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Ashanti's in the middle of a full-fledged renaissance, which includes a new children's book and re-recording her self-titled debut album -- and it's clear she's not looking back when it comes to Irv Gotti or her old label.

We caught up with the R&B sensation in NYC, where she said laying down her album tracks -- including her #1 hit "Foolish" -- would be a sweat because she's been performing them nonstop since 2002.

However, when we asked about the possibility of her appearing in the upcoming "Murder Inc." docuseries, even her "momager" Tina Douglas had to LOL -- and so did Ashanti.

She's turned the page on that chapter of her career -- in fact, she told The Breakfast Club, she's unapologetically redoing the album simply to get better royalties than she did from her "Murder Inc." deal.

She even turned the album into an NFT to celebrate its 20th anniversary!

Not that Ashanti gives a crap, but her big biz moves aren't sitting well with Gotti ... who claims she's trying "f*** him" out of spite.

Deion Sanders' beef with Nick Saban is over ... well, at least that's the way it appears -- as the two coaches were spotted laughing together in a new commercial.

"Prime Time" posted a snippet alongside Saban in an Aflac commercial ... and judging from the looks of it, their issues over NIL deals in college football seem to be a thing of the past.

"We're in Los Angeles, California back on the Aflac set with the G.O.A.T.," Sanders said in reference to Saban.

"And the duck," Saban joked while smiling. Sanders responded with a playful jab of his own, saying, "I was talking about you. So, you calling me a duck?"

The war of words between the two Hall of Famers started after Saban accused Deion and Jackson State University of paying Travis Hunter -- a highly-recruited Division 1 prospect -- $1 million to play for JSU.

"I mean Jackson State paid a guy a million dollars last year that was a really good Division 1 player to come to school -- it was in the paper, and then bragged about it. Nobody did anything about it," Saban said at the time.

The former Cowboys legend promptly clapped back at arguably the greatest coach in college football history, saying, "We as a PEOPLE don't have to pay our PEOPLE to play with our PEOPLE."

Hunter seemed to deny that Coach Prime paid him a million dollars to play for the JSU Tigers ... essentially refuting the claims made by Saban.

Of course, Deion and Nick have shot commercials together in the past ... but there was reasonable concern about how their next shoot would go, given their seemingly contentious relationship as of late.

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello are selling their old digs in Beverly Hills for something bigger and better in the same area ... but first, they're looking to sell their current spectacular estate for close to $20 million.

The "America's Got Talent" judge and her hubby just put their 7-bedroom home, complete with a brand-spankin' new chef's kitchen on the market for $19.6 million ... a nice possible profit for the pair considering Sofia bought the place for $10.6 million in 2014.

Our real estate sources tell us Joe and Sofia put a bunch of money into renovating the home, which features over 11,000 sq ft of living space, and has soaring ceilings and hardwood floors throughout.

Not to mention, it's got a full-sized gym, pool with a spa, movie theater and even a wine room to store plenty of bottles.

As for their plan moving forward ... we're told the couple's been renovating a bigger home in the area for a couple years now that's almost at completion, so that'll be where they call home next.

A Formula 1 commentator has been suspended by his TV network indefinitely ... after he called driver Lance Stroll "the autistic" during a race broadcast over the weekend.

Lionel Froissart, a French journalist, made the remark during RTBF Sport's broadcast of the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.

As racecars were whizzing around the track, Froissart -- speaking in French -- called Stroll "the autistic," and when his broadcast partner condemned him for the words, he fired back, "Honestly, this is the truth."

The comments were immediately panned on social media ... and on Wednesday, RTBF Sport announced it has put Froissart on ice over it all.

"RTBF strongly condemns the words used on Sunday, July 10, on air by its consultant Lionel Froissart during the Austrian Grand Prix," network officials said in a statement to GP Fans.

"Associating autism with a driver’s way of communicating was misplaced and completely inconsistent with RTBF values. An internal investigation will be conducted, to hear all the involved persons. The goal is to understand in detail what could have led to this incident."

The network added, "Pending the results of this investigation, RTBF will no longer work with the consultant in question until further notice.”

Neither Froissart nor Stroll has appeared to comment publicly on the discipline yet.

Chris Rock's new relationship with actress Lake Bell is heading for new waters, quite literally ... the two are on a romantic trip overseas.

Chris and Lake were living it up in the town of Trogir in Croatia Tuesday ... holding hands as they walk along the boardwalk -- as massive yachts dock nearby. Unclear if the trip was for work, pleasure, or a combo of both ... but we're told the two were definitely enjoying each other's company.

We've seen the couple get pretty close as of late ... hitting up baseball games, getting dinner and even taking a nice romantic stroll on the beach.

We spoke with Chris' brother, Tony, at LAX this week, who jokingly told us he's happy his bro's love life is finally the talk of the town.

Q'orianka Kilcher has been charged with insurance fraud over what officials claim was improper collection of disability benefits over 2 years ... amounting to tens of thousands.

The actress -- who's appeared on 'Yellowstone' lately -- was slapped with 2 felony counts of workers' comp insurance fraud after an investigation by the California Department of Insurance.

The agency says Kilcher started making claims back in 2019, and allegedly raked in north of $90,000 in disability benefits.

According to CDOI -- Kilcher had reported a work-related neck and shoulder injury she allegedly suffered in October 2018 while filming 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold,' for which they say she sought treatment a few times that year ... only to stop and start back up again a year later, when she apparently told her doctor the pain had returned and she wasn't able to work due to the neck pain.

That turned out to be BS, at least according to the Dept., because it claims she actually had been working right before she told the doctor the pain was too severe to do her job -- filming 'Yellowstone' between July and October of 2019. According to records, she started getting benefits just 5 days after last working on the show.

Pete Davidson has a new endorsement deal under his belt, one which actually centers on said area.

The comedian's starring in a new promo for Manscaped -- a male grooming company that specializes in rather sensitive spots. The ad is pretty funny ... it's a bunch of outtakes showing PD giving his freestyled pitch, which definitely doesn't seem to be scripted.

Among some of the lines -- "Surprise your girlfriend!" ... "Let's show them how hairless we could be, boys" ... "Presentation matters. Don't make me get specific, because I will."

And of course, a very direct one ... "Shave your d***. Shave it, baby." He ends by saying he's got a hot date, and that he's been using Manscaped long enough that he figured it's time to start going into business together.

On top of the money he's getting as the new face -- among other parts, as he puts it -- for the next four years, Pete's also struck a deal with Manscaped to become an actual shareholder ... so he clearly sees value in the brand.

This is PD's 6th sponsorship, at least ... he has others with Smartwater, H&M, Hellmann's, Calvin Klein and Moose Knuckles, if not more.

Rob Riggle is dating as he goes through a nasty divorce with his estranged wife, and his new girlfriend isn't just a professional golfer ... she's a former contestant on his game show.

Rob is dating Kasia Kay ... they recently went Instagram official and are leaving "💗" emojis on their photos together, so it's pretty serious.

Kasia's IG feed is littered with tons of pics of her and Rob at golf courses, Hollywood events and NFL games and they look super happy.

Rob and Kasia had a working relationship before getting romantic ... she appeared as a contestant on season 2 of ABC's "Holey Moley," which Rob co-hosts with Joe Tessitore.

TMZ broke the story ... Rob's wife, Tiffany, filed for divorce in October 2020 and listed May 2, 2020, as the date of separation.

It's worth noting, Kasia's "Holey Moley" episode aired in July 2020 -- and a source close to Rob is telling us there was no overlap with his ex-wife.

Kasia posted her first IG pic with Rob in July 2021, a group selfie with RR, "The Office" star Brian Baumgartner and retired MLB star Chase Utley. We're told the relationship's only recently gotten more serious.

Rob's divorce turned ugly shortly when, as we first reported, he accused his ex of spying on him via hidden camera, hacking him and taking $28,000 of his cash. He's now suing Tiffany, in addition to the divorce.

'Top Chef' star Justin Sutherland is on the road to recovery after his freak boat accident over the 4th of July weekend ... but he's not out of the woods just yet.

A rep for Chef Justin tells us he was allowed to get some fresh air Monday outside the hospital in Minnesota where he's been getting treatment. We're told this really uplifted his spirits, mostly because he could see friends and family that had been restricted because of COVID protocols.

However, Tuesday will be another surgery day for Justin which will include substantial facial work. He'll also have to undergo dental work and additional surgeries in the future.

As for what happened ... The "Fast Foodies" host was piloting his boat over the holiday weekend when his hat blew off his head. As he went to grab it, he hit a big wave, knocking him overboard right near the propeller, gashing his head, face and arm.

"General Hospital" star Steve Burton is pulling the plug on his marriage after 23 years ... TMZ has learned.

Steve beelined it to court and filed docs to divorce his pregnant wife Sheree Gustin, who he has previously accused of having another man's baby.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Steve lists March 1 as the date of separation ... and he's citing the usual "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split.

As we reported ... Steve claimed in May that Sheree was having a baby, but the baby-to-be wasn't his.

Steve and Sheree tied the knot way back in January 1999 and they have 3 kids together ... including 2 minor children in 16-year-old Jack and 8-year-old Brooklyn.

Steve is seeking joint legal and physical custody of the kids.

Omarion's been a hot topic since his Verzuz battle with Mario -- where the other B2K members deemed "he got served" -- but now ya could say Omarion's hitting back with some docuseries tea.

The singer appeared Monday on "TMZ Live" and let us in on his secret to handling all the shots his ex-bandmates have been throwing -- not to mention all the drama from their infamous Millennium tour -- and he says it's all about staying "unbothered."

Omarion says his upcoming docuseries "OMEGA: The Gift & The Curse" will shine the spotlight on the truth of the band's nasty breakup, which came to a head when Lil Fizz began dating Apryl Jones, the ex-girlfriend and mother of Omarion's 2 kids.

Talk about must-see -- following his Verzuz, Omarion hopped on Instagram to thank Mario for the competition, but also fired back at the B2K crew, calling them little more than "backup dancers."

For their part ... Raz-B, J Boog and Lil Fizz ordered a side of extra petty with their responses. They unified to post a scene from the cult classic R&B flick "The Temptations" ... the one that depicts the lead singer looking like a sucker.

Fizz later followed with receipts proving there's no longer an "O" in B2K. At least legally, anyways.

Despite it all, Omarion says he doesn't hate his old crew, and revealed his inclusion in B2K has always been a point of contention -- having been the last member to join -- and he blames older music execs for pushing them to the breaking point.

Security guards for Selena Gomez are earning their keep, because some weird stuff's been going down at her house ... including a fan getting on her property early Sunday morning.

LAPD sources tell us officers arrested the guy as he tried to stroll away from her L.A. home, but Selena's security team had already caught him in the act. We're told the suspect jumped a fence around 1 AM, and security called cops.

The guy tried to flee, but we're told responding officers found him wandering around the neighborhood, and he said he just wanted to meet Selena.

That seems low-key compared to an incident a few weeks ago at the "Only Murders in the Building" star's house. Our sources say security also called cops when a man allegedly wrote Selena's name on a mattress, using what appeared to be blood ... and then lit the mattress on fire!

We're told her security says that guy didn't make it onto the property -- it all went down just outside her gate. Selena wasn't home during either incident, but still ... super creepy.

L.Q. Jones -- a versatile character actor whose career dates back to the 1950s -- has died.

His death was confirmed by his family, who says he passed of natural causes in the Hollywood Hills surrounded by loved ones ... this according to Variety.

Jones had over 160 acting credits to his name, with his first several coming in the year 1955 -- when he starred in military-inspired flicks like "An Annapolis Story," "Battle Cry" and "Target Zero." He also appeared in a few episodes of the western-themed TV show "Cheyenne."

From there, LQJ was on a roll ... with acting in a number of films and TV series like "Annie Oakley," "Gunsight Ridge," "Operation Mad Ball," "Buchanan Rides Alone," "The Naked and the Dead," "Jefferson Drum," "Men of Annapolis," "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin" and more.

Flip-flopping between war and westerns, Jones stayed busy in the '60s. Some of the more popular titles he was in ... "Lassie," "Klondike," "Laramie," "Perry Mason," "Route 66," "Wagon Train," "Rawhide," "The Virginian," "Gunsmoke" and "The Big Valley" ... just to name a few.

Other hit shows in which he had guest-starring roles included, "Hawaii Five-O," "Charlie's Angels," "Ironside," "Kung Fu," "CHiPs," "Columbo," "Cannon," "The Runaways," "The Dukes of Hazzard" and lots of others. He even starred in "The Incredible Hulk," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The A-Team," "Renegade," "The Yellow Rose" and more throughout the '80s/'90s.

He'll also probably be remembered for his work on "The Wild Bunch," "Major Dundee," "Ride the High Country" and "A Boy and His Dog" -- the latter of which he wrote and directed.

Jones also had a memorable scene in Martin Scorsese's "Casino." While the guy certainly had already carved out a name for himself before the turn of the century, millennials might actually recognize him as well thanks to a cult classic from the late '90s.

Indeed, Jones plays the Legendary Three-Fingered Jack in "The Mask of Zorro" -- where he had a scene-stealing moment in which he was shot and killed mid-air ... this after being ejected from a mineshaft cart and flying toward a group of bad guys with a pickax.

Jones was 94.

Britney Spears is again bemoaning the fact that she's been the subject of documentaries and TV specials of late -- saying she considers it grade-A bullying by Corporate America.

The pop star posted lengthy thoughts about this on Saturday, which she's addressed before. She writes, in part ... "I feel like America has done a wonderful job at humiliating me," going on to explain that when she was in the conservatorship ... she'd apparently be forced to walk to her car from the airport, on purpose, so that paps could get a ton of shots of her.

Britney's words here are a bit all over the place, but her gripe seems to be with old paparazzi photos -- some of which she thinks are unflattering -- being resurfaced in docs and specials that have aired in the past couple years ... including on Hulu, Netflix and CNN.

On the issue of so much coverage of her now, she adds ... "I've never felt more bullied in my life in this country it's insane ... and come on seriously is it honestly legal to do that many documentaries about someone without their blessing at all??!"

Then, Britney invokes some celebrity names as examples of people who never get this amount of press and analysis without their permission or participation -- including Will Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry.

She also says the idea these specials are "helping her" are misguided, suggesting that rehashing this ancient history is embarrassing. BS also appears to believe that most of these docs focus on what led to the conservatorship rather than what she went through while actually in it ... the reality of which she says was far worse than what's been depicted.

The weird thing ... the above-mentioned outlets seem to be the only ones with big docs/specials that have been done about Britney, and the last one came out in fall of last year -- so it's unclear why Brit's talking about this now and what might be triggering her.

What Britney also doesn't seem to understand is this ... her story isn't over, as she and her legal team are continuing to go after her dad, Jamie Spears, and seem dead set on holding him accountable for what they say he put her through during the conservatorship.

Plus, she hasn't done a proper sit-down with anyone yet ... so the intrigue isn't going away anytime soon, especially as she continues to make headlines with her personal life.

Of course, Britney might just be biding her time to fully tell her story in her own words ... probably until she can finish her tell-all book, which she reportedly struck a deal to write to the tune of at least $15 million. In light of that, we're sure she'll speak up eventually.

Jon Stewart would make a perfect Democratic presidential nominee in 2024 -- so says a publication knee-deep in political coverage ... but not everyone is so sure it's a good idea.

The one-time 'Daily Show' host was floated as someone who should seriously consider running for the highest office in the land, and as someone we should all consider as a viable contender -- this according to a Politico op-ed that's getting a lot of attention this weekend.

The piece is titled, "If Tucker Runs in 2024, Here's Who the Democrats Need." The article is supplemented by this Twitter caption ... "Joe Biden should run for president in 2024. But if he decides against it for whatever reason, Jon Stewart should run on the Democratic ticket instead. He's exactly the person they need."

The op-ed starts out with exactly that premise -- that JB oughta run, but a moment later ... they float the possibility he doesn't, and then deflect to Stewart as a good replacement.

The whole argument boils down to Jon being well-versed in politics -- even in a comedic setting -- and a great communicator, as we've seen on Capitol Hill and beyond. But, the centerpiece of this hypothetical is Fox News's Tucker Carlson ... who some think might run.

Neither one has gone on record as saying they're interested ... it's all just speculation and innuendo. But, if any of that materializes for one or the other, Politico seems to think these two would be a perfect matchup -- especially since they've faced off before ... a la "Crossfire."

As interesting as it might be to see Stewart throw his hat in the ring, many online are saying ... enough with celebs jumping in, and enough with trying to prop them up as options.

Many say that charisma alone isn't a good enough qualification for politics ... and that applies to both sides, with many pointing out what we just went through with 4 years of Donald Trump -- who, of course, was in showbiz for a long time before crossing over (and winning).

Interestingly enough, we asked Jon about the prospect of another celeb running for office ... and he didn't write it off, but didn't totally endorse it either. Time will tell if he dives in, or if this is yet another example of wishful thinking.

Oprah is mourning the death of her dad, Vernon Winfrey, who has passed away after battling cancer.

One of Vernon's longtime employees confirmed to TMZ that he died Friday night in East Nashville, TN. A local city councilman first broke the news to Nashville's WKRN.

In what now seems to be a prescient move, Oprah had just been in town last weekend to celebrate her father.

She surprised him by organizing a Vernon Winfrey appreciation day on July 4 ... giving the community a chance to thank Vernon for his service as a former city councilman and longtime local businessman.

As Oprah put it, "My father is ill, so we wanted to be able to have all of his friends come and celebrate him while he's able to receive the joy. So that's what we're doing."

Vernon was seated, appropriately, in a barber chair in the middle of the backyard barbecue ... as his friends and family celebrated him.

He had owned and operated Winfrey Barber & Beauty Shop for more than 50 years -- and was beloved by the community. One of his employees told us, "[Vernon] would give you the shirt off his back."

Vernon's daughter wasn't shy about how proud she was of him, and she's celebrated his accomplishments for a long time.

Back when she had her daily talk show, Oprah took her cameras back for a visit with her dad in his establishment.

Leading up to Monday's celebration, it was obvious how excited she was about planning the event.

Oprah said she was "getting back to my Nashville roots" as she posted several videos and photos with family members prepping for the BBQ.

You might recall ... her mother, Vernita Lee, passed away back in 2018 at the age of 83.

Speaking of her father earlier this week, Oprah said she wanted to make sure to give him his flowers while he was still here, and she couldn't have timed it any better.

Vernon was 88.

RIP