Music

Cher and Alexander Edwards' engagement is looking as real as it can be -- they were smiling and playful while hittin' the town together, and showing off her new diamond ring.

The couple was out in Bev Hills Thursday night, heading to Avra for dinner, and couldn't help but do a little smooching -- okay, the paps begged 'em -- during their slow stroll inside the restaurant.

Cher even flashed the shiny new ring she got from AE last month, telling folks their engagement is going along pretty well, too!

As we reported, fans were scratching their heads Christmas day when she shared a massive diamond ring from Alexander with the caption, "THERE R NO WORDS."

Most people weren't sure if it was the real deal, or just some top-shelf trolling.

Cher hasn't been married since Gregg Allman way back in the mid-to-late '70s, and obviously Sonny Bono before that. She's dated a lot since then ... including some heavy hitters like Gene Simmons, Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Richie Sambora and Warren Beatty.

Kelly Clarkson now has some long-term legal protection against two individuals who continued to show up at her house uninvited and cause disturbances.

Clarkson was granted permanent restraining orders Thursday for the next 5 years against Victor Fernandez and Huguette Nicole Young. Both Young and Fernandez are prohibited from making contact of any kind with Kelly or her kids and must stay at least 100 yards away.

TMZ broke the story ... Fernandez pulled up to Kelly's home in a semi-truck on Thanksgiving, peering over her security gate and stating he was there to see Kelly. He returned to the home on more than one occasion.

Not only did Fernandez ask to talk to Kelly, but Clarkson's security team says he also took photos of a vehicle carrying her kids.

TMZ was also first to report Kelly's issues with Young, who, according to Kelly's security, showed up at her home more than 18 times -- often leaving gifts and notes. Young continued to come to Clarkson's home even after a temporary restraining order was issued.

A song-and-dance troupe of pooping toy unicorns could be in steaming hot trouble, legally speaking, all because the lil' stinkers did a send-up of a huge Black Eyed Peas hit.

Let us explain … a company called MGA Entertainment created a popular line of toys -- dancing unicorns that excrete sparkling slime called Poopsie Slime Surprise. Every kid's fantasy, right?

In order to market the lil’ poopers, MGA ran a bunch of ads with animated unicorns singing and dancing to a song called "My Poops" – featuring the catchy hook "my poops, my poops, my poops, my sparkly glitter poops!"

If that banger sounds familiar, that's because it’s a play on BEP's classic "My Humps," and that's what lead to a lawsuit. Will.i.am and co's record label and music publishing company, BMG, owns the majority of the copyright to the 2005 smash hit, and it claims "My Poops" clearly rips off the melody, tempo, chord progression, and even features a vocalist who sounds a lot like Fergie.

BMG says MGA never got the rights to use the song, and now it wants at least $10 MILLION in damages. If that sounds a bit high, it’s worth remembering that "My Humps" was a HUGE hit, garnering more than 700 million views on YouTube alone and taking home the award for Best Hip Hop Video at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.

If BMG ends up winning even a fraction of the $10 mil in court, this could be the most expensive poop joke in history! We reached out to MGA for comment … so far, no word back.

David Crosby, the singer, songwriter and guitarist and member of The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, has died.

His wife, Jan Dance, told Variety Thursday, "It is with great sadness after a long illness, that our beloved David (Croz) Crosby has passed away. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and soulmate Jan and son Django. Although he is no longer here with us, his humanity and kind soul will continue to guide and inspire us."

She continues, "His legacy will continue to live on through his legendary music. Peace, love, and harmony to all who knew David and those he touched. We will miss him dearly. At this time, we respectfully and kindly ask for privacy as we grieve and try to deal with our profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers.”

Born in Los Angeles, David founded the band The Byrds in 1964, finding their first number one hit ... only a year later thanks to a cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man."

It was in 1968 when Crosby formed Crosby, Stills & Nash with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. The group won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1969.

Over the years, members of the group were able to collab with other artists freely -- and did so with the likes of Neil Young at Woodstock.

Crosby was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as both a member of The Byrds and for his efforts with Crosby, Stills & Nash.

David Crosby was 81.

Tyga was front and center for Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall-Winter 2023 Collection in Paris, and by his account ... Kodak Black was the real winner of the show!!!

The "Taste" rapper captured footage of the Super Gremlin soaking up a standing ovation at the conclusion of the new spread ... and elsewhere getting lit to the sounds of Rosalía, the event's live performer.

Tyga was a pretty popular fellow himself ... dapping it up with BTS singer/rapper J-Hope and Jackson Wang, and shutting down the block outside the show in his custom LV jumpsuit.

Jacquees is sticking to his guns, and keeping Gunna on his Instagram timeline ... unlike Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Meek Mill and several other hip hop figures.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the self-proclaimed king of R&B Wednesday in NYC -- where he was rocking his lucky Marni fit -- and he tells us he's never been much of a follower in real life, except on the 'Gram.

And, he says that's why he's leaving Gunna in the mix of his 5.5 million IG followers.

Both Gunna and Young Thug collab'd with Jacquees on his 2019 single "Verify," and the singer wants Thug to be free just like the "Pushin P" rapper -- who, as you know, secured his freedom by striking a plea deal in the RICO case.

Gunna's been maligned by some of his peers since coming home in December, but Jacquees says he's focused on love and not street politics these days.

He recently dropped his new album "Sincerely For You" a couple weeks ago, with guest appearances from Future, 21 Savage, Summer Walker and Dreezy ... who's been a very frequent collaborator of his in the past.

Lisa Marie Presley is being remembered at Graceland before she's laid to rest ... with folks flocking to the famous family compound to see her old photos, clothes and baby toys.

Graceland is buzzing with activity Thursday, just a few days before Lisa's celebration of life ceremony ... and, obviously lots of attention is being paid to the LMP exhibit.

As you can see, there are tons of items on display from Lisa's life ... including a bunch of photos with Elvis Presley, outfits and mementos from her childhood.

Elvis named his private plane after his only child ... and the jet is on display too.

Meanwhile, Graceland is preparing for Lisa Marie's memorial service, which is happening Sunday -- when a huge crowd is expected. Folks have already begun leaving flowers outside the grounds.

TMZ broke the story ... Lisa Marie's gravesite is being excavated in the famous backyard fountain area where Elvis and his parents are buried. LMP's son is also buried there, and she will be buried next to him.

YSL rapper Yak Gotti's mother has a new worry, besides her son's alleged role in the label's RICO case -- cops say she tried to smuggle a pick-me-up to him in the Fulton County courthouse.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, 51-year-old Latasha Kendrick was charged with one count of criminal attempts to commit a misdemeanor.

Prosecutors claim she and Nyesha Cox -- mother of Yak Gotti's child -- concealed tobacco in personal items to be delivered to the rapper. Kendrick was arrested on the spot.

WSB-TV reports authorities also issued a warrant to arrest Cox, but she has not been apprehended yet.

Yak Gotti is accused of multiple crimes -- including the alleged murder of Donavan "Nut" Thomas Jr. -- in the highly publicized, and controversial YSL RICO case.

CJ Harris, the former "American Idol" contestant whose sudden death left family members shocked died from a heart attack ... medical officials have confirmed.

The Walker County Coroner tells TMZ -- doctors at the hospital where Harris was rushed have listed his official cause of death as a heart attack -- and therefore, an autopsy is not necessary.

As we reported ... CJ was taken to a local hospital by ambulance in Jasper, Alabama Sunday night, after suffering what friends and family members believed was a heart attack at the time. Unfortunately, he didn't make it.

Fans will remember CJ as a contestant from season 13 of the hit singing competition series ... making it to the top 6 back in 2014.

His rendition of Allman Brothers Band's "Soulshine" got him a ton of buzz and attention from the show's judges.

After the show, he performed with Darius Rucker at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. CJ even played for audiences in 'American Idol's season 13 tour, which featured the top 10 finalists.

It was boy band heaven for Aaron Carter fans wanting to honor their favorite pop star while raising money for charity at the same time ... all thanks to an effort organized in part by Aaron's older siblings, Nick and Angel Carter.

Nick, alongside his Backstreet Boy bandmate AJ McLean, NSYNC's Lance Bass, 98 Degrees' Jeff Timmons, members from O-Town and LFO all gathered at HEART in West Hollywood.

Not only did the guys perform some fan favorites, the tribute show also raised $150k for On Our Sleeves -- a charity that works to help children facing mental and emotional health struggles -- with a goal to give every community in America access to free, evidence-informed educational resources, educating families and breaking stigmas.

We're told 100% of the proceeds raised at the show will benefit the charity.

TMZ broke the story, Nick penned a song for Aaron shortly after his death called "Hurts to Love You" ... and he performed it at Wednesday night's benefit show.

The NFL Pro Bowl captains have been announced ... but they're not superstar athletes like Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes -- it's Pete Davidson and Snoop Dogg!!

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the "Saturday Night Live" alum and rap legend will be going head-to-head when the festivities go down next month near Las Vegas ... with Pete representing the NFC, and Snoop leading the AFC.

It's unclear what exactly their roles will be ... but we're assuming they'll be working alongside Peyton and Eli Manning, who were named the coaches for each conference.

Of course, Eli and Pete (a massive Giants fan) have built a tight friendship recently -- they even share a joint Instagram account -- so we take it their chemistry will certainly be a plus when the competition goes down.

As for Snoop, he's always had ties to the sport ... and he even has his own youth football league. On top of that, he gave a helluva performance at Super Bowl LVI last year.

Snoop spoke about his captaincy in a statement to People ... saying, "I'm comin' back to the NFL field, but this time, instead of performing, I'm going head-to-head with Pete and competing for the title of The Pro Bowl Games Champion."

"The competition is going to go off, but we all know that Peyton and our AFC squad are gonna do some big things. We'll end up on that podium."

Davidson kept it short and sweet ... adding, "I'm doing this to impress my Uncle Mike."

Yo Gotti and Angela Simmons hit the FedEx Forum last night for their first outing as an official couple, and got to witness a first for his hometown team ... the Memphis Grizzlies.

TMZ got pics of the duo snuggling courtside inside the arena, clearly enjoying each other's company and rocking matching diamond-encrusted watches.

We're told things are going extremely well for them as a couple, and she even got to meet some of his friends during their trip back to Gotti's home turf.

As for the historic part of their date ... Ja Morant and the Grizzlies earned a franchise record 11th straight win last night, reinforcing their dominance atop the Western Conference alongside the Denver Nuggets. Perfect way to introduce Angela to the 901!!!

Angela and Gotti have been rumored to be dating for months, but finally went IG official on New Year's Eve.

Rap fans are enthralled by their relationship ... seeing as how he famously manifested things on his 2016 classic track "Down in the DM," where he copped to shooting Angela a few messages on Instagram.

Sequels to beloved hip hop classics are typically frowned upon, but not the new "House Party" ... so says one of the OG film's stars Christopher 'Kid' Reid, and he's giving LeBron James props for keeping the brand strong.

We caught up with Chris out in Santa Monica, where he joked about his cameo in the reboot being a bit on the "Where's Waldo?" side.

That aside, Chris notes how LeBron -- whose SpringHill Company acquired the rights for "House Party" -- has always shown love to his iconic group Kid 'n Play.

Back in 2009, LeBron and Rich Paul starred in a State Farm commercial based around RP's car getting burglarized, with the crooks leaving only a Kid 'n Play CD ... setting the stage for LeBron and the State Farm agent to do the group's iconic dance from the original film.

And then in 2013, LBJ gave his sons Bronny and Bryce the trademarked Kid 'n Play haircuts shortly before they were basketball phenoms in their own right.

The first "House Party" dropped in March 1990 -- paving the way for loads of hip hop cinema. Chris tells us the new generation of actors is doing a bang-up job carrying the torch ... and gave us his best Whitney Houston impression to hammer home his point!!!

Chris also revealed his famous high-top fade only cost him $25 back in the day -- a far cry from $1k, $500, and $420 that Diddy, Kanye, and Lil Baby are reported to be paying their barbers.

Drake's making a point to have his life of rich flexin' become a thing of public record all year ... and he's starting by exposing the secret privileges when it comes to sitting on porcelain!!!

Drake dropped a bombshell revelation to his fans Wednesday ... disclosing that while they're somewhere waiting to take a #1 or #2, a star such as himself gets directed to the secret restrooms to conduct his business with ease!!!!

"I have seen more staff and private bathrooms than anybody ever ...whenever you are waiting in line to use the bathroom just know there's an amazing clean private room that they refuse to show you," Drake wrote in his IG stories.

There's likely no cap in his rap -- Drake just put a glimpse of his life on display through the "Jumbotron Sh*t Poppin" music video, where he stunted with over $3 million of Pharrell's jewelry, a bright red Lamborghini, and circles of famous pals such as Lil Baby, Mike Tyson, and French Montana.

Nelly's recent performance in Australia has the Internet thinking he was a drunken mess on stage ... and the "Country Grammar" rapper can't help but laugh at all the jokes getting thrown his way about the show.

Video from Sunday's performance at Melbourne's Juice Fest shows Nelly staring off into space and missing the cues for his song "Over and Over" -- causing fans to voice their concerns on social media -- and letting the jokes fly.

"Nahh Nelly caught 4k Perced up and on god knows what other drugs he on," one fan quipped while another wrote, "Nelly was HIGH AS EGGS at that festival in Australia lmao every video i see if him performing gets funnier and funnier."

Nelly didn't deny being under the influence of anything ... but comedian Spice Adams spoofed the performance on Instagram, prompting the rap superstar to react with a slew of laughing emojis ... because what else can you say at this point? 😅

Jennifer Lopez is very much a happily married woman to Ben Affleck, and now spilling the details on what prompted the two to have a surprise wedding in Vegas ... saying her failed-wedding anxiety played a part.

J Lo joined "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Wednesday to talk the "the best night of our lives" -- sharing she suffered some PTSD from their failed wedding 20 years back when planning their 2003 wedding.

She said, "we were so happy, but I just felt the wedding was so stressful and one day Ben just said, 'f*** it, let's just go to Vegas and get married tonight.'" So that's exactly what they did.

TMZ broke the story ... Ben and Jen tied the knot in Vegas last July with a super intimate ceremony with just them and their kids.

However, that wasn't the end of their celebrations ... with another spectacular wedding ceremony including family and friends a month later at Ben's $8 million home in Georgia.