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Skilyr Hicks -- a one-time contestant on "America's Got Talent" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The young singer-songwriter passed away Monday, having been found lifeless in the home of a friend -- this according to her mother, Jodi. She says she doesn't know the actual homeowner. Skilyr's body was discovered in Liberty, South Carolina.

While the exact circumstances of her death -- including a cause -- are still unknown to the family, Jodi tells us her daughter battled with mental health issues, including depression and substance abuse. She also says Skilyr was loved by her family and 4 siblings -- using her music to help people in need. Jodi says, "She will live on through her music."

At just 14 years old, Hicks appeared on season 8 of 'AGT' in 2013, auditioning for Mel B, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Howard Stern ... and impressing them enough to be moved on to the next round.

She performed an original song of her own during her debut, and actually had a good touching backstory that landed her own segment on TV. Skilyr had lost her father a few years prior to the audition and apparently taught herself to play, write and sing.

Hicks scored four yeses from the judges but was eliminated shortly thereafter before the live rounds in NYC. Still, her time on the show was memorable.

The artist ran into some legal trouble in her later years -- getting arrested for underage drinking in 2018, and also spending some time in jail for allegedly roughing up her fam.

She was just 23. RIP

The crime spree unfolding in L.A. has got celebs acting skittish, so much so that there's a big boom in security hiring ... which might sound great for them, but isn't a good sign big picture.

TMZ spoke with two different high-profile security companies that offer services for famous folks and other VIP types -- and they both tell us the same thing ... their business is on the upswing, and it seems to be aligned with what's going on in the City of Angels.

Alfredo Moosa and AJ Moosa of 2 Deep Executive Protection -- which has worked for people like French Montana, Maria, A1 Bentley and more --  tell us they're getting booked left and right these days, especially in L.A. ... where they say they're most in demand.

Take the Tank Davis fight in town this past weekend -- the Moosa's say there alone they had 8 different clients with their guards on hand, who are being hired for way longer shifts than anything they've done in the past (17+ hours) ... emblematic of what they say is happening generally. In the past year ... they tell us they've hired 15-16 new guards.

The Moosa's also say they've seen a lot of their clients lately ditch jewelry and other bling they may normally wear -- which they think has to do with the fact people are getting jacked in brazen attacks of late. 2 Deep is also doing a lot more house calls at the moment -- we're told now, they're being asked to stick around and patrol Airbnbs their clients might stay in ... whether they're actually there or not, a shift from what they're usually asked to do.

There's also Kings Protection -- having been hired by the likes of Quavo, Lil Pump, LeBron James, etc. -- whose CEO, Jack, tells us they too are getting a spike in bookings, and everything else that comes with their offerings.

Jack says they've seen an increase in day-to-day security needs, including clients being out and about in a nightlife setting ... or even just home patrols, something they specialize in. Kings have had to hire 200 more guards this year due to the phone constantly ringing.

CBS is going back to the well that's served them well for years -- pumping out a new reality show that'll have contestants outwit, outplay and outlast one another, but with a celeb twist.

Production sources tell TMZ ... the network is getting set to debut a new series that we're told is very "Survivor"-esque, but the main difference here -- the contestants are all celebs, including a handful of reality stars.

We're told that, like "Survivor," this show will feature similar challenges -- and will have a similar vibe to what viewers have watched since 2000.

Some of the names we're hearing attached ... Colton Underwood, Metta World Peace, Ray Lewis, Jodie Sweetin, 'RHONY’s' Eboni K. Williams and model Paulina Porizkova. There may be others who end up tagging in, but these folks are for sure playing the game.

Our sources tell us all participants had a certain amount of money donated to the charity of their choice. The show has already been filmed, and we're told a lot of it went down in Panama -- so, sounds like it's straight outta the "Survivor" playbook.

Armie Hammer's alleged rape investigation has wrapped up and law enforcement is sending its findings to the D.A. ... but we're told the actor isn't likely to face any charges.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the LAPD is forwarding the case to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office now that it's completed its probe, which launched way back in March.

We're told the case isn't strong, and will probably not result in any charges being filed against Armie. It's unclear if the reason behind that is a lack of credibility of potential witnesses or a lack of particular evidence backing up the claims. In any case ... the D.A.'s office will have final say over the matter.

As we reported ... Armie was accused of raping a woman named Effie, who filed a police report.

Effie went public with her accusations via press conference, alongside attorney Gloria Allred. The alleged rape occurred in 2017 -- and Effie claims it lasted for over 4 hours in what she characterized as a violent incident.

Armie has denied the allegations, saying Effie was sending him dirty texts as recently as 2020 ... which he says undermines her story. Effie's claims surfaced amid a larger scandal Armie was embroiled in -- where some of his sexual exploits were even painted as cannibalistic.

Some women have claimed Armie took things too far, to the point they felt violated and/or assaulted. He's vehemently denied all of their accounts, saying all sexual encounters he's had were fully consensual.

Amanda Nunes says Julianna Peña is straight-up "delusional" for thinking she's gonna take a belt off the champ-champ ... but the Lioness tells TMZ Sports that doesn't mean she's sleeping on the Venezuelan Vixen's skills in the Octagon.

We talked to the 33-year-old UFC star just days before her big UFC 269 fight with Peña ... and Nunes is ready to goooo.

"[Julianna] is delusional, but it doesn't mean I'm not taking her seriously. I do. I trained very hard and very smart, I'm very sharp for her. A lot of things she says are not true, she's being delusional."

We also asked Nunes, a heavy favorite in the fight, how she envisioned beating Peña.

"Honestly I don't see this fight going to the judges at all. Honestly. I'm very sharp. I know she's gonna make a lot of mistakes like she always does."

Amanda added ... "I know I'm gonna catch her many times."

As you might suspect, 32-year-old Peña -- the #3 ranked bantamweight -- believes Amanda isn't taking her seriously ... telling us that's a mistake because she's coming to win.

"I feel like a lot of people are sleeping on me and they think I'm a sacrificial lamb but I definitely think that, you know, I know that I'm definitely not a sacrificial lamb and everyone loves an underdog," Peña told us.

There's more ... we also talked to Amanda and her wife, fellow UFC star Nina Nunes about their adorable baby daughter, Reagan.

Southern California child actor David Mendenhall was only 15 years old when he was cast as the long-lost son Michael Hawk -- who is uprooted from private military school to take a road trip with his arm wrestling trucker dad to visit his sick mother -- in the 1987 action-adventure film "Over The Top."

David Mendenhall shared the big screen with some flexing famous folks on the muscle movie including Robert Loggia as the meddling grandpa with money, Jason Cutler, Susan Blakely as the terminally ill mother, Christina Hawk ... and of course Sylvester Stallone as the wrist-bending father figure, Lincoln Hawk.

Aldon Smith is in trouble with the law once again ... TMZ Sports has learned the NFL star was arrested on Monday and booked on a felony charge of DUI causing injury.

Details surrounding the arrest are unclear -- we're working on it -- but records show Smith was booked into a Northern California jail at 7:38 PM on Monday night.

The records show Smith's bail has been set at $50,000. Smith is still in custody.

The 32-year-old pass rusher is due in court for a hearing on the matter on Wednesday, according to the records.

Smith, of course, is no stranger to run-ins with police ... he's been arrested for DUI multiple times in the past, and was also accused of domestic violence in 2018.

Smith was also most recently arrested in April in Louisiana ... after officials say he committed 2nd-degree battery at a coffee shop in the New Orleans area.

Smith was an absolute superstar with the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders after being picked in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft ... but substance abuse issues and legal troubles derailed his career, and he was out of the league from 2016 through 2019.

Smith, though, got himself cleaned up -- telling TMZ Sports in 2020 he was "an overall better person" -- and eventually signed with the Dallas Cowboys for the '20 season.

He later signed with the Seahawks in 2021 -- though he was cut before the season began.

Tomorrow is National Brownie Day and some people will be celebrating by taking a bite out of the world's largest cannabis edible!!!

The baked treat -- sure to get ya super baked -- was made last week by a team of 5 people and took a full day to complete. The brownie tips the scales at a whopping 850 pounds and contains 20,000 mg of THC. For those who don't partake, 10 mg of marijuana is enough to get ya pretty high ... so a nibble of this thing will be plenty.

As for the more boring ingredients -- 1,344 eggs, 81 pounds of flour, lots and lots of sugar and blah blah blah ... you're gonna be on cloud nine.

Ryan Crandall, Chief Product Officer at MariMed, tells TMZ... "We wanted to do something big to celebrate the launch of our Bubby’s Baked infused baked goods line, and what could be bigger than the World’s Largest Cannabis Brownie."

He wasn't exaggerating... it's so big, the brownie will be sold and distributed in pieces to medical patients in Massachusetts.

Former NFL defensive lineman Glenn Foster -- who logged three sacks for the New Orleans Saints in 2013 -- has reportedly died ... just two days after he was arrested in Alabama.

He was 31 years old.

A Pickens County Medical Examiner official confirmed the Dec. 6 death, according to NOLA.com, though the spokesperson would not reveal the circumstances surrounding the passing, saying an investigation is currently underway.

Jail records show Foster was arrested and booked on Dec. 4 on charges of reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and attempting to elude. The records show he was later rebooked on Dec. 5 on charges of simple assault and robbery.

It's unclear if Foster was still in police custody at the time of his death -- we've reached out to the Pickens County Sheriff's Office for comment, but it said the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation is handling inquiries.

Multiple attempts to reach spokespersons for the Alabama SBI have been unsuccessful.

Foster -- who starred for the Univ. of Illinois -- signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and played two seasons for the team, recording 8 tackles in 17 games.

He retired from the league in 2016.

Foster's former Saints teammate, current New Orleans star Terron Armstead, commented on the news on Tuesday -- saying on his Twitter page, "I really can't find the words to properly express. Rest In Peace Glenn Foster, you’ll be missed bro!"

Tristan Thompson is trying to keep a tightly-sealed lid on info from his latest paternity case -- asking a judge to silence the woman who claims she's carrying his child from leaking info about the case ... while he continues to blast her as being out for fortune and fame.

The NBA star filed an emergency petition Tuesday in Harris County, TX -- asking the judge to issue a gag order in the case ... barring the parties (himself and Maralee Nichols) from speaking out about the case as it plays out in court.

Tristan points to multiple instances in which he believes Maralee has violated what he claims is a confidentiality order the judge orally granted earlier in the case after she sued him over paternity.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Tristan claims Maralee has been doing interviews with the media, leaking personal info and even taking to IG and other social media to spread what he says are blatant lies about himself and his family. Specifically, he claims certain Snapchat messages -- which Maralee has claimed were sent to her by Tristan -- were fabricated.

The reason Tristan thinks she's doing all this is "to achieve some sort of notoriety and gain for herself in this lawsuit."

Bottom line ... Tristan wants to keep this entire proceeding under wraps, including any discovery or evidence submitted by either side. He also wants the court to sanction Maralee for the alleged leaks.

To hit that point home, he wants a judge to force her to fork over a $30k bond to ensure she has some money on the line if she breaks the confidentiality order.

Jussie Smollett interrupted his own courtroom grilling to make an interesting request -- that the prosecutor does not use the n-word in full ... because he found it offensive.

The "Empire" actor stopped prosecutor Dan Webb -- who's white -- during his line of questioning during cross-examination Tuesday, and flat-out asked the guy to stop repeating the slur while quoting messages Jussie had sent to the Osundairo brothers on the day of the alleged attack.

Jussie said in court, "Can you spell or say the n-word out of respect for every African American in this room? You've been saying that word a lot."

Webb made a compromise ... asking that Jussie read the messages himself, which he apparently did. One of the messages Jussie read himself was from Abimbola, which said ... "N**** finally made it just landed haha."

After cross, Jussie stepped down ... and the defense rested its case. Closing arguments are expected to begin tomorrow.

Jamie Spears says he wants nothing more than to tie up loose ends and end Britney's conservatorship, but the people put in place on her side are dragging it out, and destroying his reputation in the process.

Spears just filed new docs in L.A. where he says he just wants a simple order ending the conservatorship, but that's been made impossible by what he calls Britney's "temporary conservators" ... whom Jamie says are only trying to continue a media circus.

He says Britney and her team mostly make "statements with no other purpose than to attack Jamie" and are trying to paint him as a "disgraced, suspended conservator."

What's more ... Jamie says he's been more than cooperative in handing over requested documents from the 13 years Britney was in the conservatorship. In fact, he says he's already handed over 58 boxes of docs -- totaling around 478,000 pages.

Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are finally back from Mexico after celebrating her big 4-0 birthday for nearly a week in Cabo ... and turns out their festivities included a third and fourth party!

Brit and her fiancé's private jet touched down Tuesday morning in Los Angeles, and they had quite the disem-barkment. Yes, the singer was holding one of her dogs, while an assistant carried the other off the plane ... and Sam trailed behind.

We didn't realize Lacey, a Maltese, and Hannah, the Yorkie, were with the couple during the birthday celebration. Good to see Brit kept the whole family together during the vacay.

As we previously reported ... the pop star's dogs were taken away from her briefly during the summer, because her housekeeper believed the pups were being neglected.

Nick Cannon just shared some devastating news, his youngest child has died from a brain tumor.

An emotional Cannon made the announcement Tuesday on "The Nick Cannon Show," telling his audience his 5-month-old son, Zen, passed away. Nick says things took a turn for the worse around Thanksgiving, and the tumor began to grow very quickly.

Breaking down, Nick says he spent this last weekend in California with his son, and on Sunday they took a trip to the ocean where Nick held Zen for the last time, he died soon after.

Giving some background, Nick says when he was about 2 months old, Zen started to develop what they thought was a sinus issue, and they noticed his head seemed large. Doctors said fluid had started to build up in Zen's head, and they discovered a tumor, which required immediate surgery.

Zen was Nick's 7th child, born earlier this year with model Alyssa Scott. Zen was the 4th of Nick's kids born in the last year and a half, twins Zillion and Zion were born in June and his daughter, Powerful, last December.

Turns out, Joey Chestnut can inhale shrimp just as fast as he can hot dogs ... 'cause the eating legend went beast mode on shrimp cocktail this weekend, guzzling 17 pounds of the appetizer in 8 minutes!

The 38-year-old accomplished the wild feat in the eighth annual World Famous St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail Eating Championship in Indianapolis on Saturday -- and the gross/amazing scene was all captured on video.

In footage of the event, you can see hundreds pulled up to the contest to watch Chestnut eat -- and "Jaws" did not disappoint.

After a countdown, Chestnut -- who holds 40-plus eating contest world records -- grabbed a handful of shrimp and chomped down so quickly, the announcer said he had put away pounds of the dish in a matter of seconds.

Chestnut eventually destroyed the competition ... eating 17 pounds and 1.6 ounces of the seafood. And, according to the official event results, he beat second place by almost three full pounds!!

The most staggering part about it all? Chestnut has actually beaten this mark before -- in 2018, he chomped down 18 pounds and 9.6 ounces of the shrimp at the competition.

Kyle Rittenhouse says he's no longer a fan of LeBron James ... saying the Lakers star's shade toward him during his trial "really" ticked him off.

"I liked LeBron," the Kenosha shooter said Monday on The BlazeTV's "You Are Here" show. "And, then I'm like, 'You know what, f*** you, LeBron.'"

If you missed it ... LBJ mocked Rittenhouse after the 18-year-old gave an emotional testimony on the stand during his homicide trial last month.

Rittenhouse fought back tears while explaining how the Aug. 25, 2020 shootings in Wisconsin unfolded ... and then he got so choked up, the judge actually paused the court proceedings for several minutes.

LeBron, though, didn't believe Rittenhouse was actually remorseful or even crying at all ... writing in a social media post, "What tears????? I didn't see one."

"Man knock it off!" James continued. "That boy ate some lemon heads before walking into court."

LeBron added several crying emojis to the post as well.

When Rittenhouse finally spoke publicly about James' comments -- he made it clear, he now despises the NBA superstar over it all.

"I was a Lakers fan too before he said that," Rittenhouse said. "I was really pissed off that he said that."