Music

Britney Spears' father, Jamie, is going after her mother, Lynne, for objecting to the legal fees linked to the singer's conservatorship ... claiming Lynne has no idea what she's talking about and is not looking out for their daughter's best interests.

Jamie's attorneys at Holland & Knight LLP filed new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, calling out Lynne for "raising objections to fees related to matters that she has no knowledge of."

This is in response to Lynne filing legal docs last week objecting to 4 months of fees totaling $890k and requesting about a quarter of that be returned to Britney's estate. Lynne alleged the law firm was doing unnecessary and improper work as part of a "national media tour" to combat negative coverage.

But, Jamie's lawyers are clapping back, saying that their fees are legit and she's causing undue delay and expense while "stirring up more unnecessary media attention.

Holland and Knight adds ... "Lynne Spears is the one who exploited her daughter’s pain and trauma for personal profit by publishing a book about [Britney]," referring to her 2008 book, "Through the Storm."

Jamie's lawyers go on to accuse Lynne of making misleading and "seriously flawed objections" to H&K's fees, specifically her gripe about media-related matters.

H&K says Britney is a world-famous entertainer and adds, "this Conservatorship has always been, and continues to be, the subject of increasingly intense media scrutiny both in traditional news media as well as on social media and most recently documentary films." It claims its media-related work is necessary and litigation-based.

Wade Robson has taken another loss against Michael Jackson's companies -- a California court has once again thrown out his sexual abuse lawsuit ... but he says he's fighting the decision.

Judge Mark A. Young ruled in favor of MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures Monday, dismissing Robson's sexual abuse lawsuit on summary judgment ... something Robson had refiled in 2020 after California opened the door for alleged victims of sexual abuse with years-old claims.

In dismissing the case, the judge ruled that Robson couldn't prove the companies had the ability to control Jackson's conduct or that the companies had any fiduciary duty to protect Robson while he was with MJ in the '90s.

You'll recall ... another of Michael's accusers, James Safechuck, suffered a similar blow in his own lawsuit back in October of last year.

Like Safechuck, Robson's attorney, Vince Finaldi, plans to appeal this decision, saying ... "This decision of Judge Mark A. Young suffers from the same fatal flaws as the prior decision of prior Judge Mitchell Beckloff, which we were able to overturn on appeal."

He insists if the dismissal is allowed to stand, it'll set a "dangerous precedent that would leave thousands of children working in the entertainment industry vulnerable to sexual abuse by persons in places of power."

MJ's estate, of course, had a different reaction. One of the estate's attorneys, Jonathan Steinsapir, tells TMZ ... “Wade Robson has spent the last 8 years pursuing frivolous claims in different lawsuits against Michael Jackson's estate and companies associated with it."

Kanye West has the Midas touch ... a pair of shoes he wore during his performance at the 2008 Grammys just sold for a record 7-figure price.

The prototype Nike Air Yeezy 1 brought in a whopping $1.8 million in a recent private sale, according to Sotheby's, which brokered the deal.

Kanye famously wore the kicks, known as the "Grammy Worn" Nikes, at the 2008 Grammy Awards, when he performed "Hey Mama" and "Stronger."

The $1.8 million sale price completely shatters the record for the most expensive pair of sneakers ever sold ... it's the first pair to sell for over $1 million, nearly tripling the previous high of $615k for a pair of 1985 Nike Air Jordan 1s Michael Jordan wore when he broke a backboard during a preseason game in Italy.

MJ's record didn't last long ... those kicks sold last year, and now Kanye's got the top spot.

Ye and Mark Smith designed the size 12 shoes, a combination of Nike and Yeezy signature brandings. There's a classic Nike Swoosh, plus a Yeezy forefoot strap and a bright pink "Y" medallion lace lock.

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's neighbors in the Hollywood Hills are spending big on increased security after a break-in at the celeb couple's home ... even adding armed guards.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Shawn and Camila's neighbors are dropping thousands of dollars on new security systems in the wake of last month's break-in, and others are signing up for a program offering armed, former law enforcement officers on patrol.

We're told folks who live near Shawn and Camila are spending $5,000 to $10,000 on new security cameras with floodlight censors designed to scare off burglars before they get too close for comfort.

As we first told you ... Shawn and Camila were inside their Hollywood Hills home last month when crooks broke in and took off with Shawn's Mercedes G-Wagon SUV.

Since the break-in, we're told neighbors are signing up for the armed guard service ... it costs $100 per month and the guards escort residents to their doors, check on properties when folks are on vacation and work closely with the LAPD and alarm companies.

We're told the neighborhood association launched a similar pilot program last summer in the ritzy bird streets above the Sunset Strip -- home to Ariana Grande, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bobby Flay -- and residents there saw a significant dip in crime.

The Kid LAROI is still a few months shy of turning 18, but he has many reasons to celebrate early ... and we're thinking a Benjamin Franklin-themed party is fitting after his new deal with Sony.

The Australian singer, songwriter and producer known for hits like "Without You," and his collaboration with Juice WRLD on "Go," finalized a contract that will pay him $4.2 million in advances alone ... according to his minors contract.

The Kid LAROI -- gov't name Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard -- got $1.2 million immediately after signing the deal. He's also getting $1.75 million after his publisher gets the deal approved by the court ... and another $1 million payable in 12 monthly installments after that.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, it says KL will get another $250k on the 1 year anniversary of the deal -- and all of that is before his royalties kick in.

The Kid LAROI became known to mainstream audiences when the late rapper Juice WRLD mentioned him while on tour Down Under. They eventually collaborated on a couple of tracks ... and LAROI's singles soon started gaining serious traction in the U.S.

His popularity's still on the rise ... 'cause even Miley Cyrus recently teased an upcoming remix of LAROI's 2020 single "Without You." She uploaded a 20-second clip featuring the track and headlines of her past relationships.

DMX's family and closest friends gathered together to honor the rapper one last time before he is laid to rest in New York ... and the private funeral service was full of emotion.

Sunday marked the second service for the late rapper and this one, at an NYC church, was restricted to those who knew X best. A larger event went down Saturday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn which featured a choir, X's kids all taking the stage and words from his closest celeb friends like Nas, Eve and the original Ruff Ryders.

The church service started around 11:30 AM PT and was broadcast on BET ... as well as here. Right from the jump, the service proved to be incredibly poignant and heartfelt -- especially when some of his children stepped to the podium to remember their father.

One of X's daughters, Sasha, delivered a tearful remembrance ... sobbing throughout. She said she finds it difficult to know that the world will go on without him around, not to mention the fact that X won't be there to see her graduate college ... or walk down the aisle.

Despite this, she said X being at peace was more important than any of that -- and that she finds comfort in the fact that he's no longer in pain and resting easy in heaven. She also said she knew he'd be encouraged that all of his children had gotten together under one roof.

Her speech was very moving ... and drew a big round of applause from the crowd. More of his kids also spoke, and all of their words were touching ... with some comic relief sprinkled in as they reminisced on their dad's life and memories with him.

X's young children were so well-composed and eloquent in their remarks ... it was incredible to watch. One of his sons, Manny, joked about his dad always asking him about how many girlfriends he had ... while also relaying that X wanted his boys to listen to him, but not necessarily follow in his footsteps, as X had traveled a rocky road. Manny said he'd remember that ... and that his dad was right. The crowd responded well.

Some of X's other children -- including his younger daughters -- also spoke, reading poems and delivering parting words, including thanks ... which were brief but poignant. His kids seriously stole the spotlight throughout the beautiful church service.

There were a lot more speakers who stepped to the mic ... including members of the Ruff Ryders, and Swizz Beatz once again -- who was a lot more chill with his remarks this time around. He kind of explained why he was so fierce on Saturday ... and it became clear they were like family, so Swizz going to bat for him like he did is understandable.

Another powerful moment presented itself when two mothers of DMX's children came together at the podium -- his ex-wife, Tashera Simmons, gave a stirring speech about how she met X and their time together. Then, she intro'd DMX's fiancee, Desiree Lindstrom, who delivered a somber account of their loving relationship ... all while crying and sobbing throughout.

The two women embraced ... and it got everyone clapping and cheering. There was no shortage of tears either -- you could hear people choking up in the audience as Desiree wept, ending her remarks with "Forever X."

There was a slight disturbance toward the end of the service -- when a man who said he'd actually toured with X in recent years got up and started going on a bit of a rant ... only to be interrupted by the pastor who was running the show and walked off stage.

That didn't ruin the good vibes, though, and the event ended in a sweet prayer. The whole thing ran somewhere in the ballpark of 4 hours or so ... and it was never a dull moment, full of musical performances in between all the speeches given.

It was just over 2 weeks ago when X died in a New York hospital following complications from a drug overdose. He was on life support for a week before he passed away, and while he was hospitalized friends, family and loved ones gathered to pay their respects.

Tekashi 6ix9ine performed before a live audience for the first time since his release from prison, but it was abruptly cut short.

Tekashi headlined a concert Friday night at Tier Nightclub in Orlando and, as he performed "GOOBA," he jumped into the crowd from the VIP balcony.

The crowd was lovin' it, but according to a fan who was there, Tekashi got pissed when someone knocked his hat off and others started messing with the chains around his neck. He told everyone to chill out but, according to the fan, one of his chains fell to the ground and his security scooped it up.

The show abruptly ended.

Tekashi's lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, tells TMZ, Tekashi was happy with the show and 69 did not lose any of his prized jewelry.

What's remarkable ... that Tekashi felt emboldened to hurl himself into the crowd, given the trial where he turned on several gang members and got a plea deal for his cooperation. Lazzaro says 69 isn't worried about a thing and, if anything were to happen, he's confident his security would handle it.

Former "American Idol" finalist Avalon Young has been through the wringer the past few months, and though she's staying strong and positive ... she needs help.

The singer's been diagnosed with brain cancer, telling TMZ a series of medical issues around Thanksgiving led to the discovery of a large brain tumor ... and a 16-hour surgery in February to remove it.

Avalon says it was gnarly, but she was hopeful after it was done she was getting better. Sadly, she was recently told there's still cancer in her brain, and she needs another surgery to remove what's left of the tumor ... along with undergoing radiation treatment.

Like we said though, Avalon's got a great attitude heading into her next procedure -- which is scheduled for May 27 -- but she desperately needs funds to cover the cost.

That's why she tells us the GoFundMe she set up is so important to her and her family, and hopefully ... this next surgery will get the job done, and she can get back to work.

DMX's Celebration of Life featured was an emotional event that featured his children, celeb friends, Kanye's Sunday Service Choir and a stern message from Swizz Beats to the people who failed X when he was still alive.

One of the more powerful moments of the entire ceremony came from X's friend Swizz Beats. He shared love to X's family and his late friend ... but didn't hide his anger in seeing some faces in the crowd he knew didn't have X's back when the rapper was alive.

In fact, Swizz says if anything, X's death has taught him the importance of loyalty and keeping good people in his circle.

We're told Kanye and the Yeezy creative team were behind the stage design for the memorial, and Kanye teamed up with Balenciaga to create DMX merch ... with proceeds going to his family.

X's red casket was center stage most of the ceremony and was first accompanied by his widowed fiancee Diseree and their son, Exodus. His other children eventually joined them on stage, and his final wishes of loving Jesus and family were relayed.

Some of X's children even got on the mic and spoke as well ... delivering somber remembrances of their father. One of his younger sons read a eulogy from his phone, fighting back tears ... and his daughter shared an original piece as well.

Nas took the mic at one point as well, with remarks that were brief but impactful -- with him remembering X's rise to fame and how he knew he'd become a musical icon. Nas and X starred in a movie together -- the cult classic 'Belly' from 1998.

There were other notable speakers, including some of the original Ruff Ryders ... Eve, Jadakiss, Styles P,  and Drag-On were just a few to take the mic as well. All of them thanked X for putting them on and paving the way in the biz.

DMX's family is also planning a more private funeral service Sunday, at a church in the NYC area.

Worlds will be colliding on "Saturday Night Live" in a couple weeks -- because the hottest tech wiz in the game is set to take up hosting duties ... and yes, we're talking Elon Musk.

The Tesla CEO was confirmed to be the 'SNL' host for the weekend of May 8 -- this after Miley Cyrus posted the famous sticky note bulletin board that showed Elon as host and her as the musical guest. At first, it wasn't clear if this was legit ... or just a stunt/joke.

Not too long after Miley posted, however, 'SNL' itself confirmed with the same announcement. They had a helluva way of teasing the appearance, too, writing ... "Musk See TV."

Elon hasn't responded to the news just yet -- but if 'SNL' is saying it's happening, we're pretty sure we can take that to the bank. It's probably one of the biggest host announcements they've had in a while ... since Eddie Murphy was said to be returning, tbh.

Of course, Elon is NOT a professional entertainer by traditional standards -- and that's usually who 'SNL' recruits to cameo on their show, especially when it comes to hosting. They usually stick with actors, musicians/artists, comics and/or athletes to take up the mantle ... although, they have deviated into other types of hosts over the years -- politicos, etc.

Folks will remember when 'SNL' had Donald Trump host in the run-up to the 2016 election. They also once had Steve Forbes on there as a host, as well as Rudy Giuliani and Al Sharpton. There've been other randos who've shown up and seemed out of place, but having Musk on would appear to be the first time 'SNL' has delved into the tech world for a host.

DMX is going out with a bang in the streets of New York -- where rows and rows of cars (big and small) are heading to the Barclays Center for his memorial ... including a monster truck that's carrying his casket.

Check out these videos of a straight-up monster truck that is carrying a red casket in its bed ... which some folks believe is X's. We've confirmed ... that is, in fact, DMX's casket -- making this perhaps the coolest gesture ever ... and just shows how much people love the man.

The monster truck was just one piece of the parade on wheels in Brooklyn -- like we said, the streets were jam-packed with exotic vehicles and motorcycles ... all of which seemed to be heading toward the Barclays Center, where X's celebration of life event is being held.

Of course, a majority of these whips were blasting DMX music at full blast ... which is appropriate. It speaks to the fact that X had a massive influence on street racing culture, and folks who have such rides are clearly down to pay respect to him as he's laid to rest.

X's memorial service is happening at 1 PM PT, and we'll be streaming it live here on TMZ. Not everyone from the public is allowed to go in ... due to COVID restrictions, only close friends and family will be inside. Still, from the looks of how many people (and wheels) are showing up ... something tells us the surrounding area is gonna be packed as folks look on from afar.

NYPD and Yonkers Police have already warned of traffic delays in the area -- and they were right and then some.

As we reported ... X died earlier this month after suffering a heart attack.

He was 50.

RIP

Baby Blue's a fast learner ... just one day after saying he'd have to learn to breathe and walk again he got up out of his hospital bed to start the process and take his first steps.

TMZ's obtained this video showing the Pretty Ricky rapper on Friday with hospital staff helping him get on his 2 feet and use a walker to stroll down the hallway of the Florida hospital where he's recovering from gunshot injuries.

It's clear Baby Blue's not completely out of the woods just yet ... but this vid is a good sign for his recovery. Plus, we're told he's now breathing on his own after he initially needed a ventilator.

TMZ broke the story ... Blue was shot in the shoulder area, with the bullet piercing his lung and getting stuck in his back. That prompted him saying he'd have to "learn to breathe & walk again" ... but he also added, "God Got Me."

As we reported, Baby Blue was trying to protect his cousin earlier this week during an attempted armed robbery. He grabbed the gun from one of the suspects ... and ended up getting shot.

Paul Stanley is starting over ... he's demolishing his mansion in Bev Hills to make way for a brand new home, so he had an estate sale to get rid of EVERYTHING inside.

Paul unloaded tons of KISS merchandise ... the collectibles were displayed in his master bedroom.

We're told most of the band's merch still had the tags on, and folks were buying up all the KISS shirts, pins, license plates, cups and travel bags for anywhere between $15 and $50.

There were some pricier items too ... drinking glasses were going for upwards of $1,200, big French doors went for $900 a pop and Paul's couch went for over $2,000.

Paul's daughter, Emily, had a bunch of stickers on her bedroom door and it was up for grabs at $95.

Heck, Paul even put his lemon trees on sale ... as well as pots and planters starting around $400.

The estate sale went down last week, and by the weekend, pretty much everything had been sold ... so stuff was really flying out of the house.

The Congressman who ripped Cardi B on the House floor says he didn't watch her Grammys "WAP" performance until AFTER his lecture ... and he couldn't stomach the whole thing.

U.S. Rep Glenn Grothman tells TMZ ... he finally watched Cardi's Grammy performance for the first time Thursday, about 5 hours after decrying it as "inconsistent with basic decency" while lambasting the FCC for broadcasting it.

Grothman tells us he stopped watching "WAP" after about 2 minutes ... he says he was turned off by how "offensive and boring" it was.

As you know ... Grothman complained about Cardi's Grammys appearance on the House floor, saying it's contributing to America's moral decline.

Cardi quickly shot back ... calling Grothman names and wondering why the Wisconsin Republican's wasting time on the House floor ranting about "WAP" instead of tackling critical issues like police brutality.

Grothman says he was just doing what his constituents asked of him -- he tells us folks in his district complained to him about Cardi's performance shortly after the Grammys, demanding he straighten things out with the FCC when he's in D.C.

Rep. Grothman says Thursday was his first chance to speak up, and he believes young people are in his corner on this one. He says several "respectable young staffers" did not give him positive Cardi reviews before he shared his piece. Of course, they work for him ... so, those are hardly unbiased opinions.

The way Grothman sees it ... Cardi struck it rich by appealing to the lowest common denominator, and he thinks that hurts the country's moral climate.

Cops are investigating a double shooting -- including one fatality -- in the now-famous L.A. neighborhood where the movie "Friday" was filmed.

According to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department ... homicide detectives responded to a shooting call around 11:30 AM on April 20 in South L.A., near 126th and Normandie ... it's the same block where Ice Cube's character lived in the movie.

Cops tell us a man was pronounced dead at the scene, and a woman was transported to a local hospital and treated for her injuries. Law enforcement sources tell us they were hit in a drive by shooting.

For those not familiar with the area ... this is where Cube's "Friday" character, Craig Jones, chilled and smoked weed with Chris Tucker's character, Smokey. They actually filmed the movie here, not on a studio backlot.

Our law enforcement sources tell us the victims were in the area to check out the house ... remember this happened on 420 and "Friday" is a big deal in marijuana culture.

It's interesting ... we're told some folks in the neighborhood are fed up with the daily traffic as their block's become a tourist attraction.

Rich the Kid's injecting his own stimulus package ... for those lucky enough to catch it on Rodeo Drive 'cause that's where he was making it rain.

The rapper pulled up in his expensive Rolls-Royce Phantom on Thursday right outside the Burberry and Louis Vuitton stores in Beverly Hills, where he started throwing wads of cash in the air. It wasn't long before a throng of fans -- of the rapper and money, of course -- showed up to catch it.

Our guy asks him how much he's throwing but it's hard to tell if RTK gives a direct answer. He wishes a woman happy birthday before pulling out another wad of bills.

Then, things get interesting ... for Rich, anyway.

You can see near the end of the video he's taking a selfie and 2 police motorcycles pull up behind him. RTK's driver takes off ... and the cops follow right behind him. We never saw the sirens and lights go on, but our law enforcement sources tell us Rich did end up getting a ticket ... for littering. That's gonna cost him a few more dollar bills -- minimum $250, max $1,000 for a first offense.

BTW ... Rich was definitely in a celebratory mood 'cause we're told he had just been inside the Patek Philippe store on the eve of dropping his new track, "Richard Mille Patek."

As for the Phantom, we're told it's a brand new model and around $600k. Rich was cruising around town with his buddy, RD Whittington, who owns celebrity auto and aircraft super-firm Wires Only ... so you gotta imagine he helped hook him up.