Sex

Federal agencies and Atlanta authorities are on high alert to crack down on human trafficking in the days leading up to the Super Bowl ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the FBI, ICE, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Fulton County Sheriff and other local authorities will be out in force in the 10 days leading up to the big game ... on the hunt for human traffickers and their victims.

The mission, we're told, is two-fold -- looking for traffickers who are bringing sex workers into ATL and traffickers who are preying on ATL residents. We're told law enforcement believes the majority of the victims who can be recruited are minors, both girls and boys.

We're told law enforcement will be coordinating raids and undercover stings -- along with normal patrols of areas known for sex trafficking -- in order to take down pimps and johns engaging in illegal activity.

Law enforcement will also enlist local media, businesses and schools to put the word out and report any suspicious activity online ... part of the "See Something, Send Something" initiative. We're told authorities will post

R. Kelly might take a financial hit as more of his hit songs get pulled from streaming services, but he's more concerned with filing a fat lawsuit against Lifetime over its docuseries ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the singer tell us he's not flipping out about people like Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and Ciara yanking their R. Kelly collabs. We're told his only reaction has been to dismiss those artists as "phonies" who are trying to salvage their own images on the heels of the "Surviving R. Kelly" allegations.

We're told he is freaking out about what he considers "lies" put forward in 'Surviving.' As we've reported, Kelly's lawyers fired off a cease and desist letter to Lifetime ahead of the six-part docuseries airing. Of course, Lifetime didn't blink and Kelly's now pressuring his attorneys to follow through with the legal threat.

We're told he has daily meetings with lawyers where they not only discuss the content of 'Surviving' ... but also attempt to dig up dirt on Lifetime execs. The way one source describes it, Kelly seems crazed about getting revenge, and will leave no stone unturned until he gets it.

So far, though, no lawsuit ... while Kelly keeps taking shots.

We broke the story ... his label, RCA/Sony, has pulled all financial backing for new projects -- and prosecutors in 2 cities are actively seeking potential witnesses and victims to bring charges against him.

The Pussycat Dolls are working on kicking R. Kelly to the curb ... digitally, and financially, speaking.

Our sources say the group's label, Interscope, is currently working behind the scenes to get the song "Out Of This Club" featuring R. Kelly removed from all streaming services.

The song -- produced by Kelly -- was released in 2008 to mixed reviews. One music critic referred to the track as a "standard sex you up fare (you wouldn't expect anything less from Kelly, would you?)"

In any event ... the move comes on the heels of Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and Chance The Rapper jumping on board the #MuteRKelly movement after Lifetime aired the docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly."

As we reported ... Gaga apologized and said she stands in solidarity with the women Kelly allegedly abused. It didn't take long for Celine to follow suit.

DJ Paul says R. Kelly will continue being a musical legend despite what happens with the fallout from Lifetime's docuseries -- even if the guy gets charged and convicted.

We got the Three 6 Mafia rapper Sunday at LAX, where he agreed with French Montana that R. Kelly should be allowed to enjoy his legacy ... despite allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse.

Paul takes it one step further, saying R. Kelly's personal life is separate from his music. He says Robert Kelly is totally distinguishable from R. Kelly.

The MC seems to be well aware of what Kelly has been accused of, but even so ... he insists R. Kelly's music will live on forever no matter what comes from all this.

R. Kelly knew good and well that his one-time protege (and future wife) Aaliyah was a 14-year-old child the same year he married her -- which debunks a claim put forth by his lawyer that the singer was oblivious to her being a minor.

An old video of a documentary about R. Kelly from 1994 has resurfaced online and in this section ... Kelly clearly acknowledges Aaliyah's age (apparently, 14 at the time this was shot) as she records a song in the studio, with him serving as producer.

In the YouTube clip, you hear Kelly say clear as day ... "Right now I'm producing a very talented lady -- a young lady. She's 14, Aaliyah. She's real street."

Kelly went on to marry Aaliyah that same year, which reportedly got annulled shortly after. Despite this evidence of Kelly clearly being aware of Aaliyah's age, the singer's new attorney, Steve Greenberg, insisted to ABC News last week that his client was unaware of her being 15.

He says she must've lied about her age to legally marry Kelly, and that Kelly had "no idea."

R. Kelly hasn't said much about his marriage to Aaliyah or her age, but he told GQ in 2016, "I can tell you I loved her, I can tell you she loved me, we was very close. We were, you know, best best best best friends."

Kelly and Aaliyah appeared together for a BET interview in 1994, where they denied they were in a romantic relationship ... and played coy about her age, calling it a "secret."

In light of this new video, Greenberg tells us ... he misspoke during the ABC interview, and probably shouldn't have put words in R. Kelly's mouth, as he says he never spoke to Kelly about Aaliyah specifically.

"Love & Hip Hop Miami" star Amara La Negra tried to compose herself before addressing allegations against R. Kelly ... and then she ferociously unleashed.

The up-and-coming musical artist was leaving iHeartRadio in Atlanta Friday when we asked about the drumbeat to prosecute Kelly in the wake of Lifetime's docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly."

Amara scoffs, saying there was plenty of proof to lock Kelly up years ago ... when he was accused of making a sex tape with an underage girl. Kelly was acquitted of the child pornography charges in 2008, but clearly ... Amara thinks there was more than enough smoke.

Mystikal is THIS close to getting the money he needs to post bail and get out of prison while he waits for his rape case trial to begin ... thanks to friends and a record deal.

You may recall the rapper was booked in 2017 for first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping after he turned himself in following a Louisiana woman who came forward.

He's been behind bars ever since (almost a year and a half), but people around him have recently rallied and he could be set free soon, pending his trial in May.

Mystikal's attorney, Joel Pearce, tells TMZ ... his client's friends and family have been raising money to help post the $3 million bail. But, what really helped is a new music deal.

Tim Yazbeck, another attorney for the rapper, tells TMZ ... Mystikal has a new record deal for 3 unreleased albums and he's hoping to get an advance within days.

Jada Pinkett Smith, along with her daughter Willow and mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones, had a heart-to-heart with one of R. Kelly's alleged victims ... and things got very emotional.

Jada had Lisa Van Allen on the latest addition of her Facebook series, "Red Table Talk," to talk about her history with the singer ... who, as you know, is surrounded by controversy and allegations of sexual abuse and child pornography in the wake of Lifetime's docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly."

Lisa says she feels like a weight's been lifted from her now that she's able to open up, and she shed some light on how her life became intertwined with Kelly's. Her claims are disturbing.

She explains that her rough childhood and other difficulties led her to connect with Kelly and view him as her "knight in shining armor," which is why she overlooked his abuse and other suspicions for years.

The ladies described it as his way of luring her in, and Van Allen also gives a troubling account of how controlling he was.

Earlier in the show, both Jada and Willow also opened up about how they had heard the rumors about Kelly and had their own suspicions.

Jada even said she feels complicit for ignoring the allegations against Kelly, and brought up how as recently as September, she and Will used Kelly's famous track, "I Believe I Can Fly," for a video of Will bungee jumping.

R. Kelly came face-to-face with cops in Chicago after an anonymous caller claimed the singer was holding two women hostage.

The Cook County State Attorney's Office got a tip Friday that Kelly was at his Trump Tower residence with the women ... and he was holding them against their will. We're told cops raced to the property and made contact with R. Kelly and the women.

Our sources say 5 officers came to the home and ordered Kelly into the other room while they questioned the women. According to Chicago PD, both women said they were at the residence voluntarily and nothing untoward was going on. Police then left without incident.

We're told the 2 women were Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary, both of whom have maintained they were with R. Kelly voluntarily, despite their parents' strong claims they were the victims of brainwashing.

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to a Chicago club Thursday morning after a tip was called in that Kelly was at the club partying and there was a warrant out for his arrest. Officers spoke with Kelly -- determined there was no warrant -- and let the singer continue to party.

Even R. Kelly's longtime friends are turning on him, like hip-hop icon Grandmaster Flash, who says you won't hear him play a single Kelly hit song from now on.

We got Flash Thursday at LAX and asked him if DJs, in general, should join the #MuteRKelly movement. Little did we know that Kelly and Flash are pals. The Bronx legend told us, "I've been knowing him for a very long time."

Still, he didn't hesitate to say, "I can't play his music." Now, the question Flash really wrestled with was ... what happens the next time he sees his "friend?"

Despite his stance on Kelly's music, Flash says he wouldn't turn his back on him, personally. He has some thoughts on what kinda help Kelly needs.

Now, taking a photo with Kelly??? Grandmaster Flash says that's a different story.

R. Kelly might have been creepy when Destiny's Child recorded with him in 1998, but Beyonce's dad says no one in the music biz cared about his personal life, because he was killing it professionally.

Mathew Knowles tells TMZ ... every artist back then was judged by their talent and NOT their personal misdeeds. In Kelly's case, that meant giving him a pass for reportedly marrying 15-year-old Aaliyah in 1994 ... and settling a lawsuit with a woman claiming he had underage sex with her.

Mathew says creative genius trumped all back then.

If you didn't know ... Destiny's Child -- Bey, Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson at the time -- recorded a song with Kelly, but it never made the final cut for a DC album. Bey was 17 at the time, and Mathew makes it clear ... he and Tina Knowles never lost sight of the girls during the session.

Despite the #MeToo era, Mathew thinks the music industry hasn't made much progress when it comes to artists working with dubious characters -- because, for many, it's still just business.

Colton Underwood is carrying himself like a man who just released a huge weight from his shoulders -- or maybe from somewhere else -- because he says the conversation surrounding his virginity will soon shift.

We got the 'Bachelor' star Wednesday at LAX, and you gotta see his reaction when our camera guy asks if he's fed up with the endless virgin talk surrounding him. Safe to say Colton is an expert in being coy.

It's easy to see why Colton might be tired of getting his sexual purity constantly shoved in his face ... as you know, the virgin jokes quickly became a tired gag during this week's season premiere.

Check out the clip ... Colton doesn't explicitly tell us he's finally swiped his v-card, but you gotta hear his explanation for the spring in his step.

Kinda makes ya wonder, doesn't it?

Lady Gaga's sorry she ever worked with R. Kelly, saying she's going to pull their 2013 track from iTunes and other streaming services as an act of solidarity with the women he allegedly abused.

Gaga spoke out against Kelly early Thursday morn, saying the claims against him are "absolutely horrifying and indefensible" ... and she stands behind the women 1000%.

She says her single with Kelly, called "Do What U Want (With My Body)," came at a dark time in her life -- when her thinking was "explicitly twisted" because she was dealing with the trauma of being a sexual assault survivor herself.

Lady Gaga says she's grown and gotten help since then, and vows going forward to "continue to support women, men and people of all sexual identities, and of all races, who are victims of sexual assault."

She plans to remove the 2013 collab with Kelly online and adds ... "I'm sorry, both for my poor judgment when I was young, and for not speaking out sooner." Interestingly, since posting her plan to pull the track, it's been purchased and streamed way more. Seems like people are getting their last licks.

As you know ... Gaga's statement comes on the heels of major controversy involving Lifetime's docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly," in which he's accused of sexual abuse, pedophilia and predatory behavior.

She'd been mum on the subject until now and taken some heat for it ... especially since she's very much in the public eye right now with all the awards season buzz for "A Star is Born."

1:22 PM PT -- Ronaldo's attorney, Peter S. Christiansen, tells TMZ Sports, "Mr. Ronaldo has always maintained, as he does today, that what occurred in Las Vegas in 2009 was consensual in nature, so it is not surprising that DNA would be present, nor that the police would make this very standard request as part of their investigation."

Cristiano Ronaldo has been asked to submit a DNA sample as part of the police investigation into his Las Vegas rape case ... and we're told he plans on cooperating 100%.

As we previously reported, the Las Vegas Metro PD has reopened the investigation into claims made by Kathryn Mayorga ... that CR7 sexually assaulted her in his hotel room back in 2009.

Mayorga went to cops back in '09 but didn't identify Ronaldo by name out of fear of retaliation.

Just a few months ago, Mayorga filed a new lawsuit against the soccer star saying Ronaldo and his team of "fixers" coerced her into signing a settlement at the time -- and paid her $375k in exchange for her silence.

When that lawsuit went public, cops said they would reopen the case now that they had the name of the alleged assailant and, as part of the renewed investigation, they went to Ronaldo within the last week and asked for a DNA sample as part of standard sexual assault investigation protocol.

Our Ronaldo sources tell us the 33-year-old continues to deny all wrongdoing and plans on cooperating with investigators to prove his innocence.

Harvey Weinstein just won a big victory ... a court just dismissed Ashley Judd's sexual harassment claims against him.

Ashley claimed Weinstein shut her out of "Lord of the Rings" after she turned down his sexual demands. She says he blacklisted her from movie roles, including Peter Jackson's enormous franchise as retaliation. She sued under the legal theory ... "sexual harassment in professional relationship."

A federal judge just ruled Judd and Weinstein did not have a relationship that fell within the law. Specifically, the judge said a producer/actress relationship was not covered under the law.

But, there's more. The law was changed in 2018 to cover such relationships, but the judge said it could not be applied retroactively.

12:16 PM PT -- We've learned the alleged victim says the incident occurred in New York City and she will personally fly from Texas to Manhattan "in the near future" to file a fresh police report.

The alleged victim's lawyer, Lydia Agu, tells us before she began representing her, the alleged victim was advised to file a police report in the state where she lived. Although Dallas PD tells us they closed the case because there was "no criminal element," Agu says this is purely a jurisdictional issue because the alleged crime took place in NYC.

Agu says her client will fly to NYC and file with the NYPD's Special Victims Unit. Agu filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of her client -- against R. Kelly -- in May.

R. Kelly will not be charged for allegedly giving a woman an STD after cops in Dallas closed their investigation ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Dallas PD looked into allegations the singer gave an anonymous young woman an STD after allegedly holding her captive as a sex slave in 2017. We're told no charges will be brought against Kelly in connection to the case .. although, it's unclear why they reached that conclusion.

As we reported, the woman filed a police report in 2018 claiming she'd met Kelly in Dallas the year before. She claimed he restrained her, plied her with alcohol and drugs ... and gave her an unspecified STD.

Her attorney, Lee Merritt, had said the woman planned to file a civil suit against Kelly as well.

Kelly, meanwhile, is currently being investigated by the Fulton County District Attorney's Office in GA -- and the State Attorney in Chicago has made a plea for any witnesses or victims to come forward.

We've reached out to Merritt for comment ... so far, no word back.