Music

Neil Young has more company in his Spotify bailout campaign ... this time the likes of the guitarist for none other than The Boss himself.

Nils Lofgren is 86'ing his music from Spotify ... to protest the vaccine misinformation on Joe Rogan's podcast.

Nils said, "A few days ago, my wife Amy and I became aware of Neil and Daryl [Hannah] standing with hundreds of health care professionals, scientists, doctors and nurses in calling out Spotify for promoting lies and misinformation that are hurting and killing people."

He went on ... "When these heroic women and men, who’ve spent their lives healing and saving ours, cry out for help you don’t turn your back on them for money and power. You listen and stand with them."

Nils is a major musician ... a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, longtime Crazy Horse and E Street Band member ... but he's not one of the younger musicians who might make this a horse race for Spotify.

As we reported, Neil Young gave his ultimatum before yanking his music off the platform, and Joni Mitchell followed.

Nils is now asking other musicians to follow his lead.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have jumped into the Spotify/Joe Rogan fracas ... urging the platform to blunt "serious harms" over COVID misinformation.

As you know, the couple has a lucrative deal with Spotify -- $30 mil -- but they've come out swinging, with their rep saying, "Since the inception of Archewell, we have worked to address the real-time global misinformation crisis. Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the serious harms of rampant mis- and disinformation every day."

The rep went on ...  "Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all-too-real consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on its platform. We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis. We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does.”

As we reported, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and now Nils Lofgren have yanked their music off Spotify, in protest of Rogan. Meghan and Harry have not pulled the plug ... instead, they're just asking.

Rapper BIA is joining Cardi B in raising awareness about the death of Lauren Smith-Fields, and going a few steps further ... meeting with the family lawyer and hoping to sit down soon with the fam.

Smith-Fields' family attorney Darnell Crosland tells TMZ ... BIA is actively helping by using her platform to focus attention on the case.

BIA and her manager have met with Darnell in Connecticut, not long after Lauren's death, to talk about the case and offer support. We're told the case hits home for BIA and she feels celebs have an obligation to speak on social justice issues.

As you know ... 23-year-old Lauren died while on a December date with a man she met on a dating app. The medical examiner announced this week Lauren died from an accidental drug OD, which the family questioned. With public pressure mounting -- from BIA, Cardi B and others -- police finally opened a criminal investigation into her death.

Britney Spears is outraged at her sister for hawking her book on TV ... a book she says became a best-seller off her back.

Britney said this of Jamie Lynn Spears ... "You are scum" -- posting video of conversations surrounding her sister's new book "Things I Should Have Said" on "The Talk" and "The Real."

Britney posted clips from the shows, where several hosts challenged Jamie Lynn for writing a book rather than talking it out with Britney privately. Britney wrote, "What these women are saying here is pretty clear!!! I'm just kinda shocked that more people like these real soul sisters aren't telling it like it is."

Britney went on ... "The nerve of you to sell a book now and talk s*** but your f***ing lying just like you lied about Alexa Nikolas !!!!"

And, Jamie Lynn's older sis challenged her to take a polygraph test.

Kanye West and Julia Fox posed for a scorching shot, presumably showing they're a full-on couple ... this in the wake of a slew of stories suggesting he's still obsessed with soon-to-be-ex-wife Kim Kardashian.

Kanye and Julia struck the pose for photographer Danielle Levitt. It's a full-on kiss with lots of touching.

It's classic Ye. She's wearing a Jetsons-like getup. Kanye settled for a black jacket and hoodie.

Apparently, the pics were snapped during a dinner in Paris with Mos Def and Pusha T.  They're in town for Paris Fashion Week, which seems to go down every other week.

The pics were posted on the heels of terrible allegations that Kanye has been spreading false rumors Pete has AIDS. Kanye's team calls it "nonsense," but sources tell TMZ they've heard the same thing DJ Akademiks claimed ... "Kanye's been telling everybody within earshot."

Kanye's also threatened in song to kick Pete's ass.

This is pretty awesome ... Cher is part of the upcoming tribute to Betty White, delivering a fantastic version of "Thank You for Being a Friend."

Cher shared a clip of the "Golden Girls" theme song, which she recorded on the same sound stage where the show was shot.

She'll be part of the tribute, which will air Monday, and the list of celebs who will appear is stunning ... President Biden, Drew Barrymore, Valerie Bertinelli, Bryan Cranston, Ted Danson, Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Goldie Hawn, Vicki Lawrence, Jane Leeves, Jay Leno, Anthony Mackie, Wendie Malick, Joel McHale, Tracy Morgan, Jean Smart, Mary Steenburgen and that's not even a complete list!

TMZ broke the story ... Betty died just days before what would have been her 100th birthday. As we reported, she had a stroke 6 days before, which lead to her death.

Joe Rogan has triggered another Spotify exit ... this time Joni Mitchell.

The 78-year-old singer said, "I've decided to remove my music from Spotify. Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives."

The issue, of course, is Rogan's conversations about COVID ... which critics say contain false information about the virus and the vaccine ... information they say is dangerous and even deadly.

As you know, Rogan's the king of the hill over at Spotify with a reported $100 million deal. His podcast is also the most popular around. Neil Young took a stand earlier in the week, essentially saying, "him or me" ... knowing Spotify would not 86 Rogan. Young asked that his music be removed.

Young and Mitchell are both legendary musicians.  She won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a Kennedy Center honor as well.

So far Spotify hasn't budged, in part because both Young and Mitchell are in their 70's and are not nearly the subscription drivers Rogan is ... it'll be interesting to see if younger singers jump on board, and if they do ... what will Spotify do?

Tyga and his ex-GF Camaryn Swanson were spotted out together for the first time since she accused him of domestic violence ... and though they seemed to be boo'd up, they are NOT together again ... at least, not yet.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Tyga and Camaryn are not together romantically. For now, things are casual. We're told that the two are easing back into hanging out again, since Tyga made headlines for allegedly getting physical with her during an argument a few months back.

And, they don't seem to be reuniting under the radar either.

Camryn recently celebrated her 23rd birthday in Cabo with her family and friends. And, although Tyga wasn't able to make it, he managed to celebrate her bday with her at celeb hotspot restaurant Nobu in Malibu.

Though our sources made it VERY clear that they are not a thing, they seemed to be getting on pretty well ... judging from the photos.

As we've previously told you, Camaryn accused Tyga of putting his hands on her when they got in an argument at the rapper's home, back in October. He was arrested for suspicion of domestic violence ... Tyga later turned himself in to LAPD and his bail was set at $50k.

We recently learned Tyga will not be charged with a felony for the case, The L.A. County District Attorney's Office has passed the case to the City Attorney.

Kanye West's bizarre behavior might be at a new low -- he's allegedly telling friends Pete Davidson's suffering with AIDS, and while the false rumor's gotten back to Pete ... people close to Ye are denying it.

Sources close to Davidson confirm what DJ Akademiks claimed earlier this week, "Kanye's been telling everybody within earshot" that Pete has AIDS. We're told Kanye's claim has made for a few awkward phone calls between Pete and mutual friends he has with Kanye -- who are confused and disturbed by the childish behavior.

Our sources say Kanye's brutal diss track, where he raps, "God saved me from the crash, just so I can beat Pete Davidson's ass" ... diss didn't come as much of a surprise to friends of either man, as he's been known to take shots in song.

But, those close to Pete are disturbed by the fact Kanye would allegedly use such a serious health issue to try and lash out at Pete.

However, one source close to Ye tells us the allegation he's spreading the rumor is "nonsense."

Yes, Kanye's made no secret of the fact he wanted to get back with Kim ... as recently as December he said as much during his concert at the L.A. Coliseum.

The power of K-Pop is real ... just ask Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins, who landed a spot in the NBA All-Star Game starting lineup with the help of one of the genre's biggest stars -- Got7 member BamBam.

The starting 5s for the ASG in Cleveland were officially announced on Thursday ... and while LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Ja Morant and Steph Curry unsurprisingly made the cut for the West, many were wondering how Wiggins landed the honor.

So, how did it happen?? As the SF Gate points out, BamBam -- who became the Dubs' global ambassador this season -- called on his millions of social media followers to vote for the 26-year-old baller on Twitter earlier this month ... and the Ahgase fan base clearly delivered.

Of course, the 2014 #1 overall pick is having a great year -- 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists per game -- and may very well deserve All-Star recognition this season, but getting the third-highest fan votes (3.45 million) among frontcourt players in the conference was completely unexpected.

But, if you know anything about K-Pop fans, they're the most loyal supporters in all of music ... and proved it by tweeting their fingers off to lock in the spot for Wiggins on Thursday.

FYI -- fan votes counted for 50% of the final results, with players and media accounting for the other half.

Wiggins finished with 46 votes from the players -- less than 1/3 of the other frontcourt starters -- earned 4 total votes from the media, and had 1 million more votes than the next frontcourt player, Draymond Green.

BamBam wasn't the only celeb trying to get their favs into the ASG -- Kendall Jenner rallied her millions of followers to vote for her boyfriend, Devin Booker ... but he came up short of Curry and Morant.

Britney Spears will sit for a wide-ranging deposition ... that is, if her father gets his way because Jamie Spears' lawyer has fired off an email to Britney's attorney asking to set a date for a depo.

Jamie Spears' lawyer, Alex Weingarten, sent the email Wednesday to Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart. In the email, obtained by TMZ, Weingarten writes, "We write to advise that we intend to depose your client and would like to discuss a mutually agreeable date to conduct the deposition."

The email goes on, "Of course, we will also discuss scheduling Mr. Spears' deposition with you and work with you to find a mutually agreeable date for that to proceed as well."

The email says Weingarten would agree to have Jamie deposed first, followed immediately with Britney's depo -- either the next day or the same week.

Weingarten says he'd like the depos to go down in early March.

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ, the proposed deposition of Britney Spears would be wide-ranging. As you know, Britney leveled numerous allegations against Jamie during the court hearing in June ... claiming her dad refused to let her get married and have a baby. She also said she was held against her will in a treatment facility. We're told those issues will be part of the depo.

Our sources also say they want to ask Britney about "child safety and [possible] drug use," among other issues.

As we reported, Rosengart has made it clear ... he wants to question Jamie Spears on numerous issues related to allegedly mismanaging the conservatorship and using it for personal gain.

Adele's Las Vegas residency is on life support but it's not dead yet ... Caesars Palace and Live Nation want the show to go on, but they're trying to figure out how to work with Adele so they can come together and save the show.

Well-placed sources connected to Caesars tell TMZ ... the company is sitting on $150 million for the run of the residency -- that's the astonishing amount the show would generate. As a result, Caesars and Live Nation want to figure out a path where the concert can go on. We're told they need to figure it out -- one way or the other -- in the next month.

Our Caesars sources say they're not sure if they can reach an agreement with Adele, because there was significant conflict over numerous issues connected with the show over the last 2 months, including the sound system, the choir, a special effects pool, and on and on.

Our sources say Adele was unhappy with the outdated Meyer sound system that was in place at Caesars' Colosseum, so the casino installed an entirely new state-of-the-art sound system ... and Adele was happy with the upgrade. But we're told there are a bunch of other open issues which are still a source of conflict.

But, that obviously wasn't enough to save the show from going on as scheduled ... and now we're told even Adele's boyfriend, sports mega-agent Rich Paul, is involved.

Caesars initially hoped they could work something out so Adele would do at least a few concerts in February, but that's not going to happen. They're now shooting for mid-year, assuming they can reach an agreement fairly quickly.

Taylor Swift's properties are a magnet for strange incidents ... the latest ending with a man arrested early Thursday morning after cops say he crashed his car into her NYC building.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a man was busted after driving the wrong way down Taylor's street ... then reversing and striking the building and a fire hydrant.

We're told the guy got out of the car and went to the intercom, trying to rip it out of the wall ... mumbling about Taylor. As you see, the intercom wires are sticking out every which way.

Our sources say someone called 911 and when NYPD arrived officers took the man into custody and took him to a nearby hospital ... presumably for psychiatric evaluation. We're told he's facing potential charges for DWI and criminal mischief. Cops say he was drunk.

It's unclear if Taylor was home at the time.

As we reported ... there's been several men arrested at Taylor's homes all over the country ... from Rhode Island to New York to Bev Hills.

Nicki Minaj and her husband have a funny way of thanking security guards at her concerts ... at least according to one of them who claims Kenneth Petty ambushed and punched him backstage.

The guy was head of security for one of Nicki's concerts in Germany back in March 2019 ... and in a lawsuit, he claims the rapper was pissed at a security staffer for allowing a male fan to get onstage during the show. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Thomas Weidenmuller alleges Nicki yelled at the female security guard -- calling her a "f**king bitch" -- and recorded the whole thing.

Weidenmuller says the security guard was left in tears ... so, he interceded and went to speak to Nicki about the incident. According to the suit, Nicki screamed at him too, saying, "Who do you think you are?" ... and allegedly threw her shoe at him. He says her aim was off, and he escaped unscathed.

However, he claims he was later called back to Nicki's room for another discussion ... and while she ripped into him again, Kenneth allegedly came outta nowhere and punched him square in the face, breaking his jaw.

Kenneth packs one hell of a punch, apparently ... Weidenmuller says he's had 8 surgeries to fix his jaw, now has 5 plates in his face and will need an additional 6 operations to get right!!!

Chris Brown allegedly raped a woman on a yacht parked at Diddy's Star Island home ... this according to a new $20 million lawsuit.

The singer is being sued by a Jane Doe who says she's a professional choreographer, dancer, model and musical artist ... and she claims Chris went from being friendly to raping her, in a matter of minutes.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the woman claims Chris grabbed the phone of a friend she was FaceTiming and urged her to come to Diddy's home ASAP on Miami's Star Island.

When she arrived there on Dec. 30, 2020, the woman claims Chris approached her and asked her if she wanted a drink, motioning her toward the kitchen area on the yacht.

In the docs, she claims she entered the kitchen with Chris, where he gave her a red cup with a mixed drink and they started talking. After he filled her cup a second time, she claims began to feel "a sudden, unexplained change in consciousness."

According to the suit, the woman claims she also felt "disoriented, physically unstable, and started to fall in and out of sleep" ... and that's when she says Chris led her into a bedroom while she was "drugged" and "half-asleep."

In the docs, the woman claims Chris closed the bedroom door, barring her attempt to leave, removed her bikini bottoms and started kissing her. She says she mumbled for Chris to stop, but he persisted and raped her.

The woman claims Chris ejaculated inside her, jumped up and announced he was "done."

She claims Chris texted her the next day and demanded she take Plan B. Although she was distraught, she claims she did exactly that.

She's suing Chris for $20 million in damages ... claiming the alleged rape is causing her severe emotional distress.

The woman's attorneys, Ariel Mitchell and George Vrabeck, tell us their client did not report the alleged rape to cops at the time because was a medical student and was embarrassed.

Mitchell and Vrabeck also say they're "committed to victims being heard and would urge anyone with information to contact them."

Kanye West has a radical new idea to address the homeless crisis in Los Angeles ... he wants the homeless to get some experience modeling clothes they make.

Here's the deal ... Kanye is working with streetwear brand Skid Row Fashion Week on a new collab and fashion show with the ultimate goal of helping the homeless.

David Sabastian, the founder of Skid Row Fashion Week, tells TMZ ... he met with Kanye earlier this month while Ye was recording 'Donda 2' at his studio in L.A.'s Arts District -- near Skid Row -- and they decided to create a Yeezy X Skid Row Fashion Week clothing collab.

David says his company donates a portion of all sales to helping those living on Skid Row and the factory that makes the clothes employs the homeless. In addition, the Yeezy collab will use 100% of the proceeds to help the homeless on Skid Row.

The fashion line drops Feb. 22 and we're told the money from sales will help hire more people struggling with homelessness to work at the Skid Row Fashion Week factory.

What's more, David says he and Kanye are in the early stages of planning a fashion show where they'd hire people from the SRFW factory to model the clothes.

We're told they also want items found on Skid Row to be integrated into the ensembles. One of the ideas being kicked around -- a trash bag puffer jacket.