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Tekashi 6ix9ine could catch an even bigger break -- getting out of prison much sooner than the end of 2020, if a few small stars align for him.

Tekashi could be back on the streets by early August based on the good behavior guidelines established by the Bureau of Prisons ... according to his lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, who's taken a closer look at the numbers.

6ix9ine got 24 months, but with 13 months credit for time served ... leaving him with just 11 months remaining. That would get him out around November 2020, but then the BOP math kicks in, and the potential sentence starts shrinking.

BOP guidelines call for up to 54 days per year to be shaved off IF inmates show good behavior. So, with the 2-year sentence, he's eligible for up to a 108-day discount.

Mel B's ex-husband just got an early Christmas present ... compliments of a judge who's blocking the Spice Girl from taking their daughter to the UK for the holidays.

Stephen Belafonte filed docs asking the court to allow their 8-year-old, Madison, to stay put in L.A. as opposed to traveling with her mom, and court records show the judge signed off on that.

As for why -- Belafonte reportedly claims Madison is afraid Mel B will hurt her. According to Daily Mail, Madison was allegedly "traumatized" during their last mother-daughter trip to England.

It's unclear what allegedly happened between Mel and Madison -- but Belafonte claims Mel asks their daughter for dirt on him.

The L.A. Superior Court judge ruled in Belafonte's favor, reportedly saying he wouldn't put the child in harm's way. Mel B's lawyer says the singer's set to arrive in L.A. soon to pick up Madison and their other daughter to take them back to the UK. Clearly, those plans will have to change.

Her lawyer also claims Belafonte had already approved the Christmas trip, and only recently changed his mind.

Jake Paul is a conniving music thief ... so claim a team of music producers alleging in a new lawsuit the YouTube star jacked their work.

Producers Erik Belz, Jonathan Pakfar and Shane Abrahams are suing Jake claiming the entire backing music in Jake's popular "Litmas" track was stolen right from under them.

In docs, the producers claim they produced a track dubbed "Bad Santa" back in 2015. They claim they were in the same studio as Jake on multiple occasions and alleged Jake heard the track. The producers say lo and behold ... 2 years later, Jake released "Litmas."

Specifically, the producers claim their work is original, unique and specific in terms of pitch, register and overall use, which they claim can be entirely heard in Jake's track.

The group says Jake never asked for permission to use the music and has never compensated them ... even after his track racked up nearly 17 million views on YouTube.

Tekashi 6ix9ine deserves to rot in his cell for the holidays AWAY from his loved ones, and he's got even more paying back to do after that ... so says one of his victims.

We talked to Skyy Daniels on the heels of Tekashi receiving his 2-year prison sentence Wednesday -- one of which he's already been completed -- and asked if she was pleased with the outcome. Overall, she says she's not ... but there is a silver lining in her mind.

Skyy tells us she's giddy at the fact Tekashi69 won't get to be with his family for Christmas -- something she says she couldn't even do this time last year all because of him.

If you're unfamiliar, Skyy was one of the people who got held up at gunpoint by Tekashi's Nine Trey Blood gang members -- which turned out to be an awful case of mistaken identity. They thought she and her assistant were Rap-A-Lot Records associates ... they weren't.

NBA YoungBoy scored one sweet plea deal in his assault and kidnapping case ... the most serious charges have been dropped.

The rapper pled guilty to misdemeanor simple battery family violence. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the charges of kidnapping and aggravated assault ... this according to the Ware County District Attorney's Office in Georgia.

YB will avoid jail time. He's been sentenced to 12 months probation, fined $1,500, must attend anger management classes and have no violent contact with the victim ... his GF.

The Jeffrey Epstein story just gets more and more suspicious, because now ... surveillance video from his failed suicide attempt has mysteriously vanished.

Prosecutors revealed in court Wednesday they could not locate the footage from outside of Epstein's cell on July 23 -- the day of his first reported suicide attempt at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in NYC. That was 2 weeks before he successfully killed himself ... according to the Medical Examiner's report.

The feds had no explanation for why the footage has gone missing -- they said they simply can't find it.

That could spell trouble for Epstein's cellmate at the time, ex-cop Nick Tartaglione ... who was reportedly accused of attacking Epstein that night. He formally requested the video be preserved 2 days after the suicide attempt ... in order to clear his name.

Now, it doesn't appear there's much evidence to prove one account over the other -- Epstein reportedly said Tartaglione attacked him, but he says he tried to save Epstein.

Of course, this all comes amid the highly-scrutinized eventual suicide -- which is now the subject of a criminal probe. Two prison guards on duty the night Epstein died have been accused of falsifying records -- making it seem like they'd made the required checks on Epstein's cell that night when they really hadn't.

Those guards have pled not guilty.

R. Kelly is officially responding to prosecutors' allegation he bribed someone to make a fake ID for Aaliyah ... in order to marry her.

The singer entered a not guilty plea Wednesday to the revamped federal indictment against him out of the Eastern District of New York. TMZ broke the story ... the indictment now includes an allegation of bribery pertaining to the alleged purchase of a fake ID for Aaliyah in 1994.

The ID falsely stated she was 18, and made it possible for Kelly to marry Aaliyah on August 31, 1994.

The feds added the Aaliayh allegation to an existing count of bribery in his racketeering case. Kelly joined the hearing by video from the Chicago jail where he's being held until trial. As you know, he's facing several other cases -- federal and state -- in Illinois, as well as Minnesota.

As for the Aaliyah thing ... R. Kelly's ex-tour manager, Demetrius Smith, has publicly backed the feds' claim his old boss had the ID made for his future bride, which was used to obtain their marriage license under false pretenses.

Aaliyah's family reportedly filed to have the marriage annulled the following year.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is facing the judge in federal court, and he's about to find out exactly how long he'll be locked up -- AKA, how much all that snitching shaved off his time.

The sentencing hearing got underway Wednesday at 10 AM ET, and prosecutors are breaking down exactly how valuable Tekashi was in helping them convict 2 members of the Nine Trey Bloods ... Anthony "Harv" Ellison and Aljermiah Mack.

Prosecutors told the judge they met with him 2 to 3 times a week, and he sang like a canary -- about his involvement in numerous crimes.

And, this was interesting -- did you know there's a rating system for criminals? For purposes of sentencing, the feds calculated Tekashi's criminal history at a category 2.

Here's the math on that: 6ix9ine got 1 point for his 2018 conviction for using a minor in a sexual performance (in a music video), and 2 more points for his involvement in the Nine Trey Bloods while on probation. Those 3 points put him in category 2. Keep in mind the highest/worst criminal history rating is a 6.

Tekashi was originally facing a minimum of 47 years in prison before agreeing to assist prosecutors by ratting out his former gang members. As we reported, he pled guilty to 9 counts when he entered his plea back on January 23.

Ian Ziering's willing to do a little horse-trading in his divorce ... he says he'll help out his estranged wife financially for a bit, but then she's gotta get a job.

The '90210' star just filed a response in his divorce case and, according to docs, Ian says he's down to pay Erin Ziering "reasonable spousal support for a limited period of time," but he's also requesting "an order that [Erin] become self-supporting."

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Ian's also asking for joint legal and physical custody of their 2 minor daughters. Erin has asked for sole physical custody when she filed divorce papers. Translation -- it's acrimonious.

There a discrepancy on the date of separation -- Erin listed October 31 while Ian listed October 14. As we reported ... Ian announced back in October he's splitting from Erin after 9 and a half years of marriage.

Quality Control CEO "Pee" Thomas is completely incapable of handling his kids -- which is why he doesn't -- according to Lira Galore ... who's calling his recent fatherhood claims into question.

The custody battle between Pee and his baby mama is getting nastier, and according to new docs ... Galore says he's unfit to take care of their 8-month-old, Khaleesi, because he doesn't take care of ANY of his 5 minor children.

According to the Galore ... Pee also lied about her allowing him unsupervised visitation with their daughter, which he claimed in response to her accusing him of abuse and asking for $15 million for her injuries. She says that is "simply untrue."

Galore alleges Pee always has his "current female friend, girlfriend, or any other women" take care of his kids whenever he has one or more of them in his custody. She claims he just uses his children for photo opportunities on social media ... then hands them off.

Lira says this even happened to her when she was in a relationship with the record exec behind Migos and Cardi B -- she often acted as a "babysitter" to Thomas' other children because she says he was not interested in spending time with them.

There's more -- Galore also doubles down on Pee being abusive toward her, and claims to have evidence he was physically abusive to 2 of his other children's mothers ... and even his own mother.

Galore says Pee lives a dangerous lifestyle that's unsafe for their child. She adds in the docs that his statements about her being physically abusive toward him and abusing drugs are flat-out lies ... and she vehemently denies them.

Tekashi 6ix9ine should remain behind bars and suffer like those impacted by the crimes he helped to commit ... so say his victims in a letter to the judge.

In letters submitted Tuesday, 2 people describe the April 2018 armed robbery in NYC, which the rapper testified was intended as a revenge hit on Rap-A-Lot Records and its honcho, J. Prince.

As we reported ... 6ix9ine claims members of his Nine Trey gang planned to rob JP and his people after a perceived diss, and pulled off an armed robbery on Rap-A-Lot reps in the lobby of a building.

Problem is ... the 2 people they robbed were a couple publicists unrelated to Rap-A-Lot -- a case of mistaken identity. According to their victim impact statements -- obtained by TMZ -- the attack has had a lasting, negative effect on them.

One victim, a 33-year-old male, says the incident "destroyed the normal adulthood that I was striving for." He says he was far removed from a life of gangs and guns and adds ... "never have I been so scared as a cold, hard metallic gun was pressed against my abdomen."

He claims the attack made him scared for his life, and afterward, he became a recluse who was afraid to sleep in his own home. He says he still lives in constant fear someone associated with Tekashi will be sent to "finish the job." He ends his letter by asking the judge ... "Why should this person, who nearly ended my life, be free when I am not free?"

Miley Cyrus is adding more fuel to the fire amid rumors she's forming a band with Cody Simpson ... the singer is trying to lock down the rights to what could be their band's name.

Miley's company filed legal docs asking the feds for ownership of the name, Bandit and Bardot ... which is super interesting because the same phrase is the handle on a new IG account that's only following Miley and Cody.

The trademark would cover entertainment services, including live music performances by a band and live performances by a professional singer, musician and entertainer.

It also would cover a website focused on live concerts, plus the production of sound recordings on all types of mediums -- CDs, DVDs, downloads, ring tones and more.

Connect the dots and it sure seems like Miley is gearing up to start a band called Bandit and Bardot ... ostensibly with Cody, who she's been getting super close with following her breakup with Kaitlynn Carter and split from Liam Hemsworth.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is in the dark and anxiously awaiting to hear his fate this week ... or so we're being told.

Sources at 69's federal detention facility tell TMZ ... Tekashi is feeling the pressure ahead of his sentencing hearing on Wednesday, where the court will decide how long he'll be behind bars going forward after cooperating with the feds and snitching his heart out.

Our sources say 6ix9ine is incredibly nervous -- despite his tough-guy public image -- and that he has no idea what to expect. We're told Tekashi knows he's at the mercy of the judge -- who can toss him in a cage and throw away the key for a long time if he sees fit.

Based on the charges he's already pled guilty to, Tekashi faces, at minimum, 47 years in prison -- although he and prosecutors have asked for significantly less.

Harvey Weinstein just did a new on-the-record interview since the flood of allegations came pouring in against him -- and his first thought out ... he's a champion of women.

The disgraced movie producer -- who's now been criminally charged in relation to some of the allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse -- spoke to the New York Post from his hospital room in NYC, from which he was later discharged following his back surgery.

One of the big takeaways from the interview -- again, one of his first with a paper of record since 2018 -- is he thinks people are forgetting everything he's done for women in his career.

Weinstein says he feels like the "forgotten man," going on to add ... "I made more movies directed by women and about women than any filmmaker, and I’m talking about 30 years ago. I’m not talking about now when it’s vogue. I did it first! I pioneered it!"

He continues by saying, "It all got eviscerated because of what happened. My work has been forgotten."

For example, Weinstein cites giving Gwyneth Paltrow $10 million to star in the 2003 movie, "View from the Top" -- which he says was more than any of the men made at the time. He also says he got Felicity Huffman an Academy Award nom by casting her in "Transamerica" ... a move he considers super progressive, and something he thinks he deserves credit for.

He also says Madonna made him aware of the documentary, "Paris is Burning" -- which captures the drag culture of the city -- and apparently wants a pat on the back for bringing it to audiences in the U.S. and beyond by snapping up the distribution rights.

Weinstein goes on to tout his humanitarian efforts through the years and summed up his thoughts by saying, "If you remember who I was then, you might want to question some of this." He did NOT, however, specifically address any of the accusations against him.

He's going to trial on Jan. 6 on five different charges, including predatory sexual assault, a criminal sex act and rape. Weinstein faces life in prison if convicted -- he's pled not guilty.

Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have gone on the offensive in the College Admissions scandal, claiming prosecutors are intentionally hiding evidence that proves the famous couple didn't intend to secretly bribe anyone.

Lori and Mossimo's lawyers claim in new legal docs ... their clients made "legitimate donations" ... "At trial, Giannulli and Loughlin will help establish their innocence by showing that they understood both sets of payments to be legitimate donations and did not understand or intent that either set of payments would be used to directly or indirectly bribe Heinel [former USC senior associate athletic director]."

The lawyers want to get info on whether USC knew of Rick Singer's activities with various parents and students. If there's evidence USC knew ... Lori and Mossimo will clearly argue this was not bribery ... that payments had become institutionalized.

The guy Kevin Hart believes tried to extort him in the sex tape scandal ... is 2 more steps closer to getting off scot-free in the case after a new court order.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, J.T. Jackson scored in court Friday when the judge dropped 2 of the 3 remaining charges he was facing. The judge said there was insufficient evidence to move forward with prosecuting Kevin's ex-friend with attempted concealing and selling stolen property, and one count of unauthorized use of personal identifying information -- basically, identity theft.

Jackson is still facing an additional count of identity theft, a felony ... in connection with the sex tape. Prosecutors alleged Jackson tried to score money from Kevin in exchange for the 2017 video of Kevin with Montia Sabbag in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Remember, the stiffest charge Jackson was facing -- attempted extortion -- was dropped back in September. As we reported, prosecutors didn't think that charge would stick because Jackson never directly made a specific financial demand of Kevin or his people.

Jackson's attorney, Jacob Glucksman, tells us, "We’ve maintained innocence since day one and as things have unfolded our beliefs have been confirmed. We will continue to fight this until Mr. Jackson’s name is cleared.

He adds, "The D.A. is grasping at straws and is being pressured by Mr. Hart's team of lawyers and agents, but we will continue to prevail."