Music

Thomas Wells, famous for singing on a ton of talent competition shows including 'X Factor,' is dead ... TMZ has learned.

Thomas died earlier this month following an accident while working on the job at a tire manufacturing plant in Oklahoma ... according to his wife, Jessica Wells.

We're told part of Thomas' body was caught in a machine, described to us as an automatic conveyer belt type of machine which did not stop, and he was rushed to a nearby hospital in Idabel, OK.

Thomas' wife says he was then airlifted to a bigger hospital in Tyler, Texas ... because doctors thought specialists in Tyler might be able to help him.

Ultimately, we're told Thomas died in the hospital in Tyler back on November 13.

You may have seen Thomas singing his heart out on TV ... he appeared on "America's Got Talent" as well as "The Voice" and "The Winner Is" ... in addition to 'X Factor.'

Thomas got into music at an early age, teaching himself to play instruments by ear and singing choir at church and in school in Oklahoma. He mostly sang hymns and contemporary music.

His wife of 17 years is remembering him as a unique person who always had a smile on his face and tried to make people laugh. She says he would sometimes bust out singing and didn't mind the spotlight.

Thomas was 46.

Camila Cabello is single and ready to mingle ... somewhere outside the Hollywood Hills -- she's found a buyer for her beautiful estate above the Sunset Strip.

The "Havana" singer was asking $3,950,000 for her 4-bedroom pad. She has accepted the initial offer, but the deal still has some contingencies, so it's not exactly a total lock ... at least not yet anyway, but it's on track to closing.

Camila's soon-to-be-former place is 3,570 square feet ... and comes decked out with a saltwater swimming pool, BBQ area, fire pit and a state-of-the-art recording studio with a professional vocal booth.

If the new owner doesn't sing already, they've got all the tools to learn.

The master suite has a fireplace and walk-in closet ... and the gourmet kitchen is outfitted with stone counters, a breakfast bar and stainless steel appliances. There's also a laundry room and a 2-car garage.

Camila put the home on the market earlier this month, right before she and Shawn Mendes announced their split.

The family of 14-year-old John Hilgert -- who lost his life at Astroworld -- are devastated by the loss of their son, and want to hold those responsible accountable ... reportedly filing a lawsuit against Travis Scott, Live Nation and others.

The suit, filed Wednesday in Houston, claims Travis and concert organizers failed to provide a safe environment for those in attendance. Among the security failures listed, according to People, a lack of personnel, barriers and emergency medical staff.

A statement from John's dad, Chris, reads, "The pain of our loss from our son John not making it home alive from an event such as this is intolerable. He was a beautiful young man who simply wanted to enjoy his first concert event with friends, whom he treasured spending time with more than anything else."

He continues, "If this lawsuit prevents even one family from having to go through the extreme pain and anguish that we have endured, then it is the least we can do to honor John's memory."

The suit, filed by attorney Richard Mithoff, is reportedly seeking in excess of $1 million in damages.

Of course, the Hilgert lawsuit is just one of dozens filed against Travis, Live Nation and others. As we reported, one filing asks for $2 billion in damages, another asks for $750 million and represents hundreds of alleged victims -- whether those injuries be mental or physical.

Hilgert was one of 10 to lose his life at the show. The main questions to be answered by investigators, what happened and who is to blame?

Sources close to Travis have been adamant, he didn't know the extent of what was happening in the crowd. There was also a clear breakdown in communication among emergency workers, after we obtained video of cops enjoying the show more than 25 minutes after the Houston Fire Chief allegedly called the concert a "Mass Casualty Event."

Jessie J gave an emotional, 2-hour performance Wednesday night, just a day after her miscarriage.

Jessie says she found out about the devastating news when she went for her third scan and was told the baby did not have a heartbeat.

Jessie showed up in L.A. for the acoustic show at The Hotel Cafe, and told the crowd ... "I decided to have a baby by myself and by a miracle it worked for a while and yesterday it was f***ing s***." She went on ... "This year has been hands down the hardest year I've ever had to get through ... I lost my baby and I know I'm going to be OK."

As for how she mustered the strength to put on a performance, she answered that before the show, saying, "What I do know is that I want to sing tonight. Not because I'm avoiding the grief or the process, but because I know singing tonight will help me."

Before the show, Jessie posted, "I started singing when I was young for joy, to fill my soul and self-love therapy, that hasn't ever changed and I have to process this my way," adding, "I want to be honest and true and not hide what I'm feeling. I deserve that. I want to be as myself as I can be in this moment. Not just for the audience but for myself and my little baby that did its best."

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is back in all its glory, celebrating 95 years with floats, balloons, celebs and plenty of people in attendance.

The annual spectacle is happening right now in NYC, and you can see from pics, there was just about something for everybody in this year's installation. Spongebob, Baby Yoda and Boss Baby balloons towered over the crowd to thunderous applause.

Among the celebs performing in this year's parade were Kelly Rowland and Jon Batiste -- who has had an incredible week himself -- topping Grammy nominees with 11.

Of course, the always appreciated turkey float made an appearance as well as marching bands from across the country.

A vaccinated Big Bird and his buddy Elmo also sat atop a float for Sesame Street and had the younger fans in the crowd super excited.

Of course, 2021 marks the return of large crowds to the annual event. The parade still went down last year, but without droves of people lining the streets.

Bobby Shmurda is celebrating Thanksgiving outside prison walls for the first time since 2014 ... and doing so by giving back to those less fortunate.

The rapper was in Brooklyn Wednesday night to help distribute 300 turkeys at the Marlboro Houses, an area with residents in desperate need of assistance. We're told Bobby spent several hours there, chatting it up and taking pics with volunteers and those who came through for groceries.

Following the bird giveaway, Bobby made his way to an outreach program in Ridgewood in Queens to talk with troubled teens. Bobby, joined by Rowdy Rebel, talked to the kids about their experiences in prison and just how important it is to stay out of trouble.

As for how the whole night came to be, we're told Bobby and his team first reached out to Maurice Ballard, who runs a nonprofit called Game of Life.

Bobby was first taken into custody in December 2014, but copped a plea deal in 2016 to conspiracy to possess weapons and possession of a weapon. He got credit for around 2 years of time served before the sentence.

Harry Styles makes it almost impossible for folks to keep their appendages in check ... and if you don't believe it, check out this security guard who was dancing up a storm during Harry's concert.

It appears this is the concert at the Toyota Center in Houston earlier this week. The guard is all about Harry, dancing to One Direction's "That's What Makes You Beautiful." It's one of 1-D's biggest hits, and given the group is no more it had to be a big surprise Harry sang it, which may be why everyone was going crazy.

Now the video is a little jarring ... given what happened at the Astroworld Festival in the same city earlier this month. You'll recall, cops and security seemed oblivious to the tragedy that was unfolding behind them. They didn't seem to have a clue a full 25 minutes after fire dept. officials declared it a "mass casualty event."

This concert is clearly different. There's assigned seating, and Harry's concerts are way tamer than Travis Scott's ... Travis has, in the past, encouraged and egged on the crowd to do crazy things ... Harry has not.

Tyga just got a little bit of good news in his domestic violence case ... we've learned he will NOT be hit with a felony.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the police passed the rapper's DV case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office so they could decide if they wanted to file charges against Tyga.

But, according to the L.A. County D.A. ... the case has now been kicked over to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office ... and that means he won't be charged with a felony because only the D.A.'s Office can charge folks with a felony.

TMZ broke the story ... Tyga was arrested for felony domestic violence last month, turning himself in to authorities after his ex-girlfriend, Camaryn Swanson, claimed he got physical with her.

Camaryn filed a police report, claiming Tyga hit her ... and she later posted video showing her alleged injuries. Tyga's camp claims her allegations are "false and will be disproven."

The exes reportedly started dating early this year, and in March they went Instagram official. It's unclear when they split, but we're told it happened before the alleged incident.

We're told, Camaryn's injuries and the evidence did not rise to a felony charge and that's the reason it was kicked to the City Attorney.

Travis Scott is finally venturing out of his Houston home after the Astroworld tragedy ... flying to SoCal to golf with some A-list friends and spend the holiday weekend with family.

Travis hit the links this week with Michael Jordan, Mark Wahlberg, Kris Jenner's BF, Corey Gamble and actor Said Taghmaoui.

Witnesses spotted the famous group Tuesday on the course attached to the gated Palm Springs-area community where Kris has a home.

Travis still looked pretty somber in some shots taken while they were chilling off the course. The outing marks the first time the rapper's been seen out in public since 10 people were killed and hundreds injured during his Nov. 5 festival in Houston.

He had been laying low at his home in the Houston area for several weeks, devastated by what went down during the concert.

As we've reported ... Travis, Live Nation, Apple and several other organizers have been hit with multiple lawsuits since then. Most notably, one for $750 million and another for a whopping $2 billion.

His attorney, Ed McPherson, told us Travis was unaware of the scope of casualties during his performance ... and didn't learn of it until several hours after the show. Travis has vowed to pay all funeral expenses for the Astroworld victims.

Britney Spears is getting the jump on some Black Friday shopping ... hitting up a mall near her crib the day before Thanksgiving.

The singer ventured out Wednesday for some retail therapy at The Oaks shopping center in Thousand Oaks, CA ... and she definitely stood out.

As you see, Britney wore some bright red boots and showed off her legs ... keeping warm with a puffy white jacket, and rocking sunglasses inside.

We've been seeing Britney out in public more and more since her conservatorship came to an end after 13 years ... she recently hit up WeHo hot spot Catch with her fiancé Sam Asghari.

The shopping trip is definitely a welcome sight for Lance Bass ... remember, he recently told us he wants to see more of Britney enjoying her life in the open.

80's teen star Tiffany is apologizing for yelling "f**k you" to fans while struggling through her hit song -- and she's chalking up the strange behavior to a panic attack.

The "I Think We're Alone Now" singer just explained her side of the story from last Sunday's show in Melbourne, FL. As we first told you, Tiffany had a tough time hitting several notes before losing it and cursing out the crowd.

Tiffany admits she lost her voice, and that triggered the panic attack ... but she still got on stage and ended up having the meltdown. As for the cursing, she says she didn't really mean it, apologized and thanked the fans who've been supporting her.

She is sounding better now, and wanted to prove she can still belt out her signature tune ... so, check out the video.

Valerie Bertinelli is calling it quits on her second marriage, filing for legal separation from her husband, Tom Vitale.

Bertinelli filed docs in L.A. Wednesday asking a judge to end things between her and Tom. They got hitched back on New Year's Day in 2011, and though it's unclear what led to their split, she lists "irreconcilable differences."

Vitale works as a financial planner and entrepreneur, he is the CEO of Veebow -- an e-commerce company. He and Valerie don't have any kids together, and she's asking the court for neither to get spousal support.

According to the docs, they have a prenuptial agreement to handle the split of all assets.

Tom was Valerie's second husband ... she was very famously married to Eddie Van Halen from 1981 to 2007. Valerie and Eddie had one kid, their son, Wolfgang, who played bass in Dad's band.

Eddie died of cancer in October of 2020 -- and Valerie posted a touching tribute -- revealing she was there in his final moments.

G-Eazy is suffering heartbreak on the toughest level, announcing his mom has died, and sharing a beautiful tribute to her with his fans.

The rapper, real name Gerald Earl Gillum, says his mother Suzanne Olmsted passed away, saying, "The shock still won't let me accept the feeling that I'll never get to hug you in person again. My queen, my hero, my everything… my mom."

He continues, "The tears won't stop. My eyes hurt, my face hurts, my body hurts, everywhere hurts. There's no safe place to hide and there's no way to lay, sit, or stand that doesn't hurt. The pain is enormous. But I know you're out of yours and that brings me peace.
I love you so much."

It's currently unclear how she died, but G-Eazy fans know what an important role she played in his personal life as well as his career ... often attending shows and even events with the rapper.

Then there's this, G-Eazy reveals his mom recently persuaded him to go to rehab for drugs and alcohol, writing, "I didn't realize the extent of just how worried you were about me until you sent me the hardest letter I've ever had to read… Going to treatment for alcohol and drugs was my decision but your letter was what ultimately persuaded me."

G-Eazy played at BottleRock Festival back in September and shared his mom was unable to attend, he did, however, call her on FaceTime during his set in a really awesome moment.

Britney Spears fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer in The Weeknd's new project with HBO won't have their way ... because she's simply not involved, TMZ has learned.

Britney set social media on fire Tuesday when she announced, "I just shot a movie titled “THE IDOL“ … it’s guaranteed to have hits and a lot bright pics to put in my beautiful family’s faces !!!!!"

Spears' announcement came hours after it was announced The Weeknd's show "The Idol" was getting the green light from HBO and singer Troye Sivan had joined the cast.

Of course, fans were quick to connect the two, believing Britney was signed on to the project as well, but sources with direct knowledge tell us it's just not the case.

Our Britney sources say she's not been asked to be a part of the HBO show, and her team is unsure as to what movie she's referring to in her caption. Britney's been very creative with her social media posts lately, so it's always possible she's producing a movie on her own at home.

Britney also sent a message to her fans about the upcoming holiday season, saying, "I hope you guys are having a merry ole jolly time cause I sure am !!!!"

The holidays are upon us once again -- and after a 2020 pandemic twist ... we can look forward to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returning in force, and it looks like they're really bringing it this year.

A new fleet of floats and balloons was unveiled this week before they hit the streets of NYC Thursday -- and as you might imagine the attractions and balloons are pretty spectacular ... which was to be expected after having to exclude bystanders from last year's event.

Among the most eye-popping ... Disney's cruise ship, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions' elephant wave structure, a giant gator-infused edifice made to promote Louisiana, and others.

The balloons are a little more recognizable to the average pop culture consumer -- there's Ronald McDonald, Baby Yoda, Ada Twist and a gaggle of Pokemon who are going to be led down the path by rope-holders.

The rehearsal for tomorrow's big show went down at Herald Square -- and it seems like everyone is just about ready ... including singers and dancers, of which there are many.

Those who are grabbing a microphone to croon tunes include Andy Grammer, Kelly Rowland, Carrie Underwood, Jon Batiste, Chris Lane, Aespa, Jimmie Allen ... and several more.

They, too, were out there getting their pipes warmed up ... and while the rehearsal was going down -- people who were nearby posed for some pics as well, something they'll be able to do plenty of this year now that they can attend in person.

Kodak Black is still finding a way to give back to his community while he's in rehab ... helping folks in Florida make sure they have food on the table this Thanksgiving.

The rapper dropped $14,500 for more than 5,000 turkeys and had his team distribute them through a Thanksgiving tour of sorts across several South Florida communities ... according to Kodak's attorney, Bradford Cohen.

We're told Kodak's turkey giveaway made 7 stops in 3 days, with his team coming through in rental trucks to hand out the birds.

With Kodak's help, folks in the Sistrunk and Sunland neighborhoods will be able to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner ... as well as those in Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, North Miami, Little Haiti in Miami and of course, Golden Acres, where Kodak grew up.