TMZ.com Home

Britney Spears went after fellow former Mousketeer Christina Aguilera Friday for refusing to open up about Britney's struggles over her conservatorship.

Christina was on a red carpet for the Latin Grammys when she was asked if she had any communications with Britney. It was a true Hollywood moment ... Christina and her publicist clearly did not want to open that door, so he hijacked the interview with this -- "No, I'm sorry, we're not doing that tonight, thank you though, bye." For her part, when the question was asked, Aguilera eyed her publicist and gave one big nothing of a statement -- "I can't, but I'm happy for her."

Fact is ... Christina actually did answer the question over her publicist's objection, saying she had not spoken to Britney.  That was what was asked, and she answered.

Nevertheless, Britney clearly feels Christina should have said more, saying, “I love and adore everyone who supported me … but refusing to speak when you know the truth, is equivalent to a lie!!!”

Britney wasn't done ... “13 years being in a corrupt abusive system yet why is such a hard topic for people to talk about???”

Now, Aguilera was actually supportive of Britney back in June, before the conservatorship ended, saying, "It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish."

Young Dolph wasn't concerned about returning to Memphis -- he made the trip unaware of any ongoing beef, and without any recent threat to his life -- which makes his murder much more stunning to those around him ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the late rapper tell us Dolph was excited to be back in his hometown, and had booked a week full of charity events for his community.

We're told he had no fear of hitting the streets of Memphis without security guards, and that's exactly why he made the fateful stop at Makeda's Cookies -- one of his favorite local spots.

Of course, it was the cookie shop where 2 men ambushed Dolph, opening fire and killing him on the spot.

We're told all Dolph wanted to do this week was spread positivity in Memphis, as evidenced by the multiple turkey giveaways he'd organized and projects he had with local rappers.

TMZ broke the story, members of Dolph's Paper Route record label organized a turkey giveaway Friday after others were canceled in the wake of Dolph's murder. Volunteers gave out hundreds of birds to families in need because it's what Dolph would have wanted.

The 2 suspects from Dolph's murder have not been caught. Surveillance images released from the attack show both of them, covered head-to-toe (including masks) and holding guns.

Shortly after the shooting, cops stood guard at Yo Gotti's restaurant in the area -- out of fear there would be more violence -- but the restaurant was never attacked.

In one of the more unsurprising turns of the week, protests erupted from coast-to-coast in the wake of the exoneration of Kyle Rittenhouse.

New Yorkers hit the streets Friday night to express their outrage over the not guilty verdict, and some of the anger got out of hand. Cars were vandalized ... the words, "f*** you" were sprayed on the handicapped placard of a vehicle.

There were 5 arrests in NYC for vandalism.

There was also a protest outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn ... hundreds of protesters held signs, one which read ... "No justice in the capitalist courts" and "capitalism breeds racist terror."

Interestingly, Kenosha -- the city where the trial was held and the fatal shootings occurred -- was fairly peaceful. The protesters were fairly small in number, and the anger seemed most directed at Judge Bruce Schroeder, who presided over the trial.

Portland was predictably more exercised, with 200 protesters throwing things at cops ... this according to the Portland PD.

And, Chicago protesters hit the streets as well, though not in large numbers.

Tyga celebrated his 32nd birthday in grand fashion Friday night ... with 500 guests packed into a winter-themed bash.

The soiree went down at Nightingale Plaza in L.A. ... a city where it never snows. So, cue the snow machine! There were women dancing inside gigantic plastic snowballs, photo booths where you could mug with Siberian Huskies, and on and on.

Lots of celebs on hand to celebrate ... Delilah Hamlin, Pia Mia, Mario, Dre London, James Goldstein and Amanda Steele. Since there were 500 folks jammed into the venue, there are probably others we didn't or couldn't eyeball.

There was plenty of candy, snow cones and hot cocoa with marshmallows ... and enormous ice sculptures with embedded Tequila.

Check out Tyga's duds ... a crazy winter coat and ski goggles. It's L.A. dude! Watch him snowboard down the snow-covered hill.

This is one of the first big winter-themed parties we've seen in L.A. with more to follow as the holiday season is about to kick into high gear ... despite COVID cases on the rise in CA and places beyond.

Bill Maher's seasonal swan song did not disappoint Friday night ... although this is a wrap for this season of "Real Time," he left us with future headlines that his crack staff claims are pre-ordained.

He has an ominous prediction for Britney Spears ... sort of Britney meets "Tiger King." And, there's news about a new FNC show, along with a name change for President Biden.

Maybe the most ominous and, dare we say hilarious, is the conflagration of Karens who come together for a fatal confrontation with each other.

And, then there's another "Jeopardy!" host who gets the ax for something said in years past ... many years past!

Oh, check out the headline about Meghan Markle that clearly perplexed the writer, and then there's a Putin prognostication that guest panelist Chris Christie is not dismissing out of hand.

And, finally ... the intersection between Sarah Palin's daughter and Kyle Rittenhouse.

Sheree Whitfield is not on speaking terms with her boyfriend Tyrone Gilliams ... because her reality TV career almost cost him his freedom.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the 'RHOA' star and Tyrone -- who's currently sentenced to home confinement -- have not spoken since a November 6 incident, when Sheree told Tyrone she was leaving NYC to go visit him in Philadelphia.

The trouble started a few hours before they were scheduled to meet ... because Sheree told Tyrone she would have an 'RHOA' camera crew with her when she got to town.

We're told Sheree wanted him to come film a scene with her in a restaurant -- but, obviously, that would be a huge no-no for Tyrone due to his home confinement. To put it plainly, a judge could've thrown his ass back in prison ... if he'd gone.

That's why he passed on shooting, and production told his attorneys they'd simply edit the show to make it look like Tyrone stood her up.

Making matters worse, this photo started circulating online ... showing Sheree sitting alone at a Philly restaurant. Eagle-eyed fans noticed 2 menus on the table -- not to mention the camera crew -- and assumed Tyrone was there shooting scenes.

Although he wasn't, he was worried about the optics with the courts.

As we first told you ... when Sheree returned to 'RHOA,' she made it clear she wanted her relationship with Tyrone to be a big storyline -- but that seems derailed now. Since the incident in Philly, we're told they have not spoken, and there's been no apology from either side.

So, the evidence mounts ... Kim and Pete are a thing. And, do we really believe Drake now likes Kanye? So, we gotta ask ...

Deron Williams says it's amazing to see fellow class of 2005 draftee Chris Paul still crushing it at 36 years old ... telling TMZ Sports he's amazed by the guy's longevity, but admits he's a bit jealous.

"I'm a little jealous he's still out there shining," 37-year-old Williams said this week. "And, you know, it's fun to watch."

"He's a special player, one of the best to ever do it and he's defied time."

Of course, this is CP3's 16th season in the league -- he's played for 5 teams, including the Suns ... who he just led to the NBA Finals last season.

Williams applauds Paul's ability to succeed everywhere he goes.

"Seems like every team he goes to he makes them instantly better because there's nobody who predicted the Suns to be in the Finals last year," D-Will said.

"He was a huge part of that."

D-Will also admits that he misses the game since he last played for the Cavaliers in 2017 -- but an NBA comeback is not in his plans.

"To be out of the league for four years and just to go back on that, I'm smarter than that. I realized that ship has sailed so I have to let that go."

Don't let these two almost identical images of Vanessa Hudgens make you explode! Get'cha head in the game and see if you can work out all the sneaky (princess) switches!

The actress and singer was tickled pink out and about in New York City -- where she attended the premiere of her new musical film 'Tick, Tick... Boom!' -- earlier this week ... and we have made a few changes to the original pic! Go your own way and break free from the differences between these two super similar snaps!

Misha Collins must be feeling like a real estate guru right now -- he unloaded his Hollywood oasis and made it look super easy by selling it quickly, and getting way above his asking price.

The "Supernatural" star sold his stunning Hollywood Hills pad -- a 27,683-square-foot slice of tranquility -- for $4,550,000. Not too shabby, considering he listed it last month for $3.9 mil.

We'll do the math for ya ... Misha got $650k above asking, about 14 percent more.

The sprawling estate is broken up into 3 lots ... including a 3-bedroom main house, guest house and pool house, not to mention a writer's cabin.

Originally built in 1926, the place has since been updated to include Spanish architecture with a classic red-tile roof. There are Moorish details all over the place... like arched windows, wrought-iron railings and tiled stairs.

The 3-floor main house is decked out with a meditation room and fireplaces, and the pool comes with a motorized, retractable cover and a hot tub.

The estate also has a cabana with a built-in grill and kitchen, perfect for cooking up meals from the private vegetable garden.

Watch out, the trees are turning on us!

Luckily for these seasonal stars in love with autumn, there's nothing to fear! Famous faces -- like Debby Ryan, Kate Bosworth, Holly Robinson Peete, and Priyanka Chopra -- are getting festive for fall and they are leaf-ing quite the impression!

Laurie Hernandez, Laura Prepon, and Derek Theler are just a few other celebrities showing off their true colors.

Don't forget to layer up while you take a stroll scroll through this gallery of stars falling for foliage to reap the harvest mother nature has to offer!

Art LaFleur, famous for playing Babe Ruth in the classic baseball movie "The Sandlot," is dead.

The actor died Wednesday following a 10-year battle with Parkinson's disease ... according to his wife, Shelley. We're told he died at his home surrounded by his children and Shelley -- and although he was in hospice care, Art was cracking jokes to try to make his family laugh in the time leading up to his death.

His wife is remembering Art as a "generous and selfless man" ... qualities she says carried over into his acting career, "but more importantly it was who he was for his family and friends."

Art is most known, and beloved, for his role in 1993's "The Sandlot" -- but he was also in another big baseball flick, playing first baseman Chick Gandil in 1989's "Field of Dreams" alongside Kevin Costner.

He didn't get into acting until he moved from Chicago to Los Angeles way back in 1975 when he was already 31 years old. He went on to become one of those character actors audiences always recognized, acting in movies like "The Blob," "Cobra" and a couple of the 'Santa Clause' films.

He also landed episodic TV roles on "Malcolm in the Middle," "The Bernie Mac Show," "JAG" and many other shows.

Art was 78.

Young Dolph was brutally murdered, but his efforts to lift his community up are still going strong, including one act of kindness he was supposed to complete the day he was killed.

Dolph was behind a series of charity events all this week, handing out turkeys and groceries to families in need. He was supposed to show up at one of those events Wednesday, but that plan was tragically cut short when two men opened fire hours earlier, killing the rapper.

While still devastated, reps from Dolph's Paper Route record label rallied to get the charity event back on track for Friday ... and giving out hundreds of birds to needy families on a day when Dolph would have done it himself.

Dolph had previously established the IdaMae Family Foundation -- named for his grandmother -- and we're told those closest to him know he would've wanted the event to continue, despite his absence.

As we reported, police have released photos of the alleged shooters and their getaway car ... but no arrests have been made and suspects have not been released.

Colin Kaepernick says the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict shows the criminal justice system is broken ... calling the 18-year-old who fatally shot two people a "white supremacist" who benefited from an institution based on white supremacy.

Rittenhouse was found not guilty on all charges in the Kenosha shooting case on Friday ... a verdict that has sparked outrage amongst many people across the country.

Kap gave his two cents on the news shortly after it broke ... saying, "We just witnessed a system built on white supremacy validate the terroristic acts of a white supremacist."

"This only further validates the need to abolish our current system," he added. "White supremacy cannot be reformed."

Kap has spoken his mind on countless social justice issues since kickstarting his national anthem demonstration in 2016 -- recently he called for the police institution to be abolished after no charges were presented in Breonna Taylor's death.

"The white supremacist institution of policing that stole Breonna Taylor’s life from us must be abolished for the safety and well being of our people," Kap tweeted in September 2020.

Other athletes have voiced their disgust with the Rittenhouse verdict ... including NASCAR racer Bubba Wallace, who said, "Ha, let the boy be black and it would’ve been life ... hell he would’ve had his life taken before the bulls*** trial ... sad."

Robert Griffin III added ... "Kyle Rittenhouse can kill without a sliver of doubt & walk free but Julius Jones is in jail for life without the chance for parole after being on death row for 20 years with all types of doubt in his case. What is Justice? God help us."

Soulja Boy is clapping back at people who are saying he should be down in the dumps over Young Dolph's shooting death ... he says it would be a different vibe if he was the one who was gunned down.

The rapper went on Instagram Live on Friday and railed on his haters, saying they have him twisted if they think he should be more sad about Young Dolph. Soulja goes even further, he thinks people would be happy, laughing and cracking jokes if he was the artist who ended up dead.

As we reported ... Young Dolph was shot and killed this week in his Memphis, TN hometown, with the gunmen pulling up on him while he was inside a cookie store on his way to pass out Thanksgiving meals in his old neighborhood.

Kyle Rittenhouse has just been found not guilty on all charges in the Kenosha shooting case.

Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide (aka murder), 2 counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree attempted intentional homicide ... pertaining to the deaths of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum ... as well as the maiming of Gaige Grosskreutz, who survived his shooting, respectively.

Rittenhouse choked back tears as the verdict was read.

It's been a long 2 weeks and change of proceedings, with prosecutors for the State of Wisconsin trying to make their case ... namely, that Rittenhouse was perceived as an active shooter that night, and that he did NOT have the right to use deadly force against protesters.

The prosecution also painted Rittenhouse as an underage John Wayne -- he was just 17 at the time of the incident -- who apparently thought he was entitled to patrol the streets of Kenosha in the aftermath of the Jacob Blake shooting ... and who provoked and drew the ire of demonstrators by bringing along an AR-15 rifle.

That said ... it would appear their characterization of things weren't always holding up very well in front of the jury -- as Rittenhouse's defense team claimed their client only shot when he felt his life was in mortal danger, and only enough to neutralize threats he considered deadly in the moment. Based on the evidence, it seems the jury mostly agreed with that.

Another element that surely helped Rittenhouse ... the fact that he and others testified to hearing Rosenbaum -- the first person shot that night -- threatening to kill KR and others in his patrol group ... among other unruly behavior many claim he was engaged in that night.

Rittenhouse says he was eventually ambushed by Rosenbaum after losing track of his crew in the streets, and was then chased by him ... until Kyle turned around and shot him. He claimed Rosenbaum lunged at his gun, and that he felt his safety was compromised.

While running away from that scene, he began to get chased anew by a crowd ... with a few members getting their licks in by hitting him with a skateboard, kicking him while he was down ... and approaching him with a handgun. Here, too, he claimed he feared for his life -- and felt he needed to fire his rifle in what Rittenhouse's team says was self-defense.

There were several key moments from the trial ... including the Assistant D.A. Thomas Binger constantly getting scolded and rebuffed by Judge Bruce Schroeder -- especially when Binger tried classifying Rittenhouse's silence after his arrest as a sign of guilt ... a big legal no-no.

Of course, there was also the moment Kyle himself took the stand in his own defense -- during which he broke down and cried while recounting the shootings.

Binger pointing Rittenhouse's actual gun at the jury during closing arguments was a highlight ... which he seemed to do for dramatic effect in making his final point, but which also caught a lot of backlash for what many considered a reckless and unsafe demonstration.

Now that Rittenhouse's fate is sealed ... there is a new round of protests expected in the city, and officials are preparing for the worst (again).