Kids

R. Kelly has just been sentenced in Chicago to 20 years for his federal sex crimes case.

The disgraced singer was in federal court in Illinois Thursday ... 19 of the years will be served concurrent with the sentence he's carrying out now, while the final year will be consecutive.

Prosecutors recommended a 25-year sentence and asked that it be served on top of the time he's already serving behind bars.

As we reported, Kelly was accused of abusing 4 people, 3 being minors, in this case and faced child pornography charges. He was found guilty on 6 of 13 charges, with the jury convicting him on the child pornography counts, but acquitting him on charges of conspiracy and enticement.

U.S. Attorney Jon Lausch at the time said his sentencing could range anywhere from 10-90 years ... but Kelly seemed to catch a small break earlier this year -- even if it won't make a big effect on his time in prison.

Charges against Kelly from Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx were dropped in January, with Kelly's attorney Jennifer Bonjean telling us Foxx decided to not pursue the case because he's been convicted twice of similar crimes and is already looking at the possibility of a lifetime lockup.

As you know, R. Kelly's currently serving a 30-year sentence for federal racketeering from a conviction in New York.

The parents of one of the Black elementary school students targeted with heinous racist drawings are blaming it on the parents of the offending classmates, making a fairly compelling case ... the racism comes from somewhere.

The crayon drawings are shocking ... one read, "You're my favorite monkey,' and another reads, "To my favorite cotton picker." Another student was told she would get a drawing with the image of a black person hanging from a tree, with the caption, "You're my favorite slave."

The drawings were supposedly passed out by students during Black History Month at Pepper Tree Elementary School in the Southern California town of Upland.

Parents of the children targeted are outraged, but not necessarily at the kids. They point to the parents, because what child knows these words and phrases?

The Upland School District called the incident "racially insensitive" ... a remarkable understatement.

Before this kid curled up on the couch turned into a musical genius and a fan favorite to millions, he was braving the Canadian cold, becoming fluent in French and dreaming of making it big one day in La La land.

This guy does not mess around when it comes to fashion ... One might argue his signature look is a red suit jacket and black pants, but when he first appeared on the scene you'd probably recognize him by his tied-up locs and sleek goatee.

Need one more hint? He's headlined at Coachella and even stayed "After Hours."

Before this sweet girl with her party hat turned into a media personality and a talented actress, she was just gearing up for her birthday bash, hanging with her two sisters and growing up in Houston, Texas.

She's been making you laugh since her Vine debut back in 2013 and with much success, she has hosted a plethora of TV shows and award shows. For those of you "Freakish" fans out there ... this cute kid played the role of Violet Adams.

Need one more clue? In November 2016, she interviewed Barack Obama on her YouTube channel.

It's great to be a Super Bowl champ, and apparently it's great to be a Super Bowl champ's daughter too ... 'cause Patrick Mahomes threw his 2-year-old a huge birthday party Sunday -- and it was epic.

The Chiefs star QB and his wife, Brittany, invited over some of their baby's closest pals and put on a huge dessert-themed bash to celebrate Sterling Mahomes' big life moment ... and it was clear, they spared no expense for the occasion.

The festivities -- aptly named "Sterling's Two Sweet" -- included a bunch of sugary treats, a ball pit, a bouncy house and some slides.

There were also plenty of play areas, stuffed animals and even ... fitness bikes?!

At one point, Mom and Sterling -- joined by Patrick and baby brother Bronze -- blew out the candles on a cake ... while everyone cheered on.

After the party wound down, the Mahomes fam headed back home ... and while there, they gave Sterling her bday present -- a Chanel purse!

Of course, going all out for their daughter is nothing new for the Mahomeses -- just last year, they had a butterfly-themed party for her, complete with hundreds of balloons and cotton candy.

You can count Bob West, the original voice of Barney, among the minority who are feeling the reimagined purple dinosaur, and he tells us the new -- let's say more energized -- look is exactly what the franchise needs.

Bob, who became the voice of Barney way back in 1988, tells TMZ ... it's really exciting to see Barney making a comeback after 14 years off the grid, and the friendly dino's spruced-up image fits with the times.

Of course, Bob's reaction is a far cry from the popular sentiment being shared online ... with most folks dragging the rebooted Barney all over social media.

But Bob, who voiced Barney on "Barney & Friends" on PBS from 1992 to 2000, says the franchise needed fresh programming and a fresh image ... and he's excited to see what the future holds for the new Barney.

Mattel says the new show won't debut until next year, and Bob tells us he's hoping to voice the character again ... he even did the classic voice for us, and he's still got it down! He hasn't been contacted or spoken to anyone from the production yet, but he'd love to chat with 'em if the role's still open.

Bob says there's a balance between honoring tradition and bringing Barney up to date ... and he thinks his voice work could bridge that gap.

It's funny ... Bob says lots of parents who introduce their kids to the OG Barney hire him to send Barney voice messages to their kids, but all they have to show their children are old VHS tapes and grainy footage.

Before this cutie patootie with her little hair bow turned into a model and singer, she was just giving her best pout face on the swing set, while growing up with her two little princes in Beverly Hills, California.

Being that her father was quite the thrilling performer, she definitely grew up surrounded by some of Hollywood's hottest stars. Let's face it, her godparents are Elizabeth Taylor and Macaulay Culkin. Today, you've probably seen her on the catwalk struttin' her beautiful looks and cool tats!

Need one more clue? She is part of the duo-music group "The Soundflowers."

A preschool in Miami is under fire for intentionally putting blackface on some students ... a move staffers proudly touted as a way to celebrate Black History Month.

Parents found out on Feb. 3 what was happening at Studio Kids Little River -- which has a preschool and daycare facilities. One parent, Courtney Politis, who had 2 kids at Studio, tells TMZ she was made aware of the incident by another concerned mom.

She says pictures of at least 2 toddlers in blackface were posted by a teacher on the school's internal app. As you can imagine, those pics started circulating, showing 2-year-olds dressed in police and construction worker costumes, with dark makeup plastered on their faces.

Politis says she brought this up to the preschool's director, Patricia Vitale, to express her outrage ... but claims Vitale downplayed the racist nature of it, asking why it was a big deal.

However, afterward, Vitale sent a letter to all the parents of the preschool ... writing in part, "We have not intended to offend anyone, and we’re very sorry about any inconvenience."

A few days later, Vitale sent another message that was a little more serious. The letter read, "We wanted to let all the parents know that we met on Friday afternoon with all the teachers and staff. We went over several ethical and multicultural education points. I will teach the team a class covering all the necessary topics regarding US history and multicultural education." She added, "[Y]ou may rest assured this will never happen again."

Politis tells us that, as far as she knows, the teacher who did this didn't face any real repercussions beyond a possible talking-to. Although, she's not calling for the teacher to be fired ... she does want there to be some discipline to show this just wasn't right.

Now, as for whether this is part of a larger political issue in FL -- involving Gov. Ron DeSantis' opposition to "wokeness" -- Politis says she doesn't necessarily see a direct tie there ... instead, she points to the fact the people who run the school are Argentinian.

Bam Margera's wife has tried for years to make things work with her estranged husband, but has apparently decided there's nothing more she can do ... filing for legal separation.

Nicole Boyd filed separation papers Wednesday in L.A. citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the breakdown in her marriage with Bam.

The two have a 5-year-old son, Phoenix, together -- Nicole's asking for both legal and physical custody -- but will allow for Bam to get supervised visitation as long as he foots the bill and it happens in L.A. County.

Nicole is also asking the court to award her spousal support.

Bam and Nicole got hitched in October 2013, and she lists the date of their separation as September 2021.

TMZ broke the story, Nicole filed legal docs back in September 2021 asking the court to award her custody of Phoenix, however, at the time, she didn't file divorce documents.

Terrifying moment for Jon Jones and his family ... the UFC legend says his 9-year-old daughter came face-to-face with an agitated wild bobcat, but thankfully, she wasn't hurt.

The Jones fam lives in Albuquerque, NM ... and the area was hit with a winter snowstorm Tuesday night. Jon says someone accidentally left the door to his guest house ajar ... and as you're about to find out, a wild bobcat hit the jackpot, finding a warm place to rest.

Fast forward to Wednesday morning ... Jon says his daughter Olivia went to the guest house to retrieve a pair of sneakers, but she got a lot more than a Chuck Taylor.

"After completely walking into the room she was met with an aggressive hissing sound, she jumped on a countertop and a bobcat sprung out from underneath the bed, it stared at her," Jon wrote, describing the harrowing situation.

Jones -- who will return to the Octagon at UFC 284 in March -- says the bobcat ultimately bolted in the opposite direction ... a huge relief for dad.

"I'm so incredibly grateful this morning, that could've turned out so many different ways. Been thanking God all morning 🙌🏽"

Michael Jordan's birthday is on Friday ... but instead of throwing a big bash ahead of turning 60 years old, the basketball legend is donating $10 MILLION to a great cause.

The Hall of Famer announced the massive contribution to the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Wednesday ... saying he's been "honored" to work with the organization since 1989, helping put a smile on kids' faces through hundreds of granted requests.

"Witnessing their strength and resilience during such a tough time in their lives has truly been an inspiration," MJ said in a statement.

Make-A-Wish says Jordan has granted hundreds of wishes for kids since 1989 ... and has consistently been one of the most-requested celebrities among those battling serious health issues.

Of course, there will be tons of tributes pouring in for #23 when he turns the big 6-0 ... and the G.O.A.T. is asking his fans to follow his lead and make a donation for the cause in honor of the birthday.

Before this fresh kid in his snapback and windbreaker turned into an actor and a teen heartthrob, he was just growing up in the south, playing hockey and mastering his shaggy hair and ripped physique.

He was banking on making it big as a hockey player, although it turns out there were other plans in store for this cool kiddo! And, for all you Donna Summer and Kygo fans, you probably saw him in the "Hot Stuff" music video chumming up to his co-star Madelyn Cline.

If you still can't guess this little guy ... well, stranger things have happened!

Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde's former nanny -- who allegedly blabbed to the media about them -- is now taking the ex-couple to court ... claiming they drove her to her wit's end and then some.

The woman's name is Ericka Genaro, and she just filed suit against both actors -- for whom she previously worked between 2018 and 2021. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Genaro makes even more allegations about the dynamic during this rocky time in the partnership.

According to her ... Olivia abandoned the household, by and large, in 2020 -- around the time she reportedly started her romance with Harry Styles -- and it was because of this that Genaro claims a lot of pressure was put on her to fill in on multiple fronts.

Beyond just being the primary live-in nanny caring for OW and JS's two kids ... Genaro claims she also started to become a shoulder for Jason to lean on -- staying after hours for him to vent and talk about the delicate situation.

While Genaro says she gave Jason her ear, she also says this lopped on an incredible amount of stress and anxiety that she claims became debilitating -- on top of this, she also says her work duties started to be in way more demand, allegedly working round-the-clock.

Genaro says Olivia's absence from the home forced her to fill in on mom duties Olivia would normally undertake -- and she even says she confronted Olivia about this in person while she was filming "Don't Worry Darling" -- claiming Olivia came off as sympathetic and understanding.

However, Genaro says she flipped on a dime ... because she says Jason confronted her about this convo she allegedly had with Olivia, and that increased the tension in the household -- as Genaro says she felt she had to pick sides. Genaro says this anxiety became unbearable and that she was advised by medical professionals that she had to stop working ... essentially, she was given doctor's orders to take a 3-day break from the job.

But Genaro claims Jason wasn't receptive of this ... and allegedly fired her on the spot when she made this known to him.

Genaro claims she was wrongfully terminated, and alleges that Jason and Olivia violated several employment laws in California -- now asking for major damages under FEHA.

We've reached out to reps for Jason and Olivia on the lawsuit ... so far, no word back. But in October, Jason and Olivia told us of the nanny, "As parents, it is incredibly upsetting to learn that a former nanny of our two young children would choose to make such false and scurrilous accusations about us publicly."

Ryan McKenna is learning life comes at you fast ... 5 years ago he was cheesing with Justin Timberlake in a viral Super Bowl moment at age 13, and on the eve of this year's big game cops say he was drunk and fighting with friends in a California Pizza Kitchen.

Ryan, famous for snapping a selfie with Justin on live TV in front of 113.7 million viewers during the Super Bowl 52 halftime show, had another eventful Super Bowl weekend ... only this time, we've learned he ended up in jail on a felony charge.

According to the arrest report, obtained by TMZ, cops were called to a shopping center in Naples, FL on Saturday night for a report of a man who was drunk and hitting his friend inside a CPK.

When police arrived, officers say a 15-year-old boy told them he was friends with Ryan but they had gotten into an argument that escalated to the point where 18-year-old Ryan stood up and aggressively pushed their table and started yelling obscenities at the boy's girlfriend.

Cops say they were talking to the 15-year-old when Ryan interrupted and started arguing with the boy. Police say Ryan was asked to step away but he kept arguing with the boy until cops got Ryan to calm down, step away and wait.

Police say shopping center security asked to have Ryan escorted off the property ... and while explaining the process to Ryan, cops say his behavior turned aggressive ... waving his arms, yelling and trying to approach the 15-year-old boy.

Cops say they put their hands on Ryan's chest to stop him from confronting the kid, but Ryan continued yelling and grabbed the officers' hands and removed them from his chest.

Police say that's when they tried to place Ryan in handcuffs and detain him ... officers claim he resisted, so they took him to the ground, where they say he continued resisting until finally putting his hands behind his back and getting cuffed.

Cops say Ryan was hauled off to Naples Jail Center and booked for felony battery on a law enforcement officer and two misdemeanors -- resisting arrest and obstruction of an officer.

Barney is back with a brand new look, but not everyone is feeling the digital makeover ... dragging the reboot character all across the internet.

Mattel Television made the major announcement Monday, revealing the throwback show "Barney & Friends" is making a comeback. The company also showed off a brand new Barney for the reimagined franchise.

However, the 'new and improved' Barney -- set to officially debut in 2024 -- clearly isn't sitting well with the majority of folks on social media.

One user wrote, "THAT AIN’T BARNEY BRUH THEY DID MY MANS DIRTY"." ... another said, "Why does Barney look like he’s sky high cracked on cocaine? That face is unsettling as hell."

Demi Lovato got her start on Barney in the early 2000s -- and her mom, Dianna De La Garza, also had something to say about the new look, "Aww man… I hate change😂".

"Barney & Friends" debuted in 1992 and aired all the way until November 2010.

Now, Mattel says the Barney reboot will be expanding to film, YouTube and music ... in addition to the TV series and a wide range of kids' products, which includes toys, books and clothing.

Before this curly-headed kiddo was hitting the high octaves on the mic, he was casting his fishing rod, listening to his favorite musicians like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, and growing up in Memphis, Tennessee.

This (ex) boy-bander once upon a time rocked bandanas and bleached his hair like it was his day job, and he was quite the Mouseketeer. Today, his occupation includes parenting, singing and bringing sexy back.

Need one more hint? He stirred up quite the media frenzy after his 2004 Super Bowl performance.

"Don't be so quick to, walk away ... Dance with me!"