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Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul is clarifying some things following his now-viral response to missing Gangsta Boo's funeral, but tells TMZ Hip Hop he was still on the frontlines when it mattered the most.

In a statement, the Oscar-award-winning rapper confirmed his absence, but did admit to helping foot the bill.

He says, "The fact that I had to even address negative things being said behind the scenes is really bothersome, I spearheaded the planning and paid for the majority of Boo’s funeral. Others reached out to assist as their way of showing Boo love. It was only right to include them, as we all loved Boo."

We're told others such as Juicy J, 8Ball & MJG, and other kin all chipped in for the services and Paul wants the entire ordeal to be water under the bridge.

He concludes, "I have previously stated why I did not attend the funeral and this is exactly why, as I think bringing the attention is not appropriate. Boo and my relationship was ours alone, she knew (and knows) where my heart was in it. I don't have to explain that to anybody."

Paul let out his fiery Instagram response to fans around 4 AM Sunday morning, Paul explained how his presence at funerals unjustly attracts groupies and freeloaders.

Paul also dug further into the trolls with a history lesson … revealing he discovered Gangsta Boo as a teenager and oversaw all her top records.

The funeral still had a huge turnout — hundreds of mourners including fellow artists Drumma Boy, La Chat and GloRilla, Hittkidd, Memphitz and Glitter Gloss were among the filled the Brown Missionary Baptist Church in Southaven, MS to pay their respects.

Gangsta Boo's close friends Juicy J, Yelawolf and DJ EFN also sent in videos to make up for their absences, clearly wearing their emotions on their sleeves in the clips.

Rinat Akhmetov -- the billionaire owner of the Ukrainian soccer club Shakhtar Donetsk -- is taking a third of Mykhailo Mudryk's $75.8 million transfer fee from Chelsea and giving it back to his country ... donating $25 million to help soldiers fighting against Russia.

The 22-year-old winger's move to Chelsea was announced on Sunday ... in a record deal for any Ukrainian team.

Akhmetov -- who's reportedly worth around $4.3 billion -- addressed the transaction on Monday ... saying it's a bittersweet moment for him.

"On the one hand, I am happy for Mykhaylo and proud of him," Akhmetov said in a statement. "This guy is leading by example, showing that talent and hard work can make the impossible possible. I am absolutely confident that the entire Europe will acclaim Mykhaylo's brilliant and fine play."

"On the other hand, I have never made it a secret that my dream is to win European trophies. This means that players like Mudryk should be invited to our club, to our Ukrainian championship, and we should win European trophies with such players, rather than root for them, even when they play in the world's top clubs."

"Unfortunately, it is impossible now, as Ukraine is fighting the horrendous and unjust war waged against us by the Russian Federation. But, I am confident that we will win."

To do his part, Akhmetov says he is launching the Heart of Azovstal to help soldiers in Mariupol and their families as they continue to protect their country.

"Their acts of bravery are unparalleled in the modern history," Akhmetov said. "It is them, their sacrifice and courage that helped contain the enemy in the first months of the war and let all of us feel the inevitability of the Victory of Ukraine now."

Akhmetov says the massive $25 million donation will provide financial assistance for medical and prosthetic treatment, psychological support and more.

Juice WRLD's ex-girlfriend Ally Lotti and her boyfriend Carter Jamison were busted for shoplifting at an Arkansas Walmart over the weekend ... and cops say they found narcotics on Lotti during their search.

Ally was arrested by Crittenden County Sheriff's Office and booked on possession of methamphetamine or cocaine with the purpose to deliver at least 2 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft of property.

Her lawyer, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ Hip Hop Ally and Carter tried to scan their items in the self-checkout aisle on Saturday ... and believed they'd rung up everything -- until a security guard detained them at the door.

We're told that's when the drugs were discovered.

Carter was booked for theft of property and released without bond later that day.

Ally has now also been released and is currently celebrating Carter's new purchase that was waiting at home for her -- a brand new 2023 Mercedes-Benz to drive her troubles away.

Diddy's son Christian "King" Combs isn't accepting the "nepo baby" label critics keep tacking onto his name, but he's fully up to the challenge of upholding his dad's legacy!!!

We got King Wednesday at LAX and got his honest feedback on people automatically thinking he has a silver spoon in his mouth -- due to his father's bank account -- and he says that's one criticism he shrugs off.

KC tells us he understands the notoriety that comes along with being a rich kid, but calls his birthright as the Bad Boy heir apparent nothing short of a blessing.

Successful offspring of rich and famous parents have been under the microscope as of late, but as it turns out ... King's been earning his keep in the rap game lately.

He and Diddy made father-son history in November when their songs both hit No. 1 on different Billboard charts and the title of Christian's song, "Can't Stop Won't Stop," is now his life mantra.

Except when it comes to the haters, who KC says need to cease and desist their activity!!!

He recently posted another so-called "nepo baby" -- his new baby sister, Love Sean Combs. Could there be a #1 hit in her future???

Listen up, pro tennis players ... Rich Paul is offering some free business advice -- explaining to TMZ Sports he believes a career switch to pickleball could yield huge benefits for athletes if they officially traded in rackets for paddles.

Paul broke it all down for us at LAX this week ... about a month after he, Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios and others joined forces to own a Major League Pickleball team.

The founder of Klutch Sports Group said he believes the sport is awesome and about to take off -- and noted that if a pro tennis player made the switch over now, it might lead to a big windfall of cash and fame later on.

"Those that play tennis that may be, you know, average or a little bit above average could be really great at this," Paul said. "It may be a little more lucrative."

He continued, "If I was someone who played a different sport that was kind of, what I would say would be an evolution or somewhat similar to another sport, and it was new, and it was hot and lucrative, I would take a look at it myself."

MLP began in 2021 with just eight teams -- but as the sport, played on a smaller version of a tennis court with paddles and a plastic ball with holes in it, has grown ... the org. expects to have 24 teams this year.

Paul's new squad will be one of the '23 additions to the league ... and he told us he's stoked for the potential it has, and the influx of talent that could be headed its way when people realize it.

As for his best friend LeBron James -- the King has also invested in MLP ... and is scheduled to actually compete against Paul's team this year.

Zedd probably doesn't need it, but he's about to get a little extra change in his pocket -- he finally found someone to take his snazzy Beverly Hills mansion off his hands.

Our real estate sources say the famed DJ has a buyer for his $18.5 million palace in Benedict Canyon, which is just above Bev Hills. The home spent quite a bit of time on the market before he relisted it last year.

And, while it has a hefty price tag ... it's actually a discount from its original listing of $26.5M back in 2021. You'll recall, he scored the baller mansion back in 2018.

Now the new homeowner is gonna enjoy some pretty cool features including ... a master suite with wrap-around glass walls, a soundproof theater, indoor/outdoor gym and a gorgeous infinity pool.

And, ya can't forget the incredible views overlooking the hills!

The kitchen has 2 built-in smokeless hibachi grills and high-end appliances -- and there's a ton of outdoor space, including a private outdoor terrace.

No word if he got his asking price, but we're told Zedd's accepted the buyer's offer, and the home went under contract earlier this month. Both sides are just waiting to finalize the sale.

Jen Shah's going to get her head checked once she finishes her stint in the big house ... and it's all Uncle Sam's idea.

It's a few years in her future, but the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star has a couple special conditions for her eventual prison release -- and, according to new docs we obtained, chief among them is a requirement to participate in a mental health treatment program.

Remember ... Jen was recently sentenced to 6.5 years behind bars in her wire fraud case, and she's supposed to surrender to authorities on February 17 to start serving her sentence at a federal penitentiary in Texas.

Once Jen serves her time, she's going to be under 5 years of supervised release ... during which she's got to do her mental health treatments.

At her sentencing, Jen got emotional as she apologized ... saying, "With the proper medication I can now see what happened."

The docs say Jen must continue to take her prescribed meds when she gets out of prison, unless her health care provider decides otherwise.

Jen's probation officer has to sign off on the mental health program she chooses ... and she may be subject to testing to see whether she's reverting to drug and alcohol use.

Lisa Marie Presley's death has not only devastated her family, but it's left a big question as to who will get full custody of her twin daughters ... with the makings of a potential legal war.

Sources connected to the Presley family tell us Michael Lockwood -- the father of 14-year-old twins Finley and Harper -- will absolutely go to court to get full custody of his daughters. As one source connected to Lockwood tells us, "It'll be a cold day in hell before he gives up custody of those children."

At the time of Lisa Marie's death, she had 60% custody of their twins ... he had 40%. Under California law, Lockwood would ordinarily get full custody, unless a judge determines he's not a fit parent.

Now here's the rub. Our sources say Danny Keough, Lisa Marie's ex who was living with her and the twins at the time of her death, sees himself as the stepfather of the kids. There's a ton of bad blood between Keough and Lockwood, and there are rumblings within the family he might fight to get custody of the kids.

Some members of the family have not discounted the possibility Riley Keough, the daughter of Lisa Marie and Danny, would also make a case for custody. And, there's talk Priscilla Presley might do the same. We do not know if either will actually make a move in court.

Now here's the wild card. The twins are old enough that the judge will give weight to their preference. We do not know their feelings about custody.

As you may know, Lisa Marie's divorce from Lockwood was incredibly nasty, with allegations of drug use and child abuse hurled around. It went on for 5 years.

TMZ broke the story -- Lisa Marie went into full cardiac arrest at home Thursday morning. Danny performed CPR until paramedics arrived, and while they were able to get a pulse, she died a few hours later at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center.

We're told Danny, Michael, the twins and other family members all gathered at Priscilla Presley's home Thursday night -- devastated by the loss.

Charlotte Hornets forward Kelly Oubre Jr. claims a luxury clothing company screwed him on a six-figure deal ... and now, TMZ Sports has learned he's suing over it all.

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County on Friday ... and, according to the docs, it all stems from a pact Oubre Jr. attempted to make with former pro basketball player Patrick Christopher and his company, Sloan And Bennett, in 2021.

Oubre claims he asked Christopher and his co. to help him make products for his own clothing line, DopeSoul. He says in the suit Patrick agreed to provide him with items for DopeSoul's Capsule 001 and 002 collections.

The 28-year-old hooper says he sent over hundreds of thousands of dollars to Christopher ... expecting to receive clothing in return.

The problem ... Oubre Jr. claimed Christopher never delivered what he promised -- saying simply in the suit "the defendants did not perform."

Oubre Jr. said "for months" Christopher and his company dodged him and made excuses for why the products weren't available.

Finally, according to the suit, Christopher and his co. "shipped what they could scrape together" in 2022 ... but it included "incomplete, damaged, and defective goods."

Oubre Jr. is suing for breach of contract, fraud and more ... asking for damages of at least $94,250, and maybe a lot more.

T-Pain revealed he’s wiser and $400k poorer now that his “Big Ass Chain” means nothing to him -- but O.T. Genasis knows from experience ... you can spend money on a lot worse!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught the “Cut It” rapper out in Hollywood and he feels Teddy Pain shouldn’t feel ashamed of dropping 6-figures on his now obsolete chain ... mainly because it bought him some exposure that was priceless!!!

T-Pain openly admitted on Nappy Boy Radio that diamonds and gold had depreciated on his watch ... but keeps the chain handy to remind himself of his "dumbest" purchase ever!!!

O.T. says mentioning the chain instantly rang a bell for him ... and he thinks T-Pain’s chain worked wonders for his branding and marketing aspects.

Enes Kanter Freedom -- an outspoken critic of human rights violations worldwide -- has been declared one of Turkey's most wanted terrorists ... with the government issuing a $530K bounty for information leading to the arrest of the former NBA player.

According to the Turkish Minute, Turkey's Interior Ministry issued its “Terrorist Wanted List", which included the 30-year-old longtime NBA player, accused of being a member of a terrorist organization.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the gov. also put up a reward of 10 million Turkish liras -- equivalent to around $532K U.S. dollars -- for anyone who puts Kanter behind bars.

“I’m not the only one. There are so many innocent journalists, academics, athletes, activists and educators on this list. Now their lives are in danger because of the Turkish government,” Enes told TM.

Freedom hasn't been shy when criticizing Erdogan over the years, previously referring to the leader as a "dictator" and the "Hitler of our century."

"Because of my platform, whenever I say something, it goes everywhere, and the Turkish government hates that," Freedom told the NY Post this week. "They’re really sick of it, and they said, ‘Enough is enough,’ and doing whatever they can to shut me up."

Kanter, who legally changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom, spent 13 seasons in the NBA ... playing for the Jazz, Thunder, Knicks, Trailblazers, and, most recently, the Boston Celtics in 2021-22. He became a U.S. citizen in 2021.

Despite the bounty recently being issued, the Turkish government has been trying to silence Kanter for years. Now, however, Enes is concerned for his safety, believing he will now be the target of not just the government.

“That makes it so dangerous,” Kanter said to the Post.

“Before the bounty, Turkish intelligence was after the people on the list, but now everyone is after them because they want the money.”

Andrew Callaghan, the "All Gas No Brakes" host and star of HBO's new documentary "This Place Rules," is responding to sexual misconduct allegations against him ... claiming one of the alleged victims asked him for serious dough before making her accusation public.

A legal rep for the journalist tells TMZ, "Andrew is devastated that he is being accused of any type of physical or mental coercion against anyone. Conversations about pressure and consent are extremely important and Andrew wants to have these conversations, so he can continue to learn and grow."

Adding, "While every dynamic is open to interpretation and proper communication is critical from all those involved, repeated requests for money should not be part of these conversations."

For those unaware, Andrew started getting heat on TikTok after a woman named Caroline Elise recounted an alleged incident between her and Andrew -- claiming he got her consent to sleep together by wearing her down.

A source with direct knowledge tells us Caroline requested money from Andrew, referencing the "fat check" he got from HBO for his documentary. She allegedly asked to be paid just minutes before the doc aired.

We're told Andrew didn't pay up, and Caroline uploaded the TikTok a few days later -- urging others to come forward, which is exactly what happened.

Popeyes meme kid Dieunerst Collin's dreams are finally coming true ... the internet-sensation-turned-college-athlete just inked an NIL deal with the popular fast food chain!!

Popeyes tells TMZ Sports ... the chicken joint is officially partnering with Collin after it was brought to its attention that he was the kid in the viral Vine video from back in the day.

As part of the newly-cemented business relationship, Collin will be featured on a billboard near his hometown in New Jersey.

As we previously reported, 18-year-old Dieunerst publicly campaigned to join forces with Popeyes, writing on social media, "@popeyes I JUST WANNA TALK BUISNESS."

The current Lake Erie College offensive lineman asked people on social media to help him secure the deal ... and it actually worked out for him!!

"A lot can happen with the power of the internet behind you!" Collin said. "I can’t believe I can say I’m officially sponsored by Popeyes."

"Thank you to everyone who helped spread the good word!"

Collin's NIL deal with Popeyes is the latest good news for the 6'1", 330-pound football player ... he won a state championship with his high school, East Orange Campus, in NJ in 2021.

T-Pain is wishing he never slapped down 6 figures on his infamous "Big Ass Chain," but wants it to be a living cautionary tale for other rappers looking to ice up.

Mr. Penderazzdown was speaking with Oliver Tree on his Nappy Boy Radio segment when he admitted the hefty purchase ran him about $400k back in the day. The most painful part, though … he says the chain's now depreciated to about $200K!!! 😓

T-Pain relived the chain’s origin -- he says a random fan dared him to get the diamond-encrusted wonder with the words "Big Ass Chain," and he did it on a whim!!!

The fan still has never been ID'ed to this day, and T-Pain says he keeps the chain around as a reminder not to be dumb with his moolah.

Financial literacy and rapper's extravagant purchases are like oil and water, but Charlamagne Tha God recently set off the conversation about depreciating assets with a simple, yet hilarious, post.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are lookin' as unbothered as they can in their first public appearance since Prince Harry's bombshell new memoir aired out a ton of royal family dirt -- much of it related to his brother.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were smiling from ear to ear Thursday as they left Windsor Castle and took off to Liverpool ... where royal fans/subjects greeted them at the opening of a new hospital.

While their faces say everything's peachy keen, Harry's "Spare" has to be on their minds. As it's been WIDELY reported, Harry unloaded his side of the royal family drama in the book, revealing he and Wills have been bitter rivals since even before Meghan Markle came into the picture.

Of course, the Duke of Sussex says things got even more heated post-Megan -- claiming big bro William grabbed him by the collar, ripped his necklace, and knocked him to the ground during a 2019 fight sparked by William allegedly calling Meghan "difficult" and "rude."

It is an interesting coincidence Kate and William are in Liverpool ... birthplace of The Beatles. In better days, at least publicly, royal watchers referred to Harry, Megan, William and Kate as the new Fab Four.

Kobe Bryant's game-worn jersey from his sole MVP season is about to hit the auction block ... and TMZ Sports has learned it could sell for a whopping $7 million!!!

The signed Purple and Gold threads are from Bryant's 2007-08 season -- the only time the legend won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award in his 20-year career -- which he wore for 25 games, including 6 playoff matchups.

Sotheby's, which is hosting the auction, tells us the item is the "most valuable Kobe Bryant game-worn jersey to ever appear at auction" as the Lakers legend "scored a total of 645 points over 8 months in this jersey."

He averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game that season and led the Lakers to the NBA Finals.

What also makes the jersey so rare -- Kob signed the gear by writing his first name on the stitched number on the back.

FYI, this is also the same jersey Kobe was seen tugging on in the first round of the 2008 playoffs -- one of Bryant's most iconic photos of all time.

"This jersey has influenced popular culture in a way that is seldom seen in the sports community, becoming iconic and synonymous with the image of Kobe Bryant," Sotheby's said.

"In California alone, there are more than 15 murals depicting him in this jersey, with wings, American flags, and snakes in the background."

The jersey is expected to sell for anywhere between $5-7 million when bidding opens up on Feb. 2.

The current record for the most expensive piece of Kobe memorabilia is a worn, autographed jersey from his rookie year ... which sold for $3.7 million in 2021.