Family

R. Kelly might have been creepy when Destiny's Child recorded with him in 1998, but Beyonce's dad says no one in the music biz cared about his personal life, because he was killing it professionally.

Mathew Knowles tells TMZ ... every artist back then was judged by their talent and NOT their personal misdeeds. In Kelly's case, that meant giving him a pass for reportedly marrying 15-year-old Aaliyah in 1994 ... and settling a lawsuit with a woman claiming he had underage sex with her.

Mathew says creative genius trumped all back then.

If you didn't know ... Destiny's Child -- Bey, Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson at the time -- recorded a song with Kelly, but it never made the final cut for a DC album. Bey was 17 at the time, and Mathew makes it clear ... he and Tina Knowles never lost sight of the girls during the session.

Despite the #MeToo era, Mathew thinks the music industry hasn't made much progress when it comes to artists working with dubious characters -- because, for many, it's still just business.

R. Kelly's estranged daughter has broken her silence with a powerful statement condemning the singer ... and strongly implies she and her family have also been abused by him.

Joann Lee Kelly -- aka Buku Abi -- shared a long, thoughtful message on Instagram Thursday, apologizing for taking so long to say something, explaining she's been searching for the right words for days.

Abi expresses sympathy and devastation for all of the women who've been allegedly victimized by her father, and makes it clear that she, her mother and siblings don't condone any of his negative behavior -- past or present.

She also suggests for that reason, she and her family have not had any relationship with Kelly for years, saying ... "Going through all I have gone through in my life, I would never want anyone to feel the pain I have felt."

Buku adds ... "The same monster you all confronting me about is my father. I am well aware of who and what he is. I grew up in that house."

Kelly's daughter says she's chosen to stay out of the spotlight because it's better for her healing process, and the constant reminders of "how terrible my father is" aren't good for her ... so she has to do what's best for herself.

We spoke with Buku back in April about allegations against her dad -- and she didn't say much -- her attitude has clearly changed.

As you know, Kelly's surrounded by controversy and allegations of sexual abuse and predatory behavior in the wake of Lifetime's docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly."

Two things really seem to make Meghan Markle crack a huge smile ... holding her ever-growing baby bump and helping others.

The Duchess of Sussex was all smiles Thursday as she hit up St. Charles Hospital in west London, where she became a royal patron at Smart Works. It's an awesome charity ... they help unemployed and vulnerable women get back into the workplace.

Meghan -- who is about 6 months pregnant -- looked stunning in a black dress from the maternity brand, Hatch. She also sported a long, brown Oscar de la Renta coat.

Why are so many people smiling at "Mean" Gene Okerlund's memorial event in Florida on Wednesday??? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MEAN GENE WOULDA WANTED!!

Tons of wrestling stars from years past -- from Diamond Dallas Page to one of the Nasty Boys -- gathered in Sarasota, FL to honor the late wrestling announcer.

Gene's wife Jeanne -- along with their children -- was at the event where friends and family members told stories about the greatest WWE voice of all time.

Among the guests ... The Killer Bees (B. Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell), Brian Knobbs (of the Nasty Boys), Greg Gagne, Dave Hero and former WWE ref Mike White.

WWE execs Kevin Dunn and Kerwin Silfies were also in attendance.

We spoke with DDP who tells us everyone had a great time honoring the late, great "Mean" Gene -- who's widely regarded as one of the nicest guys in the history of the biz.

Okerlund passed away on January 2. He was 76.

Shaquille O'Neal says the shooting death of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes is such a sad tragedy, he couldn't imagine the family having to raise money for the funeral ... and that's why he stepped in.

"With something that terrible to have happened, I don't want people to have to worry about trying to raise a few thousand to pay for a funeral," Shaq explained.

As we previously reported, huge stars like Shaq and Houston Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins opened their wallets to help out Jazmine's family after she was senselessly shot and killed during a morning drive with her family.

Jazmine -- along with her mother and sisters -- were going on a coffee run in Houston around 7 AM on Dec. 30 when two men in a pickup truck pulled up next to the car and opened fire.

Jazmine was killed. Her mother was shot but survived. Her sisters were wounded by shattered glass.

Jazmine was laid to rest on Tuesday at the Community of Faith Church in Houston in front of roughly 1,000 mourners.

Cops have arrested the two suspects.

By the way, this isn't the first time Shaq has reached into his pockets to help a family in need -- we've covered a bunch of stories over the years featuring the ex-NBA star using his own funds to help people.

It helps that he reportedly made more than $280 mil during his NBA career -- but also, he continues to work his ass off.

In fact, Shaq recently signed a deal to become the global ambassador for Zyppah -- a product that helps people who suffer from sleep apnea.

L.A. Chargers defensive lineman Brandon Mebane rejoined his team Wednesday after taking time off to be with his hospital-stricken infant daughter, who passed away last week.

While still in the womb back in July, Mebane's daughter, Makenna, was diagnosed with a heart defect as a result of a chromosomal condition called trisomy 13.

The family moved to Omaha, Nebraska where Mebane's wife, Amena, and unborn child could be treated by doctors who specialized in the condition.

Makenna was born more than 1 month premature in November and later developed an intestinal infection known as Necrotizing Enterocolitis (also known as NEC) -- a fast-striking, devastating condition that can be fatal if not caught and treated immediately.

Doctors treated Makenna for weeks -- and Mebane used the team owner's private jet to travel to the last 2 regular season games when Makenna's health seemed to be stabilizing.

But unfortunately, her health took a turn for the worse earlier this month and she passed away on January 3.

Obviously, Mebane is devastated -- but says he plans to play in the Chargers' playoff game against the New England Patriots this weekend.

Brandon Church -- the late brother of country star Eric Church -- died as a result of chronic alcoholism ... TMZ has learned.

According to the autopsy report obtained by TMZ ... Brandon had a clinical history of alcohol withdrawal-induced seizure disorder -- meaning he had a history of binge drinking and trying to quit ... which would trigger a seizure.

As we reported ... Brandon suffered 2 seizures when he died last June in Granite Falls, North Carolina. The second seizure -- suffered while he was on his way to the hospital -- appears to have sent him into cardiac arrest.

According to the autopsy, the alcohol abuse also caused a thickening of his heart, coronary artery disease and liver damage. The family has set up a Scholarship Memorial Fund, which has already raised more than $45k. The family asks that donations to the fund be sent in lieu of flowers.

Jeff Bezos has announced he and his wife are divorcing ... and a record $137 BILLION is on the line.

Bezos said on Twitter that -- after what he called a trial separation -- he and his wife, MacKenzie, have now decided to end their 25-year marriage.

Bezos, who is 54, made it clear the divorce is amicable, saying, "We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other."

And, this is interesting ... he clearly views the marriage as a success ... "If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again."

They met in New York when he was vice president of a hedge fund. He had actually interviewed her for a job. They married in 1993 -- 6 months after they met -- and they quit their Wall Street jobs and moved to Seattle where Jeff opened an online bookstore -- the origin of Amazon. Just like Steve Jobs, Bezos started the bookstore in his garage.

They are both super smart ... they graduated from Princeton, but did not meet there ... she's 6 years younger than him.

MacKenzie is a novelist, who studied under Toni Morrison and won an American Book Award in 2006 for "The Testing of Luther Albright." She's also the Executive Director of an anti-bullying org. called Bystander Revolution.

The multi-billion dollar question ... is there a prenup? They live in Washington, which is a community property state. That means any assets accrued during the marriage are split 50/50, unless, of course, there's a prenup. There are signs there was NOT a prenup ... Jeff reportedly became a millionaire in 1997.

Bezos, the richest man in the world with more than a $40 billion edge over #2 Bill Gates, says, "Though the labels might be different, we remain a family, and we remain cherished friends."

Amazon is now the most valuable company on the planet ... worth nearly $810 BILLION!

Jeff and McKenzie announced last year they were starting a charitable fund to help homeless families and create preschools. It seems they will continue to work on their charitable projects together. In his statement, Bezos said they "see wonderful futures ahead, as parents, friends, partners in ventures and projects, and as individuals pursuing ventures and adventures."

By the way ... as crazy as it sounds, Bezos took a big hit last year. His net worth was as high as $160 billion, but that dwindled to $137 billion.

Jeff and McKenzie own a total of 400,000 acres of property, not only making them baronial, but 2 of the biggest landholders in the country.

They have 4 children together. They range in age from 13 to 18.

DJ Khaled is steadily showing his kid the major keys of life and success -- one of which is exercise, and papa bear is happily demonstrating for his tyke.

The hip-hop mogul was spotted at his Miami home giving 2-year-old Asahd a lesson in health and wellness as they meditated and planked outside near their pool.

Granted, it looks like Asahd was a bit more interested in just good old-fashioned playtime ... but we'll give Khaled props for setting the example on alternative fitness techniques. The father and son eventually started kicking around a soccer ball in the grass.

We already know Khaled's about that fit life -- as he's shown us time and again on Snapchat and elsewhere -- so it's good to see him passing on good habits to his boy.

Chief Keef has a serious case of '90s nostalgia, and a high-priced way of dealing with it ... because the rapper just threw down a ton of cash to turn his home into a real-life comic strip.

We're told Chief reached out to Idiot Box Art owners Emily Bright and Tamara Martin over the weekend to purchase a bunch of art inspired by '90s TV shows -- specifically cartoons. The collection is an homage to "The Simpsons," "The Smurfs" and "Rugrats" ... and it's valued at $40k.

As you can see, Keef is hanging up some of the new art in his son's room ... and we're told his daughter's room is getting decked out too.

All the works are made of hand-cut wood, covered with acrylic paint and finished with a coat of resin. The pieces range in size from 2 to 15 feet high.

We're told Chief also commissioned a few cartoon versions of himself because ... why not?

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski have an entire floor in an NYC luxury apartment building all to themselves -- but it didn't come cheap ... and their work ain't over yet.

The couple spent around $11 million this past summer to close on two units in Brooklyn Heights' swanky Standish building -- where Matt Damon once spent upwards of $16 mil for a penthouse. Em and John don't quite touch his number, but it's close.

The two apartments -- which are adjacent to each other -- take up the entire eighth floor. While it's not set in stone just yet ... chances are, John and Emily are gonna be knocking down some walls to have one giant home.

The square footage of the units isn't listed, but if it's anything like the entire 10th floor unit -- which is reportedly 5,000 square feet -- the couple will have plenty of space for themselves and their two kids. It also comes with all the bells and whistles you'd expect ... a doorman, an elevator, a concierge, a gym and lots more.

John and Emily appear to be fleeing the West Coast and relocating in New York -- they've already unloaded two homes in L.A. over the past couple of years.

Devon Still says he's rooting hard for Marvin Lewis to get another shot to coach in the NFL -- telling TMZ Sports he'll always be grateful to Lewis for helping to save his daughter's life.

Remember, it was Lewis who kept Still on the Cincinnati Bengals roster back in 2014 when his daughter Leah was battling cancer ... so she could keep the team health insurance coverage.

The story made national news -- and people from all over the country bought Still's Bengals jersey to show their support for Devon, Leah and the Bengals organization. It was an amazing thing.

The good news ... we got Still out in New York with 8-year-old Leah -- who's been cancer-free for 4 YEARS! It's an amazing story and Devon tells us he'll always be grateful for his former coach.

"He did a lot for me and my family during a time where I really couldn't do nothing for that organization," Still says ... "So, I definitely want to see him fall on his feet."

Lewis got the ax in Cinci last month after 16 years with the organization. The 60-year-old has suggested that he wants to continue coaching.

Still has chronicled Leah's battle in his new book "Still In the Game" -- in which he describes how he handled the pain and stress of watching his daughter fight for her life.

"I basically wanted to share my playbook that I taught my daughter how to beat cancer with, so people can overcome the struggles they're facing in their life."

Kevin Spacey was allegedly molested by his father -- and it's something he first endured, but later enjoyed before becoming a monster himself ... at least that's what his brother is claiming.

Randy Fowler went on 'The Drew and Mike' podcast out of Detroit hours after Spacey appeared in a Massachusetts courthouse for arraignment in his sexual assault case.

Randy, Kevin's estranged older brother, says they were both molested by their dad. Randy says he was able to escape it in early adulthood but, apparently, Kevin didn't. Randy says Kevin stuck around the family home for years to come and claims he morphed into their father, who Randy calls the "creature."

Kevin pled not guilty to felony indecent assault and battery in the Mass. case.

Dick Wolf, one of the most prolific and successful TV producers/creators in history, has filed legal docs separating from his third wife, TMZ has learned, and a fortune is on the line.

Wolf, the creator of the "Law & Order" franchise, filed on December 3, but he is not asking for a divorce ... at least, not yet. By filing for legal separation, it immediately separates his assets from hers.

Wolf, who's repped by attorneys Joe Kibre and Jacqueline Misho, says in his docs there IS a prenup.

Now, here's what's interesting. His wife, Noelle, followed suit by filing her own docs for legal separation last Friday. In the docs, filed by disso queen Laura Wasser, she's asking for spousal support.

The marriage lasted 12 years and, since they tied the knot, Wolf created the incredibly successful 'Chicago' franchise.

Sources tell TMZ Wolf makes between $10 and $15 MILLION A MONTH.

Despite the prenup -- and it appears Noelle isn't contesting it -- it will have no impact on child support, which could end up being a huge number. The couple has 2 kids, ages 8 and 11.

This is not Wolf's first trip to the courthouse over marriage. He was in a 12-year legal battle with wife #2, Christine.

It's unclear why Wolf didn't file for divorce, but that could come later.

Wolf's lawyer, Joe Kibre, tells TMZ, "The lawyers for the parties are in the process of negotiations."

Everyone at the Golden Globes might've gotten a laugh from Christian Bale comparing Dick Cheney to Satan -- but the ex-Veep's daughter just took a big shot of her own ... invoking his 2008 domestic violence arrest.

Liz Cheney was reacting to Bale's acceptance speech Sunday night -- during which he thanked Satan for his inspiration to play Dick, saying, "Satan probably inspired him to do this, too."

Liz fired back with a UK article about Christian being arrested for allegedly assaulting his mother and sister.

For the record ... British prosecutors declined to file charges against him, citing insufficient evidence. Bale denied the allegations.

In case you missed it, Bale's acceptance speech for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Film for his portrayal of Cheney in "Vice" was ... interesting, to say the least. He literally thanked the devil for giving him inspiration ... and went on to refer to his infamous 'Terminator' outburst.

As far as his subject goes ... there's clearly no love lost between Bale and the Cheneys. Dick himself has yet to comment on Bale's remarks, BTW.

R. Kelly is free to pick up the phone and get back in touch with his kids -- so says their mother and his ex-wife ... who claimed she was a victim of his on Lifetime's docuseries.

A rep for Andrea Lee Kelly tells TMZ ... she is NOT against Kelly attempting to contact their three children -- Jay, Joann and Robert Jr., most of whom are adults now -- while also claiming they as a family haven't heard from him in months.

That said ... we're told Andrea acknowledges that the children are all grown now and fully understand the accusations being leveled against their dad in "Surviving R. Kelly." Her rep tells us she'd have to see if the children are interested in rekindling a relationship with their father first.

BTW ... we're told none of Kelly's kids watched the six-part docuseries -- much like their father.

What's interesting about Andrea's openness toward a re-connection here is that she appeared to take a firm stance against her ex-husband on 'Surviving' -- calling him a monster, accusing him of abuse ... but, ultimately, denying any direct knowledge of his alleged misdeeds.

Even weirder ... there's a video circulating online of Andrea joyously playing her baby daddy's song, "Happy People," in which she appears to mock Kelly's haters.

A lot of people called her out about this too, and to that Andrea's rep tells us ... "This (video) in no way should be perceived as an extension of support for R. Kelly, but should be viewed as a statement of her strength and not having been defeated."