Religion/ Spirituality

Britney Spears was diagnosed by medical professionals with a mental illness, but Jamie Spears and the business management team he hired felt they could free Britney from the grips of her mental problems with religion ... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ.

Jamie became a born again Christian after a stint in rehab early on in the conservatorship. Jamie knew Lou Taylor, who worked with Jamie Lynn as early as 2004 and also became a spokesperson for the family back then.

Taylor created a company called Tri Star Entertainment and in 2008 she and Jamie discussed making Tri Star the business manager in the conservatorship.

Taylor was also a fervent born again Christian ... something she talked about on the "Today" show in 2008. Taylor brought in Robin Greenhill, who worked for Tri Star, to have day-to-day contact with Britney ... helping manage her business affairs. But, we're told it went way beyond money ... Robin in particular was up in every aspect of Britney's life.

Our sources say for the first year, Jamie, Robin and Lou literally walked around with the bible in hand, proselytizing the word of God. We're told for a time they would only let Britney read religious material. And, we're told, there was a large measure of intolerance for anyone who wasn't a "good Christian."

Interestingly, Lynne Spears wrote in one of her books ... "Jamie was going to file for the conservatorship on January 22 [2008] ... but he and his business manager, Lou, felt God leading them to wait, fast and pray, despite the frustration of a phalanx of lawyers."

The religious push was on full display during the entire Circus Tour, we're told, but as the money cascaded in, religion sort of fell by the wayside and money became central to business management and the conservatorship ... so say our sources.

Tri Star was getting 5% of Britney's gross profits, and when she was performing that was an enormous amount of money. Fast forward to 2019 when Britney stopped performing. At some point, Taylor emailed Jamie and said the commissions had dwindled and she wanted a guarantee of $500,000 a year.

Some folks on the inside, including Britney's lawyer, Samuel Ingham, felt that was wrong, because when someone takes a percentage they tend to make more than they should for a certain period and less for other periods, but it evens out. People said some insiders felt Lou wanted it both ways. Jamie, however, didn't feel that way, and approved the $500k floor, which greatly upset some people involved.

Sarah Silverman is tired of non-Jews playing Jews on camera -- be it on TV or in film -- and says amid all the cries for representation in casting ... the Jewish people are left out, and the anti-Semitism points directly at Hollywood.

The comedian usually jokes around, but there's no laughing matter about this ... according to her. Sarah, who's Jewish, says Hollywood has long been in the practice of putting gentiles (non-Jewish people) into roles for Jewish folks -- especially those whose "Jewishness" are a big part of their identity.

Take Joan Rivers, for example, whom Sarah notes is set to be portrayed by Catholic-raised Kathryn Hahn in an upcoming limited series. There are way more instances of this, though.

SS points to Rachel Brosnahan playing Mrs. Maisel (who's Jewish), Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan, Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug.

Along with a lot of these portrayals, Sarah says anti-Semitic tropes and stereotypes are often played up as well on camera ... including what she describes as prosthetics to make someone's nose bigger, a heavy New York accent with Yiddish undertones and beyond.

Chrissy Teigen and her family are honoring the spirit of the family member they lost last year -- their son, Jack.

Chrissy and her husband, John Legend, along with their kids, Luna and Miles, held a memorial in remembrance of Jack ... the baby who passed away just over a year ago.

Teigen shared a photo of what appears to be an at-home ceremony held with monks. She said ... "took me a year but finally honored his little spirit with some blessings today. hopefully some closure in my heart will happen now."

As you know ... Jack died following major complications with Chrissy's pregnancy -- she'd been hospitalized for severe bleeding and Jack was never able to get the fluids he needed to survive.

Chrissy was open about the grief she was still feeling this week.

Nick Cannon isn't pumping the brakes on expanding his fam, in fact, he's open to having more kids -- but adds the final decision is really up to a higher power.

We got Nick and Jim Jones Tuesday in Harlem and our photog asked Nick if he's going to stop having kids now that he's had 7, including his son Zen and twins Zion and Zillion earlier this year.

Nick says he's got no problem welcoming more kids into the world, as long as it's part of God's plan. Basically, if it's God's will ... he'll keep fathering as many children as possible.

We also asked Nick the secret to being prodigious, seeing as he's an expert in that area, and his answer is pretty short and sweet. Nick's definitely got some swimmers -- and he also jokes about opening his own "Cannon Sperm Bank."

Dog the Bounty Hunter's been educated about his inappropriate use of the n-word and now knows he doesn't have a pass to use it ... so says his former pastor, Tim Storey, who still believes Dog means well and has a good heart.

Storey -- who is Black, and is now an acclaimed author, speaker and life coach -- tells TMZ he's still very close to Dog after 20 years, so he called him following Dog's controversial interview with ET's Kevin Frazier ... and told him his comments were "not wise."

Tim says he explained to Dog that he does NOT have a pass to say the n-word regardless of what he thought in the past or what he told Frazier ... and Dog conceded his point and agrees.

According to Storey ... Dog is not a racist, but he sometimes doesn't think through everything he says. The former pastor insists Dog has a good heart, is willing to grow and learn from mistakes and has always treated him and his family with nothing but love and respect.

Tim also claims he's never personally heard Dog say the n-word other than his infamous, racial-slur-loaded rant that was leaked back in 2007 ... and doesn't think he should be canceled for that stain from his past.

As we've reported, the 2007 leaked phone call between Dog and his son got him canceled at A&E, and seems to be a bone of contention between his daughters, Bonnie and Cecily, and him. TMZ broke the story ... they were not invited to his wedding that went down Thursday.

Rev. Jesse Jackson's COVID-19 symptoms are abating while his battle with Parkinson's is becoming more of a challenge ... this according to his family.

Jackson's son, Jonathan, just provided a health update on his parents, also revealing his mother, Jacqueline, is still in the ICU fighting COVID. Thankfully, she's breathing on her own but she's still receiving oxygen.

Jonathan says Rev. Jackson's Parkinson's has gotten worse, so he's been transferred to Chicago's Shirley Ryan Ability Lab where he'll immediately begin intensive occupational and physical therapy. Jacqueline will remain at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

According to Jonathan ... both of his parents are receiving excellent medical care, but he's asking for prayers as they deal with the deadly virus and other issues. He's also pleading with everyone to get vaccinated.

Team USA star Sydney McLaughlin is rockin' more than just an Olympic gold medal around her neck ... she's also wearing an engagement ring on her hand after her boyfriend proposed -- and she said "YES!!!"

The 22-year-old sprinter revealed the awesome news on Wednesday -- penning a beautiful love note to her future hubby, ex-NFL receiver Andre Levrone.

"I fall in love with you more and more each day off of the strength of your faith," McLaughlin said on Instagram.

"Andre, you are the most God-fearing, passionate, honest, loving, hard working, protective, and genuine man I’ve ever met."

Unsure how long the two have been dating but the couple went IG official when Levrone shared a photo of them together in December 2020.

"The calling God has on our lives goes far beyond our love for one another. This union will impact lives for His kingdom, and that’s what excites me most."

"You're the perfect man to lead me, and I cannot wait to follow."

Of course, McLaughlin just got back from the Tokyo Olympics, winning the gold and setting a record time of 51.46 seconds in the women's 400 meters hurdle.

Her fiancé is also an athlete -- the 26-year-old WR entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018 ... and played for the Ravens, Jaguars and Panthers before retiring in September 2020. He's currently a project engineer.

Rihanna's fashion show nearly got a musical artist decapitated, because they played the wrong version of a song at a fashion show ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Rihanna's Fenty brand is being sued by a musician who claims RiRi's company reached out to use one of her songs during a Savage X Fenty show last fall, but screwed up by playing a version of the song that included a sample of sacred Islamic proverbs being chanted.

The artist, who's filed the suit as Jane Doe to protect her identity, claims she immediately got threats on her life when the fashion show was live-streamed to millions.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the artist made it clear to Fenty reps one version of the song had the religious verses and one did not, and she warned them not to use the Islamic proverbs.

Despite a public apology from Rihanna following the immediate backlash, the artist claims she was forced into hiding after receiving a barrage of death threats over the song. She claims the constant threat of being decapitated and murdered led to anxiety and depression. The artist also tweeted an apology for unknowingly including the sample in her song.

Also of note ... we've learned that once Rihanna's team found out the song played during the Fenty show contained the offensive lyrics it was edited out of future viewings.

The artist says she still fears for her life and remains in hiding ... and she's going after Rihanna's business arm for more than $10 million in damages.

Meyers Leonard is continuing his fight against anti-Semitism -- teaming up with a top anti-hate organization to speak at a virtual seminar ... just months after the NBA player dropped a slur while gaming online.

We're told 29-year-old Meyers has joined forces with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) ... and is set to speak at a webinar on August 19 ... with the hopes of stemming the rise in hateful speech.

The class -- which will also feature 2-time WNBA champ and Israel national basketball team member Alysha Clark -- will focus on the importance of education on anti-Semitism.

The speakers will also discuss the Holocaust.

It's just the latest way Leonard -- who is currently an NBA free agent -- is trying to repent ... by spreading awareness about the horrors of hate language.

Back in June, Meyers got emotional when speaking to a group of Jewish kids at a synagogue in Florida ... saying, "I owe everybody, truly, a sincere apology."

Of course, the apology came after Leonard found himself in some scalding-hot water after using an anti-Semitic slur while playing "Call of Duty: Warzone on Twitch back in March.

Meyers was immediately placed on indefinite leave by the Miami Heat and lost out on a ton of business deals -- including his relationship with gaming juggernaut, FaZe Clan.

Dog the Bounty Hunter's gearing up to wed his fiancee very soon, and he doesn't feel bad about remarrying anymore following the death of his wife, Beth ... because God approves.

Dog just revealed his major life news on the podcast, "Two Guys from Hollywood," telling the cohosts his wedding to Francie Frane is scheduled to go down September 2 ... and the venue's more expensive than he'd like!!!

As we reported ... Dog and Francie got engaged in May 2020 -- 10 months after Beth died of cancer -- and Francie also lost her spouse to cancer shortly before Dog did.

The couple is obviously still going strong, and Dog says though he initially felt uneasy about getting remarried after losing Beth ... that all changed when he read some scripture.

Dog says he found a passage in The Bible that says, "God does not want a man to be alone, that he knows we need a companion, whether we're man or woman."

Now, that doesn't sound like an exact Old Testament quote -- we think he's referring to Genesis 2:18 -- but you get the idea.

Nick Cannon and Kevin Hart are celebrating Nick's return to hosting "Wild 'N Out" after ViacomCBS fired him over anti-Semitic remarks -- and all the bad blood's been replaced by some sweet-ass cake!

Nick's back to his old job, and with season 16 returning to TV sets Tuesday night, Monday called for a special celebration ... complete with a surprise for NC!!!

As you can see, Nick was totally caught off guard when production wheeled in a huge custom cake and folks started singing.

Nick, dressed in a suit and red turban, made a short speech ... and Kevin hilariously tried to take credit for the surprise, even though he struggled to understand the cake's design.

It's clear there are no lingering hard feelings about the controversy that led to Nick's 2020 firing.

Allison Josephs has had it with Hollywood's portrayal of the Orthodox Jewish community, and believes "My Unorthodox Life" is the latest contributor to negative stereotypes she calls downright dangerous.

We got the "Jew in the City" founder outside the Peninsula Hotel in NYC, and she had some stern reactions to the controversial new Netflix series about Julia Haart -- CEO of modeling agency Elite World Group -- who left her Haredi community in 2013.

Josephs has several issues, first and foremost with Julia ... who she accuses of co-opting someone else's story and not being entirely truthful. She also blasts Haart for generalizing her former Jewish community as "fundamentalist" at a time when hate crimes against Jews are on the rise.

Allison goes on to say these recurring negative portrayals of the Orthodox community on TV and film are devastating ... and she's pleading with Hollywood execs to do better.

Jonathan Lipnicki is putting his MMA skills to good use ... trying to prevent more anti-Semitic attacks from happening in the L.A. area by escorting Orthodox Jews to temple.

We got the "Jerry Maguire" star in the Fairfax District near The Grove Friday, where he and fellow actor/martial artist Remi Franklin were on the ready to help worshipers safely enter and leave temple.

Jonathan and Remi organized after an attack last May ... where a group of pro-Palestinian men attacked Jewish diners outside Sushi Fumi.

The man in charge of directing Friday's Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has just been fired hours before the start of the event ... after it was discovered he made a Holocaust joke in 1998.

Kentaro Kobayashi was canned Thursday after video surfaced of him making the wildly gross and inappropriate comment during a comedy act over two decades ago.

In the old clip, Kobayashi reportedly can be heard bringing up the Holocaust and saying, "Let's play the genocide of Jews."

Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said Thursday when the footage was brought to his attention ... he and other officials acted swiftly, removing Kobayashi from his high-ranking role.

"We found out that Mr. Kobayashi, in his own performance, has used a phrase ridiculing a historical tragedy," Hashimoto said.

"We deeply apologize for causing such a development the day before the opening ceremony and for causing troubles and concerns to many involved parties as well as the people in Tokyo and the rest of the country."

48-year-old Kobayashi later released an apology in a statement ... saying, "Entertainment should not make people feel uncomfortable. I understand that my stupid choice of words at that time was wrong, and I regret it."

The troubling news comes just days after one of the composers for the opening ceremony, Keigo Oyamada, pulled out of the event after he admitted to bullying a disabled classmate in the 1990s.

Hashimoto, though, insisted the opening ceremony will go on as planned despite it all ... saying Thursday, "we are going to open the Games tomorrow under this difficult situation."

As we previously reported, spectators will NOT be allowed at the ceremony ... as officials hope empty stadiums will help keep coronavirus from spreading.

Kirk Franklin's not down with ranking the greatest gospel artists of all time, because he says there's only one name that matters ... and no, it's not Kanye West!!!

The iconic choir director and gospel singer wasn't throwing any shade at Kanye -- quite the opposite -- but making a bigger point about the genre of Christian music ... telling us anybody can do it because it's for all of God's children.

With that mindset, Kirk says there shouldn't be a Mount Rushmore of gospel music -- notwithstanding he's considered to be a candidate -- because it's all about glorifying the man upstairs.

As for Kanye ... Kirk says he's tight with his "brother" and heaps praise on his musical talent ... calling him one of the greatest artists of all time.

Kim Kardashian knows how to steal the show -- even when she's visiting the home of the Pope -- and an eye-catching lace dress will do the job. Every time.

Kim did the opposite of blend in as a tourist Monday as she checked out Vatican City with Kate Moss and her daughter, Lila Grace. Kim was dressed in a striking off-the-shoulder white lace dress ... sure to make a nun or 2 blush.

Sources close to Kim tell TMZ she's in Italy for business meetings this week along with her biz partner Tracy Romulus, makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic and hairstylist Chris Appleton ... so it's no wonder she looks fab.

There are no exceptions to the strict dress code in the Sistine Chapel though, so we're told KK fully covered up her dress with a leather jacket when she went inside Pope Francis' residence.

And, we know what you're wondering, but no ... she did not have an audience with His Holiness, Pope Francis.

Along with the Sistine Chapel, Kim also took in a tour of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and visited the Colosseum in Rome on Sunday.