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Before this little singer's pipes blew away America (and Simon Cowell), she was just getting all dolled up in her white dress, gearing up for her big solo and growing up in Chicago, Illinois with her sister and brother.

From the American Idol stage to the big screen, this singing machine can also act, and she played the smart and comical assistant to Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) in "Sex And The City: The Movie."

Need one more hint? She was a "Dreamette" alongside Beyonce and Anika Noni Rose.

Amanda Bynes was having relationship problems the week before she was found roaming the streets naked ... her ex-fiancé says they broke up ahead of her mental breakdown.

Paul Michael tells TMZ ... two weeks before Amanda's breakdown, she had disappeared for 3 days and finally came home with another guy. They argued, she said she didn't care about him anymore and they ended the relationship. Paul packed up his things and left their home.

Paul says he was shocked at her disappearance and behavior, because up to that point, she seemed stable ... focusing on her nail care business and seemingly happy.

He thinks something happened to her and whatever it was happened quickly, because when she returned home with the guy Amanda seemed like a different person. A little more than a week later, Amanda was in desperate shape.

TMZ broke the story ... Amanda was walking near Downtown L.A. March 19 without any clothes. She waved a car down and told the driver she was coming down from a psychotic episode. Amanda borrowed the driver's phone and called 911 herself. She was placed on a psychiatric hold for 3 and a half weeks.

Paul says he hasn't spoken with Amanda since he left their home.

Loads of homes connected to infamous names have been demolished over the years ... so take a look at some pads with dark, dark clouds that have been met with a wrecking ball.

Jeffrey Epstein's Florida mansion was razed in 2021 -- while other infamous names like Whitey Bulger and Jeffrey Dahmer had properties surrounding their names torn down, too.

Harvey Weinstein recently had his massive Connecticut house torn down -- it's located on one of the most expensive streets in Westport, CT and he decided to sell the place in 2018, just as he started catching heat over his misdeeds.

The redwood home where Sharon Tate and 5 others were murdered was turned into dust back in '94 ... eventually replaced with an enormous mansion.

Speaking of '94 ... O.J. Simpson's Brentwood mansion got bulldozed in the late '90s, only a few years after he was acquitted for the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

Pablo Escobar had a MASSIVE Miami compound smack on the water during his drug reign, but it was seized by the feds in the '80s ... getting razed in 2016.

Tons of celebrities made sure they were in attendance for the Lakers' play-in game Tuesday night ... and they no doubt were glad they came -- 'cause L.A. won in an instant classic!!

Tennis legend John McEnroe had courtside seats for the playoff-clinching game with the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena -- as did Michael B. Jordan, Jimmy Iovine and Corey Gamble.

All were treated to a helluva contest ... as L.A. and Minnesota went back and forth for about three hours -- before LeBron James' squad came out on top in overtime, 108-102.

It took a herculean effort from the Lakers superstar to get his team the victory -- the 38-year-old led all scorers with 30 points ... and was a huge reason L.A. came back from down 15 to secure its spot in the playoffs.

The win was massive for Bron's team ... if they had lost -- they would have had to play the winner of Wednesday's Oklahoma City vs. New Orleans matchup in what would have been a do-or-die game for the last spot in the playoffs.

Now, however, they're safely in ... and will play a series against the Memphis Grizzlies to try to continue their advance in the postseason.

Other celebs in attendance for the big L.A. win included Al Michaels -- who looked super chipper outside the arena before the game began.

Film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, singer Rosalia and comedian Sebastian Maniscalco were all there as well.

Halle Berry clearly loves a meal and a show, especially when she can get in on the action ... as she did while having an absolute BLAST at a drag queen brunch!

The actress gave the crowd and the paid performers a Sunday to remember at WeHo's La Boheme Drag Queen Brunch ... showing up with her boyfriend Van Hunt and a friend for some good fun and grub.

Halle's certainly enjoying herself in the video, doing her best to grind out some moves with one of the performers -- and the crowd goes crazy over the rare sighting. Not everyday ya see an Oscar winner cutting loose like this. God bless those mimosas, right?!

It looks like the pro queens had no clue she was gonna be in attendance ... but that didn't stop them from snapping some pics with Halle after her impromptu number.

As you know, the 56-year-old recently rocked the Internet by posting a nude photo on social media -- some gave the actress a bunch of support, while a few trolls took misogynistic potshots.

The Air Jordan 13s worn by Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA Finals sold for $2,238,000 ... the highest price ever paid at auction for a pair of sneakers!!

Sotheby's announced the historic sale of the iconic kicks on Tuesday ... rocked by MJ during the pivotal Game 2 matchup against the Utah Jazz. With the Bulls down 1-0 in the series, Jordan lived up to his clutch reputation, scoring 37 points with five rebounds and three assists in the pivotal game, evening the series at 1 game a piece.

Jordan sported the Bred -- shorthand for black and red -- AJs routinely throughout his career, but make no mistake, this pair is rare. They're the only complete set (left and right shoe) worn by Michael during a Finals game.

Sotheby's says MeiGray, the official authenticator of the NBA, used photo matching to verify the sneakers, originally gifted to a ball boy after the game, were the real deal.

The ball boy previously unloaded the shoes and was not the consignor.

The whopping sale price, despite it being shocking, wasn't necessarily a surprise. Experts predicted the kicks would bring in between $2 and $4 MILLION.

The record-setting sale comes just days after the movie "Air," starring Ben Affleck as Nike founder Phil Knight, and Matt Damon, portraying talent scout Sonny Vaccaro, hit theatres. The film tells the story of MJ's signing with the Swoosh.

Michael's original deal with Nike was worth around $2.5 million ... and 39 years later, a single pair of Jordan's sold for nearly the entire value of his OG deal.

Will Smith couldn't look happier to be back in the swing of things ... smiling during his latest gig since the infamous slap at the Oscars.

Will was on set Tuesday in Atlanta, filming "Bad Boys 4" and fully in character as Det. Mike Lowrey.

He's definitely grinning through the work, although, it's hard to say if that's Will smiling or his character.

It's not the first time we've seen WS doing movie star stuff since his infamous 2022 assault on Chris Rock. Will, Jada, and his whole fam first stepped out for the "Emancipation" film premiere last December -- and he's also been filming at least one other project.

As you you know Will was involved in one of the biggest moments in Oscars history ... when he stormed on stage and smacked host Chris Rock dead in the face.

Amanda Bynes has been released from a mental hospital more than 3 weeks after she was first admitted for treatment ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Bynes tell us she was released Monday from the facility in Southern California after both Amanda and the medical staff determined she was ready to get back to her day-to-day life.

As we first told you, Amanda will start outpatient treatment to make sure she stays on the right path, working with doctors and specialists for the help she needs moving forward.

Our sources say Amanda will live in her own home, as she was before the hospitalization, and keep much of the independence she earned after 9 years in a conservatorship.

TMZ broke the story ... it was last month when Amanda was spotted naked and roaming the streets early morning near Downtown Los Angeles.

A witness tells us it was Amanda who flagged down a nearby vehicle, signaling she needed help. From there, Amanda called 911 and let operators know she was under some sort of psychosis and needed assistance.

Marques Houston says he's a happily married man and Internet trolls poking fun at the huge age difference between his wife and him ... will just have to find a new hobby.

We caught the R&B vet out Monday evening in L.A. amid the rabid backlash against his TV One special, "Uncensored." The first trailer for it has some people irate because it highlights how he first met his young bride Miya, fueling speculation she was a minor when they started dating.

Marques insists he's not sweating the opinions of strangers, he's well aware everyone has them -- and what he really wanted to clarify is he started dating Miya when she was 18 ... and they were married a year later.

She's now 22, while he's 41. They welcomed their first child in December 2021, and he says it's been bliss ever since.

He says the online misconception began when someone allegedly published the wrong birthdate for Miya ... leading folks to believe she was underage when their relationship began.

Jeremy Renner continues to make a miraculous recovery from his near-death snowplow accident -- he strolled into Jimmy Kimmel's studio, fully on his own power.

The 'Avengers' star was using only a cane Monday in Hollywood, as he headed into the studio to shoot his appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

It's pretty incredible to see Jeremy using his legs like this ... remember he's only a little over 3 months removed from being completely crushed by a snowplow on New Year's Day at his Nevada home.

Jeremy's injuries included more than 30 broken bones, plus a collapsed lung and punctured lung ... just to name a few.

When he took his family to Six Flags on Good Friday, he needed a motorized scooter to get around the amusement park ... and we've previously seen him using an anti-gravity treadmill to strengthen his legs and get those muscles working again.

Jeremy's continuing his media blitz now that he's recovering at his L.A. home.

Before going on Kimmel, he described the enormity of his injuries and pain during a special interview with Diane Sawyer, which included a bone-chilling animation showing how he was hurt.

Hilary Swank had her hands full on Easter Sunday, but in a good way as she posed with 2 new bundles of joy in her arms.

The 2-time Oscar-winning actress took to Instagram to show the world her twin babies -- a boy and a girl -- after she had recently given birth.

In the photo, Hilary was seen holding the infants close to her chest while staring at a beautiful sunset with a caption that read ... "It wasn’t easy. But boy (and girl!) was it worth it. Happy Easter! Posting from pure Heaven."

As you might recall, Hilary announced in October she and her second husband, entrepreneur Philip Schneider, were expecting.

At the time, she told "Good Morning America" that she had been longing to be a mom and was overjoyed that she was having twins with Philip, who she had married in 2018.

Celeb pals Sharon Stone, Sophia Bush and Viola Davis showered Hilary with support after seeing the photo of her newborns.

Sharon wrote, "God bless honey This is the most extraordinary journey ever ❣️so happy for you all."

"One Tree Hill" star Shantel VanSanten's actor hubby is calling it quits on their marriage ... filing for divorce after the couple said "I Do" less than 2 years ago, and they said it a whopping 3 times.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Shantel's husband Victor Webster filed for divorce in January, citing their date of separation as the 10th.

They don't have any kids together, and the reason for their split is unclear -- he didn't even check the box for "irreconcilable differences" in the divorce docs.

The now-estranged couple was super into each other back in 2021 when they tied the knot -- holding wedding ceremonies not once, not twice, but 3 times. The first one being an intimate courthouse marriage on Shantel's grandparents' wedding anniversary.

They followed it up with a Napa wedding, and then a third and final time in her hometown of Luverne, Minnesota.

Shantel played Quinn James on "One Tree Hill," and Lori in the 'Final Destination' flicks ... while Victor's been on "Days of Our Lives" and "Melrose Place."

Michael Lerner -- famous for roles in 'Elf,' 'Barton Fink,' 'Godzilla' and tons of other shows and movies -- has died ... this according to his family.

The actor's nephew, Sam Lerner, broke the sad news Sunday -- taking to IG with a lengthy caption about his uncle, writing ... "We lost a legend last night. It’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me."

Sam adds, "His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special. Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was— in the best way. I’m so lucky I got to spend so much time with him, and we’re all lucky we can continue to watch his work for the rest of time."

He ends with ... "RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon." The exact circumstances surrounding his death are unclear.

Michael will, perhaps, be best remembered for his standout role in the 2003 Will Ferrell comedy -- where he played James Caan's hard-ass boss, Fulton, who was demanding a grade-A children's book. Of course, he's had way more credits before that came along.

Aside from the aforementioned flicks, ML's been in movies such as 'Blank Check,' 'Newsies,' 'Harlem Nights,' 'For Richer or Poorer,' 'The Mod Squad,' 'Celebrity,' 'A Serious Man,' and lots of others. His TV credits are equally impressive, with appearances dating back to the '70s.

Some of the biggest shows he's been a part of include ... 'The Brady Bunch,' 'The Good Guys,' 'Ironside,' 'MASH,' 'The Odd Couple,' 'Starsky and Hutch,' 'The Rockford Files,' 'Barnaby Jones,' 'Hill Street Blues,' 'Melba,' 'Tales from the Crypt,' 'Courthouse,' 'Clueless,' 'Kingdom Hospital,' 'Law & Order: SVU,' 'Matumbo Goldberg,' 'Glee,' and many, many more.

He's survived by his famous brother, Ken, and his extended family. Michael was 81.

Hulu's forthcoming documentary about Freaknik apparently has some old-school partiers trembling in their boots ... and one woman's now-viral concerns might reflect the many.

A TikToker named Tina posted a clip that's making the rounds, and it seems to be a perfect encapsulation of what a lot of late-40-somethings/early-50-somethings in and around the Atlanta area are worried about with this movie coming out ... namely, showing up in this.

Check out her breakdown of what was going on back then during the legendary Freaknik street festivals that used to overtake the ATL during Spring Break ... sounds like a wild time.

As Tina notes here, she's not so much worried about herself in this instance ... as she says she would always avoid the giant video cameras that were being busted out left and right -- a staple of Freaknik culture, it seems, in those days. She says she never did anything crazy or regretful on tape -- but the same can't be said for others, and she's nervous for them.

Her angst is now trending on Twitter, too, BTW ... with a lot of folks joking that their moms and aunts probably don't want this thing hitting the airwaves -- 'cause it could include some old footage that's a little bit embarrassing. Of course, there's some ugliness as well.

The Freaknik parties of the '90s ended up drawing a lot of crime and debauchery to Atlanta at its peak -- including looting, robberies, assaults and sexual assaults ... the latter of which started to become a worrisome trend as more women were being manhandled in public.

The issue got so bad ... city leaders started to crack down and break up Freaknik to the point that it wasn't what it once was -- and eventually dissolved entirely in the late '90s.

Some in Atlanta have tried to revive Freaknik in recent years, but it's never been the same. In any case -- the new doc, 'The Wildest Party Never Told,' is aiming to expose all of it.

It's been nearly 3 weeks since Amanda Bynes was first admitted to a mental health hospital, and while her release date is still undetermined ... those around her are already formulating a plan to make sure she stays on the right path.

Sources close to the actress tell us both Amanda and the medical staff have been taking her stay week by week. We're told she's not being forced to stay at the facility but doesn't quite feel ready to leave yet. When she is, though, she'll enroll in an outpatient mental health treatment program.

Our sources say because Amanda is no longer under a conservatorship -- which ended in 2022 after 9 years -- she can make her own medical decisions.

Amanda has worked with the medical staff to ensure she's supported when she gets out, and an outpatient program will keep her on track ... meeting with doctors and specialists.

While we're told reports that Amanda's parents have been by her side through the hospital stay are not true ... our sources say her parents do still support her in any way they can.

TMZ broke the story -- Bynes was found naked and wandering L.A. streets early in the morning last month. She flagged down a vehicle and called 911 to report she was having a psychotic episode and needed help. She was admitted to the hospital on a psych hold, and has remained there since then.

The woman who the Barbie doll is named after is giving Margot Robbie her stamp of approval ... and she thinks the upcoming movie is going to please Barbie fans.

Barbara Handler, whose mother Ruth created the famous toy and named it after her, tells TMZ ... she's seen the "Barbie" movie trailer that just dropped and thinks Margot nailed the starring role.

Overall, Barbara thinks the trailer is super cute and she's especially liking Margot's voice ... and it's got her looking forward to the movie's July release even more. She says the rest of the cast, which includes Ryan Gosling, seems to be great together.

Barbara says her late mother, who also named the Ken doll after Barbara's late brother, never imagined her creation being turned into a Hollywood production ... and she thinks Ruth would be pleased to see the doll come to life on the big screen.

The Handler family wasn't involved in the film, but Barbara says it's great to see her mother's legacy live on.