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Ice Spice pissed off many with her appearance at the Super Bowl -- as some interpreted a pendant she wore as pure evil ... even though, Playboi Carti meant nothing by it.

Here's the deal ... the rapper was seen a lot during Sunday's broadcast of the game, and a good amount of folks noticed the chain/necklace she was wearing in the suite with Taylor Swift and co., which (to a lot of people) looked like an upside-down cross.

Of course, that got some pearl-clutchers up in arms ... with accusations of "devil worship" and "demonic" symbols being shown on TV in front of millions. A hand gesture she made at one point -- quiet coyote -- certainly didn't help either with the unholy accusations.

Welp, as it turns out ... there's nothing un-godly about this pendant at all -- at least that's what we're being told anyway.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ that the piece was designed by celeb jeweler Alex Moss, and it's just a sweet piece of ice with no devil ties behind it whatsoever. We're told the pendant is made from black gold, a new material that's been developed and which Alex is using in a forthcoming collection this cross also has baby pink sapphires all throughout.

Our sources say Ice is the first star of her caliber to have this sort of piece in her possession -- and she has Carti to thank for it ... we're told he actually gifted it to her not too long ago.

While the dude is certainly known for his gothic/vampire vibes these days -- our sources assure us ... there was nothing satanic behind the meaning/design of the piece, which we're told was a collab effort between Alex and PBC.

Hard to tell if people will buy that ... but that's the explanation that's been provided to us.

Whether it leans toward the dark side or not -- 'cause frankly, who the hell knows what's in people's hearts -- what we can gather from this is ... the chain is freakin' dope, and it's rare.

Anyhoo ... it's just the latest star to fight off accusations of dancin' with the prince of darkness.

Super Bowl viewers were quick to pounce on Alicia Keys for botching a note during her Halftime show performance with Usher ... but her voice crack has since been cleaned up.

Alicia was a little off-key Sunday when she started singing "If I Ain't Got You" while playing piano onstage -- something people very much so noticed immediately and mocked her over -- although, you wouldn't know it if you missed the live show on air during Super Bowl LVIII.

The reason ... the official Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show video published on YouTube -- which is up right now -- very clearly edited out the minor flub.

Take a listen to the comparisons between the live performance and the version posted on YT ... it certainly seems like editors went back and polished up Alicia's voice. In fact, there's almost no question they did -- as the difference between the two versions is noticeable.

Now, don't get it twisted ... this isn't some huge "conspiracy" involving the National Football League as some have suggested ... it's really just the NFL/Apple Music doing Alicia a solid.

Plenty of folks are already poking fun at Alicia on social media over this, so the bigwigs calling the shots here seem to be throwing AK a life raft. Plus, ya gotta figure they wanna put the best product available in the official version that lives on ... so it's not surprising at all.

With that said, everyone's gonna probably remember ... AK needed a little post-production magic when it's all said and done. No harm, no foul -- she's still an amazing singer!

Usher's moves from the Halftime show seamlessly floated on over to an after-party -- where he kept on skating ... only here, all eyes were on him and his (maybe?) new bride.

Super Bowl LVIII's headlining act hosted a star-studded bash in Las Vegas Sunday night after the big game ... and TMZ has obtained video of Usher cutting a rug on the dance floor, or on the roller rink, rather.

As you can see, Usher has his roller skates on and he's zipping around, doing some break dance moves ... all while looking pretty slick. Remember, Usher incorporated roller skating into his epic halftime performance, and he's keeping the good vibes going here as well.

The after-party went down at Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace inside Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas, with performances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Diplo and Hardy.

Usher's party also recognized his new album, "Coming Home," and the 30th anniversary of Snoop and Dre's "Gin & Juice." So yeah, SD came out and spit some bars for his old pal.

Other big-time stars who showed up for the bash included ... Andra Day, Big Boy, Brent Faiyaz, Draymond Green, Flavor Flav, Flo Rida, Gabrielle Union, H.E.R, Jermaine Dupri, Justin Hartley, Leon Bridges, Lindsey Vonn, Luke Combs, Ludacris, Machine Gun Kelly, Maren Morris, Megan Fox, Ne-Yo, Pauly Shore, Ray Ray McCloud III, Speedy Morman, TANK, Tiffany Haddish, Too Short, Tim Cook, Victoria Monet, Ying Yang Twins, will.i.am, Winnie Harlow, Zach Bia, and Zane Low ... just to name a few!

Now, eyewitnesses tell us Folks who were there tell us Usher rolled in around 1:40 AM and partied for about 80 minutes ... having fun with a bunch of different people, including his longtime partner, Jennifer Goicoechea, whom he's reported to have married this weekend.

As we reported, Usher and Jennifer obtained a marriage license in Clark County -- and some have suggested they've already tied the knot. If they did, they're keep it low-key for now.

The Flipper’s Skate brand worked with Usher to design the skates he and the skaters wore during the Super Bowl halftime show and to the after party. The skates dropped right after the half time show and you can buy the Flipper’s Quadz by Usher for yourself.

It's unclear or not if Usher and Jenn are, in fact, man and wife at this point -- the details of any purported wedding have surfaced just yet -- but they were being called "newlyweds" at this shindig.

In any case ... lots for Usher to celebrate, regardless. Super Bowl, new album, possible new wife and rave reviews.

No shocker that Kim Kardashian locked down a luxury suite at the Super Bowl, and even had it filled with A-listers -- but what is surprising is how NOT lit it was compared to Taylor Swift's.

The photos showing off their respective suites are out, and we gotta say ... the KarJenner box -- at least for some parts of the game -- comes across as a little bit of a snooze fest when ya see the lively scene in T-Swift's area.

Check out the pics for yourself and we'll let you decide which suite feels like the better time.

In Kim's suite, there are people slumped over and leaning on their hands as if they're just running out the clock -- and one dude in there looks like he's about to take a long nap.

The opposite vibe was happening across the way at Tay Tay's suite ... where Blake Lively, Ice Spice, Miles Teller and a few other stars were losing their minds and celebrating a ton. Of course, Taylor herself was leading the charge on the partying ... pounding beers, etc.

Kim's suite was just as star-studded, of course, with Justin and Hailey Bieber and other KarJenner sisters, Russell Wilson and Ciara, La La Anthony, Texans QB C.J. Stroud, Winnie Harlow and Michael Rubin all attending, but things looked sorta quiet.

Now, this ain't a competition or anything -- but the differences are notable because of the history of bad blood between Taylor and Kim ... which, as we recently learned, is still fresh on T-Swift's mind, something she commented on in her TIME Person of the Year cover story.

As we reported ... Taylor said she still feels like Kanye/Kim were wrong over the whole 2016 recorded-convo thing -- and even today, it sounds like she'd appreciate an apology.

1:05 PM PT -- And just like that, there will be no Naptown beatdown during NBA All-Star Weekend from either Mike Epps or Shannon Sharpe's camps ... the "Club Shay Shay" host is issuing an apology for escalating the situation and promises a "man-to-man" sit down soon.

Mike Epps isn't backing down from Shannon Sharpe's apparent threat that the streets aren't safe for him ... this, after the comic recently took some big shots at the HOF'er.

In response to SS's recent tirade against him on his podcast with Chad OchoCino -- in which Shannon claimed Mike had lied on his name (more on this later) -- ME himself hopped online to address it Monday ... clarifying who reached out to who, and what the deal is.

ICYMI ... Mike did a stand-up set about a week ago where he made fun of Shannon and his viral "Club Shay Shay" interviews lately, particularly the Katt Williams one. In his set, Mike said Shannon had reached out to him for a follow-up sit-down -- and then went on to make some homophobic jokes at Shannon's expense ... all of which caught Shannon's attention/fury.

On Sunday -- while recording his pod with Chad -- Shannon unloaded on Mike without ever naming him -- and said the gay jokes didn't bother him ... but the "lying," as he put it, did. He went to suggest he'd be confronting Mike about this soon, and perhaps more.

Welp, Mike's got a response to Shannon now ... explaining he had actually DM'd Shannon in the aftermath of Katt's now-infamous interview -- during which Mike says he felt Shannon was trying to bait KW into trashing his former 'Friday' costar, even though he never did.

Mike says he thinks Shannon is out here trying to get people to say wild things about others just for clicks -- and on the issue of meeting up ... ME says they can do that too.

Now, he does note he doesn't fight anymore -- so it doesn't sound like he wants to get physical with the former tight end (frankly, nobody does) ... but he continues to taunt SS.

BTW ... Mike has some shots for Shannon's pod partner, Chad, and some insults to boot.

Mike and Shannon are bound to cross paths next weekend at 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend ... which just happens to be in Mike's hometown of Indianapolis. So ... things are happening.

Taylor Swift swapped center stage for a Vegas suite ... with all eyes transfixed on her as she cheered on her Kansas City Chiefs BF Travis Kelce to his big win during her first-ever Super Bowl appearance -- and we've got all the highlights right here.

The star came with an entourage for the ages ... she was seated in her suite with Blake Lively, Ice Spice, Lana Del Rey, Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh Sperry, as well as Kelce's family, including his mom Donna, dad Ed, brother Jason Kelce -- and her own dad, Scott Swift.

Like any other girl squad gearing for a night out, the pop idol kicked things off at the Allegiant Stadium with a little alcohol, chugging beer on the big screen for the cheering crowds. Important to note, Taylor's got some skills! She absolutely destroyed her pal Ashley Avignone ... downing the beverage in around 6.6 seconds. Okayyyy T!!!

Now, despite all the fun and festivities, things did get a little intense at the SB ... just ask Tay Tay, she was seen anxiously chowing down on her nails during the fourth quarter -- no doubt hoping the game would unfold in favor of her man Travis. Talk about nail-biting drama both on and off the field!

Thankfully for TS, things did work out with the Chiefs' big win -- and it was the singer herself spearheading the celebrations. Check out the video ... Taylor, Blake, and Ice Spice can't contain themselves, enthusiastically jumping up and down -- and knocking down poor ol' Lana Del Rey as the victory dance got a bit intense.

It wasn't long before she left her suite ... rushing out onto the pitch to plant a kiss on TK. In this angle of the kiss seen worldwide, you can hear Travis asking her: "Was it electric?" Taylor responds: "It was unbelievable. One of the craziest things I've ever experienced!" What a moment!

Of course, the festivities continued long into the evening ... with Taylor's catalog of hits getting everyone on their feet at the after-party.

Just have a look; everyone's boppin' along to "You Belong With Me," ... and "Love Story" gave her a chance to enjoy another kiss with Travis, of course.

It was clearly a night filled with love, music and championship glory -- Until next time, SB!

Usher had a ton of people "caught up" during his Super Bowl LVIII halftime show ... including Ne-Yo -- who tells TMZ Sports the R&B legend's performance was top five of all time!

Ne-Yo made the claim following the Big Game out in Las Vegas ... after Usher wowed the Allegiant Stadium crowd with his singing, dancing and skating skills.

"I liked it!" Ne-Yo told us. "I liked it a lot!"

The "Miss Independent" crooner wasn't the only one who loved what Usher did while singing alongside Alicia Keys, Ludacris and Lil Jon ... Janelle Monae also said she was a big fan of the spectacle.

In fact, she said the act should put Usher squarely in the discussion when it comes time to talk about music's GOATs.

"So proud of him," the 38-year-old singer said. "I love you, Usher!"

Of course, there were some haters ... including boxing star Gervonta Davis, who wasn't pleased with the way Usher caressed Keys during their rendition of "My Boo."

Kim Kardashian and Odell Beckham Jr. made contact this weekend in public -- although, it does seem they're still trying to maintain somewhat of a low profile as a new item.

The rumored couple was spotted in the same vicinity Saturday night at the Fanatics Party at the Marquee Dayclub in the Cosmopolitan -- and TMZ obtained new video that shows them briefly going in for a hug ... albeit, one from which Kim seemed to quickly pull away.

Check out the clip ... you see them go in for a quick, friendly hello -- and Kim almost wraps her right arm around Odell's neck, but quickly yanks it down and away before she can fully wrap her arms around him.

What's interesting about that is ... that same evening Khloe was trying to block cameras from recording KK and OBJ as they all boarded an elevator -- as seen in other footage we also got. So, it feels like they're trying to keep things on the DL.

The weird thing about this is ... if they're really trying to hide their relationship, why even show up in Vegas together at all??? Everyone saw them this weekend, and they were kinda trailing each other all over the place Saturday night, very conspicuously.

If Kim and Odell are, in fact, trying to throw people off the scent of them being together, they're not doing a very good job. Rumors of them dating have been swirling for months.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are on top of the world after a photo finish at the Super Bowl -- and they celebrated their love in epic fashion afterward, including with a song.

The couple hit up a private party at Zouk inside Resorts World Las Vegas Sunday night -- where the Chainsmokers were handling music duties for a packed club -- and one of the highlights was Tay Tay and TK singing one of her most famous songs to one another from afar.

Of course, we're talking about "You Belong With Me" ... which the DJ duo started playing/mixing into an EDM-inspired track -- and which caused Travis to jump into their booth immediately.

Check it out ... the dude was more than happy to start belting out the well-known tune, and he even turned to Taylor -- who was out in the crowd behind him -- to serenade her from where he was at. She was singing back to him too BTW ... they were singing to each other.

It was pretty sweet ... and they actually kept the lovey-dovey vibes going by dancing together to the same track later on. And yes, there was a lot of smooching going on between them as well. Taylor and Travis were locking lips all night, and tied at the hip coming and going.

Other highlights from their wild night out ... Post Malone came onstage to perform, which is timely considering the guy is one of the only features on her upcoming album, "The Tortured Poets Department."

Tyga and Ludacris also performed at Zouk -- and the place was absolutely bumping the entire time.

Taylor and Travis didn't just hit up Zouk, BTW -- although, they did seem to start the night there. They were also spotted at XS Las Vegas a little later... smooching there as well.

Indeed, it's the real-life love story everyone's been watching ... and it came to a fairy tale conclusion this weekend. Like we said, TS and TK are head over heels, and it shows.

The obvious question now is ... what happens between them now??? Love ... marriage?

They're officially a dynasty ... the Kansas City Chiefs just won Super Bowl LVIII in THRILLING fashion, thanks to a Patrick Mahomes game-winning drive in overtime!

60 minutes wasn't enough to decide the NFL season ... and with the Chiefs down 3 after the Niners kicked a field goal in the opening possession of OT, the legendary K.C. QB got the ball, and drove down the field, culminating in a Mecole Hardman touchdown pass.

25-22 Chiefs, game over, Super Bowl over, immortal status achieved for Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid ... who now both have 3 rings apiece, putting them in rarified air.

Mahomes is also a 3x Super Bowl MVP.

It also marks the first time a team has repeated since Tom Brady's New England Patriots did it in 2004 and 2005.

Mahomes threw for 333 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception ... and was perfect when he needed to be on the last drive of the game -- when his Chiefs needed a field goal to extend the game, or a TD to win.

Travis Kelce had a big second half ... after a slow start to the game, catching 9 balls for 93 yards, including a huge run and catch in overtime.

During the Lombardi Trophy presentation, Kelce said the team wanted 3 straight Super Bowl wins ... so, it's clear they're not done yet.

As the superstar tight end spoke, Taylor Swift and mom Donna Kelce watched in front of the podium ... before Travis came over and shared a lengthy hug and kiss with his GF.

As for the 49ers, they put up a helluva fight ... and Brock Purdy -- who threw for 255 yards and a touchdown -- made some nice plays, especially during his team's lone OT possession.

Unfortunately for San Francisco, Mahomes and the Chiefs were ultimately too much.

Shawne Merriman is furious his good pal and former teammate Antonio Gates didn't make the cut for the Hall of Fame on Thursday ... and now, he's demanding an explanation from the committee.

Lights Out didn't hold back when TMZ Sports spoke with him about the Chargers legend's HOF snub ... saying point blank, "This is pretty much an embarrassment, man."

"This one needs an explanation," he said. "Because if you watch football, in the last two decades, there's no way in the world that Antonio Gates is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer."

Instead of Gates, the committee chose to put in Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Julius Peppers and Patrick Willis.

Clearly, Merriman thinks Gates got robbed ... adding, "I was shocked just like every other football fan was."

The sad part ... Merriman -- who played with Gates from 2005 through 2010 -- said he knows Gates is feeling down about it all.

"I know this has to bother him some," Merriman said.

Of course, Shawne is confident Gates will get his gold jacket sooner rather than later ... but in the meantime, he really wants to know why it didn't happen this week.

Travis Kelce was FUMING on the sideline after the Chiefs fumbled the ball in the red zone, bumping Andy Reid and screaming in his face ... nearly knocking the coach on his ass!

The incident went down during the 2nd quarter of the Super Bowl after K.C. star RB Isiah Pacheco turned the ball over deep in Niners territory ... a play Kelce watched from the sideline.

The NFL superstar was none too pleased -- and expressed his frustration, yelling inches away from his coach's face -- as girlfriend Taylor Swift watched from her suite.

Trav also slammed his helmet.

Of course, Kelce and Reid go way back to 2013, when both men joined the organization. Both guys are future Hall of Famers.

It's not the first time Kelce has lost it on the sideline. Remember back to the Christmas Day game vs. the Raiders when Travis blew his top on the sideline.

Through a quarter and a half, the game has been incredibly tense ... with star players on both teams making mistakes.

The 49ers, however, lead 10-0 ... after Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown late in the 1st half.

Kelce has been relatively quiet (besides all the screaming), catching just one ball for one yard. We'll see if the sideline incident gets him going.

2:26 PM PT -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell just had a one-on-one chat with Taylor ... hopefully he remembered to thank her for all the new fans she's brought to the sport!!!

1:39 PM PT -- Taylor's giving out hugs left and right ... with Travis' brother Jason Kelce wrapping her up in a short embrace before introducing himself to Ice Spice with a courteous handshake. Ever the gentleman, Jason!

1:30 PM PT -- Taylor Swift is in the building!!! CBS' broadcast just showed the pop star pulling up to Allegiant Stadium along with several close/famous friends including Ice Spice who appears to be hugging Swift's mom Andrea and Blake Lively who'se decked in a bright red jacket.

Taylor Swift is on the move -- she just took off in a private jet headed to Las Vegas ... and just in time too, 'cause the Super Bowl is low-key about to start pretty damn soon!

The pop star boarded her aircraft late Sunday morning -- flying out of L.A. and heading to Sin City to see her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. Everyone assumed she'd be there, and she's on her way now.

Tay Tay was once again being covered by umbrellas (just like yesterday) as she got on her PJ -- and from the looks of it ... she and the peeps she's rolling with are rocking Chiefs gear.

She oughta be landing pretty soon here ... and from the looks of it, her motorcade is already waiting for her in Vegas. She's got a brigade of SUVs all set -- as if she was POTUS! We suppose we wouldn't expect anything less for T-Swift, she kinda is American royalty.

Anyway, it looks like our theory of her crashing in L.A. for the night after a long flight from Tokyo ended up being correct. Rather than just go straight there, she laid low for a night.

It was a whirlwind trip for her, no doubt, and she's probably running on fumes right now.

And yet ... she's being a total trooper and making the trek to Vegas to see Travis, where she'll get a chance to cheer her head off on the biggest stage in American sports. And yes, as we reported -- she'll be in a private suite with her fam and Travis' brood too, no question.

Folks have been glued to their screens to see when Taylor will be landing in Vegas -- and now, it looks like she's pretty much at the finish line. The flight from L.A. is like 45 minutes.

Her being at the Super Bowl is this fairytale story coming full circle ... her NFL journey has been one for the ages -- and it's either gonna end in pure bliss with a W, or something else.

At any rate ... we're all stoked to see how it plays out, and we're sure TK's happy too.

The game is right around the corner -- kicking off at 3:30 PM PT -- and Taylor is about to take Vegas by storm. We're sure it'll be a circus ... but nothing she can't handle. And per usual ... she's sort of arriving at the 11th hour -- but she'll be right on time regardless.

Here we go!!!

Jason Kelce's flying by on luck alone this weekend -- betting thousands at a craps table before Sunday's Super Bowl kickoff.

TMZ has obtained photos of the big Philadelphia Eagles center shooting dice at a craps table in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas ... with eyewitnesses telling us JK  was playing at a high roller's table in the luxurious Vegas hot spot.

We're told the minimum bet was $1,000 while the max was $5,000 ... a pretty penny for Jason, but nothing his reported career earnings of more than $81 million won't cover.

Kelce was letting it ride with his ride or die at his side -- Kylie Kelce stood alongside him, cheering him on with the little crowd that gathered around the Super Bowl champion.

Seems like he might've won a bit too ... we're hearing he was hootin' and hollerin' a bit after a couple throws -- so maybe he's made a few bucks at the table.

Of course, we all know why Jason's in L.V. -- his little bro Travis Kelce's attempting to win his third Super Bowl ring with the Kansas City Chiefs against the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.

Jason's been a pretty public supporter of K.C. since his own Philadelphia Eagles were booted from the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in embarrassing fashion last month -- a 32-9 slaughter by TB.

The Kelces are enjoying Vegas BTW ... with the couple even taking in an Adele concert -- where the 16-time Grammy Award winner said Jason sounded "drunk, and like you’re a football fan."

Justin Bieber's definitely in Sin City ... but he brought his faith with him -- in the form of his new pastor!!!

The singer-songwriter was spotted walking through Wynn Las Vegas with his wife Hailey Bieber and his new friend and confidante Pastor Judah Smith who tossed a comforting arm around Justin.

Justin and Judah have hung out quite a bit through the years ... with pics of them together over the last decade or so. Now, Judah's his main pastor, taking on the role from Carl Lentz with whom Bieber had a public falling out.

Remember ... Bieber and Lentz were super close for years before Lentz admitted to cheating on his wife in 2020 ... a day after Hillsong Church fired him. It seems Justin distanced himself from Carl in the aftermath -- and now has charged Judah with his spiritual guidance.

He seems to be taking over the role to a T BTW ... 'cause the guys share a very similar look, all the way down to the beanie and glasses.

Unclear exactly when this clip was taken ... but we do know Bieber impressed the crowd at The Delilah -- a popular nightclub in The Wynn -- when he hopped onstage and showed off his drum skills.

Bieber banged away on a drum kit with a member of WeTheBand, twisting the sticks around in his hand and slamming away on percussion.

One party wasn't enough for Justin though ... with the 29-year-old hitting up Michael Rubin's 2024 Fanatics Super Bowl Party and jumping behind the DJ booth -- hanging out alongside rapper Travis Scott.

Rubin's party was stacked with stars like Scott and Ice Spice who both performed while T-Pain, Queen Latifah, French Montana and Remy Ma also pulled up to get down.

We broke the story ... Usher reached out to Bieber directly to ask him to join him for the Super Bowl Halftime show -- and Bieber arrived with the Kardashians yesterday.

It's Super Bowl Sunday, and the field where the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers are set to face off later this afternoon is pretty much all ready to be trampled on.

Check out these pics of a pretty pristine gridiron over at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas -- where the two teams will file in pretty soon to start warming up for the big game ... not to mention thousands of fans who paid top dollar to be there, nose-bleeds or otherwise.

As you can see, the field has been properly marked and labeled with the Chiefs and 49ers logos on each end ... and workers are adding some finishing touches down there too.

Indeed, it certainly looks Super Bowl ready -- and in about 3 hours, the grass will be totally trashed after a ton of bulky dudes running around and tackling each other. Football, baby!

Anyway, the lockers for each team are also in tip-top shape and all set to be used. The jerseys and helmets are all laid out -- and everyone's got their name above their own locker too. Brock Purdy of the 49ers has his spot already designated, as does everyone else.

It's pretty neat to get a behind-the-scenes look at the quiet before the storm ... right now, it's just personnel people in the building -- but soon, this place is gonna be absolutely packed.

Big day obviously, for a number of reasons. Not only is there a football game to be played -- with a huge halftime show in store -- but everyone's gonna have eyes on Taylor Swift as well.

More specifically ... everyone will be watching to see how she reacts to a potential win or loss, and whether Travis Kelce has any ideas if he's riding high on yet another SB victory.