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Max Julien -- famous for his leading role in the blaxploitation film 'The Mack' -- has died.

The actor/writer/producer passed away on Jan. 1, due to undisclosed circumstances -- this according to his PR team ... who says his wife discovered him early him Saturday morning.

In a statement, they say in part ... "During Julien's decades-long career, he was known for being bold, honest and straightforward. He would live and speak his own truth both professionally and privately. He was thought of as a rare 'man among men'."

Comic book writer and film producer David F. Walker broke the news about Julien's death in a social media post, honoring his friend.

He wrote, "I met Max back in 1996. He was a great human being, and we had so many amazing conversations. He was brilliant and hilarious and charismatic... R.I.P" DFW's caption accompanied an artistic rendering of Julien in his prime, depicting a classic scene from 'TM.'

No cause of death was revealed.

While he's got handful of acting credits, Julien will be most remembered for playing Goldie in the '73 cult classic film -- in which he portrays an ambitious up-and-coming pimp in Oakland, who faces off with corrupt cops and a drug kingpin upon being released from prison.

Along the way, he builds his roster of women with his sidekick, Slim ... who, funny enough, is played by a then-young Richard Pryor, well before he blew up as a big time actor. RP, of course, was already well established as a comedian at this point.

Several different lines and scenes from 'The Mack' have made their way into popular culture -- especially in hip-hop, with multiple rappers sampling snippets of the film into their songs. Some of those MCs who paid tribute -- Too Short, Snoop Dogg, Raekwon, Mobb Deep, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Jadakiss, MC Ren, Kriss Kross and Big K.R.I.T. ... just to name a few.

Some other notable movies and shows Julien has starred in ... "The Black Klansman," "Psych-Out," "Uptight," "Mod Squad," "Getting Straight," "How to Be Player," among others. He also helped create the 'Cleopatra Jones franchise -- another blaxploitation saga.

Julien is survived by his wife, Arabella. He was 88, despite what his public birthday is listed as online. We've been assured ... Max was born in 1933.

They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade ... and when life gives you frigid temps and frozen bodies of water, strap a pair of sharpened blades to your feet a go for the bone-chilling ride of your life!

Hollywood elite like Kendall Jenner, Rebel Wilson and Manolo Gonzalez Vergara are all putting their careers on ice to try and live on the edge and continue to skate through life in a blades blaze of glory!

Kourtney Kardashian, Molly Ringwald, Jonathan Van Ness and a bunch of other freezing famous faces are getting a good workout by sliding into the trend and sharing their ice shots on social media for you to chill with.

AJ McKee has conquered the cage ... and now the Bellator champ tells TMZ Sports he wouldn't mind spending time in a ring boxing against arguably the 2 biggest combat sports athletes in the world.

Floyd Mayweather. Conor McGregor.

We talked to the 26-year-old undefeated MMA star at the Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley boxing match in Tampa ... and we asked AJ about all things his combat sports career.

First, on boxing.

"I wanna test my skills against some of the best and that's why I've always called out Floyd. It's not like, 'Oh, I wanna beat Floyd.' I wanna test my skills in hand-to-hand combat with one of the best athletes in hand-to-hand combat," McKee says.

We then asked about McGregor ... and AJ says he's down to box the Irish superstar -- or anyone else.

"I'm down for anybody. If it's 145, 155, 170. In boxing, I'll go up 3 weight classes."

Of course, Floyd and Conor boxed in 2017 ... a fight Mayweather won by TKO. It was one of the biggest sports events ever. Floyd then went on to box Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa and Logan Paul.

Now, about McKee's day job as Bellator champ. We asked him where he goes from here ... after beating fellow badass Patricio "Pitbull" Freire, winning the promotions 145 lb. million dollar tournament.

"I would like to be double champ," AJ says.

"Becoming double champ is definitely bucket list. Be a champ-champ and then see where the path lies after that."

But, promotions aside -- UFC, Bellator, ONE, PFL -- who's the best 145 pounder on the planet?

McKee says he's all about finding out ... if that means scrapping with guys like Brian Ortega, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski.

"Send the contract, bro. I'm gonna sign it. Cross-promotion, any promotion, backyard bully stuff. I'm just about the fight. I love to fight, outside of the money, the fame, the clout, clearly that's not what I do it for."

Bella Thorne's bling has some serious bite ... check out the new piece she's got hanging around her neck, complete with two alligators and a hefty price tag.

Bella hails from Florida, and told jeweler Alex Moss she wanted something that would pay homage to her home and her roots. Moss went to work, designing the necklace ... complete with 18k white gold, 33.1ct VVS diamond D-F color and 16.7ct natural Zambian cushion-cut emerald.

As for the price, the piece is 1 of 1 and we're told it rings in right around $300,000.

Moss says the whole look is not only iconic, but practical, with the alligator tails even bending for some flexibility while Thorne rocks it.

Hidden within this warped-out snap is one of the most popular singers in the world.

This frosty female earned her well-deserved success from a very young age when she began creating music with her brother in their bedroom. She is best known for her angelic voice you may have heard at the top of the charts on the radio.

Another defining feature of this talented musician's career has been her noteworthy styles in the fashion world ... her hair color is one thing that's always a topic of discussion among fans.

Kodak Black found himself behind bars on New Year's Eve -- albeit briefly -- but it sounds like it might be a big misunderstanding ... at least according to his attorney.

KB's lawyer, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... yes, his client was indeed arrested early Saturday morning near Pompano Beach, FL on a misdemeanor trespassing charge -- but insists it's a bogus bust ... based on nothing but a cease-or-desist letter from 4 months ago.

Here's the deal ... Cohen says Kodak went to his old neighborhood of Greenacres to hang out with some pals for the holiday, and to also pay off credit card debt for 5 families living in the area who'd shelled out for Christmas gifts for their kids and loved ones.

At some point while he was there, we're told the cops showed up and took Kodak into custody -- telling him he was in violation of a letter issued by the local Housing Authority.

You might recall that letter ... it was fired off in response to Kodak delivering AC units to people there in Sept., which the HA apparently didn't appreciate. Anyway, it seems Kodak's mere presence this time around triggered a call to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

Here's why Cohen thinks the arrest was unwarranted -- for one, he says the C&D never made its way to Kodak, meaning it wasn't served properly in that it was sent to his record label, and not him personally. Second, he says that letter says nothing about not coming onto the grounds, so it shouldn't have served as the basis of any arrest.

This is sure to kick up some dust among hip-hop heads -- just a year after learning of MF DOOM's death, it would seem the internet has decided that 50 Cent is ... well, greater.

You might've seen DOOM trending Saturday, and that's largely 'cause it's been 365 days since the world found out the enigmatic MC -- who was legendary in the underground scene throughout the 2000s -- tragically had passed away on Halloween 2020, this per his widow.

But that's not the only reason folks were talking about him -- some Twitter users appear to be fiercely debating who the better artist is between MFD and the one and only Fitty ... this after somebody held a rap G.O.A.T. tournament bracket -- and asked who'd beat who.

The OG poster of the bracket/poll says ... "First hot take of the year: In terms of greatness: 50 cent > MF Doom." They tweeted this in response to people being dumbfounded that 50 had overtaken DOOM in a head to head ... taking 70% of the vote out of about 100 people.

The reactions ... very mixed, and very polarized. On the one hand -- some simply won't accept that 50 Cent is the better rapper between the two ... noting DOOM is by far the superior lyricist, rhymer, beat selector and all-around creative if you look at 'em bar for bar.

On the other hand -- it seems even more people say he actually is ... on account that 50's got waaaay more mainstream hits than DOOM -- and has more name recognition. Not to mention his skills ... he, too, is solid on the mic.

While hardcore fans choose sides ... there's another take that's perhaps more nuanced. Fact is ... these 2 guys are totally different stylistically, and comparing them is ... weird. They're both great in their own right, especially depending on what you might wanna listen to!

FWIW ... 50 didn't seem to respond to the news about DOOM's passing last year (RIP, BTW), but he did respond to Eminem's homage to fallen legends (including MF) just earlier this year ... and seemed to dig the fact he'd gotten name dropped in the tribute.

Plus, they're both New York cats ... so ya gotta figure 50 knows about DOOM. After all, the guy's earned the title of your favorite rapper's favorite rapper -- he's that iconic/influential.

With all that said -- we gotta pose the question for those who know both of these fellas' music well and might have something to say ... does 50 Cent actually have MF DOOM's number in a would-be Verzuz???

Jake Paul says he's willing to get inside the Octagon against Jorge Masvidal for a UFC fight -- but first, he wants Dana White to do a few things.

The YouTuber just laid out his terms and conditions for a potential bout against Gamebred ... saying he wants UFC fighters to get what he feels they deserve.

In a public post to the UFC boss, Jake wrote ... "Happy new year @danawhite. Here is a real challenge for you… I will immediately retire from boxing and fight Jorge Masvidal in the UFC if you agree to (the following)."

You can read JP's letter for yourself, but to summarize -- he's asking fighters get a $50k minimum payout fight ... as well as more of the MMA giant's yearly earnings.

Jake claims UFC generated about a billion dollars in 2021 alone -- so essentially, he's saying $500 mil should be earmarked and divvied up among the talent themselves.

There's more ... Jake wants Dana to put a focus on healthcare for fighters.

If Dana implements these asks by March 31, JP says he'll retire from boxing and come on over for a 1-fight deal with JM.

As you may know, there's been a lot of talk about a would-be fight between these two -- with Masvidal himself stoking the flames and issuing a challenge, with certain caveats.

Ball's in Dana's court now!

Harry Potter and co. got together again for a trip down memory lane -- and even though J.K. Rowling doesn't sit for an interview herself ... she still magically appears (kinda).

The author and creator of the wizarding franchise was notably absent for HBO Max's 20th Anniversary 'Return to Hogwarts' reunion special, which hit the airwaves Saturday ... just in time for the new year.

While JKR did not appear in person to mingle with the rest of the cast and crew -- including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint -- she was there in spirit ... but more specifically, there in old archival footage from a couple years ago, this according to reports.

Word is, clips of J.K. from 2019 are sprinkled into the nearly 2-hour show ... where she talks about casting and the early process of turning her books into a blockbuster film. Apparently, some of the cast also talks about her, but they do it sparingly ... and mostly gloss over her.

If you're wondering what gives ... it's no secret J.K. has become persona non grata in Hollywood of late, due to comments she's made over the past year that many perceive as transphobic, remarks she' since tried clarifying time and again. Still, Radcliffe disavowed her sentiments ... drawing a firm line in the sand on where he stands on the trans community.

Now, with that in mind ... it's perhaps no surprise Rowling isn't in the HBO special, but weirdly enough -- there are slightly differing takes on why she wasn't involved ... including a report claiming she herself turned the opportunity down.

EW cites sources saying J.K. was extended an invite by HBO brass, but that she and her team felt the old footage of her would be adequate. Even more puzzling, these same sources say her transgender controversy played no part in the decision to pass on joining.

HBO Max, meanwhile, confirms they reached out to Rowling, but wound up agreeing that her old clips would suffice. It's unclear, on their end, if she turned 'em down for a new interview, or if they actually shot something with her and then ultimately scrapped it.

Paul McCartney is filtering out bad vibes in 2022, and ushering in wacky fun ... and he's doing it with the help of a new group he's discovered that may rival his old ensemble.

This Beatle is ringing in the new year by introducing the masses to a band he says he stumbled upon at his NYE bash ... which goes by the name of Linstrom. They're a heavy metal folk music act, consisting of 4 artists with very different faces ... and a boozy manager.

As you can probably tell -- they're all PMC, who seems to have discovered Instagram's many facial filters ... and is going to town with them.

Check it out ... Paul trots out his made-up band members, including Olga (apparently the frontwoman), an angelic anonymous keyboardist, Trinket the bass player, Mac the boorish boar-ish drummer and one final guy who says he handles the business end of things.

He's obviously having a grand old time with the goofy in-app feature ... almost like he's a freakin' kid again.

In real music news, Paul had himself quite a year ... and was eager to recap it on Friday. He put out an album, a couple books and was featured in a couple big documentaries -- plus other stuff, too.

Kanye West was a man about town on New Year's Eve -- and that town was Miami, where the guy got his shop on ... and his party on, with a little assist from Diddy.

Check out these photos of Ye hitting a Balenciaga store in Florida's favorite wild town to pick out some new threads for his NYE bash he was hosting later that night at the Game Changer Lounge, right down by the beach.

As you can see, he seemed to be feeling himself as he walked around the store ... sizing up outfits and walking out with lots of bags in hand (another person's hand, rather).

Come nightfall, KW was ready to rage ... and he got his fill on the mic in front of a packed crowd, which actually included quite a few celebs too -- like French Montana, Quavo and others. Looks like good times were had by all ... and Kanye was right in the mix.

It also appears Diddy might've helped Ye out with a landing spot later in the evening. We got video of Ye popping into the Bad Boy's Star Island home at one point and weaving his way through a gaggle of good-looking guests.

He seems a little shyer in this moment, but the point is ... Ye was on the prowl, and looking pretty unattached in the process. By that we mean -- it's no secret the dude's single these days ... even though he's been pining for a reconciliation with Kim Kardashian.

Of course, he also reportedly broke things with a new-ish flame of his recently ... and has been popping up all over the place next to very attractive women.

Speaking of KK ... she was nowhere to be found in Miami (at least not publicly), but her BF Pete Davidson surely was. Dude was hosting a NYE event for NBC a stone's throw away, alongside Miley Cyrus -- and we wouldn't be surprised if Kim was on hand somewhere too.

Maybe the biggest celebrity house sale of the year is going down in Bev Hills, because TMZ has learned Adele is about to become the owner of Sylvester Stallone's awesome estate, and she's getting it for a steal.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Adele is in escrow for Sly's massive home, tucked away inside Beverly Park -- a super-exclusive, gated community riddled with celebs.

Now get this ... our sources say Adele is paying $58 mil for the property. Yes, that's a fortune, but it was listed at $80 mil. In fact, back in February, Sly initially listed it for $110 mil but there were no takers. Multiple real estate sources tell us, $58 million for this property is, as one source put it, "an outright steal."

Sly bought the house back in the 90's ... he and others have referred to it as "The house that Rocky built."

It's got 6 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, a gym, sauna, steam, infinity pool, cigar room, screening room, custom bar, art studio, 2-story guest house, yada yada yada.

It's one of the largest properties in Beverly Park, sitting on 3.6-level acres with insane, jetliner views of the city below.

Now Adele owns 2 properties nearby, in the Hidden Valley area of L.A. We're told she wanted a bigger house ... and that she's getting. BTW ... remember she said she's living in L.A. because real estate in London is too expensive? Well, $58 mil ain't chump change!!!

As we reported, Sly and his fam have moved to Palm Beach, Florida, where they scooped up a massive estate for $35 mil. That house has 13,200 feet of living space, 7 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms ... all the bells and whistles.

Stallone's new neighbors now include rockers Jon Bon Jovi and Rod Stewart as well as Howard Stern.

The show will go on ... it's something Betty White must have said many times during her life, so it's fitting the show dedicated to her life will go on, despite her passing.

Betty's life will be featured in a movie which was supposed to celebrate her 100th birthday on January 17. The flick was scheduled to play in movie theaters for just that one night. It will proceed as planned -- so producers told the New York Post -- and it's a real good bet theaters will be packed to capacity.

The show -- "Betty White: 100 Years Young -- A Birthday Celebration" features a gazillion stars, including Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel, Valerie Bertinelli, James Corden, Wendy Malick and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

The flick will feature Betty's breakout moments from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls." It also showcases Betty's first sitcom -- a lost episode, no less.

TMZ broke the story ... Betty died at her L.A. home on New Year's Eve, just days before her milestone birthday.

Betty's legacy will live on for decades. Aside from her amazing body of work in show biz, she was a devoted, unrelenting champion of animals, something she pretty much exclusively devoted her life to in the final years.

Her life is amazing ... decades of incredible shows, from "MTM" to "SNL" and "Hot in Cleveland." Beyond her work, she was one of the most beloved stars in the history of Hollywood.

Betty's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has drawn big crowds ... folks are leaving candles, flowers, stuffed animals and other tokens.

NFL legend Dan Reeves -- who reached the Super Bowl 9 times as a player and a coach -- passed away due to complications from a "long illness," his family announced Saturday. He was 77 years old.

The former Broncos, Giants and Falcons head coach died peacefully and surrounded by loved ones at his home in Atlanta, the family said in a statement.

Reeves had a lengthy career on the field and sidelines -- he joined the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys in 1965 ... after a standout athletic career at South Carolina.

He played running back for America's Team for 8 seasons -- winning Super Bowl VI in 1972.

Reeves rejoined the Cowboys as an assistant coach from 1974-1980, reaching the Super Bowl 3 times and winning it all in 1978.

Reeves went on to become head coach of the Denver Broncos from 1981-1992, making 3 Super Bowl appearances with John Elway at quarterback.

Reeves later joined the New York Giants in 1993, leading them to the playoffs in his first year as head coach.

He became head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 1997, posting a 14-2 record in his second season with the team and facing off against Elway and the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.

Reeves finished with a 190-165-2 record over 23 seasons as an NFL head coach ... reaching the postseason 9 times. He was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 2014.

"The Denver Broncos are deeply saddened by the loss of legendary Head Coach Dan Reeves, who passed away this morning at age 77 at home in Atlanta," the team said Saturday.

"One of the winningest coaches in NFL history, Coach Reeves set the foundation for the Broncos' decade of dominance in the 1980s and championship tradition for years to come."

Reeves is survived by his wife, Pam, 3 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

George Lopez pulled the plug on his New Year's Eve comedy show after becoming ill right in the middle of his set.

The video clip is really short, but you get a sense all is not well. George was performing at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort in Auburn, Washington at around 4 PM when he began struggling.

Eyewitness Sabrina Alvarez tells TMZ George was somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes into his set when he started sweating and asking for water.  At first, no one came with a glass, but someone in front finally obliged.

Alvarez says, "You could tell something was wrong, but it was not clear what was wrong."

George said he was sorry, stopped the show and walked off stage.

An ambulance was seen pulling up to the venue, but we don't know if it took George to a hospital.

The Casino then announced the 8 PM show was canceled and rescheduled for March 18.

Jeanine Ann Roose, the little girl featured in the iconic movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Jeanine passed on New Year's Eve at her home in L.A. We're told she had been battling an illness -- an infection in her abdomen -- for a couple of months and succumbed to it. We're told it was not COVID-related.

Jeanine played Violet Bick, aka Little Violet, in the 1946 film. She once said, "It's A Wonderful Life was the only movie that I was in and it been an amazing lifetime experience to have been in such a collectively meaningful picture."

But, that was about it. Jeanine said her acting career ended when she enrolled at UCLA and decided not to become a performing arts major. She wanted to go into a career that helped others and thought about nursing, but decided instead to become a psychologist and ultimately a Jungian Analyst.

She actually saw a connection between her career choice and "Wonderful Life," saying, "It became clear that my desire was specifically to help others who were struggling with finding meaning in their life -- not unlike Clarence in the movie who helps George see the meaning of his life."

"Wonderful Life" wasn't Jeanine's first gig ... she appeared on "The Jack Benny Show" when she was 8, as Little Alice Harris.

Jeanine married Eugene Richard Auger in 1964. She was surrounded by her loved ones, including son Joe, when she passed.