James Brolin Here's Me & Barb's Secret to Successs ... A Lil' Therapy, Lotta 😭

042623-james-brolin-kal
MEET IN THE MIDDLE
TMZ.com

James Brolin is giving the recipe for success in his 25-year-year marriage to the great Barbra Streisand -- getting surprisingly candid about what works ... and what doesn't!

We got the actor -- who's Josh Brolin's dad, and a well-established celeb in his own right -- while he was outside of the ABC Studios in NYC Wednesday ... where he was signing autographs and, apparently, feeling pretty chatty about his personal life.

Our photog asked if he had advice for people on how to keep a good thing going in the relationship department -- and James has an answer ... essentially, it amounts to therapy.

Check out how he describes it for himself ... JB says, sometimes, you need a third party to help break up the log jam a husband and wife might experience. So, in his experience, it makes sense to get somebody in on the conversation ... whether it's a pro or not.

There's a couple other X factors that'll keep a marriage together, according to James -- which amounts to a little give and take in picking your battles ... and shared waterworks.

We also asked the dude how he stays so damn fit at the ripe age of 82. James says he has surf master Laird Hamilton to thank for that one ... who showed him his workout ways.

Drake Bell Sucking on Balloon in His Car ... Weeks After Going 'Missing'

042623_drake_bell_kal
CONCERNING BEHAVIOR
The Image Direct

Drake Bell looks to be in a bad place -- inhaling from a balloon that appears to be filled with nitrous oxide ... a troubling move that comes amid some tumultuous weeks for him.

The former child star was sitting in his car Tuesday outside of his L.A. home sucking on a fully inflated balloon. In one of the photos, you can see a cannister of some sort -- which resembles a typical nitrous oxide container.

Of course, huffing nitrous is a dangerous but popular method of getting high -- a few seconds of euphoria and head rush -- without using hard drugs.

BTW ... this is not Drake's first rodeo with nitrous oxide -- he was pictured doing the exact same thing back in December, and, in that instance his young son was in the car too.

And yes, inhaling nitrous oxide without a medical professional's supervision or guidance is, indeed, bad for one's health.

As we reported ... Drake's clearly been going through it of late. He told Twitter users last week that he was contemplating suicide after the trolling and attacks over his child endangerment conviction in 2021 -- which has led to people labeling him a "pedophile."

On top of that ... his wife filed for divorce just a couple days prior, this after he was reported missing in Florida -- only to pop up on the radar again in what turned out be a false alarm.

We know Drake has been thrust into a child custody battle with his now-estranged wife -- and, apparently, it's gotten so ugly behind the scenes ... he's been sending scary messages to his family that made them worry for his safety and his life.

The guy's had a lot of ups and downs in recent years -- everything from a choppy music career to even more legal issues like a DUI bust and bankruptcy.

As we reported, family members called police a couple weeks ago, because they were so worried about Drake. These images won't ease those concerns.

042623-tmz-live-drake-bell
NITRUS HIGH

Drake's rep chose not to comment on the photos.

Gisele Bundchen Gifts $1M to Women's Shelter ... Breaks Ground on New Children's Center

Gisele Bündchen's new chapter of life has her going all in on philanthropy work -- givin' back in a major way to help battle the growing childhood homeless crisis in Florida.

The supermodel announced Tuesday she'd be gifting a whopping $1 mil to the Miami chapter of Lotus House, the nation's largest women's shelter, which just broke ground on a new state-of-the-art facility called The Children's Village.

We're told the new facility's goal is to focus on the needs of the community's youth, and to keep the momentum going on preventing homelessness in the area. Gisele's gift will go toward a new playground as well as more programming within the village.

The 7-figure donation was a no-brainer for Gisele, who said ... "Building a solid community for children is so important, especially for those who are vulnerable and in need."

She's stoked about the playground, too ... adding it'll be extremely beneficial to kids' physical health, social interactions, and overall self-confidence.

Lotus House has been open to those in need since 2006 -- growing from 34 beds to serving more than 10,000 women and children. Today, the facility has more than 80% of its guests successfully exiting... far above the national average.

Great cause to support, Gisele!

Disney SUES FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTIS ... Political Retaliation Threatens Our Biz!!!

Disney is escalating its beef with Ron DeSantis ... it's now suing Florida's Governor for what Disney claims is a targeted campaign of retaliation, and one that's hurting the company's bottom line.

The Walt Disney Co. filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against DeSantis, ripping the Republican presidential hopeful as being "patently retaliatory, anti-business, and patently unconstitutional."

In the suit, Disney claims DeSantis is waging a "relentless campaign to weaponize government power" to punish Disney's political views ... with Disney saying the Governor's actions are now threatening its business, jeopardizing its economic future in Florida and violating its constitutional rights.

042623-ron-desantis-kal 4/26/23
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

Disney says it regrets having to sue DeSantis, but the company says he gave them no choice ... pointing out DeSantis recently talked publicly about wanting to tax the hell out of Disney and build a state prison next to Walt Disney World.

In the suit, Disney says it's being "forced to defend itself against a State weaponizing its power to inflict political punishment" ... with Disney claiming DeSantis is orchestrating a retaliation campaign against the company simply because Disney "expressed an opinion with which the government disagreed."

Although the suit references the "government" in several places, Disney is not suing the state of Florida.

Remember ... the beef started when Disney came out in opposition to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" legislation, which DeSantis has championed. DeSantis then started targeting Disney's special tax district, which has essentially allowed Disney to self-govern in Florida since the 1960s.

Disney says the lawsuit is a response to DeSantis' hand-picked board of supervisors moving to undo a recent development deal Disney struck to strip the board's power over WDW.

beckerman desantis
DISNEY VS DESANTIS

Disney's asking the court to rule the board's attempt to void the development deal as unlawful.

Kim Kardashian Y'Know, I'd Give Up Reality TV ... To Be a Full-Time Lawyer

042623-kim-kardashian-kal 4/25/23
OFF CAMERA
TIME

Kim Kardashian says she'd be happy to give up reality TV to become a lawyer full time -- 'cause she sees it as just as fulfilling ... if not more so.

The beauty and fashion mogul was being interviewed at the TIME100 Summit Tuesday and talked about her criminal justice reform efforts ... getting into the nitty-gritty of her work to help secure the release of Alice Marie Johnson from prison.

As she was diving into this chapter of her life -- which she says has been eye-opening and life-changing on several fronts -- Kim was asked point blank ... could she ever see herself living a life not in front of the cameras? She answered quickly -- absolutely!

Kim goes on to say she and her extended family have come to cherish the private moments they share off-camera -- so a transition to post-reality TV wouldn't be that difficult.

Plus, it sounds like KK legitimately loves the art of law ... not to mention the idea of helping people in need. They discuss her progress in that regard -- Kim says she's taken and passed the baby bar exam.

Kim says she'll take the real bar exam in February ... so she could be a real-life attorney and actually pursue this new career that she's mulling over here in this chat -- IF she passes.

Kim's passion for law/justice has been well-documented over the past several years -- in addition to trips to D.C. for lobbying efforts, she's continued to speak out and highlight cases where she feels certain people have been wrongly imprisoned, including death row inmates.

It's interesting to hear her say she'd leave TV (and presumably the spotlight that comes with it) behind ... frankly, she's been an entertainment staple for about two decades now.

It'd certainly be the end of an era ... and we might be coming up on it sooner than later.

We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!

Sydney Sweeney's Fiancé Spotted Walking Her Longtime Pup ... No Broken Home Here!!!

Sydney Sweeney and Jonathan Davino seem to still be going strong despite breakup rumors ... as evidenced by her fiancé's latest outing with Sydney's close childhood companion.

Jonathan spent some QT Tuesday with the actress' dog Tank, taking the pup out for a walk. We gotta say, if Jonathan's worried about Sydney romancing her costar Glen Powell ... he wasn't showing it in his shades and athletic wear. Cool as a cucumber, this guy.

FYI, Tank has been in Sydney's life for years ... she adopted her 4-legged friend when she was a teenager. So, the pooch is definitely hers, and not JD's -- another sign the couple's still together.

It's further confirmation of what we first reported ... Sydney and Jonathan's engagement is still intact.

As you know, Sydney and Jonathan got engaged last year, but recently rumors started to swirl they might have called it quits -- a theory fueled by Sydney and Glen seemingly getting very cozy while filming a rom-com down in Australia.

And even after filming ended ... a vid of Glen and Sydney goofing off together recently went viral.

On top of that, the costars were at CinemaCon this week to promote their new flick, and were looking super into each other. Plus, Glen's GF Gigi Paris unfollowed Sydney on social media.

Our sources are shutting down the idea SS and GP are really an item ... making it clear all the flirting was just to pump up their movie.

And, now Sydney's fiancé is seemingly sending a clear message ... their home isn't broken.

Lia Thomas Fires Back At Critics ... You're Using 'Feminism' To Hide Transphobia!!!

UPDATE

12:22 PM PT -- Former Olympic swimmer Donna de Varona joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" on Wednesday to talk about Lia Thomas' remarks ... and she said, in her opinion, there should be different categories for transgender athletes and biological females.

UPDATE
042623_donna_de_varona_kal
MORE CATEGORIES, MORE OPPORTUNITIES
TMZSports.com
UPDATE

She compared the situation to sports like boxing and rowing -- which have weight classes -- telling the guys, "Sports is about fairness and rules, and it's about categories."

UPDATE

"Categories have opened up opportunities," the two-time Olympic gold medalist and women's rights activist said. "Let's acknowledge that the world of sport has bent over backwards to try to accommodate everybody, but in line with fairness and opportunity."

Lia Thomas -- the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship -- is firing back at her critics ... saying a lot of them are simply transphobes who are "using the guise of feminism" to hide their true, hateful beliefs.

Thomas opened up about her detractors in a lengthy interview this week with Schuyler Bailar -- the NCAA's first trans swimmer -- and she said it's just not possible to claim to be a feminist but to also not support her when it comes to competing against biological females.

"They're like, 'We respect Lia as a woman, as a trans woman, whatever, we respect her identity, we just don't think it's fair,'" the former collegiate swimmer said on the "Dear Schuyler" podcast.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

"You can't really have that sort of half support, where you're like, 'Oh, I respect her as a woman here, but not here.' They're using the guise of feminism to sort of push transphobic beliefs."

Thomas -- who competed against males but switched to female competitions after she started hormone therapy in 2019 -- received backlash following nearly every event that she won over biological women. Her critics argued she had an unfair advantage ... and should be forced to compete in a separate category.

The issue became such a big deal, it sparked legislators to introduce bills in parts of the country to place restrictions on transgender athletes.

Outspoken supporters of those rules -- such as former swim star Riley Gaines and even some of Thomas' ex-teammates at UPenn -- have called themselves feminists who are trying to fight to protect women's sports.

But, during her interview with Bailar, Thomas said she believes that's all just an oxymoron.

"I think a lot of people in that camp sort of carry an implicit bias against trans people," Thomas said, "but don't want to, I guess, fully manifest or speak that out and so they try to play it off as this sort of half support."

Bailar agreed, adding, "In order to exclude anybody in the trans category, you have to reduce women to reproductive capacity, which is, in my opinion, extremely anti-feminist."

Thomas said she'll continue to fight for trans rights even though her competitive swim career is over ... and implored those in the transgender community to trust they're not alone in the battle.

'Big Brother's Memphis & Christmas Attacked Outside Bar ... Caught On Camera

042523_christmas_memphis_kal
BIG BROTHER BRAWL
TMZ.com

"Big Brother" alums Memphis Garrett and Christmas Abbott were involved in a wild fight outside their Florida bar with a couple of upset patrons ... and the vicious beatdown was caught on video.

The whole thing went down in January outside their Ft. Lauderdale spot, No Man's Land. As for what sparked the violence ... one source tells us the couple walked inside and asked for drinks, but Memphis told them they were closed, and when they refused to leave things got heated.

However, a different source -- who was inside the bar -- tells us the couple wasn't in the establishment, and the fighting all started and ended outside.

Memphis and Christmas' attorney, Brian Karpf, says Memphis was attacked by the guy.

Karpf says Christmas -- who was awaiting surgery for a neck injury -- tried to pull Memphis away but got hit by the other woman. You see a bartender trying to break things up.

Christmas says she called the cops and filed a report because the couple continued to throw things at the windows and wouldn't leave. According to her attorney, she opted to not press charges but got assurance the couple would not return.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Fans of "Big Brother" remember the 2 first met during season 22 of "Big Brother: All-Stars" when they jumped into an alliance together early on. They confirmed they were an item after the season ended, and tied the knot last year.

Kim Kardashian Look-Alike OnlyFans Model Dead At 34 After Reported Plastic Surgery

Kim Kardashian look-alike and OnlyFans model Christina Ashten Gourkani has died, possibly after a plastic surgery procedure gone wrong.

Christina's death was detailed in a recent GoFundMe made by her family, who say they got a call last week from another family member, frantically screaming that she was dying ... something they say "instantly shattered our world."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

They quickly arrived at the hospital where they were told her health went in a steep decline after suffering a cardiac arrest and she didn't make it. Her family says the death's being investigated as a potential homicide -- related to a "medical procedure that took a turn for the worse."

There have been reports that the procedure Christina was undergoing involved plastic surgery ... but the family says they aren't going into more detail at this time.

As for the fundraiser, they're asking people to help reach their $40K goal to go towards Christina's memorial.

For those unaware, the model -- who also went by Ashten G -- didn't just garner a ton of followers on OnlyFans, but also had over 600K on IG at the time of her death ... getting a ton of attention for bearing a striking resemblance to Kim K.

Christina was 34.

RIP

Ex-'Hot Bench' Star Larry Bakman Sues Assault Accuser ... You Cornered Me in Courthouse!!!

042523-Fari-Nejadpour-and-Larry-Bakman-audio-4- (1)
the alleged attack
TMZ.com / Backgrid
UPDATE

1:13 PM PT -- Larry Bakman is now suing Fari Nejadpour after the latter claimed he'd been battered -- with LB not only defending his actions ... but arguing he had no other option under the circumstances.

UPDATE

In legal docs obtained by TMZ, Larry claims Fari's placed him in a false light by suggesting he was brutally beaten in the courthouse Monday -- because, according to Larry, that couldn't be further from the truth ... claiming Fari's account is grossly exaggerated.

UPDATE

Here's what happened, per Larry. He claims Fari essentially bum-rushed him in the building and was super aggressive by shoving a recorder in his face without permission ... a situation which Larry says he tried to walk away from, but allegedly couldn't as he says Fari pursued him.

UPDATE

He asserts that Fari was harassing him and made him fear for his safety -- and not just that, but was straight up getting into his personal space and essentially obstructing his movement. So, Larry says he did the only thing he could to break free ... claiming he "slightly pushed" him away.

UPDATE

Larry claims the contact was minimal -- just enough to get Fari up off of him -- but that the dude totally milked it ... acting as if he'd been punched in the chest by the Hulk Hogan and claims Larry "intentionally stumbled backward and unceremoniously fell to the floor."

UPDATE

Larry says Fari's responsible for this mess for initiating everything -- and adds that he's actually the one who needs to answer for it, legally. In addition to false light, Larry's suing Fari for assult, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Larry Bakman -- an ex-TV judge on the reality show "Hot Bench" -- might end up having to answer to one himself because an attorney claims he got violent ... and has the whole thing captured on audio.

Fari B. Nejadpour -- who's been repping a woman in a DV case here in L.A. -- tells TMZ ... Bakman is representing the woman's husband. Nejadpour says the case started last fall but things took a nasty turn this week.

According to Nejadpour ... Bakman had filed a motion asking that Nejadpour be disqualified as the wife's attorney due to an alleged conflict -- namely, he'd repped the aunt of a client of Bakman's about a year ago ... something Nejadpour says is completely irrelevant.

He filed an opposition to Larry's motion, which was going to be heard Monday in an L.A. courtroom -- Nejadpour tells us that's when he ran into Bakman in a courthouse hallway.

Nejadpour says he confronted Bakman about his filing, and claims Bakman responded with hostility ... allegedly replying, "F*** you, ass****."

Nejadpour tells us he was shocked and told Bakman he was going to record him to show the judge how he was behaving. He says he turned on the recorder and started following Bakman, who he says was walking away to enter the courtroom.

At this point -- which we're told is when the audio starts to pick up -- Nejadpour claims Bakman quickly turned around and punched him in the chest with both hands ... which Nejadpour says sent him crumbling to his feet and writhing in pain.

He tells us he checked into a hospital that day, where he currently remains. Nejadpour claims to have suffered a laceration to the right side of his chest and an injury to his knee ... he also says he wants Bakman prosecuted.

LAPD tells us a battery report was filed, and they're investigating. We're told Bakman hasn't been arrested.

We also reached out to Bakman, who declined to comment.

Originally Published -- 12:45 AM PT

Tom Sandoval Defends Raquel Against Doubters ... She's In Mental Health Facility!!!

042523-tom-sandoval-kal 4/25/23
SETTIN' 'EM STRAIGHT
BACKGRID

Tom Sandoval is ripping anyone doubting the sincerity of Raquel Leviss' mental health treatments ... he says she's really getting help and isn't in some swanky resort.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star called out a couple former castmates by name Tuesday, tearing into Peter Madrigal and Dayna Kathan for casting doubt on Raquel's whereabouts.

Tom was in Van Nuys and grew agitated when paparazzi asked him if he had seen Raquel in Arizona ... Tom says she's in a mental health facility that doesn't allow visitors or phones.

041823_tv_clips_full.01_01_43_11.Still001
RESORT RAGE
TMZ.com

There's been speculation online Raquel is really at a Miraval Resort and & Spa location in Arizona ... but Tom says that's all BS and he seems peeved by all the rumors.

Tom says he went to a resort for some R&R and solo time in the wake of the "Scandoval," but he's adamant Raquel isn't living it up in a posh resort and is truly getting the help she needs.

Remember ... Tom blasted Miraval last week after the resort's social media team played into the speculation that he was going to be there, possibly to see Raquel.

Tom and Raquel have been getting tons of backlash since their cheating scandal rocked the show and blew up his 9-year relationship with Ariana Madix ... and they've both been struggling to keep their sanity, with Raquel seeking treatment as a result of the fallout.

Tom's got Raquel's back here ... and he's also showing Ariana love in advance of her White House visit.

Steven Spielberg Says He Regrets Altering 'E.T.' ... To Conform With Societal Norms

spielberg time regret
EXTRA REGRET
TIME

Steven Spielberg says he made a mistake when he altered a key scene in his 1982 classic film, "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," to conform to more current societal norms.

The iconic director was interviewed Tuesday at the Time100 Summit in New York, where he made the surprising remarks about editing the scene to show federal agents holding walkie-talkies instead of firearms while chasing after kids.

Spielberg said, "That was a mistake. I never should have done that. 'E.T.' is a product of its era. No film should be revised based on the lenses we now are, either voluntarily, or being forced to peer through."

He went on to say that he made the change from firearms to walkie-talkies because he was trying to be sensitive to the fact that gun-wielding federal agents were approaching kids. But, as the years went by, Spielberg's decision to tinker with the film for its 20th Anniversary special edition didn't sit well with him.

"I should have never messed with the archives of my own work, and I don’t recommend anyone do that." Spielberg said, adding, "All our movies are a kind of a signpost of where we were when we made them, what the world was like and what the world was receiving when we got those stories out there. So, I really regret having that out there."

'E.T.' tells the touching tale of a boy who becomes close friends with an Extra-Terrestrial who appears on Earth. But, the boy must help E.T. find his way home to a galaxy far away, never to see the gentle alien again.

After his E.T. comments, Spielberg also spoke out against censoring writer Roald Dahl's famous book, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," due to its offensive language by today's standards.

At first, Spielberg jokingly said, "Nobody should ever attempt to take the chocolate out of Willy Wonka! Ever!” But then he became serious, stating, "For me, it is sacrosanct. It’s our history, it’s our cultural heritage. I do not believe in censorship in that way."

'RHOSLC' JEN SHAH Husband Passes on New Season ... Despite Producers Wanting Him on Cam

Jen Shah's husband will NOT be making any appearances in the upcoming season of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" -- while she's doing time -- even though producers tried to get him on camera.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... producers approached Jen's husband, Sharrieff Shah, last month in hopes of getting him to appear in the new season, but after talking to his wife -- who's in federal prison -- he ultimately declined the offer.

We're told the Bravo show production team wanted to have Sharrieff meet up with the other husbands of "RHOSLC" to talk about Jen's prison bid and how he's dealing with it.

Our sources say one of the reasons Sharrieff and Jen ultimately decided to pass on him making cameos is because they're not happy with how the network treated her after she was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison.

In case you didn't know ... Jen blasted Bravo in January -- after the sentencing in her wire fraud case -- refusing a one-on-one with Andy Cohen and Bravo because "of their unwillingness to remove contractual provisions that allow the network to legally make misrepresentations of me and my story."

The show will obviously go on, but Sharrieff and Jen's views won't be part of it.

Tyrese Rocked in Court ... $636K for Child Support, Lawyer Bills!!!

tyrese court angry
IT FEELS LIKE PUNISHMENT
Dennis Byron/Hip Hop Enquirer
UPDATE

6:28 PM PT -- Despite the astronomical numbers that came out of today's hearing, Tyrese's attorney Tanya Mitchell Graham isn't too down about it. She tells TMZ ... they will file an appeal as soon as the judge's order is entered. She's also filed a motion for a new trial which will be heard next month.

UPDATE

As for the money -- Tyrese doesn't have to pay it all at once. The judge set May 15 as the due date for about $258K of it, but Tanya says that could be pushed back once their appeal is filed.

UPDATE

Also, the judge made a point of saying Tyrese has been paying child support all along, just not the $10K/month the court ordered -- instead, he's been paying $2,236/month. The $237K represents the monthly difference he owes, plus interest.

The judge Tyrese publicly called out before his child custody hearing is ordering him to fork over nearly $250K to his ex-wife, and almost $400K to her attorney!

The actor/singer was in Fulton County court Tuesday to deal with his ongoing child support battle with Samantha Lee Gibson -- the main issue being Tyrese refusing to pay the $10,000/month he was ordered to pay last August, because he felt the judge was "racist" and biased against him.

Also, as he stated on the stand today, Tyrese feels the $10K is excessive -- he claims Samantha doesn't need that much, because she makes good money on her own.

042523_tyrese_kal_v2
CALLIN' OUT JUDGE FARMER

Leading up to today's hearing, Tyrese ripped Judge Kevin Farmer in a video calling on people like civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Martin Luther King III to show up in court to support him in his fight against the judge. They weren't there.

Inside court, the judge fired back at Tyrese for his failure to cough up the money he'd been ordered to pay, and held him in contempt of court. He could have been arrested, but the judge cut him a break ... well, aside from the staggering amounts of money he's gotta pay now.

Tyrese was ordered to pay a total of $237,944 in back child support for their daughter Soraya and $399K for Samantha's attorney fees. He also has to foot a $17K bill for the special master ... a referee, of sorts, appointed by the judge to handle minor disputes during the case.

083122_tyrese_kal AUGUST 2022
PISSING OFF THE JUDGE!!!
Dennis Byron/Hip Hop Enquirer

You'll recall, Tyrese incurred Judge Farmer's wrath during last summer's hearing and was nearly held in contempt back then -- so, maybe it's not all that shocking today's proceedings were so testy.

tyrese loren
NOT PAYING UP

Samantha's attorney Adam Gleklen tells TMZ ... all she wants is to co-parent their daughter, follow the court orders and move forward in peace.

Chuck D Harry Belafonte Always Put People First ... An Irreplaceable Leader!!!

042523-chuck-d-kal
PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY
TMZ.com

The world is down one more musician, philanthropist, and humanitarian with the death of Harry Belafonte, and Chuck D perfectly outlined the tremendous loss.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the Public Enemy front man Tuesday at LAX, and he refused to accept the notion today's youth don't know Harry's contributions to the Civil Rights movement, or even his 1956 album, "Calypso."

Chuck explained it perfectly ... saying they've got smartphones and should Google the man!

As we reported, Harry died Tuesday at age 96 of congestive heart failure, and Chuck says the "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" singer used each day of that long and fruitful life to uplift people.

And, while the man is celebrated for his art -- as a singer and actor -- Chuck says he should be considered an activist-turned-artist, and not the other way around.

Chuck says "Mr. B.," as he affectionally knew him, will go down as a father figure to the Black community, and he called it an honor to have had the opportunity to soak up some of Harry's laughs, wisdom and intelligence.

042523-al-sharpton-kal
BARRIER BREAKER
TMZ.com

Rev. Al Sharpton, who worked alongside Harry for several decades, agrees 100 percent with Chuck. We spoke to him in NYC, and he shed some light on the lighter, more humorous side of Harry's personality.

BTW, Harry and PE will forever be linked in music history. In 2013, he and Spike Lee inducted the group into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!!!

Floyd Mayweather Rocks $1 Million Hat For Davis Fight ... Encrusted In Diamonds!!!

Floyd Mayweather didn't just have diamonds all around his neck for the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia fight over the weekend -- he apparently had 'em on his head too ... the boxing legend's jeweler tells TMZ Sports the lid Floyd rocked to the match was so encrusted in gems, it was worth over $1 MILLION, according to the jeweler!

Shuki Diamonds told us out in L.A. this week he spent over a month making the blinged-out cap for Mayweather ... and it took him even longer than that to find the perfect "invisible diamonds" for it.

042523-shuki-floyd-kal
ONE OF A KIND
TMZSports.com

Shuki says the process to get the jewels on the "The Money Team" hat was arduous ... explaining it took painstaking work to get the cap looking just right.

According to Shuki, he had to make a mold, sandblast it all, and then shine it so it'd be perfect for Floyd's head.

"It's a big process," Shuki said.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The celeb jeweler gave it to Mayweather a few weeks ago while the two were in Dubai ... and since the two are so tight, he let it go free of charge.

And, when Floyd finally broke it out in public for Tank's massive win over Garcia in the boxing match of the year -- Shuki said he appreciated it very much.

Now, Shuki estimates it could sell for over $5 million if it ever hit an auction block.

"There's only one in the world," the jeweler said. "It's become historical -- it's Floyd Mayweather."