Family

Rep. Adam Kinzinger's not only in a battle with Republicans standing behind former President Donald Trump ... he's fighting with his own family, who've accused him of joining the "devil's army."

In a rancorous letter dated Jan. 8 -- the day after Kinzinger separated himself from his party by calling for the 25th Amendment to be used to remove Trump from office for his role in inciting the Capitol riots -- 11 of the Congressman's family members call him a disappointment "to us and to God" ... accuse him of being brainwashed, and supporting abortion and socialism, which they label "the ultimate sin."

The letter was penned by Kinzinger's cousin, Karen Otto, who according to The New York Times ... sent it certified mail to Rep. Kinzinger's dad to make sure he read it. It was signed by her husband Greg along with 9 other family members, but Karen claims in the letter ... there are more who feel the same way.

Along with calling Kinzinger an embarrassment and saying they are "truly disgusted" by him, the family seems to most offended he went against President Trump ... who they say is not perfect, but claim he is a Christian believer. They say they don't like his "horrible, rude accusations of President Trump!"

The irony in the letter is the line -- "It is not for us to judge or be judged!"

Rep. Kinzinger told TMZ earlier this month he's leading the push to reclaim the GOP, and get away from the radical, conspiracy-driven beliefs that have been promoted by Trump.

He's one of just a few House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, as well as strip Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee posts.

Ahmaud Arbery's mother wants to do something special for her son to mark the 1-year anniversary of his death ... so she's organizing a public candlelight vigil.

Wanda Cooper-Jones tells TMZ ... Ahmaud's family will be gathering at his final resting place -- New Springfield Baptist Church in Waynesboro, GA -- on February 23 for the event.

Wanda says they're asking everyone to wear a blue ribbon in a show of solidarity and in remembrance of what happened. She says blue was Ahmaud's favorite color.

As we reported ... the 25-year-old was killed on Feb. 23, 2020 while jogging in Brunswick, GA, but it wasn't until graphic video of the incident surfaced in May that Ahmaud's death grabbed national headlines and ignited a demand for justice.

Nearly 3 months after the killing, Travis and Gregory McMichael were arrested and charged with murder in Ahmaud's killing ... along with alleged accomplice William "Roddy" Bryan.

As the anniversary approaches, Wanda says she's overcome with a sense of dread thinking about how her son died -- and it's a reminder her son is never coming back.

This past weekend, she remembered she and Ahmaud went to a barbershop together on Feb. 13, 2020 -- and, of course, it turned out to be the last time.

We're also told the family is working on launching a foundation in Ahmaud's honor -- something separate from the 2.23 Foundation ... which is not affiliated with the family.

Claudia Conway's audition for the 'American Idol' judges finally aired ... showcasing the teen's talent as well as her politically famous folks.

Conway was one of several singers highlighted during the show's premiere Sunday. Katy Perry was quick to ask the 16-year-old "Are you okay?" as soon as she could. Claudia responded with a "No, but yes, I'm so good." She then sang a version of Rihanna's "Love On The Brain" which missed the mark with judges before singing Adele's "When We Were Young."

Eventually, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie each gave Claudia a "yes" ... moving her on to the next round.

Claudia was accompanied by her dad, George Conway, to the audition but her famous mom, Kellyanne, made a digital appearance thanks to the 'Idol' video board. Kellyanne celebrated Claudia's golden ticket and let her daughter know she was proud of her.

Kellyanne's relationship with her daughter has been the focus of a lot of attention lately. TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to the family's New Jersey home last month after Claudia posted a string of videos on TikTok of verbal spats with her mom.

Stefan Struve -- the massive 7-foot tall UFC fighter -- has retired from MMA, claiming he suffered permanent damage from a recent viral infection.

32-year-old Struve -- known as "The Skyscraper" -- has been fighting in the UFC since 2009, and famously beat current UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic in 2012.

But, the giant from the Netherlands has decided to hang up gloves after dealing with vertigo, hearing loss and other issues.

"I was contacted by the UFC last week for a fight," Struve said ... "However, I’ve decided it’s my time to retire from fighting."

"I’ve had an inner ear issue that I’ve been battling since May [of] last year. I caught a viral infection that has damaged my vestibular system and the hearing nerve in my right ear."

Struve says his doctors expected him to make a full recovery -- during his fight against Tai Tuivasa in October 2020, he got flush on his right ear, which made everything worse.

"After that fight I was having more issues again and the doctor scheduled new tests," Struve explains.

"After these tests I was told the damage in my ear and the vestibular issues caused by the viral infection I’ve been dealing with are mostly permanent."

Struve says he has "no big issues" when living his everyday normal life ... it's only when he trains hard that his medical issues flare up and cause serious discomfort.

"The extreme intensity I have put my body through and training camp to get ready for fights I can’t do anymore."

"At this juncture I realize that it’s time to hang up the gloves for good, and put my health and family first."

Struve says the fact he has a 5-month-old child is also a factor in his decision -- he wants to be able to focus on being a good father.

He may not have been the greatest fight in the UFC, but he was always fun to watch. Congrats on a pretty amazing career.

President Biden got out of town this weekend, opting for a happy virtual drive on Rainbow Road instead of a motorcade drive through D.C.

Joe was at Camp David this weekend -- where some of his family members met him to hang out for some QT with grandpa, including his granddaughter, Naomi ... who says she went head-to-head with 46 in a round of Mario Kart -- with both of them in the driver's seat.

Apparently, there are arcade games at Camp David -- and Mario Kart's one of them. Sounds like Naomi's granddad got the best of her. She says, "Secret Service made an exception and let him drive himself!!!!" Naomi adds, "A little rusty but he still won (barely)."

She also posted a boomerang video of herself rolling around in a human-size inflatable ball in what appears to be a gymnasium.

Camp David's got stuff like this for POTUS getaways -- there are stories and photos of presidents past shooting pool, bowling and watching movies in a full theater there on the grounds. So, it's not surprising that they've got neat attractions like this these days.

Nicki Minaj's father, Robert Maraj, has died after being struck in a hit-and-run accident ... TMZ has learned.

Nassau County Police in New York say he was walking on the road between Roslyn Road and Raff Avenue Friday evening around 6 PM ET, when he was hit by a vehicle heading northbound. Cops say the driver then fled the scene without a meaningful description from witnesses.

Robert was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries and passed over the weekend. The Homicide Squad is investigating the case and asking for the public's help in identifying the responsible party. There was not a decent description of the suspect vehicle provided.

Nicki hasn't spoken on her dad's death yet. There are shots of them together embracing over the years, so they obviously had a decent relationship and saw each other from time to time. It's unclear what Nicki's relationship with her dad was currently.

A rep for Nicki confirmed her dad's death, but did not have further comment at this time.

Robert was just 64.

Britney Spears does NOT have her own documentary in the works ... we're told fan speculation and media reports to the contrary are not accurate.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... a doc from Britney and her team is definitely NOT happening. We're told a project of this magnitude would need to be vetted and authorized by Brit and her conservators, which is a big hurdle.

Another source tells TMZ ... a female filmmaker has been reaching out to people in Britney's inner circle, telling them she's working on a doc about Britney's life, and the filmmaker claims she's going to pitch the project to Netflix.

There are reports and speculation circulating that Britney is quietly working on a doc with a top female filmmaker and Britney fears her father, Jamie Spears, could hijack the project to make himself look better ... but we're told neither Britney nor her team are involved in the production.

There's no shaking Jamie at this point either ... as we first told you, a judge denied Britney's request to have her father removed as her co-conservator during Thursday's court hearing.

Britney and her conservatorship are all the rage again these days ... the new doc 'Framing Britney Spears' is getting a lot of buzz, and it's resulted in Britney's boyfriend ripping Jamie, and Justin Timberlake offering her an apology for the things he said after their breakup.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith and his family were reportedly robbed at gunpoint after arriving in Los Angeles earlier this week ... but thankfully, the team says everyone is now safe.

The 32-year-old former Super Bowl champ and his family arrived at LAX with his family Tuesday night ... and were followed to their hotel, according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec.

Once the group arrived at the hotel, the report says they were robbed at gunpoint ... but no one was injured during the incident.

We're working on getting more information regarding the incident.

The Ravens released a statement Friday saying they've been in touch with the former first-round pick and have confirmed he and his family are doing okay.

"We are aware of the situation involving Jimmy Smith," the team said Friday. "We have spoken with Jimmy, and he and him family are safe."

Smith -- who grew up in Southern California -- has been with the Ravens for 10 seasons, signing a 1-year deal for $6 million last March.

Dr. Jill Biden ❤️'s Valentine's Day ... and it shows.

FLOTUS had a lovely surprise for President Joe Biden and America on Friday morning with a Valentine's Day installation in the North Lawn of the White House .... and it telegraphs the central message of the Prez -- unity.

Jill had the artwork secretly installed Thursday night which encompasses her message ... Strength, Family and Unity. She took the fam -- including Champ and Major -- outside to review her handiwork.

During the morning walk to the North Lawn ... Joe told reporters Valentine's Day is Jill's favorite holiday. He would not, however, play his hand on what he's getting his wife come Sunday.

He also shared a love story about Jill ... but expressed one regret -- not bringing reporters coffee!!! But he makes up for it.

Britney Spears' bid to have her father less involved in her life didn't pan out ... as he's to remain co-conservator after the latest court hearing about the case.

As you may recall ... Britney's legal team had requested the Bessemer Trust Company become the sole conservator of her business affairs ... booting Jamie Spears as a co-conservator.

The judge denied the request Thursday and ordered that everything stay the same. None of the parties, including Britney, have asked the judge to end the conservatorship ... and that's been the case for the last 13 years.

As we reported, Britney's legal team previously filed docs indicating she won't perform until her father steps down. We're told the relationship between Britney and her dad has deteriorated.

In related news ... the #FreeBritney movement is in full swing ... some of her fans gathered with signs outside the courthouse to show their support.

The movement has been re-energized by the new documentary, "Framing Britney Spears," along with her boyfriend's recent beef with Jamie.

Britney fans certainly remember ... Sam Asghari called Jamie a "dick" Tuesday and said he's got no respect for Britney's father, accusing him of meddling in their relationship.

Larry King always kept it simple, and his will is no different ... he scribbled down a few sentences during his last divorce, but it was written before some other King family tragedies.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the late talk show host hand-wrote his most recent will on October 17, 2019, about 2 months after filing for divorce from his 7th wife, Shawn Southwick King.

Larry wrote ... "This is my Last Will & Testament. It should replace all previous writings." He said that in the event of his death, he wanted 100 percent of his funds to be "divided equally among my children Andy, Chaia, Larry Jr Chance & Cannon."

That's it ... but as we've reported, Larry sadly lost 2 of his adult kids a month apart in 2020. His son, Andy, died of a heart attack in July, and his daughter, Chaia, died in August a short time after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

So, Larry's last will and testament doesn't reflect the fact that 2 of his intended recipients have passed away. One of his surviving sons, Larry Jr., has filed docs asking to be appointed administrator of the estate, noting that his father was in the middle of divorce proceedings at the time of his death.

As for how much is at stake here ... the documents estimate Larry's estate to be worth around $2 million, but there are likely separate assets held in separate trusts.

Aunt Jemima's name and face are now scrubbed from the breakfast products she's fronted for more than a century -- a move in the right direction, but far from enough to do justice to the women who served as her model ... so say their descendants.

Lillian Richard and Anna Short Harrington both served as models for Aunt Jemima at different points in the early 20th century, well before the most recent version with the woman in pearls.

Vera Richard Harris -- Lillian's great-niece -- tells us she wants to see her relative's name (plus the names of all the other models who portrayed Jemima) inscribed on the new Pearl Milling Company packaging, to honor their contributions. She doesn't want cash, just recognition.

Richard Harris says she doesn't want her great-aunt, or any of the other models, to be forgotten ... which is essentially what she thinks has happened with the hard erasure PepsiCo/Quaker have opted for.

Ditto for Wanetta Cowan -- great-granddaughter of Anna -- who says these conglomerates have made a fortune off their family members' images for decades ... and now just wanna act like they never existed. The remedy, in her mind, is simple ... payment for their descendants, in the form of royalties.

Lauren London is NOT pregnant contrary to a rumor that's running amok ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... there is no truth to a report from a weekly L.A. outlet "confirming" Nipsey Hussle's widow is pregnant.

That's backed up by J Roc, a close family friend who was also Nipsey's bodyguard, who is also shooting down the story -- calling it "fake news" -- and calling out those spreading the rumor.

Lauren has 2 children ... including Nipsey's son, Kross Ermias Asghedom.

The rumors, btw, started spreading after the L.A. Sentinel News -- which is headquartered in Nipsey's Crenshaw neighborhood -- claimed it "confirmed" Lauren was about to announce her pregnancy.

But, again ... our sources say it's just not true.

As for J Roc's social media reference to "What It Feel Like" -- that's the new track pairing Nipsey and Jay-Z for the first time. It's on the soundtrack to the new film "Judas and the Black Messiah," and drops later this week.

Kim Kardashian is FUMING at folks questioning the authenticity of a painting she says her daughter made herself ... insisting it's the real deal, and people doubting it have way too much time on their hands.

KK is blasting critics of North's oil painting -- depicting a mountain, a river and a surrounding valley ... which drew comparisons of Bob Ross' artwork (and lots of jokes). But, there were also those who straight-up said North couldn't have done it on her own.

You can tell Kim's pissed from the get-go ... "DON’T PLAY WITH ME WHEN IT COMES TO MY CHILDREN!!!" Kim goes on to say North and her BFF have been taking high-skill oil painting classes lately, and just wrapped their art projects after weeks of hard work.

North's pal is Ryan Romulus, the daughter of Kim's good friend, Tracy Romulus. Tracy posted a photo of Ryan with her own oil painting of a wolf. Fans had zeroed in on Ryan's painting as well ... she also completed a nature landscape in the same class.

Anyway, Kim goes on to say this about "grown adults" who are taking shots at her daughter's ability ... "How dare you see children doing awesome things and then try to accuse them of NOT being awesome!?!?! Please stop embarrassing yourselves with the negativity and allow every child to be GREAT!!!"

Britney Spears' boyfriend, Sam Asghari, is telling the world how he really feels about her father -- calling Jamie Spears a "total dick" who's meddled in their relationship.

We got Sam at Bristol Farms in L.A. Tuesday, who certainly didn't pull any punches on the heels of a new Britney documentary that rips Jamie and the conservatorship -- Sam also teed off Tuesday morning on IG, saying he has "zero respect" for Brit's dad.

Britney's BF accuses her pops of trying to control their relationship and claims Jamie constantly throws obstacles in their way. Although he says he won't go into details, you can tell Sam has a lot more to say ... and now says he's not afraid to speak up.

Sam's outburst comes as 'Framing Britney Spears' is getting a lot of attention. The Hulu doc has fans fired up about how the pop star's been treated over the years by Jamie and others.

Robinhood's got blood on its hands, according to the parents of a young trader who took his life ... falsely thinking he was $730,000 in the red, and now they're suing.

The parents of 20-year-old Alex Kearns filed suit Monday against Robinhood, accusing the stock-trading app of wrongful death in the college student's June suicide.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Alex's parents claim he killed himself one day after Robinhood posted a notice restricting his account showing he was in the hole a whopping $730k and told him he needed to come up with around $170k ASAP.

Alex's parents claim the initial notice was misleading and inaccurate, and they say Alex was shocked at what he owed and tried to contact Robinhood for clarification, but all he got was a boilerplate email response.

Alex killed himself by stepping in front of an oncoming train, and his parents claim he left a suicide note wondering ... "How was a 20-year-old with no income able to get assigned almost a million dollars' worth of leverage? There was no intention to be assigned this much and take this much risk, and I only thought I was risking the money I actually owned."

His parents claim the note ended with, "A painful lesson. F**k Robinhood."

The saddest part ... Robinhood allegedly emailed Alex the day after his suicide, suggesting he didn't actually owe 6 figures.

In addition to wrongful death, Alex's parents are also suing Robinhood for unfair business practices.

A Robinhood spokesperson tells us, “We were devastated by Alex Kearns’ death. Since June, we’ve made improvements to our options offering. These include adding the ability to exercise contracts in the app, guidance to help customers through early assignment, updates to how we display buying power, more educational materials on options, and new financial criteria and revised experience requirements for new customers seeking to trade Level 3 options. "

We're also told the app's added live voice support for customers and changed protocols to get faster help for customers who email questions.