Music

R. Kelly is on edge and federal investigators don't want to rock the boat ... so they've asked Joycelyn Savage's family to pull the plug on plans to conduct a welfare check at R. Kelly's Chicago home.

Sources involved in the case tell TMZ ... the feds told the attorney for Joycelyn's parents it would be best to hold off on getting police to knock on R. Kelly's door again. The reason? We're told investigators are concerned it could interfere with the ongoing federal probe.

TMZ broke the story ... Joyceln's folks wanted to join law enforcement in Chicago for a follow-up visit to check on her. Our sources say the feds believe R. Kelly is extremely "agitated" after getting arrested, charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse, and probed by the feds for possible human trafficking violations.

You'll recall Joycelyn and Azriel Clary were both in court last weekend supporting R. Kelly during his bail hearing. However, law enforcement is worried another welfare check -- the last one was in January -- might freak out the women ... who the feds will, obviously, want to interview when the time is right.

We're told the family will take the feds' lead, and stand down on the Chicago trip. They still plan to turn over what they call "physical evidence" in the case.

The authors of an online petition think Priyanka Chopra's not acting like a Goodwill Ambassador because she seemingly took sides in the recent clash between nuclear powers, India and Pakistan.

The online petition calls for UNICEF to remove Priyanka from her ambassadorship due to a tweet she posted earlier this week. The actress tweeted a Hindu phrase that translates to "Long live India" on Tuesday ... the same day Indian fighter jets bombed a militant training camp in Pakistan. Pakistan later shot down an Indian plane and captured its pilot.

Now, obviously, Priyanka was born and raised in India -- she's arguably the country's biggest celebrity. And it's well known several generations of her family served in India's armed forces.

Still, the petition calls for her to remain neutral, reading in part ... "War between two nuclear powers can only lead to destruction & death. As goodwill ambassador of UNICEF, Priyanka Chopra was supposed to stay neutral & peaceful but her tweet in favour of Indian arm forces after they invaded Pakistan airspace shows otherwise. She doesn’t deserve this title anymore."

Worth noting ... the petition was started in Pakistan and makes no mention of the Pakistan-based militant group. It currently has a couple thousand signatures. UNICEF isn't commenting, and we've reached out to Priyanka's reps.

Violent clashes between Indian and Pakistani forces began 2 weeks ago when a suicide car bomb killed 40 Indian troops. A Pakistani militant group claimed responsibility.

Priyanka's made no other public comment. In fact, it's been business as usual -- she and husband Nick Jonas flew back to India earlier this week.

A couple days later, the Jonas Bros. debuted their new music vid, "Sucker," featuring their significant others ... Priyanka, Sophie Turner and Danielle Jonas.

Kylie Jenner isn't going to make any drastic decisions to blow up her family -- at least not yet -- and she's willing to try and work things out with Travis Scott ... sources tell TMZ.

TMZ broke the story ... the couple got into a massive fight Wednesday after Travis flew home to surprise his baby mama and Stormi. We're told at some point during the visit, Kylie went through Travis' phone and discovered "evidence" he had been unfaithful.

Travis' reps tell us the rapper insists he did not cheat.

Our sources say Travis stayed at Kylie's home Wednesday and Thursday, and the couple tried working things out. We're told Kylie was extremely pissed at him, but she's trying to keep her emotions in check ... in no small part for the sake of their daughter.

Sources close to Travis say he plans to take the stage in NYC at Madison Square Garden Saturday night. You'll recall -- Scott canceled his show Thursday in Buffalo, claiming he was ill -- but we're told the fight with Kylie was the real reason for pulling the plug.

As for the situation with Kylie's best friend, Jordyn Woods ... Kylie's family is furious after her interview on "Red Table Talk," but Kylie hasn't ruled out a future reconciliation with her. Khloe, clearly, has a different opinion.

Michael Jackson never molested a guy named Brett Barnes -- so says Barnes himself -- and he's getting ready to sue HBO for a documentary insinuating he was sexually abused by MJ.

The upcoming documentary, "Leaving Neverland," shows Brett, and he claims it implies Jackson molested him as a boy. As for why Barnes thinks this ... Wade Robson -- one of Jackson's well-known alleged victims -- claims in the doc, Barnes "replaced him." The film then shows Michael and Brett together on tour. Thus, the insinuation.

Barnes lawyered up and threatened HBO with a lawsuit, claiming the documentary puts him in a false light and subjects him to "hatred, contempt and ridicule." Presumably, the lawyer is saying MJ supporters will target Barnes as a result of the documentary.

Barnes testified at Jackson's criminal trial in 2005 -- along with Macaulay Culkin -- that he was never sexually abused by Jackson ... and he hasn't changed his account since. Brett also tweeted about the MJ allegations in January, calling them "lies."

"Leaving Neverland" does include Barnes' denial that Jackson did anything inappropriate, but only for a few seconds in writing on the screen. Brett's camp doesn't think that's nearly enough to "cure such a despicable allegation."

Barnes says he wants nothing to do with the film, does not give HBO his consent to use his image and likeness and wants all references to him axed ... or else.

A$AP Mob member A$AP Bari has just been slapped with 7 criminal counts in his drug case ... including 2 felonies.

The fashion designer was charged with 2 felonies -- possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver weed and criminal conspiracy to commit to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver -- this according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Bari's also been charged with 5 misdemeanors ... including possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges stem from his November 2018 arrest.

TMZ broke the story ... Bari was busted in Palmer Township, PA where cops say the car he was riding in was going the wrong way. As we reported ... cops say they smelled a strong odor of weed in the Mercedes and found 24 circular tins of weed.

Back at the station, Bari was strip-searched and cops say they found 3 more tins inside his underwear.

Rock 'n' roll icon, Jerry Lee Lewis, was hospitalized after suffering a stroke.

According to a statement from his rep ... the 83-year-old piano-playing legend suffered what doctors call a "minor" stroke Thursday night. He's currently getting treated in a Memphis hospital with family by his side.

Jerry Lee's expected to make a full recovery ... according to his rep, who adds, Jerry "looks forward to getting back into the studio soon to record a gospel record and on the road performing live for his fans."

Lewis reportedly isn't canceling any shows at this point. His next concert is at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April.

Even in his 80s, the "Great Balls of Fire" singer has continued to perform big gigs, including at Stagecoach in 2017 and Chicago's Riot Fest last year.

His rep adds ... "We're just asking for prayers and support and privacy."

Get well, Jerry.

6:30 AM PT -- Before hitting up Delilah, Kylie had dinner at La Pergoletta with pals Victoria, Stassi and Roya. Travis was nowhere in sight.

6:00 AM PT -- Kylie was out Thursday night, without Travis. She hit up an L.A. restaurant and then went with friends to Delilah lounge in WeHo. Kylie got to Delilah early Friday morning at 1:38 AM and left at 2 AM. Travis, we're told, is still in L.A.

Travis Scott says he postponed his Astroworld concert in Buffalo Thursday night because of illness, but we're told it's more complicated than that ... because Kylie accused him of cheating and he's staying in L.A. to deal with it.

First of all, Travis' reps say the rapper absolutely denies he cheated on Kylie. But, we're told on Wednesday he flew back from the East Coast to surprise Kylie and Stormi. They were at her home in the evening, when she claimed to discover "evidence" he cheated on her. A major argument erupted and continued into Thursday.

It's been a rough few weeks for Kylie. Her best friend, Jordyn Woods, has been 86'd from her life and the life of her family after she hooked up with Tristan Thompson.

10:50 AM PT -- The JoBros treated excited fans to hugs, selfies and autographs as they left the Sirius building in NYC Friday. Unfortunately for our camera guy ... the hug train stopped short of him.

The Jonas Brothers' comeback is complete and they're in a celebratory mood ... just like their fans.

Nick, Joe and Kevin were spotted heading to dinner together Thursday night in NYC, and the all-white shoes trio looked in sync and happy to have the band back together after a 5-year hiatus.

The bros announced their reunion Thursday and released a new single and music video at midnight, a loins-tingling track called "Sucker" ... which happens to feature the ladies in their lives as well.

That's right, the vibrant vid showcases the talents of Nick's wife, Priyanka Chopra, Kevin's wife, Danielle, and Joe's fiancee, Sophie Turner, to go with the sweet sounds of the fellas.

Joe tweeted ... "We really had the best time shooting this video in England with our family. Hope you guys love it. Feels good to be back."

It's only been 10 hours ... and the vid's already approaching the 5 million views mark.

Worth the wait.

Meek Mill bringing Drake out onstage at his Hollywood show turned into a mutual admiration society meeting, with Drizzy giving his former rival a huge pat on the back.

Meek's The Motivation Tour made a stop at the Hollywood Palladium Thursday night and brought out Drake to do their current hit collab, "Going Bad." Afterward, Drake showered Meek with tons of love, admiration and respect ... for pulling through his BS Pennsylvania state prison sentence.

As he put it, Meek "definitely had the best comeback of all time" -- referring to the massive success of his first album since his release from prison. The crowd definitely agreed.

Meek also showed his appreciation for his fans, thanking them for having his back while he was behind bars.

The whole night was a giant lovefest ... kinda the perfect cap on the rap giants squashing their beef last September. Good times.

Meek Mill fanboy'd HARD after congratulating Tom Brady on winning the Super Bowl ... 'cause the QB messaged him back with compliments of his own ... and the rapper is still geekin' out about it!!!

The Philly rapper detailed his private social media convo with TB12 while speaking at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston on Friday ... saying he reached out to Brady to praise him for being the G.O.A.T.

But, what happened next caught Meek by surprise, 'cause Brady responded -- praising the rapper's mental toughness through Meek's controversial stint at a Pennsylvania state prison.

"I didn't know Tom Brady knew who I was, I just took a shot, and he was like 'I seen you been through so much,'" Meek says.

Meek says Tom added, "'What you went through was kinda like, almost harder than winning the Super Bowl game, bro.'"

Meek -- who was speaking about criminal justice reform with his friend and REFORM Alliance co-chairman, Michael Rubin -- says Brady praised his activism and says what he's accomplished in the world of prison reform is way tougher than winning 6 Super Bowls COMBINED.

21 Savage just got a big break in his deportation case ... the D.A. has rejected the felony case against him involving a concert promoter who claims he took $17,000 without performing.

TMZ broke the story ... 21 was booked to play a club gig in Southern Georgia back in 2016. He got the $17k but never performed -- he wanted the singer who was up before him to get off the stage and, when the DJ refused, 21 bailed. The promoter got a warrant but never pursued it, until 21 was back in the news after getting arrested by ICE. She then went to the D.A. to jump-start her case.

The D.A. passed it off as a civil matter and rejected the case.

The federal R. Kelly investigations are expanding -- agents specializing in human trafficking cases have now reached out to Kelly's former stylist, who has ties to a couple of the singer's exes.

Sources close to celebrity stylist Kash Howard tell TMZ ... Dept. of Homeland Security agents contacted Kash Wednesday and wanted to schedule a sit-down with her. It appears the call was prompted by a video that popped up all over YouTube this week.

In the video, Kash is behind the wheel of a car with 2 of Kelly's ex-girlfriends, Halle Calhoun and Vonecia Andrews, as they talk to a media outlet about their relationships with the singer. Vonecia, aka Vee, was sobbing throughout the video, which our sources say Kash recorded last year.

We reached out to Kash, and she says, "Mr. Kelly hired me as his personal Fashion Stylist where I provided wardrobe direction for concerts, album cover shoots, and special appearances. Our professional relationship along with all communication ceased in March of 2017."

She also tells us she was only in the video because she was offering moral support to Halle and Vonecia.

As for Kelly's legal battle, Kash says, "Mr. Kelly faces very disturbing charges. And while I have never personally witnessed any wrongdoing, I support those in search of the truth."

TMZ broke the story ... the feds have 2 separate U.S. Attorney's Office investigations going, and will meet with Joycelyn Savage's parents, who say they have "physical evidence" to turn over.

We're told DHS also reached out to the Savages, and agents are in contact with Kash's attorney to set up the meeting with her.

Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg's reaction to the investigation is ... "That’s their job. But just because they are looking into something, certainly nobody should conclude that they have any evidence of any wrongdoing or a crime was committed.”

The Brooklyn Nets are completely unfazed by the lawsuit over their Notorious B.I.G.-themed jerseys ... 'cause the team's rockin' the threads on Friday, despite Coogi taking legal action.

We broke the story ... Biggie's favorite sweater brand claims no one from the team or the NBA or Nike ever got permission to use the iconic pattern ... and called for the league to stop selling the "Brooklyn Camo" jerseys.

The Nets don't seem to care one bit ... announcing the team will be honoring the rap legend in the special jerseys when they take the court Friday against the Charlotte Hornets.

Coogi claims they have copyrights for their most famous designs -- called "Pea Soup" and "Ricotta" -- and they feel the Nets straight swiped their swag.

A rep for the NBA told the New York Times, “There is no merit whatsoever to their claims.”

Of course, jersey selections can be made months in advance -- especially for certain tribute nights ... but the decision to stick with the Biggie alternates proves the Nets ain't sweatin' a legal battle with Coogi.

SZA needs to be way more careful when she's scoping out a new pad ... because you never know when an open door to a down staircase will appear.

The singer and her friend, Sage, were in their new house getting some video for their Instagram stories when SZA -- clearly unfamiliar with the lay of the land -- takes a nasty fall.

Check it out ... her friend's recording when SZA squats down, apparently thinking she's still got a wall behind her and leans back too far into the abyss.

It looks pretty bad, but Sage -- despite screaming in horror -- keeps filming and we see SZA at the bottom of the steps ... and she says she's fine.

Probably not the best way to get settled into a new home, but a memorable way ... as long as she didn't hit her head too hard.

One Fyre Festival victim is getting screwed all over again -- this time by the Netflix documentary that stole her footage of the fiasco ... at least according to her lawsuit.

Clarissa Cardenas claims she shot video of her 2017 nightmare down in the Bahamas, and Netflix ran that vid in its "Fyre" documentary film without licensing it from her. In docs, Clarissa says she registered her video with the U.S. Copyright Office.

She included a screenshot of the vid used in 'Fyre,' but we'll be honest ... it's pretty tough to make out what the hell it shows, and there's no description of it in the lawsuit. Still, Cardenas swears this footage is hers.

Cardenas is suing Netflix -- along with producer Jerry Media -- for copyright infringement, and wants up to $150k in damages or a cut of the documentary's profits.

We reached out to Netflix ... no word back so far.

Jussie Smollett being attacked in a hate crime sounded fishy and far-fetched from the jump -- according to a guy who has no love for the "Empire" actor -- Milan Christopher.

The ex-"Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star and model tells TMZ ... he believes the "Empire" star's alleged attack was an elaborate plot to grow his brand, and it's actually working -- at least on social media.

Milan -- who is gay -- says he smelled a rat from the get-go, especially because Jussie's story changed so much ... and every gay black man will now feel the consequences.

Milan is also incredulous that Jussie referred to himself as "the gay Tupac."

Christopher has obvious issues with Jussie, whom he called out earlier this week on Instagram, saying ... "let me tell y'all a little story about an evil jealous black gay man I once met."

He insinuated Jussie tried to torpedo his career and block him from scoring a role on "Empire." Milan said, "This insecure jealous queen did everything in their power to keep me from expanding my brand and having a new platform that would empower my reach & expand my 'Empire.'"

Milan later deleted the post, but judging from the video ... there's still some bad blood.