SELENA GOMEZ A 'COWARD,' SAYS JEWISH ORG ... 'Demonizes Israel To Save Business!'
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Selena Gomez has been branded a "coward" by a Jewish organization ... after embroiling herself in controversy over the Israel-Hamas war.
Speaking to TMZ, Mitchell Bard for the Jewish organization American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE) lambasted Selena for falling victim to the intense pressure put on celebs to boycott and demonize Israel.
He tells us instead of speaking on the massacre of 1,400 Israelis and the taking of 240 hostages, including the elderly, disabled, women and children as young as 9 months ... Selena's priority lies with her business, which was threatened after the Rare Beauty's CEO followed pro-Israel accounts.
The org also details its disappointment over her choosing to "pacify bullies" hoping to boycott Rare Beauty by "taking the popular position that Palestinians who have been sacrificed by Hamas are the victims" ... with a pro-Palestine-leaning statement shared to RB's IG.
In stark contrast ... the very same IG post delights Alia Malak, a founding member of the Palestinian organization, Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), who tells TMZ, "Selena Gomez is one of many thousands of artists and cultural figures worldwide calling for ceasefire, justice and accountability, joining Hollywood figures, leading Black scholars and artists, Jewish writers and artists, prominent authors, visual artists, and many others."
They add, "When UN experts and others are warning of an Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, these artists are on the right side of history. Palestinians call on artists and arts organizations to speak out loudly for a ceasefire, and for an end to oppression, as many had done against apartheid South Africa, to contribute to freedom, justice, and equality."
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This comes after Rare Beauty's statement on IG acknowledged the slaughter of 1,400 Israelis ... saying that attacks on civilians are wrong ... but alluding their main concern was "protecting Palestine civilians."
The brand has since shared several resources on the humanitarian crisis ... while also reminding everyone to be kind in troubling times, of course.
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'FLASHDANCE' IRENE CARA JEWELRY, COSTUMES & MORE UP FOR AUCTION ... A Year After Passing
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An enormous collection of Irene Cara's personal items from her Largo, FL, estate has gone up for auction ... nearly a year after the "Flashdance" singer passed away at 63.
Jewelry, artwork, tapes, personal memorabilia, and costumes Irene wore are among 280 pieces up for grabs online ... after being personally removed by Richard Stedman Estate Services from her residence, where she semi-retired and continued developing music privately.
Items from the late icon's stash also include vinyl, shoes, handbags, autographs, and her electric piano ... while additional belongings come from her touring trunk.
Each item holds a Certificate of Authenticity authorized by her Estate Personal Representatives.
As we reported, the singer passed away in November 2022 inside her Florida home.
Earlier this year, medical docs obtained by TMZ ruled Irene's official cause of death as Arteriosclerotic and Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease. It was also noted Irene had diabetes.
Irene enjoyed a storied career, scooping an Oscar gong for "Best Original Song" for her iconic "Flashdance" song "What a Feeling" in the '80s, and receiving a "Best Actress" Golden Globe nom for the movie "Fame".
She also starred in other flicks such as "City Heat" and "Certain Fury" ... and was later honored for her talents with the Prestige Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2004.
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Wynonna Judd Back Onstage & Looking Good ... After Shaky CMA Gig
Wynonna Judd's nerves are clearly settled -- the day after her CMA performance had fans worried about her health, she put on a great show in Texas ... with no apparent issues.
The country singer showed up and showed out for fans Thursday night at the Tobin Center in San Antonio as part of her "Back to Wy" tour.
The crowd seemed to love the show, and more importantly, she didn't seem to be giving anyone a reason to worry -- performing just like she usually does, although she did joke about forgetting some of the words at one point.
As we reported, the same couldn't be said for her performance at the Country Music Association Awards Wednesday night in Nashville ... remember, she joined Jelly Roll for his song, "Need A Favor," but then grabbed a hold of him, seemingly to stay upright.
Jelly made sure to stick by her side throughout their performance, fueling fans' belief something was wrong. After seeing the comments, Wynonna later posted a video chalking up her unsteadiness to nerves getting the best of her.
While some fans heading to the Texas show were likely concerned about what the night would bring ... it looks like all's well with Wynonna once again.
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Travis Barker Drummin' Along To Baby's Heartbeat ... Internet Isn't A Fan
Travis Barker played the drums to his baby's heartbeat while in the delivery room with Kourtney Kardashian before the kiddo was born ... and folks online are calling it a bit "ick."
The Blink-182 drummer did what he does best in the clip, shared by the man himself on Thursday ... with the caption, "Practicing to my babies [sic] heartbeat."
While some couldn't help but point out he's one of the best drummers in the game, others chimed in with their distaste for the delivery room performance -- with one saying Kourtney, who seems to be recording the vid, has to have "angel-like" patience.
Trav's TikTok prompted comments like, "I would literally be so annoyed I couldn't do it," "That would've driven me up the wall" and, "Imagine being in the room next to this."
It wasn't all bashing, though ... plenty of folks simply congratulated Travis and Kourtney on their new baby, calling the music "so beautiful."
As we reported, Kourtney and Travis left Cedars-Sinai on Tuesday after spending multiple days at the hospital ... although it's still unclear exactly what day their baby, Rocky, was actually born.
While some newborns might recognize their pop's voice, we're guessing Rocky recognized Travis from the tight beat of his drumming!
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'BACHELOR' ALUM CARLY WADDELL BACKTRACKS ON GAGA STANCE ... Wears Her Shirt Onstage
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Singer Carly Waddell -- more known for her TV dating conquests -- opened for Nick Carter Thursday wearing a t-shirt with Lady Gaga sitting at a piano. Interesting, since she had a huge issue with the star doing just that during their time together at college.
In fact ... Carly said she would be driven crazy by the singer showing off her vocals on the piano when while they were in an NYU cafeteria -- a statement that caused widespread fury among Gaga's Little Monsters.
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But, the musician took the backlash in stride with her choice of stage attire for the Akron, Ohio stop on Nick's "Who I Am" tour.
Remember ... just days earlier, Carly explained on fellow "Bachelor" alum Jason Tartick's podcast that she was "not a fan" of Gaga when they were students at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
She cited Gaga's main offense as her singing "Wicked" at the piano at the top of her lungs during break every single day, which forced her to eat her meals in the hallway away from the commotion.
Looks like Carly's changed her tune, and Gaga's won herself a new fan.
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Jared Leto Scales Empire State Building In Honor of Upcoming Tour
King Kong ain't got s*** on Jared Leto ... not after he scaled the tippy-top of the Empire State Building simply to promote his band 30 Seconds to Mars' new tour.
The singer/actor took to the sky above NYC Thursday morning, telling the 'TODAY' hosts he made it to the top of the iconic skyscraper -- something that had always been a goal of his.
He says on his way up, he stopped around the 80th floor where he saw his mom inside, which was a nice surprise ... but when he got to the top of the 102-floor building, he said the views were pretty incredible, especially as the sun started to rise.
The feat wasn't done without a bit of bloodshed, however -- showing hosts Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, Carson Daly, Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones his beat-up paws ... but it sounds like it was worth it.
Jared's big climb wasn't just a bucket list check-off -- he's also promoting the upcoming world tour for his band, 30 Seconds to Mars ... which kicks off in March.
Gotta admit, it's a pretty unique way to sell tickets.
The guy's no stranger to daring climbs like this ... he's been scaling buildings and some insane rock formations for a while now, all of which certainly prepared him for his grueling skyscraper milestone.
6/06/23
As we reported, Jared scaled a Berlin hotel in June, making his way up without rope or a harness to keep him safe -- just a true free climb. While he didn't get that high up, it was still pretty dangerous ... but nothing like Thursday's big accomplishment!
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Wynonna Judd Clings To Jelly Roll During CMA Awards Performance ... Fans Worried About Her
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6:20 AM PT -- Wynonna Judd has clearly seen the criticism and worry from her fans, posting a video to address the performance -- she blames the whole thing on nerves, saying she wanted to be at her best for Jelly Roll. Wynonna says she was simply holding on for dear life ... and will be back on the road for another show.
Wynonna Judd clung to Jelly Roll during their performance Wednesday night at the Country Music Awards -- and now her fans are worried something is wrong with her.
The country music legend hit the stage with JR to sing a duet of Jelly's tune, "Need A Favor," at the 2023 CMA Awards in Nashville.
At one point, Wynonna walked over to Jelly and grabbed his arm, giving off the impression she needed help to stay on her feet. It's unclear if Wynonna was experiencing some type of health issue, but she was able to polish off the song and leave the stage on her own.
Still, her fans took to social media and voiced their concerns after watching her seemingly unsteady performance. Remember, Wynonna lost her iconic mother, Naomi, to suicide in 2022, so she's had a rough time lately.
One fan wrote on X, "She could barely walk. She took baby steps."
Another one asked, "Am I the only one concerned for @Wynonna."
A third person observed, "Something is wrong with her. Hope she is ok. Wynonna Judd is holding on to Jelly Roll for dear life #CMAawards."
And a fourth freaked out, "It was seriously bizarre. I wonder what’s going on? She barely moved once she got a death grip on him."
In some good news from the show ... Jelly Roll took home the trophy for "Best New Artist."
Congrats, JR!!
Originally Published -- 6:10 AM PT
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Timbaland Sorry to Britney and Her Fans ... My 'Muzzle' Joke Was Out Of Line
Timbaland is facing the backlash head-on after his "muzzle joke" aimed at Britney Spears -- he's apologizing to her and her fans, who had a riotous response when his remark went viral.
On Tuesday, during a TikTok streaming session, Timbaland admitted his faults, saying ... "I’m sorry to all the Britney fans, even to her" -- and added he was in the wrong for attempting to block her right to speak out.
Fans thought Timbaland's reaction to Britney's "The Woman in Me" memoir -- particularly the bits about Justin Timberlake -- was in poor taste.
11/07/2023
While on a panel last week with 9th Wonder at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Timbaland quipped JT needed to "put a muzzle" on Britney, blaming today's social media climate for her actions.
Fans thought Timbaland was being insensitive and he saw their perspective, and when some of them asked if he respects women, he fired back a hearty "hell yeah."
JT and Tim go way back -- but so do JT and Britney. In her book, she says they both decided to have an abortion when she got pregnant back in 2000 ... among other shocking revelations from her heyday.
We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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BRITNEY SPEARS 'CHRISTINA SUCKS' DOOR COULD FETCH $30K
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Britney Spears' "Dirrty" dig at Christina Aguilera could make bank for the buyer of her childhood Louisiana home.
As we recently reported, Brit's former Kentwood home is on the market for $1.2M after the star's estranged father, Jamie Spears, sold it two and half years ago for a mere $289K.
Much of the 3-bed, 3-bathroom home's OG furnishings have been preserved -- including a very damning door statement, which tells us that Britney's rivalry with Xtina has always been "Toxic."
"Christina sucks, Brit rules" is scribbled in black marker across a wooden door ... which, if put up for auction, could see fans dropping HUGE sums of money to get their hands on the rare, one-of-a-kind nineties memorabilia.
Bobby Livingston, executive VP at RR Auction, tells TMZ that the door could bag anywhere between $20-$30K.
Jared Mast, head of pop culture at Goldin Auctions, says that the handwriting would first need to be authenticated in order to know the true value. If that message is in Britney's handwriting, he could see the door selling for between $10,000-$20,000 given the background.
Ed Kosinski of Gotta Have Rock and Roll reckons it could go between $20-$25K ... while Darren Julien, CEO of Julien's Auctions, speculates to us it would go for only between $4-6K.
But if you do have the cash to flash ... then the entirety of Britney's home could also get you her mini-NSYNC bedroom shrine and the original dance studio where she once practiced her Mouseketeering dance moves.
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Guns N' Roses Duff McKagan Adopts Adorable Rescue Puppy
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Guns N' Roses' bass player, Duff McKagan, is the proud owner of an adorable new pup ... a rescue he picked up with his boo as a brand new addition to their family.
Duff and his wife, Susan Holmes McKagan, rescued the little one Monday from The Labelle Foundation in Los Angeles -- an organization that's all about rescuing, rehabbing, and advocating for dogs.
The doggo is a chihuahua-terrier mix and is just about as adorable as it sounds.
And if ya still aren't on board, check out this clip of it running around in the grass ... awww!!!
BTW, Guns N' Roses just wrapped the North American leg of its latest tour -- closing out with a couple of shows at The Hollywood Bowl and a killer concert at Hell And Heaven Fest in Mexico.
Translation ... Duff and Susan have some time on their hands to train their adorable dog.
Welcome to the rockin' family, lil pup!
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LADY GAGA 'DROVE ME CRAZY IN COLLEGE' ... Says 'Bachelor' Alum Carly Waddell
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Lady Gaga has the world at her feet now, but she's getting no "Applause" from a former college classmate -- Carly Waddell claims the singer's behavior would "drive her crazy."
"Bachelor" alum Carly is also a singer -- though she's more known for her TV dating conquests -- and while on ex-"Bachelor" star Jason Tartick's podcast, "Trading Secrets," she revealed she was "not a fan" of Gaga back when they were both attending NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.
Case in point ... Carly said that Gaga -- who went by her real name, Stefani, back then -- would dismiss basic lunchtime etiquette, singing "Wicked" at the top of her lungs while on the piano as others tried to eat in peace ... every single day.
Carly said, "It was break time, and we were forced to listen to her" ... which she found so irritating, she started eating her lunch in the hallway just to flee Gaga's singing.
But did Gaga's flair for performing arts put her above everyone else in class? Carly says no ... but with Grammys, an Academy Award & many more accolades under her belt, she acknowledges that Gaga is NOW above everyone else.
So, considering Gaga's age-old mantra, it's probs best to not be annoying AF if you need one person to believe in you in a room full of 100.
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Jungkook & Latto 'Seven' Goes Platinum 💿 BTS Star Busts Out MJ Moves!!!
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BTS' Jungkook just dropped his debut solo album, entitled "Golden" ... but he can go ahead and bust out some platinum instead for a big celebration.
His "Seven" collab with Latto just crossed the million sales mark, a milestone that comes on the heels of the track becoming the fastest to reach one billion streams on Spotify!!!
Jimmy Fallon broke the news to Jungkook on 'The Tonight Show' last night -- prompting the pop star to hit his best rendition of Michael Jackson moves!!!
Later on in the interview, JK attempted to teach Jimmy the dance to his new single "Standing Next to You" ... but the talk show host couldn't get down with the MJ-esque crotch grab at the end of the routine!!!
TMZ Hip Hop recently spoke to Latto and the "777" rapper told us the No. 1 collab expanded her global audience ... and she's standing by on a call for their next pairing.
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Katy Perry Parties At Chainsmokers Show ... With Orlando Bloom After Residency Wraps
Katy Perry had the time of her life after closing the curtain on her Las Vegas residency ... living it up with her boo, Orlando Bloom, at The Chainsmokers' concert.
Orlando and Katy were groovin' Saturday night at the DJ duo's residency at the XS Nightclub inside the Wynn Las Vegas ... the "Firework" singer was really feelin' the music, grabbing the mic and singing along to the track -- even if she didn't totally nail the lyrics.
It appears KP had a couple of drinks in her, having some playful fun with 1/2 of the Chainsmokers crew, Drew Taggart -- but hey, she's earned it after closing a big chapter in her musical career.
For those unaware, Katy kicked off her Vegas residency at the end of 2021, putting on 80 shows at Resorts World Theatre. At her final show on Saturday, Katy called Orlando an amazing father and said her 3-year-old daughter, Daisy, was her "best friend."
Katy also teased the crowd after her last show ended -- a screen lowered that read, "See ya next year ..." hinting at more exciting things to come not just for the singer, but for the fans!
As we reported, the stars were out for Katy's last show, too ... including Celine Dion, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Cameron Diaz, and Zoe Saldana.
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Taylor Swift 'Eras' Movie Still Playing in Israel ... Despite Rumors to Contrary
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Taylor Swift's concert film is still playing in Israel -- this despite some who thought she'd yanked the flick to make a political statement ... which we've learned ain't the case at all.
Here's the deal ... the 'Eras' movie just started hitting cinemas in Israel last week -- the first time it'd reached that territory as the international rollout continues -- and folks were happy to go see it.
However, come Monday ... some were having technical issues in snapping up tickets for this week, and as a result -- a frenzy started to ensue over the perceived halt.
As far as what exactly the problem was ... people who were going to Taylor's official website for the 'Eras' movie could not pull up Israeli locations at all. When you searched for Israel, the site automatically kicked users to other areas in the Middle East ... like Lebanon.
As a result, a lot of people started jumping to conclusions, and speculating that Taylor and/or her team had done this intentionally ... as a way to signal their stance on Israel-Palestine.
Of course, Taylor's close friendship with Gigi Hadid -- with whom she had just dined this past weekend -- also jumped into people's minds ... as they assumed this (would-be) move to yank the flick in Israeli theaters was a result of GH getting into T-Swift's ear on this issue.
That couldn't be further from the truth though ... because, as of right now -- people can access those Israel tickets from her site ... and we have an explanation for what happened that made it inaccessible in the first place.
As it turns out ... we're told there's actually a third-party company that deals with posting Taylor's worldwide showtimes on her official 'Eras' movie website -- aka, this isn't something she or her team deal with themselves.
It's unclear what the holdup was in uploading this week's showtimes ... but rest assured it was merely a delay on the third-party company's part, and we're told the issue has now been rectified -- with showings available for purchase in and around Israel.
Long story short ... there is NO political statement that Taylor is trying to take here, and she was NOT trying to stick it to Israel over what's going on in Gaza.
We did extra digging on this to make sure it wasn't just a pivot only after people noticed, BTW ... because even while tickets in Israel were temporarily not available to the public on TS's site, we confirmed you could still go to individual Israeli theater chains/sites and purchase tickets there -- which just speak to this someone dragging their feet by mistake.
It's all fixed now, though ... and Israeli Taylor fans can enjoy her this week as well. Her movie screens Thursday through Sunday -- so go reserve your seats, if you're inclined.
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Aaron Carter Son Visits Grave On Death Anniversary ... Passed 1 Year Ago
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Emotional day for Aaron Carter's family ... with his son visiting the late singer's grave site, exactly one year after his death.
Sunday marked the first anniversary of Aaron's passing, and his fam stopped by his headstone at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.
Aaron's ex-fiancée Melanie Martin brought their son Prince with her ... and folks who were there tell us Aaron's twin sister, Angel, was already at the gravesite when Melanie and Prince arrived.
In addition to Aaron's mourning family, we're told fans also showed up to pay their respects ... many leaving candles and flowers.
TMZ broke the story ... Aaron was found dead in his Lancaster, CA home Nov. 5, 2022, and the official cause of death was drowning as a result of being under the influence.
On Aaron's death anniversary, we're told Prince walked up to his father's gravestone and counted all the candles left by fans -- there were 20 -- and Melanie hung around until the cemetery closed for a private moment at Aaron's grave.
As we first told you ... Aaron's family recently installed a new headstone, featuring an oval portrait of Aaron.
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Selena Gomez Beauty Co. Takes Firmer Stance ... On Israel-Palestine Conflict
Selena Gomez tried speaking on Israel-Palestine -- but ended up saying a whole lot of nothing/getting dragged ... but now, her company seems to be clarifying where she stands.
The singer-actress's very own Rare Beauty -- of which she is the founder and chairwoman -- just posted a lengthy statement on the war in the Middle East ... and right off the bat, it seems like they're leaning way more pro-Palestine here.
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Rare Beauty's IG account threw up a photo of a maroon square with the words "Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza" superimposed below. So, yes -- that alone tells you how they view things.
Their caption is a mouthful, and they certainly try to walk the line ... but even there, RB makes clear that they do not condone or support what's going on on the Palestinian side of this situation -- namely, Israel moving in to the area and trying to snuff out Hamas.
Of course ... there've been a lot of casualties along the way, and that's where Rare Beauty draws the line -- saying, "Thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes & millions of civilians have been displaced & left without access to food, water, medicine, or basic necessities for survival. A large number of these victims are children. Palestinian civilians must be protected, period."
The company continues ... "We remain heartbroken by the horrible terror attack against innocent civilians in Israel on October 7th, many of them also children. There is no situation where attacks on civilians are acceptable. We strongly denounce any & all forms of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia."
Here, they're acknowledging the slaughter of 1,400 Israelis ... and saying that attacks on civilians are wrong. However, at this point, it seems they're focusing on Palestine in that regard.
What's interesting about Rare Beauty's stance here is that it seems to be a much more clear message than what Selena initially posted last week ... when she attempted to wade into the controversy, but caught a lot of flak by seemingly putting the focus on herself.
She did say that she doesn't stand for any act of hate -- but it was a little vague on which side of the aisle she was saying that for. Now, Rare Beauty is clarifying ... it's both sides.
But, what can't be denied is that they feel like Israel's response is overboard at this point -- evidenced by what they characterize as a crisis in Gaza. That echoes the mass demonstrations taking place all over the country right now ... most of which are pro-Palestine.
While Selena might've had a hard time communicating her feelings, her LLC stepped in and appears to have spoken on her behalf. You know they wouldn't post this without her sign-off.
Rare Beauty guides people to a number of resources in their IG post, and they also note they're going to be donating to a number of orgs that provide international aid. They're also calling on everyone to be kind to each other in these troubling, scary times.