Music

You think LeBron James and the Lakers were gonna let Rihanna down on the night of her birthday celebration???! Hell no!!

RiRi took her superrich Saudi boyfriend to Staples Center on Thursday to cheer on her favorite NBA player on the night after her 31st birthday ... and the team delivered one heck of a gift!!!

Check out the pics of Rihanna and Hassan Jameel in a private box -- going berserk as the Lakers came back from 19 down to beat the Houston Rockets ... one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

Of course, Jameel is a bit of a baller himself -- in 2017 his family was reportedly worth $2.2 BILLION -- which made them the 4th richest family in the Arab world.

Jameel started dating Rihanna in 2017 and by the looks of these pics, they're still going strong.

Other huge stars at the game -- "Wheel of Fortune" star Pat Sajak, Denzel Washington, French Montana and Jimmy Iovine.

They picked a great game to attend -- the Lakers were getting destroyed for the first 3 quarters before LeBron activated "playoff mode" and went nuclear on everyone ... exploding for 29 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.

The Lakers ended up winning the game 111 to 106 -- boosting the Lakers' record back to .500.

Meanwhile, the Rockets' James Harden extended his 30-point game streak to 32 games, the 2nd longest 30-point streak in NBA history.

By the way, Lakers officials gifted Rihanna her very own customized "Bad Girl RiRi" Lakers jersey, but she didn't wear it ... instead, opting to rock her #23 LeBron James threads.

One last thing ... every year LeBron has won an NBA title, Rihanna has dropped a new album -- and there are rumors she's working on a new album right now.

So, good juju for the Lakers?

Blac Chyna is blasting Soulja Boy for trying to sex shame her after their breakup ... and she's hitting him where it hurts!!!

Sources close to Blac Chyna tell TMZ ... Soulja Boy's an immature, thirsty clout chaser who was begging to get with her, and she's glad their relationship is dunzo!!!

We're told BC's anger stems from SB's response to TMZ breaking the news of their split. In a since-deleted tweet, Soulja Boy said he "just wanted to see what the p***y felt like."

Yeah, Draco really went there.

Our Chyna sources say she's happy Soulja Boy's out of her life because the tweet showed his true colors. We're told she felt his reaction was the lowest of the low, and utterly ridiculous.

As we reported ... Soulja Boy was super romantic and sweet while lavishing Chyna with $20,000 in gifts during a Valentine's Day shopping spree ... but it appears he left his manners in Beverly Hills.

Jussie Smollett took aim at Donald Trump during a "Drop the Mic" appearance, and even though TNT's yanked the episode ... we got a snippet of his rap battle.

Jussie was taking on "Orange is the New Black" star Danielle Brooks when he spit a few orange disses on President Trump.

The episode was released online the week after Jussie claimed he was brutally attacked in Chicago -- but in the wake of Jussie's arrest on felony charges for filing a false police report, TNT says it's never gonna air.

The collateral damage in all this -- "American Idol" star Clay Aiken and Ian Ziering ... who also battled in the episode, won't be seen on TV.

Jussie's never hidden his disdain for Trump, and recently tweeted at the Prez, calling him a "bitch ass n***a."

However, Smollett did work in a Barack Obama line. That one was a compliment ... watch.

1:01 PM PT -- HBO has responded to the lawsuit, telling TMZ, "Despite the desperate lengths taken to undermine the film, our plans remain unchanged. HBO will move forward with the airing of LEAVING NEVERLAND, the two-part documentary, on March 3rd and 4th."

They continue, "This will allow everyone the opportunity to assess the film and the claims in it for themselves."

Michael Jackson's Estate has just sued HBO, claiming the network screwed them over after promising not to take shots at MJ which they did in the upcoming documentary, "Leaving Neverland" ... and the suit claims damages could exceed $100 million.

The Estate alleges HBO signed a contract that included a non-disparagement agreement with Jackson in 1992 when the network aired "Michael Jackson Live in Concert in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour."

In the contract, there was a non-disparagement provision, which includes this ... "HBO shall not make any disparaging remarks concerning Performer or any of his representatives, agents, or business practices or do any act that may harm or disparage or cause to lower in esteem the reputation or public image of performer."

As you know, "Leaving Neverland" showcases 2 accusers -- James Safechuck and Wade Robson -- who say MJ molested them when they were children. The Estate claims the 2 are perjurers with no credibility since they have testified under oath no such molestation occurred.

We reached out to HBO ... so far, no word back.

R. Kelly's just been accused of sexual misconduct by two women who told their story for the first time ... because they want to encourage other victims to come forward as well.

The women -- Latresa Scaff and Rochelle Washington -- are represented by Gloria Allred, who came out strong against the singer at the NYC press conference by accusing him of using his fame to manipulate 2 starstruck teenagers in 1995. She claims he plied them with drugs and alcohol to take advantage of them sexually.

Allred says the women's story fits a pattern of predatory conduct by Kelly, and delivered a stern message to him -- you have nowhere to run or hide, and you're not going to get away with this anymore.

Latresa and Rochelle also spoke, and Latresa gave a detailed account of the night she claims she was sexually abused by Kelly. She says she was 16 and Washington was 15 when they went to an R. Kelly and LL Cool J concert and after-party in Baltimore.

She claims Kelly singled them out and someone in his crew gave them drugs and alcohol despite being underage. They were then invited to Kelly's hotel afterward and their cab fare was paid for to get there.

Scaff alleges the 2 called a local radio show to tell them they were sitting in R. Kelly's hotel room and even made it on the air ... before the singer arrived. When he did, Scaff claims his penis was exposed and he quickly got the teenage girls on his bed and tried to coax them into a threesome.

Latresa says Rochelle declined and went to hide in the bathroom, and that's when Kelly had sex with her without her consent. She says Kelly left the room shortly afterward and they never heard from him again.

As we reported ... a grand jury has been convened to investigate the alleged sex tape that Michael Avenatti handed over to Cook County's State Attorney's Office. Avenatti says the VHS tape shows Kelly having sex with a girl who seems to be 14 years old.

Kanye West looks like he's got a lot on his mind these days ... and we're guessing neon sherbet might be one of them.

The rapper was out Thursday heading to his office in Calabasas when he stepped out with a new hairdo. It's pretty colorful. A little purple here, a little green there and tons of red. Whatever the case ... make no mistake about it, Ye looks like a man on a mission.

Kanye's no stranger to giving his hair a remix. Remember that one time he decked his dome in some bright ass red? At the time, the new style came on the heels of a music video shooting scare with Tekashi69.

This time around, the hairdo comes after an awesome Kenny G surprise for Kim K on Valentine's Day. A lot less dramatic, for sure, but still makes him easy to spot in a crowd!

Peter Tork -- the lovable member of the pop band, The Monkees -- died Thursday after a decade-long battle with tongue cancer.

Peter's sister reportedly confirmed the musician's death but did not reveal where he passed or the cause. The Monkees singer was diagnosed in 2009 with a rare cancer ... adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Tork was known as the wise-cracking, self-described "dummy" of the made-for-TV music group ... who played bass guitar and keyboard.

His biggest claim to fame, musically, might be the piano intro on the group's mega hit, "Daydream Believer."

He also contributed on vocals, singing the lead on tracks like "Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again?"

Peter was also the oldest member of the group, at 24, when "The Monkees" show first aired on NBC in 1966 ... and instantly became a sensation thanks to the trail blazed by Beatlemania.

Tork left the group after its huge success in the late '60s and tried to make it on his own as a solo artist, but returned to The Monkees in the mid-'80s for major reunion tours.

Peter's survived by his wife, Pamela, and his 3 kids -- 2 daughters and a son.

Lil Pump had an intense showdown with Miami cops -- shouting back and forth -- moments before they arrested him for misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

TMZ's obtained police body cam footage from the rapper's December arrest before his flight outta Miami. You can see an incredibly frustrated Pump repeatedly tell cops a bag that smelled of weed, according to TSA, was definitely NOT his.

In the video, you can also see Pump's manager mount the same defense ... but clearly, it fell on deaf ears because cops were adamant the bag belonged to Pump. Check out the video ... Pump gets visibly angry and that triggers a cop to shout right back at him.

TMZ broke the story ... the rapper was hauled off his flight from Miami to L.A. after he was accused of carrying drugs in the bag that smelled like weed. Our law enforcement sources eventually confirmed Pump's version of events -- he was NOT carrying any drugs.

Pump's manager was also arrested for disorderly conduct. Both men entered not guilty pleas.

Blac Chyna and Soulja Boy are breaking up after dating for only a couple weeks ... ending a relationship that will go down as one of the fastest flings in hip-hop history.

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ ... the relationship started to fracture after Soulja and Chyna got into a huge argument about Tyga. During the argument, we're told SB and BC started bickering about each other's true intentions in their relationship.

We broke the story ... the reason Soulja and Chyna started dating in the first place was revenge on Tyga. Tyga is Chyna's ex, and he just had major beef with Soulja. Now, it seems Tyga is part of the reason why they're throwing in the towel.

There are other factors involved in the breakup ... we're told Soulja and Chyna just weren't on the same wavelength, with Soulja looking for group hangs and Chyna preferring the Netflix and chill vibe. As a result, we're told BC felt SB wasn't ready to commit.

Say this for Soulja and Chyna ... they squeezed as much out of their abbreviated relationship as they could. They hit up some Grammy parties together, spent a day getting mani-pedis, and went on a huge Valentine's Day shopping spree!!!

We're told Soulja showered Chyna with $20,000 in gifts on V-Day and they had a fun night ... but it wasn't enough to keep the relationship alive.

The good news ... we're told the breakup is totally amicable, and there's a chance they might try their luck again in the future.

Michael Jackson is a lot like the pedophile neighbor featured in "Abducted in Plain Sight" ... at least according to the victim who spoke out in the Netflix documentary.

If you haven't seen it ... Jan Broberg Felt tells the horrific tale of being kidnapped TWICE and raped multiple times by her neighbor, Robert 'B' Berchtold. She was a pre-teen and teenager during her ordeal, and she sees obvious similarities between how Berchtold got away with molesting her and what Jackson's alleged victims describe in "Leaving Neverland."

Jan says B and Jackson were both beloved -- MJ on a much larger scale, obviously.

She says no one in her Idaho community wanted to believe that someone so charismatic could commit such despicable crimes -- and admits she personally thought the exact same thing about Jackson.

Jan thinks all of these new documentaries shedding light on celebs and non-celebs accused of pedophilia are long overdue, adding that no one should be able to get away with harming kids.

The Jackson estate has repeatedly dismissed Wade Robson and James Safechuck -- the accusers in 'Neverland' -- as proven liars.

Miranda Lambert's new police officer husband is a country music fanatic who was pining to meet her for years ... but before meeting her, he met another one of his favs -- Miranda's ex, Blake Shelton!!!

It's funny ... Brendan McLoughlin made it clear to his friends ... one of his goals was to meet Miranda.

Brendan has had lots of opportunities to meet celebs ... he's worked places like MTV and the artist's entrance at "Good Morning America." He's always super friendly and the stars like him, sometimes mugging for the camera with him.

We're told Brendan met Blake, Florida Georgia Line and other country stars ... but he always had the hots for Miranda and was waiting for his chance.

As you know, Blake and Miranda got hitched in 2011 before divorcing in 2015 ... and Miranda recently revealed she and Brendan secretly married.

The artist behind a Meghan Markle painting Beyonce and Jay-Z used during the Brit Awards says they never got his permission, nor did they pay him a cent -- but he's letting it slide.

Tim O'Brien tells us ... he was shocked and honored to see his piece behind the Carters at Wednesday's award show. Bey and Jay recorded their acceptance speech for Best International Group -- and Tim's homage to the Duchess of Sussex was prominently displayed.

The speech was a recreation of their "APES**T" music vid ... but instead of the Mona Lisa behind them, it was "Queen Markle."

Tim says no one from Jay and Beyonce's camps hit him up for permission. He explained why he's also certain they didn't buy the portrait from him online. It costs $75 so ... yeah, they can afford it.

This kinda sitch typically leads to big fat lawsuits, but Tim's willing to give 'em a pass. Well, at least this time. Watch ... it's pretty clear he's happy for the publicity, but he'd be way happier with a check.

Miranda Lambert's new police officer hubby is no stranger to the fame game -- in fact, his 15 minutes trace way back to 2015 and a little something called the "Cupid Shuffle."

Brendan McLoughlin -- who was already working for NYPD a few years ago -- was cited as the "hot cop" who did the Cupid Shuffle during NYC's Pride weekend that year.

Officer McLoughlin was caught on camera doing his duty ... stepping to the right, to the right, to the left, to the left while shuffling with a bunch of civilians -- including some women who couldn't resist his moves.

Can't blame those ladies ... the guy's a stud in or out of uniform. In fact, he even moonlighted as a model back in those days. Unclear if he's still doing that though.

As we reported ... Brendan's been temporarily taken off foot patrol and placed on driver duty due to the media attention he's drawing following his surprise marriage to Miranda.

No more flash dances in the street from this dude, at least not in uniform. We're guessing Miranda gets private shows.

Rich the Kid's playing hard to get in his divorce case ... so claims his estranged wife who wants the judge to make him pay for being a pain in the ass.

Antonette Willis has filed new legal docs claiming she's been trying to serve the rapper with papers, but he's nowhere to be found. And, in her multiple attempts, she's racked up tons in legal fees and wants him to pony up some of the dough to pay her lawyers.

In the docs, Antonette says Rich has been shelling out $4,500 for her rent and around $3k in other expenses. She says she has no income and her expenses -- which includes $1,225 per week in a luxury car rental -- makes it hard for her to pay her lawyers. She wants $30k from him to help with her legal bills.

She says Rich can afford it cause he makes well over $100k per month.

This is just the latest in their ongoing divorce. TMZ broke the story ... Antonette filed for divorce in March 2018. She claimed he forced her to have multiple abortions and alleged he was violent.

R. Kelly is leaving the Chicago recording studio where he produced some of his biggest hits.

The singer's lawyers, Melvin Sims and Steven Greenberg, tell TMZ ... Kelly is moving out because court-ordered restrictions made it impossible for him to keep his creative juices flowing.

As we've reported ... a judge limited the studio's working hours after city inspectors found tons of building code violations.

Kelly's people say he's struggling to adjust to the sweeping changes -- especially cutting off his overnight access -- so he's looking for a new place to record. They insist 24-hour access is the widely accepted industry standard, so his 9 PM curfew has impaired his "musical innovation."

T.I.'s gonna be rocking nothing but tighty-whities soon -- and not high-end ones -- because he's adding Burberry to his fashion boycott list in response to its noose hoodie fiasco.

Tip ripped the brand Tuesday, just as he did Gucci and Prada last week, and dismissed Burberry's apology for the controversial design -- a new hoodie with drawstrings tied into a noose. His words for Burberry were sharp ... "These aren't coincidences" ... clearly referring to the other fashion house blunders.

The backlash against Burberry started Tuesday after a model pointed out that the company made her wear the controversial sweater on a runway despite her objections. It wasn't until she went public, that Burberry issued its full mea culpa.

Not good enough for T.I., whose boycott list is now at 4 -- Gucci, Prada, Moncler and Burberry -- for their use of racist imagery.

He's also called out his longtime nemesis, Floyd Mayweather, with a diss track over his continued, and some would say brazen, support for Gucci.