Britney Spears Drew Barrymore Sends Hype Video ... Congrats On Hitting #1!!!

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NEEDED TO HEAR THAT
TMZ.com
UPDATE

11:24 AM PT -- Britney just posted a hype video of her own, with a message to Elton John ... she says she's about to have the best day ever celebrating the success of the song, congrats!!

UPDATE
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RUNNIN' THE CHARTS

Drew Barrymore is hyping up Britney Spears, congratulating her dear friend on the heels of a chart-topping song release ... and TMZ has the video messages they exchanged!!!

Drew is over the moon for Britney's success with her Elton John collab, "Hold Me Closer," so she sent Britney a congratulatory message on video ... and it's some over-the-top cheerleading.

As Drew puts it, seeing Britney's song rocket to No. 1 is "too f****** important" for a simple text message ... hence the video congrats, complete with its own musical element.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

Britney sent Drew a message in response, telling DB the praise from her "crazy sexy" friend is much needed ... and expressing how proud she is to be back on top of the music world.

As you know, Britney and Elton just released their highly-anticipated collab, and the song is now No. 1 in 40 countries, including the U.S. and England.

Drew and Britney are super close ... she went to Britney's wedding to Sam Asghari ... and Britney makes it clear she wants to get together and take some fun pics.

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BRITNEY IS BACK!

The video exchange gives a ton of insight into Britney and Drew's friendship ... and it's great to see Britney getting love and support from her pals.

Originally Published -- 11:17 AM PT

Jennifer Lopez Performed New Song at Wedding ... This One Goes Out to My Husband!!!

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SPECIAL SERENADE
TMZ.com

Jennifer Lopez can't get enough of Ben Affleck ... that's exactly what she told him with a song and dance she performed for her husband during their wedding, and we have the video!!!

J Lo took over the dance floor at Ben's Georgia estate during their wedding celebration, grabbing the mic and performing a new song while Ben sat alone in a chair ... just a few steps away from the new Mrs. Affleck.

The lyrics are pretty affectionate ... Jen's singing about passion, still being in love and there's even a catchy hook, "Can't get enough."

J Lo's doing it all in her wedding dress, and she's even got backup singers and dancers!!!

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JUST FOR BEN
TMZ.com

For his part, Ben really seemed to enjoy his front row seat ... just check out the loving look on his face as he watches his bride strut her stuff.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

As you know ... Ben and Jen's huge ceremony and party went down last weekend -- at the same venue where they were supposed to get married 20 years ago -- with tons of friends and family there to celebrate the newlyweds.

Come for the wedding, stay for the J Lo concert.

French Montana 1st BX Rapper To Go Diamond 💎 Also Promoting Drug Rehab for Struggling Artists

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HELPING THOSE IN NEED
TMZ.com

French Montana recently hit a big milestone with his song, "Unforgettable," but the artist isn't focused on that -- he's laser-focused on helping addicts by providing them with the privacy and help they need to recover.

French joined "TMZ Live" Friday ... talking about his partnership with Guardian Recovery Group to form NAQI Healthcare -- it's aimed at expanding access to in-home and private detox services to privacy-sensitive clients.

He's lost people over the years to addiction, in particular, his pal Mac Miller ... and doesn't want anyone to feel shame by seeking help before it's too late.

NAQI is offering up help in Florida, NY, and Cali, and will soon expand nationwide. The company's also donating a percentage of profits to MusiCares -- a charity that offers health, finance and rehab resources to musicians.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

FYI -- French got his diamond-certified plaque for "Unforgettable" Wednesday ... not only is he the first African-born artist to go diamond (10 million units moved), but he's also the first artist from the South Bronx to hit the mark!!!

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French is leveling up his rap stock even more with a joint album with Kodak Black and an upcoming doc in which Drake will serve as the executive producer.

Congrats on both fronts!!!

Charlie Sheen Settles HIV Lawsuit

Charlie Sheen has decided to settle his lawsuit with an ex-girlfriend who claimed he exposed her to HIV ... putting to bed the case that's been simmering for years.

Legal docs, obtained by TMZ, show the stipulation was filed Wednesday in L.A. County Superior Court ... the actor agreed to settle with the woman for $120K -- which will be paid to her in $10K monthly installments over the next year.

As we reported back in 2017, the woman, who filed as Jane Doe, claimed she met the "confidential male defendant" and they quickly began having sex -- eventually unprotected sex -- according to the lawsuit.

She never mentioned him by name in the initial docs, but she did note the person she was suing announced his HIV status on national TV on November 17, 2015. That's the day Sheen went on "Today" and told his story, so she wasn't doing much to conceal his identity.

She claimed he dismissively told her to take pills to prevent transmission, but told her to not believe "the convenient rumors of the medical community," saying, "You don't need to be on all that f****** s***."

We've reached out to a rep for Sheen for comment ... so far, no word back.

'Supernatural' Star Jim Beaver Files For Divorce

"Supernatural" Jim Beaver is throwing in the towel on his marriage ... because he just filed for divorce from his actress and singer wife.

Jim beelined it to court this week and filed to divorce Sarah Spiegel after 3 years of marriage.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jim lists the date of separation as August 14 ... which means he wasted almost no time going forward with the divorce filing ... and he cites the usual "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split.

Jim and Sarah started dating back in September 2016, and in May 2018, Jim announced their engagement after popping the question on a trip to Paris.

The actors tied the knot in June 2019, with Jim gushing about Sarah in a social media post where he called her "delectable, spectacular, deeply kind and loving."

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

Jim and Sarah did not have any children together ... and Jim is asking to end the court's ability to award either of them spousal support.

Director Edward Buckles Jr. 'Katrina Babies' Highlights PTSD, Violence Among Children

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FOREVER TRAUMATIZED
TMZ.com

Director Edward Buckles Jr. is taking a unique look at the lasting effects of Hurricane Katrina ... looking at the disaster through the lens of children who were traumatized by it.

The film's director and New Orleans native joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and talked about the lingering trauma that is highlighted in the doc, "Katrina Babies."

Edward says PTSD is a real thing with folks who are now in their 20's and 30's but were children when the vicious storm hit 17 years ago. He also sees a connection to the violence today among young people in New Orleans.

He has personal experience ... Edward was just 13 when Katrina hit, and although he was able to make it out, some of his cousins did not.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

Edward says the government's poor response to the hurricane has also had a lasting impact ... creating cynicism and anger among young people.

"Katrina Babies" is available on HBO Max.

Richard Simmons Breaks Silence After TMZ Documentary ... Thanks Fans for All The Love

Richard Simmons is feeling the love, more than 8 years after he disappeared from the public eye, thanking fans for their support and well wishes on the heels of TMZ's documentary about his life and his disappearance.

Simmons, who hasn't posted a message directly from himself on Facebook in years, broke that streak Wednesday, saying, "Thank you, everyone, for your kindness and love! ❤️ Love, Richard."

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WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?

Richard's post comes just a couple days after the premiere of "TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons" on FOX and Hulu. An in-depth look into Richard's life, his success and his disappearance from public life.

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A MESSAGE FROM RICHARD
TMZ.com

We're told Richard watched the special and is extremely moved by the reaction of thousands of his fans who have sent well wishes.

While Richard's official Facebook account regularly posts old clips and workout vids -- usually getting a couple hundred comments -- the direct note from Richard clearly had fans excited, with close to 5,000 comments in less than 48 hours.

Many fans' comments included their photos with the exercise guru over the years with words of love and encouragement, with many emphasizing how important it is that he takes time for himself.

AEW Star Darby Allin Stunt Jumps Jeep Over Home ... 96 Feet!!

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BIG AIR
Instagram / @darbyallin

AEW star Darby Allin is known for his death-defying stunts in the ring -- but this time, he's reached new heights OUT of it ... pulling off a 96-foot jump over his home in a Jeep!!

"Sketchiest stunt I ever did!" Allin wrote on social media.

In the video, Allin's Jeep gains some speed as it zooms up a makeshift ramp and launches into the air ... and man, was it close to the roof of his home!!

At one point, the Jeep's right back tire skids off the side of it ... but Allin, somehow, was still able to nail a sick landing into a bunch of trailers.

No word on how fast Allin was going or what led him to try the stunt ... but the 29-year-old pro wrestler naturally has a penchant for defying the norm.

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TOWERING TAKEDOWN
AEW

You'll recall ... during a match against Jeff Hardy in May, Allin took the meaning of extreme to another level when he hit Jeff with his signature Swanton Bomb finisher off the ladder.

Hardy -- who's no stranger to pulling off jaw-dropping stunts inside the squared circle -- went crashing into 8 steel chairs set up directly behind him ... and the whole crowd lost it!!

As crazy as that Swanton Bomb was, it's not shocking for Allin ... who has a reputation for defying gravity and pushing his limits.

But, this latest stunt takes the cake. Sheeshhhhhhhh!

Donald Trump FBI Lays Out Case for Mar-a-Lago Raid

The Justice Department just released a redacted version of the Donald Trump Mar-a-Lago search warrant affidavit in which it claimed to have probable cause to search the estate and seize classified information that the former President allegedly unlawfully maintained.

According to the affidavit, the FBI believed it had probable cause based on documents Trump had previously provided to the National Archives. A review of those materials showed Trump had taken with him from the White House "highly classified records," including 25 documents marked "TOP SECRET." The FBI claims Trump produced many of the documents "unfoldered, intermixed with other records."

The FBI believed, however, based on information obtained from witnesses that there were significant additional documents he had not turned over. The names and information provided by those witnesses are redacted from the affidavit that's been released publicly, so it's impossible to know exactly what information the FBI acted upon.

Since the Mar-a-Lago raid, The DOJ and Trump had been duking it out publicly over the release of the search warrant affidavit, which laid out the government's case for probable cause that a crime was committed.

Trump initially told the media he supported the DOJ release of the warrant -- unredacted. Trump's lawyers, however, never made the argument in court, instead remaining mum on whether or not the affidavit should be released.

In his court order Thursday, Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart ordered the affidavit released, but sided with the DOJ allowing it to redact significant portions of the affidavit because "disclosure would reveal the identities of witnesses, law enforcement agents, and uncharged parties."

Dozens of FBI agents executed the warrant on August 8, descending on Mar-a-Lago and carting away dozens of boxes of potentially classified documents Trump took from the White House after losing the election.

Court documents revealed the boxes contained 11 sets of classified records -- some marked top secret and "sensitive compartmented information". Trump blasted the FBI on his Truth Social platform, grousing that during the search, agents had broken into his safe and searched Melania's closet, leaving it a "mess."

The day he left office, 45 took the boxes of sensitive materials with him back to Mar-a-Lago. Since then, he and his lawyers have been in a tug of war of sorts with the National Archives and Records Administration over the return of the documents to the government.

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TRUMP'S IN TROUBLE

At one point earlier in the year, Trump returned 15 boxes of White House records to the National Archives ... launching the Justice Department investigation into what else he might have kept. The National Archives claims, in total, Trump took over 700 pages of classified documents.

Britney Spears & Elton John 'Hold Me Closer' Rockets to #1 ... Incredible Comeback for Britney

UPDATE

9:51 AM PT -- Elton just posted about the track, saying, "I'm thrilled with the response to Hold Me Closer. I wanted to do a fun, happy summer track so was ecstatic when Britney Spears agreed to be a part of it! She truly is an icon, one of the all-time great pop stars & I love her dearly. I hope you all love it!"

UPDATE

Britney Spears has made one of the most remarkable comebacks ever in music ... exactly one year ago she was locked in a contentious conservatorship -- one year later she's shot to the top of the music charts in spectacular fashion.

Britney's collab with Elton John -- "Hold Me Closer" dropped Friday and immediately shot to #1 on iTunes in the U.S. The song is #1 in 35 countries, including England.

Britney shared her feelings about the release on Twitter and said, "Okie dokie … my first song in 6 years 🎶 !!!! It's pretty damn cool that I'm singing with one of the most classic men of our time … @eltonofficial 🚀!!!! I'm kinda overwhelmed… it's a big deal to me !!!"

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

It's Britney's first release since the termination of her conservatorship in 2021 ... with heavy involvement by her former agent and current manager, Cade Hudson. She hasn't released music in 6 years.

It's also a brilliant move on Elton's part ... as you know, he released "Cold Heart - PNAU Remix" with Dua Lipa a year ago which was also a monster hit. He's found a way to take some of his amazing songs and put a spin on them with younger artists, and it's clearly working.

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SPECIAL SURPRISE
8/23/22

Sources with direct knowledge of the process of making "Hold Me Closer" tell TMZ, Britney was "all over the song," heavily involved in the sound and the mixing. There was a little drama during the post-production, but all worked out.

Britney's conservatorship lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, tells TMZ, "It's been a privilege working with her. She's been thorough a lot. Regardless of what comes next for her and what she chooses, I am so very proud of her."

Originally Published -- 6:18 AM PT

Mississippi H.S. Football Wild Fight Breaks Out In Stands ... Man Left Bloodied

A wild fight broke out in the stands at a high school football game in Mississippi Thursday night ... leaving one man bloodied, and the chaotic scene was captured on video!!

It all went down during a football game between the Wayne County War Eagles and the Quitman Panthers ... when two men began screaming at each other during the contest.

In the clip, a man wearing a blue Heidelberg football shirt stood up and told the other guy, who appeared to be wearing a navy shirt, "I'll whoop your ass," as the two went back and forth.

The video shows the guy responding by saying, "Come on out to the parking lot. Come whoop my ass" ... and that's when all hell broke loose!!

The guy in the Heidelberg football shirt walked down the stadium stairs, and that's when the guy in the navy shirt attempts to pick him up and unloads a series of punches.

It's unclear how many punches were thrown, but the fight left one guy bloodied ... as spectators nearby tried to separate the two parties and restore some semblance of peace.

We reached out to Wayne County H.S. and Quitman H.S., and they tell us they have no reason to believe either individual seen fighting in the video was affiliated with either H.S.

The Chief of Police with Wayne County School District's Police Department told us he had "no comment" at this time.

The Mississippi High School Activities Athletic Association told us they are aware of the fight ... and are actively investigating the incident.

Sylvester Stallone All Smiles in NYC ... On Heels of Jennifer's Divorce Filing

Sylvester Stallone is still showing up for work, and putting on a face that seems to hide the fact his wife just pulled the trigger on ending their 25 years of marriage.

Sly surprised a bunch of excited fans Thursday at a special screening for his new movie "Samaritan" ... popping up at the AMC Empire 25 theater in New York. Some folks whipped out their cameras to snap the moment, while others clapped and greeted him with smiles.

And, despite it being a difficult time, he seemed to be in pretty good spirits. At one point he grabbed the mic and gave a guy in the audience a warm embrace.

As we reported ... his now-estranged wife Jennifer Flavin filed for divorce a week ago, and in the docs, she claims he's been moving around marital assets to hide them from her and her attorneys -- although Sly denies that.

There's been a lot of back and forth about what might have caused the divorce -- much of it centering on Sly's new Rottweiler, Dwight, which Stallone got tatted on his shoulder ... OVER Jennifer's face!

While sources connected to Sly said an argument about the dog triggered the divorce ... Sly himself tells us that wasn't it.

He says he and Jennifer "just went in different directions," and adds he was totally caught off guard by her filing divorce papers.

Interestingly, though, Jennifer was out in WeHo in early August, and wasn't wearing her wedding ring.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

For now, Sly's putting his head down and is handling his Hollywood biz.

Sugar Bear Meet the New Me!!! Total Makeover After Cancer Scare

Mike "Sugar Bear" Thompson's finally ready to flaunt an amazing makeover -- delayed for months due to a possible cancer discovery -- and he's truly looking like a new man!!!

As you can see, Honey Boo Boo's father got a massive overhaul, which included a hair transplant, botox, and dental surgery ... according to his manager, Gina Rodriguez.

This was no SuperCuts job either, Sugar Bear's new 'do required a visit to Jacques Abrahamian at LA FUE Hair Clinic in Pasadena ... where he got more than 3,500 FUE grafts to restore the top half of his scalp.

The procedure, which takes individual follicles from other parts of the body to the scalp, can set someone back $30K.

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SUGAR SELF CARE
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Sugar Bear also hit Bev Hills for 75 units of Botox from Dr. David Saadat, who injected his eyebrows, forehead and those pesky crow's feet.

As for the new pearly whites ... Dr. Joseph Goodman of Beverly Hills removed 20 teeth and replaced them with top and bottom snap-in dentures -- normally a $35K procedure.

This makeover was a long time coming for SB ... TMZ broke the story, he started the process to get a makeover in May this year after going through his recent divorce from Jennifer Lamb.

The procedures were put on hold after a dentist discovered possible cancer in his gums.

A biopsy later determined it was benign, but a tumor had to be removed.

Bald Eagle Umm, I'm the National Bird!!! No Pass, Screened at TSA

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IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE ...
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One bald eagle's giving its own wings a break, and hopping a commercial flight instead -- but even being the U.S. national bird won't get you through TSA any faster.

This particular screening eagle, named Clark, was boarding a flight in North Carolina earlier this week ... and as you might imagine, Clark caught a lot of eyes in the airport. Eat your heart out Bennifer!

While he might seem like an unlikely passenger, TSA said the airline made them aware ahead of time that Clark would be a passenger, and agents handled biz as they would for any other animal.

No favors for this guy, either. You'd think being on the cover of every U.S. Passport might get you some celeb treatment, but Clark and his handler still had to wait in line and go through TSA screening. Like everyone else.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

Apparently, the eagle is trained to spread his wings on command. TSA agents tweeted about the cool moment ... saying the eagle "showed off a bit during screening" and flapped his wings briefly.

According to the World Bird Sanctuary, Clark is "one of only four bald eagles who travel to fly at different venues throughout the United States”. It's up to each airline to decide which animal is allowed on a plane ... per the FAA website.

Talk about flying to new heights!

Fake Drake Drake Paid Lamar Odom NOT to Fight Me … And Wants to Slap Me Himself!!!

UPDATE

2:08 PM PT -- 9/1 -- Lamar's manager tells TMZ ... Lamar has zero relationship with celebrity boxing or Damon Feldman. He ended it and he's owed a lot of money.

Fake Drake is missing out on his big celebrity turn with Lamar Odom, and he's blaming real deal Drake for sabotaging his money bag!!!

Fake, Izzy, whatever ... that guy was a recent guest on the WeInMiami podcast, where he got candid about his recent encounter with Drake … who allegedly cold-shouldered Frake and team when approached about the nixed celebrity boxing match with Lamar Odom.

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Champagne Papi seemed fine with coexisting with his clone in the past, but lately, he's got no patience for the whole scene. During the podcast, Fake Drake claimed the megastar rapper threatened to pull up to the fight and slap him ... free of charge.

Frizzy also accused Drake of paying off LO to stay out of the ring, but sources involved in the celebrity boxing deal tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Drake cashing out the ex-NBA star is false, and LO simply backed out on his own.

Speaking of fights, one almost broke out during the podcast taping when Sparkling Cider Papi's new opponent, YouTuber M2thaK, promised to remove all signs of Drake … with his fists.

The fight is scheduled to happen in October, and should be worth the price of admission … especially if real Drake shows up to get in a few shots. Hey, we can dream.

Originally Published -- 8/26 AM PT

Shia LaBeouf I'm Catholic, Thanks to New Role ... Opens Up About Suicidal Thoughts

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"I DIDN'T WANT TO BE ALIVE ANYMORE"
Youtube/Bishop Robert Barron

Shia LaBeouf is back from the brink of a terribly dark place, and he's crediting his latest project, "Padre Pio" ... saying the role and God pulled him back to the light.

Shia revealed he did some serious studies on Catholicism for his upcoming film ... talking about his journey to meet with Bishop Robert Barron of the Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.

He says he even prepped for the role of the Franciscan Capuchin friar by living in a monastery with other friars.

Shia admits he went into production at a rough point in his life -- as we reported, he was sued by his ex, FKA Twigs, in 2020 for sexual battery, and claims he felt suicidal. He says he told the Bishop, "I had a gun on the table. I was outta here. I didn't want to be alive anymore when all this happened."

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

However, he thinks his studies made him a lot more grateful to be alive, saying ... "It was seeing other people who have sinned beyond anything I could ever conceptualize also being found in Christ that made me feel like, 'Oh, that gives me hope.'"

He believes God was behind his whole realization, claiming he was "using my ego to draw me to him."

If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.