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Ludacris is officially a Panther for life -- he just got some southern hospitality at his alma mater Georgia State University: an honorary degree in Bachelor of Science in Music Management!

The 'Fast & Furious' legend addressed more than 800 master’s degree graduates on Wednesday to kick off the school's Commencement Week.

Despite attending GSU for a couple of years, Ludacris isn't your average college dropout. He actually left the Music Management program in the mid-90s ... because he signed a record deal with Def Jam Records and released his 2000 breakout single "What's Your Fantasy."

The rest is hip hop history. Luda would go on to release several multi-platinum albums and become a staple in Hollywood (including the aforementioned multi-billion Fast & Furious' franchise) and a happily married father of four.

Still, with all his success, Luda was clear to let the graduates know his heart never left the campus and signing to Def Jam was a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity.

He saluted GSU for not only having its first African-American President in nearly a century, but also for graduating more African-Americans than any other university in America!

Amber Heard has started testifying in Johnny Depp's defamation case -- the first opportunity she's had to tell her side of the story during the trial ... and it will be interesting to see if she can turn things around.

Johnny's ex-wife is on the stand, with her attorneys asking her questions first. They'll presumably guide her through a completely different narrative than the one JD's legal team has laid out thus far with their witnesses and even their own client.

As you know ... Johnny's side has presented him as the real victim of domestic violence -- as opposed to the other way around -- with the actor claiming Amber would often pick fights and even resort to violence when things escalated. He's insisted he never struck her.

Johnny's witnesses have also backed his story ... with friends and workers who were around in those days saying they, too, never saw any marks on Amber during the period she claims she was being hit. Three LAPD officers have testified to the same ... which was major.

Now, it's Amber's turn ... and she's got a lot of ground to make up -- not just for the jury, we're sure, but in the court of public opinion ... which seems to be firmly on Johnny's side.

It'll be interesting to see how she responds to the most damning pieces of evidence that have been introduced thus far -- including the mystery of poop in Johnny's bed, the makeup mix-up that kicked this whole thing off ... and her admitting on tape to hitting her then-hubby.

Of course, people also wanna hear how she explains the fact Johnny got his finger cut off. He says it was injured when she threw a vodka bottle at him -- and we know she's denied that before ... but here, we'll probably get to hear the gory details from her POV all over again.

If Amber can come off as believable and compelling on the stand, it could have a big impact on the jury ... because as we said, she has not been painted in the greatest of lights at this point.

Brian Dunkleman says he was "suicide adjacent" after quitting his hosting gig on "American Idol" ... but looking back, he says his fears and depression were unnecessary, and he's finally in a great place.

Brian, who co-hosted with Ryan Seacrest in season 1, joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us why he was in such a dark place when he left the smash hit show, and why he later found out things weren't as grim as he originally thought.

The way Brian tells it ... he was left twisting in the wind without a contract after season 1, and started abusing drugs and alcohol because he was severely depressed.

Brian feared he made a massive mistake when he quit the show to pursue an acting career, and the decision haunted him for years -- Howard Stern famously compared him to Pete Best, who left the Beatles before the band got huge.

But, BD says when he co-hosted the 'Idol' series finale (on FOX, anyway) back in 2016, he ran into one of his former bosses, and learned the network was going to drop him for season 2, anyway ... a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

Now, Brian says he's cleaned up his act, he's doing standup comedy and improv, and he thanks his new documentary on Amazon Prime, "Dunkleman," for helping him heal from past traumas ... which, as he explained to us, go way beyond 'Idol.'

Now, he's not only glad he never followed through with his darkest thoughts, but he also has an important message for anyone fighting to overcome depression.

The same guy who allegedly rushed Dave Chappelle on stage also used the comedian as the inspiration behind his own rap career ... naming a song after DC.

You heard that right ... Isaiah Lee, the 23-year-old allegedly responsible for the attack, is a self-proclaimed rapper by the name of NoName_Trapper. He actually has a song on his 2020 album titled, "Dave Chapelle' on Spotify.

The song's lyrics are puzzling, mostly repeating, "laugh at you n****s a joke."

Lee also has a decent social media following, with 32k followers, and only follows 80 people ... Dave being one of them. He posted a bizarre video of himself yesterday with a filter to give himself a bloody nose and devil horns.

As we reported, Lee rushed and tackled Dave while he was onstage at The Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night -- holding what we're told was a replica gun and knife.

Dave Chapelle took a hard hit and fell to the ground, before Dave's team stepped in and gave the guy a severe beatdown ... Jamie Foxx was also in the melee, and got some hits in too.

Ray J is speaking his truth about his ex, Kim Kardashian -- and that would be ... the infamous sex tape "leak" that put her on the map wasn't an accident at all, but a planned event and the Kardashians were in on it.

The singer spilled the alleged beans to DailyMail.com -- telling the outlet he's furious the Kardashians have essentially accused him of holding an unreleased sex tape over their heads ... and that he was the one who leaked the OG tape in the first place.

He insists the truth is the exact opposite -- namely, that the "leak" wasn't that at all ... but a systematic deal brokered between himself, Kim and Kris Jenner and Vivid Entertainment.

Here's how it allegedly went down, according to Ray J ... he says that while he and Kim were dating, he jokingly floated the idea of putting out a sex tape of theirs in the wake of Paris Hilton's video leaking -- which elevated her status and celebrity.

While he claims he didn't really mean it, Ray alleges Kim jumped on the idea ... going to her mom, talking it out and then getting the wheels in motion on the whole thing, which he says he was not really privy to until it came to signing away the rights.

Ray says he and Kim both signed a contract, and the rest is history.

Here's the fascinating thing ... the guy claims all the original sex tape footage -- including a SECOND one he says they shot in Santa Barbara that is unreleased thus far -- has always been in Kim's possession ... in a Nike shoebox under her bed.

Ray claims he's never been in possession of any copies, and that he's been fuming over the fact the Kardashians have made it seem of late he had more footage and that he was on the verge of releasing it. He did, in fact, give Kanye West a computer and hard drive with some personal content between him and Kim ... but argues there was nothing explicit on it.

One other thing ... it sounds like the Kardashians themselves might've triggered his rage here with their new Hulu series. In one of the first few episodes, Kim and co. apparently joke about Ray putting a dildo in her butt, which he's irate over ... saying they made him look bad.

Dave Chappelle's Hollywood Bowl performance Tuesday night came to a temporary screeching halt when someone rushed the stage and attacked the comedian, and it was especially scary because we've learned the guy pulled out a gun.

It went down toward the end of Dave's show -- part of the "Netflix Is A Joke" festival -- when a man in the audience somehow got on stage and manhandled Dave, tackling him violently and slamming him on the hard stage.

Law enforcement tells TMZ, the attacker actually pointed the gun at Chappelle as he rushed him. We're told the gun was not real, it was a replica of a semi-automatic. It also weirdly had a knife attached to the gun.

And ... the question cops are asking this AM ... how did this guy get past the metal detector?

An eyewitness tells TMZ ... the attacker got up and started running as a swarm of people went after him. He was running around the screen on the stage when, as the eyewitness put it, "the mob caught up with him and beat the crap out of him, stomping on him." The eyewitness says Jamie Foxx and Busta Rhymes got a few licks in.

We're told Dave was ok but the attacker was injured and taken by stretcher to an ambulance. We're told he's currently in the hospital. LAPD sources tell us, the man was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.

Dave continued with his act, telling the audience, "I don't know if that was part of the show. I grabbed the back of that n***** head, his hair was spongy, absorbent."

Now get this ... after the attack, guess who was there? Chris Rock! He was one of Dave's special guests. As Chris walked on stage, he hugged his pal and said, "Was that Will Smith?"

It's unclear who the attacker is or why he did it, but the show went on as planned.

Johnny Depp's supporters are out in full force -- showing the actor a ton of love as he arrives for court -- on the day Amber Heard is expected to take the stand.

Depp just got to the courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia where close to 50 fans, mostly women, greeted him with everything from posters with positive messages to flowers. Johnny clearly took notice, waving to and thanking everyone with a big smile on his face.

Of course, things inside the courtroom aren't as peachy -- with more shocking testimony that happened Tuesday -- including accusations Depp did a "cavity search" on Amber once when checking if she had any cocaine.

The entire trial has been full of wild claims, and Johnny's team rested its case earlier this week ... it's expected Amber will finally take the stand Wednesday.

Amber's legal team tried to get the whole thing dismissed after Johnny's team rested ... but the judge wasn't having it. A rep for Johnny told us on the decision, "Numerous witnesses have testified that Ms. Heard engaged in psychological, verbal and physical abuse towards Mr. Depp and we are pleased at Chief Judge Azcarate’s ruling to continue with the trial after Mr. Rottenborn failed to convince the court that there was reason to dismiss the case."

The Kidd Creole -- a rap pioneer from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five -- just got a lengthy prison sentence for his conviction in the stabbing death of a homeless man.

Manhattan D.A. Alvin L. Bragg Jr. announced the rap legend's sentence Wednesday ... 16 years in state prison, followed by 5 years of post-release supervision.

As we reported ... The Kidd Creole was convicted of first-degree manslaughter last month, for fatally stabbing a homeless man with a steak knife.

The incident went down in August 2017, when prosecutors say The Kidd Creole was walking past the man on the street and they exchanged words, with TKC walking past the man before turning back, confronting him face-to-face and stabbing him twice in the torso.

The D.A. says a group of tourists found the man bleeding in the street ... he was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"Toddlers and Tiaras" star Kailia Posey tragically took her own life at the age of just 16, her family says, in a gut-wrenching statement.

Posey's family tells TMZ, "Although she was an accomplished teenager with a bright future ahead of her, unfortunately in one impetuous moment, she made the rash decision to end her earthly life."

The family is devastated, listing everything Kailia had ahead of her and her accomplishments during her 16 years, saying, "She won countless crowns & trophies after competing on the pageant circuit her entire life ... Her highly acclaimed talent as a contortionist had already led to professional touring job offers, and she had recently been selected to be a cheerleader at her high school next fall.

Not only that, Kailia's family says she had a love for aviation, and had plans to continue to work in the entertainment industry while pursuing her goal of a commercial pilot's license.

TMZ broke the story, the 16-year-old who first found fame on the popular TLC show -- even becoming a popular GIF as 'Grinning Girl' -- died Monday in Washington. At the time, her mom posted, "I don't have words or any thoughts. A beautiful baby girl is gone. Please give us privacy as we mourn the loss of Kailia. My baby forever".

Her family has set up a fund, at the Whatcom Community Foundation in her name with the goal of providing resources to help students in crisis.

PSA for all the Internet trolls out there -- if you come at Drake, he WILL DM your significant other ... and the 6 God proved it during a heated debate over NBA star Ja Morant's dad.

Here's the deal -- Drizzy hit the Instagram comments to defend Tee Morant over a meme criticizing his support for the Grizzlies guard throughout the playoffs, which some have deemed "annoying."

Drake was having none of it -- saying, "Imagine your son makes the league and he’s Ja Or Melo (Ball) or Lonzo (Ball) all you can do is be elated and competitive and over supportive and it’s a right of passage to that the OG’s talk s*** 😂😂😂😂."

"I know I’mma be this way even if my son is in a rubix cube competition 😎."

One troll thought it would be wise to crack back at Drake by referencing the rumor he doesn't write his own songs ... saying, "ya son prolly play with ghost writers."

Big mistake -- 'cause Drake fired right back in the most ruthless way possible.

"I just followed your girl cause she prob miserable and needs some excitement in her life."

Sheesh.

And, get this -- Drake wasn't kidding ... because the troll later posted a screenshot of his wife getting a DM from Champagne Papi himself, which read, "I'm here for u ma."

Chalk this one up as a win for Drake ... and a teachable moment for anyone else looking to go after him.

Dolly Parton's change of heart was well-received by the powers that be at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- she's joining a diverse group of first-rounders ... including acts like Eminem.

The legendary country singer was announced as one of 7 artists who are going to be inducted into the Hall later this November -- and she actually helps make up a good handful of stars who just became eligible for the first time this year.

The other musicians being let in right off the bat ... Lionel Richie, Duran Duran, Carly Simon and, of course, Slim Shady. Dolly's in that mix as well -- this after announcing a U-turn. The other 2 artists who'll be inducted are new wave duo Eurythmics and Pat Benatar.

You'll recall ... DP first said she was declining the offer to be inducted, explaining that the R&R HOF just wasn't her style and surprisingly, that she felt she hadn't earned the right -- which is patently false. Her request was a bit late -- the Hall didn't take her off the ballot.

In light of that -- and after some more thought, it seems -- Dolly ended up changing her mind and accepting the nomination ... and now, she'll be accepting the full-blown honor of being part of the Class of 2022.

Several Chicago Cubs fans tried to beat the hell out of each other in the bleacher seats at Wrigley on Tuesday night -- and the wild scene was all captured on video!!

The melee went down at some point during the Cubs' tilt with the White Sox ... when, for some reason, Cubbies fans turned on each other and began whaling on each other.

In a clip of the fracas, shot by a bystander near the action, you can see as one fan had another pinned to the ground -- another Cubs supporter was kicking another guy in the head.

Security rushed in to try to break things up -- but that still didn't stop one of the men from getting some extra punches in.

Eventually, the scrap was broken up ... but, sadly for one fan, he said one of the combatants who was undoubtedly booted from the section was "my ride home!"

Kim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe's iconic dress would probably be A-OK in the late icon's book -- so says her estate, anyway ... flying in the face of what her self-proclaimed biggest fans are saying.

Nick Woodhouse -- President/CMO of Authentic Brands Group, which runs Monroe's estate -- tells TMZ ... he and his partners believe Marilyn would've been thrilled to have seen KK rocking her legendary gown to the Met Gala.

The fact it was once again at the center of fashion and pop culture all these years later is pretty astonishing in ABG's eyes -- and they tell us they think the late Monroe likely would've felt the same way.

As for Kim being the one to don the dress again ... Woodhouse says there's no better person for it, as he sees a lot of similarities between Marilyn and Kim -- namely, the fact they're strong, powerful and independent entrepreneurs who love being in front of the camera.

Now, if you're wondering whether Kim ran this by the estate ... the answer is no, but it doesn't sound like she had to ... as the dress technically belongs to the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum -- but it's all good ... because ABG says she went through the proper channels.

Even if she had gone to them for a blessing, we're told the company would've easily given it to her -- as the amount of shout-outs they're getting now in the wake of the Gala is overwhelmingly positive, and it's created a ton of new exposure to folks who might not know or remember Marilyn.

The reason this is significant ... a handful of so-called Marilyn experts -- including folks who've written books and produced documentaries about her -- have chirped up en masse about Kim going full Marilyn ... saying she wasn't worthy, and that her doing so was a slap in the face to MM's memory.

Tom Cruise's new friend/collaborator, Lady Gaga, has gotten the seal of approval from one very special fan ... Tom's daughter, Bella, who -- SHOCKINGLY -- is 29 years old!!!

Gaga posted a photo on Instagram Tuesday, kissing Tom on the cheek, thanking him for coming to the show .. and Bella was quick to like the pic.

Bella has kept a low profile over the years. She's been estranged from her mom, Nicole Kidman, but apparently has maintained a relationship with T.C.

Nicole and Tom adopted Bella and her brother, Connor, back in 1995 while they were married. As you know, that marriage disintegrated in 2001.

Tom and Nicole shared custody for a while, but the relationship between Bella and Nicole was strained ... reportedly over Scientology.

Maybe there's been a shift, because Bella has been liking some of Nicole's Instagram photos lately.

Will Smith isn't down to fight Chris Rock's brother after an open invite, but another Philly native -- and former 'Real World' star -- is ready to take his place in the ring.

Josh Colon, known for his time on "The Real World: D.C.," has signed on to go up against Chris' brother, Kenny, at the South Florida Rumble in June, presented by Bitcoin Rodney.

Josh, who was on 14 episodes of the reality series, says he's doing this for Will ... and is ready to represent the entire city of Philadelphia, from where they both hail.

As you know, Kenny was ready to fight Will in April after first signing onto the event ... he was confident he could take a W over W, even though Will once played Muhammad Ali on the big screen.

Kenny slammed Will for slapping his brother at the Academy Awards, and was looking for some payback.

The event's got a bunch of celebs attached -- Omarosa, Flavor Flav and Rashad Evans will all be involved ... and the evening's main event has Benzino up against Aaron Carter. Blac Chyna will also be on the card, but her opponent has not been announced.

'RHONY' alum Jill Zarin isn't fretting that she hasn't gotten a call for the 'RHONY' throwback series ... she says even if she's shut out, she's grateful for everything the network has done for her.

We got the former NY housewife at LAX, Tuesday, and asked how she feels about the new series "RHONY: Throwback" that's in the works ... which will feature some of the OG New York women.

Jill tells us, she hasn't heard from producers but she's not worried because she doesn't think anyone has gotten a call, at least not yet. She thinks Bravo execs are focused on rebooting and recasting for the original 'RHONY.'

Of course, this is very different in tone from former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star, NeNe Leakes, who just filed a lawsuit in federal court ... accusing 'RHOA' producers of ignoring her complaints about years of alleged racist remarks directed her way by a fellow cast member Kim Zolciak-Biermann.

She also claims Bravo execs blacklisted her ... making it hard to take legal action sooner and making it hard to find work.