Gossip / Rumors

Even rockstars can get tired ... and TMZ has learned that's exactly why Van Halen decided to postpone 31 upcoming concert dates.

Sources close to the band tell us ... the guys felt like the current schedule was "too much, too fast" ... and they were "losing their focus."

One source tells us, "They're simply burned out" ... adding, "They want to make sure their concerts are not a routine ... they want every performance to be special."

We're told the guys want to take some time to "re-charge their engines" ... so they can rock all 31 cities the way Van Halen fans expect to be rocked.

Looks like Paul McCartney's title as world's richest entertainer is safe ... 'cause Bono says his stake in Facebook will NOT push him into the number one spot.

Bono was in D.C. this morning to attend a fundraiser for President Obama ... when a Washington Times photog asked about reports that the U2 frontman's $90 million investment into Mark Zuckerberg's social network will be worth $1.5 billion by the end of the day ... making him the richest rocker on Earth.

FYI -- It's been widely reported that Bono's investment company, Elevation Partners, bought up 2.3% of the company in 2009.

But Bono didn't appear too stoked about it ... in fact, he cast doubt on the entire story.

That ... or maybe he's just trying to be modest.

Jennifer Lopez isn't sure if she'll come back for a third season of "American Idol," but the big cheese on the show says he wants her back in the worst way.

"A.I." EP Nigel Lythgoe tells TMZ, "We want her back. I want her back." Nigel is reacting to Lopez' comment on "Ellen," saying, "I don't know if I can go for a third year. I miss doing other things. It really does lock you down."

Nigel says, "I know how much she loves doing the show and how much she cares for the kids." That said, Nigel adds, "It's a business. She has to weigh everything. I know she's gotten lots of offers to do movies and other things."

Ever the optimist, Nigel says by saying she "doesn't know" if she'll come back, it's classic negotiations, which means the door is open. Welcome to Hollywood.

Tupac Shakur's family members believe Suge Knight is dead wrong -- the rapper couldn't have been a homophobe ... because he was GREAT friends with Gianni Versace.

Suge has been on a media blitz recently ... telling multiple radio stations 2pac ended his professional relationship with a famous hip hop star because Suge believed the rapper was a gay man.

But sources close to the Tupac estate tell TMZ ... the Shakur family feels very strongly that Suge's claims are "totally false" ... and point to his friendship with the famous designer Gianni Versace, who was an openly gay man.

Despite a photo that seems to say to the contrary ... Lady Gaga is NOT engaged ... sources close to the singer tell TMZ.

Famed photog and close friend Terry Richardson posted a photo last night of Gaga sporting a huge rock with the caption, "Gaga showing off her new engagement ring!"

But our sources say it's just a ring and Gaga is not engaged to anyone.

Famed celeb photographer Terry Richardson posted a photo of Lady Gaga last night ... sporting a giant rock he claims is her engagement ring.

Gaga herself has said nothing about the ring (and by "said" we mean "tweeted") and there are conflicting reports about her dating situation these days. Within the last two months, one story said her boyfriend Taylor Kinney was shopping for engagement rings ... another said they broke up.

It seems Rihanna has finally had enough of Chris Brown ... the singer has "unfollowed" her ex-boyfriend on Twitter after he released a new diss track that appears to be aimed at her.

The song in question is a remix of Kanye's TheraFlu -- in which Brown freestyles the verse, "Don't f*ck with my old bitches ... like a bad fur ... every industry n*gga done had her."

He continues, "Trick or treat like a pumpkin ... just to smash her."

Hours after Brown released the track last night, Rihanna stopped following Brown on Twitter -- a HUGE move -- and one that's leading many to assume Rihanna believes the verse is about her.

A short time later, Brown unfollowed Rihanna.

We reached out to Rihanna's rep -- so far, no comment.

Rihanna is adamant ... she's NOT dating Raiders running back Darren McFadden -- despite reports the two were spotted making out in Hawaii a couple weeks ago.

Sources close to Rihanna tell us, the singer did meet Darren last month in Honolulu -- while she was promoting her new film "Battleship" -- but they kept things strictly platonic.

We're told Darren -- who was WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND -- introduced himself to Rihanna as a fan ... and Rihanna bought Darren and his GF drinks on the beach. That's it.

But that doesn't mean Rihanna can't support her new pal -- which might explain why the singer wore a Raiders jersey to a New York strip club last week.

Michael Jackson NEVER ordered his henchmen to murder his brother Randy Jackson ... despite allegations made by MJ's former bodyguard ... this according to a rep for RJ.

Randy's spokesperson tells TMZ ... the allegations made by Matt Fiddes "couldn't be further from the truth ... it's absolutely absurd."

Fiddes told The Sun ... MJ wanted members of his inner circle to shoot Randy during a heated argument regarding a possible Jackson 5 tour. Fiddes claims Michael was on drugs at the time.

But Randy's rep tells us Fiddes is full of crap ... saying, "There's no way in the world that this actually happened."

Randy's rep says the Jackson family is choosing to ignore Matt, rather than engage him in a legal battle, because "it's a non-issue."

Christina Aguilera has it out for Tony Lucca on "The Voice" because he spurned her while they worked on The Mickey Mouse Club -- this according to a former Mouseketeer.

Ex-Mouse Clubber Dale Godboldo -- who starred on the 90s MMC revival alongside Aguilera and Lucca -- tells TMZ, Tony was pretty popular in his Disney days ... "Britney was in love with him. Christina was in love with him. Mylin was in love with him."

But Christina and Tony never hit it off -- and Dale believes she's carried a grudge ever since, claiming, "All of this [Voice] madness was not brought on by Tony."

You'll recall ... Aguilera harshly criticized Tony's "Voice" performance Monday night -- calling the rendition of "99 Problems" "derogatory to women." The two have been butting heads all season.

Hell hath no fury like a Mouseketeer scorned.

Michael Jackson's former bodyguard claims the singer was a paranoid maniac ... who ordered members of his inner circle to kill his younger brother Randy ... this according to The Sun.

In the interview with The Sun ... ex-bodyguard Matt Fiddes claims, "Michael was caught in a war with his brothers for years, They were desperate to sign him up to a $500 million deal for a Jackson 5 reunion tour."

Fiddes -- a martial arts expert who worked with MJ in the UK and in the US -- explained, "Things reached a head when Randy was trying to force his way past the bodyguards to speak to him in one of his rented homes. Michael ordered him to be shot."

Of course, no one shot Randy ... but Fiddes says, "Randy was so scared he got on the phone and threatened to call the Press. He told the bodyguards, 'If you shoot me the whole world will know about it.'"

Fiddes continued, "[Michael] was out of mind on drugs and luckily Randy was OK."

Fiddes has been dishing MJ dirt to The Sun for a while now ... just last week he claimed the singer despised Madonna and poked holes in a Voodoo doll of Steven Spielberg after MJ became a Nazi sympathizer.

None of Fiddes' accusations have been corroborated.

Look out Scarlett Johansson ... Woody Allen has a new buxom, young muse in his sights ... and that muse is Lindsay Lohan.

The unlikely duo was spotted out in NYC last night at fancy-schmancy Philippe restaurant -- and we're told this isn't their first spin on the friendship bicycle.

Sources close to Lindsay tell TMZ ... Allen and Lilo have been friends for years now and he's one of her biggest supporters -- never jumping on the judgment bandwagon.

We're told there are no projects officially on the books right now, BUT sources tell us they've been throwing around the idea of Lindsay being in one of Allen's future films -- which would be huge for Lilo, since his last flick, "Midnight in Paris," was nominated for a bunch of Academy Awards.

We're also told Lindsay has nothing but respect for the quadruple Oscar-winning director and would LOVE to work with him.

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson are NOT getting back together ... sources close to Lindsay tell TMZ -- despite reports the two were all over each other this week at a NYC nightclub.

Lindsay did hang out with Sam Thursday night at Le Baron in New York -- but sources tell TMZ, there was no touchy-feely business going on ... it was just two old friends catching up together.

There were reports the two might have rekindled a relationship -- but we're told that's not true ... neither Lindsay nor Sam has plans to reunite romantically.

We're told the two are simply focusing on mending their friendship after a rough break-up in 2009. They began dating on-and-off in 2007.

Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard tells TMZ ... he's been in constant contact with head coach Stan Van Gundy since his back surgery ... saying they've spoken "a bunch of times" since the playoffs began.

Dwight was on a walk in Beverly Hills today ... when we asked how life has been since he underwent back surgery in L.A. for a herniated disk last month.

"Sad" ... Howard said ... adding, "Just a little sad that I can't be in Orlando with my teammates in the playoffs."

"I went back and forth with the doctor for a couple of days ... and he just said, 'Dwight I need you to stay here, I don't need you to go back home, I don't need you traveling on the plane ... anything.'"

"I feel like I'm in jail," Dwight said ... "I just really wish I could be there for my teammates."

Dwight says he's been watching every game and speaking with teammates since he's been sidelined ... "supporting them, telling them what they need to do."

But then the bombshell -- Dwight says he's been talking with Coach Van Gundy "a bunch of times since the playoffs began" ... shocking since Stan believes Dwight has been trying to get him fired from the head coaching job.

As for rumors that Dwight faked his injury ... Dwight says it's all B.S. -- claiming the fragment that was floating in his back was the largest fragment his world famous surgeon has ever seen.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West just started dating -- but all the signs (which we made up) point to them making a baby real soon ... an extremely powerful baby.

NueveMom is no mas ... this according to Univision ... which has information that could prove the woman who was allegedly pregnant with 9 babies ... isn't really pregnant at all.

Univision published a report ... claiming a reporter spoke with a Mexican doctor who performed an ultrasound on Karla Vanessa Perez ... and determined her uterus was "empty."

The doctor told a reporter ... she was unaware of any other ultrasounds that may have been performed ... and says the local Health Dept. is trying to find out who told Karla she was pregnant in the first place.