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Carmen Electra made a massive life change this past week -- filing to ditch her birth name to formally go by her long-known stage name ... and now we know exactly why.

Sources close to the "Baywatch" star tell TMZ ... there's really no big reason behind the decision -- we're told it's just something she's been thinking about for a while and finally took the plunge, since there's no better time than the New Year to start fresh.

We should note, she hasn't gone by her birth name -- Tara Leigh Patrick -- in decades.

TMZ obtained the legal docs earlier this week ... revealing she wants to formally change her name to "Carmen Electra" ... so looks like this is officially goodbye to Tara! It's also just formalizing what everyone has known her as for decades now.

Fun fact -- CE didn't come up with the zippy stage name herself -- it was actually birthed as a result of the late icon, Prince ... who bestowed the name upon her when she auditioned to be part of an all-girl group he was assembling in the early '90s.

Unfortunately, she didn't make the cut ... but she went on to make a splash on TV and elsewhere, and she kept the cool moniker for herself.

Matthew Stafford better have brought his tough-guy helmet with him to Detroit this weekend ... 'cause Calvin Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's not expecting Lions fans to welcome their former QB with open arms.

Of course, Megatron says there will likely be some cheers and even some people decked out in Stafford's former No. 9 jerseys at Ford Field when the Rams visit for their much-anticipated Wild Card round game Sunday night ... but the Hall of Famer tells us, "I'm sure there will be people booing."

As for how Johnson will feel ... it seems he's feeling conflicted on how to handle it all as well.

"I'm definitely a Matthew fan -- that's my guy," said Johnson, who caught passes from Stafford from 2009 to 2015 with the Lions. "But I want him to come in here and come into the Lion's Den and not go home!"

Some Detroit fans, meanwhile, have already given a bit of a preview into how they'll respond when Stafford runs out onto the field later Sunday ... advocating a ban on wearing old No. 9 uniforms to the game -- something Matthew's wife was not pleased about.

Antics in the crowd aside, Johnson expects his old team will ultimately get the win over Stafford -- though he says the score will be very close.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are applauding Jake Browning's ability to fill Joe Burrow's shoes this season ... telling TMZ Sports the Bengals backup made it an "easy transition" for the whole team.

The former Washington quarterback's number was called after the team's franchise player went down with a wrist injury back in November ... and found some success under center, going 4-3 and helping Cincy finish the season with a winning record.

We spoke with the Bengals' top two targets this week about Browning ... and both guys had nothing but positive things to say about him.

"Jake came in and did his job, honestly, man," Chase said. "Him just being poised enough to get in there and have to piggyback off what Joe's doing or what he has done, it's not easy."

"Him having two elite receivers to play with is just going to make it even easier for him."

Higgins also pointed out how Browning got reps with the first stringers when Burrow went down with a calf injury in training camp ... and he did a helluva job rebuilding that chemistry mid-season.

"I felt like it was an easy transition for him and for us."

Chase added Burrow's impact was still felt even though he wasn't on the field ... as his presence alone "brings joy to guys' faces."

We also spoke with Chase about a fellow superstar LSU Tiger -- Jayden Daniels -- and he said he was thrilled to see the Heisman winner hold it down in Baton Rouge this year.

As for whether he had a better season than Burrow, Chase said there's one big thing that separates the two.

Tory Lanez was paid a visit from a very special person while behind bars -- his son Kai.

Ceasar McDowell, a member of Tory's legal team and CEO of Unite the People tells TMZ ... the 6-year-old got to visit his dad 2 weekends in a row at California Correctional Institution Tehachapi ... where the rapper is less than 4 months into his 10-yr sentence for shooting Meg Thee Stallion in the foot.

We're told a family member brought the youngster to the prison ... and they didn't have to talk through glass. In fact, they got to sit at a table and spend 4-5 hours together on both Sat & Sun.

The father/son duo played board games, did some drawing, and ate food out of the vending machine.

Tory was happy to hug his son ... and it was especially good to see him as he'd been unable to spend time with him for the holidays -- though they communicate frequently.

You'll recall ... Tory brought Kai to court several times during his shooting trial in 2022.

Tory was sentenced in August 2023 ... found guilty of all 3 charges against him -- negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm.

Tory Lanez recibió la visita de una persona muy especial mientras cumple su tiempo tras las rejas, ¡¡¡su hijo Kai!!!

Ceasar McDowell, un miembro del equipo legal de Tory y CEO de Unite the People le dice a TMZ que el niño de 6 años pudo visitar a su papá 2 fines de semana seguidos en la Institución Correccional de California Tehachapi, donde el rapero lleva menos de 4 meses de su sentencia de 10 años por dispararle a Meg Thee Stallion en el pie.

Nos dicen que un miembro de la familia trajo al pequeño a la prisión y no tuvieron que hablar a través de un vidrio, de hecho, llegaron a sentarse en una mesa y a pasar unas 4 y 5 horas juntos, tanto el sábado como el domingo.

Tory y su hijo jugaron juegos de mesa, dibujaron y comieron de la máquina expendedora.

Tory estaba feliz de abrazar a su hijo, especialmente porque no lo había podido ver para las fiestas de fin año, aunque se comunican con frecuencia.

Ustedes recordarán que Tory llevó varias veces a Kai al tribunal durante su juicio por disparos en 2022.

Tory fue condenado en agosto de 2023. Lo declararon culpable de los 3 cargos en su contra: negligencia en la descarga de un arma de fuego, asalto con un arma de fuego semiautomática y llevar un arma de fuego cargada y no registrada.

Noah Knigga is looking to give the people what they want ... telling TMZ Sports he's gotten a ton of requests to sell jerseys and merch after becoming an internet sensation -- and he wants to help make it happen!!

The two-sport junior from Lawrenceburg H.S. in Indiana went viral after the masses got wind of his unique surname (relax, it's pronounced Kuh-Nay-Guh) this week ... which, naturally, resulted in thousands of social media users chiming in on the phenomenon.

We caught up with Noah -- a three-star linebacker -- about his new fame ... and he says the whole experience has been life-changing.

The football and basketball star says his accounts have been flooded with people inquiring about getting their hands on some apparel ... and while he would love to fulfill the demand, Knigga explained he's gotta make sure anything he pursues won't hurt his eligibility with the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

FYI -- Indiana is one of the handful of states that has not allowed Name, Image and Likeness monetization at the high school level yet, so Knigga says he's looking to meet with officials before giving anything the green light.

Aside from a potentially booming business on his hands, Noah also tells us he's gotten a lot more interest from college coaches about playing ball at the next level ... naming schools like Indiana, Eastern Michigan, Kentucky, Northwestern and more that have reached out.

Entre sus glamorosas selfies y su activa vida sexual, Gypsy Rose Blanchard tiene un montón de razones para sonreír por estos días y Lamar Odom espera que lo siga haciendo, con un nuevo tratamiento para su dentadura.

Fuentes cercanas a la ex estrella de la NBA le dicen a TMZ que ha contactado a Gypsy a través de las redes sociales para ofrecerle un cambio de imagen dental completo, como cortesía de su nueva compañía Oxy Dental.

Nos dicen que Lamar es como la mayoría de las personas en Estados Unidos y está fascinado con la historia de Gypsy. Por eso se sintió obligado a ayudar después de enterarse de que su lucha dental fue una gran parte de su viaje.

Gypsy está agradecida por el gesto y se comunicó con Lamar a través de las redes sociales, donde se siguen mutuamente.

El procedimiento normalmente costaría alrededor de $30K, pero Lamar le dijo que esto correría por su cuenta. Nos dicen que ella es receptiva a la idea, pero que aún no está claro si la va a aceptar.

Lamar ha ayudado regularmente a otras estrellas de reality en su centro de rehabilitación para el bienestar, por lo que esto no debería ser una sorpresa.

Se dio cuenta de que algunos pacientes en su centro de rehabilitación necesitaban opciones dentales asequibles y eso lo llevó a abrir su propio consultorio dental el mes pasado en Lomita, California.

Lamar sabe de este proceso, él mismo derrochó unos $80.000 en sus propios dientes en 2022 después de confesar en 'KUWTK' que no había visitado al dentista en 7 años.

En cuanto a la terrible experiencia de Gypsy, varios de sus dientes y glándulas salivales fueron retiradas cuando su madre Dee Dee afirmó que sufría de caries dental.

Between her glam selfies and active sex life, Gypsy Rose Blanchard has loads of reasons to smile these days, and Lamar Odom's hoping she continues grinning ... with a new set of teeth.

Sources close to the ex-NBA star tell TMZ he's reached out to Gypsy on social media ... offering her a full dental makeover from his new company Oxy Dental.

We're told Lamar's just like most of America -- he's been fascinated with Gypsy's story and felt compelled to help after learning her dental struggle was a big part of her journey.

Gypsy's responded ... she's thankful for the gesture, and is communicating with Lamar via social media, where they follow each other.

The procedure would normally cost about $30K, but Lamar's told her this one's on the house. We're told she's receptive to the idea, but it's still unclear if she'll accept.

Lamar's regularly helped out other reality stars with his rehab wellness facility ... so this shouldn't come as a surprise.

He noticed some patients at his rehab facility needed affordable dental options, and that prompted him to open his own dental office last month in Lomita, CA.

Lamar knows the drill himself ... splashing out $80,000 on his own teeth in 2022 after previously confessing on 'KUWTK' that he hadn't visited the dentist in 7 years.

As for Gypsy's ordeal -- several of her teeth and salivary glands were removed when her mother, Dee Dee, claimed she was suffering from tooth decay.

DDG and Halle Bailey's newborn son is already being primed for superstardom -- his proud papa couldn't wait to hit the town and splurge on high-end baby gear!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with DDG this week outside English Rabbit -- a posh Bev Hills children's boutique -- where he celebrated fatherhood by dropping $5k in that one store.

The child will be "Moonwalking in Calabasas" in his baby kicks just like his daddy in no time!!!

DDG and Halle announced their son Halo's birth last week, which was the first time they even confirmed the months of speculation about them expecting.

Even though fans were buzzing about it, DDG says he and Halle never felt like they had to cave to social media pressure ... and only decided to introduce Halo when they felt comfortable doing so.

DDG also discussed the stereotypical "horrors" of new parenthood, which he says is mostly 🧢.

He says he and the 'Little Mermaid' star are already diaper-changing pros and have a good rotating schedule for late-night crying ... a sound neither one of them minds hearing.

Gear up, Swifties ... Brett Favre tells TMZ Sports if the Chiefs don't make this year's Super Bowl -- fans WILL blame it all on Taylor Swift!!

Favre, of course, doesn't think it's right ... but he says, like it or not, it'll come if Travis Kelce and Kansas City aren't able to compete for the Lombardi Trophy next month.

"If they don't win it," Favre said, "or get to the Super Bowl, people are going to say, 'That's why.'"

Swift, needless to say, is used to it by now ... after all, people have deemed her a K.C. curse for weeks -- as her new boyfriend and the Chiefs only won five of their last 10 regular season games.

But, good news for her and the rest of Chiefs Kingdom ... Favre tells us he believes Kansas City -- despite being the No. 3 seed -- should still be considered the favorite to come out of the AFC's side of the bracket.

"Until Andy Reid is unseated as the champion," Favre said, "I have to see it to believe it."

Kansas City will begin its quest to win its second straight title later Saturday ... when it kicks off its wild card round game in frigid temperatures against the Miami Dolphins.

Larsa Pippen's dad may not approve, but her man has no issue with the reality TV star's recent controversial Instagram post ... 'cause Marcus Jordan tells TMZ Sports he approves of all her sexy content!!

As we previously reported, the 49-year-old's latest social media post was met with backlash earlier this week ... with some followers calling out the risqué pose and accusing her of editing the pic.

The image had a short shelf life, as it was later deleted ... and sources told us at the time it was due to Pippen's pops stepping in and telling her to scrub it from her page.

Larsa confirmed the development while out in NYC with her boyfriend on Thursday ... saying, "I took it down because my dad didn't like the photo."

We also asked Michael Jordan's son what he thought of the shot ... and it's safe to say his lady's got his full support.

"I approve of everything Larsa does," Jordan said.

In fact, the couple just revealed they have sex 5 times a night on the recent episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" ... so it's obvious they're doing just fine in their relationship.

Playboi Carti had his spot blown this week ... body cam footage of the enigmatic rapper being arrested in September 2022 for driving over 133 miles per hour on Atlanta's I-75/85 Southbound Expressway leaked online.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained the police report from the incident ... Carti was slapped with multiple traffic violations, including reckless driving ... a case he tried to plead with the arresting officer to no avail.

Carti told the officer he was driving like greased lightning because of an emergency getting to the airport, to which the officer informed him that driving 133 MPH in a 55-mile-per-hour zone, was a hazard in itself and placed him in the back of his vehicle.

According to the docs, a search of his car also found a Glock handgun on the passenger seat, along with an extended mag in the weapon but no round was chambered.

The firearm was legally registered to Carti and his background check revealed he was not a convicted felon ... his uncle later arrived on the scene and took possession of the weapon at Cart's request.

A somewhat funny moment also occurred when Carti was booked ... a fan recognized him through his face mask and openly admitted Carti was his fav rapper in the whole wide world!!!

We checked the records and Carti emerged with a clean slate from the incident ... which wasn't the case that following December.

Kelly Clarkson hit a home run with her decision to keep her kiddos off social media ... at least as far as a couple national parenting groups are concerned.

The singer recently revealed she banned Instagram in her house, and now some big-name organizations are singing her praises.

The MomCo International tells TMZ ... "We love that Kelly is making this bold decision for her kids and hope it helps parents normalize letting kids be kids without the added pressure of a digital life while they are still learning how to navigate life in 3-D."

Remember ... Kelly says social media is hard on kids in general, but it's even worse for kiddos with a famous mother or father ... hence the IG ban for her daughter River and son Remington.

Meanwhile, the National Association for Child Development tells TMZ ... Kelly's social media ban should be respected and honored because parents know their children best and are responsible for ensuring a safe and age-appropriate online environment for their kids.

It will be interesting to see if Kelly's social media ban catches on ... especially with celeb parents.

Kelly Clarkson ha dado en el clavo con su decisión de mantener a sus hijos fuera de las redes sociales, al menos para un par de grupos nacionales de padres.

La cantante reveló recientemente que prohibió Instagram en su casa, y ahora algunas organizaciones de renombre están cantando sus alabanzas.

El MomCo Internacional le dice a TMZ: "Nos encanta que Kelly esté tomando esta decisión audaz para sus hijos y esperamos que ayude a los padres a normalizar que hay que dejar a los niños ser niños sin la presión añadida de una vida digital mientras todavía están aprendiendo a navegar por la vida en 3-D".

Recuerden, Kelly dice que las redes sociales son difíciles para los niños en general, pero es aún peor para los niños con una madre o un padre famoso, de ahí la prohibición de IG para su hija River y su hijo Remington.

Mientras tanto, la Asociación Nacional para el Desarrollo Infantil le dice a TMZ: La prohibición de las redes sociales por parte de Kelly debe ser respetada y honrada pues los padres conocen mejor a sus hijos y son responsables de garantizar un entorno en línea seguro y apropiado para su edad.

Será interesante ver si la prohibición de las redes sociales de Kelly se pone de moda, especialmente entre los padres famosos.

Browns legend Josh Cribbs has come down with Joe Flacco Fever ... but diagnosis aside, he believes the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award still belongs to Damar Hamlin ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Bills safety earned the recognition after resuming his NFL career this season.

38-year-old Flacco has exceeded all expectations since joining the Browns in November ... leading Cleveland to a 4-1 record after Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson went down with injuries.

Despite helping the Browns reach the playoffs, Cribbs -- who had nothing but praise for the former Super Bowl MVP -- says Hamlin's story is simply too special to pass on when the league recognizes players at the end of the season.

"Right now, I say it's Damar Hamlin," Cribbs told us this week. "He came back to life on the field. He came back to life to play back again in the NFL. He is a player who essentially lost his life on the football field."

Of course, Damar saw a bit of action in the 2023-24 season ... a special moment for the player and the entire NFL after he suffered cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

"For him to have lost his life on the field and then came back, I definitely would give it to Damar Hamlin," Cribbs says.

The former return specialist gives Flacco his flowers, though ... commending the guy for going from "being on the couch with a beer" to becoming Cleveland's improbable hero.

Cribbs has full confidence in Flacco's abilities to take the Browns deep in the playoffs ... but even if they make it to the Super Bowl, he says it'll be Watson's team no matter what next season.

Cribbs backs his belief ... saying considering the Browns are paying Deshaun a massive contract, there's no way he isn't under center in 2024.

"Flacco is the now, Deshaun is no question the future," Cribbs said. "Not because of what he did in Houston, not because of what Flacco is doing right now. He's the future because he's got $230 million guaranteed. So, there is no discussion about it. He is the quarterback of the future."

Ron Browz's name is etched in rap history for producing Nas' brutal Jay-Z diss track "Ether," and more than 20 years later he's still collecting residuals ... at least, on some social platforms, but he says others are robbing him blind!!!

TMZ Hip Hop sat down with "Etherboy" this week after his beat was used TWICE to highlight 2 of the biggest moments of the week on the internet ... both of which involved lots of "Ether" level disrespect.

The first was Katt Williams' "Club Shay Shay" interview where he mentioned virtually every comedian in his lane -- and the second came with Stephen A. Smith's hour-long flogging of Jason Whitlock.

The internet -- undefeated, as it is -- seized the moment and put the Ron-produced track over Katt and Stephen's highlights. That's not great for Ron, because he says if those posts aren't on TikTok or YouTube, which track music, then he's ass out ... and has no clue how much money he's missing.

He says the powers that be at other social platforms have yet to creat their royalty road map.

BTW, there's an interesting backstory on the making of the track -- Ron says the aggressive DNA of the song came from him desperately looking for a way out of his Harlem hood, and had the coin flipped on the other side, the instrumental could've belonged to Jay!!!

Ron says he passed the beat, and several others, to Jay's A&R at the time, Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua, but it never fell into Hov's lap.

"Ether" is not the only instrumental RB produced that morphed into a problematic track ... Busta Rhymes' 2008 hit "Arab Money" can easily be misconstrued for bigotry, especially in the current social media landscape.

Ron says he was simply inspired by the Arabic music playing inside NYC bodegas and added his 1uto-tuned twist to the hook.

However, it includes a recanting of the Islamic Shahada -- a profession of faith -- and that almost got Busta in hot water, and Ron too when he got booked for a Dubai gig ... but he swears the track is all positive.

Despite both beats taking a life of their own, Ron tells us his fav track he did was actually "Pop Champagne" with Jim Jones and Juelz Santana.