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Before he was Finn in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," John Boyega was just the suave dude repping the minority in a bunch of educational stock photos.

Boyega copped to taking the gig with Getty Images back in the day after someone shared them on his Twitter page. He says he used the money for a pair of Nike Air Force 1s and drama school ... so money well spent.

Everybody starts somewhere, kids.

Clay Aiken went on an incredibly bitchy tirade Wednesday night, zeroing in on "American Idol," the show that made him famous and gave him opportunities.

The second place, second season contestant went on a Twitter rant, starting with a high school-like diss ... "Watching @americanidol for the first time in a decade," suggesting he's been too busy.

He goes on ... "Well .... now I know why the ratings are down."

It didn't stop there ... Aiken mused, "Oh good Lord ... those boring ass responses from the judges? Where is Simon when you need him. That guy need a hook to pull him off stage."

And then there's this ... "I've watched root canals more entertaining than these judges."

And he ends this way ... "When your favorite team that you've cheered for years happens to play a s****y game, you're absolutely allowed to be upset by it." Interesting he's cheered, because he started by saying he hasn't bothered to watch the show in 10 years.

Gratitude ... it's not for everyone.

NFL vet Shaun Smith set off a firestorm when he tweeted a photo of his handgun along with what sounds like a thinly veiled threat to his haters, but he says everyone's got him wrong.

The ex-Bengals and Chiefs defensive lineman says he was going back and forth with fans on Twitter about KC's upcoming playoff game, when things got a little heated. He tells TMZ Sports, "Everyone was talking all this macho stuff."

Future is blasting his baby mama Ciara saying she's a "bitch" with control problems and she's preventing him from seeing their 1-year-old son.

Future's sounded off in a series of tweets ... one where he admitted that just to see his kid -- also named Future -- he has to go through lawyers despite the $15k he pays in child support.

Future says he's been silent for a year and half but that's all going to change because he's run out of patience and just wants his kid.

DJ Khaled just dropped a cool $3.8 mil on a waterfront mansion in Miami.

Miami producer Khaled turned 40 this year, and what better way to celebrate than to get yourself a 6,600 sq. ft. mansion with an ocean-facing pool and a 45-foot boat dock with a jet ski lift.

But Mr. DJ, does it have an elevator? Why yes, yes it does. It also has 7 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, and pretty much every breathtaking view of the water you could hope for.

Fresh off dropping an album in October and the opening of his 2nd Miami "FingaLicking" restaurant, Khaled is busy talking gratitude and never giving up on your dreams in his Tweets and Snapchats.

Police are warning Kylie Jenner to pull the reins in when it comes to posting pics on social media, because stalkers and others up to no good are using it as a road map to her doorstep.

Cops are especially concerned because one obsessed fan has tried to make his way into her home at least 10 times. He's under a psych hold now, but he'll be released soon, and police want Kylie to immediately get a restraining order.

But they're even more concerned that her social media posts show she's rich with expensive jewelry, fancy cars and other trappings of wealth. It's an invitation for burglars and home invasion robbers to make their way to her home.

What's more ... we're told Kris and other members of her family are on board, and very concerned Kylie is overdoing it and giving too much information about her surroundings away on social media.

What we don't know ... if Kylie will put her safety above social media.

Russell Crowe is an accomplished actor who is oblivious to one of the biggest safety stories circulating over the last week ... and apparently that's why he blasted Virgin Australia for putting the kibosh on his hoverboard holiday.

Russell was trying to board a Virgin jet with his kids when he was told hoverboards were banned. He seemed to get pissed off, tweeting, "Goodbye Virgin. Never again."

Virgin ... owned by Richard Branson, as big a celeb as Russell, fired back through his employees that it is well-documented in confirmation and check-in information that the boards are banned.

Maybe it's a mistake, or maybe it's intentional ... but Gwen Stefani has a new Twitter follower -- Miranda Lambert.

Maybe old feelings die hard, but Gwen's been tweeting a lot about Blake Shelton and places they go, and it seems Miranda's interested.

The twitter web is tangled for sure ... Gwen still follows Gavin Rossdale, Gavin follows Gwen, Miranda still follows Blake, and Blake follows Miranda.

Social media divorce is way harder than regular.

Linkin Park founder, Mike Shinoda, is scared an obsessed fan is out to get him ... and cops are enlisting the help of Twitter to track the woman down.

According to an LAPD search warrant, cops want Twitter to fork over all info connected to user @570YtdMoFPJayTp. Shinoda thinks the recon will lead police to Tabitha Boccarossa.

Cops say Boccarossa has a love obsession with Shinoda ... she believes she's the rock star's wife.

Boccarossa was arrested in 2013 for stalking Shinoda and his wife ... she then violated a protective order in the next year by sending him letters from prison.

According to the search warrant ... Shinoda began getting weird tweets in October, including, "Omg, my feet are gross and I want to cry." And there's this one ... "Have you ever not wondered what it was like to miss every emotion you have ever felt and been built from for 30 years?"

Stacey Dash made a trip to the police station this week, claiming someone is harassing her and even hacked her Twitter account.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Dash told cops the guy would get into her Twitter and post pictures and then delete them. She called them "vulgar attempts to garner followers."

Dash tells TMZ she has a message for all women ... "Do not be a victim," adding she's doing "what any woman should do if she's being harassed by a man in her life."

Blake Shelton is rubbing off on Gwen Stefani this holiday season.

Gwen wished everyone a Merry Xmas by posting a short video of her new man laying half a dozen kisses on her cheek.

Jennifer Lawrence's recent dig at Lindsay Lohan on the "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" has cost her at least one fan ... Lindsay's little sister.

J. Law admitted to Colbert last night ... she's been puking lately because her nonstop work ethic makes her suffer "Lindsay Lohan grade exhaustion, but without any drugs or alcohol."

Lindsay eventually caught wind of the situation and decided to take the high road quoting Maya Angelou -- but Ali Lohan was pissed and put Jennifer on notice.

We'd say that's one less 'Mockingjay' ticket sold, but the thing's already made a gazillion dollars.

Donald Trump is campaigning for somebody else for a change ... Pete Rose ... claiming it's time for the Hall of Fame to finally LET THE GUY IN!!!

After MLB commish Rob Manfred announced he would NOT overturn Rose's lifetime ban for gambling on baseball ... Trump went to Twitter to sound off in support of Charlie Hustle.

"Can't believe Major League Baseball just rejected @PeteRose_14 for the Hall of Fame. He's paid the price. So ridiculous - let him in!"

Floyd Mayweather is ANGRY that Chrissy Teigen would dare insult his decision to get a pet tiger -- and now he's lashing out at the supermodel over it.

After Mayweather revealed his new pet -- Teigen went to Twitter and wrote, "I'm okay with people having pet tigers because it increases their chances of being eaten by a tiger."

Well, Floyd no likey -- 'cause he just appeared on FightHype.com and fired off some not-so-subtle insults right back at her.

"John Legend's wife said something? I've never had anything negative to say about John Legend. I really don't even know what his wife does."

Ouch.

And then the worst insult a supermodel can get -- "I never seen John Legend's wife in my life. And if I did I probably just don't remember it."

Ouch again.

Saint West, the rapper, lost his Twitter handle the day after Saint West, the baby, was introduced to the world -- but Kanye West and Kim Kardashian aren't behind the power move ... we're told.

When Kim announced her baby’s name, Twitter users flocked to @SaintWest and were surprised to see a Canadian rapper owned the page ... for a few more hours, anyway.

Sources tell TMZ ... Twitter told the rapper via email his handle would be modified to @SaintWest___ -- not because Kim demanded it, but because his last tweet was in 2011!

Twitter policy states you must tweet at least once every 6 months to be considered active. We're told the sudden flood of interest in the name is how Twitter realized the rapping Saint West was asleep at the tweetin' wheel.

His old handle was snatched up quickly -- but NOT by the Kardashians, we're told. The new mystery owner's not dumb though ... he/she quickly followed Kim's account.

J.K. Rowling says her most evil character Lord Voldemort doesn't hold a candle to Donald Trump.

Responding to a BBC article about Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering America, Rowling took to Twitter to defend the evil Lord Voldemort. "How horrible. Voldemort was nowhere near as bad."

Rowling might have just created the next Dark Lord for another series.