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Britney Spears' iconic hit, "...Baby One More Time," almost wasn't hers at all ... 'cause the producer of the famous track shockingly got turned down by groups like TLC and the Backstreet Boys!

Swedish music producer Max Martin had already made a name for himself in the '90s, working with Backstreet Boys on "Quit Playing Games" and Robyn on "Show Me Love" ... but for some reason, 'Baby' wasn't something his past collaborators were feeling.

He also hit up TLC, who were gearing up for their first album in 5 years, and they didn't bite either -- but 16-year-old Britney, the former "All-New Mickey Mouse Club" member, turned the tides.

Britney was flown out to Sweden as a teen to work with Max on her debut album, and he played her a demo of himself singing the song ... and she was hooked.

She went on to record the track, as well as 6 others, with Max during her week in Stockholm ... and as you know, what came after was INSTANT success -- 'Baby' made its way to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy.

It also landed a spot in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and has been covered countless times by artists.

BTW, Simon Cowell heard about 'Baby' before it ever came out -- the 'AGT' judge revealed on the "Howie Mandel Does Stuff" podcast earlier this year that he called up Max and begged him to give him the song for Five, his boy band at the time, but Max shot him down.

In the immortal words of Fat Joe ... a JetBlue airplane leaned back -- way back -- while parked at JFK Airport, tipping onto its freakin' tail as passengers were exiting!

The wild scene played out Sunday night at the NYC airport -- the Airbus A321-231 popped a wheelie, unintentionally, after landing from Barbados ... delivering a major shock to passengers and crew.

The plane's tail tipped backward "due to a shift in weight and balance during deplaning," according to JetBlue spokesman Derek Dombrowski ... who told NY Post the aircraft eventually came back down to its normal level.

He added there were no injuries in the rare incident ... and the company's currently investigating what happened and has taken the plane out of rotation for inspection.

For those unaware, pilots often calculate the weight and balance before every flight to determine the plane's center of gravity -- looking at things like the total weight of passengers and luggage, so it's unclear what was in the back of the plane that made it flip.

Madonna apparently still isn't 100% after her lengthy, life-threatening hospitalization -- but despite this, she's still powering through on the road ... and her fans are worried.

The singer made the troubling revelation over the weekend while performing in Belgium, where she continues on her mountain of a tour. She's got a dozen more stops across 15 different countries -- that's the plan, anyway -- but, in her own words, the Material Girl's simply not feeling great.

Madonna said this in the context of discussing her health scare earlier this year -- which saw her in the ICU for a time, fighting for her life after a bacterial infection -- something she says she's thankful to have survived ... while in the same breath, reminiscing on her late mother.

Madonna says it's a miracle she came out on the other side of that ordeal, but folks online focused on her words about how she's feeling right now .. which sounds iffy, at best.

Strangely enough, Madonna was drinking onstage out of what looked like a beer bottle ... and like we said, she finished the show -- not to mention a string of London performances she did last week to kick off this international tour. So, on its face, she appears okay enough to get through it.

Still, people are weighing in, expressing their collective hope she's getting the proper health care she needs -- and more importantly, sound medical advice.

The sentiment from her fans here is ... don't force yourself to do this if you're struggling, 'cause we'll love you anyway. Remember, this tour was postponed for a good long while this summer as Madonna battled her infection, and she seemed set on seeing it through.

As soon as Travis Kelce's hands got done catching footballs on the field Sunday, they apparently went straight to taking care of Taylor Swift's hands off of it!!!

Check out this photo of the two lovebirds leaving Arrowhead Stadium following the Chiefs' big win over the Chargers ... the couple's hands couldn't have been more intertwined as they headed toward their postgame ride home.

It, of course, is not the first time the two have shown some PDA -- just last weekend, they were seen hand in hand while leaving dinner dates in New York City.

But, Sunday's display of love is yet another sign that the two are getting serious. She's now been to four of his games -- and at this one, she not only was super comfortable getting handsy with him after the contest, she was also seen mingling more than ever with the family of Patrick Mahomes, Kelce's best bud.

Swift was also spotted wearing a friendship bracelet on her wrist that featured Kelce's No. 87 and two hearts -- a clear sign she's really into the Kansas City star tight end.

You'd have to imagine this means Kelce will almost certainly be returning the favor when Swift goes on the international portion of her "Eras" tour shows ... which are set to begin next month and run all the way through 2024.

But, until then, she seems comfortable heading to K.C. every now and then to watch Kelce play -- something Chiefs fans will sure be happy about, considering they're now 4-0 with her in attendance!

The Internet seems to think Lil Baby got caught in a sex act that would suggest he's into men -- but the dude's speaking up and calling BS ... while telling everyone to cool their jets.

The rapper is trending right now because of a viral video that's making the rounds -- which is sexually explicit and graphic ... depicting a man giving another man fellatio. It's one of those weird, fuzzy recordings of a recording type of clip ... the source of which is unknown.

The man who can be seen in the clip apparently bares a passing resemblance to Lil Baby -- at least that's what a lot of people believe, anyway ... a notion that's further fueled by a caption that's partially covering this guy's full face, which reads "Nah lil baby 😭."

In other words, some random clip of a guy giving oral sex to another man was screen recorded, someone attached Lil Baby's name to it ... and then tried passing it off as legit.

Of course, Twitter's having a field day with this right now ... with a ton mean-spirited and homophobic jokes flying at LB's expense -- but he's already pouring cold water on it all.

He took to his IG Stories and wrote quite clearly, "Y'all gotta stop using my name and likeness when y'all get bored , then the extremes mfs go to for clout is sick. Ain't no mystery in my history on NO LEVEL. This is my last time addressing any kind of dumb ass click bait."

So, there you have it ... Lil Baby's saying definitively it isn't him. Also, FWIW, the guy that's in this viral video could be anybody -- it doesn't even really look like LB based on what you can see, and considering his face is heavily obscured ... even more reason to be dubious.

The adults in the room when a 3-year-old shot herself with an unattended gun tried covering up the bloody incident ... at least according to the woman who called 911.

In the dispatch audio, obtained by TMZ, the caller says she's not at the home but has been informed about the shooting and is rushing over to help. She's not sure if anyone in the home called 911, and the dispatcher can't seem to find any prior call about the shooting.

The caller begs for an ambulance to rush over to the home, adding ..."And, they are trying to hide it. That's why they didn't call fire rescue. I need an officer over there. I need fire rescue over there."

She also tells the dispatcher the people in the home are trying to take the kiddo to the hospital themselves and "they just let her shoot herself in the hand."

As we reported ... home surveillance video shows the young girl, Serenity, playing in the living room at her grandma's Florida home, jumping onto a couch where a loaded firearm is sitting in plain view.

Serenity grabs the pistol and peers over at a relative, Orlando Young, who is watching a football game on a laptop ... and then the gun goes off. The bullet strikes her hand, and she cries out in pain as chaos ensues.

The caller is on the phone with 911 as she races to the house, and she's still on the line when she pulls up ... and you hear her yelling at someone, "Why didn't they call fire rescue?!?"

Miami-Dade County police say family members took Serenity to a hospital ... and Young was arrested and charged with child neglect.

It's unclear if the caller is the girl's mother, Warnicia Williams, who told Local 10 News she wants Young held accountable.

Ariana Grande's marriage to Dalton Gomez is over and done with -- and now, she seems a bit more willing to step out with her Broadway boyfriend ... including a date night in NYC!

The singer hit the town Saturday night with Ethan Slater -- who stars opposite her in the upcoming 'Wicked' movie ... and whose big claim to fame thus far is playing the famed SpongeBob SquarePants live on stage (the theatre version, not from the TV show).

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ the two love birds appeared to be having a bite -- or drinks, more like -- at the MO Lounge within the luxurious Mandarin Oriental hotel in the heart of Manhattan.

As you can see in these photos we obtained ... they were off in the corner with their own private table, with their backs turned to just about everybody else ... and enjoying each other's company. And yes, we're told they were super flirty and touchy-feely.

Our sources tell us Ariana was actually the one who showed more affection here. Apparently, she kept getting up from where she was first sitting (across from ES) to come be directly by his side -- where she whispered sweet-nothings into his ear, and planted some smooches.

We're told they certainly seemed to be having a good old boozy time ... and sure, you can see they had at least a glass of wine each. In any case, our sources tell us they were there for a while ... for almost upwards of 2 hours, they were just perched there chatting.

It's interesting we're seeing them not trying to hide as much as they were the last time they were hanging out in public -- remember, they did a Disneyworld trip out in FL last month.

That was before she and Dalton were officially single in the eyes of the law -- something that wrapped up a few weeks ago ... when she and her ex settled their divorce, without much drama. In the wake of them closing that book ... DG himself seems to have moved on.

American Airlines could be in hot water ... just like the passenger who was burned when a flight attendant spilled a hot cup of java on his arm.

George Latorre says he was minding his own business on a flight from Vietnam to NYC earlier this month when he asked for a cup of coffee. According to the lawsuit, the flight attendant was all sorts of negligent by spilling what he claims was "scalding coffee" on his left arm.

Latorre says he suffered second-degree burns to his upper left arm, as well as blistering, peeling and bleeding. He says it was so bad it damaged his tattoo.

The lawsuit claims Latorre's "cosmetic deformity and scarring" may be permanent, and he's still suffering "extreme pain and suffering, emotional harm, mental anguish and distress," among other things.

Latorre's lawyer, David Jaroslawicz, tells TMZ ... after the spill, Latorre asked for a more comfortable seat -- even offering to pay for the upgrade -- but he was denied and remained in economy for the rest of the flight.

Jaroslawicz says his client beelined it to a doctor after he landed in NYC, and was told the burn was so bad he needed to see a surgeon who specializes in burns.

Nate Diaz is giving his fighters a helluva welcoming gift ... 'cause he hooked 'em all up with iced-out pendants to make sure everyone knows they're the "Real" deal!!

TMZ Sports is told ... the MMA legend reached out to the famous Icebox shop to get something special for the folks who joined the Real Fight Inc. promotion he launched in 2022.

We're told he ordered a total of seven two-toned pendants ... and each comes with just under 10 carats of VS diamonds and over 50 grams of gold. The pieces also come with a matching 14K gold rope chain.

Unsure which fighters will get the new bling ... but the badasses listed on Real Fight Inc., excluding Diaz, are Chris Avila, Alan Sanchez, Jose Aguayo and Luciano Ramos.

Diaz -- who last fought Jake Paul in August -- is taking his promotion very seriously after he left the UFC last year ... saying his goal is to focus on boxing, MMA and BJJ.

"I said when I get out, I was going to do my own promotion like Jake was doing with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)," Diaz said on Full Send.

"Well, I just jumped right in, and I felt like the business was mine the whole time."

Mermaids have been capturing our imagination for centuries ... and in Hollywood, that doesn't just mean movies and TV shows ... it also means sexy Halloween costumes!!!

Tons of celebs have dressed up as mermaids over the years for spooky season ... with most giving their twist on Ariel from "The Little Mermaid" ... including some famous looks from Mariah Carey and Kim Kardashian.

For Taylor Swift, her version of Ariel included a Sebastian crab purse ... and she was chowing down on some pizza when she dressed up as a mermaid.

There's a new "Little Mermaid" movie out this year, but Taylor and her fellow celebs were ahead of the curve ... this T-Swift costume dates back to 2018, long before her Eras Tour.

Like her big sister Kim, Kylie Jenner once dressed up as a mermaid ... with Flounder getting some prime real estate on her green-scaled skirt.

Kylie also busted out a red wig, and seashell top and jazzed things up with some fishnet sleeves.

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American actor Omri Katz was just 17 years old when he played Max Dennison -- the stubborn and brave teenager who brings the Sanderson sisters back from the dead -- in the Halloween classic film "Hocus Pocus" back in 1993.

Omri shared the big screen with Sarah Jessica Parker as one of the three Sanderson sisters who was awoken from the dead, Sarah, Bette Midler as the oldest and smartest sister, Winifred and Kathy Najimy as the most caring sister, Mary Sanderson.

"Black flame candle ... legend says that on a full moon, it will raise the spirits when lit by a virgin on Halloween night."

It's a tale as old as time -- that moment when you come home from vacation and realize your house is, inexplicably, in pieces ... boy, we've all been there haven't we?

This wacky story is coming out of Atlanta, where Susan Hodgson says she came to learn her longtime family home of over 40 years -- which was thankfully vacant at the time -- had been completely demolished without her permission or her knowledge ... this per AP.

According to Hodgson, she was out of town when she got a call from a neighbor ... who asked if she'd hired a company to bulldoze her home -- one that she owned, but did not live in FWIW -- something that caught her by surprise, because she absolutely hadn't.

Hodgson says, upon her request, the neighbor confronted the crew working on the demolition -- but claims they were totally rude and told the neighbor to piss off. Hodgson says she then sent a family member who had all the proper paperwork to show she owned the place ... and when the workers saw that, she claims they said -- whoops, wrong address!

Once the workers realized they had the wrong place, they apparently just packed up and left ... without so much as a sorry. Now, Hodgson is trying to figure out what to do -- and is weighing her legal options against the company that was behind this

In statement to FOX5 -- which has a great news package about this -- that company (You Call It, We Haul It) says they're investigating the matter ... but that's where things stand.

Hodgson says the home was boarded up -- but notes she and her relatives kept it in good shape, cutting the grass and making sure the taxes were paid and up to date.

Will Ferrell's been revisiting his old hits lately, including this weekend -- when he teamed up with John C. Reilly to honor none other than Snoop Dogg ... who hit a big milestone.

Indeed ... the notorious 'Step Brothers' got together to sing one of their ditties from the movie Saturday night in L.A. -- where Will hosting some benefit concert at the Greek Theater, and where the two former costars got onstage to belt out a fan fave, 'Boats and Hoes.'

Fans of the film remember that one well -- only this time, a surprise guest was added to their lineup, and that'd be Snoop, who was celebrating his 52nd birthday from the day prior.

The performance, as it turns out, was mostly led by the Doggfather ... who fit in flawlessly.

You can tell Will and John really wanted to make Snoop feel special -- because at one point during all the fun, they presented him with a 3-tier birthday cake ... which SD was proud to show off on social media.

It's been 2 years since Daniel Craig hung it up as James Bond -- but even now, the franchise's producers haven't done much on the next chapter ... which is kinda surprising.

Barbara Broccoli -- who's one of the key producers of the Bond franchise, and who holds the rights to all the films -- made the revelation to The Guardian this weekend ... telling them they're quite a ways out from choosing their next 007.

She says there's a "big road ahead" before their famed British spy could be reinvented for the next chapter." Even more startling is that she says the execs "haven’t even begun" the process of rebooting the franchise, which they apparently want to make more modern.

Broccoli says the next iteration of Bond has to reflect how the world has changed since DC was tapped almost 20 years ago ... and noted the character had often been reinvented. She adds, "Daniel gave us the ability to mine the emotional life of the character … and also the world was ready for it. I think these movies reflect the time they are in."

That's all fine and good ... but what's getting some head-turns here is the fact that Barbara and co. seem to be dragging their feet on this -- at least that's what some Bond fans say.

Of course, the timing is objectively on par with how long it took them the last time to recast Bond -- Pierce Brosnan's last go at it was in 2002, and Craig didn't pick up the baton until 4 years later in 2006 ... so yeah, the producers seem to like to take their sweet time.

There's also all the strike stuff that's going on in showbiz right now -- so perhaps that's also holding things up. In any case, here's hoping they can start zeroing in sooner than later.

Lil Yachty seems to be responsible for getting his own concert canceled early this weekend -- because not long before the plug got pulled ... he was telling folks to come on down.

The rapper was performing Saturday night in Vancouver, BC ... and toward the beginning of his set at the University of British Columbia's Thunderbird Arena -- which looked to be packed -- the ticketholders could be seen pouring down onto the main floor and rushing the stage.

Take a look for yourself ... in footage obtained by TMZ -- you can see tons of young people descending toward the mosh pit area of the arena, seemingly at LY's behest.

Eyewitnesses tell us Yachty was shouting "fill it up" as he was starting to perform the very first song of his set list ... and his fans obliged, with tons of folks climbing over railings and security guards to get to the mosh pit area and be as close to Yachty as possible.

We're told Yachty did 3 or 4 songs under these conditions, but then his mic was cut off and the house lights came on. Someone over the speaker told everyone to go back to their seats -- something Yachty himself encouraged, saying the show would be over if they didn't.

Sounds like people didn't head back fast enough ... 'cause our sources say when Yachty trying launching into yet another song, the sound was gone -- and the gig was canceled.