Music

World-class DJ Paul Oakenfold is breaking his silence after a former personal assistant sued him for sexual harassment, claiming he masturbated in front of her ... but, he says it didn't happen.

Paul addressed the allegations Monday on social media, saying ... "Let me be absolutely clear: I categorically deny any and all claims of improper conduct. Respect, integrity, and consent are values I hold dear, and I have always treated everyone with the utmost professionalism."

Oakenfold -- who many consider the godfather of electronic music -- adds ... "It is disheartening to see these baseless accusations, which appear to be nothing more than a calculated attempt to tarnish my reputation and extort money."

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the woman claims Paul exposed himself and masturbated in front of her while she was on the job. She even claims he masturbated in her car and once pleasured himself in front of her 4 times in a single day.

The 24-year-old woman says she took a job at a management company and was assigned to be Paul's personal assistant in October, and she claims he pleasured himself in front of her on her first day ... and on 3 other occasions.

In the docs, the woman says she reported the alleged incidents to her bosses and was told she couldn't resume working if she didn't sign an NDA. She claims she eventually signed the NDA under duress and returned to work but says she was no longer assigned to Paul.

The woman claims she was given fewer hours and was ultimately laid off in March ... and now she's suing Paul and others for unspecified damages.

Paul's rep tells TMZ ... "Although she was not officially employed by him nor did she serve as his full-time assistant, it's important to note that Oakenfold had minimal contact with her, and they barely had any face-to-face interactions. He doesn’t even recall her name."

The rep also tells us Paul hasn't been served the court document.

Rick Ross' 2nd annual car show was a huge success ... and that's not only coming from the thousands of folks in attendance but Fayette County officials, who were initially reluctant about the whole thing.

Fayette County staff tell TMZ ... Ricky Rozay's event planners did a great job communicating with officials, and working with the county to make sure the event went on as smoothly as possible.

Now, that's not to say everything was perfect. We're told there were about 19 medical emergencies during the show, but EMS personnel were on site to help.

Four of those people were transported to a hospital, and only 1 case wound up being serious.

Our sources say the Fire Marshal made sure Rick and co. were meeting code, and the Health Department checked on food vendors -- everything passed with flying colors. Also, sheriffs were on hand for added security during the event.

We're told, even the traffic was also a whole lot better compared to last year's nightmare at the event.

You'll recall, Fayette County initially rejected Rick's permit to have the car show, saying it wasn't in compliance with zoning ordinances.

County officials also said last year's inaugural show went down without their approval -- despite being a huge success in Rick's eyes -- and they didn't want a repeat of that.

Of course, Da Boss wound up getting a permit with some strict guidelines for the massive event held on his massive Promised Land estate in Fayetteville.

Turned out to be another one for the books ... with a ton of celebs and other folks coming out as RR hit the stage and showed off a range of whips and vendors on his property.

Ice Spice and Latto both had the same idea when it came down to celebrating their big-time looks at this year's Hot 97 Summer Jam ... as we've learned they ended up at the same NYC hot spot to get turnt!!!

Sources close to both camps tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Ice and Latto ended up at Sei Less restaurant with their respective parties, and we're told Latto's long-rumored flame 21 Savage eventually joined her private room of 20 people to toast to the occasion!!!

Latto was still buzzing with the hysteria of her Summer Jam performance ... where Cardi B brought her out to perform their new collab, the "Put It On The Floor (Remix)" and her good mood was felt firsthand by the dining staff ... as we've learned she tipped waiters a whooping $2k tip to accompany the $6k bill.

Not to be outdone, we're told Ice also celebrated in her own separate private room ... just hours after being surprised by Rob Markman, on the Summer Jam stage with her first RIAA certification... a Gold plaque for her blowup single "Munch."

The Capitol Records signee released "Munch (Feelin' U)" in July 2022 through Worldstar Distro ... and the rest is now history on a trophy for her wall!!!

Misa Hylton -- the mother of Diddy's eldest son Justin Combs -- is none too pleased following their son's DUI arrest ... and it appears she thinks his dad hasn't been the strictest parent.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... JC was busted for running a red light around 8 AM on Sunday morning, and eventually hauled off and booked on a misdemeanor DUI charge.

Shortly after the news broke, Misa launched into a tirade on Instagram aimed at Diddy, suggesting his "reality show" lifestyle led Justin down the wrong path.

Naturally, mothers tend to be overprotective of their sons and Misa told her followers to expect the absolute worst should anything ever happen to her Prince JC.

UCLA, the college where JC once played football, and one of Diddy's high-ranking employees also felt Misa's mama bear wrath via a few stray shots.

She also brought up (or scoffed at rather), Diddy's recently filed lawsuit against alcohol giant Diageo where he alleged racist and unfair treatment as a brand ambassador.

Misa thinks Diddy should invest in selling something healthier for the culture and his suing the bank that got him rich hints at a fall from grace!!!

Taylor Swift had a pretty wild choking attack during her latest concert, but no need for the Heimlich here -- turns out she accidentally swallowed a freakin' bug in front of tens of thousands of fans!!!

The singer was at Chicago's Soldier Field Sunday night when the rogue insect jumped down Taylor's throat and pushed pause on the show. The Swifties went completely silent as they all watched their favorite performer start to cough repeatedly.

It wasn't as serious as fans thought, though ... she let them know about the bug sabotage, causing everyone to burst out laughing -- and after, apparently, swallowing the thing, T-Swift jokingly added, "Oh, delicious!"

Bugging out aside ... the Sunday night show wrapped up a pretty epic 3-day stand in the Windy City for TS.

As we reported, she made sure her LGBTQ fans felt safe and welcome during Friday night's show, saying she loves seeing fans interacting and being their true selves as Pride month kicked off.

Yung Gravy is on the mend from a nasty nosedive that left him with multiple fractures, but the charismatic rapper isn't up in arms over the music festival accident ... even if that arm's currently in a sling!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with Gravy at LAX, where he said he's got no beef with the Hangout Music Festival, the Alabama event, where he recently took the tumble while working the crowd.

Gravy says HMF is graciously covering his medical bills, and took the blame for him tripping over a wooden plank.

The fall was that much harder because the "Betty (Get Money)" rapper happens to be 6'6" -- and his height made it mandatory we get his thoughts on DDG proclaiming tall dudes are outta style in 2023.

Now, DDG's dating the 'Little Mermaid' herself, Halle Bailey, so he's brimming with confidence right now -- but surprisingly, Gravy agrees with him!

He told us he's happy to see the little guys get some shine after being overlooked ... although he does consider himself an exception in this circumstance.

On cue, Gravy did provide an exceptional musical update -- he tells us he's fresh off a trip from Cambodia and recorded music with one of the YSL rappers. 👀

Diddy's eldest son, Justin Combs, was arrested for DUI this weekend in L.A. ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Justin was arrested Sunday morning near Beverly Hills after a cop saw a vehicle run a red light. This occurred around 8 AM -- and the incident was also shot by an eyewitness. In pics obtained by TMZ, you can see JC interacting with the officer.

We're told the officer initiated a traffic stop, where Justin was found to be the driver. After a preliminary investigation, our sources tell us the cop felt there was enough probable cause to cuff him and haul him to jail on suspicion of driving under the influence.

It's unclear what sort of sobriety tests Justin might've been put through, but we know he was booked on a misdemeanor DUI charge ... and that his bond was set at $5,000. No word on whether he's still in custody or not.

Justin is Diddy's first kid, whom he had with Misa Hylton. Like Puff's other children, he's taken after his father and gotten into showbiz -- serving as an actor, producer and entrepreneur, among other things.

The Fugees came together this weekend during Lauryn Hill's headlining set in Philadelphia ... and it might be the last time we see them as a unit for a good long while.

The 3 ex-band members reunited Saturday during the Roots Picnic music festival ... where she was one of the last acts of the night to take the stage. It was a big deal, as she's celebrating the 25th anniversary of her album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."

It seems Wyclef Jean and Pras realized the significance as well ... 'cause at one point during her performance, they joined her onstage and began performing as The Fugees again.

Indeed ... it was a very cool moment. They performed at least one song of theirs -- "Ready or Not" -- and the crowd was rocking with them. It's unclear if they did any other tracks ... but they certainly had plenty to choose from. The Fugees have tons of hits under their belt.

Sounds like the show went off without a hitch, and the festival's key organizer -- Questlove -- was certainly grateful. He took to IG with a throwback post of one of The Fugees' first gigs, noting this may well be one of the final times they join forces like this in this setting.

He wrote, "@MsLaurynHill did us a solid by letting us not only letting us celebrate with her the classic #MiseducationOfLaurynHill but she also made a moment by bringing together her bredren @WyclefJean & @PrasMichel ... I’m giving all the gratitude for making this miracle of a night happen."

Part of the reason The Fugees might not reunite like this again for quite some time is because Pras is likely going to prison after he was convicted in his illegal foreign influence scheme case ... and he faces up to 20 years behind bars. He hasn't been sentenced yet.

No Taylor Swift, no problem for Matty Healy, who planted a kiss on a security guard right in the middle of his band's Denmark concert.

The 1975 were cranking out their song, "Robbers" at the NorthSide Festival when their frontman, Matty, locked eyes with the guy who was standing watch Friday night near the front of the stage -- and then, he gave the guard some lip action.

The security guard was definitely into it, and even came back for more. He didn't get to double dip -- sorry, guy ... Taylor's got a leg up on ya!

For the uninitiated, this is kinda Matty's thing -- he's been known to kiss random concertgoers when they perform "Robbers" live.

Of course, Matty's romantic moves have been reserved for T-Swift lately. We've seen him attend several of her concerts ... even hanging with Taylor's dad during one.

Britney Spears is feeling some sorta way about her 2 boys moving out of state ... or so it seems based on the 13-year throwback pic she posted of her youngest.

Brit's emotions came through Saturday afternoon when she shared the 2010 shot of herself carrying a then 4-year-old Jayden on her hip.

She didn't use any words to describe her feelings in the caption, instead she only used 2 rose emojis 🌷🌷 -- and she also turned off comments.

That's interesting, because, as we've reported ... Britney's relationship with Jayden and her eldest, Sean Preston, has been strained to say the least.

TMZ broke the story, Kevin Federline plans to move to Hawaii this summer with his wife, Victoria, along with the boys. He asked Britney to sign off on the relocation plan, and she finally did last week, through her attorney Mathew Rosengart.

Britney hasn't seen the boys in more than a year, but you could view her post as a sign she's open to reconciling with her sons before they move.

As we reported, she recently had a great face-to-face meeting with her mother Lynne Spears ... and that once seemed impossible.

Tom Sandoval may be the most hated guy in reality TV, but he sure as hell is king when he's performing onstage ... as evidenced by his latest concert!!

Tom and his crew hit the stage Thursday at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville, Kentucky for the latest stop of the "Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras" tour -- and one eyewitness told us he brought the house down ... with fans showing him a ton of love during his hour-long set.

Throughout the night, he played a number of '70s, '80s and '90s hits ... including "Somebody to Love" by Queen and "Groove Is in the Heart" by Deee-Lite, and the fans ate it up.

Sandoval busted out his go-to moves -- going shirtless and snapping photos with fans, and before the night ended ... he signed "Stay Fancy" in marker on a woman's arm.

Of course, all the love he's getting while performing is a huge contrast to the way things are going IRL.

As you know, the "Vanderpump Rules" star has been in very hot water ever since word got out he was cheating on his longtime partner Ariana Madix with their friend/costar Raquel Leviss.

Naturally, that put a hard stop on their 10-year relationship, and almost all of his cast members have been ripped left and right, in public and on the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion.

Despite all this, we were told he's still selling out shows. You'll recall, his security team kicked out one fan from his Pittsburgh show after she held up a #TeamAriana sign.

Behind this altered image is a Dallas, Texas native who started his first band back when he was fresh out of high school, and even though he's toned down his spikey hair over the years, he's now rockin' a pink-slick 'do!

This guitar-playing-guy first became popular in the early 2000s ... you may have jammed out to his hit song, "On The Way Down" back in '04 or perhaps saw him make a cameo on MTV's "The Ashlee Simpson Show" ... can you guess the star behind the scrambled pic?

Kanye West is making peace with Ice Cube ... 7 months after throwing him under the bus by claiming Cube was the one who turned him on to antisemitism.

The 2 rap icons met face-to-face Friday at Cube's home in the L.A. area -- and it definitely looks like they hammered out their differences. They hugged it out as Ye was leaving, and both guys were smiling.

You'll recall, late last year -- after Ye started his antisemitic rants -- he went on "Drink Champs" and claimed Ice Cube's social media posts inspired his dangerous bigotry.

For his part, Cube made it clear he had no idea what Ye was talking about. He tweeted, "I didn't put the batteries in his back. Please leave my name out of all the antisemitic talk. I'm not antisemitic and never have been."

"Drink Champs" eventually deleted the episode ... as it featured Ye making several offensive rants about Jews, Trevor Noah and George Floyd.

Since then Ye has claimed he no longer hates Jewish people, although his explanation for why -- watching Jonah Hill in "21 Jump Street" -- was, at the very least, bizarre ... and, at most, highly offensive.

A federal judge in Tennessee has found that the state's anti-drag law -- the first of its kind in the country -- is unconstitutional ... and the timing couldn't be better for supporters of Pride.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker handed down his ruling Friday, arguing the law is too vague and overly broad ... also saying it encouraged discriminatory enforcement. Parker says the law violates Americans' First Amendment right to free speech/freedom of expression.

Parker did make a distinction about obscenity -- which proponents of the law thought would help keep it intact -- but the judge struck that down, explaining ... "There is no question that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. But there is a difference between material that is ‘obscene’ in the vernacular, and material that is ‘obscene’ under the law."

He adds, "Simply put, no majority of the Supreme Court has held that sexually explicit -- but not obscene -- speech receives less protection than political, artistic, or scientific speech."

In other words, it ain't illegal for adults to talk sex or dress in drag in front of kids ... which is exactly what this law was all about in the first place. As you'll recall, this law banned public drag/cabaret performances where children could see them, and that might've created problems with the Pride demonstrations going on throughout the state this weekend.

It's interesting ... the judge -- who's Trump-appointed, BTW -- brought up a hypothetical example of a woman dressing as/impersonating Elvis ... and said a situation like that could be prosecuted under this law. While Parker did say the State had an express and righteous interest to protect its minors, he said putting a law like this on the books isn't the way.

As you know ... local Pride organizers there in Tennessee have reported receiving threats from various hate groups in recent weeks as they were planning their parades and events.

Taylor Swift isn't afraid to get a little political ... she's reassuring fans they can safely celebrate Pride at her concerts, but also reminding them to vote if they want to feel safe in America.

Taylor's latest Eras Tour stop is in Chicago, and on Friday night she took a moment to get serious about "harmful pieces of legislation" that she says put the LGBTQ community at risk.

As she looked into the audience, she shouted out the "brilliant crowds of people who are living their authentic lives" and told them ... "This is a safe space for you. This is a celebratory space for you. And one of the things that makes me feel so prideful is getting to be with you, and watching you interact with each other, and being so loving, and so thoughtful, and so caring."

Before she launched back into her set, she encouraged her fans to pay attention to elections, especially local ones ... do their research and vote for candidates who are advocates and allies.

In recent years, Taylor's used her tremendous influence to remind her army of Swiftees about important elections ... and has even endorsed candidates.

Danny Masterson won't be like all the regular folk behind bars while he awaits sentencing ... we've learned he'll be in the same area where some high-profile inmates stayed in the past.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the "That '70s Show" actor is not in lockup with the general population at the L.A. County Men's Central Jail, as he waits to be sentenced for his rape conviction. Instead, we're told he's being kept in "administrative segregation" for his safety.

Our sources say he's in the same unit where some very famous inmates once stayed ... including Suge Knight and O.J. Simpson.

As we reported, DM was found guilty on two rape counts he was facing ... the jury was deadlocked on the third count. The verdict was reached this week in Los Angeles ... after his first trial ended in a mistrial.

There's no TV in his cell, but he'll have books from the jail's library, and will be allowed out of his cell for 2 hours each day, at which time he can go to the day room and have access to a phone and TV.

He'll get time for recreation 3 hours a week. He's able to shower every other day ... unless he's going to court, and then he can shower daily.