Music

Sam Asghari picked up a sign and joined striking Hollywood on the picket line ... saying he's there to support his fellow actors, and not to talk about his divorce with Britney Spears.

A SAG-AFTRA member, Sam was at the front of the line marching up to Disney Studios in Burbank when a photog asked him how he was holding up in the wake of filing for divorce.

Sam told the camera guy he wasn't there to discuss his personal life, but rather to raise awareness for the strike in hopes of getting everything resolved sooner than later.

TMZ broke the story ... Sam's planning to continue with acting gigs once the strike is resolved, and in the meantime, Britney is footing the bill for his swanky digs.

He says the strike's affecting him as much as any other actor, cleverly joking about having the same amount of roles right now as Leonardo DiCaprio.

So, maybe there's a comedy out there for Sam when the dust settles?!?

In all seriousness, Sam says the lack of jobs and money is the whole point of the strike ... and he's hoping there's a deal soon so Hollywood can get back to making art and inspiring folks.

Ariana Grande is making a change in managers ... she's leaving Scooter Braun.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the singer is leaving both Scooter and his management company, HYBE. One source put it this way, "Scooter's team is spinning the story. Ariana is leaving both Scooter and Hybe. There is absolutely no truth to her staying."

Scooter has been managing Ariana for years, and she's one of his biggest clients.

Ariana's departure comes on the heels of another big-name exit for Scooter ... Demi Lovato already peaced out. Idina Menzel also left back in January.

Ariana has unfollowed Scooter on social media, so it doesn't seem it's particularly amicable.

Braun has said he's stepping back from day-to-day management and, as we reported, he was negotiating with several clients, including Ariana, for a new structure ... but Ariana says she's now gone.

There have been rumors Justin Bieber might be leaving, but we're told Justin is still under contract with Scooter's company and they are negotiating a possible new deal. We're told Ariana might still have an existing contract with Braun so we don't know how that will play out.

Ariana's a big name on the open market now, and it will be interesting to see who becomes her next manager.

50 Cent’s microphone-hurling fiasco at his L.A. concert really has The Game PO'd … as the bloody incident happened on his home turf!!!

Game ripped 50 Thursday with a size jab -- "yo fat ass came to LA hittin women🤔" -- after getting wind of our report about Power 106 host Bryhana Monegain having her face cut and battered by the mic 50 angrily threw.

The former G-Unit rapper's been in a cold war with 50 for the better part of 15 years ... and Bryhana's injuries seem to have left things even icier!!!

Wednesday's concert was a celebration of 50's debut album, and although he brought out several guest stars -- Nas, Chris Brown, YG, Tyga, DaBaby -- the party mood has been dampened ... as 50 is now a suspect in an LAPD criminal investigation.

50 Cent's attorney, Scott Leemon, assured us his client would never intentionally use a mic as a weapon but as you can clearly see, Game ain't buying that for a second.

Rapper Hi-Rez, who created the now-viral Donald Trump AI rap track, says he had no political agenda while making the former prez's out-of-prison song ... he just wants to put a smile on people's faces.

Hi-Rez joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday, taking us through the process of making "Donald Trump - First Day Out" -- something he put up online for fun after Trump's mug shot made the news. The song has become a hit, charting #2 on iTunes with north of 3 million views.

In case you didn't know, rappers who get out of jail often put out a "first day out" song, talking about where they're at after becoming free once again ... and when his buddy suggested Trump would be a perfect subject, Rez jumped right to the AI tools to start cookin'.

He tells us he wrote the song in half an hour with no political bend -- his mission was actually bringing the warring sides of America together for a laugh.

Lil Uzi Vert found himself in the middle of a stolen puppy case in Pennsylvania -- but he's not the wanted dognapper, and it sounds like cops didn't do their due diligence.

The rapper's photo appeared Thursday in a Facebook post from the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department alerting the public to a puppy that had been taken from a pet store.

Problem is ... Lil Uzi Vert is NOT the suspect.

Cops have since taken down the post with Uzi's photo and replaced it with a different man with face tatts -- who is the actual suspect accused of swiping a pooch from Brookside Pups.

The Uzi version lived on the internet for about 30 minutes -- enough time for the FB post to be flooded with comments about the Philly artist.

So why the confusion? Brookside Pups tells TMZ ... the guy who allegedly grabbed a puppy and fled Thursday afternoon has Lil Uzi Vert's face as his profile picture on a social media account, which they sent to cops.

Police are blaming the pet store for providing them with the photo of Lil Uzi Vert.

Brookside Pups says police took down the photo once they realized the face tattoos on Lil Uzi Vert didn't match the suspect's. The store sent a new photo for cops to share.

Roc Nation says Uzi was nowhere near Philly at the time and the incident has left them fuming ... telling us, "The Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department should be embarrassed and ashamed for disparaging [Uzi's] character. This grave error could’ve had significant repercussions on Uzi’s career and epitomizes how Black men can be wrongfully charged and arrested by police departments across the country."

And just in case anyone's got it twisted, they add ... "Uzi loves all animals and this serious mistake has deterred the apprehension of the kidnapper. Our collective hope is that the puppy is safely and promptly rescued."

Madonna is getting back into the groove after a critical illness threatened her life ... she's exercising again, and appears to be back in good health.

The singer hopped on a bicycle for an outdoor workout Wednesday, pedaling around New York City with a few friends, including her personal trainer.

Madonna's bike ride took her through Central Park and onto Manhattan streets, where she road down a few city blocks ... zipping around town.

As you can see in the videos, Madonna's looking pretty fit and active here ... a good sign after a severe bacterial infection that landed her in the ICU.

Remember ... Madonna was rushed to a hospital at the end of June, so she's only about 2 months removed from the illness that forced her to postpone her 'Celebration' tour.

50 Cent went all Cardi B during his concert in Los Angeles, throwing his broken microphone in frustration into the crowd ... hitting a fan smack dab on the head.

The rapper hit the stage at Crypto.com Arena Wednesday night as part of his "Final Lap" tour 2023 ... and, during the performance, he was handed several mics that didn't work, which was clearly triggering.

Check out the video ... Fitty struts out onstage with a mic in hand to join YG, who is belting out a song. Suddenly, Fitty turns to one side of the stage and hurls the mic, striking a woman in the head.

Sources who were present tell TMZ ... Fitty wasn't targeting the woman, but still, he beaned her good. A source connected to 50 says the woman wasn't supposed to be in the restricted area ... but unlike the mic, that argument doesn't fly.

Photos of the victim surfaced on Instagram, showing a gash in her forehead and bloody towels wrapped around her neck.

We've reached out to Fitty's camp ... so far, no word back.

You may recall ... Cardi B was involved in a similar incident in which she angrily tossed her mic at a fan, who threw a drink at her during a Las Vegas show. The mic ricocheted off something and hit another person standing nearby. That person filed a police report, but Cardi was cleared.

Originally Published -- 6:18 AM PT

Bianca Censori had no problem turning heads even before she hooked up with Kanye West, and newly resurfaced photos put her incredible physique on full display for the whole world to see.

Check out the images from a 2021 modeling shoot, which, in one of them, shows Bianca looking amazing in her black thong bikini and mirrored sunglasses. Her series of sexy pictures were posted to Sasha Bianca's Instagram page as part of the swimwear brand's summer collection that year.

Meanwhile, Bianca is currently on vacation with Kanye in Italy, and, like her fashion shoot, she hasn't left much to the imagination, gallivanting around the country in sheer bodysuits revealing her breasts.

Miley Cyrus' brother, Trace, is getting destroyed for harsh comments about women working on OnlyFans -- he thinks they're killing their chances of ending up with a good guy.

The Metro Station guitarist and vocalist launched his anti-OnlyFans rant Wednesday, saying the women who earn cash on the site "have lost their chance of ever settling down with a good guy with morals."

Trace thinks OnlyFans models will call guys with standards "insecure," but will get attention from other men online, "so they think they have options."

It's a long, bizarre and rambling attack ... Trace even calls guys who pay for content on the platform "desperate" losers. Plenty of people in the comments lit him up, though, calling his rant "so embarrassing."

Farrah Abraham even called him out, saying "Balance & Brand is real... forget limited Insecure mindsets."

Trace responded to Farrah with a heavy dose of sarcasm ... "I've been defeated. The most intelligent woman of this generation has put me in check."

BTW, some are pointing out a bit of irony in his discography -- Metro Station's 2007 hit, "Shake It" is all about getting women to do as the title suggests, and having sex with them ...  as long as they're not OnlyFans models, apparently.

For more viral news, tune in to the TMZ Verified Podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.

Originally Published -- 8:47 AM PT

Call Zay Flowers Kodak Purple and Black ... 'cause the young Ravens receiver had the whole team going wild during Baltimore's rookie talent show this week -- crushing his performance of Kodak Black's biggest song!!

Superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson documented the whole act ... with footage showing the former Boston College standout getting in front of his teammates and doing a rendition of the Florida M.C.'s "No Flockin'."

Flowers certainly pandered to the audience -- Kodak has a ton of fans in the Ravens locker room ... and he's even hit up games and hung out with Jackson in the past, as the two are close friends.

While Jackson initially clowned Flowers -- who also hails from the Sunshine State -- for having to pull up the lyrics on his phone, it's safe to say the signal-caller gave his stamp of approval ... as he cheered on his teammate throughout the song.

The receiver also got a ton of help from the room ... with all the guys joining in on rapping along to the 2015 track.

The rookie initiations this season have been pretty impressive -- as we previously reported, Jets rookie Jerome Kapp also showed off his mic skills as he recited Eminem's famous diss from "8 Mile."

Taylor Swift fans in North America are getting the chance to relive her "Eras" tour -- or witness it for the first time -- because the show will soon be coming to the big screen!

The singer announced the big news Thursday morning, saying her insanely popular tour has been "the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it'll be coming to the big screen soon."

TS says her concert will hit AMC theaters across North America Friday, October 13 -- Taylor's lucky number. It'll be a long one ... every minute of her 3+ hour show will be projected on the big screen. She's asking fans to dress up and bring those friendship bracelets along.

The flick will play at least 4 times a day on Thursdays through Sundays at EVERY AMC location in America, as well as big theaters in Canada and Mexico.

And you can even enjoy the show with some Swift-themed popcorn buckets and cups, too.

Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef have reached a divorce settlement.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, the former couple entered into an uncontested written agreement. Details have not yet been disclosed, but at the very least, we know they'll both be declared single once the judge signs off on their agreement.

Last month, Martin and Yosef jointly announced they were calling it quits after 6 years of marriage.

In a statement, they wrote, "We have decided to end our marriage with love, respect and dignity for our children and honoring what we have experienced as a couple all these wonderful years."

They went on ... "Our greatest desire now is to continue having a healthy family dynamic and a relationship centered on peace and friendship to continue the joint upbringing of our children, preserving the respect and love we have for each other."

Jay-Z and his legal eagles are jumping to the defense of a Wisconsin man wrongfully, and violently, arrested -- and although cops know they nabbed the wrong guy ... he's still facing charges.

TMZ Hip Hop has learned Jay-Z's Team ROC org has enlisted powerhouse lawyer Alex Spiro to rep Jermelle English Jr. and his family ... in hopes of getting all charges dropped, and possibly to sue the Kenosha PD.

English was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest back in July, after Kenosha cops investigating a hit-and-run burst into the Applebee's, slammed him onto the ground and deployed pepper spray in the presence of his 1-year-old child.

Applebee's employees recorded video of the whole violent encounter.

The video shows officers repeatedly pummeling English as he lay on the ground ... prompting several protests in the local area, especially once the full details -- that cops grabbed a completely innocent man -- were uncovered.

The true hit-and-run suspects were actually found later hiding inside the restaurant’s bathroom.

Team ROC Managing Director Dania Diaz tells TMZ Hip Hop, “The reckless arrest of Jermelle English Jr. and the careless endangerment of his infant child by the Kenosha Police Department is an absolute travesty ... the Team ROC team is here to support Jermelle and his family through this traumatic experience, demand justice and hold the Kenosha police officers accountable."

Kenosha PD's Leo Viola tells us the department is still undergoing an internal investigation, and plans to be extremely transparent with the public once it's completed. He adds, the Dept. initiated its probe without any outside pressure.

Ne-Yo's ex, Monyetta Shaw-Carter, is opening up about what led to their breakup -- at least from her POV, it was about overcrowding in the bedroom ... as in, too many threesomes!!!

Monyetta was a recent guest on the "Haus of Aaron" podcast, where she poured some alleged tea, claiming Ne-Yo reneged on his promise for them to star on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" as a couple ... out of fear his music career would be tarnished.

As for the threesomes ... Monyetta says she was open to allowing others to participate in the bedroom, but saw red flags when Ne-Yo attempted to make it a regular thing.

Monyetta says she was totally down for it a couple times a year, but any more than that made her feel inferior in the relationship ... so, she cut her losses.

We just spoke to Jidenna about having multiple sex partners -- as he's been using his own experiences with polygamy to drive his music. His expertise is pretty much aligned with Monyetta's POV ... if the woman's unhappy, things likely won't last.

Popular TikToker Pinkydoll is brushing off accusations she's lightening her skin online, but Vic Mensa thinks the issue is much bigger than just a simple camera filter.

TMZ Hip Hop got the Chicago rapper Tuesday outside Dash Radio, and he shared his insight on the subject -- as it turns out, his new song tackles the very same topic!!!

On "Blue Eyes," Vic lyrically details the internal struggle he had as a kid yearning to be a lighter complexion ... even admitting he yearned to be white, at one point.

Vic doesn't know Pinkydoll, but says he knows her scenario all too well, telling us the dark vs. light skin debate precedes everyone's lifetime ... and Pinkydoll was programmed to follow European beauty standards since birth, whether she's aware of it or not.

Pinkydoll's explanations for her skin color looking so different on TikToK vs. real life have been an all over the place. She blamed it on being in and out of the sun when we spoke to her at LAX -- but on Wednesday's "TMZ Live," she said it was lighting and a filter to make her "look more Japanese."

Vic says he won't cast judgment on Pinkydoll or anyone like her, but thinks it's best for everyone's mental health to learn to love themselves as they are.

Nick Carter can celebrate winning a legal battle over Melissa Schuman -- the singer who's suing him for allegedly raping her back in 2002 -- but the war is still to come.

The Backstreet Boy singer had filed a countersuit against Schuman for defamation, but in response, she and her father filed a motion to block his legal action. Carter was in a Las Vegas courtroom Wednesday to hear a ruling on the matter.

The judge sided with Carter, denying Melissa's attempt to get the countersuit dismissed. The judge decided Carter presented sufficient evidence to warrant his defamation case moving forward.

As we reported, Schuman -- who sang in the girl group Dream -- claims Carter raped her back in 2002 at a friend's apartment in Santa Monica. She filed a lawsuit against him back in April, and shortly thereafter, Nick filed his countersuit.

Carter's attorney Liane K. Wakayama reacted to Wednesday's ruling, telling us ... “For years, Melissa and Jerome Schuman have been conspiring with anyone they could manipulate to drum up false claims against Nick Carter in a brazen attempt to get rich off of him. Today’s ruling confirms that Nick will be able to pursue that truth to its inevitable conclusion and expose the Schumans’ and their co-conspirators’ deceit and deplorable conduct.”