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Not sure the Supreme Court saw this one coming -- Brandy Bottone, who is pregnant, is using the controversial overturn of Roe v. Wade to fight a traffic ticket in Texas ... and her case could set precedent.

Brandy says she was 34 weeks pregnant when she got pulled over in Dallas County for driving solo in the HOV lane. She says she told the cop her unborn fetus was her passenger -- and she cited the SCOTUS decision as she stated her case.

Brandy says, "I pointed to my stomach and said, 'My baby girl is right here. She is a person.'"

She told the cop she didn't want to get political, but the Supreme Court decision -- which leaves it up to states to establish abortion laws -- means that in Texas, her fetus is a person.

The cop didn't buy it, and wrote her a $275 ticket, but Brandy says she plans to fight this one in court. She says Texas law deems "an unborn child at every stage of gestation from fertilization to birth" to be an individual.

Brandy says the cop told her the HOV rules refer to "2 persons outside of the body."

We'll find out when she goes to court July 20. She says, "This has my blood boiling. How could this be fair? According to the new law, this is a life. I know this may fall on deaf ears, but as a woman, this was shocking."

Nicki Minaj says she was just trying to make a funny ... and instead made all her fans believe she's pregnant again. Spoiler alert -- she's not.

Here's how it all went down ... before Nicki got on stage at London's Wireless Festival, she went Live on Instagram for a little pre-show chat with the Barbz. When one of them asked if she and Kenneth Petty were expecting their 2nd baby, she immediately responded, "I'm not fat, guys, I'm pregnant. Sorry" ... and then she rolled her eyes.

Of course, her screen was immediately flooded with congratulations and that's when Nicki realized ... "Oh wait. Did I say it wrong? I'm sorry. I think I said it wrong. I meant to say, I'm not pregnant. I'm fat."

Hmmm ... we're thinking Nicki's too social media savvy for that kinda screw-up. We smell a troll job, but a funny one. Nicki and her husband had their first kid, a baby boy, back in September 2020 -- and they still haven't revealed his name.

As we reported, Kenneth is gonna have a lot of face time with the kid, as he was sentenced to one year of home confinement -- in their luxurious Calabasas mansion -- for failing to register in California as a sex offender.

Johnny Depp's got a lot more to say about Amber Heard, and this time he's doing it in his music ... or so it seems based on some lyrics on his new record with Jeff Beck.

In a clear case of striking while the iron's hot, Johnny and Jeff recorded a full album, "18," and Depp reportedly wrote 2 of the songs on the 13-track collection. It comes out on Friday, but some leaked lyrics include Johnny singing, "I think you've said enough for one motherf***ing night" ... according to The Sunday Times of London.

While Johnny's said little about his ex-wife since defeating her in their defamation trial ... it seems like he's dropping a few references to her on the record. One of the tracks he penned is "Sad Motherf***ing Parade" and in one line he sings, "You're sitting there like a dog with a seven-year itch." Another not-so-subtle lyric ... "If I had a dime, it wouldn't reach your hand."

Doesn't take a genius ... but, it's worth noting Johnny doesn't mention Amber by name in any of the songs, at least according to the report.

As we've reported, Depp and guitar great Beck have been touring around Europe even before the verdict came in the trial. Remember, Johnny wasn't in court when the jury came back because he was playing live shows in the U.K.

Their new album isn't all shots at Amber, in fact, it's mostly cover songs -- including a Velvet Underground track and Brian Wilson's "Caroline, No."

Depp's focused mainly on his music career since the trial, and recently announced his Hollywood Vampires band -- with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry -- would be going back out on tour.

Security guards for Selena Gomez are earning their keep, because some weird stuff's been going down at her house ... including a fan getting on her property early Sunday morning.

LAPD sources tell us officers arrested the guy as he tried to stroll away from her L.A. home, but Selena's security team had already caught him in the act. We're told the suspect jumped a fence around 1 AM, and security called cops.

The guy tried to flee, but we're told responding officers found him wandering around the neighborhood, and he said he just wanted to meet Selena.

That seems low-key compared to an incident a few weeks ago at the "Only Murders in the Building" star's house. Our sources say security also called cops when a man allegedly wrote Selena's name on a mattress, using what appeared to be blood ... and then lit the mattress on fire!

We're told her security says that guy didn't make it onto the property -- it all went down just outside her gate. Selena wasn't home during either incident, but still ... super creepy.

Travis Scott has the antidote for all the controversy surrounding his Coney Island concert -- a simple dinner date with Kylie Jenner ... 'cause no one could fault him for that. Right?

The couple was holding hands Saturday night in WeHo as they left Catch LA -- and while Kylie smiled for cameras, Travis seemed less than thrilled with the attention. He was rocking shades and a knitted cap, and kept his head down with zero facial expression.

As we've reported, Travis has been under fire for what went down at his show with Meek Mill over the 4th of July weekend at Coney Island. He stopped the show when some rowdy fans climbed up on a lighting truss, and made sure they got down safely.

That move set off some of the Astroworld victims ... in particular, attorney Alex Hilliard criticized the rapper, saying it showed he does know when to prioritize fan safety ... but chose not to do that during the tragic festival in Houston.

A rep for Travis fired back, though, saying, "It's beyond disappointing to see that - in a desperate bid to influence potential jurors – plaintiffs' legal team is criticizing Travis for pausing Monday's Coney Island show to ensure that fans can have fun safely. This is exactly the wrong message to send to fans and to artists."

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris getting a dozen years behind bars in his child pornography case wasn't a reason for joy in the household of two of his accusers ... so says their own mother.

Twin brothers Charlie and Sam are among the victims who accused Jerry of soliciting nudes and sex from minors, and their mom, Kristen said in a lengthy statement she's still heartbroken and angry despite his prison sentence.

Kristen says every aspect of Jerry's case is tragic, and she's not feeling a sense of justice just yet ... because she wants to see the folks who run big-time cheerleading take steps to prevent other minors from being abused.

As we reported ... Jerry was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison, appearing in court and telling his victims, "I am ashamed as I know that I took advantage of your youth and weakness. I was wrong and selfish. I caused you harm and I do not blame anyone. I regret my decisions and I am deeply sorry."

Remember ... the Netflix star had been under FBI investigation since 2019, with the feds claiming he was soliciting sex from minors at cheerleading competitions, as well as coercing teen boys to send him sexually explicit photos.

Harris was arrested in September 2020, with the second season of "Cheer" diving into his arrest and sharing the story of his twin accusers.

Charlie claims he was only 13 when a 19-year-old Harris sent him a direct message on Instagram, asking his age and wondering if he would send him nudes. Charlie says he felt pressured to send the pics because he looked up to Jerry as a male cheerleader.

From there, Charlie claims he continued communicating with Harris until they met at a cheer competition, where Harris allegedly assaulted him.

Sam claims Harris started contacting him after allegedly assaulting his twin, and their mom says she started looking into their relationship after finding some of their communications.

Polo G's lawyer thinks cops in Miami did the rapper dirty by only releasing parts of his 2021 arrest that make him look like the bad guy ... but Miami PD is denying it released the bodycam footage.

Polo's attorney Bradford Cohen tells TMZ this is something he's never experienced in his decades of work ... law enforcement releasing what he calls "heavily redacted" body cam footage, and only "the parts that disparage the defendant."

Cohen says there are crucial moments in his arrest that were left out of the released video -- "They didn't show him getting slammed to the ground or the reason why was pulled over. Of course, they wouldn't show that."

The video does show Polo verbally berating one of the arresting officers, but Cohen says that is "part of being a police officer out in public, people are going to say things you are not going to like."

He thinks Miami PD was embarrassed because it had no probable cause to stop him or arrest him last June, and the case has been largely dismissed after Polo completed anger management classes.

Here's the wild card, though -- we asked Miami PD why it only released portions of the arrest, and a spokesman told us the department did NOT release the footage ... which first popped up Thursday on Twitter.

Rhode Island State Senator Tiara Mack is standing by the viral TikTok of her twerking on a beach as a way to garner votes ... saying it's all about being an authentic version of herself.

Senator Mack tells TMZ ... her supporters know exactly what kind of politician she is -- one who's never going to become a fake politician, so she doesn't think an apology is in order for something that is authentically her.

She says she's never shied away from labeling herself as a "queer, Black woman," and hopes she can show the younger generation it's ok to be yourself and stay happy while making a difference in the community.

Senator Mack's comment section has been flooded with hate since posting the clip, and she says it has more to do with her as a Black woman than her as a politician -- seeing racial slurs thrown her way.

Utah Jazz forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker says he'll miss playing alongside newly-traded All-Star Rudy Gobert ... telling TMZ Sports he'll always appreciate the veteran big man for being a great teammate.

We spoke with the 23-year-old out at LAX this week ... and the former Virginia Tech Hokie told us Gobert's departure will be felt both on the court and in the locker room.

"I did message him when [the trade] happened," Nickeil said. "He was a good guy. When I first got there, he welcomed me."

"What he does on the court is special," Nickeil added. "His ability to affect damn near every shot, [a] dynamic roller. So, you're always going to miss playing with someone like that."

Alexander-Walker has only played 4 seasons in the Association, but he did say that he got to interact with Gobert over several dinners ... though, he remains tight-lipped about how those encounters went.

"I been to some good dinners, got to keep those disclosed," Nickeil said. "But, the dinners were fun and cool and I wish him the best."

The Jazz made shockwaves this NBA offseason when they traded Rudy -- who had been the anchor of their defense since being drafted in 2013 -- to the Minnesota Timberwolves ... pairing him with the combo of Karl-Anthony Towns and rising star Anthony Edwards.

Southern hottie Katie Martin spanked the shores of Florida when she pumped up a paddle board and popped into some steamy swimwear that created a new level of heatwave ... even for the Florida humidity!

When Katie Martin isn't creating wild looks for her Instagram and TikTok audiences ... she can be spotted sharing makeup tutorials, traveling, taking care of her French bulldog and is a self-described Oreo addict.

Talk about a treat!

We are continuing to whip up our Summer Hot Shots for 2022 from a distance and have collaborated with some mind-melting hotties from around the world for your viewing pleasure!

Want to live rock star adjacent? Now's your chance ... the home of Aerosmith legend Steven Tyler's daughter just hit the market.

Mia Tyler's Hollywood Hills home is listed at just under $2 million -- and the pad's got plenty of charm -- with 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and plenty of room outside to entertain.

The lucky buyer will enjoy a private outdoor space with a fire pit, secluded hot tub and a guest house.

BTW, the home actually used to be a recording studio! So, ya know, a real rock star lifestyle. Tori Horowitz at Compass is representing Mia in the sale.

Of course, the listing comes as the Tyler family celebrates some other good news. Steven recently completed rehab, after a very successful stay.

Steven and Mia have a special bond, he wrote a song named after her on Aerosmith's album "Night in the Ruts" in 1979.

Justin Hartley's looks over the years are definitely award-worthy!

Here is a 26-year-old version of the "This Is Us" actor offering a fresh pose with blonde highlights at the 30th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Universal City back in 2003 (left). This was just one year after he landed his first reoccurring role on the daytime soap opera "Passions."

And, 19 years later ... the 45-year-old father recently showed his endearing smise at the 'Filming Italy' event in Santa Margherita di Pula, Italy (right).

JH continues to keep his iconic spikey hair look on point!

The question is ...

Duane Brown was arrested on gun charges at the airport this weekend ... TMZ has learned.

The NFL free agent -- who was most recently playing offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks -- was busted Saturday at LAX around 2 PM, where law enforcement sources tell us ... he allegedly tried going through TSA with a gun in his luggage.

We're told this happened at Terminal 6, and that during the standard screening ... one of Brown's bags was found to have a firearm inside, which our sources say was unloaded.

Of course, the cops were called immediately ... and our sources say Brown was taken into custody. He was actually recorded being escorted to a police vehicle by a photographer on the scene, and sure enough ... there's DB in handcuffs as he's led along by a few cops.

The charge we're told he's being booked on ... possession of a concealed firearm. Brown's on his way to a nearby LAPD jail for processing.

Twitter is yet again proving it's the worst for bulk bad takes -- this time, debating whether Anne Frank, who was hunted and killed by Nazis, had white privilege while alive. 🥴

You might've noticed the late Holocaust victim was trending Saturday, but finding out why is disheartening ... some, it seems, have floated an argument that Frank benefited from white privilege in Nazi Germany -- an argument that is rightly being shot down left and right.

Unclear how this toxic discourse first started, but it seems to stem from a warped notion that Jews had the benefit of their skin color to go unnoticed in public, if only temporarily, during that bleak time in history ... while POC, historically, haven't been able to do so.

The theory is so twisted, and yet ... it's being defended by a select few on the bird app ... despite a vast majority of folks swooping in to bat down the rhetoric by noting that Jews were, in fact, seen and treated as an inferior race in an ethnic sense ... and that Anne Frank was murdered specifically because she was Jewish. Plus, she was in hiding!

As someone wisely put it, "Anne Frank didn’t have white privilege…you wanna know why? Jewish people aren’t included when white nationalists define the perfect Aryan race. If you think she did, tell that to all the other innocent jewish people forced into concentration camps for not being white enough."

In other words, Jews were not considered one and the same as Nazis at the time, by said Nazis, even pigmentation-wise -- evidenced in their literal extermination by the millions.

This harkens back to another weird debate from a few years ago, when folks were going after Hellen Keller -- who was both blind and deaf -- for only have achieved such notoriety and success in her day due to her own "white privilege." That was bad, this is much worse.

This also seems to be in the same vein as what Whoopi Goldberg put forth on 'The View' this year ... when she likened the Holocaust to one group of white people against another, and not wanting to conflate that with the plight experienced by African-Americans.

She was suspended, and ultimately apologized. As some have noted, convos like these devolve into a contest of suffering -- with this new trend just being the latest iteration.

L.Q. Jones -- a versatile character actor whose career dates back to the 1950s -- has died.

His death was confirmed by his family, who says he passed of natural causes in the Hollywood Hills surrounded by loved ones ... this according to Variety.

Jones had over 160 acting credits to his name, with his first several coming in the year 1955 -- when he starred in military-inspired flicks like "An Annapolis Story," "Battle Cry" and "Target Zero." He also appeared in a few episodes of the western-themed TV show "Cheyenne."

From there, LQJ was on a roll ... with acting in a number of films and TV series like "Annie Oakley," "Gunsight Ridge," "Operation Mad Ball," "Buchanan Rides Alone," "The Naked and the Dead," "Jefferson Drum," "Men of Annapolis," "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin" and more.

Flip-flopping between war and westerns, Jones stayed busy in the '60s. Some of the more popular titles he was in ... "Lassie," "Klondike," "Laramie," "Perry Mason," "Route 66," "Wagon Train," "Rawhide," "The Virginian," "Gunsmoke" and "The Big Valley" ... just to name a few.

Other hit shows in which he had guest-starring roles included, "Hawaii Five-O," "Charlie's Angels," "Ironside," "Kung Fu," "CHiPs," "Columbo," "Cannon," "The Runaways," "The Dukes of Hazzard" and lots of others. He even starred in "The Incredible Hulk," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The A-Team," "Renegade," "The Yellow Rose" and more throughout the '80s/'90s.

He'll also probably be remembered for his work on "The Wild Bunch," "Major Dundee," "Ride the High Country" and "A Boy and His Dog" -- the latter of which he wrote and directed.

Jones also had a memorable scene in Martin Scorsese's "Casino." While the guy certainly had already carved out a name for himself before the turn of the century, millennials might actually recognize him as well thanks to a cult classic from the late '90s.

Indeed, Jones plays the Legendary Three-Fingered Jack in "The Mask of Zorro" -- where he had a scene-stealing moment in which he was shot and killed mid-air ... this after being ejected from a mineshaft cart and flying toward a group of bad guys with a pickax.

Jones was 94.

Anthony Mackie is set to take up the mantle as the new Captain America in his own movie, but on speculation over whether Chris Evans might reprise the role ... he says, no chance.

News about Mackie starring in a forthcoming 'Captain America 4' flick surfaced this week, with director Julius Onah reportedly attached to direct. This, of course, comes on the heels of Mackie's Disney+ show -- which ends with him accepting the CA shield.

You'd think that conclusion -- which was made very clear on the show, this after Evans' character, Steve Rogers, had already passed the torch at the end of 'Endgame' -- wouldn't be up for debate ... but apparently, among some fans, it is. And, THR alluded to that in a thread.

In response to uncertainty about Evans' possible involvement with the new movie and the character, CE himself weighed in Saturday ... writing, "Sam Wilson is Captain America."

The reason that's a big deal ... it seems to shut down trolls who, to this day, aren't cool with the idea of Mackie carrying on as the titular superhero -- a controversy that's been brewing since 2019 when he was officially tapped as Chris Evans' successor.

A lot of the pushback over AM has been straight-up racist ... with many saying a Black guy simply shouldn't be allowed to assume the role (even though that happens in the comics).

Now, Chris appears to be confirming he's done with 'Captain America,' and that Mackie will exclusively continue as the character ... without Chris's involvement going forward. Frankly, that makes sense logistically -- Evans is depicted as an old dude in the final 'Avengers' movie ... so to jam him into the plot, beyond just a cameo, feels unlikely/unnecessary.

BTW, Mackie as the new Captain America carries a lot of weight. It's revealed on the show -- based on an earlier comic series, which is canon -- that the fictionalized history behind Captain America is dark, with the U.S. government testing/perfecting the super serum giving him his powers on Black soldiers while Cap was under ice. So, technically, Captain America was built on the backs of Black people ... a metaphor to our own real-life history, some say.