-old said. "One boxing, one MMA in PFL. Make it happen, no problem."

What do you say, Conor???

Brittney Griner's just days away from returning to the WNBA court -- and anticipation is at an all-time high for Mercury fans -- but the pot is about to get a little sweeter ... 3x Grammy winner Wyclef Jean will be performing a special halftime show in honor of BG's homecoming!

TMZ Sports has learned the Phoenix Mercury have teamed up with The Sum, a new music platform from Anagram Studios, to bring in Jean to perform during their May 21 game against the Chicago Sky at the Footprint Center to celebrate Griner's return on what will be her first home game since the Russia ordeal.

We're told one of the songs Wyclef will sing is Bob Marley’s iconic hit, “One Love” ... where Jean will be joined by 200 fans who will be selected to perform live with the 53-year-old musician.

He will also put on a postgame concert.

Of course, it'll be a party when the star center hits the hardwood in front of hometown Mercury fans this season ... after missing all of last season while she was detained.

The 32-year-old endured nine months in a Russian jail cell/prison camp, before coming home in December thanks to a prisoner swap. There was initially doubt Griner would ever hoop again, but she quickly put that sentiment to bed ... announcing she was coming back.

The WNBA champ ultimately signed a 1-year deal with the Mercury in February ... and said she can't wait to play this upcoming season.

"Look forward to all those moments. Just waking in on the first home game, the grind, the sweat, the blood," Griner said during last month's press conference. "Just taking all that in. I missed it."

And, it's not just BG who's pumped ... Mercury president Vince Kozar can't wait for their home opener!

“May 21 is going to be an unforgettable experience for our fans and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to have an award-winning artist the caliber of Wyclef Jean join us in celebrating BG’s return and a new Mercury season,” Kozar told us.

Britney Spears drinks caffeine drinks by the gallon, something experts say is not great but unsurprising for people with mental illnesses.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, which has produced a documentary that will air Monday, Britney guzzles Red Bull, Celsius, coffee, and dandelion tea almost nonstop. We're told she consumes so much caffeine, she'll sometimes stay awake for 3 consecutive days.

Experts, including Dr. Drew, tell TMZ, people with mental illnesses crave the high from these drinks, but it's not particularly healthy.

The documentary -- "TMZ Investigates: Britney Spears: The Price of Freedom" -- chronicles her life in the last 1 1/2 years since the conservatorship ended. The documentary details her relationships with her family, husband, and kids, in addition to other struggles that have caused concern among those closest to her.

The documentary reveals some of the recommendations people who were caring for Britney made at the end of the conservatorship.  One of the recommendations -- keep knives away from her.

Kim Kardashian has become a fixture, and maybe even a good luck charm, at the recent Los Angeles Lakers playoff games -- and while there's plenty of speculation as to her motivation in going -- we've got some answers.

If you tuned in to games 3 and 4 of the Lakers vs. Warriors this week, you likely saw the cameras pan to Kim sitting courtside with her friend Sarah Staudinger. Of course, social media was buzzing, wondering if Kim was there to support a possible love interest.

Our Kim sources say she's "absolutely not" dating anyone on either team, she's simply there to hang with her friend and to support her hometown Lakers.

What's more, we're told the courtside seats belong to Kim's agent, Ari Emanuel, who also happens to be Sarah's husband ... so the two women have easy access to two of the best seats in the house to watch the game.

Of course, Tristan Thompson is now on the Lakers' roster, so it's nice for Kim to be able to support him -- she's even posted a couple pics of TT at the game -- but our sources say she'd go and watch regardless of him being on the squad or not.

Kim's become quite the sports enthusiast over the last couple years, taking her kids to events both in L.A. and around the world. She's become a regular at L.A. Rams games with her son Saint, even taking him and some buddies across the pond for soccer matches. We're told she also brought Saint to one of the Lakers' playoff games.

Of course, Kim's always on the sidelines when her kids are playing sports too ... most recently taking in a soccer game over the weekend, which Kanye attended as well.

As for that Kardashian curse ... the Lakers are now 3-0 with Kim courtside, so they might wanna keep her around in their quest for another championship.

Lily Collins is the latest celeb to fall victim to a major theft ... cops say she had high-end jewelry and other goodies swiped during what was supposed to be a calming trip to the spa.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the "Emily in Paris" actress was at a West Hollywood hotel over the weekend and secured her belongings -- including her wedding band, engagement ring, and some electronics -- at the spa before going to enjoy some relaxation.

We're told she came out singing a completely different tune, once she found all of her stuff was gone!

L.A. County Sheriff's deputies are currently investigating, and we're told there was no sign of forced entry where Lily stored her belongings.

We're told cops are now looking over the building's security footage for leads.

The theft is classified as "over $10,000," as you'd imagine since the thief made off with Lily's wedding rings. So far, no arrests have been made.

There's been a handful of L.A.-based celebs burglarized, this year alone -- as we reported, cops pulled up to Drake's pad in January after a man took off with something from inside his home.

LAFC star Kellyn Acosta had his house broken into in February, losing out on a few watches -- and Miles Teller's place was ransacked that same month.

The loss for Lily -- Phil Collins' daughter, if ya didn't know -- is particularly tough, considering the sentimental value of her engagement ring. Anyone with info is asked to call the L.A. County Sheriff's Office.

We've seen some celebs opt for leaving their expensive jewelry and watches at home in the current environment.