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Gospel star Earnest Pugh is feeling the wrath of Dionne Warwick this morning after he incorrectly announced the death of Whitney Houston's mother -- someone who's very much alive, according to Dionne.

Earnest shook up the Internet Wednesday with a now-scrubbed post about the "passing" of Cissy Houston, who is also Dionne's aunt ... so, it didn't take long for Dionne to call BS and throw some serious shade.

Dionne told the world Cissy is still with us, adding "This Earnest Pugh needs to get a life and stay out of other peoples lives!"

Friend of the Houston family and fellow Gospel singer Kim Burrell echoed the good news, minus the sass ... saying, "Please respect her life as she continues to live. She's home. Thank you all🙏🏽"

Good to hear Cissy's alive and well after all -- and, not shockingly, Earnest has yet to respond to Dionne.

Bye Bye, Florida Georgia Line ... country duo Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley played their final show together before going their separate ways.

Emotions were high at the Minnesota State Fair Wednesday night, as FGL did their last set ever ... before their final song, Tyler and brian took a minute to thank the crowd for being there for them all these years.

They ended the show with one of their hits, "Cruise" ... after saying their goodbyes to the crowd AND each other, they walked off on separate sides of the stage.

It's bittersweet ... the two have been jammin' out for a decade now -- their debut album, "Here's to the Good Times," dropped way back in 2012. Since then, they've shared the stage with big names like the Backstreet Boys and Nelly.

For those unaware, Tyler said the split has nothing to do with bad blood ... saying on Bobbycast last month that the issues were more within the band than between the two of them.

They'll both continue to have their hands full, though -- Brian's jumping right into a Florida residency, where he'll perform some of his latest solo work. Tyler's joining country legends Keith Urban and Ingrid Andress on their latest tour, before dropping his solo album next year.

"Survivor" alum and "The Challenge: USA" contestant Tyson Apostol thinks he could wipe the floor with the OG's of the MTV program ... but series staple Johnny Bananas thinks he has no clue what he's talkin' about.

We got Johnny in New York Tuesday at RiseNY ... and he thinks Tyson's claims aren't holding up -- adding the reality star is a little too new to the series to be yappin' his mouth.

Simply put -- Johnny doesn't think TA's ready to run with the big boys.

In case you missed it, Tyson's been a standout contestant on the CBS spinoff, but last month he called out a majority of the cast on Twitter ... saying the face-off would be a cakewalk.

"The Challenge: USA" -- wrapping its first season -- takes recognizable faces from "Big Brother," "Survivor" and other CBS shows and pits them against each other, just like MTV's does.

50 Cent's TV family is in full dysfunction -- 2 'Power' stars are on the verge of coming to blows, and the infighting is keeping everyone on their toes when cameras aren't rolling.

Sources close to the unfolding drama tell TMZ Hip Hop the problems between "Power Book IV: Force" actor Joseph Sikora and "Power Book II: Ghost" actor Gianni Paolo have been brewing long before Joseph -- who plays Tommy -- dropped a very public diss on Gianni.

50 and singer Joe were on stage in Houston last weekend performing the 'Power' theme song as several cast members joined them onstage.

When Gianni went to give Joseph a pound, he was brutally ignored ... and cameras caught the burn in real time! 😬

Gianni recently fired back at Joseph's claims of reconciliation following the onstage diss so yeah, Houston … there's still a problem!!!

Sources involved with the series back up Gianni's claims, noting there's been an air of coldness when the 2 actors are around each other.

We're also told the rivalry between 'Power II' star Michael Rainey Jr. and "BMF" actor Lil Meech is getting out of hand … with both camps aggressively throwing money at one another during a Houston Tycoon Fest party.

Their respective security teams almost came to blows as a result of the ruckus but we hear cooler heads prevailed to party on.

Last year, Meech and Mike revved up the testosterone on IG … sending shots to one another ahead of the "BMF" premiere and things are still, well … testy.

The last time we spoke to Gianni and Mike, they told us Fiddy was an incredible peer mediator on set … just from his presence alone.

Tai Tuivasa is feeling horny, and it can only mean one thing ... it's time to fight!!

TMZ Sports talked to the 29-year-old, #3 ranked UFC heavyweight ahead of his UFC Fight Night scrap with #1 ranked challenger, Ciryl Gane ... in Paris, where Bon Gamin lives and trains. We asked Tai what he had to look out for fighting CG.

"Ciryl is a great athlete. Great competitor. Really good fighter. There's gonna be a few challenges, but I think he's got a bit to worry about as well, know what I mean? I'm gonna do what Bam Bam does and come to fight, and I'm gonna bring the fire, that's for sure."

FYI, Gane is coming off a loss to Francis Ngannou in January (unanimous decision). It was the first loss of his career (10-1). Tai has won his last 5 ... including wins over Derrick Lewis, Greg Hardy and Stefan Struve.

Anyone who's watched Tuivasa fight knows win or loss (there's been a lot more winning than losing), he's going to throw bombs, and someone is going to sleep. That's why he's a fan favorite.

On September 3rd, he's going into enemy territory ... but you already know Tai isn't the least bit worried.

"I look at it as an opportunity to earn more fans from another country and another place. So yeah, I'm excited. I definitely came to find some new French fans."

There's even more than a possible title shot and new fans on the line ... Tai says his contract's up after the Ciryl fight, and he's looking to get a solid pay increase.

"All I'm focused on is winning this Saturday and negotiating a new contract for bigger money," Tuivasa says.

"I'm a prize fighter. I know that if I win this weekend, it's going to help me dramatically in my next contract negotiation."

If he wins, Tai says he's eager to sample the French beer ... when he does a shoe-y.

"My mates have been having beers at breakfast. They said it tastes pretty good, so I'm definitely keen to give it a swirl!"

We also asked Tai about Jon Jones -- a  possible future opponent for Tai. Tuivasa recently made news when he called Jones the best fighter ever, but also called him a "d******d."

Tai's clearly interested in the fight, but says Gane's his only focus right now.

Before this put-together teen turned into a prestigious businesswoman and a straight-up boss, she was just your average teenage girl ... dressing up, enjoying the '70s fashion and growing up in San Diego, CA.

This media personality-maven made a hard step into the entertainment industry when she began managing her then-husband, and that was just the start to racking in buttloads of cash. When she's not handling her business ventures and constantly putting out fires, you can enjoy her goofy personality on TV ... most likely with a dirty martini in hand!

Olivia Rodrigo is not too cool for school ... because she was apparently in class today at USC.

Ya gotta see this photo making the rounds online, showing the "good 4 u" singer seated in class at USC's Thornton School of Music.

Olivia's peers seem surprised at taking in a lecture with a celeb ... and it looks like she's listening intently to whatever the professor had to say.

We reached out to USC and Olivia's camp to learn more about the classes she's apparently taking on campus ... so far no word back.

Olivia does have a documented relationship with USC and the Thornton School of Music ... alumni from the school's studio guitar and popular music programs were featured in a live performance of Olivia's song, "favorite crime."

The USC marching band also performed Olivia's smash hit "good 4 u" at football games last season.

Olivia's only 19 years old, so she would fit right in on a college campus.

No arrests have been made in the case of the couple accused of engaging in a sex act at an A's game earlier this month -- but cops say they at least have a pic of the suspects ... releasing it to TMZ Sports on Wednesday.

The Oakland Police Dept. tells us it believes the man in the black shirt and the woman in the pink pants are the ones who got a little too frisky in the stands at the A's vs. Mariners game at RingCentral Coliseum on Aug. 21.

According to cops, the couple is alleged to have committed the crime of a lewd act in public. We're told if charged and convicted, each could be facing up to 6 months behind bars and/or a fine of up to $1,000.

Police tell us they're still on the hunt for the suspects ... and are encouraging anyone with info on the two to reach out to the OPD Special Victims Section at (510) 238-3641.

Serena Williams got a special gift from her Nike family as she plays what possibly could be her last tennis tournament -- a pair of custom Virgil Abloh kicks in honor of her late friend.

The tennis legend posted a video unveiling several boxes of sneakers from the shoe conglomerate -- and naturally, her favorite pair was the one inspired by the fashion icon.

Serena said the grey and green kicks inspired by Virgil -- the fashion designer who unexpectedly passed away last year -- have her name in quotes, paying homage to Abloh.

Williams also said Nike took some ideas for the design of the kicks from a tutu dress she wore while competing ... that she's "obsessed with."

Serena and Abloh's relationship is well-documented -- the tennis star famously modeled in his Off-White fashion show during Paris Fashion Week in February.

Williams -- who's won 23 Grand Slam singles titles in her career including 6 U.S. Open tournaments -- took the court in style on Monday, donning a custom dress and shoes encrusted with 400 diamonds.

SW sent shockwaves throughout the sports world when she announced ahead of the U.S. Open that she would be "evolving away" from tennis after the tournament.

Model Shannon Clermont of the Clermont twins is asking a judge to nullify her brief and secret marriage ... one she claims she was manipulated into.

In the legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Shannon says she married celebrity jeweler Alex Moss in New Jersey back in March after a few years of dating.

The docs say Alex told her he was a Canadian citizen, and in America on a student visa.

She claims he was told by his immigration attorney at the end of last year that he needed to tie the knot to avoid deportation but claims he promised he wanted to marry her regardless of his status.

She says he proposed on January 1, but didn't get down on one knee ... and she claims he said he didn't get her the ring he wanted to get her. Shannon claims Alex told her to keep their marriage a secret, even asking her to keep it from her twin, Shannade.

Shannon says he quickly decided to not move forward with building their life together, separating just 4 days after their courthouse marriage.

She's now looking for an annulment, claiming she was duped into the marriage under fraudulent pretenses.

NYPD is getting dragged on social media due to a viral video of a cop slugging a woman square in the face, leaving her down for the count.

The brutal incident reportedly went down Aug. 12 in Harlem, but the video's just now circulating online -- and it shows a group of officers in the middle of a crowd. NYPD says they were attempting to arrest a man in connection with an attempted murder.

The scene is total chaos, and you see one officer push the woman away from the crowd, and she seems to shove him back.

That's when the cop simply hauls back and throws one crushing punch to her face. She immediately falls backward on the pavement.

Citizens on the scene were absolutely shocked, and at least one man is heard yelling at the cop, "Why would you do that?!"

It's unclear if she fell unconscious, but moments later the cops had her up on her feet and put her in handcuffs.

NYPD seems to be describing the incident as self-defense -- it says, “While police were effecting the arrest, multiple individuals on scene interfered by physically assaulting numerous officers. One officer sustained a minor injury to the head.”

Two women reportedly ended up charged with assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration -- one of them was additionally charged with menacing and harassment, and a third woman was accused of spitting at an officer.

Country music singer Luke Bell battled severe bipolar disorder for years before recently going missing and being found dead ... and his manager says he'd disappeared a few times before.

Luke's business manager, Brian Buchanan, tells TMZ ... the singer tried to cope with bipolar disorder, but could never find a solution that worked for him. When Luke disappeared in the past, Brian says they were always able to track him down.

We're told the singer-songwriter was prescribed medication, but his manager wasn't sure if Luke was taking his meds earlier this month when he went missing in Arizona.

Cops say Luke's body was discovered Friday in Tucson, and Brian tells us he'd vanished one night while getting food in the area with his musician friend Matt Kinman.

We're told Luke and Matt were in Tucson to visit Matt's family and play some gigs. Matt had searched for Luke for at least 10 days before the body was found.

Police say an investigation is ongoing ... and we're told an autopsy is underway to determine the cause of death.

Luke's manager tells us ... "Luke fought this as hard as he could, but the disease got the better of him. When he was beating the disease, he was the sweetest and most generous guy. He's found peace now and there's some comfort."

Luke was 32.

RIP

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

The relationship between Kanye West and GAP has clearly hit some rough waters ... with Ye taking shots at the retail giant for allegedly leaving him out of meetings and copying his designs.

Ye's now gone off on the company for two days in a row, first announcing Tuesday, "Gap held a meeting about me without me?" Then on Wednesday posting a text exchange with someone accusing GAP of copying Yeezy GAP Engineered by Balenciaga's designs on a standard GAP T-shirt.

According to Kanye, GAP also backed out of a shoot with his kids, writing, "But they canceled the photo shoot with my kids in Japan without me knowing."

Of course, Kanye's Yeezy GAP line has been extremely successful so far -- with impressive sales both online and in-store. However, it appears the relationship has become frayed, with Ye not having as much of a voice in the business operations as he may have intended.

One thing we know Kanye's had full control over, though, is the presentation of the clothing in GAP stores. He faced heavy criticism online for the "trash bag" displays of the products, but announced he wouldn't apologize for being an innovator.

Tyrese is now officially single, and he will be heavily investing in his child's future ... that's how the judge advised him to view the $10k he'll be paying monthly in child support going forward.

Tyrese's courtroom showdown with his estranged wife, Samantha Lee Gibson, wrapped up Tuesday evening in Georgia with the judge ordering the actor to pay $10,690/month in child support. The exes have a daughter, Soraya.

Perhaps sensing Tyrese wasn't happy with the outcome, the judge addressed him directly, saying ... "This is not a punishment for you. Put that money where it belongs, in the child! The judge also advised Samantha and Tyrese not to bad mouth each other in front of Soraya -- and said Tyrese should be happy if his ex moves into a nicer house, because it means a better standard of living for his daughter.

Now, the hitch for Tyrese is the judge said the $10k/month dates back to when Samantha first filed for divorce in Sept. 2020 ... which means he owes his ex a lump sum of $209k.

However, Tyrese got a credit, noting he had been making Samantha's car payments for 2 years, the judge knocked off $46k ... bringing the lump sum down to $169k.

More good news -- at least for Tyrese -- the judge said neither party will pay spousal support. As TMZ first reported, that's exactly what Tyrese wanted -- and he also wanted to keep their Range Rover and let Samantha have their Land Rover. He got that too.

Almost as an afterthought, the very last thing the judge did was to grant Samantha's petition for divorce -- so, both of them are single ... even if they're not yet ready to mingle.

BTW, Tyrese is already paying $10,690/month in child support for his teenage daughter, Shayla, who lives in California with his ex-wife Norma Mitchell.

Diddy's "R&B is Dead" campaign has led the Bad Boy Records founder back into the studio ... with the legendary Dr. Dre marking their first-ever musical meetup!

Sources familiar with the session tell TMZ Hip Hop Dre was actually coaching Diddy on how to say certain words and made sure they had it right.

We're told the track will likely end up on Dre's upcoming album with Snoop Dogg (who was also in the building) which the West Coast rap legends have been teasing since February's Super Bowl performance.

Jimmy Iovine, Tank, Pheelz, LVRN's Justice Baiden and others were also in the mix to keep the energy high and ideas flowing.

Seeing as it was their first time recording together, the 2 super-producers were trying to get a feel for each other's chemistry. We’re told the song felt like it was coming together nicely, and Diddy and Dre definitely “clicked” and had fun.

Diddy celebrated the moment with a post calling it a “dream come true,” and labeling Dre a "superhero."

Chris Rock invoking the late Nicole Brown Simpson didn't land with the public, and it's definitely not landing with her family either -- 'cause he's getting dragged by them.

Tanya Brown, Nicole's sister, tells TMZ ... CR's crack wasn't just unfunny, it literally doesn't make sense. She says equating getting slapped at the Oscars to a gruesome double homicide is apples to oranges -- so, she thinks it's lacking in logic and a basic connection.

With that said, Tanya tells us his attempt at humor was distasteful to say the least, and offensive to the extended family ... especially since she believes it was totally gratuitous.

What TS wants Chris -- and anyone else who might want to invoke Nicole's murder in their bit -- to know is this ... there are still surviving family members who are still dealing with her loss to this day, and this type of stuff hits close to home and hurts people.

Tanya says she thinks Chris could've used any other analogy to make his point ... and didn't have to punch down to something that doesn't even relate -- coming off as tacky as a result. She believes comedians should be held accountable for what they say, including Chris.

Well, one could argue that's happening right now ... CR is certainly being called out by a lot of people online, who also thought the joke was cringe-worthy.

Some are so outraged by him name-dropping Nicole and likening her tragic situation to his ... that a select few are even suggesting maybe he deserved getting smacked by Will Smith. Remember, he said him going back to host the Oscars would be like NBS going back to the restaurant she was at before being killed to get her eyeglasses. Indeed ... grimace territory.