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Brandy Norwood is being dragged to court over a $45,000 ring she was supposed to wear at the American Music Awards ... a ring that's allegedly gone missing.

Brandy and her stylist, Ashley Sean Thomas, are being sued by Elle B. Mambetov, a fashion designer and Beverly Hills store owner.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Mambetov claims Brandy's stylist approached her last year about borrowing jewelry and clothes for the singer to wear at the November Awards show ... and the designer let them borrow some outfits and a Dreamboule Big Bang Diamond Ring.

Brandy and her stylist allegedly never returned the ring ... and the designer claims it's valued at around $45k. She says in her suit Brandy's stylist told her it was last seen on the piano at Brandy's Calabasas estate.

Brandy didn't wear the ring or the outfit to the AMAs ... but we're told it's not all that uncommon, because stylists usually put together many different options for celebs.

The ring is 18-karat rose gold, with a sapphire crystal dome and black volcanic stone.

The designer's going after Brandy and her stylist for the value of the ring plus other damages ... claiming she's suffered financial losses and emotional trauma.

We reached out to Brandy and her stylist ... so far, no word back.

The head armorer on "Rust" says the fatal shooting would never have happened if she was in the church with Alec Baldwin and Halyna Hutchins ... according to a new lawsuit.

Hannah Gutierrez Reed just filed suit against Seth Kenney, the man whose company supplied the ammunition used on the set ... but she's also laying some blame on Alec and assistant director Dave Halls.

While Alec and Halls are not defendants, Hannah claims in the docs ... Baldwin did not respond to her request to schedule a cross draw training session for the movie's gun scenes. As we've reported, Alec was doing exactly that -- a scene where he draws the gun across his body -- when Halyna was killed.

According to the suit, filed by attorney Jason Bowles, Hannah claims she loaded the gun used in the church scene with what she believed were dummy rounds, and gave the gun to assistant director Halls, who told her he would be sitting with the gun during rehearsal.

Hannah claims she left the church, and within 15 minutes, Halls handed Baldwin the firearm. That's when Halls called out "cold gun" ... signifying it was not loaded with live rounds.

In the docs, Hannah claims it was not a scheduled rehearsal with Baldwin, and it was protocol for Halls to inform her if Baldwin was going to be filming or practicing the gun move. She says that didn't happen.

Instead, Hannah says Alec began practicing the cross draw from his shoulder holster to get the proper camera angles with Halyna ... and that's when the shooting happened.

She claims Alec would have learned safe gun practices with the cross draw, but he never responded to her request to train him on that move.

Hannah also says she would never have let Alec point a gun at Halyna -- but she wasn't in the church to do so.

She's suing Kenney because she believes he had access to the set and knew the code to the prop safe where guns were stored.

Ronnie Spector, the lead singer of the famed, girl group, The Ronettes -- famous for songs like "Be My Baby," has died.

Ronnie's family said she died Wednesday after a brief battle with cancer, in the arms of her husband.

The Ronettes were trailblazers ... the group formed in 1957 with Ronnie, her sister, Estelle and her cousin, Nedra.

Here's how big the Ronettes were ... in 1965, they were voted the third top singing group in England, trailing only The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

The group's trajectory soared when they hooked up with legendary music producer, Phil Spector, who created the famous "Wall of Sound."

Among their hits, in addition to the 1963 smash, "Be My Baby," they scored with "Walking in the Rain," "Baby, I Love You," and "Chapel of Love." They also did a number of hit XMAS songs, including, "Frosty the Snowman," "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."

The Ronettes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

Ronnie married Phil Spector in 1968, but it was short-lived ... they separated in 1972. The way the story goes ... she fled their home barefoot because Phil had hidden all of her shoes to prevent her from leaving. He also put barbed wire around the perimeter of their home to keep her from escaping.

Ronnie, along with the other members of the group, sued Phil Spector in 1988 for unpaid royalties.

Ronnie had a resurgence of popularity in the mid-'80s... she sang on Eddie Money's hit song, "Take Me Home Tonight."

And, get this ... The Ronettes scored their second, top 10 hit just 2 weeks ago, when "Sleigh Ride" reached #10 on the Billboard Charts.

Ronnie remarried in 1982 to her manager, Jonathan Greenfield. They have 2 sons.

This should erase all doubt Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are the real deal -- the kinda PDA they put down during date night is the kind that screams: This. Is. Serious.

The couple was all loved-up -- holding hands, chatting and hugging each other tightly while waiting for ice cream Tuesday in L.A's Fairfax district. Nothing high falutin either -- they stopped by a Rite Aid after dinner for an ice cream dessert.

Interestingly, we really hadn't seen much in the way of PDA between the two during previous dates -- but what we saw last night was a clear sign their relationship is getting more comfortable and more intense.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim and Pete grabbed pizzas at Jon & Vinny's on Fairfax Tuesday night -- sitting at a back table and using the private entrance -- before heading out for Thrifty's ice cream at the Rite Aid.

When things were still fresh with Pete and Kim back in November, lots of people assumed it was a publicity grab, but it's almost impossible to keep arguing that point now.

Young Thug's travel plans were quickly shifted after one man in his party allegedly didn't have the proper ID to fly -- causing the rapper to blow up on the pilot -- and ending with cops getting the call to the runway.

Young Thug was traveling with friends, including Gunna, Wednesday when the altercation went down. The group was supposed to take a private jet from Miami to New York, but that itinerary apparently hit a speed bump when one of the men traveling with TY didn't have the proper docs to fly.

As you see in the video, the pilot asked him to step off the plane before it took off ... but that wasn't the end of the problems.

The pilot informs YT someone traveling in the group made the flight attendant feel uncomfortable, and therefore they can't fly. It's never explained in the video exactly what happened to the flight attendant.

Cops were called to the scene, and law enforcement sources say everything was sorted out, and Gunna and Young Thug booked another plane to their destination.

Nicki Minaj can breathe easier -- a lawsuit claiming the rapper harassed and threatened the woman who accused Nicki's husband of sexual assault has been dropped ... and Nicki's planning to go after the woman to recoup money lost in legal fees.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the lawsuit against Nicki was voluntarily dismissed Wednesday by Jennifer Hough. A source close to the case tells us there was not any sort of financial settlement reached to make it go away. Nicki's husband, Kenneth Petty, remains a defendant.

In a blistering response, Nicki's attorney, Judd Burstein, tells TMZ Jennifer and her lawyers thought they could shake Nicki down for some easy money, trying to financially settle it from the beginning.

We've seen an email Burstein sent to Hugh's lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn, which reads, in part, "In my view, your conduct in pursuing this case against Nicki represents the worst of our legal system: bottom-feeding lawyers who pursue frivolous actions against a celebrity assuming that they will be paid off if they throw enough dirt."

Judd continues, "You forced my client to spend over $300,000 in fees to defend a case which even my labradoodle, Gracie, could see was frivolous on both the facts and the law."

Kenneth was convicted of trying to rape Jennifer in 1995, and she's since spoken publicly about the ordeal.

TMZ broke the story, Jennifer sued Nicki in August, claiming Nicki and her legal team had offered to pay Jennifer to change her story about what happened with Kenneth.

Chris Dickerson -- the first Black Mr. America and first openly gay man to be Mr. Olympia -- died after a reported heart ailment. He was 82 years old.

Dickerson's friend, Bill Neylon, told the Washington Post Chris had died at a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, FL on December 23 ... after struggling with complications to his heart.

Neylon added Chris had been staying in a rehabilitation center in Florida prior to his death.

Dickerson -- who stood just 5'6" inches tall -- was a pioneer in his industry ... winning the crown of Mr. America in 1970 and Mr. Olympia in 1982.

Some of his most notable wins were victories at Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Grand Prix competitions in multiple states.

The legendary bodybuilder had a storied career spanning more than three decades ... winning 50 titles during that time.

Chris had suffered a broken hip in 2020 -- he also experienced a heart attack and contracted COVID-19 before his passing, Bill told the outlet.

Fat Joe says his famous friends are chipping in to make sure victims of that historically deadly Bronx apartment fire aren't left out in the cold -- but adds it's gonna take more than celebrities to get the job done.

Joey Crack joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and told us what inspired him to team up with NYC Mayor Eric Adams to help survivors and those who lost loved ones and property in the deadly blaze.

As we reported ... the inferno engulfed a 19-story apartment building in the Bronx, killing 17 people -- including 8 children -- the city's deadliest fire in more than 30 years.

Fat Joe says most of the people living in the building are immigrants, and they're now homeless amid freezing cold winter temps. He's used his contacts to help jumpstart fundraising, shouting out donations they've already received from Jay-Z, DJ Khaled, LL Cool J, Nas and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey ... among others.

It's the first big crisis for Adams, who took office on Jan. 1, and Fat Joe tells us why the new mayor can cut through political red tape to make a difference here.

Kanye West is plotting on Putin -- he wants to have a sit-down meeting with the Russian leader, that is ... and his team is rooting for the ultimate link up.

We caught up with Ye's manager Bu Thiam, and he's definitely here for a Vladimir Putin meets West sit down ... despite many folks who are side-eyeing the whole situation.

Bu says he looooves the idea of the two men sitting down and having a conversation... “That’s King Ye, Why not?” he asked. Well, depends on who he's asking ...

While many people have suspicions about the Russian leader's alleged brutal tactics ... when it comes to Putin, Bu says that he loves him and backed him up by saying most leaders have to make tough decisions.

He dusted off any backlash saying, in America "we hate" everybody that’s not American ... he even doubled down on that by claiming Putin is loved by his own people.

As we previously told you ... Kanye reportedly wants to have a meeting with the Russian leader. He also is planning to start doing his Sunday Service shows in the country starting in the spring or summer.

Ye's team is divided on the topic, with some saying none of this is happening. His business associate told Billboard about the plans, but then his PR rep shot down the story, saying it was "entirely fabricated."

At least one of Young Dolph's murder suspects also used his gun to carjack the Mercedes-Benz used as a getaway car in the fatal shooting ... according to cops.

The suspected killer's alleged crime spree is all laid out in new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... and police say the carjacking went down in Memphis, a week before Dolph's murder.

In the docs, cops say a woman in a white Mercedes-Benz told them she was approached by 2 men armed with AR-style guns and they demanded her car. She also told cops one of the men hit her with the muzzle of a gun before she got out of the car and fled on foot.

And, get this ... cops say the woman told them one of the men ended up chasing her down because he couldn't start the car, forcing her back inside the ride at gunpoint and hitting her on the back of the head with his gun and demanding she starts the car.

Police say one of the men drove off in the white Benz, while the other followed in a dark-colored sedan ... and the Mercedes was used in a series of crimes, including Dolph's murder.

Remember ... detectives tracked down the getaway car to a Memphis-area home shortly after Dolph was killed.

In the docs, police say they dusted the car for fingerprints and got a match for Cornelius Smith.

As we previously reported, the other suspect, Justin Johnson, also has a connection to the Benz ... because he shot a music video at the home where the car was found.

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson appear to be spending as much time together as possible, grabbing some hot eats followed by a cool treat on their latest date night.

The couple hit up Jon & Vinny's on Fairfax Tuesday night -- an Italian-inspired spot famous for pizza and pasta -- where they dove in on some 'za. The two were pretty discreet, sitting at a table in the back and entering and exiting from the restaurant's rear entry.

From there, we're told Pete and Kim journeyed on over to a local Rite Aid where they each grabbed some Thrifty ice cream for dessert.

The pair has been inseparable over the last few weeks -- spending time in L.A. before Christmas and heading down to the Bahamas with some friends after NYE.

Pizza seems to be a popular date choice for Kim and Pete, it was back when the two first started dating when Pete took Kim to a favorite spot of his in Staten Island for pizza and pasta.

Bob Saget's death has devastated his family, friends and fans, but there's one tiny bit of solace ... we're told based on what has surfaced from the investigation, there's evidence he died in his sleep without suffering.

Sources familiar with the investigation tell TMZ ... Bob was "tucked in bed" when his body was discovered Sunday at around 4 PM ET. As we reported, the lights were off in his room at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Orlando.

We're told Bob had called his wife before going to bed and also tweeted how happy he was to be back on stage.

We're told as the day wore on, from morning to afternoon, his wife became concerned because Bob was supposed to be on a flight returning to L.A., and when she couldn't reach him she called the hotel. That's when security entered his room and discovered his body.

As we reported, although the official cause of death won't be known for 10 to 12 weeks, the operating theory is that he suffered either a stroke or a heart attack.

Novak Djokovic is navigating waters that have gone from warm to boiling, because the tennis star admitted he knew he had COVID when he posed for a photo shoot and chatted with a reporter from a French magazine.

Beyond that ... Djokovic attended multiple public events and posed for photos on December 16 and 17 -- in particular the 17th, when he handed out awards at a children's event -- but he says that shouldn't be held against him, because he got a negative rapid test on the 16th.

However, he also took a PCR test that same day that turned out to be positive. The Serbian government's records show that result came back at 8:19 PM on the same day -- but Novak insists he didn't get the info until the evening of the 17th.

So, the question is ... what did he know and when???

Whatever the case, he still did the photo shoot with L'Equipe magazine in Belgrade on the 18th when he knew he was positive.

He says, aside from the actual shoot, he was socially distanced from the reporter and photographer and masked. Djokovic now says he made a mistake and should have canceled.

He also acknowledges his visa application was incorrect ... he says his agent checked the wrong box, declaring Novak had not traveled internationally, which he very clearly did.

Djokovic, the number 1 seed in the Australian Open, was allowed into the country after the tournament granted him a medical exemption ... because he had just gotten over COVID and had antibodies, that apparently qualified.

Jamie Lynn Spears says she has always loved her sister, Britney, and can't understand how that relationship deteriorated.

Britney's younger sister appeared Wednesday on "Good Morning America" ... hawking her book, "Things I Should Have Said," about her family. Jamie Lynn said she's happy the conservatorship ended, but bobbed and weaved when it came to how she felt about the conservatorship during the 13 years it was in place.

She said when the conservatorship was first put in place she didn't understand it and was dealing with other issues ... specifically, she was 17 and having a baby.

But, she said she understands as little about the conservatorship now as she did when it fired up ... which is odd since the saga lasted so long. She says she took no part in the conservatorship during its entire run.

From her vantage point, she says she was helping Britney, and, according to her, the help was welcomed. She says Britney asked her to make sure her 2 boys got what they needed.

One thing she addressed squarely ... Britney's comment to the court that everyone in their family -- including Jamie Lynn -- profited off Britney during the conservatorship. Jamie Lynn says she did not, but then offered that there may have been a "misunderstanding." Britney has gone after Jamie Lynn for remixing some of her songs, but she says it was meant as a tribute, not a money move.

She says she's happy the conservatorship is over because it caused so much family discord.

As for Britney, well she intimated in a post Tuesday night ... 2 can play that game, as in writing a book.

There were more than 15,000 people at the Florida Panthers game on Tuesday ... but no one had as good a time as Kodak Black -- who enjoyed a raunchy twerk sesh from a woman in a box suite during the action!!!

The rapper hit the NHL contest in Sunrise with some killer rinkside seats ... and video showed the dude had an absolute blast watching the Panthers take on the Vancouver Canucks.

He was mingling with fans, taking selfies and zooming in on the on-ice action ... before he hit a luxury box for a little alone time with his lady friend.

One fan spotted the two from afar in the suite -- and it actually appeared like they were getting it on just feet from Panthers execs and hockey fans.

But, a closer look revealed there was nothing X-rated about their actions ... Kodak was simply enjoying a bit of a lap dance!!!

Black posted the zoomed-in footage to his IG ... writing, "Fly Lifestyle."

Kodak and every other Panthers fan eventually left the arena happy ... 'cause Florida took care of Vancouver, 5-2.

Howard Stern is unloading on Novak Djokovic over his COVID-19 vaccine drama ... calling the tennis superstar a "d****bag," "f***ing a**hole," and a "f***nut" in a fiery rant.

34-year-old Djokovic has been fighting like hell to compete in the Australian Open this month despite the country's strict COVID-19 mandates -- he initially had his visa canceled after authorities claimed he did not meet requirements for a vaccine exemption ... before that decision was overturned on Monday.

Stern -- who's gone after sports stars like Kyrie Irving and Aaron Rodgers for their vax stances in the past -- sounded off on the Joker during Monday's episode of "The Howard Stern Show" ... saying Novak should be kicked out of the sport.

"The first I heard of this guy is he doesn't want to get the vaccine, he's running around ... they should throw him right the f*** out of tennis," Stern said.

"He's a d****bag."

But, what really set Howard off is Novak's claim that getting the jab is a private decision ... saying if that's the case, he shouldn't be out in the public and putting everyone else's health at risk.

Howard's co-host, Robin, points out Novak's view on the situation -- his people have claimed since he recently had COVID-19, he doesn't have to get vaccinated, but Stern says Novak can't be trusted.

"Well that's like saying smoking is a private decision," he added. "Well, that's true, but don't smoke in my face, f***nut. What a dummy. Just a big, dumb tennis player."

Djokovic -- the reigning AO champ -- is currently preparing to compete in the tournament next week ... although it's still unclear whether he'll actually be able to take the court ... as government officials could still boot him from the country.