Family

The family of one of R. Kelly's alleged sex slaves is demanding a meeting with their daughter ... but ONLY if her alleged captor isn't there.

A family attorney for Joycelyn Savage's parents fired off a letter to Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, Monday morning that spelled out a request for an in-person meeting between Joycelyn and her folks, Timothy and Jonjelyn Savage. They don't want R. Kelly there.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, the Savages' lawyer says some of Kelly's former associates have made threats against Tim and Jonjelyn, which they say are now being investigated in Henry County, GA. This appears to be a different criminal investigation than the one that's already underway in nearby Fulton County, GA.

The Savages also make another thing clear ... they're terrified for their lives and refuse to meet with Joycelyn in Chicago without the presence of law enforcement.

The Savages say they want to meet with Joycelyn to determine once and for all whether her relationship with Kelly is in fact consensual. Ideally, they'd like to meet in Atlanta ... but say they're willing to meet in Chi-Town, only if it's at the State Attorney's Office.

Mystikal is THIS close to getting the money he needs to post bail and get out of prison while he waits for his rape case trial to begin ... thanks to friends and a record deal.

You may recall the rapper was booked in 2017 for first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping after he turned himself in following a Louisiana woman who came forward.

He's been behind bars ever since (almost a year and a half), but people around him have recently rallied and he could be set free soon, pending his trial in May.

Mystikal's attorney, Joel Pearce, tells TMZ ... his client's friends and family have been raising money to help post the $3 million bail. But, what really helped is a new music deal.

Tim Yazbeck, another attorney for the rapper, tells TMZ ... Mystikal has a new record deal for 3 unreleased albums and he's hoping to get an advance within days.

Chrissy Teigen's throwing a birthday bash for her hubby John Legend tonight, and she's asking for help from her fans on what to wear ... for her son.

Chrissy shared a couple beyond adorable shots of the couple's 7-month-old son Miles in a black tuxedo and a white one, adding ... "need your help dressing mini-john. Which one!"

She also added a poll -- which as of now has nearly 400,000 votes -- and the baby white tux is ahead big time with 67 percent.

John's 40th bday was actually in late December, but the family's celebrating Saturday night ... and there's no doubt Miles' outfit will be a hit.

Rae Sremmurd is no more ... at least that's what one half of the hip-hop duo's suggesting.

Slim Jxmmi dropped some disheartening Twitter bombs on fans of the "Black Beatles" rappers Saturday morning, including 3 he later deleted implying he's parting ways with his brother, Swae Lee.

One said, "Y'all won it's a wrap," while another was even more telling, with Slim saying ... "I'm not Rae Sremmurd I'm slim jxmmi and ima sink or swim by myself."

Jxm also boasted he'd bought his mom a home off the money he made from his own work ... which is a tweet he actually left up.

The 2 have both done recent solo work but confirmed they have a new album coming out in early 2019 ... called "SremmLife4."

This isn't the first time there have been rumors of a breakup, but they've denied them in the past and maintained all was well between the siblings. It seems like it could be different this time.

Interesting note -- the last time we heard from the rappers was last week when they were in New Zealand, but only Jxmmi was seen ... getting involved in a bloody street brawl.

Steve Buscemi's wife died earlier this week and a moving funeral was held at their NYC home ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Jo Andres died either last Monday or over last weekend. On Monday, friends and family began arriving at their Brooklyn home. It appears the funeral service -- at the home -- was held last Tuesday and the burial was Wednesday.

We're told there were around 20 people at the service, including Steve's co-star from "The Big Lebowski" John Turturro and Aida Turturro from "The Sopranos." Steve's brother Michael and Steve's son Lucian were also there.

FDNY blocked off the street Wednesday as the wicker casket was removed from the home. As you know, Buscemi was a volunteer FDNY firefighter on 911.

The company that showed up to do the prep work for the funeral specializes in home funerals and "natural burials" ... where the body is not embalmed and typically the final resting place is in a "natural setting." Everything is biodegradable and one of the purposes is to preserve the environment.

Steve and Jo were married for 30 years. They had a son, Lucian, who's 29.

We do not know the cause of death.

Jo was 65.

R. Kelly is rationalizing his daughter's powerful condemnation of his behavior -- he believes his ex-wife cooked it all up, despite the fact he's been estranged from their child for years.

Sources close to R. Kelly say ... the R&B singer isn't upset with Joann Lee Kelly for breaking her silence and calling him a "monster," because he thinks his daughter was only parroting her mother, Drea Kelly's views. We're told he feels Drea's brainwashed all 3 of their kids into hating him.

Although our sources say Kelly loves and misses his kids, he seems to be ignoring the reality -- that he has no relationship with them -- and hasn't for some time now.

Kelly did have a musical collab in 2015 with Joann, who is a talented singer -- but we're told he thinks Drea drove a wedge between them after that, because she was furious Joann had been in the studio with him.

We're told Drea brought their kids to an R. Kelly concert in Atlanta a couple years ago, but since then he's had little contact with them, and he has no clue why things switched up.

However, anyone who's seen "Surviving R. Kelly" knows exactly how Drea feels about her ex ... and it ain't good. Worth nothing, Drea told us earlier this month she's open to Kelly reaching out to the kids because they're all adults now and free to make their own choices.

Tekashi69 is ghosting his kid since getting locked up -- making no attempt to reach out to her, according to the child's mother.

We got Sara Molina, 6ix9ine's baby mama, out in NYC and she says it's been radio silence since the feds took the rapper into custody, and he was indicted on racketeering charges. As we first reported, his 3-year-old daughter, Saraiyah, didn't get any Christmas presents from dear ol' dad.

That might be understandable -- since he's behind bars -- but Tekashi's GF, Jade, got to unwrap a G-Wagon. She also got a Rolex for her 22nd birthday. Sooo ... not a great look for him with the fam.

The fact he was all cozied up with Jade during a recent visit ... has also gotta sting for Sara.

You'll recall, just last October Tekashi seemed to be embracing his role as Saraiyah's papa. A lot's changed since then -- but still, Sara stopped short of trashing her baby daddy.

In fact, she has some advice for him on how best to use his time in lockup. Hint: It doesn't involve handsy photo ops with Jade.

There's trouble afoot ...

Jessica Simpson is beggin' for help after suffering an extreme case of edema during her pregnancy ... one that's caused her left leg to take on more water than the Titanic.

The 38-year-old reached out to fans for tips on Thursday night -- saying, "Any remedies?! Help!!!!"

Edema is pretty common but if you're in pain, you should DEFINITELY go see a doctor.

Unclear when she's due, but Simpson announced her pregnancy back in September -- and with most people going public around 12 weeks, the assumption is she'll pop around April. This is her 3rd child -- she already has 2 with husband Eric Johnson, a former NFL player.

Tons of people have already reached out to Jessica with tips. Our advice? Condoms. But, we're not doctors.

At least J Simp's toenail polish is on fleek. Feel better!

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.