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Maluma isn't exactly kicking off the World Cup on a high note ... a reporter put him on the spot over his decision to perform -- as other artists boycott -- so, he stormed out of the interview.

The "Hawái" singer sat down for an interview Friday, two days before the start of the FIFA World Cup, with Israel's state-owned Kan TV and it quickly got heated when the interviewer asked Maluma about his thoughts on Qatar's human rights violations.

As we reported, Dua Lipa and Shakira both turned down gigs at the World Cup ... citing the country's human rights record.

Maluma teamed up with Nicki Minaj and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares for the official FIFA Fan Festival anthem ... and he was asked if he had a problem with Qatar's reputation.

Maluma dodged the first question with skill, saying he's performing because he enjoys life, music and soccer -- but when pressed for more than that, Maluma stood up, asked someone off camera if he needed to answer at all, then simply stormed off and called the reporter "rude."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Maluma's performing at the World Cup strictly because, as he said, he loves the sport. We're told he was a soccer player growing up in Colombia and left the sport to become an artist, but it's been always been a dream of his to perform at a World Cup.

What's odd about Maluma's heated interview is ... the network reporter giving him a hard time for, in his words, "whitewashing" Qatar, is actually there in Qatar covering the World Cup and in doing so, publicizing it.

The Justice Department could get to the bottom of the Taylor Swift ticket fiasco ... because the feds are reportedly already investigating the parent company of Ticketmaster for possible antitrust violations.

The department is taking a close look at Live Nation Entertainment, according to the New York Times ... trying to see if the company's abusing its massive market power to screw millions of music fans over.

While the Swift madness certainly adds to the drama, it seems like the investigation has already been going on for months -- with NYT's sources saying the department's antitrust division has already been contacting venues in the industry about Live Nation's past practices and the overall dynamics of the ticket industry.

As you know, all hell broke loose as fans flocked to Ticketmaster to try and get their hands on a ticket to "The Eras Tour" this week during the presale.

The company even canceled the public sale on Friday, which is ordinarily how it sells any remaining tickets after presales -- and now the resale market is seeing sky-high prices.

Taylor Swift is sorry for her fans who feel they were screwed by Ticketmaster in trying to score tickets for her tour ... blasting the company for failing to deliver on its promise for a smooth rollout.

The singer just broke her silence on the concert ticket disaster, with a lengthy statement on her Instagram Story where she's royally pissed at Ticketmaster ... echoing the same feelings from her legions of fans.

Taylor says she's extremely protective of her fans and adds, "It's really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and excruciating for me to just watch mistakes happen with no recourse."

TS also says, "There are a multitude of reasons why people had such a hard time trying to get tickets and I’m trying to figure out how this situation can be improved moving forward."

She's pretty pissed at Ticketmaster, explaining ... "I'm not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could. It's truly amazing that 2.4 million people got tickets, but it really pisses me off that a lot of them feel like they went through several bear attacks to get them."

As we reported, there were tons of issues and delays with the Ticketmaster presale, and the ticket giant even canceled the public sale, and now the resale market is seeing sky-high price tags.

Taylor ends with a message to the fans who didn't get lucky enough to score tickets ... saying, "My hope is to provide more opportunities for us to all get together and sing these songs. Thank you for wanting to be there. You have no idea how much that means."

Taylor Swift fans lucky enough to get their hands on presale tickets could cash in for tens of thousands of dollars now -- the resale market is absolutely exploding in the wake of Ticketmaster canceling the public sale.

We've checked out seat maps on StubHub in some of the biggest cities Taylor will hit next year on her Eras tour, and the pricing is insane. Mind you, Taylor's doing multiple shows in each city -- so, the following astronomical costs are PER ticket for Saturday shows (typically the most popular) in each city.

Fans hoping to score tickets for Taylor's SoFi Stadium in L.A. show will fork over a minimum of $400, and that's behind the stage ... while the most expensive seat is currently listed at $4,549.

You can score some nosebleeds for $765 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, or shell out $11,475 for the floor.

However, those prices pale in comparison to the $22,500 you'll pay to see Taylor from the front row at Gillette Stadium in suburban Boston, and the "cheap" seats are $675. There's also Soldier Field in Chicago, where you can sit in the nosebleeds for $800 and land a floor seat for around $5,000.

As we reported, Swifties spiraled this week after Ticketmaster seemingly botched the presale -- causing millions of fans to wait online for several hours to secure seats to Taylor's first tour in years. Turns out they're the lucky ones.

Far more fans got zippo, and will now have to pay through the nose. Honestly, they'll be the ones singing "Look what you made me do" ... to Ticketmaster!!!

Things got so bad, Ticketmaster announced Thursday the general public on-sale, scheduled for Friday, was canceled "due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand."

What's more ... the attorney general in Tennessee announced Wednesday he'll be investigating the ticketing giant for possible antitrust law violations.

R&B singer B. Smyth is dead ... at a very young age, and after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis.

The singer's brother, Denzil, broke the news to fans ... saying Smyth died Thursday from respiratory failure and had been hospitalized for a while, struggling with his lung disease.

Denzil says his little brother was in the ICU when he dropped his latest single, "Twerkaholic Part 2," just a few weeks ago, but the excitement around the release brought "a big smile to his face."

He says B. asked him to make the video for him before passing, so his fans would know he always appreciated them.

B. Smyth -- whose real name was Brandon Smith -- first jumped on the scene after covering hits like "Quickie" by Miguel or "Stay" by Rihanna in the early 2010s on YouTube ... before signing with Motown Records in 2012.

He dropped his first single soon after -- "Leggo" featuring 2 Chainz, and then released his first EP "The Florida Files" in 2013.

His big break came in 2014, when his song "Twerkoholic" blew up, gaining millions of views ... B. would go on to drop a studio album, "Thr3" in 2017, as well as a slew of singles over the years.

He was just 30.

The Swifties are currently raging -- Ticketmaster just canceled the public on-sale for tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour -- just a couple days after a disastrous presale process.

In a statement Thursday, Ticketmaster said, "Due to extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand, tomorrow's public on-sale for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour has been cancelled."

As you can imagine, Taylor's fans were NOT happy ... one wrote, "They’re saying CANCELLED!!!!! Not postponed. Not rescheduled. CANCELLED. @taylorswift13 better finally address this situation. It’s gone too far."

Another raged, "YOU HAVE BEEN SELLING TICKETS ONLINE FOR YEARS AND ARE A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR COMPANY AND YOU’RE TELLING ME YOU STILL CAN’T FIGURE OUT HOW TO RUN A FUNCTIONING WEBSITE AND GET TICKETS INTO THE HANDS OF FANS THERE’S SO MANY WHO STILL DON’T HAVE TICKETS"

So ya, Ticketmaster is rightfully taking a lot of heat right now.

As we reported, fans waited hours and shelled out hundreds -- sometimes thousands -- of dollars to get their hands on tickets. While some were lucky, many others weren't, coming up empty despite having a presale code.

On Wednesday, Tennessee's Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced he'd investigate Ticketmaster for antitrust violations.

For their part, Ticketmaster said there was a historically unprecedented demand for the tickets.

Aaron Carter's final resting place has yet to be determined, but the singer's death certificate reveals his family made the decision to have him cremated.

The legal doc, obtained by TMZ, says Aaron's ashes will be held by his sister Angel. We're told from there, the family will decide what to do with them to honor Aaron.

The document doesn't reveal much else as far as new info into the cause of Aaron's death. He's listed as a musician who worked in entertainment, never married. His mother, Jane, is mentioned as the informant.

An official cause of death is still categorized as deferred -- more tests are needed to determine what exactly killed him.

TMZ broke the story ... Aaron was found dead in the bathtub at his Lancaster, CA home two weeks ago. Law enforcement also discovered canisters of compressed air scattered about -- AC publicly struggled with substance abuse issues throughout much of his adult life.

Ticketmaster is in shambles over fans trying to snag Taylor Swift tickets -- and the company's message to frustrated customers is ... bear with us!

The singer's Eras concert is all the rage, and it shows after Ticketmaster's site experienced all kinds of issues Tuesday as folks tried to get their hands on presale passes ... which kinda broke their page, leaving tons of would-be buyers in limbo.

Swifties were up in arms, and Ticketmaster heard all the outrage ... because they issued a statement to calm the waters. Right off the bat, they note there's unprecedented demand for tickets and those who are still in the queue to buy should remain there to the end.

TM says they're still pushing through all the orders they have, but it's just taking time ... ensuring anyone in line will get attended to eventually.

Those on the West Coast, however -- who had their own window today to snatch up tickets at 10 AM PT -- were bumped out to later in the day ... 3 PM PT. There's also another sale window through Capital One that's being rescheduled entirely ... for tomorrow at 2 PM.

Billy McFarland, the man behind the infamous Fyre Festival, is apologizing to the Bahamas for the project gone wrong ... and he says he wants to right his wrongs.

Billy fired off an apology letter to the Bahamian government Monday, hours after Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said his nation wanted nothing to do with Billy's next venture, which appears to be a treasure hunt in the Bahamas.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, Billy doesn't mention Fyre Fest by name ... but he opens by saying, "I am writing to you to profusely apologize for my actions 5 years ago. I was completely wrong and I wholly regret my actions."

Billy mentions his prison release and time served -- he ended up pleading guilty to 2 counts of wire fraud over the disastrous failed event and served 4 of his 6-year sentence behind bars -- and says, "my main focus is how I can right my wrongs and how I can make the Bahamas and Family Islands, a region I care so deeply about, whole again."

BF says he's kept in contact with folks in the Bahamas over the years and writes ... "Their generosity and kind hearts have been a constant guide and motivation for me. I have been re-engaging with the families of the islands to see what I can do to begin making amends."

As we reported ... Billy recently teased his latest venture, which our sources said involved another festival, among other things in the near future. His TikTok video teasing the project showed a treasure map and made it look like he's planning something else in the Bahamas, something the government there is not taking kindly.

Billy's not offering any more specifics on what he's got cooking, though, writing ... "I don't have much right now, but I am committed to make these families whole as soon I am allowed. I ask for guidance on whom to speak with to begin my journey to do right by the incredible people of the Bahamas and Family Islands."

Billy ends his plea with another apology ... "I truly acknowledge the hurt I caused to the people, and region, and I will spend the rest of my life working to right my wrongs."

Post Malone's week is off to an incredible start ... as of Monday morning, "Sunflower" -- his 2018 collaboration with Swae Lee -- is now 17x platinum, and officially the most certified in recording history!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Posty in L.A., where the "Twelve Carat Toothache" superstar was absolutely floored by the RIAA announcement, and all the fan support. His immediate reaction was to shout out Swae Lee as the secret sauce behind their blockbuster record.

According to Post, Swae was heavily instrumental in arranging the melodies -- doing the "heavy lifting" as he puts it.

Originally released as part of the "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" soundtrack, the end result was one of the most favored harmonic duets ever recorded.

Post says throughout his experiences, he’s seen "Sunflower" bring sad people up and make happy people even happier. The song reigned supreme at No. 1 in several countries and almost has a whopping two billion views on YouTube to date.

"Sunflower" is also Post and Swae's second diamond certification behind "Congratulations" and "Unforgettable," respectively … and won’t be the last if they have any say so.

Post tells us he and Swae have been cooking, and should be finalizing at least one recipe very soon.

It’s a very big garden to fill … but yes, we’ll take a whole field of more "Sunflowers" ASAP!!!

Roberta Flack says she has ALS ... and, sadly, she says that means she won't be performing her classic hits anymore.

The announcement came down Monday through the Grammy-winning singer's rep, who explained Roberta has difficulty even speaking these days due to her condition. No word on how long she's been suffering with ALS ... often known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

ALS breaks down a person's nerves over time and significantly deteriorates their functionality, especially as it pertains to muscle use. It has proven fatal, with no known cure.

It seems the reason this news is coming out now is because Roberta has a few notable projects on the horizon that might normally require her to do interviews ... including the release of a children's book in January, and a simultaneous PBS doc about her.

Plus, she's coming up on a big milestone in her career -- next year marks the 50th anniversary of her album, "Killing Me Softly" ... featuring the eponymous title song which is perhaps her most famous hit.

Lauryn Hill's version is a direct homage to Flack's rendition.

Nick Carter and his sister Angel are honoring their late brother Aaron by paying it forward ... raising money for a children's mental health charity.

Nick's rep tells TMZ ... Nick and Angel have started a fund where fans looking to pay tribute to Aaron can donate, in lieu of flowers, and the money will go to a children's mental health organization.

We're told the fund benefits a group called On Our Sleeves: The Movement for Children's Mental Health, and it's a cause Nick's championed for years ... even serving as an ambassador.

On Our Sleeve's mission is to provide every community in America with access to free, evidence-informed educational resources, to break stigmas about child mental health as well as educating families and advocates.

We're told donations will fund educational content, lesson plans for schools and activities for schools and organizations.

Nick's camp says ... "By honoring Aaron, you help Nick, Angel, and their family's commitment of helping others."

Aaron Carter died without a will ... so now the State of California will decide who inherits his estate.

Family sources tell TMZ ... Aaron was advised by his attorney to make a will, especially because he had a child who depended on him.

We're told with all the drama between Aaron and his fiancée Melanie ... the L.A. County Dept. of Children and Family Services got involved and had 11-month-old Prince removed from their home. He's been living with Melanie's mom since September.

Aaron's lawyer still advised Aaron to make a will, but as you know circumstances tragically changed ... Aaron died a week ago.

Turns out Prince will not be left in the cold. In California, and most states for that matter, when a single person dies without a will and leaves a child behind, the child inherits the parent's estate.

Here's the rub ... we're told Aaron was not in a good place financially when he died. One source close to Aaron told us he was living hand-to-mouth and would typically spend what he earned in short order. His house, however, was on the market so the child may have security in any equity the sale brings.

Aaron Carter's housekeeper -- who discovered his body -- is a homeless woman he'd taken in ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar tell us ... Aaron and his fiancée, Melanie Miller, went down to Orange County last month for a few nights to visit their son, Prince ... who's currently under the care of Melanie's mom, as neither parent had physical custody of the child.

While they were in the OC, we're told Aaron and Melanie got word of a possible break-in at their house ... their front door was open and someone left behind cigarette butts.

Our sources say when they got back to Lancaster, a friend urged them ... to get someone to house-sit for them if/when they left. Turns out, the friend had a woman in mind from his church ... who happened to be homeless.

We're told Melanie and Aaron met her, and they felt she was a good fit ... so they brokered a deal where they'd offer her a free place to stay in exchange for keeping an eye on the place. She'd also do odd jobs around the property.

As we reported ... it was this same woman who found Aaron dead in his bathtub over the weekend, and who called 911. She's only been living there for 2-3 weeks.

Swedish House Mafia is looking out for their fans ... because their show came to a grinding halt due to issues with fans passing out.

TMZ obtained this video of SHM's final show of their worldwide tour, which they had to pause twice due to issues with crowd safety.

The show was in Norway and you can hear Swedish House Mafia telling the crowd if they see something happening to tell them or security and the music will be turned down until it's all sorted out.

Fan safety has been on a lot of artists' minds lately ... as we reported, Billie Eilish paused her concert at Madison Square Garden in NYC back in February, asking the packed house to take a deep breath and step back.

The Astroworld tragedy is the catalyst for all this ... and even Travis is stopping his concerts now when things get out of control.

On the heels of Aaron Carter's death, some of his fans are making life even harder for his fiancée Melanie Martin by harassing her ... and occasionally even spooking her in person.

Sources connected to Melanie tell TMZ ... ever since Aaron died, going online has been a nightmare for Melanie because she's getting so many hateful messages from the singer's supporters.

The constant harassment includes fans wishing death on Melanie, while others accuse her of being responsible for Aaron's death.

She's also come face-to-face with some real-life drama.

Our sources say folks have been showing up at Aaron's Lancaster, CA home ... where he was found dead in a bathtub. We're told they come onto the property and go right up to the windows of the house or vehicles to peer inside, and it's scaring the hell out of Melanie.

TMZ broke the story ... there was a police presence outside Aaron's home earlier this week, while Melanie was moving some of her things out of the house.

We're told Melanie called police to the house to keep the peace. Due to all the harassment directed at her, she wanted to ensure there'd be no issues while she was at Aaron's house.

Our sources say Melanie was retrieving baby items, diapers and clothes for their son, Prince, along with some of her things ... and now Aaron's fans are accusing her of stealing his possessions, which we're told is NOT the case.

It's all getting to Melanie ... we're told she's scared and now understands the issues Aaron was living with for years, because the online harassment turned from him toward her.