Family

Madonna's oldest brother, Anthony Ciccone, has died.

Joe Henry, the husband of Madonna’s sister, Melanie Ciccone, went on Instagram Saturday with the news.

Melanie said, “My brother-in-law, Anthony Gerard Ciccone, exited this earthly plane last evening. I’ve known him since I was 15, in the spring of our lives in Michigan so many years now gone.”

She added, “As brother Dave Henry notes here, Anthony was a complex character; and god knows: we tangled in moments, as true brothers can. But I loved him, and understood him better than I was sometimes willing to let on."

Henry had some revealing words ...  “trouble fades,” he said, but family can still stay in tact.

Henry went on ...  “Farewell, then, brother Anthony. I want to think the god your blessed mother (and mine) believed in has her there, waiting to receive you. At least for today, no one shall dissuade me from this vision.”

Madonna and other family members were estranged from Anthony. He battled alcoholism for years and was homeless at times ... once living under a bridge. He had railed on Madonna and other family members for allegedly not caring about him.

Anthony told the Daily Mail years ago ... “I’m a zero in their eyes – a non-person. I’m an embarrassment. If I froze to death, my family probably wouldn’t know or care about it for six months."

As for Madonna, he had harsh words ... “I never loved her in the first place, she never loved me. We never loved each other."

Anthony was 66.

Diamond Dallas Page says Dusty Rhodes would have been overjoyed to watch his son, Cody, in the main event at WrestleMania 39 ... telling TMZ Sports "he would be walking on clouds."

Page -- who mentored his late best friend's son since he was a kid -- told us Cody's heavyweight championship match against Roman Reigns on Sunday, April 2 is the culmination of a journey, and a moment the Rhodes family can savor forever.

DDP explained the fact that Cody left WWE in May 2016 when he felt the company didn't believe in him, and then came back to have a monumental moment like the main event at WM 39 is proof of what can happen when people believe in themselves.

Cody -- a former WWE intercontinental champion -- joined All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he spent six years competing before rejoining the WWE last April at WrestleMania 38.

Now, he has the opportunity to end Roman's 900+ day streak as Universal Champion.

DDP says he was honored to be one of Dusty's closest friends ... and he knows that after all the years of hard work and dedication the Rhodes family put into the craft, it will be "really emotional" to watch Cody enter the squared-circle.

We also spoke to Cody recently, and the 2023 Royal Rumble winner admits defeating Roman Reigns at WM would be a "tall task" -- but reassured everyone he's up to the challenge.

"If you're in the spot you want to make sure you get the job done," said Rhodes, the half-brother of Dustin, professionally known as Goldust during his WWE career.

Jansen Panettiere had a few projects in the pipeline at the time of his death ... and he shared an intimate smooch in one of his final films, as a newly-obtained clip shows.

The footage, obtained by TMZ, showcases the late actor's on-screen kiss in the upcoming campy-horror 3-D flick, "Aaah! Roach!" Jansen, who plays Martin Jones, shared the screen with Grace Van Dien -- known for playing Chrissy Cunningham in "Stranger Things."

The movie features Jansen and Grace as their college is attacked by chemically altered man-eating roaches ... having to work together and save the day before it's too late.

Jenni Gold, director and producer of the film, tells TMZ ... the team is in shock at the loss of Jansen, adding he was loved by everyone and will be missed deeply.

She says the movie will be dedicated in his honor when released, which should be at the end of this year or early 2024. Jenni tells us the kissing scene was shot pre-pandemic and then filming got delayed, but the movie is now in post-production.

Jon Jones' family is filled with Super Bowl champs, but the UFC superstar tells TMZ Sports he had zero chance of having a career on the football field -- 'cause he said he "absolutely sucked" at the sport.

Of course, Jones' older brother, Arthur, played 8 seasons as a defensive tackle for the Ravens, Colts, and Commanders ... and his younger bro, Chandler, currently plays defensive end for the Raiders.

With that being said, football is clearly in the Jones DNA ... so when we asked Jon if he could have followed in their footsteps, Bones made no bones about it -- he was ass.

"I absolutely sucked on the football field," Jones told us. "I was no good at all. I didn't play until my senior year [of high school]. I was always on the team, but I never got to play.

Jones -- who holds a 26-1 record in the UFC -- says he just didn't get the Xs and Os, coverages, or play calling behind the game ... and playing Madden didn't help either.

"I sucked at football. I made a hell of a benchwarmer, though," Jones said.

But, don't feel bad for the guy -- Jones ended up becoming one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever ... and he's back in the Octagon on March 4 to face 11-1 Ciryl Gane -- his first fight in over 3 years.

"A lot of people wanted to take a warm-up fight," Jones said. "I'm going right at one of the best talents the UFC has ever seen."

Billie Eilish says she got a jump scare when she came home ... claiming when she flipped on the lights in her living room, a random man was standing shirtless outside her window.

The singer beelined it to court after Monday's alleged incident and is seeking court-ordered protection from a 23-year-old man named Raymond Black.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Billie claims she received quite the shock Monday when she got home around 7:30 PM and discovered Black had snuck onto her property and made himself comfortable.

Billie claims she has security footage showing Black loitering around her Los Angeles home Monday afternoon, walking around her property, taking his clothes off and helping himself to her outdoor shower as he waited for her to get back.

She claims when she got home, she went straight inside and turned on a light in the living room to discover a shirtless Black on the pool deck staring back at her, with only a glass window separating them.

Billie says she called 911 and police raced to the home within minutes, searching her property for the culprit. She says cops didn't find him there, but ultimately tracked Black down a short while later on a nearby street and arrested him.

While Billie says Monday's alleged incident was super scary, she claims the same man also showed up looking for her at her parent's home ... and says he also made a couple visits to her home last year when it was still under construction.

Billie says his alleged behavior is causing her anxiety, fear and emotional distress ... and she's asking a judge for a temporary restraining order to keep him away from her and her parents.

Gene Simmons shared a touching moment with his kiddo, dancing with his daughter during her wedding reception ... in a video obtained by TMZ.

The KISS rocker and his daughter, Sophie Simmons, went with "Can't Help Falling In Love" for the first song of their father-daughter dance ... and it's a super sweet moment.

Gene and Sophie share a few words as they show off their ballroom dancing skills, it's clear he's one proud papa.

The wedding reception was Thursday at Delilah in West Hollywood ... and as you can see, it was a speakeasy theme, with tons of gold balloons and most guests wearing black and white.

We're told Jeff Ross was among the celebs in attendance.

The day before the reception, Gene's daughter got hitched to James Henderson in an intimate ceremony Wednesday, exchanging vows in Malibu.

We also obtained video of Sophie getting on the mic and singing during the party, which raged on well into the night. Remember, she's a singer herself.

Mac McClung's performance at NBA All-Star weekend should have the Warriors and Lakers feeling foolish, so says Riff Raff who tells TMZ Sports both teams screwed up not signing the hoop star full-time.

Some quick background on McClung ... the Tennessee native has been an acrobatic dunker since high school and played two seasons at Georgetown, where he averaged 14.7 points and 2.2 assists per game. He also spent one year at Texas Tech.

Despite McClung's athleticism and scoring capability, the point guard went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft ... but spent time with the Lakers and Bulls G-League affiliates. He also had a short stint with the Warriors.

The Sixers recently signed Mac to a 2-way contract with their affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats ... meaning he can play up to 50 games before deciding if they keep him full-time.

Now you can see why McClung wasn't necessarily a familiar face amongst the NBA crowd until he won the dunk contest in Salt Lake City last weekend, reviving a competition that has been pretty boring over the past few years.

Mac's cousin, hip hop artist, Riff Raff -- who has been promoting McClung for nearly 6 years -- tells us he's happy MM's finally "getting the notoriety that he deserves" ... and then he proceeded to call out the Lakers and Warriors in the process.

"He's been on the Warriors, they fumbled. He's been on the Lakers with some of his favorite players and he's playing with them and they fumbled that and now he's over there in Philly," Riff Raff said.

"He's the new Ivory Iverson!!!!'

Riff Raff continued ... "Any NBA team owner would be foolish to not wanna fill the stands and get hat hype around their team. To me, and to anybody who actually watches him play, he's a starter."

But, Jody Highroller wants you to have one thing straight ... there's more to McClung than dunking, calling the 6'2" baller an "actual hooper" who's more than just an explosive/athletic player.

But, don't get it twisted ... Riff Raff believes McClung will take over the dunk contest for many years to come, forcing NBA superstars to participate.

Paris Hilton is ready to show off her newborn baby boy to the rest of the world ... with a family shoot.

The series of photos -- featuring Paris and Carter Reum -- include plenty of kisses and snuggling of their baby boy, who they've named Phoenix Barron Hilton Reum.

Paris Hilton shared Phoenix's name on her "This is Paris" podcast, telling fans she came up with the name years ago when she was searching cities, countries and states ... hoping to find a name to go with Paris and London -- a name she'd like to name her future daughter.

She says, "More important, it's the bird that flames out and then rises from the ashes to fly again. I want my son to grow up knowing that disaster and triumph go around and come around throughout our lives and that this should give us great hope for the future."

Mama Paris also revealed she and Carter kept Phoenix a secret from everyone until he was about a week old ... for the sake of cherishing the moment for themselves.

Alex Murdaugh, who has been charged with the double murder of his wife and son, took the stand and denied shooting his late family members to death.

The disgraced powerhouse attorney testified in his own defense Thursday in a South Carolina courtroom, fielding questions from his defense lawyers, denying he killed his son Paul, adding he didn't shoot his wife, Maggie either.

Murdaugh told the jury ... "I didn't shoot my wife or my son anytime ever."

He became very emotional as he described finding his son and wife dead.

While Murdaugh denied pulling the trigger in the fatal June 2021 shootings, he admitted to lying to authorities about the case.

Murdaugh apologized to the rest of his family, many of whom were in the courtroom... saying he would "never intentionally do anything to hurt" his wife or son Paul, who he referred to as "Paw Paw."

Maggie and 22-year-old Paul were found dead at the Murdaugh's hunting property in June 2021 after they were shot with what investigators believe are two different guns. Murdaugh told police he discovered their bodies after the fact, claiming he had an alibi.

Murdaugh was a person of interest for a while, but it took over a year for him to be charged with murder.

A couple months after his wife and son were found dead, Murdaugh allegedly hired a gunman to kill him so his surviving son, Buster, could collect a $10 million life insurance policy. But Murdaugh survived a gunshot wound to the head and was arrested and charged for the alleged scheme.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are highlighting their modern family as they celebrate her 2 kids turning 15 with a bunch of pics ... some showing Ben in full stepdad mode.

J Lo posted a video Wednesday for her twins Max and Emme's birthday, and the reel has a ton of images throughout their years -- some younger pics and some more recent where they're clearly bonding with Ben.

In one instance, Ben is cradling Max in his arms while the family's out for a drive.

Now, the video also features other behind the scene family moments with Jennifer and Marc Anthony's twins ... such as shots of the twins' and their new step-siblings -- Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel ... Ben's kids with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner.

J Lo's note to her kids read, "Happy birthday to my beautiful, brilliant coconuts 🥥🥥 I am so proud of you both in every single way. You bring so much joy and happiness to my heart and soul..."

Interventionist Ken Seeley is urging all the folks in Britney Spears' inner circle to get on the same page and get her some help ... saying if she continues to spiral, it could cost her her life.

The "Intervention" star joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday and, like many folks, he shared some major concern for Britney after someone in her world called off the planned intervention for her.

Ken tells us the key to pulling off a successful intervention is a united front from all the folks involved. He says if one person isn't on board, the whole thing crumbles ... and that's exactly what happened in Brit's situation.

Remember ... TMZ broke the story, those closest to BS wanted her to get help -- for mental health struggles and substance abuse -- but someone pulled the plug. Her lawyer Mathew Rosengart was mum about the failed plan when we asked what went wrong.

As we reported, some fans and folks close to Brit have become increasingly alarmed by her erratic behavior ... like her Tuesday post speaking in an Aussie accent while running around yelling, "Never be a rollercoaster!"

One of the descendants of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is blasting Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for suggesting red and blue states separate ... telling us her idea is "nothing short of treason."

Reverend Robert W. Lee IV, a collateral descendant of General Lee, tells TMZ ... by calling for a "national divorce," MTG is acting no better than the Confederates who fought against the Union during the Civil War.

MTG tweeted out the idea Monday, calling for Democratic and Republican voting states to split. While she didn't use the word secession, that's exactly what she's calling for ... and she claims everyone she talks to agrees.

While advocating for the creation of 2 separate governments, she also calls for the federal government to shrink.

Robert admits his ancestor, General Lee, would be totally on board with MTG's suggestion, but adds that's nothing to celebrate. Instead, he says the Congresswoman from Georgia is outing herself as a traitor, and he'd like to see more politicians condemn her statement.

Remember, Rev. Lee famously denounced racism and white supremacy at the 2017 MTV VMAs ... and he's been outspoken about taking down statues of Gen. Lee.

T.I. is firing back at Boosie Badazz after being publicly slandered with the news their joint album was canceled all because of T.I.'s now infamous story about ratting on his dead cousin.

An incensed Tip took to IG on Tuesday, accusing Boosie of not being genuine and daring the Louisiana rapper to pull up and examine the paperwork evidence for himself!!!

The invitation was also extended to Boosie's "OG Uncle" ... who apparently had the most influence over Boosie's decision to nix the project altogether.

T.I. says Boosie spoke out of turn ... rather unintelligently and ultimately painted his former collaborator's character as flawed.

Boosie has yet to respond to T.I.'s retort but has been resharing clips of his viral interview with the captions that amuse him the best.

Friends of Hayden Panettiere's brother, Jansen, became alarmed something was wrong with the actor after he no-showed a business meeting ... racing to his apartment to find him unresponsive.

We've obtained a police report from Jansen's death investigation detailing the moments leading up to the discovery of his body. Jansen's friends informed investigators he was supposed to be at the meeting on Sunday -- and when he didn't show up, they thought something might be wrong.

One of Jansen's friends went over to his apartment, and found him sitting upright in a chair, unresponsive, called 911 and started CPR.

Hayden and Jansen's dad, Skip, told cops he spoke with his son Saturday night and he sounded "okay."

TMZ broke the story of Jansen's death ... at this time, there's no foul play suspected, and final results from his autopsy and toxicology report won't be completed for several weeks.

Kim Kardashian and Mariah Carey are gonna have some competition when it comes to owning the spotlight ... as their daughters proved with this family production for TikTok.

Kim posted the vid Monday, featuring her daughter and their 2 big surprise guests. It started out with North and Mariah's 11-year-old daughter, Monroe, showing off their dance moves to MC's trending 2009 song, "It's A Wrap".

The 2 girls do their dance routine until they're joined by their superstar moms lip-synching the track into hairbrushes. Not surprisingly, the daughters end up pushing Mariah and Kim out of frame.

Fans ate up the video -- many of them were shocked MC and KK were hanging out together at Kim's Hidden Hills home. Anything for the kids, right?

And, it wasn't the only TikTok content from the dynamic duo of Monroe and North. Monday night was giving sleepover vibes, as they also hopped on the viral trend of folks recreating Rihanna's Super Bowl performance.

Boosie Badazz is washing his years-long friendship with T.I. and the album they completed together ... all due to T.I. admitting he once snitched on a deceased cousin to get out of a gun charge.

In his latest sit-down with VladTV, Boosie unloaded on T.I. for randomly choosing to divulge the info about the snitch-uation ... but, as a result, he says he has no choice, but to label his longtime friend a "rat."

Of course, that's IF the story is true ... Boosie halfway thinks T.I. was lying for podcast views, but nonetheless says he scrapped the project after waking up to more angry text messages than he could read at once!!!

Boosie expressed similar sentiments when discussing Cash Money Records CEO Birdman's older brother Terrance "Gangsta" Williams ... who openly testified against a dead friend to free himself from prison after serving 27 1/2 years on a life sentence.

Tip got his fair share of support when his podcast first aired -- fellow artists like Yung Joc, Lyfe Jennings and Young Dro all called the scenario a fortunate situation, but Boosie is going 100% lactose intolerant ... he's not accepting any cheese!!!