Britney Spears Seals Major Tell-All Book Deal ... For Around $15M

Britney Spears has landed a book deal that's worth millions -- and she's expected to pour the tea for the massive payout.

The pop star has signed a contract with publishing giant Simon & Schuster ... to recount her life story ... for at least $15 million, according to Page Six.

The outlet reports S&S won a bidding war among other publishers who wanted BS's book for themselves ... and, apparently, it's one of the biggest checks cut for a memoir, behind the Obamas -- who signed on to hawk books through Penguin Random House for over $60M.

No word on when Brit might release this tell-all -- other details, including a potential title, have yet to surface -- but one thing is clear ... Britney wants to speak her truth.

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She's been teasing that she wants to dish about everything she's gone through -- be it in interviews, or otherwise -- with tons of Instagram posts lately ... including one in January where she threw up a photo of a typewriter, with a caption that read, "Shall I start from THE BEGINNING???"

Britney has said she's still recovering from the trauma she says she endured in the conservatorship ... but it sounds like she's now ready.

Of course, Britney's sister, Jamie Lynn, also just released her own book -- which we know has pissed BS off to no end.

Sam Hunt Pregnant Wife Files for Divorce Citing Adultery

Sam Hunt's wife has filed to end their 5-year marriage, citing infidelity as the reason.

Hannah Lee Fowler claims in her legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Sam is "guilty of inappropriate marital conduct," and she goes on ... "guilty of adultery."

The boilerplate code section Hannah cites reads, "The husband is guilty of such cruel and inhuman treatment or conduct toward the spouse as renders cohabitation unsafe or improper."

Sam and Hannah had not announced she was pregnant, but in the docs, she says she's due in May.

The docs were filed in Tennessee, which isn't a no-fault divorce state. She's asking for alimony. She also wants primary custody of their soon-to-be-born child. And, she wants child support as well.

It's unclear if they have a prenup, but indications are that they do because she asks "the parties be awarded their respective separate property."

As for alimony, Hannah wants, "transitional alimony, rehabilitative alimony, and alimony in future."

What's interesting ... the docs say they separated at the time she filed with the court, which was last Friday.

The couple was married in 2017. Sam's album, "Montevallo," is about his relationship with Hannah. They met in the Alabama town with the same name, when he was a QB for Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham.

Junior Hockey Player Punches Referee In The Face ... Hit w/ Lifetime Ban

Disturbing moment during a junior hockey game ... a player sucker-punched an official in the face, and the player has now been hit with a lifetime ban.

It all went down in the United States Premier Hockey League -- a developmental league for amateurs -- when a member of the South Shore Kings got frustrated with one of the refs.

Check out the clip, the official appears ticked off by something the player did and motions to send him to the penalty box.

That's when things went south ... 'cause as the player began skating off the ice, he punched the referee in the face, dropping him to the ice.

The other refs restored order ... and the official who was punched was helped back onto his skates -- but the damage had already been done.

FYI, Junior Hockey is typically played after high school, but before college.

The commissioner for the USPHL released a statement saying, "The action taken today by a USPHL player is completely unacceptable in the USPHL. The USPHL has zero tolerance for any player striking any official, at any time."

He continued ... "The player in question’s actions have led to a lifetime ban."

The commish also said the incident is being investigated by local authorities ... and stated the league would have no further comment on the situation.

Michael Jordan Hugs Vanessa Bryant At ASG ... Kobe Honored During NBA 75 Ceremony

Michael Jordan shared a special moment with Kobe Bryant's wife at the All-Star Game on Sunday ... with MJ embracing Vanessa after the Lakers legend was honored during halftime.

The Black Mamba received a powerful ovation as members of the league's 75th-anniversary team were recognized in Cleveland ... and Vanessa was visibly overcome with emotion as her husband was featured on the scoreboard.

Jordan, Jerry West and Lakers GM/Kobe's longtime agent Rob Pelinka were spotted alongside Vanessa during the festivities ... as #23 went up and gave her a big hug and chatted with her on the court.

Kobe's presence was felt throughout the night ... as Vanessa was in attendance to hand Chris Paul the WNBA's first Kobe and Gigi Bryant Advocacy award, which honors players for their contributions to women's hoops.

Stephen Curry won the newly-designed Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP award ... after nailing 16 3-pointers to help Team LeBron beat Team Durant, 163-160.

The exchange between MJ and Vanessa was truly emotional for fans to watch -- Jordan and Kobe were close, and the Bulls legend even gave a tearful speech at Bryant's service in 2020.

The whole night was special as the league's greatest were recognized ... and Kobe was certainly missed.

Adele Uncomfortable Courtside Close-Up At NBA All-Star Game

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ALL-STAR ADELE
NBA on TNT

Adele is trying to tune out any distractions in her life ... even cameras that are right up in her face!

Adele was at the NBA All-Star Game Sunday night -- no doubt showing support for BF Rich Paul -- and a camera crew unsurprisingly got a shot of her.

The cameras got super close to her, but Adele just pretended they weren't there ... looking away to either side. The shot lasted an uncomfortably long time. Typically the director stays on the shot until the person they're shooting acknowledges it, but that never happened.

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WRECKED BY COVID
@adele / Twitter

Adele hasn't been seen in public much since the cancellation of her Vegas residency... where she went online and apologized -- breaking the news just one day before the first show would begin.

She's mostly been on the down-low since the cancellation, with the exception of a night out at a gay bar in London.

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ADELE'S WILD NIGHT
@lilredmaddi/@allegedly_adam

This was a big night for Rich, and Adele was there to support him and watch the game. They were seated next to another musical icon -- Mary J. Blige.

The game was packed with celebs like Megan Fox and her fiancée Machine Gun Kelly, Jennifer Hudson and Vanessa Bryant.

Evangeline Lilly Mr. Trudeau, Listen to the Truckers ... They're Good People

Evangeline Lilly has a word or 2 for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau -- that he should have a word or 2 with the striking truckers.

The "Ant-Man" star went in pretty hard on the PM, telling the Bridge City News, "Why won't you sit with them? They have asked to meet with you, Prime Minister, medical experts, top scientists, doctors, nurses, parents, grandparents, intelligent, loving, concerned citizens?"

Lilly, who was born in Alberta, went on ... "If you're so convinced of your own reasons for the mandates, sit down and walk the leaders of a group of 2.3 million protesters across the country who represent many millions more across the nation, and explain it to them and ask them to listen with open hearts and minds, and then reciprocate. Listen to what they have to say with a mind open to hearing things that might go against the ideas you are entrenched in."

Trudeau has shown zero tolerance for the truckers, who protested under the banner of the "Freedom Convoy," after they blocked a key artery that connects Canada with the U.S. They're largely protesting vaccine mandates, but Trudeau has gone to great lengths to choke their resources to end it, even declaring a national emergency.

Lilly, who has previously stated her opposition to vaccine mandates, ended by saying ... "You unify people by finding solutions together, not by vilifying those who say there is a better way. What we need right now from our leadership is unification, and that requires being willing to see, recognize and hear from the people sitting out in the cold at your door."

'Blind Side' Quinton Aaron New Year, New Me!!! Drops Nearly 100 lbs

Quinton Aaron, best known for his role in "The Blind Side," has dropped a whopping 100 pounds!!!

Quinton tells TMZ ... he gained quite a bit of weight during the pandemic, binge eating at home and developing a hankering for chocolate ... something he didn't have before the virus hit.

He says he would start his morning by eating 2 jumbo-sized KitKat packs and 2 Reese's packs. If he went out to eat, he would end his meal with a chocolate dessert. He also ate a lot of bread ... sometimes 2 large sandwiches in one sitting.

Quinton tells us ... he wanted to make a change because he has a lot of professional goals with his production company and music.

"I used the new year as a way to get a new me," he says ... and that work paid off! He went from 559 pounds to 462 lbs.

He cut candy bars and bread from his diet. He's eating Cobb salads for lunch and sticking to a keto diet ... along with fasting. He's also been walking and doing stretching exercises.

Now, he says he wants to drop another 64 lbs by May 10 to honor his late mom on her birthday -- which was his weight during "The Blind Side" movie.

His overall goal is to get between 300-325 pounds.

Keep it up!!!

Billie Eilish Again Pauses Show to Check on Fans ... New SOP for Concerts

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everyone okay???
MEGA

Billie Eilish isn't letting a threat from Kanye West change her playbook at concerts -- she's still making sure her fans are safe and sound, and didn't hesitate to stop her show again ... this time in NYC.

The singer was performing at Madison Square Garden, when at one point she took a breather, and then asked the crowd to do the same -- bringing down the energy in the room.

Not just that ... but BE also asked folks who were near the front row to step back and give each other room, again keeping their well-being at the front of her mind prior to proceeding with whatever song she had next.

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Doesn't sound like too many people minded ... in fact, based on the reactions we can hear on camera -- it seems they might've actually appreciated it and sounded more than happy to oblige.

Billie finally asked if everyone was all good ... and after that, she started to strike some chords on her guitar, getting the crowd pumped once more.

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"TAKE A DEEP BREATH"
TMZ.com

You'll recall, she did something very similar a few weeks ago in Atlanta -- when she brought her concert to a full stop over a fan who appeared to be in distress ... even going so far as to offer her an inhaler she had on hand.

Billie also said she likes to guarantee her fans are safe at her shows ... which was widely perceived as a shot at Travis Scott, even though she never explicitly said his name. Ye, for sure thought it was a jab, and threatened to pull out of Coachella -- where Billie's also headlining -- if she didn't apologize to Travis.

For the record, she hasn't apologized and, instead, seems determined to make it a thing to chill out and check on fans. There are some big festivals coming up in the near future -- it'll be interesting to see if other artists follow suit.

'Tinder Swindler' Simon Leviev I'm Making Legit Money Now on Cameo!!!

Simon Leviev, aka "The Tinder Swindler," is saying goodbye to scamming women and has just scored an actual paying job ... this time, he's making money being his real self on Cameo.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the 'Tinder Swindler' joined the site Tuesday and got a wave of requests from fans to make messages. We're told he made $30K within his first 3 days, charging $200 a pop for personal video and $2k per video for businesses.

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SWINDLER SALUTATIONS
cameo.com/simonleviev

Folks have requested everything from birthday shoutouts to pep talks, happy anniversary videos, and more. He says in his profile he's excited to be on Cameo to wish folks whatever they need. In a few videos, he jokes his enemies are after him.

If you haven't seen it, Simon's the focus of a new Netflix doc, "The Tinder Swindler" ... accused of scamming women in shocking fashion out of a fortune. It was like a Ponzi scheme, where he'd take money from one woman and use it to impress the next before he took money from her.  In all, he pilfered around $10 million.

He was arrested in 2019, and spent 5 months in jail for fraud, but is obviously out now ... and making SOME money legally.

Macy Gray Does Her Best Fergie for All-Stars LBJ Grins at Nat'l Anthem

Macy Gray’s the latest to try something different with the National Anthem during the NBA All-Star weekend ... and yet again, it evoked some would-be chuckles from the players.

The Grammy-winning singer did a take on the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ Sunday ahead of tip-off for the All-Star game, and it definitely conjured up memories of Fergie from 4 years ago ... when she did something similar during her appearance.

Just like then, MG’s rendition now is getting widely mocked -- but more importantly, it’s causing the same sorts of reactions among the guys themselves, most notably ... LeBron James, who was seen apparently fighting back laughter when the camera panned to him.

He was standing next to Steph Curry, who kept his composure this time ... and you can see LBJ with a big grin on his face as Macy sings. When he looks up to the Jumbotron and sees his reaction was captured, he bows his head in embarrassment -- trying to hide.

He wasn’t the only one who was left stunned by the show -- one Bill Murray was in the crowd as well, and he seemed dumbfounded by what he was hearing.

Others, too, looked on with confusion ... maybe even terror!

Still, Macy powered through it ... and ended with one of the shortest “brave” refrains we’ve ever heard. She got a round of applause, obviously, and was graceful upon completion.

Funny enough, she’s actually had some thoughts on Old Glory of late ... suggesting the flag needs to be redesigned to reflect modern-day America.

Maybe this is her way of letting us know ... perhaps the anthem's outdated as well. 😅

DK Metcalf I'm Fastest Man In NFL ... I'd Smoke Tyreek Hill!!!

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STILL GOT SPEED
TMZSports.com

It ain't Tyreek Hill or Micah Parsons ... no, DK Metcalf says he's the fastest man in the NFL -- telling TMZ Sports he'd dust Hill, Parsons and anyone else in the league in a race.

The Seattle Seahawks superstar made the claim while touring Nate Diaz's Represent headquarters in Fullerton, Calif. this month ... saying flat out no one is faster than him.

In fact, Metcalf laughed at the idea that he'd lose a race to Hill -- telling us, "Yeah. I can beat Tyreek Hill in a race."

Most consider Hill to be the fastest (even if he did lose while not trying very hard against Parsons at the Pro Bowl) ... but Metcalf certainly has a right to be confident.

After all, DK did run a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine, just a few breaths slower than Hill's reported 4.29 time.

The big issue -- DK just had surgery to fix a foot issue, so he won't be racing anyone anytime soon.

When he gets back, though ... what do you say, Tyreek???

'The Terminator' is back VHS Copy makes $32.5K online!

"Come with me if you want to live" make $32.5K!!! At least that's what one lucky seller was able to do after hawking a nearly-perfect condition VHS copy of "The Terminator."

Vincent Zurzolo -- COO of ComicConnect.com -- tells TMZ the copy of Arnold Schwarzenegger's "The Terminator" is from 1984, the year of its original release, fetched big bucks online, after being on the market for just 3 days.

The copy was analyzed by a third-party grading company -- getting high 9s and even 10s for preservation -- meaning it's in nearly perfect condition!

Zurzolo says he's seen a big increase in VHS purchases over the past few years -- chalking it up to nostalgia. He says Arnold played a big role in the lives of '80s kids, and that reflects in the investments they're making ... just like this big purchase.

It's a lot of dough to cough up for an obsolete piece of media, but if you're that big of a fan, you deserve a big thumbs up ... just as you sink into boiling-hot debt.

Prince Frédéric von Anhalt My Adopted Kid Better Have A Kid ... I Wanna Be a Grandpa!!!

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DROPPING SEED
TMZ.com

Prince Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt knows he isn't getting any younger, and wants some grandkids from his adopted son ... fast!

We got the Prince -- widower of Zsa Zsa Gabor -- leaving Wally's in Bev Hills ... out with his newly-adopted son, 27-year-old Kevin Feucht.

We asked if there was a deadline for Kevin to tie the knot, and Prinz responded quickly --  "tomorrow!" Seems pretty serious ... especially when time isn't on his side.

As you'll recall, the Prince recently adopted Kevin to preserve his royal lineage and inherit his estate when he dies. Anhalt had no children, so this was the next best option.

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NOT A DONE DEAL
TMZ.com

In early February, we got Prinz in Bev Hills and he told us the adoption isn't a done deal ... if Kevin doesn't prove to be much help, he could be dropkicked stat! "If he is bad, I get another one ... I can adopt as much as I want!"

Hopefully, Kevin doesn't disappoint his new father ... but that first task is a big one -- get married and produce some grandkids.

Tears For Fears 'Memba Them?!

English pop music icons Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal were both in their early 20s when they became international celebrities after their sophomore album "Songs From The Big Chair" topped the Billboard charts in 1985 with smash singles like "Shout," "Head Over Heels" ... and the classic "Everybody Wants To Rule The World."

While both musicians were credited with lending their vocals to the classic tunes ... slicked back Curt Smith (left) held down the bass tracks, while the curly-haired Roland Orzabel (right) laid down so sweet guitar riffs and standout solos.

Guess what the two longtime friends and bandmates look like now in their 60s!

James Gunn Engaged to Jennifer Holland ... Longtime Partners

James Gunn is ready to give marriage another go -- ‘cause he just popped the question to his longtime partner, Jennifer Holland ... and she said yes.

The go-to superhero movie director posted a photo Sunday that confirmed his engagement, showing Holland seated across from him taking a sip of a beverage ... while flashing a giant rock on that finger.

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They both swapped cutesy captions, with heart emojis and all ... so yeah, they’re obviously excited to walk down the aisle.

The couple’s been together since 2015, and more recently ... Gunn’s used Holland in his projects -- tapping her to play Emilia Harcourt in his take of ‘The Suicide Squad’ and then bringing her back to reprise her role in the new HBOMax spinoff show, ‘Peacemaker,’ opposite John Cena.

They reportedly met through actor Michael Rosenbaum -- aka, Lex Luthor from ‘Smallville’ -- and the rest is history.

This would appear to be JH's first time as a bride -- Gunn, meanwhile, was previously married to ‘The Office’ star Jenna Fischer once upon a time ... but split in ‘08, sans any kids.

There’s a bit of an age difference here -- Gunn’s 55, and Holland is about 35 or so. Obviously, though, they don't seem to mind ... when you know you know.

Congrats!

Soulja Boy Me & Ye Are All Gravy, Baby ... Despite Apparent Beef

Soulja Boy and Kanye West might seem like they’re constantly at each other’s throats -- but they’re actually buds ... so says SB himself.

Big Draco set the record straight Sunday by announcing that, yes, he and Ye are actually cool ... despite him apparently taking shots at the guy, including recently -- when he mentioned Kim K and Pete Davidson.

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WAKE UP MR. WEST!
@souljaboy / Instagram

ICYMI ... Soulja took to IG a few days ago and said PD (or Skeet, as he’s now known) “got your bitch,” among other derogatory things ... obviously referencing Kanye.

Sounds like KW got the memo, because he seems to have texted Soulja directly after the fact ... asking that he not talk about his estranged wife. Soulja shared a screenshot of that convo, and at first glance ... it looks like it’s gonna get nasty, because he responded with animus.

Fortunately, Kanye diffused the situation almost immediately ... telling Soulja he was gonna send him one of his new Stem Players while also inviting him to hop on ‘Donda 2,’ which brought Soulja’s guard down. Kanye had previously cut Soulja's verse from Donda and then trashed it in an interview.

In an IG story post, SV cleared the air that it’s all love between them, even if they act “crazy” at times and suggest otherwise. He also said they’re just two smart, strong-willed dudes with big dreams.

Speaking of that entrepreneurial spirit they both share, Kanye seems to have found himself some major success off of that nifty music player of his ... to the tune of millions he says he might’ve otherwise missed out on.

If you didn’t hear, he’s not releasing ‘D2’ on traditional streaming platforms ... instead, he’s exclusively putting it out via this new device of his -- which is pretty cool looking.

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He’s asking for $200 a pop for one of these, and while it might sound like an absurd idea ... it apparently is paying off in dividends.

Ye says he’s already made at least $2 mil in net profits alone since plugging the thing, which is the type of revenue he says streaming numbers couldn’t realistically touch, due to the low payout for artists.