RIP

Timbaland is going against the grain of the music industry ... while most artists and execs push back against AI, he's actually embracing it with a new track featuring AI-generated Notorious B.I.G. vocals!!!

The mega-producer and Verzuz co-creator was bursting with Christmas Day excitement while introducing the song on IG ... and boldly tagged Jay-Z's engineer Young Guru, who's been one of AI's biggest opponents.

Timbaland presented his Biggie bot production as the solution for the AI debate and gave fans a taste of the song.

After pushing play, Timbaland nodded his head furiously as AI Biggie rapped about the late rap icon's typical love for the finer things in life ... while also weirdly screwing with time and space by name-dropping Nipsey Hussle and Pop Smoke.

Both slain rappers came onto the scene decades after B.I.G. died, and Pop wasn't even born until 2 years after the fact.

Guru didn't attack Timbaland's track, but instead dropped a more general, and ominous, message ... warning humans that playing with AI is like playing with fire.

No telling if the track will ever be released as a single (or if Biggie's estate would even allow it), but the reactions to AI advancement have been a mixed bag so far.

Artists like Jojo, Grimes and LaRussell have spoken to AI's upside ... while UMG boss Lucian Grainge has been pulling out all the stops to kill it.

The Menendez brothers want to have their day in court ... again ... they say they have new evidence backing up their defense that their father was sexually abusing them, but there's a new wrinkle involving a member of the '80's boy band "Menudo."

According to new legal docs filed by attorney Mark Geragos, and obtained by TMZ, Erik and Lyle Menendez cited recent allegations by former Menudo star Roy Rossello that he was sexually abused when he was 13 or 14 by Jose Menendez.

Rosello made the accusations against Jose -- a then-RCA record exec -- in a new three part Peacock docuseries, "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed." In the series, two journalists dove into claims that the band's founder, Edgardo Diaz, brought Rosello to Jose's home in New Jersey to broker a deal between "Menudo" and RCA. But things took a dark turn when Jose allegedly drugged Rossello and then raped the teen.

Per the court docs, Erik and Lyle argued that Rossello's allegations of abuse by their dad only served to strengthen their original contention that they fatally shot Jose and their mom, Kitty, out of self-defense.

The petition also mentioned a letter Erik sent to their cousin, Andy Cano, months before the shootings ... where Erik accused Jose of sexual abuse.

In the letter, which the brothers claimed wasn't shown to the jury at trial, Erik says he wished he could tell his mom about the alleged abuse but says he can't risk it because he feared she would tell Jose. Erik also told Andy his father was continuing to molest him.

The Menendez Brothers say the letter was sent around 8 months before they murdered their parents, and they argued it supported their defense theory that Jose was sexually abusing them and warned them to not speak out about being molested, to the point where they became frightened of their father.

They say jurors never heard from Roy either, and they claimed if the jury knew about Roy's allegations and the letter, things might have turned out differently and they might have bought the defense's theory that the brothers were guilty of manslaughter, instead of murder.

Erik and Lyle filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in an effort to determine whether the new evidence was enough for the court to grant them a new trial or other relief.

Attorney Alan Jackson talked to us in April about the possibility of the Menendez brothers getting a new trial ... and he didn't seem to think it was likely, and told us exactly why.

Cops in Alabama say their initial report of Michael Jefferson's car crash was wrong ... telling TMZ Sports on Wednesday they now believe the 2023 NFL Draft prospect was the one who was impaired on the night of the tragic wreck last month.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency says it somehow mixed up the drivers of the two vehicles in its first report of the fatal car accident on April 9 in Mobile County, AL.

Initially, the ALEA claimed Jefferson was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Impala ... before Charles Dunn slammed head-on into it in his 2014 Dodge Charger.

Now, however, the ALEA says Jefferson was actually driving the Charger -- while Dunn was in the Impala.

That means, according to the crash report, cops suspect Jefferson was the one who was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs at the time of the accident -- not Dunn.

It also means, per a diagram of the crash in the report, that Jefferson (labeled Unit 1) is the one who was traveling in a southbound lane before moving into Dunn's northbound lane, headed in the wrong direction, before colliding with the 55-year-old (labeled Unit 2) head-on.

As we reported, Dunn died as a result of the crash. Jefferson -- a former star wideout at Louisiana who was in line to get drafted last month before the wreck -- sustained significant injuries that required several surgeries.

Police told us an investigation into the crash remains ongoing. According to the report, the 23-year-old's blood was taken following the crash, but the results have not yet come back.

Meanwhile, Jefferson's attorney, Brad Sohn, told us on Wednesday he had "absolutely no reason to believe that Michael Jefferson is under criminal investigation or has ever been under investigation."

Dunn's family told us in a statement they now want a public apology from Jefferson and his representatives ... adding, "Charles Dunn never drank or smoked in his life and we would like for his name to be cleared."

The wife of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett is breaking her silence days after their 2-year-old daughter drowned in the family pool ... saying they're devastated over her death and will love her "forever and ever and always."

The terrible incident happened on Sunday ... police received an emergency call indicating Arrayah had fallen into the pool at their Tampa area home. Sadly, despite the rescuer's best efforts, the 2-year child passed away.

Arrayah had just celebrated her birthday days earlier on April 19th.

The 2-time Super Bowl champ hasn't commented on the horrific tragedy, but his wife Jordanna -- whom he married in 2012 -- now has, releasing a statement Wednesday.

"Thank you all for all the messages, flowers, thoughts and prayers," Jordanna said. "Our world will never be the same. Arrayah was the apple of my eye, and my heart will forever be with hers."

Jordanna -- who has three other children with Shaq -- went on to say there's no "Barrett 6" without Arrayah.

"I love you so much my baby. I am so so sorry. Until we see each other again, please watch over your siblings and momma and dada."

"We love you forever and ever and always. I can’t wait to see that precious smile again, and just hug you so close. I would do absolutely anything."

The Barrett family will lay Arrayah to rest on Friday ... and the family has asked everyone to wear bright colors to honor her memory.

The Bucs -- who signed Shaq to a 4-year extension worth $72 million in 2021 -- issued a statement over the weekend, saying their "thoughts and prayers" are with the entire family during this "unimaginably difficult time."

Billie Lourd is calling out her aunts and uncles -- Carrie Fisher's siblings -- saying "they know why" they didn't get invited to Carrie's Walk of Fame ceremony ... and it's all about money and alleged exploitation.

Billie tells TMZ ... she's seen what her mom's brother and sister -- Todd Fisher and Joely Fisher -- have said recently and feels she has to speak up after being blasted by them for not inviting them to Thursday's ceremony.

She says her mom's death showed her all she needed to know. The way Billie sees it, they "chose to process their grief publicly and capitalize on my mother's death." She recognizes they're entitled to do what they please, but adds it hurt her a lot when they did interviews and wrote books about Carrie soon after her 2016 death, without consulting or considering how it would affect her.

Billie bluntly says there's "no feud" between them because "we have no relationship." She says she made the decision to not include them on the Walk of Fame guest list to "break a cycle" -- and thinks their public complaints about missing the ceremony back her up.

As we reported, Todd told us it was "heartbreaking" he was left off the guest list ... and he joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to tell us more about why he should've been included.

Billie responded just a couple hours after Todd's interview.

Carrie's sisters -- Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher -- called out Billie, calling their disinvite "deeply shocking."

Billie clearly doesn't care, and is putting it all out on the table now.

Former Team USA track star Tori Bowie was found dead inside her home, TMZ Sports has learned ... after her loved ones told cops they were concerned they hadn't heard from her in several days.

According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Florida, officers conducted a well-being check at Bowie's home Tuesday afternoon. When authorities arrived at the residence, they made entry ... and found the three-time Olympic medalist deceased. A preliminary investigation showed no foul play was involved.

A cause and manner of death are not yet known -- the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office tells us they're still investigating the matter.

Bowie's management team said Wednesday they were crushed to learn of her passing.

"We've lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister," the agency said. "Tori was a champion … a beacon of light that shined so bright! We're truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family and friends."

Bowie -- a two-time NCAA long jump champion who won three medals at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil -- was just 32 years old.

Carrie Fisher's brother won't be the only family member missing at the late actress' Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony -- her sisters, Joely, and Tricia Leigh Fisher say they too weren't invited -- blaming the snub on their niece, Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd.

Joely and Tricia took to Instagram on Wednesday with a joint statement, "In response to all of you asking whether or not we will be part of the celebration ... Strangely we won’t be in attendance to celebrate our sister, whom we adored."

They continued, "For some bizarre, misguided reason our niece has chosen not to include us in this epic moment in our sister’s career. This is something Carrie would have definitely wanted her siblings to be present for. The fact that her only brother and two sisters were intentionally and deliberately excluded is deeply shocking. We have all been grieving the loss of our favorite human for some years now…we have given Billie the space to do that in her own way. We have been nothing but loving and open, consistently."

They ended the post by saying ... "This isn’t about a photo op on Hollywood Blvd…this is about celebrating the permanency of Carrie’s legacy in this industry, taking her place with a star on the iconic Walk of Fame alongside our parents. We thank the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for honoring our sister in this way. May the Fourth Be with you Joely and Tricia Leigh Fisher".

As we reported, Carrie's only brother Todd Fisher -- son of late singer Eddie Fisher and Late actress Debbie Reynolds -- told us he was heartbroken he was intentionally omitted from attending the ceremony... adding he was the one who got the ball rolling for Carrie to get her star.

Todd says Disney told him Carrie's family was in charge of the final guest list, and they had filled all the 30 seats given ... adding he was told not to stress Billie Lourd over the whole ordeal.

Tori Bowie, a track and field athlete who won three Olympic medals for Team USA, is dead.

Tori was found deceased Tuesday in Florida, but the cause of death remains unclear.

Her management team released a statement Wednesday morning confirming the tragic news, saying they're "devastated" over her passing.

"We've lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister," the sports agency said. "Tori was a champion…a beacon of light that shined so bright! We're truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family and friends."

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, Tori won three medals ... including one gold as a member of the women's 4x100 meter relay team. Tori also earned a silver in the 100-meter dash, plus a bronze in the 200-meter dash.

Before her Team USA triumphs, Tori was a standout track star in college at the University of Southern Mississippi ... where she was a two-time NCAA long jump champion in both indoor and outdoor track.

The year after her three-medal performance at the Rio Olympics, Tori became the world's fastest woman ... winning the 100-meter dash at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London with a blistering time of 10.85 seconds.

In addition to her athletic success, Tori also modeled ... she was featured in a Valentino campaign and also posed for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue.

Tori was 32.

Stephen "tWitch" Boss' widow says some of her kids still don't understand their father is never coming home ... a question that gets asked a lot in the aftermath of death.

Allison Holker Boss sat down for a televised interview with "Today," in which Hoda Kotb got her to open up about how she and her family are coping with tWitch's passing ... which happened just before the holidays, when he took his own life.

As you can imagine, it's emotional ... but one of the more heartbreaking moments comes when Hoda asks her about the three children she shared with tWitch.

They had a 14-year-old, a 7-year-old and a 3-year-old ... Allison says at the younger ones, Maddox and Zaia, still can't comprehend their dad is gone forever -- asking their mom if he'll eventually come home.

Allison says the conversations she's had with them these past several months are something she doesn't wish on anybody.

She also talks about the stigma of mental health -- a hurdle tWitch was privately battling. She wishes he would've felt comfortable to share his struggles.

As we reported ... tWitch left a suicide note alluding to past challenges, but Allison now says there was no outward indication she saw to suggest he was struggling or considering suicide.

Eileen Saki, known for her work as bar owner Rosie on "M*A*S*H," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell TMZ Eileen passed away Monday in Los Angeles, following a battle with cancer.

Fans remember Eileen as Rosie on a handful of episodes of the Korean War-era sitcom -- she was the owner of the self-titled "Rosie's Bar," a local spot for G.I.'s to take a load off. Eileen took over as Rosie following 2 previous actresses.

Some might also remember Eileen as Dr. Fujimoto from 1984's "Splash" with Tom Hanks ... and also had roles in "CHiPs" and Mel Brooks' "History of the World: Part I."

Eileen's career spanned decades, as she most recently had an appearance a few months ago in an ad for Uber Eats, getting some help crossing the street from L.A. Rams' defensive tackle, Aaron Donald.

Eileen's survived by her husband, Bob Borgen.

She was 79.

Henry Ruggs has agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in his DUI case ... and now, he could spend the next decade of his life behind bars if a judge signs off on the agreement.

Ruggs and his attorneys revealed the details of the deal at a hearing in a Nevada courtroom on Tuesday morning ... explaining the former Raiders star receiver will plead guilty to one felony count of DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter stemming from the fatal car crash in Las Vegas that he was involved in back in November 2021.

In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors said they will drop the rest of the charges against the former NFL player.

As part of the agreement, Ruggs' attorneys also told the courtroom the 24-year-old would accept a sentence that included prison time of anywhere from 3 to 10 years.

Ruggs spoke briefly at the hearing, saying he agreed to all of the details of the outlined deal.

A judge is now expected to rule on the agreement at another hearing next week. If the judge does not agree to the stipulations, Ruggs' attorneys said the deal allows for his client to withdraw the guilty pleas and move forward with a trial.

"This is the first step toward a fair resolution to this matter," Ruggs' lawyers, David Z. Chesnoff and Richard A. Schonfeld, said following the hearing, "and we look forward to closure for all the parties involved."

As we reported, Ruggs was initially hit with four felonies and a misdemeanor in the case ... after prosecutors say he drunkenly slammed his Corvette into the back of Tina Tintor's Toyota Rav4, killing her and her dog.

According to prosecutors, Ruggs was traveling at 156 MPH just before the crash ... with a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit.

Ruggs, the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was cut by the Raiders immediately after the accident ... and hasn't played a down in the NFL since.

Gordon Lightfoot, a folk music and soft rock icon of the 1970s, is dead ... according to his publicist.

Gordon, best known for his hit, "If You Could Read My Mind," passed away Monday evening in Toronto, where he'd been hospitalized. His publicist, Victoria Lord, did not say why he was getting medical treatment or release a cause of death.

The folk singer and songwriter became a Canadian national treasure, but also scored big hits throughout the '70s on the U.S. Billboard charts -- like 'Read My Mind,' "Sundown" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

Lightfoot was a 4-time Grammy nominee, and he's been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as the Canadian Music HOF.

He had a rep for being a fitness nut and had remained active on the road ... touring the U.S. and Canada for years before the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to take a break.

In fact, he was still touring earlier this year, until an announcement just a few weeks ago that he was canceling all remaining dates due to an unannounced "health-related" issue.

He's survived by his 6 children and his wife Kim Hasse, to whom he's been married since 2014.

Gordon was 84.

The cause of death for D.H. Peligro, longtime drummer for the Dead Kennedys, is now confirmed to be an overdose of a particular combo of narcotics that's all too familiar these days.

According to the autopsy report obtained by TMZ ... DH, full name Darren Henley, died due to "combined effects of fentanyl and heroin." It says he also suffered from non-small cell lung cancer, but the medical examiner's pointing toward the combination of drugs as the official cause.

The report also mentions he had a history of drug and alcohol abuse.

As we reported, paramedics responded to D.H.'s home in the San Fernando Valley in October after his landlord discovered Henley in a bathroom. He was later pronounced dead on the scene.

His bandmates first said they thought he died after accidentally falling and hitting his head, although, at the time, our law enforcement sources told us it was more mysterious ... and the recent docs say he didn't have any traumatic injuries, such as a head wound.

Jared Leto has just made his arrival at the Met Gala, confusing many to his identity at first ... that is until he removed the giant cat head he was wearing.

Check out Jared's wild getup for this year's fashion Super Bowl, if you will -- a tribute to the life and work of Karl Lagerfeld.

What's unique about the actor's furry 'fit is it's more of an homage to Lagerfeld's beloved pet,  Choupette, than the man himself.

Of course, there was plenty of confusion between photographers when Jared first hit the carpet -- as no one could possibly tell who it was, but everyone got super excited once he made his big reveal.

Leto's is likely the most bizarre look we've seen so far ... though Doja Cat also dressed like a feline, but less furry and far easier to identify.

Jerry Springer was laid to rest in a private ceremony this weekend among family and friends, with plans in place for a public celebration of life in the near future ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the legendary talk show host -- who died last week after a battle with pancreatic cancer -- was buried Sunday in a suburb of Chicago. We're told there was a relatively small group of people in attendance for the ceremony.

We're told the burial also entailed a religious service -- which our sources say followed traditional Jewish customs.

It might sound like a modest send-off for the late, great Springer -- but our sources assure us his fans will get their own chance to say goodbye as well in the near future. We're told a tribute is being planned -- which, for now, is scheduled to go down on May 16 in Cincinnati.

Our sources tell us it'll be a free ticketed event open to the general public. Right now, organizers are planning how many people can attend -- for now, we're told they're anticipating letting around 500 people inside the venue.

As for what folks can expect during this upcoming ceremony ... our sources say it'll be a good overview of his life and legacy in and out of work -- which touched communities from all walks of life, from politics to entertainment and just about everything in between.

We're also told some famous faces are expected to roll through, but the list is still being worked on. Our sources say videos will be played, guest speakers will talk and music will be performed -- so it's gonna be a big deal. We're told the plan is to stream this as well.

While there'll, no doubt, be a celeb factor at the public service -- we're told the main focus here will be on normies being able to get in and bid Springer a proper farewell. Our sources say more details are forthcoming and that tickets are going to be made available soon.

Former UFC fighter Felipe Colares tragically died at 29 years old on Monday after he was hit by a bus in Brazil.

Colares -- aka "Cabocão" -- was struck in the streets of Guaratiba, a large neighborhood in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, according to Globo Esporte.

The Brazilian outlet reported Colares had just finished a training session when the accident occurred. The MMA fighter's teammate, Kleydson Rodrigues, confirmed the awful news to Sherdog reporter Christian Stein on Monday afternoon as well.

Colares began his professional MMA career in 2013 ... and dominated early, winning his first eight fights. He later debuted in the UFC in 2019 against Geraldo de Freitas Jr.

Colares fought for Dana White's fight promotion several more times ... until he was released in 2022.

Colares gained national fame back in January ... when he helped thwart a robbery in Brazil. He said he used his jiu-jitsu skills to corral the suspect ... before police arrived on the scene to take the man into custody.

Colares piled up an 11-4 record in his career ... and following his passing, ARES Fighting Championship -- where he last fought -- sent its condolences to his family and friends.