Music

Freddie Combs -- the minister who became a fan favorite on the second season of "The X Factor" thanks to his heavenly voice -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

According to his wife Kay ... Freddie died last Friday surrounded by friends and family at a hospital in Florida. She tells us his death was not Covid-related, but the result of kidney failure.

Kay says Freddie was diligently working on his weight loss over the past 11 years -- he had weighed over 900 lbs, getting all the way down to 385 lbs. -- and she's very proud of him. Sadly, she says she knew he was going to pass the day before he did, adding ... "I have so much gratitude to be his wife for 25 years and to be his best friend."

You may recall ... Freddie wowed the judges and audience during his 'X Factor' audition in Season 2 of the U.S. series, as the 540-lb. minister belted out a beautiful rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings."

Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid promised to back him if he promised to get healthy, lose weight and get out of his wheelchair ... and Freddie vowed to do so.

Though he was eliminated shortly after, his story inspired many folks because he'd already lost more than 400 lbs. since 2009 ... when he topped 920 lbs.

Freddie and Kay, who struggles with weight issues as well, were also featured on a 2010 TLC special called "Ton of Love."

He was 49.

Nicki Minaj's tweet about her cousin's friend becoming impotent and getting swollen testicles has really blown up ... to the point where she's getting chided both on American soil and beyond.

Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh blasted the rapper Wednesday, calling her claim about one person's alleged side effect of the COVID vaccine on the Caribbean island bogus.

The health minister said the reason it took his department a couple days to respond is because they were looking into Minaj's comments, adding ... "Unfortunately, we wasted so much time yesterday running down this false claim."

As you know ... Nicki's received major backlash ever since she tweeted about why she's hesitant to get vaccinated, which included the anecdote about her cousin's friend in Trinidad.

It led to senior health officials like Dr. Fauci condemning her unscientific claim, but Nicki later claimed she was invited to The White House to speak with medical experts and get educated on the vax.

However, a WH official later clarified that it did NOT extend an invite for Minaj to visit, but simply offered to hop on a phone call to discuss questions about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID vaccine after her tweets.

Nicki has not taken too kindly to this clarification, and responded with a 14-minute Instagram video claiming she was invited ... and suggesting she's being made out to look like a liar.

For what it's worth, Nicki also claimed her Twitter account had been suspended, but the company denied taking any action against the account.

JoJo Siwa says her relationship with Nickelodeon isn't fractured beyond repair amid a dispute over her upcoming tour ... but she says it's gonna take a lot for them to mend fences.

We got JoJo outside the Loews Hotel in NYC and asked her about Tuesday's beef with Nickelodeon. She says the network's blocking her from performing songs from her recently released musical when she embarks on a 37-city tour in January.

JoJo told us her problem is Nickelodeon treating her like she's just a brand ... and forgetting she's a person too.

You can tell from her tone ... JoJo's ticked off the relationship's gone south. She says she's frustrated folks with less tenure than her at Nickelodeon are trying to call the shots on what she can and can't sing.

While JoJo says her home network's not supporting her ... she's turning to other child stars like Bella Thorne, Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato for sage advice.

Sounds like JoJo's hopeful they can still come to an agreement before her tour, but she also leaves open the possibility of going against the grain.

Lil Mo is calling out Fat Joe for referring to her as a dusty bitch crackhead during "Verzuz" ... saying he's way outta line, and totally insensitive to all people battling addiction.

Here's the deal ... Fat Joe came under fire after ripping Lil Mo and another female rap legend, Vita, during his Tuesday night musical showdown with Ja Rule. He said Ja must have found them in a "crack house."

Lil Mo tells TMZ ... Fat Joe's comments are "vile" and "disrespectful" and he should know better than to use those degrading terms, especially in light of recent celeb deaths, like Michael K. Williams, from drug problems.

In fact, Lil Mo says Joe's disses were actually triggering to her, because -- even though she's clean now -- she's dealt with her own opioid addiction issues in the past.

Fat Joe ended up apologizing publicly -- he also says he told Lil Mo and Vita sorry to their faces -- and Remy Ma rushed to his defense on social media, but Lil Mo says he shouldn't get off the hook so easy.

Marilyn Manson's rape accuser just had her lawsuit against the shock rocker tossed out of court ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge dismissed the suit Tuesday, ruling the statute of limitations had passed on the woman's claims.

TMZ broke the story ... Manson was sued back in May by a Jane Doe who claims they started dating in 2011 before things took a turn for the worse and he raped her.

Manson's accuser claimed she repressed her memories of the alleged rape ... but the judge dismissed the suit because the woman couldn't specify how her memory was repressed, or why she didn't learn of it earlier.

While this lawsuit is dismissed, for now, we've told you Manson is also being sued for sexual assault by 3 other women ... including his former assistant and "Game of Thrones" star Esme Bianco.

Usher is standing up and speaking out for his pal Jermaine Dupri ... telling us JD definitely has bangers to compete with Diddy on "Verzuz" -- despite what the latter says about it.

We got Mr. Raymond out Wednesday in Hollywood, where we asked about this back and forth his music industry friends and mentors had about a potential song-for-song showdown on the big stage.

Sounds neat, but Puff made it seem like he was too good for all that -- or too good for JD, rather ... suggesting the dude doesn't match him on hits. To that, Usher says ... hold up!

When we explained what Diddy's saying in response to Jermaine's proposed matchup -- namely, that JD isn't on his level, Usher gave us a side-eye look ... and then defended his longtime producing partner -- who literally made "Confessions" go diamond, among many other accolades.

You gotta watch how Usher breaks it down here -- because on the one hand, he clarifies that Jermaine absolutely has a catalog of hits that could stand up to Diddy's ... but he stops short of declaring who'd be the winner. His allegiance is clearly torn down the middle.

If you didn't know, Diddy gave Usher his start in the music industry and they have deep ties -- but Jermaine has worked with him more often, and has helped Usher reach unimaginable success. It's a tight rope of a convo, but Usher handles it pretty well.

Octavia Spencer is saying sorry to Britney Spears and Sam Asghari ... she acknowledges her prenup comment on their engagement announcement wasn't funny.

The Oscar-winning actress says she was just trying to make a joke when she left a comment on Britney's social media post saying, "Make him sign a prenup" ... and she says she's since privately apologized to both Britney and Sam.

Octavia says her "intention was to make them laugh not cause pain" ... and now she hopes to "restore just a smidge of happiness they were robbed of."

The actress wasn't alone in telling Britney to get a prenup ... and as we reported, Sam told fans almost right away he would sign a prenup alright ... joking the prenup would be designed to protect his Jeep and shoe collection.

Octavia's singing a different tune in the wake of her apology ... she says she's thrilled for Britney and thinks the singer has found happiness after going through a lot of pain.

But, here's the real story ... Britney IS getting a prenup, because our sources say literally a day after she got engaged her team was on the case.

No word if Octavia's getting a wedding invite.

Reba McEntire got the cat-stuck-in-a-tree treatment from a fire department in Oklahoma -- except the trunk she'd gone up was actually a pretty ancient building with a caved-in staircase.

The country singer was one of 7 people rescued Tuesday by authorities in Atoka, OK. Reba and a pal were touring a historic site -- the building's at least 100 years old -- when it partially crumbled inside.

Emergency Management Director Travis Mullins tells us ... the building was in the middle of being renovated when this happened -- the dilapidated stairs were already scheduled to be replaced. No word on why anyone was actually let inside, if that was the case.

Anyway, Reba and co. were, luckily, just on the second floor when the stairs collapsed ... leaving them stuck up there, and requiring an old-fashioned ladder rescue. Video of the incident shows firefighters safely leading her and others down through the window.

Reba and co. were mostly okay ... one person was transported to a hospital with minor injuries. After the fact, officials said that not only did the 2nd story stairs topple down, but the ones leading up to the 3rd story did as well ... trapping others higher up at the time.

Obviously, this could've been much worse than it turned out ... especially for Reba. Indeed, she is a survivor.

Fat Joe and Ja Rule went head-to-head at their highly anticipated "Verzuz," but the women they brought on stage might have come out on top of what turned out to be more of a love-in than a battle.

The 2 rappers squared off for 20 rounds at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night, playing almost all of their major hits, but at one point Joe stopped the show to present gifts to a couple of their special guests -- Ashanti and Remy Ma.

The ladies guested on both of the guys' tracks, and are credited with elevating the show beyond the back-and-forth barbs and posturing ... and Joe rewarded them with Hermes handbags.

Other big names who joined in on the "Verzuz" fun included Nelly, Lil Mo, Vita, and Dre from Cool & Dre ... but, there was also one notable absence -- 50 Cent.

As you know ... Ja and Fiddy have had beef for decades, so fans were hoping for a surprise showdown, but it didn't happen -- much like Ja Rule suggested it wouldn't.

The teammates that star in rap music videos together ... win championships together???

That's what Laker fans gotta be hoping ... after LeBron James and Russell Westbrook made big cameos in rap legend Nas' newest visuals for his song, "Brunch on Sundays."

The vid dropped Tuesday (the rapper's 48th birthday) ... showing Nas enjoying a meal at Catch LA with a VIP group of successful artists, athletes and actors -- from Cordae to Hit-Boy to Swizz Beatz and Lil Rel Howery.

Of course, LeBron is a HUUUUGE rap fan ... and has consistently praised the New York MC's latest project, "King's Disease II," on social media since it dropped in August.

It might explain why Bron got the best seat at the table -- right next to Nas as the group enjoys eggs, sushi, mimosas, fries, steak and other delicious items.

Nas commented on the video after it was released ... saying, "Bday Brunch Vibes with my guys."

No word on when the vid was shot, but LBJ and Brodie have been tight way before they became teammates this summer.

But, now that they're both in Purple & Gold, don't be surprised if these sorta things keep happening.

Cardi B's a mother of 2 now ... so she's asking the judge to postpone the trial over her 'Gangsta Bitch' cover art, which she was sued over nearly 4 years ago.

If you don't recall ... the album cover for Cardi's debut mixtape -- "Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1" -- features the rapper sitting back, drinking a beer, while a man with an elaborate back tattoo puts his head between her legs.

Kevin Brophy sued over the image, claiming that's 100 percent him in the image, but he never posed for the photo or gave Cardi permission to use his likeness. He also claimed the ordeal ruined his life and wanted at least $5 mil in damages.

The trial was finally slated for next month, but Cardi's filed new legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- asking for a delay because she just gave birth to her son on Sept. 4.

According to the docs ... Cardi doesn't believe she should be required to travel all the way from the East Coast to Southern California next month, because she needs to be with her newborn for obvious reasons.

She also brings up the risks of COVID from travel and spending extended periods of time in public places, such as airports, hotels, and the courthouse. So, she's asking the court to put the trial on ice for at least 75 days.

A man was arrested after showing up at Ariana Grande's Hollywood Hills home in the middle of the night, then flashing a knife when security tried to get him to leave.

23-year-old Aharon Brown's facing a felony brandishing charge for the incident, which our law enforcement sources tell us went down around 2 AM Friday on Ariana's property.

We're told Brown arrived and demanded to see the singer, and when security told him to beat it ... he refused and pulled a knife. LAPD was called to the scene and arrested him.

It's unclear if Ariana was home at the time, but if she was ... we're told she never came out during the altercation or Brown's arrest.

Britney Spears giveth, so she can also taketh away -- which is exactly what she just did -- 2 weeks before her monumentally important court hearing.

The singer deleted her IG page Tuesday ... with a generic "Sorry, this page isn't available" message that appears if you click on her handle.

There was no heads-up from BS either, but, we've got an explanation as to why -- sources with direct knowledge say she wanted a break from social media ahead of her court hearing later this month.

As it was put to us, Britney wants to keep a low profile. As for why, our sources say there was concern in Britney's camp that she was too "out there" with some of her posts, especially the topless ones, and that might not sit well with the judge.

At the risk of possibly reading a little too much into the latest twist, the only thing Britney has on the table for the Sept. 29 hearing is to remove her dad from the conservatorship. Her social media posts shouldn't affect that decision. You gotta wonder ... will she formally make a play to end the conservatorship as well? That would be a more direct reason to 86 her social media account.

Still, it's a little bizarre ... because she'd just announced a couple days ago she's getting married to her BF, Sam Asghari.

Here's hoping she comes back soon.

G-Eazy's in the crosshairs of police in NYC, after his crew allegedly got violent with another group of guys ... with punches and bottles thrown.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the rapper's been named as a suspect in an NYPD assault report, for an incident that went down around 1 AM Friday at the Boom Boom Room in the Standard Hotel.

We're told G-Eazy's party got into an altercation with a few other guys, and one of them claims a member of G's entourage hit him in the head with a glass bottle.

Our sources say the scuffle moved outside, where G-Eazy allegedly punched another man in the head.

We're told the dude who claims he took a bottle to the head went to the hospital to get checked out ... but the guy G-Eazy allegedly punched refused treatment.

No arrests yet, but we're told police are still investigating the incident.

Conor McGregor and MGK have no bad blood, according to The Notorious himself who says not only do the guys NOT have beef ... but the rock star is invited to his next UFC fight.

The 33-year-old UFC superstar was leaving his hotel in NYC ... when he was asked about the incident with Machine Gun Kelly at the MTV VMA's Sunday night in Brooklyn.

"I got to go to the Barclays Center again. I got to present an award. I was just going to have a good time, you know what I mean? That's it. All love, all love! It's all good," Conor told Adam Glyn.

That's when McGregor extended the invitation, saying ... "Come to the next fight and watch me perform any time. I perform, no problem. Everyone's more than welcome to come to my fights or come to the shows. No beef. I don't even know the guy."

Of course, Conor and MGK nearly came to blows on the red carpet of the award show ... with McGregor lunging at the musician and splashing a drink before being restrained by security.

Peace was eventually restored ... and McGregor presented an award to Justin Bieber at the show. MGK performed with Travis Barker.

But, the question still remains ... why the hell were they fighting?

Conor clearly didn't want to get into it ... but did drop this line before shifting topics.

"I don't know [MGK]. Who is he? Tellin' me he's been at the fights, Megan's been at the fights years, so I know Megan and then I don't know the guy. There's no problem. Come to the fights."

A dig? Possibly. Or, maybe he just ain't a fan of Kelz.

Conor also gave a health update (it's only been 66 days since he broke his leg) and it's going to be music to the ears of McGregor fans.

"I honestly feel like I could kick right now, but I just gotta listen to to the doctors, listen to the people that are guiding me. That's what I've done so far. I've committed myself to the work, and I'm back on the feet."

Nicki Minaj is fiercely defending herself after letting it be known she won't be getting the COVID-19 vaccine until she's done enough research.

Nicki responded to tweets practically all of Monday night after she'd posted an explanation for her absence from the Met Gala, which required all guests to be vaccinated. She declared, if she gets vaccinated "it won't [be] for the Met. It'll be once I feel I've done enough research. I'm working on that now."

Then, about 20 minutes later, she dropped the tweet that still has social media fired up today. Nicki said her cousin in Trinidad won't get the vaccine cuz "his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen." She added that "his friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied."

Nicki isn't pleased that anecdote is the one grabbing headlines. She's pointing out her critics are purposely ignoring her prior tweets encouraging people to get vaccinated, wear masks and be safe.

She also shared a screenshot of news headlines and called them all lies. Nicki wrote, "3 lies in a row from huge news platforms. I cited my young child as why I didn’t want to travel. But notice how NONE of them mentioned that? Ask yourself why that was."

Nicki also shared that she came down with COVID while preparing for this year's VMAs ... and she feared passing it to her son, who was born last September.

She tweeted, "Do u know what it is not to be able to kiss or hold your tiny baby for over a week? A baby who is only used to his mama?"

Apparently, Nicki's now satisfied with her research -- she relented she will eventually get the vaccine, because she'll have to travel and go on tour.