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Britney Spears hasn't yet scheduled a flight heading east for the holidays, but her mom still believes a last-minute Christmas miracle might happen in the 11th hour ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... there are still talks about Britney returning home for Christmas in Louisiana, where her mother Lynne Spears still resides.

Now, we're told official travel arrangements haven't necessarily been made at this point -- but our sources tell us Lynne and people in Britney's world feel like there's time on the table to make something happen ... and we've been assured Lynne herself is certainly hopeful.

It's unclear what exactly the holdup might be on Britney's end -- especially considering she just recently hosted Lynne here in L.A. for her 42nd birthday and appeared to be on great terms with her mom.

Sounds like Lynne's leaving the ball in Britney's court ... and praying for some movement. BTW, she signaled this same feeling to us on camera not too long ago at LAX.

Whether Brit ends up jetting on over or not remains to be seen -- but our sources tell us ... everyone in this situation feels like Britney should realize she has one mother, and since they've already started patching things up ... they oughta be together for the holiday.

Mariah Carey's reign as the Queen of Xmas is only getting stronger ... as she journeyed to D.C. to spread some festive cheer at the White House.

In a post shared to her IG Wednesday, the singer posed with President Joe Biden ... with her 12-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe in tow.

Wearing a glittering minidress and matching cropped jacket for some extra Christmas flare, Mariah was in her element as she also got snap-happy with Kamala Harris & her hubby Doug Emhoff.

In the caption, Mariah gushed about all the extensive festive decor she saw during the visit ... which took place last week with her brood.

The twins have been popping up a lot lately in their momma's Christmas-related ventures ... most recently in the music vid for the upgraded version of her classic, "All I Want For Christmas Is You."

Madonna's on Santa's naughty list this year -- and while he looked totally down to revel in some fun smut at her concert, it ended up costing him with an onstage fall.

The singer brought out a Claus -- classic red suit and all -- during Tuesday night's stop in D.C. for her "Celebration" tour, and it looks like they were attempting to do some kind of edgy lap dance sequence with him and some of her backup dancers.

SC plopped down on a chair, waiting for his treats -- with Madonna standing nearby to monitor the choreography. When the dancer finally mounted him ... they both went tumbling.

Nobody was hurt or anything, but it was a lil' embarrassing ... especially for the jolly man, who should be plenty used to folks on his lap by now.

Funny enough, no one skipped a beat in the moment. The dancer who went down immediately got back to poppin'/lockin' (even from the floor) ... and Madge continued handling mic duties like nothing happened -- all of this while Saint Nick was slowly trying to get up.

Mariah Carey's doing some retail therapy in her favorite place to be this time of year -- but she's doing it alone, just as the buzz builds about some upheaval in her love life.

The "All I Want For Christmas Is You" singer is enjoying the holidays over in Aspen -- her annual trip -- and looked fabulous Tuesday in white while shopping by herself.

The solo excursion comes directly on the heels of speculation she's called it quits with longtime boyfriend Bryan Tanaka.

It's interesting to see the self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas without Bryan as the holiday fast approaches, because he also hasn't been around at all during her "Merry Christmas One and All!" tour.

Mariah and Bryan have spent Christmas together in Aspen in the past ... so his absence is pretty glaring and only fuels speculation they've split after 7 years.

Vanilla Ice recently said he once palled around with Pablo Escobar, but didn't know he was a major drug kingpin -- and his explanation boils down to ... greenbacks put ya in a bubble.

The rapper made the revelation in a VladTV interview, saying he used to party with the notorious Colombian gangster during his heyday in the '90s ... but insists he didn't even realize how big a deal Escobar was back then -- especially in the eyes of the feds.

Ice, aka Rob Van Winkle, says he hosted Pablo several times at his Florida home at the time -- and on Tuesday, he joined us on "TMZ Live" to elaborate on what exactly they had in common as buddies.

Watch, he says their shared love of speed boats actually drew them together at first, and he even gives credit to the drug trafficker for fueling innovations in boat racing ... on account of how much money he poured into it at the time, making it kinda mainstream.

As for when/how he came to learn that Pablo wasn't actually a great guy and might've been mixed up in shady business -- well, Ice says it dawned on him when the FBI questioned him.

Listen to his story for yourself, 'cause it's wild. As Ice notes, this was before Google, so lots of people were in the dark about Mr. Escobar's, umm ... activities.

Of course, Pablo was tracked down in Colombia in '93 ... where he was killed on a rooftop while being pursued by the authorities. He'd built a massive illicit empire, but on the backs of a lot of bodies and bloodshed ... while spreading illegal narcotics all over the world.

Madonna says she was in a deep, controlled sleep during her hospitalization this year -- noting how lucky she is to be alive and giving insight into what she remembers in that state.

The singer made the startling revelation over the weekend during a show in Brooklyn, serving as one of the latest stops on her tour. At one point during the concert, she paused to address the crowd ... and said she'd been induced into a coma back in the summer.

Check it out ... Madge explains that a friend of hers, Shavawn, was one of the few people on hand when she passed out on the bathroom floor and made sure she got to an ER STAT.

Madonna thanked her personally -- Shavawn was in the audience that night -- and then went on to say that she also has her Kabbalah teacher to thank for being there at her side while she was in comatose. Interestingly, Madonna says she can remember hearing his voice.

As for what she can recall her teacher saying while she was under ... a common ask that anyone in that situation can identify with, especially when tending to a loved one.

Now, Madonna says when she regained consciousness ... one of the first things she saw was her six children sitting around her hospital bed. She jokes that it took a life-threatening situation to finally get all of them in one room, but sounds grateful they were there.

Madge has talked quite a bit about her health scare throughout her tour, which resumed in October -- although, she's confessed along the way that she's still not necessarily 100%.

You'll recall, she suffered a serious bacterial infection that put her out of commission for a good while ... but eventually, Madonna was back on her two feet and out in public again.

A devastating update on Celine Dion's debilitating battle with Stiff-Person Syndrome ... as her sister says she's lost control of her muscles.

The star's sister, Claudette Dion, revealed the shocking turn in her disease which causes painful muscle spasms, saying it would be a while before Celine returns to the stage.

She told 7 Jours it broke her heart 'cause her sister had always been disciplined and hard-working ... recalling their late mother telling Celine her habits would make her successful -- but that very success now appears threatened.

Despite the grim outlook, Claudette says it's still Celine's goal to return to the stage -- but in what capacity, she doesn't know.

Research into the neurological disorder is still ongoing ... but because it's so rare, it means progress is slow -- which Claudette can't wrap her head around ... adding that many people in the same boat have "lost hope" of a cure ever being found.

The update comes after she told HELLO! Canada in Sept that Celine was "doing everything" in her power to recover ... but her spasms were impossible to control.

The "All By Myself' singer announced she was stricken with the disease in a December 2022 video message ... forcing her to cancel a bunch of her 2023 concert dates.

3 ½ years after last being seen in public, Celine was spotted last month at a hockey game between the Vegas Golden Knights and her hometown Montreal Canadiens -- looking in good spirits despite her health woes.

Madonna had some words for Andy Cohen ... playfully airing her grievances with him after spotting him at her "Celebration" tour in NYC.

The Queen of Pop advised the talk show host to steer clear of any future digs on "Watch What Happens Live" ... with a clip showing her walking up to him with a bottle in hand during Saturday's show, asking, "How f****** lucky am I, Andy?"

"If you say one more bad thing about me on your show," she began jolting her drink forward enough for some spillage near Andy -- cautioning: "Oh yeah, you're gonna be in so much trouble. You little troublemaking queen!!"

A public talking to from Madonna would make many want to dissipate into a deep, dark hole -- but Andy was delighted by the scolding -- mouthing "I love you" to the star.

In fact, he was so thrilled he shared the clip on IG, writing that as a lifelong Madonna fan, he was blown away to be called a "troublemaking queen" -- and couldn't wait to go back.

The duo's paths have crossed before IRL ... with them posing together for a snap as far back as 2009 ... though it looks like Andy's consistently found himself in the fan zone with her.

As for what jibes Madonna was referring to ... we don't know for sure, though earlier this year, Andy said he was so over the Material Girl not materializing on his show.

Anita Baker's latest live performance is catching a little heat after she apparently got testy with the audience out in Texas -- parts of which were captured on video.

The legendary crooner was doing a show in Houston's Toyota Center Friday night and playing to a pretty solid-sized audience ... but at certain points during the gig, AB appears to have gotten into it a bit with some folks down in the front row.

There are 2 videos, in particular, that are circulating online right now -- one shows Anita telling some people right below her near the stage to stop recording ... in the middle of a song.

There's another moment where Anita could be seen/heard asking for security to boot folks.

Overall, this seems to have left a bad taste in people's mouths -- with some online complaining that Anita was more concerned with arguing with a select few ticket-buyers than doing the best job she could onstage. Others claimed she seemed to miss some lyrics ... and alleged her performance, overall, was relatively short-lived and somewhat sloppy.

Now, there's a good handful of people defending Anita ... saying the folks in the front row were, in fact, acting up and testing AB. Others said the performance, at large, was great.

Of course, the larger backdrop to this is the Babyface feud she was in earlier this year while on the road -- during which she got into it with both him and his fans in the Twitter-sphere.

Justin Bieber's been out of the spotlight for the majority of the year -- focusing on his own health -- and it looks like he's capping off 2023 going downhill ... literally, that is.

The singer was spotted in Aspen Saturday, where he was snowboarding ... a bit of a tradition for him this time of year. He appeared to be shredding here all by his lonesome, but he did have some company going up the mountain -- chatting up a fellow chairlift rider.

JB looked fairly stone-faced and serious cruising down the slopes ... staying up on his two feet and handling himself well. Dude's an avid snowboarder -- so he knows what he's doing.

BTW, his wife Hailey is there in tjown as well ... they jetted on over together on Friday.

As for Justin, this is just more of the same with him lately -- the guy's been super active when it comes to athletics and other activities ... and he's always hitting the town with Hailey as well. The one thing he isn't doing much of these days ... singing/performing.

Remember, it was way back in March when he officially suspended the rest of his 'Justice' tour dates internationally ... this not too long after pumping the brakes on it all in 2022.

He cited mental health concerns ... but he's battling physical ailments on and off for a while now too.

Colin Burgess -- the original drummer for AC/DC -- has died, this according to the heavy metal band's Facebook page.

In a statement posted Friday night, the iconic group wrote, "Very sad to hear of the passing of Colin Burgess. He was our first drummer and a very respected musician. Happy memories, rock in peace Colin." His cause of death was not disclosed.

In 1973, Burgess became a member of AC/DC with sibling guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young, singer Dave Evans and bassist Larry Van Kriedt.

Burgess didn't last very long after AC/DC cut their first hit, "Can I Sit Next to You Girl" and played their first gig at Chequers nightclub in Sydney, Australia.

Within a year, Burgess was given the boot after the band accused him of getting wasted on stage during a 1974 performance. The drummer tried to save his job by claiming someone had spiked his drink, but his excuse fell on deaf ears.

AC/DC replaced him with a number of other drummers, including longtime member Phil Rudd. The group even re-recorded "Can I Sit Next To You Girl" with Rudd on drums.

Burgess also played drums in a popular Australian rock band called The Masters Apprentices between 1968 to 1972. In 1988, he and the other members of the group were inducted into Australia's ARIA Hall Of Fame.

Burgess was 77.

Justin Timberlake seemed to address the controversy around him in Britney Spears' recent memoir during his Sin City performance -- using just two words to make his cryptic point.

As you know, JT hit the stage to perform in a theater at the grand opening of the posh Fontainebleau Las Vegas Wednesday night -- but, as he teed up his hit, "Cry Me A River," he suddenly made his very brief comment.

Check out this new footage ... Before launching into the song, JT turned to the packed crowd and said, "No disrespect," apparently referring to Britney, who slammed the track for its link to their shattered relationship in her book, "The Woman In Me," published in October.

JT created the tune after his 2002 breakup with Brit, alluding to infidelity in the lyrics and, in an accompanying video, he shared the spotlight with a woman who looks a bit like Brit.

In her memoir, Brit revealed several of the secrets they kept as a couple for years, shocking the world with her claim that Justin got her pregnant and they agreed to get an abortion.

Brit wrote that they didn't want the news to leak to the media, so they opted for an at-home abortion -- which BS described as an excruciatingly painful procedure.

She also said infidelity was a 2-way street in their relationship.

A tragedy unfolded for fans of Brazilian gospel singer Pedro Henrique ... as he collapsed onstage in the middle of a performance and died.

The incident happened Wednesday night during a religious event in Brazil, where Pedro was performing a song when he suddenly fell to the floor unconscious ... and it's all on video.

Footage shows Pedro on the edge of the stage interacting with the crowd and singing the song "Vai Ser Tão Lindo" when he appears to lose his balance ... falling backward in front of his band and crashing to the ground.

Once Pedro collapsed onstage, folks rushed over to help him as the horrified crowd watched in shock.

Pedro was rushed from the concert venue to a nearby medical clinic, where he was pronounced dead ... and his record label, Todah Music, says he suffered a massive heart attack.

He was only 30.

Justin Timberlake apparently made a boatload of $$$ for his performance during the grand opening of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Vegas Wednesday, but he triggered a hotel war by staying overnight at the Wynn.

Justin shared a pic after his big appearance at Fontainebleau's big event, strolling down a hotel hallway with his wife, Jessica Biel. Thing is ... something looked off.

Social media sleuths noticed the hallway isn't part of the Fontainebleau ... it's the Wynn! So dude got a reported $6.1 million from the Fontainebleau and chose to put his head on a Wynn pillow.

The folks over at Wynn found JT's post irresistible ... re-posting the pic on the hotel's IG with the caption, "where everyone ends up."

Wynn's post has been taken down, but point well made!

We checked with Fontainebleau and although rooms Wednesday night were not available to the public, they were available to the celebs, including Justin, who attended the grand opening.

The feud between Fontainebleau and Wynn has been brewing for a while. Wynn had accused Fontainebleau of poaching its employees, so this was payback.

8:10 AM PT -- A source close to Madonna says doors were at 7:30 PM, her opener, DJ Honey Dijon went on at 8:30 and then Madonna was scheduled to hit the stage between 9:30 and 10.

Our source says there were issues with the audio, so it further delayed Madonna's start time ... she eventually hit the stage around 10:45 and gave a full show.

Madonna was more than fashionably late to kick off the North American portion of her world tour ... and frustrated fans were quick to unload on the "Material Girl."

The singer was scheduled to start her Barclays Center show in Brooklyn Wednesday night at 8:30 PM -- the first U.S. stop of her "Celebration" tour -- but as the clock ticked past to 10:30 PM, fans started getting restless in their seats, and started ripping Madge on social media.

One person shared a view from their seats, with everyone impatiently waiting for the show to begin ... and another tweeted, "I don't give a f*** if you're Madonna, if you're 3 hours late, you're just f***ing rude."

Another angry fan claimed the whole crowd started chanting "bulls***" as the hours kept going by ... with a separate person writing, "I WANT A REFUND NOW."

Around 11, Madonna ended up starting the show ... and tardiness aside, she still put on a helluva performance with her huge catalog of hits -- and it looked like the crowd was having a blast as the late night went on.

BTW, a source close to Madonna confirms to TMZ that the delay was due to sound issues ... and we're told claims she was 3 hours late are impossible.

Still, 2.5 hours late was enough for fans to express themselves!

Taylor Swift hit the Big Apple in a big way with her A-list friends to celebrate her 34th birthday Wednesday night ... but her boyfriend Travis Kelce couldn't be by her side because of the whole mandatory football practice thing.

The 12-time Grammy Award winner galavanted around Manhattan with BFF Blake Lively, first grabbing some grub at Freemans before heading over to The Box nightclub to party.

At Freemans, Taylor and Blake were photographed exiting their SUV and walking hand-in-hand inside the restaurant. Both were dressed in all black and looked absolutely stunning.

Taylor was in a mini dress accentuating her legs and Blake was sporting a leather ensemble with knee-high boots.

After their meal, the two made their way to The Box nearby ... and that's when all the fun really kicked off as Taylor's famous friends dropped in for her Bday bash.

Celeb attendees included ... Gigi Hadid, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, his wife Keleigh Sperry, sisters Este and Alana Haim and Antoni Porowski.

But, one person was glaringly missing from the soiree -- Taylor's hunky boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

Travis had a very good excuse for skipping out ... the Kansas City Chiefs tight end had mandatory football practice for his upcoming game Sunday against the New England Patriots.

As we previously reported ... the couple got in a pre-celebration with his mom, Donna Kelce, and his QB, Patrick Mahomes Sunday night.