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Ray J insists Kris Jenner was smack in the middle of negotiating Kim and Ray J's sex tape, but we've learned the businesswoman of the century was hands-off when the deal was cut.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Kris never negotiated with Vivid Entertainment, which distributed the tape back in 2007. We're told Kim and Ray J dealt with Vivid directly and with their lawyers.

In his interview, Ray J maintains Kris and Kim hatched the plot to make and peddle a sex tape in the wake of the enormous financial success of Paris Hilton's. Sources on the other side dispute that, maintaining she had nothing to do with planning the tape, and we've learned Kris was hands-off making the actual deal and had no contact with Vivid.

Of course, that doesn't mean Kris wasn't working behind the scenes, as Ray J claims.

As we've reported over the years, although the Kardashians claimed they never signed off on the tape, the reality is that Vivid could not have released it without the signatures of Kim and Ray ... if it did, there would be a slam dunk lawsuit, because Vivid could not use the name or likeness of anyone on tape without their consent.

Kim actually sued Vivid before the tape was released and that lawsuit was dropped ... we're told because she and Ray cut the deal they wanted and that cleared the path for the release of the video.

Holy crap -- how'd this happen ... Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's little kid ain't little at all anymore!!!

Gavin and 15-year-old Kingston were out in Encino Wednesday grabbing dinner. The kid's as tall as his pops ... and it caused us here at TMZ to look back and wonder where the time went.

Back in the day -- when Gavin was 4 (you do the math) -- TMZ on TV had a field day celebrating Kingston and his moves with the ladies!

Kingston's the oldest of their 3 kids together. Gavin and Gwen are also the parents of 13-year-old Zuma and 8-year-old Apollo.

Gavin and Gwen divorced in 2016 in an acrimonious divorce. At the time, Gavin said he agreed to an "unequal split" of their assets.

Kingston and his siblings were front and center at Gwen and Blake Shelton's wedding in July 2021.

Kim Kardashian busted her ass to lose 16 pounds for The Met Gala, and anyone accusing her of doing it in an unhealthy manner just doesn't get it ... so says her longtime trainer.

We got DON-A-MATRIX out in L.A. Wednesday who says Kim dropped some serious lbs the old-fashioned way ... hard work and dieting. Don was with Kim through the three-week process, and says at no point did she "starve" herself.

Not only that, Don says Kim was an animal in the gym -- working out 2 times a day -- and sticking to a well-balanced diet.

He says Kim's not his only client who lost a lot of weight in a short period of time ... other clients have lost even more -- the key is exercise and healthy eating.

TMZ broke the story, when Kim first tried on Marilyn Monroe's "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" dress back in March, it didn't fit, and The Ripley's Museum actually rejected her request to borrow the dress for the Met Gala.

Determined, Kim dropped the weight, and came back a few weeks later -- and the dress fit, and Ripley's was down with the Met.

Kanye West and Antonio Brown have some competition ... 'cause Lakers legend Magic Johnson is joining a bid to purchase the Denver Broncos!!

The Hall of Fame hooper is hopping on Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris' offer to purchase the NFL team, according to Sportico.

Of course, superstar Antonio Brown previously told TMZ Sports he and Kanye West are "extremely serious" about taking over the team ... claiming Donda Sports was working like crazy to make it happen.

With that being said, the Broncos are currently valued at close to $4 billion ... and when it's all said and done, the sale is expected to be the biggest in sports history.

Johnson has become a business mogul following his incredible career with the Purple & Gold -- he's invested in the Dodgers, Lakers, Sparks and LAFC ... as well as Starbucks, Burger King, Square, Cameo, 24 Hour Fitness and more.

Magic's involvement would be a step in the right direction for the NFL, which has a serious issue with diversity among NFL owners.

Now, Forbes reports Ye has a net worth of around $1.8 billion ... but Harris' is reportedly around $5.6 billion.

This is terrifying ... a transatlantic flight packed with passengers was 40 minutes into the flight, when one of the pilots revealed he was unqualified to fly.

The Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet had taken off from London -- headed to New York -- when the co-pilot somehow made it known he had not taken his final flying test qualifying him to take a seat in the cockpit.

The Civil Aviation Authority in the UK tried to downplay the incident, saying, "Virgin Atlantic has made us aware of the incident. Both pilots were suitably licensed and qualified to undertake the flight." It begs the question ... if they were qualified, why did the plane have to turn around?

Eventually, Virgin found a replacement pilot, and after a 3-hour delay, the plane was off again.

This comes as airlines in the U.S. are experiencing drastic shortages in pilots, resulting in numerous flight cancelations. There's now a push by some airlines to reduce the number of training hours for pilots to qualify in smaller jets. Currently, there's a 1500-hour rule, requiring pilots to train that long before taking the helm in the cockpit. Some airline execs say the 1500-hour rule is too high a hurdle, and want the number of training hours reduced. It used to be 250 hours, but after a recent crash, the number was raised to 1500.

And, while this is pretty shocking ... this is likely part of a larger problem 'cause the U.S. is reportedly experiencing a huge pilot shortage ... and training delays due to the pandemic hasn't helped either.

Airlines are scrambling to recruit more pilots and get them trained and flying, ASAP. As millions take to the skies each day, the shortage will likely become responsible for higher airline prices, cancelations, burnout of current staff and smaller airlines cutting their schedules.

No one's on the fence over abortion, so maybe that's why SCOTUS put a massive one around the third branch of government.

It's certainly a sign of the times ... a construction crew began erecting a fence Wednesday night around the perimeter of the Supreme Court building. As you certainly know by now, the area around the court has been flooded with protesters on both sides, this after a draft opinion leaked, signaling the end of Roe v. Wade.

There hasn't been any violence of note, but clearly, that's on the minds of people inside that building, especially in the wake of January 6th.

Some of the justices reportedly have begun canceling public appearances -- speaking engagements and the like -- because of safety concerns. There are also reports people who are protesting the impending decision are planning protests at the home of the justices who signed on to the majority draft opinion. There's a group that has posted the addresses of some of the justices.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was involved in a car crash on Wednesday ... but, thankfully, his son said the 79-year-old is "all good" now.

Jones, according to WFAA in Dallas, was transported to a hospital with minor injuries after being involved in an accident at around 8:10 PM CT at Wolf St. and Harry Hines Blvd. -- roughly 20 miles away from the Cowboys' team facility.

But Jones' son, Stephen Jones, said in a text message to ESPN late Wednesday evening that Jerry had made it back home and was "all good."

A spokesperson for the Dallas Police Dept. told TMZ Sports they do not give out names of individuals involved in car accidents unless there's a fatality. The spokesperson did confirm, however, that officers did respond to the Wolf and Harry Hines location at around 8:10 PM CT for a two-vehicle accident.

The spokesperson added that one person was transported to a local hospital for "precautionary measures."

Tokyo Toni's trying to raise some cash to make Blac Chyna's appeal happen, but she also hopes the Kardashians can mend the rift between them.

We got Tokyo Tuesday in L.A., and she's calling BS on the Kardashian ruling ... she thinks they've got a solid chance on appeal, if they raise $400K she says they need for the lawyers.

Tokyo started a GoFundMe to raise the funds, but the page hasn't seen much activity -- so far it's at an anemic $810.

Tokyo also wants the Kardashians to "do what's right" and stop the war ... especially because Chyna and Rob share 5-year-old Dream.

As you recall, we caught up with Chyna the day after she lost her $100M defamation suit ... she seemed in good spirits, saying her time in court had been fun.

The Island Boys will have an opportunity to show off their hands -- and secure the bag -- 'cause Flyysoulja and Kodiyakredd just got an offer to be cast on a boxing competition pitting social media stars against each other in the squared circle.

The new reality show is called "Ultimate Social Boxing" ... and will pit 32 social media stars against one another as they attempt to fight their way to the top, and the winner will receive $1 million!

TMZ Sports talked to LiveOne founder Rob Ellin (brother of 'Entourage' creator Doug Ellin), and one of the people behind the show. Ellin is currently beginning to cast the series.

Two of those spots ... well, Rob would like the Island Boys to enter the competition.

"We want you. It looks great. It looks energetic. It looks like those guys have those promotional skills. Again, to have that energy of becoming a true brand. Steve Austin, right? The Rock. Hulk Hogan. You want dolls made of you? You want a career? You wanna build brands? You want to own tequila companies? Yeah, sure. But, you better get yourself into boxing shape," Ellin said.

Of course, the bros blew up after their song, "I'm An Island Boy" exploded in popularity last year.

And, they've seemingly taken up boxing lately ... showing off their skills (😬) on social media, doing bag and mitt work.

Boxing and entertainment have become more intertwined over the last few years ... and particularly since Jake Paul burst onto the boxing scene.

Paul flipped the sport on its head in many ways ... but that could only happen because, like him or not, Jake's a talented fighter.

New York native Héctor Elizondo was no stranger to the cameras when he landed the role of Barney Thompson -- the hotel concierge of The Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills -- in the classic 1990 romantic comedy "Pretty Woman."

Héctor shared the big screen with A-list actors including Richard Gere as the successful millionaire businessman, Edward Lewis, Jason Alexander as the creepy lawyer, Philip Stuckey ... and of course Julia Roberts as the lady of the night who turned into the ultimate love interest, Vivian Ward.

Héctor is also known for his roles in "Chicago Hope," "Runaway Bride," "Young Doctors In Love" and "Georgia Rule."

The Laugh Factory, one of the meccas of standup comedy in Los Angeles, is beefing up security ... and it's in response to the attack on Dave Chappelle and the Oscars slap.

Honchos at the famous comedy venue on Sunset Blvd. tell TMZ not only have they put up a sign in support of Dave, but they're also going to great lengths to protect comics after what happened during Dave's set Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl.

Remember ... an attacker jumped on stage and lunged at Dave, slamming him to the ground before running around the stage and eventually catching a beating. The guy had a replica gun with a real knife attachment.

We're told the new security plan at the Laugh Factory features more security guards both inside and outside the venue, including plainclothes guards in the crowd tasked with preventing anyone from rushing the stage.

Somehow, Dave's attacker got the gun/knife into the Hollywood Bowl and past metal detectors, and we're told the Laugh Factory is now using a metal detector at the front door for the first time ever.

The Chappelle attack also prompted a staff meeting at the Laugh Factory ... with leadership blaming the incident on the Will Smith slap at the Oscars, seeing it as some sort of copycat effect, combined with a lack of criminal charges for Will.

This photo shows how scary it must have been for Dave Chappelle Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl, because the gun/knife that was thrust toward him looked like it could have fatal consequences.

The knife is affixed to the barrel of the gun, like a bayonet. As we reported, the gun was a replica but the knife is real ... real deadly if the attacker had actually used it when he jumped on stage and lunged at Dave, slamming him to the ground.

The big question ... how on earth did the 23-year-old assailant get the gun/knife past the metal detector? Our LAPD sources say there was one entrance area where the metal detector could be circumvented. That itself is a HUGE problem.

As you know, a bunch of people, including Jamie Foxx and Busta Rhymes, pounded on the guy ... who was injured and taken to the hospital. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.

Dave continued his show and was uninjured, but he was clearly shaken up.

No magic tricks necessary for Penn & Teller's big unmasking moment on "The Masked Singer" -- instead, it was a laborious process full of panic and mayhem!!!

Our sources say when the legendary comedy duo was revealed as the celebs inside the Hydra costume, stagehands had an issue deconstructing the costume at the moment of truth.

We're told it was a chaotic scene backstage, with folks scrambling to figure out what to do, and in the end ... the costume department made a very last-minute decision to completely cut off the middle head of the three-headed costume.

Our sources say the head was literally sawed-off ... and it basically ruined the costume.

Besides hacking off the head, we're told the costume department accidentally sliced a wire cutting off all the electricity used for Hydra ... making the eyeballs that once lit up completely useless.

Now, all this drama mostly played out off-screen when Penn & Teller were revealed earlier this season -- and our sources say producers panicked when they saw the head being sliced off. Despite the big reveal, they still had more filming to do with the costume -- like reshoots, promos and cutaway camera angles.

Fortunately, the wardrobe department's really handy with superglue -- we're told they meticulously pieced together Hydra's head, and it actually worked!!!

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.