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Kodak Black is getting out of federal prison thanks to Donald Trump, but prosecutors in South Carolina are still ready to aggressively pursue a sexual assault case against him.

The rapper was indicted in South Carolina on a felony charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct ... and prosecutors tell us they still plan on pressing the case against Kodak until he cops a plea deal or there's a trial.

Ed Clements, the 12th Circuit Solicitor in Florence County, tells TMZ ... their pending case against Kodak from 2016 has been disrupted by COVID -- jury trials are suspended and there's no court date scheduled -- but prosecutors still want to "aggressively" go after Kodak.

As we reported ... Trump commuted Kodak's 46-month sentence for making a false statement on a federal document, so he's getting out after serving half the time.

But, here's the catch for Kodak ... Trump commuting his sentence for a federal crime has NO impact on cases in state court, like the one he's facing in South Carolina, and Clements says it's full steam ahead.

Prosecutors in S.C. claim Kodak forced himself on an 18-year-old woman in a hotel room after a Feb. 2016 concert, allegedly raping her and biting her neck and right breast ... according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Kodak's attorney in S.C., Beattie Ashmore, tells us, "Aggressively prosecute? It’s been four years. That speaks volumes. Kodak was on bond and on tour for two years before his federal case even began. Ed’s a very fine and experienced prosecutor and I look forward to once again speaking with him about this case. It’s been awhile."

Joe Biden ended his first night in the White House soaking in a fireworks show over D.C. ... with Katy Perry putting a bow on a historic day.

The new President and First Lady Jill Biden wore masks and hugged on a balcony outside their new digs, watching fireworks over the Washington Monument as Katy sang her hit, "Firework."

The "Celebrating America" inauguration concert saved the best for last ... with Katy bringing down the house.

Tom Hanks hosted the 90-minute primetime concert live from D.C., braving a cold winter's night at the Lincoln Memorial.

Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama delivered a special message too ... sending Biden words of encouragement and wishing him success for the good of the country, while taking some subtle shots at the guy Biden's replacing.

Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters and John Legend performed virtually before Katy's grand finale ... as did Ant Clemons, Tim McGraw and Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard.

Kerry Washington and Eva Longoria were also part of the action ... introducing the acts and sharing stories about young folks making differences in their communities.

Donald Trump's final piece of Presidential biz has Detroit's imprisoned ex-Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, enjoying his first taste of freedom in 7 years.

Kilpatrick got sprung from federal prison Wednesday and reunited with family members at Detroit's airport after Trump commuted his sentence. He had been serving a 28-year sentence for corruption crimes while he was Mayor.

Though he's a free man now, his 24 felony convictions still stand ... and he's still on the hook for $195,000 owed to the IRS and $1.5 million to Detroit.

If ya don't know ... Kilpatrick was dubbed the city's "Hip-Hop Mayor," but from his first term, he was dogged with scandals -- both accusations of misusing funds and a text-messaging sex scandal with his chief of staff.

Then, in 2013, he was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, fraud, extortion and tax crimes in a scheme the government called the "Kilpatrick enterprise."

Despite all of that, Kwame still had a slew of supporters in the D who felt his sentence was too harsh and pushed for a commutation. Trump came through for him, and in shortening his sentence noted ... "During his incarceration, Mr. Kilpatrick has taught public speaking classes and has led Bible Study groups with his fellow inmates."

President Trump came through for Lil Wayne with a full pardon that gets him off the hook for a gun charge that could've meant serious prison time, and rapper Kodak Black also got clemency with a commutation of his sentence.

Wayne's pardon announcement included a statement of support by Brett Berish of Sovereign Brands, who described him as "trustworthy, kind-hearted and generous." The pardon statement then reads, "Mr. Carter has exhibited this generosity through commitment to a variety of charities, including donations to research hospitals and a host of foodbanks."

Deion Sanders, also a supporter of the pardon, referred to Lil Wayne as "a provider for his family, a friend to many, a man of faith, a natural giver to the less fortunate, a waymaker [and] a game changer."

Weezy's pardon came just hours before the sun set on Trump's Presidency ... and it's just one of a stack of pardons, including Kodak Black. Black, who was sentenced to 46 months in prison for making a false statement on a Federal document, served nearly half his sentence.

The pardon statement notes he has been charitable in various ways, "such as providing educational resources to students and families of fallen law enforcement officers and the underprivileged." It goes on to note KB has provided funding to daycare centers, helped with food banks and worked with underprivileged children. And, the statement notes Kodak donated $50k to Dave Portnoy's Barstool Fund, which provides financial assistance to struggling businesses in the wake of COVID.

Wayne endorsed Trump in the final days of the 2020 election campaign -- posing for a photo, talking up Trump's criminal justice reform efforts and his proposed "platinum plan" to benefit the Black community.

With the pardon ... Weezy no longer has to worry about his federal gun case. As we reported ... he pled guilty in federal court last month to illegally possessing a loaded weapon while traveling to Miami on a private jet a year earlier.

He hadn't been sentenced, but faced the possibility of up to 10 years. That's all in Wayne's rearview mirror now.

Kylie and Kendall Jenner are living like queens south of the border ... soaking up the sun in a castle by the sea.

The billionaire and her model sister are treating themselves to a Mexican getaway, shacking up in the super luxurious Ocean Castle Sol de Oriente in Costa Careyes ... and ya gotta see their digs.

The 6-bedroom villa sits atop the Peninsula de las Estrellas -- that's Spanish for stars -- and it's surrounded by a 360-degree infinity pool offering panoramic views of the ocean and beach.

The private estate goes for $6,500 a night and has room for 12 ... but this girls' trip is reserved for Kylie, Kendall and Stassie Karanikolaou.

The fortress is very camera-friendly too ... Kylie, Kendall and Stassie all have been posting tons of pics out by the pool, from sunrise to sunset.

Sarah Fuller's used to performing under pressure, but doing it barefoot and in freezing temps was something new as she played a key role in President Biden's Inauguration celebration.

The Vanderbilt University football/soccer player was in Nashville for the "Celebrating America" special and introduced the nation's first female VP, Kamala Harris.

Vanderbilt's associate athletic director tweeted photos of Sarah at a freezing cold stadium recording her intro ... and she showed up in heels.

The AD says Sarah started out shifting side to side in the turf, probably to shake off the nerves -- but then she lost the heels, and once barefoot ... nailed it.

Sarah's intro for VP Harris referenced her own challenges on soccer and football fields. She said, "I faced a lot of challenges as a goalkeeper on the Vanderbilt University women’s soccer team and as a kicker on the football team. But seeing other women break barriers and being first at what they do inspired me and gave me the strength to succeed."

She continued, "and that’s why it is such an honor to introduce a true groundbreaker. And after 232 years of waiting, being able to say these words — our nation’s first woman vice president, vice president Kamala Harris."

Sarah, of course, became the first woman to play in a Power Five football conference when she filled in as an emergency kicker last fall ... and she was also the first woman ever to score in a Power Five game against Tennessee.

Justin Thomas -- one of the biggest stars in golf -- says he intends to enroll in a "training program" to help him be a better person after he used an anti-gay slur on a course earlier this month.

Thomas was on the 4th green during the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Jan. 9 ... when he missed a 5-foot par putt and muttered, "f*****."

Thomas immediately apologized after the round ... saying in a post-play interview, "There’s just no excuse. I’m an adult, I’m a grown man. There’s absolutely no reason for me to say anything like that."

Thomas, though, has faced huge backlash despite the mea culpa ... and on Wednesday, he said he intends to enter a training program to help him learn from it all.

"It’s not a word I use,” Thomas said, “but for some reason it was in there and that’s what I’m trying to figure out -- why it was in there."

“And like I said, it’s going to be part of this process and training program, whatever I need to do, not only to prove to myself but to prove to my sponsors and prove to the people who don’t know who I am that that is indeed not the person I am.”

The 27-year-old golfer declined to elaborate on what the program will entail ... saying only, "Obviously people are going to be a part of that process."

"But what I’m doing I’d like to keep internally and just go through the appropriate steps to get where I need to be and want to be, so people understand that’s not the person I am, the character I like to portray."

Thomas has lost sponsors over the incident ... with Ralph Lauren dropping the golfer last week after having a longstanding relationship with him.

Thomas said he was "upset" over losing the clothing company ... saying he wished they had stuck with him while he worked to fix his issues.

"I spoke with them, along with all my sponsors, and although I apologized, just like it was then it’s an opportunity for me to grow and I felt like it was something we could have done together and gone through that process," Thomas said.

"They just felt like they needed to move on so that’s exactly what I’m doing as well."

Before this pigtail pipsqueak was making audiences and readers laugh with her witty commentary, she was just another smiling sweetheart growing up in Phoenix, Arizona.

This little runt dressed all in red got her start making appearances on numerous television series -- such as a spin-off of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and HBO's "Girls" -- but eventually she transitioned into writing. Two of her novels reached the top ten on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Now, she shares two children with her fellow actor husband who she met while filming a romantic comedy movie.

Christina Ricci says quarantine's been a dangerous time in her household, because her husband's allegedly beaten her multiple times, and now she fears for her life and their son's.

The actress filed Wednesday to get a restraining order against James Heerdegen, who she claims started abusing her in December 2019. In her court filing, Christina claims he beat her, spit at her and made pig noises in her face. She says that incident, during which she suffered multiple bruises, convinced her she needed to leave him.

Christina says she told James she wanted a divorce, but that was derailed when the COVID-19 quarantine began in March, and she "found herself trapped in a house with a violent abuser."

In docs, she claims Heerdegen attacked her twice in June, while still in lockdown ... chasing her around the house, trying to prevent her from calling 911 after an argument. He allegedly dragged her by her wrists into their yard and threw her into a fire pit ... leaving her cut and bruised.

During the second attack, she claims he spit on her and threw coffee and a chair at her -- all while their 6-year-old son was watching.

Christina filed several photos with the court, showing injuries she claims to have suffered at Heerdegen's hands.

Christina filed to divorce him after those alleged incidents, and her attorney, Samantha Spector, was in court Wednesday to file the restraining order.

According to those docs, obtained by TMZ, Christina also fears Heerdegen's abuse could turn deadly. During a car ride in late 2019, she claims James "said something that made me think that [he] could kill me. He said the only way he could feel sorry for me is if I were dismembered into small pieces."

Christina says she immediately hid all the knives in the cabin where they were vacationing.

Late Wednesday, the judge granted a domestic violence restraining order ... which requires Heerdegen to stay 100 yards away from Christina and their son, and have no contact with them.

Christina claims Heerdegen leaves the dog leashed to his living room coffee table when he has visitation with their son -- and under the terms of the restraining order he has to stay away from the dog too.

Although he's already moved out, Christina wants a formal court order blocking James from returning.

And, there's this ... Christina is afraid her estranged husband -- who she married in 2013 -- will release private audio and video of her to "humiliate and embarrass" her, or use it to extort her. She wants the court to block him from releasing it, and force him to turn it over.

Heerdegen's attorney, Larry Bakman, tells TMZ they will file for their own restraining order against Christina "detailing her abusive conduct fueled by alcohol and substance abuse. His papers will also include documentation that Ms. Ricci advised law enforcement in December 2019 that there had been no prior incidents of domestic violence between the couple, thereby calling into question her credibility."

It's been a looooong journey, but Joe Biden's big day is finally here -- he'll be sworn in as 46th President of the United States in an inauguration ceremony unlike any other in American history ... and you can watch it live right here.

The President-elect and Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris, are set to be sworn in Wednesday in D.C. shortly after noon, and then Biden will deliver his first presidential address to the nation.

Along the way during the "America United"-themed Inauguration Day, many of the normal ceremonial displays, tributes to the troops, A-list performances and former presidents will be featured, but otherwise ... it will be far from normal.

That's because COVID-19 continues to ravage the country, and because 2 weeks ago ... pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol and wreaked havoc in a coup attempt that resulted in multiple deaths.

For a combination of those reasons, Biden's inauguration will not draw a large crowd -- in fact, his team hopes it's the smallest ever, with folks opting to watch at home -- nor will it be followed up by a series of inauguration balls.

Instead, there will be a heavy police and security presence ... as the threat of more violence continues to loom large following the Capitol riots.

And, of course, Biden's inauguration will be different due to the fact for the first time since Andrew Johnson left office in 1869 ... the outgoing President, Donald Trump, is choosing to skip it. VP Mike Pence will attend, along with past presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and their former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.

If all goes well though, the only other big news of the day will be the performances of Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Bruce Springsteen and Garth Brooks, a virtual parade ... and the inauguration television special called "Celebrating America" hosted by Tom Hanks.

Hopefully, America gets that lucky.

Donald Trump is no longer president, but his supporters still turned up at state capitols across the country to protest President Biden's inauguration ... a handful of them anyway.

It appears that in at least a few states -- Maine, New York, Utah and Arizona -- only a lone supporter of 45 arrived at the government building to express their right to peacefully protest.

In New Hampshire ... those numbers were doubled, maybe tripled.

A man named Mark Leggiero was the solo Trumper out in front of the New York State Capitol. According to reports he drove 45 minutes for the demonstration and expected a few thousand others. So, he's disappointed.

As we've reported ... the authorities have been warning of the potential for big turnouts and violence by far-right groups gathering at state capitols ever since the U.S. Capitol attack on January 6.

Arnold Schwarzenegger just got the shot needed 'round the world -- and he was happy to play up some of his best Hollywood lines to make it all the more familiar.

Arnold posted video of himself Wednesday, which shows him pulling into Dodger Stadium to receive his vaccine for COVID. You see him sitting passenger-side in an SUV as a medical staffer sticks with a needle and injects the serum ... Arnold, of course, didn't flinch.

It's funny ... he dropped two famous movie lines of his during his vaccination -- a well-known one from "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and a more obscure one from "Jingle All the Way." If you're a die-hard Arnold fan, you know both off the top ... but it's unclear if his vaccine giver did.

He tells her to "put that needle down!" as she's injecting him, which is a reference to 'JATW' when he told his schmucky neighbor, Ted, to put the cookies down that he was salivating over. The woman doing the deed didn't seem to respond to it, though 😅

Then came the more iconic Arnold line in the aftermath ... "Come with me if you want to live," which is what the Model 101 Terminator told Sarah Connor in the legendary sequel.

That quote is probably more relevant, but in any case ... AS gives a ringing endorsement of the vaccine, and invites everyone who's eligible to come get one ASAP.

The Tiger King is not free to run wild again ... President Trump snubbed Joe Exotic's request to be pardoned, and he and his team aren't taking it well.

What seemingly started as a pipe dream way back in April 2020 -- when Trump said he'd "take a look" at pardoning Joe -- turned out to be exactly that. Joe's team tells TMZ ... "140 million Joe Exotic fans had a hard time getting out of bed this morning."

Yeah, that 'Tiger King' viewers stat might be inflated -- and assumes all of them were rooting for Joe's release -- but you get the point ... they're bummed.

His team added, "We are as disappointed that the President did not sign Joe’s pardon, as we were confident yesterday that he would." Joe's team adds ... it's only because of his fans that the pardon was even a possibility.

As we reported ... shortly after Trump's comment, Team Tiger -- led by P.I. Eric Love -- produced a video asking to free Joe and hopped in a customized tour bus to head to D.C. in hopes of pitching Trump for a pardon.

Those early efforts didn't yield success, but Love and the team were persistent ... and he returned to D.C. in September to hand-deliver Joe's pardon request. As we reported ... the 257-page case to Trump included Joe's claims that he'd been sexually assaulted in prison.

Again, there was silence from Trump about a possible pardon, but Joe continued to publicly plead for one as recently as 2 weeks ago ... when he asked to be pardoned in time to attend his father's funeral.

It didn't happen, and Joe's patience and persistence was all for naught ... because he didn't make the cut for Trump's list of 73 pardons and 70 commutations. In other news -- Steve Bannon, Lil Wayne, Kodak Black and the co-founder of Death Row Records all did.

As you know ... Exotic's been doing hard time for the murder-for-hire plot, and though he's maintained his innocence, he'll remain behind bars.

Team Tiger says they're not giving up though ... and spent 2 hours on the phone with Joe this morning listening to his Direct Appeal Oral Arguments. Love says they "will never leave Joe’s side and will continue to work until his freedom is gained."

Donald Trump's final use of "YMCA" during a public political event did NOT go unnoticed by the guys who originally sang it -- and while they're still pissed ... they're also thankful that, for now, this is the end of his tradition.

The Village People tell TMZ ... "We asked him to cease and desist long ago. However, since he's a bully, our request was ignored." It's true -- TVP have repeatedly made clear they're not down with DT constantly using their most famous tune ... but he's persisted.

The group adds, "Thankfully he's now out of office, so it would seem his abusive use of our music has finally ended. We hope to spearhead a change in copyright law that will give artists and publishers more control over who can and cannot use our music in the public space. Currently there is no limit to blanket licensing."

That's interesting ... because that's not something that many people know or something that artists vow to change. Basically, the reason Trump has been able to, for the most part, get away with playing music from so many artists who don't sign off is because ... it's legal.

The Village People's comments here touch on copyright law -- which we won't dig into too deeply -- but essentially ... it's usually fine to play copyrighted songs in places like stadiums that have public performance licenses -- which is where Trump often played these songs.

The Village People -- and probably several other musicians, like Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, and countless others -- might be happy he won't have reason to do this anymore with their music, but in light of Trump promising to come back, they may have to revisit this issue again ... one day.

Alice Marie Johnson's paying it forward by helping prisoners gain their freedom, and Snoop Dogg's witnessed her commitment firsthand ... which she describes as the most rewarding thing she's ever done.

As you know ... Alice is the grandmother whose sentence was famously commuted by President Trump in 2018 thanks to Kim Kardashian lobbying for her, and she joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday to explain why she's now doing the same for others.

Alice tells us the feeling she got Tuesday night celebrating with the families of those freed from prison in Trump's final round of presidential pardons and commutations was awesome ... even more so than her own release.

That's pretty incredible ... considering this is how that emotional moment went down in June 2018.

Alice says having such a positive impact on others' lives is unmatched, and that's why she started her own organization not just to free prisoners ... but to assist them on re-entry back into the real world.

As we reported ... that's the next step for Snoop's pal, Death Row Records co-founder Michael 'Harry-O' Harris ... whose sentence was commuted by Trump after heavy lobbying from Alice and Snoop.

Swag has reached the nation's capital -- with Vice President Kamala Harris' nephew-in-law rocking the insanely expensive and rare Dior Air Jordan 1s to the inauguration!!

Social media blew up in epic proportions after the kicks were spotted during Wednesday's historic ceremony in D.C. ... with everyone asking the same question:

Who the hell has this much drip in Washington?!?!

As it turns out, it was the veep's nephew-in-law, Nikolas Ajagu -- the husband of Harris' niece, Meena -- who decided to make a big statement with his kicks.

The case was cracked when Meena was asked on Twitter if her hubby was the man in the Dior Js ... to which she hilariously responded, "Yes smh."

Of course, the Dior Jordan 1s are some of the most highly-coveted shoes on the market right now ... with an average price of $10k on reseller site StockX.

The Dior x Jordan partnership is the first high-end designer brand collab for the Jumpman ... which hit shelves for a limited release back in 2020 with a $2,300 price tag.