Michael Bay Charged with Killing Pigeon On Italian Set ... Says It Didn't Happen!!!

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Filmmaker Michael Bay is now charged with killing a pigeon while directing a film in Italy ... but he's firing back, denying it ever happened under his watch.

The blockbuster director was hit with charges relating to the bird's death, which allegedly happened back in 2018 on the set of the Netflix flick “6 Underground."

However, sources connected to the production tell TMZ ... all the homing pigeons used in the film landed safely during filming.

One source told us, "Everyone knows Michael is an animal activist. This would never happen on his set. There are dozens of witnesses who said that this didn’t happen."

Italian officials say otherwise -- prosecutors claim the pigeon was killed by a dolly while Michael was filming in Rome ... where it is illegal to harm or kill wild birds.

Authorities say someone from the set saw the whole thing, and took a photo before reporting it to law enforcement.

The allegation isn't that Michael himself harmed the bird, but because he was the director ... he's being held responsible for the incident. Michael reportedly tried to get the case thrown out several times, but prosecutors persisted.

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NO FOWL PLAY

According to The Wrap, who broke the story, Michael was given the option to pay a small fine to settle the entire case, but he declined, saying he simply wouldn't plead guilty to harming an animal.

DDG I'm Standing with Gunna ... 6ix9ine Got Me All Wrong!!!

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WHO I AM

Gunna has at least one rap friend still in his corner amid allegations he rolled on Young Thug ... and that's his "Elon Musk" song partner DDG, who says he's not switching up on his collaborator.

Tekashi 6ix9ine has been on the warpath about artists who, in his eyes, didn't keep the same "snitch" energy for Gunna as they did for him. He called out DDG to Akademiks for not dropping a "🐐" emoji on his IG page like he did for Gunna.

Akademiks eventually got DDG to respond, and the "Moonwalking in Calabasas" rapper explained he's not down with the so-called street code ... or showing fake love for peers.

He admitted he and Gunna weren't exactly BFFs, but didn't feel he'd been keeping it buck if he abandoned him over public hearsay -- aka the rumors Gunna snitched.

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DDG also rejected 6ix9ine's claim he was playing favorites ... he said he simply never had a relationship with Tekashi. He says if they were cool, he wouldn't have switched up on him either during his trial and subsequent cooperation with the feds.

Gunna's return to Instagram this week was met with mixed reviews -- including those from his own YSL camp.

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Lil Gotit (and his mother) recently put a moratorium on folks posting about his late bro Lil Keed -- as Gunna did, which drew an angry response from Gotit.

For his part, though, DDG clearly wants to keep the music going with Gunna.

Ray J to Tyrese Stop Giving Eddie Murphy Advice ... Before YOU Catch a Slap!!!

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Ray J is coming to the defense of Eddie Murphy -- whether or not he needs it -- by warning Tyrese to shut up about Eddie's Golden Globes joke referencing the Will Smith slap.

An incensed Ray J hit the comment section Thursday on The Jasmine Brand to voice his disapproval of Tyrese's sentiment that everyone, including EM, should stop bringing up Will's infamous slap of Chris Rock at last year's Oscars.

As Ray sees it ... Tyrese is in no position to give Eddie advice, seeing as how his resume doesn't have any classics to measure up to "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Coming to America."

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He also seems to think Will isn't above an encore performance, suggesting he might have to unload on Tyrese to get him in line.

It's clear there's bad blood between them, because Ray added, "You know how i feel about you and your antics.!"

We're not sure where Tyrese's sense of humor went -- Eddie all but brought the house down with his joke. It might be a little old, but it was brilliantly delivered.

Back when the slap was still fresh, Ray J tried to coordinate a $100M boxing match between Will and Chris. Pretty obvious the new fight card should be Ray and Tyrese!!!

Foxy Brown Keith Murray's Sex Claims Giving Crackhead Vibes

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Foxy Brown is defending her honor -- just like Shawnna -- against Keith Murray's recent rampage, and she's under the impression the Def Squad rapper's had one too many illicit substances.

The veteran Brooklyn-born rapper dragged KM for filth on her IG page late Wednesday night ... calling him all sorts of "crackheads" and "dope fiends" for his remarks.

She noted how KM's attire alone should've tipped viewers off to his erratic behavior.

KM claimed -- during an interview with "The Art Of Dialogue" -- to have received mind-blowing oral sex from Foxy back in the day while she was dating DMX ... and it's this very type of dialogue that has been getting him in constant trouble!!!

Ludacris' former label standout Shawnna also laid into KM with claims of drug abuse following another nonsensical interview where he made claims of sexual conquests where she's concerned.

KM's last album arrived nearly 4 years ago. Maybe he's trying to generate some buzz, but the ladies are NOT here for his freaky tales!!!

Odell Beckham Jr. Blasts Critics After Plane Vid Surfaces ... 'Enjoy The 🧀 Board!!!'

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Odell Beckham Jr. still ain't apologizing for his role in clearing out a plane back in November -- in fact, he's now blasting people who are criticizing him for the way he conducted himself ... even throwing out his famous cheese board diss again!!

OBJ fired off a series of tweets railing on his detractors on Thursday ... just one day after police released video which showed the actions that led up to him being booted off an American Airlines flight in Miami back on Nov. 27.

Odell spoke in vague terms in the social media posts ... but his message to his haters was clear -- get off my back about the incident.

"Can't address everything in this world, it's exhausting," Beckham wrote. "Errbody got an opinion on situations they weren't involved in. All u can do is kno who u truly are. Purell only kills 99.9% of germs…there's always gon be a lil left over."

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FROM INSIDE THE PLANE

He continued, "The one thing that no matter how much I've grown is still the hardest thing for me to do. Is let someone play wit my name. Period. For those tht kno me kno me, u kno exactly how I am. I really be koolin. But…..if u press that button and bring a certain energy. Do NOT be surprised when u get that same energy back."

"I kno who I am. Period. All the rest and opinions really don't matter to me."

Odell then capped off his rant by writing, "Have a blessed day and enjoy the [cheese] board!"

Of course, the charcuterie-themed line was the same barb he used on the plane ... when police video showed he got into an argument with a man who had been annoyed that officials were clearing out the ride to get Beckham off of it.

The footage showed Beckham called the guy "fat" -- before telling him, "Enjoy the cheese board on the way home with your ugly ass."

People have said Beckham acted unruly -- and seemed to be a jerk ... opinions OBJ now very obviously takes umbrage with.

Quentin Miller Calls Out Big Sean ... How You Ghostin' a Ghostwriter???

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Quentin Miller says he's utterly disappointed in Big Sean's behavior when it comes time to pass out songwriting credits, because he claims Sean Don went MIA on him.

QM says he and Sean first met through Drake circa 2014 while working on their classic duet, "Blessings." He says Sean was impressed with his input, and recruited Quentin to work on "What You Expect" -- Sean's 2021 joint EP with Hit-Boy.

Things started out smooth ... Quentin says he and Sean got close and frequently bounced ideas off each other. When he noticed "Blessings" had won a BET Award, he figured it spelled prosperity for their future collabs.

But then, 2 weeks before the EP release ... QM says Sean stopped responding to texts, and all future communication went through Sean's management.

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To make matters worst, QM claims it took 3 months to get his name on the credits and proper publishing once it was officially released -- without his paperwork being signed.

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In hindsight, he says he would’ve asked for cash up-front if he knew it was gonna be a ghostwriter situation, but he thought it was gonna be a legit deal.

We reached out to Big Sean's team to get his side of the studio drama … but haven't heard back yet!!!

Heat's Dewayne Dedmon Suspended 1 Game ... Over Massage Gun Throw

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UPDATE

5:45 AM PT -- 1/12 -- The Heat didn't take long to punish their center for the massage gun toss ... announcing Wednesday evening Dewayne Dedmon has been suspended one game over the incident.

UPDATE

The 33-year-old will miss Thursday night's game against Milwaukee while serving the ban.

Miami Heat center Dewayne Dedmon got the boot from a game on Tuesday night ... and it's all 'cause he launched a massage therapy gun onto the court in a fit of rage.

For real.

The bizarre incident happened in the second quarter of the Heat vs. Thunder tilt at FTX Arena ... when Dedmon threw a bit of a temper tantrum following an impassioned argument with head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Video from the game's broadcast shows as Dedmon was walking away furious over the war of words with Spo, he reached down, grabbed a massage therapy device -- and hurled it over fans' heads and near players who were standing by the 3-point line.

Thankfully, no one was hit by the heavyish object ... but everyone on the hardwood was stunned by the incident nonetheless. Refs immediately ejected the 33-year-old over the act.

It's unclear what prompted the explosion from Dedmon -- Spoelstra only said after the game, "We're all a bunch of gnarly personalities ... That part was unacceptable."

It's expected the NBA will hand down further punishment on Dedmon later this month.

Despite the scene, the shorthanded Heat -- who were missing multiple players even before Dedmon's ejection -- somehow pulled off the win over the Thunder, 112-111.

Originally Published -- 1/11 6:08 AM PT

J Prince My Fam Didn't Disrespect Takeoff ... Stayed Loyal to the End!!!

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J Prince is coming to his family's defense following Takeoff's murder ... as his son J Prince Jr. has the center of controversy and conspiracy theories since the dreadful November 1 shooting.

The Rap-A-Lot Records founder was a guest on Chris Gotti's 'Givin Them The Business' podcast where he spoke to the rumors Prince Jr. was cold and heartless for walking past Takeoff's lifeless body immediately after the shooting.

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J Prince points out the clip the internet witnessed was only a few seconds throughout the entire day Prince Jr., and their cousin Mike, had spent with Takeoff. He also said Prince Jr. was frazzled from having to go to a bathroom to wash Takeoff's blood off his hands.

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CALLING FOR HELP

Prince Jr. had allegedly reached behind Takeoff's head in an attempt to administer aid, but the Migos rapper died at the scene at the age of 28.

J Prince's statements will likely provide some clarity to social media users, but naysayers should know Houston Police don't consider anyone else a suspect except Patrick Xavier Clark, the man they arrested and charged for Takeoff's murder.

Clark posted $1 million bond on January 4 and is under very strict court conditions in order to stay out of jail until trial time.

Whitney Houston Golden Globes Death Joke Was 'In Poor Taste' ... Says Singer's Estate

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This year's Golden Globes host, Jerrod Carmichael, garnered gasps when he mentioned Whitney Houston's death during the show -- something the estate was equally shocked by.

Pat Houston -- Whitney's longtime manager and sister-in-law -- tells TMZ through a rep ... "The Whitney Houston Estate is disappointed in the joke, and felt it was in poor taste." Pat is the sole executor of the estate, BTW ... so she controls all things Whitney-related.

As for whether Carmichael's joke was alerted to anyone connected to Whitney prior to Tuesday's broadcast -- sources with direct knowledge tell us nobody was given a heads-up.

It's unclear if anyone at NBC knew JC was going to mention Whitney during his hosting gig -- in the moment, his remark seemed off the cuff ... and it very well may have been.

In case you missed it ... after the Globes came back from commercial break at one point, Carmichael said he had been asked to shout out the venue, after which he quipped ... "So, we are here, live, from the hotel that killed Whitney Houston, the Beverly Hilton."

Of course, he's referring to the fact Whitney overdosed in one of the hotel rooms back in 2012. Some folks laughed, but a lot more seemed taken aback and others even groaned.

It was just one of the controversial moments from Jerrod -- another came when he mentioned Shelly Miscavige ... a high-ranking Scientologist who's been out of public view for years.

Miami Heat's FTX Arena Naming-Rights Deal Scrapped ... Amid Fraud Allegations

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FTX Arena is no more -- the Miami Heat's home will be scrubbed of the failed cryptocurrency exchange's branding immediately, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Sam Bankman-Fried's company bought the naming rights to the facility -- formerly known as American Airlines Arena -- in 2021 for $135 million ... but as the exchange faces serious allegations of fraud and mishandling customer funds, the Heat and Miami-Dade County made it clear a change was necessary.

Of course, FTX -- which was one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world -- filed for bankruptcy in November ... and SBF has since been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and more.

According to the Miami Herald, a federal bankruptcy judge terminated the agreement between the county and FTX as the investigation continues ... bringing the deal to a screeching halt ASAP.

In fact, the order states any signage displaying the FTX name will be removed immediately.

The move was mutual, according to the report, as FTX's new leadership also wanted to cancel the naming-rights deal.

It was a short run for FTX Arena ... but the move was all but inevitable.

'House of the Dragon' Milly Alcock Has Tipsy Giggle Fit Over Golden Globes Win & Twitter Loves It!!!

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"House of the Dragon" star Milly Alcock takes the trophy at this year's Golden Globes ... not just for her TV show, but also for being the celeb having the most drunken fun onstage!!!

HBO's "Game of Thrones" prequel series took home the award for Best Television Series - Drama Tuesday night ... but as executive producer Miguel Sapochnik delivered his speech, most people's eyes were locked on Milly barely holding it together in the background.

You can see her giggling nonstop, having to hold on to costar Emma D'Arcy ... and giving some pretty wild expressions throughout Miguel's speech.

Twitter had a field day with Milly, with many calling her apparently boozy night "so funny."

Another spot-on description -- "When you don’t expect to win so you get drunk but you actually win and have to get on stage."

For those unaware, Milly plays the young version of Rhaenyra Targaryen in the series, and Emma takes over as the older version of the character after a time jump.

If Milly had been overserved last night ... good for her!!! The Globes have always been known as the Hollywood award show where celebs openly booze it up through the night -- and after a year in time-out (due to a lack of diversity at the Hollywood Foreign Press) -- it needed to come back with a bang.

Milly and Jennifer Coolidge -- who made a profanity-laced, hilarious acceptance speech -- definitely delivered some 🔥 moments!!!

Stephanie McMahon Resigns From WWE Days After Vince's Return

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Stephanie McMahon is resigning from her role as Co-CEO of the WWE ... just days after her father, Vince, made his return to the company's board of directors.

The 46-year-old made the shocking announcement just minutes ago ... releasing a lengthy statement on her decision to walk away.

"About 8 months ago, I took a leave of absence and within a few weeks, unexpectedly had the opportunity of a lifetime," McMahon said. "I had the privilege to return as the Co-CEO and Chairwoman of the Board of WWE."

Steph took over for her dad in July 2022 ... after he resigned amid an investigation into alleged misconduct. Vince was accused of using WWE funds to pay female employees  "hush money" after having sexual relationships with them.

"I cannot put into words how proud I am to have led what I consider to be the greatest company in the world, working alongside a remarkable leadership team and one of the strongest executives I have known in my Co-CEO, Nick Khan," McMahon added.

As we previously reported, Vince appointed himself back on the board on Friday with the intention to help negotiate WWE's impending TV deal ... and explore a potential sale of the company.

Stephanie says her dad is taking the lead during an "exciting" time for the company as it explores strategic alternatives ... and with Khan and Triple H on board, she believes WWE is in a great spot to keep pumping out great content and increase value for shareholders.

"WWE is in such a strong position, that I have decided to return to my leave and take it one step further with my official resignation," McMahon said ... adding she will continue to support the company -- just as she did when she was a little girl -- and will "remain dedicated to WWE."

"I truly love our company, our employees, our Superstars, and our fans," she added. "And I am grateful to all of our partners. Thank you for everything. Then. Now. Forever. Together."

Khan will now serve as sole CEO of the company.

Singer Malu Trevejo Devastated By Abuse Claims In New Suit ... Will Defend Herself

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Singer Malu Trevejo is devastated by allegations she was abusive to people who used to work for her ... and she's planning to fight a lawsuit recently filed against her.

Here's the deal ... Malu is being sued in Florida by four people who say they used to work for her. The suit alleges Malu inflicted emotional, mental and verbal abuse on some of her former staffers ... and they're going after her for at least $4 million.

Malu's attorney, Jason Ziven, tells TMZ ... "Ms. Trevejo is aware of the false allegations in the lawsuit and looks forward to defending herself against these baseless claims."

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, folks who say they used to work for Malu claim she would use the r-word and berate them with racial slurs, often hurling obscenities their way too, if they didn't respond to her texts and calls as quickly as she wanted.

One source close to Malu tells TMZ … she's devastated by these allegations and Malu would never hurt anyone in this way.

We're told she will be working with her team to defend herself.

California Storm Target Using Makeshift Drains ... After Dozens Of Roof Leaks

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The west coast is still gettin' hit HARD with flash floods ... and one Target store's roof isn't holding up well -- based on the look of dozens of leaks caught throughout the store!

Video obtained by TMZ shows the makeshift response to a seriously leaky roof at the big-box store location in Irvine, CA Monday night. Employees appear to have set up tons of strategically-placed plastic bags that take water directly into buckets below.

It's a pretty crazy sight to see ... especially as you notice just how big the store is, and the bags just keep goin' and goin'.

As we reported, this new year weather is no joke -- Montecito locals, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Oprah, and Ellen DeGeneres, were ordered to evacuate after being hit with a TON of rainfall.

Cleanup on aisle everywhere.

Logan Paul Thanks Rescue Org For Taking In Pig He Once Owned

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Logan Paul's former pig is now being cared for by the famous, Gentle Barn ... and he's thanking the rescue org. for saving the animal.

Here's the deal ... the famous animal sanctuary in Santa Clarita, CA posted a TikTok Monday about rescuing a pig with tattered ears and a potentially-life threatening infection who was found alone in a field next to a dead pig ... and it turns out the pig has a connection to Logan.

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PIGGY RESCUE

The pig, Pearl, was owned by Logan a few years ago ... and says he thought it was a "mini pig" when he bought her. The pig is now huge.

Anyway ... Logan sent an email, obtained by TMZ, to Gentle Barn ... thanking them for caring for Pearl and explaining how the pig's been rehomed a few times.

Logan says Pearl lived at his home in Encino until April 2020 when he moved to Puerto Rico. He says Pearl was rehomed to a horse ranch in Santa Clarita, where he thinks she lived for 10 months until being rehomed to the farm across the street "with the purpose of care."

But, when Gentle Barn found the pig, they say she had clearly been through more trauma than they could imagine.

A source close to Logan tells TMZ ... he was very upset to learn of Pearl's condition and is truly grateful to Gentle Barn.

In his email, Logan says it's "shocking and heartbreaking" to hear about Pearl's condition ... and he's offering to help contribute to the pig's care again.

Beth Chapman Daughters Sue Over Memorial Fund ... Dog Calls BS

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When Dog the Bounty Hunter's late wife, Beth Chapman, died ... a memorial fund was set up in her name, but now her daughters are dragging its founder to court.

Bonnie Chapman and Cecily Barmore just filed suit against Rainy Robinson -- who was Beth's best friend and costar on "Dog's Most Wanted" -- because they claim she's been running a charity fund baring their mother's name/likeness ... but has been enriching herself instead.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, Bonnie and Cecily allege Rainy has been soliciting donations for years -- starting shortly after Beth died of cancer in 2019 -- and that, lately, she's been falsely promising to transfer ownership of the fund to the girls, but never actually did it.

That's a big problem for Beth's daughters ... in the suit, they allege Rainy's been acting in bad faith -- never intending to hand over the fund, and instead, starting the process to quietly dissolve the charity.

According to the suit, Rainy made several social media posts about turning over operations of the fund to Bonnie and Cecily, but wen their attorneys demanded an accounting of how she's been using the money ... she reversed course and never followed through on the transfer.

The daughters are suing to block the use of their names and images for the charity and want at least $50K in damages.

Rainy tells TMZ she's been trying to have the girls head the fund since their mom died ... but claims they distanced themselves without explanation. Rainy also says the fund has had good intentions all along, including creating a scholarship and a victim fund for families whose loved ones were murdered.

She also claims she told Bonnie and Cecily they could have the fund, but that they'd need to contact her directly ... which they didn't do. Rainy says she now plans to shut it down.

Dog tells TMZ ... "This is a bogus claim. The memorial fund was approved by Beth's estate, which I administrate. The lawsuit against the fund's founder is nothing more than harassment."