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Russell Brand's production company got paid a nice chunk of change for performing at a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. event earlier this year ... and we're talking tens of thousands.

TMZ pulled Team Kennedy's FEC filings ... and it shows the campaign shelled out more than $68,000 to Russell's production company for "Event Entertainment - Travel Expenses" after he appeared at a campaign event for RFK Jr. and his running mate Nicole Shanahan.

Russell performed at RFK Jr.'s event in May out in Nashville -- and it was called "Night of Comedy," alongside other comedians including Rob Schneider, Dave Landau, Jim Breuer, Katherine Blanford, Jeff Dye, and Mike Binder. Russell reportedly did a filmed set where he went after legacy media and scoffed at coronavirus mandates and vax requirements.

It took Al Horford 17 years to win his first NBA title ... but he's hoping he can double his ring collection next season -- telling TMZ Sports he's 100% NOT retiring and is returning to the Boston Celtics.

We spoke with the longtime vet fresh off his team's championship win over the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals ... and while many might assume he'd consider ending his career on the highest of notes, the 38-year-old told us that's absolutely not the case.

"There's no question about it," Horford said while working a shift at Raising Cane's in Boston. "I don't know why those speculations were out there, that I was, like, retiring. But I'm still playing and I'm very excited for next season."

The 2024 Celtics easily handled the Dallas Mavericks. But, how would Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's squad do against the last Boston team to bring a title to Beantown? We asked NBA champ Eddie House!

Not only was the longtime pro a member of the '08 team (he played for BOS from 2007 to 2010), he's also close to this year's Celtics ... he covers the team for NBC in Boston.

So, put Tatum, Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and the rest of the hoopers on a court against Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and the rest of the '08 team, WHO WINS?!

"We win," Eddie said of his 2007-2008 team ... before explaining his rationale.

"We're not going to allow them to shoot all them threes. We're going to run them off the threes. And I feel like defensively, we were a better team defensively. Now, offensively, because of the threes and the way the game is played now, I'll give them the edge [offensively]," House explained.

"But we're going to knock that down. We're going to make it a drag-out game. And if it's a close game, I'm putting the ball in Paul Pierce's hands and I feel like he's going to deliver every single time. But don't get it twisted. I love this team."

Bottom line ... House isn't throwing shade. He simply believes that out of the two super-talented squads, his would emerge victorious.

There's much more with House ... we asked the NBA champ what the often maligned (during the Finals, at least) Luka Doncic must do if he wants to win a championship. We also discussed whether or not the treatment of Kyrie Irving crossed a line.

Plus, we asked Eddie about his hoops star son, Jaelen House, who's hoping to get drafted this year. What advice is the longtime pro giving his boy?

Big Sean's leaving a bad taste in some of his fans' mouths for favoring electric toothbrushes -- going so far as to say he doesn't trust folks using regular ones ... but he might have a point.

Yes, it does sound a bit elitist, but cosmetic dentist Dr. Trevor Thomas tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the "IDFWU" rapper was actually spitting game.

Dr. Thomas says his stats tell him electric toothbrushes are 30% more effective against germs and plaque -- and a lil bit of flossing can go a long way!!!

Kendrick Lamar channeled his inner "Makavelian" at his instantly-iconic "Pop Out" concert ... fans noticed he was dressed similarly to Tupac Shakur, and even rocked a massive diamond piece to complete the look!!!

Ben Baller tells TMZ Hip Hop ... Kung-Fu Kenny actually reached out to him last week requesting a king's cross, and the legendary jeweler had just the piece for him.

Ben says he wasn't aware Kendrick was going for a Tupac theme ... but Ben having been friends with Pac himself, made this the perfect collaboration for them.

Kendrick Lamar assembled the West Coast Avengers at his Pop Out Concert -- rappers, gang members, hood heroes and DJs connected -- but their cause was not dancing on Drake's grave, according to 2 of those dignitaries.

Big Boy and Roddy Ricch were both on stage with Kendrick, and when they joined "TMZ Live" Thursday, they downplayed the fact the concert came on the heels of the mammoth beef with Drake.

K. Dot's diss tracks indeed did blare throughout the Kia Forum Thursday night, but Big Boy says the Pop-Out was truly about unifying the city -- on Juneteenth, at that!!!

Senator Ted Cruz is getting serious about tackling deepfake AI-generated porn with his latest bill ... which is all about forcing tech companies to do the right thing, and swiftly too.

The Texas senator came on "TMZ Live" Thursday ... telling us how the "Take It Down Act" will federally charge individuals who publish non-consensual content online -- and more importantly, mandate big tech companies to take down such content within 48 hours.

TC tells us he got the idea to propose the bill after jumping in to help a Texas high school girl whose deepfake pics ended up on Snapchat for 9 months due to a boy at her school.

12:57 PM PT -- The Cleveland Browns just announced Lonnie Phelps is no longer a member of the organization ... waiving the defensive end on Thursday.

10:46 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained police video from Lonnie Phelps' arrest ... and you can see the Cleveland Browns player did appear to be noncooperative and combative throughout his time with cops.

The footage seems to show him disobeying orders constantly. It also shows him getting heated with police after they threw him in the back of a squad car.

For the Browns' part, they just released a statement on the matter ... saying, "We are aware of the incident, gathering more information and have no further comment at this time."

Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Lonnie Phelps was arrested Wednesday night ... after cops say he drunkenly crashed an SUV into a restaurant -- and then refused to cooperate with a police investigation afterward.

According to the Key West Police Department incident report, obtained by TMZ Sports, it all happened at around 8:47 PM outside of the Red Shoe Island Bistro in Key West.

Cops say they were dispatched to the scene in reference to a traffic crash ... and when they arrived, they saw a black Hyundai wedged into the side of the eatery. When officers asked bystanders who was inside the vehicle at the time of the wreck, Phelps and his girlfriend were ID'ed, police said.

Justin Timberlake's DWI arrest was caught on body cam video -- but cops aren't planning to release it to the public anytime soon ... at least not until their investigation is wrapped.

TMZ officially submitted a request for a copy of the video -- which we know was taken during the time of the arrest early Tuesday -- and Sag Harbor PD just got back to us with their response ... saying they're denying the request for the footage, and citing a statute that's interesting.

According to SHPD ... the reason they won't drop the body cam video (for now) is because of a specific New York law that deals with the release of public records.

Travis Scott isn't sticking around in Miami after being busted by the cops last night -- 'cause the dude's already booking it on a private jet outta town ... and we got the pics.

The rap star boarded a private jet Thursday morning at an exclusive airport in the area -- and as you can see in the photos TMZ obtained ... he was rolling solo as he was boarding the aircraft, looking relatively relaxed and stress-free considering what he'd gone through.

There was a guy helping TS load some of his luggage -- a Louis Vuitton briefcase, it seems -- and while we're told this flight took off just before 2 PM ET ... our sources say it was originally scheduled to take off in the wee hours of the morning at around 4 A.M.

A man is suing Lil Uzi Vert, Floyd Mayweather and several of the boxing legend's Money Team employees, claiming they contributed to an ass-kicking he took last summer -- but Uzi says he had nothing to do with it.

The man's name is Abdullah Ali, and according to the lawsuit he filed Thursday in New York ... members of Mayweather's TMT team and Lil Uzi roughed him up on June 27, 2023 after he had simply tried to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a Mayweather-owned trailer while it was parked near an NYC hotel.

Ali's celebrity attorneys, Matthew Blit and Michael Rose, tell TMZ Sports ... Ali had crossed a street for a better view, and began filming when a Rolls-Royce was unloaded from the trailer.

Justin Timberlake isn't nearly as concerned about his DWI case as some fans are, because he's not following the typical celeb playbook after such an arrest ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Justin has no plans to check into a rehab facility following Tuesday morning's arrest in Sag Harbor, NY. It's not uncommon for Hollywood types to take proactive steps after a drug or alcohol-related arrest to look good before a judge.

Voluntarily seeking treatment in rehab or alcohol education classes can put them in a position for a better plea deal, but Justin has a different plan, and, perhaps ... for good reason.

Courtney Stodden is living the diamond life once again ... she's engaged to be married, and we've learned her new fiance popped the question just days after she sent her ex-fiancé's engagement ring down the toilet!

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Courtney got engaged to Jared Safier last Tuesday at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel -- the one made famous by "Pretty Woman" -- and talk about not wasting any time. The new engagement went down one week after she shockingly flushed a 5-carat rock.

We're told Jared, an Emmy-winning producer, presented her new diamond while they were at the hotel's THE Blvd Restaurant & Bar -- but he saved the traditional down-on-one-knee moment for when they got back to their Brentwood home.

A textbook on logic helped bring Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson together ... and the man who wrote it tells TMZ Sports he couldn't be happier!!

We broke the story ... the literary piece -- titled "Deductive Logic" -- was what first drew Belichick to Hudson way back in 2021 -- when they had their initial encounter on a plane ride from the Boston area to Florida.

Our sources say the ex-New England Patriots head coach was intrigued by the work that Hudson was studying on the flight ... and sparked up a conversation with her over it all.

Jennifer Lopez looks to be on a family-free trip in Italy this week -- this amid the marriage and career troubles over in the States ... and yes, that means Ben Affleck was MIA.

Check out this photo/video, obtained by TMZ, that shows J Lo at a hotel in Positano Wednesday -- where she had a few pals in tow as they made her way through a row of sun loungers, down a flight of stairs toward the water ... where they eventually got onto a boat.

Jennifer had her summer vacay look all buttoned up here -- rocking a teeny-tiny yellow bandeau top paired with matching printed shorts and shirt. TBH, she's quite glowing here.

5:25 PM PT -- Lisa Barlow tells TMZ ... "Bart Carlson was once a business partner in a restaurant in Park City and, I thought, a friend. I am deeply saddened that he has decided nine years after our restaurant business ceased to claim that I owe him money. To be very clear, the claim that I owe Bart or his company money is untrue. I pay my bills and obligations and I always have. In addition, Bart has no interest in Luxe Marketing or Vida Tequila and did not invest in either business. I look forward to the truth coming out and I intend to hold Bart fully accountable for any damage this personal attack may cause me or my businesses."

Lisa Barlow and 2 companies she's associated with -- including her tequila brand -- are facing a lawsuit that alleges more than $400k was loaned out ... but never paid back.

The 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' star, Vida Tequila and Luxe Marketing are all named defendants in a lawsuit brought by a guy named Bart Carlson -- who claims he's a longtime personal friend of Lisa -- over loans he says he made to her starting over a decade ago.

The way Carlson tells it ... Lisa came to him in 2010 and told him she and her businesses were experiencing financial hardship, and she needed lotsa cash to cover expenses.