Music

Russell Wilson and Ciara are making another business move together -- by publishing their first children's picture book!

The couple announced the news Wednesday ... saying they've teamed up with Penguin Random House to release the book titled "Why Not You?"

"I am so excited to share that Ciara and I will be publishing our first book for kids next spring," the Seattle Seahawks QB said on IG.

The picture book intends to "encourage readers to see themselves achieving their dreams, no matter how outrageous they may seem," according to PRH.

"It’s a lyrical celebration of self-esteem, perseverance, and daring to shoot for the stars".

The storybook will have 32 pages -- with illustrations by Jessica Gibson -- and is set to be released in March 2022.

This is yet another dope collab between the Super Bowl champ and award winning singer -- in fact, Why Not You is also the name of the couple's nonprofit org that focuses on education, health and the fight against poverty for youth.

Russ and Ciara -- who married in July 2016 -- also opened their Why Not You Academy in Washington this fall.

Tyga says he's always felt like an underdog, so he performed as a canine on "The Masked Singer" ... but this dog don't hunt, because he's been eliminated from the Season 6 cast of masked contestants.

The "Taste" rapper yanked off his Dalmatian getup on Wednesday night's episodes of the eccentric singing competition after he got voted off, but turns out the host sniffed out his identity when he was fully masked.

After the Dalmatian rapped "Beautiful" by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell Williams ... both Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger guessed it was Nelly, Jenny McCarthy went with Kevin Hart, and Ken Jeong guessed Reggie Bush.

Host Nick Cannon claimed he knew it was Tyga underneath the Dalmatian costume all along, but everyone else was stunned.

As for why he decided to join the show ... Tyga says he was inspired by watching Lil Wayne perform as Robot back in Season 3.

R. Kelly's persona non grata in Baton Rouge ... his "key to the city" there has been rescinded by the very same official who bestowed him with the honor.

Kelly was given the honor back in February 2013 by Denise Marcelle, who, at the time, was a member of Baton Rouge Metro Council. Marcelle tells us after Kelly's guilty verdict, she regrets giving Kelly a key to the city in the first place and is going to rescind it.

If you're wondering how that works, the process doesn't include actually physically taking the $256 plaque and key back from the singer ... but he's stripped of the honor.

Obviously, there were allegations against Kelly when Marcelle presented the key to him back in 2013, but she tells us she only knew he had been acquitted in 2008, and didn't do her homework to truly understand what was leveled against him.

Marcelle now serves as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and not in the BR Council, but a rep for BR tells us Marcelle still holds the power to rescind the key since she was the one who gave it out.

As we reported ... Kelly was found guilty earlier this week on all counts in his federal sex crimes trial.

Britney Spears won a huge victory Wednesday -- a victory she's sought for years -- because her dad has been officially removed as conservator of her estate, and it looks like the conservatorship is coming to an end.

It was a monumental day in court as Britney's lawyer, Mat Rosengart, zeroed in on Jamie Spears, saying he committed shocking abuse and mismanagement during his tenure as conservator. Rosengart was especially outraged over recent allegations Jamie engineered a scheme to secretly record Britney in her bedroom. Rosengart says there were conversations between Britney and her kids that were captured and he called it "unfathomable."

Jamie tried arguing the conservatorship should end today, but Rosengart begged to differ. The attorney wants to hold Jamie accountable for possible misappropriation of assets, among other things, and he wants the conservatorship in place until he can investigate.

The judge agreed with Rosengart and suspended Jamie. She also ordered Jamie to turn over all the books and records during his time as conservator so Rosengart can pour through them.

Our producer asked Rosengart on the way out of court if Britney would sue her dad if there's evidence of misappropriation of assets or other misdeeds. Rosengart jumped on the question and said Britney would absolutely sue.

As for ending the conservatorship ... the judge set a hearing for November 12. It's very possible the conservatorship will be terminated on that day. Significantly, there was no talk in court about a mental evaluation as a condition to ending the conservatorship. Fact is ... all parties, including Jamie, have advocated for terminating the conservatorship without a mental evaluation, so it seems things are headed in that direction.

In the meantime, a new conservator of Britney's estate has been appointed on a temporary basis. His name is John Zabel, a CPA handpicked by Rosengart.

For Britney's part, she's over the moon, posting on social media she's on cloud 9.

We interviewed a psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Sophy, on "TMZ Live" Tuesday -- he's handled numerous court cases involving celebrities and has been involved in a number of conservatorship cases -- and he suggested the judge should terminate the conservatorship with one string attached. Britney and her doctors should come back to court in 6 months so the judge could make sure she's taking her meds. That's his suggestion, but it seems everyone is headed in the direction of just ending it.

Britney will have a safety net in fiance Sam Asghari and her current personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery. BTW, Jodi has said she will stay on even if the conservatorship ends, and Britney is agreeable.

All in all, it was a huge day for Britney, Rosengart and Co.

As they say, it's the thrill of victory for Britney Spears -- but the agony of defeat for her father, Jamie Spears, is potentially just beginning, and we're explaining why on the new TMZ Podcast.

Just moments after Britney's conservatorship hearing ended, we got the team together for the inaugural episode of the pod. There's a lot to break down from Wednesday's hearing, and even more to discuss about what happens next.

As you know, the judge suspended Jamie from his gig as conservator of Britney's estate, and now Britney's lawyer is vowing to investigate him for alleged misappropriation and other conservatorship abuses.

We'll tell you why there could be some very real consequences for Jamie. Also, as you'd expect, Britney's already celebrating her big win as only Britney can. Ditto for the throngs of #FreeBritney supporters who were outside the courthouse.

Speaking of which -- looks like there's a #FreeBritney convert among us.

The upcoming wild card on "The Masked Singer" had a wild ride leading up to their performance ... and we've learned this celeb is a major player in Hollywood.

Production sources tell TMZ ... next week's wild card contestant was cast just 24 hours before their first performance on the hit FOX show. The problem -- there were no costumes, no song choices ... nothing was in place for the performance.

Our sources say the celeb was at home making dinner Sunday when the call came in from "Masked Singer" honchos, and the celeb immediately dialed up costumers, stage producers, clue producers and more to get ready to be on set the next day.

It's pretty wild ... this secret star even had to call friends to help clear songs for the show in a very timely manner ... and the celeb had to learn the songs ... and fast!!!

We're told there's no question ... this celeb had a ton of pull in the industry to move mountains, so if you're guessing who it might be ... 86 C-listers and below, and maybe even B-listers.

Kelly Price is no longer listed as a missing person with the National Crime Information Center ... this after her attorney met with law enforcement in Georgia.

Police in Cobb County tell TMZ ... Kelly met with investigators this week and she has been removed from the missing person list at NCIC.

Kelly's attorney, Monica Ewing, says cops also conducted a welfare and safety check, as is required in missing persons' cases, and authorities were instructed to remove her from the National Missing Persons Registry.

TMZ broke the story ... Kelly finally addressed going MIA from her family and says while at one point in her battle with COVID she was medically dead, she was never actually missing, despite family members insisting she vanished without a trace.

The way Kelly explained it ... she isolated to recover from the virus and was avoiding her family, who she claims she doesn't really keep in touch with.

Kelly's attorney, Monica Ewing, insisted to us Price was not missing last week and was safe, despite Kelly's family calling cops to conduct a welfare check at her home earlier this month, which resulted in Kelly being listed as a missing person.

Teyana Taylor is not surprised her husband, ex-NBA star Iman Shumpert is beastin' on "Dancing With The Stars" ... telling TMZ Sports she expects it 'cause he's always at her dance rehearsals.

Taylor is known for her amazing moves -- notably the Kanye West music video "Fade" -- so we had to ask if she gave her hubby any tips for 'DWTS.'

"I mean he's always at all my rehearsals," the singer and dancer tells us at LAX this week.

"He's always jumpin' in my rehearsals dancing with me."

And, she thinks Shump is doin' his thing! He delivered a dope performance to Outkast's "Hey Ya!" with Daniella Karagach for his debut dance last week. Shump then followed up with the rumba to Donell Jones' "You Know What's Up" on Monday.

"I think he's doing amazing. The lines, the techniques, his versatility. I love it!"

No adjustments needed, either ... Taylor tells us there's nothing she would advise him to change.

"He just needs to keep being perfect and keep having that authenticity and keep having fun with it."

Can he win the whole thing?! Taylor thinks so. Next eliminations go down next Monday.

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus just got some great news on his battle with cancer ... his oncologist told him he's cancer free!!!

Mark says he just got done with his doctor's visit Wednesday, and the positive prognosis has him feeling blessed.

Hoppus adds ... "Thank you God and universe and friends and family and everyone who sent support and kindness and love."

Mark says he still has to get cancer screenings every 6 months and it will take him until the end of the year to "get back to normal" ... but he says the doc's news is amazing.

As we reported ... Mark revealed back in June he had been quietly battling cancer and vowed to remain hopeful and positive despite being scared about undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma.

Hopefully, for Mark, the cancer is gone for good.

Britney Spears' potentially game-changing day in court is about to begin with her conservatorship hanging in the balance, and the environment -- inside and outside court -- is dramatic.

As you know, Wednesday's hearing is the most highly anticipated one since Britney testified in June during a previous hearing, in which she made shocking allegations and clearly stated she wanted to end the conservatorship after 13 years ... and possibly even sue her family.

Though Britney is not present in court today, her parents -- Jamie and Lynne Spears -- will be appearing via Zoom, along with Britney's attorney, Mathew Rosengart.

Wednesday's hearing for arguments on ending the conservatorship was originally set for January 28 but got moved up to today -- and while no one is expected to object to dismantling it ... it's still unlikely the judge will end the conservatorship today.

Instead, the judge could order another mental evaluation for Britney, or possibly order mediation where all the parties get together and come up with a plan on how to transition from the conservatorship.

Along with all that ... the hearing will likely address the removal or suspension of Jamie, fees for Jamie and his lawyers, and various accounting issues. So, get ready for a long one.

As we've reported ... ever since Britney spoke in court in June, a LOT has gone down -- both with the case and in Britney's personal life.

Following a quick Hawaiian getaway with her then-boyfriend, Sam Asghari, after her court testimony ... Britney began taking legal action to choose her own lawyer (her previous one, Sam Ingham, resigned) and remove her father as conservator of her estate.

Britney eventually hired Rosengart, who quickly went to work in ousting Jamie ... before Britney's dad seemingly agreed to step down in legal docs he filed in mid-August.

Things have gotten more complicated since then, however. After Britney formally asked to end her conservatorship last week, new allegations dropped in the NYT documentary, "Controlling Britney Spears," in which Jamie's accused of recording her bedroom conversations.

Then, on Monday, Jamie asked the judge not to forcefully remove him as conservator, but instead consider dissolving the conservatorship entirely.

The judge is expected to address some, if not all, of these issues Wednesday in court ... so get ready. You know the #FreeBritney crowd will be there ... as they've already gathered outside the courthouse to support their queen.

Meanwhile, as all of the legal issues have been unfolding, Britney's music manager resigned and claimed she's retired from performing ... and Britney and Sam got engaged.

The famous Folgers coffee jingle, "The best part of wakin' up is Folgers in your cup" is up for grabs ... the royalties for a piece of coffee history are on the auction block.

The bidding started this week at $63,000 and we're told there have already been 16 bids, with the auction entering its final stages at the Royalty Exchange.

The auction house says the Folgers jingle royalties for the past 12 months paid $11,747 and since 2011 the song's earned a total of $38,164 ... with more than half, about $20k, coming in the past 2 years ... so it's a long-term investment.

The winning bidder will own the songwriter's share of public performance royalties ... and get paid any time the song is used in commercials, on TV, in movies, on traditional and satellite radio, plus internet streaming.

The current bid stands at $70,700 and bids are in increments of $550 ... and the auction ends Thursday at 5 PM ET ... so it's coming down to the wire!!!

It is possible -- POSSIBLE -- the 13-year-long Britney Spears conservatorship could end today as everyone -- with one big exception -- appears in court via zoom for what promises to be an explosive showdown.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney will not be present for the hearing, but Jamie and Lynne Spears will be on zoom.

There was a hearing scheduled to hear arguments on ending the conservatorship set for January 28, but we've learned that was moved up to today. That presumably means the judge will hear arguments on ending the conservatorship, and here's the reality -- no one is going to argue the conservatorship should continue.

Britney, Jamie and Lynne all want to terminate the conservatorship, so there will be no opposition. Although it's possible the judge could end the conservatorship at today's hearing, our sources say it's unlikely.

There are 2 likely scenarios ... first, the judge could order another mental evaluation, because that's what triggered the conservatorship 13 years ago and maintained it for the years that followed.  That could take several months to complete.

Another option ... the judge could order a mediation where all the parties get together and come up with a plan on how to transition from the conservatorship. Specifically, who will manage Britney's business affairs and who will make sure Britney's able to live her life safely? As we reported, Jodi Montgomery has already agreed to stay on after the conservatorship ends.

And, that brings us to Jamie. TMZ broke the story, Jamie objects to the appointment of CPA, John Zabel, as temporary conservator of Britney's estate. Our sources say although Jamie has previously said he would step down after today's hearing, our sources now say he will ask the judge to keep him on as conservator until a transition plan is in place. This is something that Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, will fight tooth and nail -- he wants Jamie out NOW.

This promises to be a long hearing. Among the issues, removal or suspension of Jamie, termination of the conservatorship, fees for Jamie and the lawyers and various accounting issues.

TMZ has launched our first of many podcasts. Today after the hearing, we'll break down what happened and explain what it all means going forward.

Kodak Black's violated the terms of his supervised release in his federal gun case by failing a drug test ... and now we've learned the rapper was ordered to get treatment.

You may recall ... the rapper was sentenced to 46 months behind bars in the gun case in late 2019, but he was freed by Trump when his sentence was commuted back in January as part of the ex-President's flurry of pardons and commutations.

We're told Kodak's failed drug test resulted in a court hearing this week for violating the terms of his supervised release.

According to court records ... the judge ordered Kodak to complete a 90-day stint in a residential program due to the violation. Our sources say Kodak is already in the treatment program.

United Kingdom cameraman Adnan Ghalib was thrust into the limelight in late 2007 after he went from being behind the lens as one of the regular paparazzi swirling in Britney Spears' orbit ... into Brit's new mystery boyfriend in early 2008.

Complete with highly adorned Affliction shirts, on-trend Ed Hardy trucker hats and a signature flavor-saver strip of hair down the middle of his chin ... Adnan seemed inseparable from Britney Spears shortly after she split from Kevin Federline.

The Brit and Britney were often photographed driving aimlessly up and down Sunset Blvd, strutting hand in hand on Starbucks runs and even the occasional shopping spree for shutterbugs.

AG now lives a pretty private life that includes sharing sporadic shirtless pics on social media.

Bill Cosby thinks R. Kelly got a raw deal with a guilty verdict in his federal sex crimes case ... and he's blaming Gloria Allred and systemic racism.

We got Cosby's spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, at Avra in Beverly Hills and asked what his client's reaction was to Kelly's conviction on all 9 counts. He told us Cosby said, "The guy was railroaded."

Naturally, Gloria is drawing most of Cosby and Wyatt's ire ... she represented alleged victims in both Cosby's case and Kelly's, and Andrew says she's running a familiar playbook.

As we reported ... R. Kelly was found guilty Monday on 9 federal counts, including racketeering, sex crimes, kidnapping, obstruction of justice and human trafficking.

While, Kelly's looking at 10 years to life when he gets sentenced in May, Wyatt told us he doesn't think the disgraced singer will actually be sentenced, because an appeals court will overturn the conviction.

He's confident Kelly will walk free one day, just like Cosby, but there's a big difference between their cases.

Cosby's release from prison wasn't about his guilt or innocence -- it happened because the D.A. screwed him on a deal he'd made to avoid prosecution. Far as we know, Kelly didn't have any such deal.

Sen. Ted Cruz is proud to back the #FreeBritney movement, and did so Tuesday on Capitol Hill ... saying there are better options than a conservatorship for Britney Spears, and others in her situation.

The Senator from Texas raised Britney's case in calling for reform on conservatorship law -- and railed against the fact a grown woman "can't make basic decisions about her own life."

Cruz said, "Even though she's a mother, to this day she can't make basic decisions about her own life, her own career, her own health or her own finances." He added, "It seems that at each critical juncture, the legal system has been designed not for her benefit but to trample on her rights."

Cruz's solution? Instead of conservatorships, he'd like to see, among other things, the ability for someone in Britney's position to form a support network of people they know and trust ... and consult this group in the course of making their decisions.

Cruz also went off about allegations Britney was forced to get an IUD to prevent her from having a baby -- a claim she made while testifying back in June. The Senator says, "That is not somebody else's choice to make. That is grotesque."

Many would call that statement about a woman's reproductive rights ironic, at best, and hypocritical at worst ... due to Cruz's support of Texas' new anti-abortion law.