Music

Tory Lanez is defending himself publicly following his felony assault charge in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting ... arguing he deserves his day in court.

The rapper broke his silence Friday morning after the L.A. County D.A.'s Office charged him Thursday with one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle.

Tory's responding by reminding fans the "charge is not a conviction." He also posted emojis to say "time will tell" ... and the "truth will come to the light."

As we reported ... The D.A. also alleged Tory inflicted great bodily injury, and if he's convicted, the rapper/singer faces up to 22 years and 8 months in prison.

The charges came on the heels of Tory releasing an album on which he claims his innocence in multiple songs.

Prosecutors had been mulling over a charge of felony assault with a firearm against Tory after Megan said she was shot back in July.

Previously, he'd only been arrested for possession of the firearm cops found in the SUV the night of the shooting.

With the new charges ... prosecutors are straight-up pointing the finger at Tory as the man who pulled the trigger ... leaving Meg with a gruesome foot injury.

Demi Lovato's ex-fiance looks and sounds pretty broken up over their split ... he says he still hasn't spoken to her, and he's tired of people bullying him online.

We got Max Ehrich at LAX Thursday and he told our photog he's not bothered by her new song about their split, but what's really grinding his gears are the social media trolls coming after him.

As we reported ... Demi was frustrated with her ex going ham about their split -- Max somehow compared Demi and their breakup with Jeffrey Epstein -- and she leaked her new breakup song, "Still Have Me."

Max says the people in his mentions need to back off and stop bullying him, because they don't know what happened between him and Demi.

It's interesting ... while Max claims he learned about their breakup while reading the tabloids on set, he's telling the trolls not to believe everything they read.

Despite getting the silent treatment from Demi, the "Young and the Restless" actor tells us he wants the best for Demi and he hopes people can give them privacy.

It's clear Max is having a rough time with the breakup, and he says he's gonna need some time for himself before he's ready to jump back into the dating world.

Tory Lanez has been charged in connection with the shooting involving Megan Thee Stallion ... just weeks after the singer released an album claiming his innocence.

The L.A. County D.A.'s Office hit him with one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and one count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. The D.A. also alleges Tory inflicted great bodily injury.

If convicted, the rapper/singer faces up to 22 years and 8 months in prison.

As we reported ... the prosecutors had said they were mulling over a charge of felony assault with a firearm against Tory after Megan said she was shot back in July. Remember, Tory had been arrested but only charged with possession of a firearm. Prosecutors are now explicitly pointing the finger at Tory as the man who pulled the trigger ... leaving Meg with a gruesome foot injury.

It took Meg some time before she went public and accused Tory by name as the person who shot her. She didn't mince words saying ... "Yes, this n***a Tory shot me. You shot me, and you got your publicist and your people to these blogs lying and s**t, stop lying!"

As we reported, sources connected to Tory say there were mitigating circumstances -- and based on what we know ... we believe Tory's going to say it was an accidental shooting. Megan didn't help the D.A.'s effort with a social media caption -- which has since been deleted -- that said she had her back to the SUV when she was shot in the heel. That might indicate she didn't see it with her own eyes when Tory allegedly pulled the trigger.

You'll recall ... video of the incident showed cops pulling over the SUV in the Hollywood Hills -- with Tory lying face-down on the pavement and Megan gingerly tip-toeing ... leaving bloody footprints with each painful step.

Katy Perry just got a little peace of mind -- a judge granted a permanent restraining order against the man she claims has been stalking her and directing threats at her family.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... 38-year-old William Terry must stay 100 yards away from Katy, her fiance Orlando Bloom, their newborn baby girl, and Orlando's son Flynn from his previous marriage to Miranda Kerr for the next 3 years.

Terry's also prohibited from trying to contact Katy, her family or her staff on social media or posting anything about her ... and has to stay away from her concerts or live performances.

We broke the story ... Katy sought protection from Terry after he allegedly jumped the fence at her Beverly Hills property in September and was busted by cops for trespassing.

Katy claimed Terry tried to do this in August as well, after posting alarming messages on social media for months leading up to it. She feared he'd try it again if she did not get court-ordered protection.

Terry's troubling online behavior allegedly included numerous graphic and sexually explicit posts about Katy, comments about killing dogs and cops, threats to "snap Orlando Bloom's neck" and wishing Flynn and Miranda would "catch covid and die."

Kanye West is in the home stretch of his Presidential campaign, and he's laser-focused ... on making money off a pricey line of 2020 Vision merch.

Ye unveiled a collection that included $60 hats and $160 hoodies Wednesday night while the legit VP candidates were debating. The items included messages like, "Vote Kanye" and "God Save America."

Now, he's not completely ignoring his actual campaign -- Ye also listed a brief summary of his Presidential Platform.

Among other things, Kanye says he wants to restore prayer in classrooms, reduce household and student loan debt, work on equality in the criminal justice system and take care of the environment.

He does not go into detail about how he'd accomplish those goals ... but that's typical for politicians.

What's odd is the guy who claims he's really running for President hasn't made a single public campaign appearance since South Carolina back in July, when he cried while talking about abortion.

American actors and brothers Nathaniel Wolff (left) and Alexander Wolff (right) gained fame in 2007 when they landed the role of the rockstar siblings Nat and Alex in the hilarious kids documentary spoof "The Naked Brothers Band" on Nickelodeon.

Nat and Alex were joined on the show by their buddies David Levi, Cooper Pillot, Thomas Batuello and Allie DiMeco as the kid crush, Rosalina.

Nat Wolff can be more recently be seen on "The Stand" as Lloyd Henreid ... and Alex was in the 2018 freaky film "Hereditary" as Peter.

Country music star Morgan Wallen -- set to be this week's musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" -- was super unsafe over the weekend, and now the question ... will 'SNL' pull the plug on him?

The "This Bar" singer was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the football game against Texas A&M Saturday, and became the star of several TikTok videos afterward as he got very up close and personal with celebrating fans.

The clips show him in a bar -- taking shots and kissing women -- at a house party, in the backseat of a fan’s car and more ... and in all of them, he's without a mask and ignoring social distancing.

Wallen immediately came under fire online for reckless behavior during the pandemic -- and coronavirus case numbers again on the rise -- with people suggesting he's "gonna spread COVID to every gal at Bama."

Morgan's supposed to be the musical guest in just days when 'SNL' shoots the second episode of its 46th season, which premiered Saturday.

The country star's clear lack of taking COVID-19 safety precautions raises questions of how 'SNL' will keep its cast and crew safe in studio 8H ... and keep the Bill Burr-hosted show from becoming the next Rose Garden ceremony.  The real question ... will Morgan be allowed to perform in studio?

We've reached out to 'SNL' ... no word back so far.

Britney Spears lacks the mental capacity to sign a sworn declaration in her conservatorship case ... and her own lawyer compared her inability to sign a document to a comatose patient.

There was a hearing Wednesday in Britney's conservatorship case ... it was routine at first, but then the judge started asking questions about Britney wanting a co-conservator of her estate, to work alongside Jamie Spears.

Britney's lawyer, Sam Ingham, had been conveying Britney's feelings about the conservatorship to the court, and they got into a discussion as to whether all of that was inadmissible hearsay.

The judge asked Ingham if Britney would sign a declaration so there'd be a first-hand account of her feelings. Ingham said Britney lacked the capacity to sign a declaration, and likened her to a comatose patient. He was not saying she is comatose by any means, but he used it by way of example to show she was not capable of signing a legal document. Ingham said even comatose patients can have their lawyers speak for them.

The lawyers and the judge started discussing whether hearsay regarding Britney's feelings were admissible, but the judge put the matter over to another day.

As you know, there's a social media movement to free Britney from her conservatorship, but her own lawyer telegraphed that she's not able to do some fairly basic things.

Nathan Apodaca -- AKA the Fleetwood Mac "Dreams" skateboarder -- has a couple of huge reasons to smile today, as well as an explanation for why he chugs huge bottles of cranberry juice.

Nathan was on "TMZ Live" Wednesday talking about how his life's changed dramatically since uploading that now-viral skateboarding clip to TikTok. He calls it a blessing, because it led to him getting that brand new truck, delivered Tuesday by Ocean Spray.

As we told you ... Nathan said the donations that poured in shortly after would be used possibly for a new ride, but then he got Ocean Spray's gift. By the way, he told us how his first drive went in the truck went -- it's gonna make ya smile.

Nathan says his family had been talking about saving money for his daughter's upcoming 16th bday party and getting a new place. Now, they're plans are changing ... for the better.

As for why Nathan sips on that large 64 oz. jug of his fave beverage while skateboarding -- it's pretty simple. It's all about time, size and value. Doggface (his TikTok handle) broke it down for us, and reacted to rumors Travis Scott even wants to collaborate with him now.

Eddie Van Halen's wife is heartbroken over the death of her life partner ... as is the rest of the rock world, who are sharing personal tributes to the late, great guitar legend.

Janie Liszewski posted a remembrance Wednesday, writing ... "My husband, my love, my Peep." She adds, "My heart and soul have been shattered into a million pieces. I never knew it was possible to cry so many tears or feel such incredible sadness. Our journey together has not always been an easy one but in the end and always we have a connection."

She went on to say their love will stay alive. She said instead of saying goodbye ... she'll simply say "so long," as she hopes they'll meet again in heaven one day. Janie also asks Eddie to watch over her and their shared Pomeranian pooch, Kody.

Janie's been with Eddie 11 years now -- they got hitched in 2009. Prior to that, he was married to Valerie Bertinelli for over 20 years ... who also posted in his honor.

Other salutes have been pouring in from rock icons from the same era and beyond -- including messages from Gene Simmons, who called Eddie a "Superhero," adding he's "heartbroken." Ozzy Osbourne said Eddie "Made it look so easy," and his former bandmate Sammy Hagar, said he was "heartbroken and speechless."

Other tributes came in from Nikki Sixx, Flea, Paul Stanley, Geezer Butler, Billy Idol, Keith Urban, Tony Iommi, Pantera, Pearl Jam and so many other acts. They all had kind words to share, most touched on the fact that Eddie was a trailblazer and an inspiration for their own careers.

Moreover, it wasn't just musicians who weighed in on Eddie's passing -- comedian Dane Cook said Eddie's music made him feel alive. Mark Hamill called Eddie, "One of Rock's most extraordinary guitar virtuosos and Jimmy Kimmel said a chat he once had with Van Halen was, "two of the best hours of my life."

As we reported, Eddie died Tuesday after a battle with throat cancer. He was 65.

James Corden did his best Paul McCartney to make fun of President Trump's coronavirus crisis -- and some people are saying he deserves a Grammy for this biting little diddy.

The 'Late Late Show' host opened Tuesday night's show with a musical segment, playing a song parody on McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" -- with James sitting at a piano and belting out tweaked lyrics to the '70s hit. JC aptly titled his rendition ... "Maybe I'm Immune."

You gotta watch it for yourself -- James weaves in lots of recent Trump-y 'rona topics that are both timely and hilarious ... like Trump's doctors saying he's responding very well to treatments, Trump's trouble with breathing, his bizarre drive-by outside Walter Reed and, of course, his offhand remark he might be immune to the virus after just a few days.

BTW, James kills it on both the keys and in the vocals department -- dude is seriously talented ... he seems to be playing live and is definitely singing his heart out. Sir Paul, or his publishing company, would approve!

The former home of Bobbi Kristina -- where she tragically overdosed in a bathtub, causing her death -- is for sale in Georgia ... and the history may explain why the price has already dropped.

The spacious townhouse in Alpharetta was previously owned by Bobbi's mom, Whitney Houston, and despite its macabre past ... it's actually quite beautiful.

The 2,600-sq.-ft. pad comes with 3 beds and 4 baths, a gorgeous great room, a gourmet kitchen, a huge master suite with a fireplace, and 2 guest suites with private baths.

Of course, the home also comes with the underlying tale of the tragic January 31, 2015 incident ... when Bobbi was found face down in a bathtub by her boyfriend, Nick Gordon.

She was put on life support afterward and moved to hospice, where she died nearly 6 months later on July 26.

Gordon was found civilly liable for her death in November 2016, and though cops investigated him in connection with her death for years ... he was never charged. Gordon died of a heroin overdose in early 2020.

All of this could explain why the home has failed to attract any buyers so far. Kayce Davidson, the real estate agent with the listing, tells us the townhome went on the market 3 weeks ago ... but they recently dropped the price $10k to $599,000.

Austin Mahone is the latest celeb to join the OnlyFans wave, but here's what's setting him apart from other famous folks on the site -- he's ready to get naked!!!

The singer's OnlyFans account has only been up for 3 days, and he tells us he's already getting blown up with some super weird requests ... like pics of his feet and even his butthole.

Austin says he's gonna stop short of straight-up pornography, but he's down to slip off his underwear for some sexy snaps.

Austin's already got a steamy video he's ready to upload to his OF page ... and we've obtained a snapshot from the shoot.

Easy to see why OnlyFans is right in Austin's wheelhouse ... remember, when he was only 19, he told us he's the champ when it comes to unstrapping bras during his hookups.

It's a pretty fun convo ... and Austin assures us he's gonna have the wildest OnlyFans page of any celeb!

Eddie Van Halen -- the legendary guitarist and co-founder of Van Halen -- has died after a long battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

Sources directly connected to the rock star tell us ... he died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica Tuesday. His wife, Janie, was by his side, along with his son, Wolfgang, his ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli, and Alex, Eddie's brother and drummer.

We're told in the last 72 hours, Eddie's ongoing health battle went massively downhill -- doctors discovered his lung cancer had moved to his brain as well as other organs.

As you know, Eddie has been battling cancer for well over a decade. Our sources say he's been in and out of the hospital over the past year -- including last November for intestinal issues -- and recently underwent a round of chemo.

Last year we reported ... Eddie was flying between the US and Germany for 5 years to get radiation treatment. Though he was a heavy smoker for years, he believes he developed throat cancer from a metal guitar pick he used to frequently hold in his mouth more than 20 years ago.

Nevertheless, he continued to attend concerts and rehearse music with his son, who -- if ya don't know -- became Van Halen's bassist in 2006.

Wolfgang mourned his father online, writing ... "He was the best father I could ever ask for. Every moment I’ve shared with him on and off stage was a gift. My heart is broken and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from this loss." He added, "I love you so much, Pop."

Of course, Eddie himself was considered one of the best and most influential guitarists of all time ... who first made a name for himself with his solo on Van Halen's "Eruption."

Eddie formed the classic rock group in Pasadena in 1972 with his brother, Alex, on drums, Michael Anthony on bass and David Lee Roth singing. Eddie served as the main songwriter on their self-titled debut album in 1978 ... which launched the group into rock superstardom in the '80s.

They went on to pump out hit after hit, including "Runnin' with the Devil," "Unchained," "Hot for Teacher," "Panama" and "Jump" ... and continued their success with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals after the departure of Roth in 1985.

While the band had already achieved hard rock superstardom, Eddie became a pop culture icon with the 1983 release of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" ... which featured Eddie's iconic guitar solo.

Though some members of Van Halen have changed, Eddie and Alex were the constants in the band ... with Eddie's acclaimed guitar work being the focal point of their legacy.

Van Halen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, and Eddie is widely considered one of the greatest guitar players of all time.

He is survived by his wife, Janie, and his son.

Eddie was 65.

RIP

Johnny Nash, the guy who sang the incredibly happy and infectious 1970s #1 hit, "I Can See Clearly Now," has died.

The singer's son tells TMZ ... Johnny was at home Tuesday when he passed away of natural causes. No word on cause of death yet.

Johnny was born in Houston and made his debut as a major label artist in 1957 with the single, "A Teenager Sings the Blues." However, it was his reggae-tinged hit that topped the charts in November of 1972, and stayed there for 4 weeks.

Nash sold more than 1 million copies of the single, and it made him an international star, especially in Jamaica ... where he became one of the first non-Jamaican singers to record reggae on the island.

While he might go down in music history as a one-hit wonder, what a smash. "I Can See Clearly Now" has been covered numerous times after Johnny. A couple of those covers even reached the top 20 -- the most recent one being Jimmy Cliff's 1993 version for the "Cool Runnings" soundtrack.

His son, John Nash III, tells us, "He was a wonderful father and family man. He loved people and the world. He will be missed within his community. Family was his everything."

Johnny was 80.

Talk about positive vibes -- the guy who went viral skateboarding to a Fleetwood Mac classic just got upgraded wheels ... meaning a brand new truck, courtesy of his fave beverage.

A rep for Ocean Spray rolled up to Nathan Apodaca's RV Tuesday in Idaho ... and the dude who just loves sipping cranberry juice while vibing to "Dreams" was hella surprised by the generosity.

Check out the video ... Nathan hopped out of his RV to meet the juice guy, who told him the truck and all the juice in its flatbed were all his! The Ocean Spray rep thanked Nathan -- as we all do -- for keeping the positive feels going.

A pretty awesome ending after Nathan's original video sparked the so-called "Dreams" challenge on TikTok, which racked up millions of views.

Soon after, Nathan, who was saving money to upgrade his ride, got tons of donations from strangers all over the country ... more than $10k he said might use for a new RV.

The "Dreams" challenge ultimately reached the rock band's co-founder and drummer, Mick Fleetwood, who on Sunday shared his own TikTok and said Nathan "had it right. Dreams and Cranberry just hits different."