TMZ Live

Even cancer couldn't drain Aretha Franklin's optimism ... and the Queen of Soul was looking forward to getting back on the mic, as late as last week ... so says the producer of her upcoming biopic.

Aretha was intimately involved in the pre-production of her biopic, spending hours with producer Harvey Mason Jr.

Harvey says Aretha has signed off on the perfect person to play her ... Jennifer Hudson, who has the pipes and the acting cred to pull off the role.

The movie centers around Aretha's journey to discover her true voice and who she wanted to be as an artist. The film doesn't have a release date and there are no plans to speed the production in the wake of Aretha's passing.

Who needs fighting lessons from Muhammad Ali when you've got martial arts legend Michael Jai White?

Michael -- an actor who owns 8 black belts -- wants to teach YOU to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. His instructional video is going viral, so we HAD to discover Michael's secrets to kicking ass and taking names.

We also wanted to know ... would Michael beat Wesley Snipes in a fight? Turns out, there's way too much brotherly love between them for a potential showdown.

Shiggy -- the dude behind the "In My Feelings" challenge -- says he never intended for the dance to start with people jumping outta moving cars ... and he wants the insanity to stop RIGHT NOW.

Shiggy tells TMZ ... Drake fans are putting themselves in real danger when they bust out the viral dance on the street and in real traffic. There have been TONS of videos posted of fans getting seriously injured while trying to put the steps together.

He points out ... the whole moving car thing was NOT his idea, and it's not at all something he's recommending fans do. Yes, he's seen some of your Shiggy #Fails ...

He does have some location suggestions for your next #ShiggyChallenge.

Watch the vid ... Shiggy also gives us his pick on the celeb nobody's topped yet. And, he's right.

Judge Jeanine Pirro says she does disagree with some of President Trump's tactics -- though she won't say which ones -- but adds his words don't matter as much as what he does.

The Judge was on TMZ Live to talk about her bestselling book, 'Liars, Leakers and Liberals.' It's no secret, she's been a constant and staunch defender of the Prez, but we asked if there's anything ... ANYTHING he's done that would make her break ranks ... even a little bit.

She admitted his infamous "grab 'em by the pussy" remark was an issue, but then got pretty heated when we asked about things he's said since entering the White House. For instance, calling American citizens "sons of bitches" for protesting before NFL games.

Judge Pirro thinks Americans don't care about his rants -- on Twitter or at rallies -- because she thinks he's made the country better in every imaginable way.