Music

Britney Spears wants to end her conservatorship ASAP, but she doesn't want to let go of her personal conservator ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney wants Jodi Montgomery to stay on her payroll indefinitely ... beyond the life of the conservatorship, which could -- repeat -- could end soon.

Our sources say Britney has told multiple people in her camp she has already asked Jodi to stay on ... performing various tasks including dealing with her doctors, making various appointments, making sure she takes the right regimen of meds, arranging meals and chefs, handling the house staff, organizing recreational outings, etc.

We're told Britney has assured people in her camp Jodi has agreed to stay on even if the conservatorship terminates.

What's interesting ... so far Britney and co. have not filed legal docs asking to end the conservatorship. As we reported, her lawyer, Matt Rosengart, has said this is a 2-step process ... getting Jamie out of the conservatorship first, and then putting the conservatorship itself in the crosshairs.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have a new home in a new city where they can plan to have their PDA-filled rendezvous ... and it's deep in the heart of Texas.

OK, it's a temporary home, but sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Ben is about to start filming a new movie in Austin, and he's renting a luxury condo there for the duration of the shoot.

Naturally, J Lo will be spending time there with her BF, but our sources say she won't be there full time -- woman's got a life and career of her own, after all. We're told crews are already rushing to prepare the condo, bringing in furniture and setting up appliances.

Ben's upcoming project in ATX is called "Hypnotic," and he's playing a detective investigating a mystery that involves a secret government program, and his missing daughter.

We've seen Ben and Jen all over Los Angeles hunting for her new pad.

She's looked at some gems, including an $85 million estate last month ... but still hasn't pulled the trigger just yet. Whatever time they spend together down in Texas could be seen as a dry run for living together in the not-so-distant future. Just sayin' ...

Tupac Shakur's "murder car" is up for sale and it's getting lots of offers from interested buyers ... problem is, no one's hitting the magic number -- the $1.7 million asking price.

Honchos at Celebrity Cars Las Vegas, where the 1996 BMW 750IL is on display, tell TMZ ... the whip's been on the market for years, and while they've gotten 30 to 40 offers in the past year, none were willing to pay that very steep price.

No matter, Celebrity Cars is refusing to budge from $1.7 mil -- in part, we're told, because they view Pac's "murder car" as a one-of-a-kind piece.

As we told you, it's the car Pac was riding in, with Suge Knight behind the wheel, when they were shot Sept. 7, 1996 in Las Vegas after a Mike Tyson fight. Pac died 6 days later from his injuries.

With the 25th anniversary of the shooting having just passed, we're told Celebrity Cars believes interest in the BMW is gaining momentum and the car will soon be off their hands.

Celebrity Cars and Pac's "murder car" were featured on a 2018 episode of "Pawn Stars" ... when the asking price was a mere $1.5 mil. A rep for CC told Rick Harrison they were offered $900k and passed. Rick ultimately refused to pay full price.

As for the $200k bump in the asking price, we're told it's based on demand and interest.

The children of Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme are seeking protection against him because he's "scary," yells at their mother and drinks and drives with them in the car ... according to new legal docs.

Homme's sons, 10-year-old Orrin and 5-year-old Wolf, have filed for domestic violence restraining orders against him through their mom, Brody Dalle, alleging they are scared he is going to hurt them.

According to the request filed in court ... Orrin claims there was a recent incident where Homme grabbed his private parts, and he also alleges his father drinks alcohol while his kids are in the car with him.

Orrin also accuses Homme of physical abuse, such as flicking his ears, hitting his head, poking his chest and throwing things at him -- while calling him fat and allegedly making threats about murdering Brody's boyfriend.

According to the docs ... the younger son, Wolf, alleges Homme calls his mother curse words, drinks and drives, grabs their necks and ears -- and Wolf claims he's scared when he goes to Dad's house.

They're asking the court to grant restraining orders, requiring their father to stay 100 yards away from them and the family dog at all times.

Homme's attorney, Susan Wiesner, tells us, "Ms. Dalle has previously brought these claims to the police, DCFS, and the presiding judge of the family law court, all of whom have declined to take any action based upon these spurious claims."

As we've reported ... Homme and his ex have had a very volatile relationship since she filed for legal separation in November 2019 and a month later, divorce.

Kylie Jenner's still in the early stages of her second pregnancy, but it already seems like she'll be a lot less private this time around ... because she's out flaunting her bun in the oven.

Kylie publicly debuted her new baby bump Wednesday night as she stepped out in NYC in a short, form-fitting white dress and a duster ... a fitting look to attend New York Fashion Week.

Of course, she also posted several photos of herself getting ready to go out ... prompting all sorts of "hot mama"-type comments.

As we reported ... Kylie officially announced she's expecting her second child with Travis Scott the other day with a short video documenting the first stages of her pregnancy.

The vid included a trip to the doctor with their daughter, Stormi, to get an ultrasound, as well as the moment she delivered the news to her mom, Kris Jenner.

Machine Gun Kelly's just been sued for allegedly traumatizing a "sensitive, soft-spoken" parking lot attendant ... one who claims the rapper committed elder abuse by pushing him, but it's a really odd accusation.

John Martin Tilli filed legal docs in L.A. court alleging MGK became aggressive toward him and pushed him after he asked the rapper if he had a permit to film his and Mod Sun's movie "Good Mourning With A U" in a Studio City parking lot back on August 23.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Tilli says he showed up to work that morning and was in charge of opening the gate to let bank branch employees into the lot. He claims he parked his car where Kelly's crew was filming, and they asked him to move his car because he was in the shot.

Tilli claims he asked MGK if he had a permit to film there before finding out from the bank branch the rapper did not have permission. Tilli claims he informed MGK's crew and asked them to leave.

That's when, according to Tilli, Kelly and his production crew and staff became aggressive. He claims they approached him and eventually surrounded him.

Tilli, who describes himself as "a very sensitive, soft-spoken, gentle, quiet person," claims MGK pushed him from the front and production crew and/or staff pushed from behind.

What's more ... Tilli claims they yelled in a threatening manner and shook him up so badly "he literally appeared as if he was going to cry through the day.” He's suing for assault, battery, negligence and elder abuse -- but that last allegation is strange, because Tilli is only 49 years old.

Britney Spears is taking her dad at face value -- that he's down with ending the conservatorship -- and she is beyond happy.

Sources directly connected to Britney tell TMZ ... she's "ecstatic" Jamie has filed legal docs not only asking the judge to terminate the conservatorship, but to do so without another mental evaluation. Britney was adamant about this back in June when she testified in court.

We're told she views Jamie's 180 as a "total victory," and believes public pressure as well as the pressure applied by her lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, are responsible for his about-face.

That said, our sources tell us Britney's view of her dad and their relationship has not changed. She's still extremely angry at him over his role in the conservatorship.

We're also told Britney wants the issue of termination front and center at the next hearing on Sept. 29. As we reported, the purpose of that hearing is to discuss Jamie's future in the conservatorship. Britney wants him out and Jamie has already said he'll go.

Britney has not yet filed legal docs to end the conservatorship. Rosengart has said this is a 2-step process, the first of which is removing Jamie. He has not indicated when he might file docs to terminate, but now that Jamie has made his move, we're told Britney wants the issue squarely raised during the hearing.

As we reported, our Jamie sources say the docs he filed were designed to call the bluff on his critics ... he has been steadfast for years, and very recently as well, that Britney needs the guidance of a conservatorship to survive because of her condition. Although Jamie now says the conservatorship should end without a mental evaluation, our sources say he believes the judge will still order one. He has said in the past ... he does not believe the judge will cut the cord on the 13-year conservatorship.

Kodak Black wants to ensure the daughter of a cop who died from COVID can go to college -- he's making a hefty donation after hearing about the officer's story.

Here's the deal ... Fort Lauderdale police officer Jennifer Sepot recently died after contracting COVID-19 and experiencing complications related to the virus, leaving behind a 2-year-old daughter.

Kodak's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... the rapper read an article about the cop's COVID death, saw she had a young daughter and said ... "Make sure that kid is straight. Pay for her college fund."

Kodak donated $20,000 to a college fund for the little girl, and we're told he was so moved by Officer Sepot's story because he also battled COVID.

Cohen says Kodak contracted COVID several months ago and suffered from body aches, headaches and difficulty breathing for about 10 days.

Jamie Spears has done a 180 in the conservatorship battle over his daughter, but our sources say ... do NOT take the latest twist at face value.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ -- just one month ago Jamie was deeply concerned about his daughter's mental health. Our sources say Jamie feared the worst if the judge ended the conservatorship. He believed Britney's mental health was deteriorating.

Jamie, we're told, felt Jodi Montgomery -- Britney's personal conservator -- was not protecting his daughter and felt her motivation was saving her own job.

Jamie told people around him, "She's never getting out of the conservatorship," and our sources say he wasn't saying this to be draconian ... he believed it was necessary for her survival.

Now, Jamie says he believes Britney is able to care for herself, make financial decisions and run her life without any guidance. So, he's asking the judge to end the conservatorship. And, here's the key -- he's asking the judge to pull the plug without doing a mental evaluation.

So, why the radical change? As one source told us ... he's calling their bluff. Multiple sources say Jamie believes Britney has not gotten better ... he thinks she's gotten worse. One source put it this way ... "He knows how mentally ill his daughter is, and has genuinely tried to protect her."

Jamie, we're told, has no love lost for Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart. By filing the latest legal docs, in a sense, Jamie thinks he trumped Rosengart, who has not yet filed a motion to end the conservatorship -- something he calls out in his legal docs. This puts Rosengart in an interesting position ... whether to join forces with Jamie at the Sept. 29 hearing and end the conservatorship, or not.

It's almost like saying, "Okay, you think the conservatorship should end. Then bring it on. Let's see what happens."

One source said they don't believe Jamie really wants the conservatorship to end, and certainly not without a medical evaluation. We're told Jamie does not believe the judge would terminate the conservatorship without a mental evaluation, and he has said privately he's sure that evaluation would present an insurmountable case to maintain the conservatorship.

So, he would get what he wants -- maintaining the conservatorship -- while also ending the lingering attacks targeting him. It might also ingratiate himself with his daughter.

Akon is mourning the loss of his good friend Michael K. Williams, and says he's the latest example of how the "facade of success" can send celebrities into a tailspin.

We got the artist Tuesday at Petrossian in L.A., and he said although he was close to Michael, they hadn't seen each other since the pandemic.

Akon has an interesting take, saying the rich and famous go through more issues than the poor. As he says, "More money, more problems."

He also talks about how the pandemic has masked real mental health struggles ... literally with masks that hide emotions.

Akon feels strongly, drugs and alcohol never solve difficult issues ... they send people down a dark path that, in Michael's case, ends in tragedy.

In a stunning move, Jamie Spears is not just asking to leave Britney Spears' conservatorship, he's asking the judge to end it altogether.

In Jamie's documents, he says the judge saw fit to let his daughter hire her own lawyer, in Jamie's mind he says if she's allowed to do that there is no longer a legal basis to impose the restrictions that go along with the conservatorship.

As he says in the docs, "In so doing [allowing her to hire a lawyer], this Court has recognized that Ms. Spears has both the capacity and capability to identify, engage, and instruct counsel of her own choice, on her own, without the assistance of the Conservator or the Court. If Ms. Spears has the capability to engage counsel on her own, she presumably has capacity to handle other contractual and business matters."

Jamie notes Britney wants the conservatorship terminated without medical evaluation, and there's no requirement under California law for such an evaluation.

Jamie now says the conservatorship has lasted a LONG time -- 13 years -- and things have changed "to such an extent that grounds for establishment of a conservatorship may no longer exist."

As Jamie says, he wants best for his daughter, and if she wants out of the conservatorship and believes she can handle her own life, he feels she should get that chance.

Jamie notes his daughter pled with the court to have her life back without the safety rails of a conservatorship, she wants to make her own decisions, and he's now good with this.

Jamie says, "Ms. Spears has told this Court that she wants control of her life back without the safety rails of a conservatorship. She wants to be able to make decisions regarding her own medical care, deciding when, where and how often to get therapy."

He goes on ... "She wants to control the money she has made from her career and spend it without supervision or oversight. She wants to be able to get married and have a baby, if she so chooses. In short, she wants to live her life as she chooses without the constraints of a conservator or court proceeding."

And, he says, "If Ms. Spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Mr. Spears believes she should get that chance."

Jamie threw a little shade on Britney's lawyer, by saying, "Ms. Spears recently testified that she did not know, at least in the past, that she could petition to end the conservatorship without submitting to a full psychological evaluation. Given Ms. Spears' testimony, Mr. Spears does not know why a petition to terminate the conservatorship has not yet been filed."

Jamie also notes Britney "has recently demonstrated a level of independence that calls into question whether a conservator of the person is required." He points to the fact she's now driving again and wants to control her therapy sessions. He goes on to say there's no need anymore for Jodi Montgomery and she should also be discharged.

Nipsey Hussle's estate wants to stop alleged bootleggers from hawking merch with his popular brands on them, but it's got a problem ... the estate says most of the sellers operate out of China.

The late rapper's brother and estate administrator, Samiel Asghedom, just filed suit against several entities that the estate believes are behind a bunch of e-commerce websites selling knockoff Marathon-related clothing ... which is Nip's line.

Asghedom says the estate has the rights to several registered trademarks -- including a "Crenshaw" logo for clothing, another clothing line called "South Central State of Mind" and others -- but claims the websites in question are using the marks without permission.

The estate also says the foreign e-commerce sites have specifically targeted sales to Illinois residents ... which appears to be why the lawsuit is filed in a federal court in Illinois.

According to the lawsuit, there are tell-tale signs linking the various sites ... including misspellings, similar checkout methods and accepted payments, ad tactics and so on.

The estate also believes a lot of these sites are operating out of China, and perhaps in concert with one another, using different operating systems and domain host sites to cover their tracks.

Polo G is in trouble because of guns once again ... the rapper was arrested on another weapons charge.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the rapper was arrested on Monday afternoon in Downtown L.A. after cops say they found him carrying a concealed firearm, a felony.

We're told Polo G was a passenger in a car that was pulled over, though it's not clear exactly why. In any event ... cops say after searching the car they found the firearm. We're told a male juvenile was also arrested and booked on the same charge.

The arrest comes nearly 3 months after his album release party ... when he was arrested in Miami after allegedly attacking a cop. Cops there say they also found 2 handguns inside a bag after the Cadillac he had been riding in was pulled over for blackout-tinted windows.

Polo G was also a passenger during that stop. Cops said he became combative and they struggled to get handcuffs on him. The escalation left 1 cop injured.

Tupac Shakur's "murder car" can be yours for the taking -- if you're into macabre stuff -- but it won't be cheap ... you'll need damn near $2 mil in cash to claim this ride.

This 1996 BMW 750IL is the same one Pac was riding in, while Suge Knight drove, 25 years ago today in Las Vegas. The rapper was shot Sept. 7, 1996, and eventually died in a hospital from his injuries.

The bullet holes from that fateful night have been repaired, and word is that it's been restored to its original condition. Now, the price -- a whopping $1.7 million! So yeah, this is definitely for the diehard and very wealthy Tupac fans.

The car is for sale and on display at the Celebrity Cars Las Vegas showroom -- not too far from where the fatal shooting went down.

Pac and Suge had stopped at a traffic light following a Mike Tyson fight ... when another vehicle pulled up alongside them and opened fire, hitting Pac multiple times while only grazing Suge.

Mel C is here to tell us what we really, really want -- and that would be ... that she's joining "Dancing With the Stars," so things are sure to get sporty!

The Spice Girls singer was spotted wearing a visor on her way to the ABC Studios lot Tuesday to get ready for some two-steppin' for the upcoming 30th season of 'DWTS.'

She's a great addition to a lineup that's full of celebs from this day and age, and even before. As we've reported, Mel's joining the likes of "90210" star Brian Austin Green, NBA star Iman Shumpert and his wife, Teyana Taylor ... as well as Lori Loughlin's daughter, Olivia Jade, and even 'RHOA' star Kenya Moore -- just to name a few.

Of course, JoJo Siwa is also gonna be busting a move -- and she'll be doing it with a female pro partner, the first time that's been attempted during the series' tenure.

As for MC here -- she's actually the third Spice Girls member to be featured on the hit show. Mel B did it first back in 2007 -- placing 2nd alongside Maksim Chmerkovskiy -- and then Baby Spice (Emma Bunton) beamed in with some words of encouragement a couple years ago.

Started from the bottom, now he's taking over "Monday Night Football" ... 'cause Drake is teaming up with ESPN to curate music for the upcoming season!!

The announcement just dropped minutes ago ... with the network saying the 6 God will be in charge of the aux cord for 10 games throughout the 2021-22 campaign.

ESPN says Drake will feature his newest songs and possibly some classics ... and while he has more than enough tracks to fill that demand, he'll also feature some other artists worthy of getting exposure.

Of course, this isn't the first collab between Drake and ESPN -- he "hacked" into "SportsCenter" last month to share the release date for his newest album, "Certified Lover Boy," ... which is doing record-breaking numbers in its first week.

"Now we are here ... the kickoff of the football season," ESPN's VP of Sports Marketing, Emeka Ofodile, said Tuesday. "And, who better to curate music for Monday Night Football than Drake, who sits firmly at the intersection of music and sports."

BTW -- Drake is a massive sports fanatic and can be spotted passionately cheering at sporting events ... so it's a safe bet he'll put that same energy into his new gig.

"We couldn't be more excited for this upcoming collaboration," Ofodile added.

Big names like Diplo and DJ Khaled have shared music duties in previous years ... which ESPN said was a "big hit."