Nirvana's Kurt Cobain Guitar Fetches Eye-Popping Amount ... 10x Estimated Cost!!

Kurt Cobain smashed his Fender Stratocaster back in the '90s, but the move only jacked up the price of the guitar ... going for a whopping 10 times the estimated amount at auction.

The late Nirvana frontman destroyed the electric guitar while recording the group's iconic 1991 album, "Nevermind," but the pieces were put back together and sold at Julien's Auctions this weekend in NYC.

The instrument was supposed to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000, but, as it turned out, it went for an earth-shattering $595,900. It was signed by Cobain and the other two band members, drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic.

According to Julien's, Cobain gifted the guitar to Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan (also deceased) while Nirvana was touring in '92 ... but it's not clear who made the purchase at auction.

Cobain fatally shot himself at his Seattle home in 1994. He was only 27 and at the height of his career and influence in music, having created the so-called grunge movement with some other bands.

Dua Lipa's Ex Anwar Hadid Posts Troubling Messages ... After She Poses with New BF

UPDATE

12:45 PM PT -- Anwar Hadid posted to his IG story debunking reports that his posts were aimed towards his ex-GF, Dua Lipa.

UPDATE

Anwar Hadid seems to be sending shots at his ex-girlfriend, Dua Lipa, after she stepped out with her new boyfriend, Romain Gavras, for the first time.

Anwar made a bunch of Instagram posts on Sunday with some concerning messages that seemingly were directed at Dua, who made her public debut with her new boo over the weekend. In one post, the 23-year-old model posted a selfie and captioned it, "Trying to not to find and kill him."

Anwar didn't say who he was directly referring to, but it took fans no time to conclude he was taking aim at his ex. Dua and Romain -- a 41-year-old French director -- made a big splash Friday at the Cannes Film Film Festival.

In a mirror selfie, he wrote "I can't breath," followed by random posts of the ground -- one included the words, "I hate the way you say my name," ... and another said, "Have fun."

As fans started assuming Anwar was talking about Dua, one commented ... "he's obsessed... WHAT OMG... Oh What does he want from her."

Dua and Anwar were first tied together back in 2019 ... they wound up calling it quits about 2 years later. They reportedly split up because they were both traveling too much.

Dua and her new guy have reportedly been getting to know each other over the last several months.

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BOYFRIEND BEEF

Anwar might be blasting a few Dua songs, now more than ever ... starting with "Cold Heart."

Originally Published -- 6:57 AM PT

Maino Ja Morant's Issues ... Not Caused By NBA Youngboy Or Rap!!!

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ACTING RESPONSIBLY
TMZSports.com

Just because Ja Morant flashed guns on camera while listening to NBA Youngboy and rap music doesn't make it hip hop's fault ... so says Maino, who tells TMZ Sports the blame for Morant's woes is entirely on the Grizzlies superstar -- and no one else.

We got the "All the Above" rapper out in L.A. this week days after Morant was seen yet again on a social media live stream waving around a firearm ... and he told us straight up, Morant needs to get his act together quickly.

He said he was concerned about the people Morant has surrounded himself with ... telling us he's worried they're not advising the basketball player to make smart decisions -- and he suggested Ja bring others into his circle ASAP.

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Instagram / @_dtap2

"He gotta have people around him that don't care what he got to say," Maino said.

As for those who believe rap is playing any role in all this ... Maino made it clear, that's just not an excuse he believes Morant can use.

"We know you like the music, you come from a culture, but homie, truth be told, you got way more opportunity than the average person," Maino said. "Don't throw the opportunity away trying to keep up with what's goin' on."

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MORANT ON LIVE

Maino tells us he's speaking from personal experience ... as the Brooklyn native spent time behind bars earlier in his life, before he turned things around.

"I'm the last person to try to condemn somebody for making mistakes because I've made many," he said. "Trust me!"

"He got age on his side," the 49-year-old added. "He got time on his side. I want to see him do way better than that."

Memphis has suspended Morant from team activities indefinitely over the latest video. NBA commissioner Adam Silver, meanwhile, said earlier this week he was disappointed while announcing the league has already commenced an investigation into it all.

For his part, Morant said of the latest drama that he takes "full accountability" for his actions ... and has vowed to work further on himself.

NUTRIBULLET SUED Exploding Blender Severely Burned Me ... See My Gross Injuries!!!

A woman claims she can't wear short sleeves anymore because her NutriBullet machine exploded and burned the skin off her arm ... and she says she has the graphic images of her injuries to prove it.

Gail Mitchell filed legal docs claiming she barely used NutriBullet's Original 24 oz. Single Speed Black Jar Blender for 60 seconds when the machine exploded ... sending the scalding hot contents onto her body, causing painful burning to her chest, arms, scalp, and face.

The photos of her alleged injuries look pretty gnarly ... Gail's arms are covered in burn wounds and her skin is now super scarred. She also claims the explosion left her kitchen a mess too.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Mitchell says the incident happened in November 2020 when she was whipping up a smoothie using turmeric, ginger, water, mango and split peas.

Mitchell says she was standing in front of her NutriBullet, looking for a cup to pour her smoothie into when the machine exploded less than 1 minute after she fired it up.

In the docs, Mitchell says the blender explosion made the contents of the smoothie scalding hot, leaving her with 1st, 2nd and 3rd-degree burns ... and she says she had to go to a burn center every week for a month for treatments.

She claims the device's design can cause contents in the blender to become heated to dangerous temperatures. She says the high-speed motor operating the blades creates heat that is transferred into the canister and its contents, sometimes heating the contents to dangerous temps. She also says the rapidly spinning blades create friction, creating heat that is also transferred to the contents of the canister, sometimes heating the contents to dangerous temps as well.

Mitchell says her burns, particularly the 3rd-degree burns on her arm, developed scars ... and she says she's already undergone three expensive laser surgeries costing $25K each and has a fourth coming up.

As a result of the scarring, Mitchell says she will never be able to wear short sleeves again ... and she says the injuries also make it tough to sleep.

She says the incident left her depressed, anxious and traumatized ... and now she's suing Nutribullet for her medical bills, lost earnings, and more ... and she wants punitive damages because she says the company knew about the risks and still failed to adequately warn customers.

We've reached out to NutriBullet, so far no word back.

'Go Topless Weekend' TX Jeep Event Ends with 230+ Arrests ... Cops Call It 'Successful'

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SANDY PARTY
Fox 26 Houston

A massive event for Jeep fanatics, called "Go Topless Weekend," became a po-po hotspot ... with cops busting more than 230 people during the wild event.

The Jeep-focused celebration took place in Galveston County, TX, and saw tons of Jeep owners flocking to the beach in their unique rides. The event looks kinda like an adult spring break, and the Sheriff's Office treated it like it, making 155 arrests on Friday alone ... before topping out at 234 by midday Sunday!

Police revealed the huge number of arrests during a Sunday news conference where they said 221 arrests were misdemeanors -- things like public intoxication and disorderly conduct ... the usual for enormous beach parties.

The other 13 people are facing felonies, and the Sheriff's Office says at least 2 more incidents are being investigated -- including a car accident where a woman was thrown from a vehicle and suffered a serious head injury.

Despite all the red flags, authorities are still calling the Jeep party a "successful event" because they roughly made the same number of arrests last year.

One Sheriff's official said, "We feel like we got a pretty good handle on the overall safety of it."

Singer Jason Mraz 'Memba Him?!

American musician Jason Mraz was in his early 20s when he rose to fame... with his talented voice and stellar guitar-playing skills to back it all up! After the release of his 2002 debut album, "Waiting for My Rocket to Come" ... Mraz's music career would become one to reckon with!

The talented singer has quite the list of accolades, including two Grammy wins for his singles "Make It Mine" and "Lucky" featuring Colbie Caillat. His sing-along tunes, like "I'm Yours" held a record spot on the Billboard Hot 100 list, remaining there for 76 weeks back in 2008.

Guess what he looks like now!

Foo Fighters We've Got A New Drummer ... Picks Josh Freese After Taylor Hawkins' Death

Foo Fighters has officially found a new drummer to fill Taylor Hawkins' massive shoes ... making the big announcement over a year after his tragic death in Columbia.

Dave Grohl and co. filled fans in on the new addition Sunday, saying during their livestream "Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts" that Josh Freese is handling percussion for the group going forward.

Freese has been drumming since the 80s, starting his lengthy career at Disneyland as a part of a Top 40 cover band ... then joining The Vandals in 1989, and jamming out with other groups like Suicidal Tendencies Infectious Grooves as the years went on.

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TMZ INVESTIGATES

He's since contributed to a ton of artists and groups as a session player -- including Rob Zombie, Lana Del Rey, Bruce Springsteen, Danny Elfman, and Weezer.

Of course, Josh is coming in after last year's loss of Taylor, who died at 50 while on tour with the group. Foo Fighters announced in December they'd still be moving forward as a band, although it wasn't said at the time who'd be taking his place.

Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav Torrent of 'Boo's At BU Graduation ... 'Pay Your Writers!!!'

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BOSTON HECKLERS

Warner Bros. Discovery head honcho David Zaslav had a really tough time gettin' his words out at Boston University's graduation ceremony ... because the crowd was heckling him with a barrage of 'boo's -- over the ongoing writers' strike.

Zaslav was the commencement speaker Sunday for BU's class of 2023, but in the sea of caps and gowns, many grads gave him a piece of their mind as he tried to inspire ... talking about how to deal with difficult people.

The chant -- "PAY YOUR WRITERS" -- was deafening, to the point Zaslav had to push pause as the crowd roared its disapproval.

There were protests outside the venue and some of the demonstrators even made their way into the event.

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WRITERS WALK OUT
TMZ.com

The WGA is demanding fair wages and a ban on AI in writers' rooms. The strike's been going on for nearly 4 weeks with no end in sight.

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MESSAGE FROM THE SKY
TMZ.com

We've seen a bunch celebs and food trucks show up at protests across the country ... and there was even a pretty funny anti-AI banner flying high in the sky -- directed at Zaslav and the other studio heads.

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TMZ INVESTIGATES

Zaslav never spoke about the WGA strike during his lengthy speech ... but it sounds like folks in the audience handled that topic for him.

Rome's Trevi Fountain To Dye For ... Climate Activists Dye It Black, Cops Make Wet Arrests!!!

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CLIMATE CLASH
AP

Rome's famed Trevi Fountain -- known for millions of well-wishes and even more Instagram selfies -- wasn't running its pristine, blue water after a group of protestors took over ... turning the H2O pitch-black.

Activists from the group "Ultima Generazione" -- or "Last Generation" -- took a dip in Italy's iconic fountain Sunday ... bringing diluted charcoal along and pouring it into the water.

Obviously, their handiwork was a big attraction ... with some onlookers booing as they stood in solidarity in the dark water, holding up banners protesting the use of fossil fuels.

Cops jumped in and dragged the protesters out of the fountain. The Trevi's been dyed red a couple of times as a stance against government corruption ... it's clearly a protest hot spot.

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VAN GOGH VANDALIZED

Climate activists have been going after priceless art for a while now ... a couple of Just Stop Oil protesters splashed a can of soup all over Van Gogh's  "Sunflowers."

A Monet painting -- even the Mona Lisa -- were recently subjected to food-based outrage.

Plenty of tourists know you can be slapped with a fine for going in the Trevi, but Rome Police went further -- the protesters were arrested and are now facing vandalism charges.

And BTW, Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri claims 300K liters of water now have gone to waste to clean out the fountain, grousing, "Enough of these absurd attacks on our artistic heritage."

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TMZ INVESTIGATES

When in Rome ...

Kim Kardashian 'I Cry Myself To Sleep' Over Mommy Duties

Kim Kardashian says she's shed many tears over her challenges with parenting ... saying she's even cried herself to sleep over it.

KK got candid in the upcoming podcast episode of "On Purpose with Jay Shetty," and according to the preview -- shared with People -- she's got a lot to say about the chaos she says she faces while taking care of her four kids ... all of whom she shares with her ex, Kanye West.

She says the "full madness" takes quite the toll, giving an example ... "I always have to do one of my daughter's hair — and it has to be perfect and it has to be a certain way — and then this one needs me to put his shoes on and they all need you ... It's like full crazy madness, cooking, running around. Like, it's wild."

Kim says it's still a rewarding process, but says, "There are nights I cry myself to sleep. Like, holy s***, this f***ing tornado in my house. Like, what just happened?"

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TMZ INVESTIGATES

As you know, Kim and Ye have 4 little ones together -- North, Chicago, Saint, and Psalm. It's unclear if Kanye's feeling the same pressure ... fact is, Kim has the kids most of the time.

For what it's worth, Kanye and Kim have been spotted co-parenting from time to time -- including earlier this month at Saint's soccer game ... so it at least looks like she's got some support, at the very least.

Transgender Girl Misses High School Graduation ... After School Allegedly Told Her To Dress Like A Boy

A transgender girl ended up missing her own high school graduation after the school told her to wear a suit like the guys getting their diplomas, and a judge refused to stop the school from forcing her to do so.

According to the ACLU of Mississippi, 17-year-old "L.B." was ordered by Harrison Central High School earlier this month to follow the boys' dress code for Saturday's graduation ceremony -- which included wearing "pants, socks, and shoes, like a boy.”

L.B. had already purchased a dress and heels to wear under her cap and gown ... and the ACLU ended up filing a lawsuit against the district on behalf of L.B. and her family.

However, a U.S. district judge reportedly denied the emergency plea, upholding the school's stance. Multiple reports say she ended up missing the ceremony as a result.

For those unaware, Mississippi was the first state to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's sports in 2021 ... Governor Tate Reeves signed another bill in February that stopped the use of hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and transitioning surgery for minors -- referring to trans youth as "a dangerous movement spreading across America."

Adidas Selling Off Yeezys Yeah, We Were Slow Cutting Ties With Ye ... But We're Giving $$$ to Anti-Defamation League

Looks like Adidas is trying to make good after getting skewered for failing to part ways with Kanye West during his antisemitic tirade ... because the company's donating a chunk of its upcoming Yeezy profits to the Anti-Defamation League and other charities.

Adidas says it's going to sell off some of its remaining inventory at the end of this month, adding a "significant amount will be donated to selected organizations working to combat discrimination and hate, including racism and antisemitism."

In addition to the Anti-Defamation League, the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change -- started by George Floyd's brother, Philonise -- will also benefit.

It's unclear how much will go to the charities, but as we reported, there's about $1.3 billion in Yeezy products left over after the company pulled the plug on Kanye back in October.

You'll recall, Adidas seemed slow on the draw when it came to Ye -- dropping him well into his antisemitic tirades, including his unforgettable post -- "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."

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CHAUVIN DIDN'T KILL FLOYD
REVOLT

Ye also had some extremely controversial takes regarding Floyd's tragic death back in 2020.

Adidas eventually kicked Kanye to the curb and tried repurposing its remaining stock, selling the shoes without the Yeezy name ... which, by the way, fell flat.

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TMZ INVESTIGATES

Regardless, it seems Adidas is trying to bring those profits back up and make things right with the communities.

Robert De Niro Parties At Cannes With Girlfriend ... New Movie AND New Baby!

Robert De Niro's got a lot to celebrate these days -- not only has he debuted his new flick at Cannes, but he's a father once again ... and the mother to baby #7 joined him in France for a bash at the prestigious film festival.

The 79-year-old actor and his GF Tiffany Chen hit up the Vanity Fair x Prada party Saturday night at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, and he looked as happy as ever as they strolled in for some late-night festivities.

Just hours before, Robert premiered his new Martin Scorsese-directed film, "Killers of the Flower Moon" ... getting an enormous roar of applause and a nine-minute standing ovation for the new movie -- which he stars in alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Jesse Plemons, and breakout star Lily Gladstone.

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BACKGRID

As we reported, Robert and Tiffany welcomed their new daughter -- Gia Virginia -- earlier this month, shocking tons of folks while proving age is but a number.

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TMZ INVESTIGATES

Looks like De Niro's at another high point in his life -- ride that wave, Bobby!

Ariana Madix Somber Arrival Back in L.A. ... After Death of Close Friend

Ariana Madix looked exhausted Saturday leaving LAX ... emotionally drained after losing her close friend Ali Rafiq.

The Vanderpump Rules star kept her shades on as she made her way through the terminal in a brown sweatshirt and matching pants.

She arrived back in L.A. the same day she paid tribute to Rafiq, sharing a photo of them on Instagram.

"I keep wanting to text you. It feels like this can't even be real. We were just planning your trip to LA. Talking about our futures and all the things we were looking forward to,' she wrote, before ticking off the things she missed about her late friend.

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While the two were obviously close, Madix actually met Rafiq through her ex, Tom Sandoval. The duo were childhood besties, and Tom also shared a post in remembrance.

Madix's life has been full of change recently, starting with the end of her nine-year relationship with Sandoval after discovering he cheated on her with her close friend, Raquel Leviss.

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MADIX MAKEOUT
TMZ.com

She's dealt with the fallout from the breakup for the last two months and even seemed to be putting the drama in her rearview by firing up a new relationship with fitness coach Daniel Wai.

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The death of 41-year-old Rafiq has clearly affected Madix and Sandoval ... but it's pretty certain shared grief will not bring them back together.

Jonathan Majors Flying High with New GF Meagan Good

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AIRPORT ROMANCE
BACKGRID

Jonathan Majors is pretty clearly in a new relationship because he and Meagan Good were jetting off together ... looking affectionate.

Jonathan and Meagan were at LAX Saturday, arriving in the City of Angels after leaving NYC. They were holding hands and leaning in close as they walked to a white sedan on the tarmac.

The romance comes in the swirl of controversy surrounding Majors, who is accused of physical abuse by his ex ... something he strongly denies.

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Majors was arrested on assault and aggravated harassment charges. His lawyers have called the arrest a "witch hunt" ... pointing to a video they released showing the alleged victim partying in a club and seemingly unbothered ... just after the alleged incident.

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TMZ INVESTIGATES

At least in the romance department, Jonathan has clearly moved on.

Jay Z & Beyoncé $300 Million in L.A. Properties ... Holding On to Bel-Air Estate

It's nice to have options ... and that's exactly why Jay-Z and Beyoncé are going to hold on to their $100 million Bel-Air mansion, despite just shelling out $200 million in a historic purchase.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ, as crazy as it sounds ... the brand new Malibu pad will serve as a weekend home -- in a sense -- at least for the time being. We're told the Bel-Air home, purchased for $88 million back in 2017 is still "home" ... close to the kids' schools and friends.

Eventually, our sources say, Jay-Z wants to move his family to the Malibu estate full-time ... but hasn't indicated whether that shift would also include selling Bel-Air.

TMZ broke the story ... the couple paid $200 million for the 30,000-square-foot mansion, setting a record in the state of California for the most expensive home ever sold. It sits on 8 acres on the Pacific Ocean in the Paradise Cove area ... aka Billionaires' Row.

What's also astonishing ... our sources say the home's previous owner and builder, William Bell, one of the biggest art collectors in the world, had a $1 BILLION art collection inside.

Those pieces obviously won't stay with Jay-Z and Beyoncé ... but you gotta wonder if they might've been able to work a portrait or two into the final negotiations.