Money

Don Lemon isn't losing sleep over Elon Musk's influence on President-elect Donald Trump ... though, he does think people should be concerned about billionaires' control of the media.

We caught up with the newsman at LAX a day before he announced his decision to exit Musk's social media site ... and he shared his 2 cents on the Tesla CEO's close relationship with the soon-to-be 47th President of the United States.

As Lemon put it ... Trump's win doesn't heighten Musk's impact, as the businessman already had a massive reach given his net worth and resources. Lemon is doubtful Musk would step into an official role in Trump's administration, theorizing the tech magnate would follow in the footsteps of billionaires before him ... influencing the prez from behind the scenes.

Nelly can put his August arrest for possession of ecstasy behind him and focus on the jackpot he won the same night ... prosecutors will not be issuing the "Country Grammar" rapper any charges.

Chris King, spokesperson for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, tells TMZ Hip Hop, "We don't believe the facts in this case warrant the issuing of charges."

Nelly’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, gave us further clarity ... "Wesley Bell, the prosecuting attorney, and his office looked at all the circumstances and after a fair and impartial review of the evidence, declined to prosecute."

Kevin DiCicco, who is known for creating the canine character Air Bud in the movie of the same name, is no longer facing homelessness thanks to an outpouring of donations ... leaving him inspired for a comeback.

He tells TMZ ... an old pal launched a GoFundMe after learning of his situation, and it's skyrocketed to over $11K in donations after we highlighted his story. Kevin says he is overcome with shock and gratitude over the generosity.

However, he is feeling most relieved that he's no longer bound for the streets ... as he's set to receive the funds sometime next week.

Britney Spears is 3 days away from closing the books on child support ... namely, the checkbook.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney will write her last child support check (yes, we know, it's actually going to be wired) November 15.

We're told she's been making bi-monthly payments to ex-hubby Kevin Federline on behalf of Jayden James, their youngest son who turned 18 2 months ago. She paid $10,000 at the beginning of November and will make her final $10,000 payment Friday.

The Muppets' famed home in Hollywood will have new owners soon ... John Mayer and McG are set to buy The Jim Henson Company Lot -- after the Church of Scientology had reportedly been eyeing the property, TMZ has confirmed.

Mayer's rep confirmed the singer and the director are "under contract to buy Henson Studios" ... which was once A&M Studios, and Charlie Chaplin Studios before that -- making it an important piece of Hollywood history.

John and McG are shelling out a whopping $60 million to nab the deed to the Tinseltown tourist spot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Ole Miss fans' excitement over their team's big win against Georgia just cost their university $350,000 ... as the SEC handed the school a hefty fine after spectators stormed the field before time expired in Saturday's matchup.

The conference announced the penalty on Monday ... days after the Rebels handled the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs in a 28-10 effort.

The penalty is split up due to two infractions -- $250k for the fans rushing the gridiron ... and another $100k for doing so with time remaining in the contest.

Oprah Winfrey is shutting down claims she was paid $1 million to host a town hall on behalf of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign ... with the talk show legend declaring it's all BS.

While Oprah wasn't too keen to talk about the election results, which saw Donald Trump emerge as the President-elect ... she did make it clear she didn't accept a dime to hit the campaign trail on behalf of the Vice President.

When asked about the alleged $1M payday, OW said the reports were "not true" ... adding she "was paid nothing -- ever."

Jason Sudeikis lived out his childhood fantasy (we suspect) this past weekend ... the "Ted Lasso" star dreamed he was Chuck D -- and woke up in real life performing with Flavor Flavvvvv!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained footage of Jason and Flav flawlessly nailing Public Enemy and Anthrax's classic headbanger "Bring The Noise" in Kansas City at the 8th annual THUNDERGONG charity concert inside Uptown Theater this weekend!!!

Flav gets credited as one of hip hop's greatest hype men, and Jason definitely held his own with full breath control all the way to the end of the track!!! Don't worry about Chuck ... he's still out here dropping lyrics louder than a bomb!!!

"Joker: Folie à Deux" was always going to be a flop, and even members of the cast knew it ... this according to one of those very actors.

Tim Dillon -- a comedian who appears in the critically-reviled film -- stopped by "The Joe Rogan Experience" earlier this week ... and, during the three-hour discussion, the two chatted about TD's new flick bombing at the box office.

Dillon's unequivocal here ... calling the movie literally the "worst film ever made" -- saying he think the creatives behind it got cold feet when there was pushback from film critics on some of the first film's themes.

Kevin DiCicco, the man who owned Buddy -- star of the popular "Air Bud" movies -- and helped create the film series is in dire straits ... he's homeless, about to be kicked out of the shelter where he's staying.

TMZ spoke to DiCicco Saturday ... who tells us he's staying at a shelter down in San Diego, but his 90-day limit is coming to an end soon -- and, he has no idea where he'll go from here. It's the end of the line ... and, he's terrified.

Kevin -- who found future dog actor Buddy near his Yosemite cabin and took him in back in the day -- explains his next step seems to be living on the street ... complicated by the major health issue with which he is dealing.

Nick Bosa's political message after the San Francisco 49ers Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys ain't going unpunished ... 'cause the league just hit him with a manageable fine.

The four-time Pro Bowler was just hit with an $11,255 fine after he wore a white and gold "Make America Great Again" hat on the field after his team's 30-24 win over their longtime rivals.

ICYMI ... Bosa stopped by a postgame interview his teammates Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Isaac Guerendo were giving, flashed the hat, and then ran off toward the sideline. It's a pretty quick moment, but it sparked a pretty massive uproar.

Country star Brantley Gilbert just officially offloaded his Georgia pad, scoring a cool $2.2M in the process.

Brantley first put his Maysville home on the market in July, aiming for $3.5 million. Though he didn't quite hit that mark, he still walked away with a tidy profit, considering he built the place from scratch in 2012 after buying the land for just $130K.

Real estate sources previously told us Brantley’s trading up -- he's leaving his current pad because he’s after even more space and recently snagged 300 acres of farmland nearby.

Vice President Kamala Harris may've lost the 2024 Presidential Election, but her future is still looking bright ... the politician could rake in the dough with speaking engagements.

Darren Prince, the CEO of Prince Marketing Group, tells TMZ ... the VP could easily bring in $200K to $250K per speaking engagement after her highly publicized presidential campaign.

Per Prince -- who represents celebs like Magic Johnson, David Goggins, and Hulk Hogan -- it wouldn't be hard to book Harris for gigs around the world ... she'd just have to talk about her life and experiences, which she already did on the campaign trail.

The Bronny James effect has made its way to the G League ... with ticket prices surging after it was announced the Lakers rookie would make his debut with the team's affiliate in South Bay this weekend.

As we previously reported, LeBron's son will split time between the NBA and its developmental league for the foreseeable future ... with the 20-year-old slated to play in South Bay's home contests.

Tickets for Saturday's game against Salt Lake City at the UCLA Health Training Center were around $58 on popular platforms at the time of the announcement ... but in the hours following, they've become increasingly more pricey.

Hollywood A-listers are teaming up with the org Home For Our Troops, offering fans a shot at once-in-a-lifetime experiences and some seriously cool items -- all in support of American veterans.

George Clooney is kicking things off big this year, returning as a longtime supporter of the cause by auctioning off his Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M watch in 18K red gold at the 8th Annual Veterans Day Celebrity Auction.

Chris Evans is adding a personalized video message and a signed "Captain America" poster to the mix ... Jennifer Aniston’s throwing in a signed Valentino handbag ... Whoopi Goldberg is giving away some autographed sneakers ... and Mindy Kaling donated her black Rachel Gilbert dress she wore on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."