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A 4.6-magnitude earthquake just hit L.A. ... and disrupted the hectic TMZ newsroom -- and while some of our staffers knew just what to do, not everyone hit the deck immediately.

According to the CDC ... the first thing to do during an earthquake is to drop to the ground before it knocks you down and crawl underneath a sturdy desk or table to protect yourself from falling objects.

If no such structure is available, get near some low-lying furniture and cover your neck and head. Then, hold on to your makeshift shelter until the shaking stops ... and pray for dear life!

Our own Charlie Neff stood out as a model earthquake expert by the CDC's guidelines ... dropping to the floor and rolling under her desk as soon as the building started to shake.

Charlie, an L.A. native, credits dozens of elementary school earthquake drills for preparing her for exactly this moment.

Her deskmate, Brendon Geoffrion, could probably have used a few more of those drills himself ... 'cause he decided to start wandering around and investigate the ceiling. Pretty much the opposite of the suggested guidelines!

Charles Latibeaudiere didn't hit the ground ... but nearly hit the ceiling with how high he jumped when the quake started. The scary shake definitely gave him a startle --- though he quickly regained composure and checked on everyone to make sure they were OK.

Another camera angle will give you a pretty good idea of how badly the building was shaking ... and our man John Brix knew what was up. Check him out on the right side of the screen, brown beanie on. He disappeared under the desk about as quickly as he could.

The ordeal definitely gave the whole office a jolt ... but don't worry ... everybody's fine, and nothing major seems to have been broken. So all's well that ends well!

Remember ... earthquakes can feel differently to everyone. One of our staff members said she thought someone was shaking her chair while another could've sworn the earthquake was just a heavy gust of wind.

If you're not sure ... the best thing to do is drop, cover and hold -- better safe than sorry.

Taylor Swift's ex-BFs usually serve as inspo for her songs ... but one particular track from her upcoming album shouts out a famed silent film actress -- whose family is loving it.

TayTay's song, 'Clara Bow,' is one of the cuts featured on her forthcoming 'Tortured Poets Department' album -- and fans were rife with excitement/speculation over what it could mean ... as there are many ways to interpret this.

Clara was one of the first movie stars of her day back in the 1920s -- and she also got a ton of media attention/scrutiny ... which ended in tragic fashion (more on this later).

Anyway, because of the historical significance ... many have taken this song to be an important on 'TPD' -- but either way ... Clara's real-life descendants are incredibly appreciative of the spotlight T-Swift is shedding on their ancestor.

Clara's great-granddaughter Brittany Grace Bell tells TMZ ... their family is hoping the attention from the pop idol can highlight Clara's many accolades and talents -- rather than the media scrutiny and gossip she was subjected to during her career.

We're told TS's team never got in contact with her family over the song ... but Brittany says she'd love to connect with them to find out exactly what prompted the track's name and get more of the backstory. She's absolutely over the moon about it ... she'd like to link up.

As for her own theory, BGB tells us she thinks TayTay can relate to her legendary great-grandmother 'cause she's a modern-day "IT girl," and Clara was the original "It" girl.

Brittany also addresses fan speculation that Taylor may have dropped a major Easter Egg of the musical tribute with her recent Grammys look.

People noticed TS wore a necklace similar to the one Clara was photographed wearing back in the day -- leaving Brittany fascinated over whether Clara actually inspired the outfit.

As for all the attention she's now receiving, Brittany tells us she thinks Clara would be thrilled to see her family name live on and have a new generation hear her story/learn about her life.

While Brittany says she hopes the reaction is positive, she says we'll just have to wait and see what the song's lyrics are like before she can make any further judgments.

We should mention ... Clara's life was challenging -- with issues ranging from mental health struggles and beyond -- and many look back on her story as a cautionary tale, which is why Taylor invoking her name has piqued curiosity ... as many see it as ominous commentary.

Barry Keoghan is keeping his relationship status a closely guarded secret ... refusing to say if rumored GF Sabrina Carpenter is his Valentine -- even though we all know the deal.

We talked to BK out in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon and -- in between doling out signatures and taking selfies with a bunch of fans -- we asked Barry if he had a Valentine, specifically Carpenter, this year ... and he gave us something of a non-answer answer.

Check out the vid ... Barry doesn't answer the question and instead simply repeats the questions with a mischievous grin on his face -- before posing for another selfie and taking off down the alley.

He doesn't flat-out deny having a Valentine ... so, it seems his rumored romance with Sabrina's still going strong. A number of outlets are reporting the pair got nice and cozy at a post-Grammys bash earlier this week.

As we reported ... Barry and his ex-wife Alyson Kierans reportedly split in 2023 about a year after welcoming son Brando together. Keoghan seemingly confirmed the news during an interview GQ published last month.

The couple's been spotted out a few times together in previous months ... with paps catching them on a dinner date in Brentwood in early December and fans taking some quick pics at an interactive museum in L.A. in January. They've also posed together at events ... so the cat's outta the bag, really. You'd never be able to tell from BK's response to us though!

We also asked Barry Keoghan if he wants a bathwater-scented candle created in his honor, like the one made for his pal and costar Jacob Elordi based on their iconic and disturbing bathtub scene in "Saltburn" ... and Keoghan jokes he hopes to reach that milestone one day!

It appears Barry's love life is staying in the zipped-lips realm for now ... though his tongue-in-cheek body language may be another indication he's going steady with Sabrina.

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello have closed the book on their divorce -- 6 months after calling it quits, they've settled things in court ... and we're hearing there's no hard feelings.

The ex-power couple came to terms -- this according to new docs, obtained by TMZ -- which signal that Joe and Sofia's divorce is finalized and in their rearview. There aren't any super specific deets in the paperwork just yet ... but TMZ has learned what they each walked away with.

For starters, there was a prenup in place for their marriage -- something we knew -- and we're now learning it makes so Joe and Sofia each get to keep the assets they accumulated individually over the course of their 7 years together.

Another thing neither Sofia nor Joe are gonna have to worry about ... spousal support -- both of them waived any right to alimony -- so they're truly moving on.

Of course, the exes didn't have any kids together ... which was kind of a sticking point. Joe wanted kids -- she didn't.

Remember, they announced their split in July -- so this thing moved pretty quickly. That tracks with what we're hearing about how they each feel about it ... we're told the divorce settled super amicably, and Joe and Sofia seem happy to move on with their lives.

Joe -- who was repped by Disso Queen Laura Wasser -- is already dating Caitlin O'Connor these days ... and Sofia herself has been seeing Dr. Justin Saliman lately.

Nike's "Just Do it" days are gone ... the Swoosh has a new and improved tagline, "TOUGH S***"

Okay, not exactly ... but this is pretty cool.

The day after Kobe Bryant was honored at Crypto.com Arena with just the 7th statue in the organization's ridiculously rich history, the sportswear giant hooked Vanessa Bryant up with a hoodie bearing her quote from the emotional ceremony.

Remember, Vanessa warned fans who might be thinking about complaining about the statue, saying, "Kobe picked the pose you’re about to see, so if anybody has any issue with it, tough s***."

The clip went viral ... and on Friday, Nike sent Bryant a 1-of-1 hoodie with the phrase.

"Lol. Thx for my new hoodie @nike 😃💜💛," Bryant said in the IG caption on Friday, posting a photo of the garment.

It's unclear if Nike plans to sell the design ... wouldn't be a bad idea -- they'd sell like crazy.

Ben Affleck's not taking questions about the alleged kiss he shared with Britney Spears ... with even the mention of the moment putting him in a seemingly sour mood.

The actor was walking down the street in Santa Monica Friday when a photog fired a question at him in Spanish ... a language in which Ben's pretty much fluent, and it sure seems like he fully understood this question.

Check out the vid ... Ben's face breaks into a big grin when he hears the pap greet him in Spanish -- possibly excited at breaking out his bilingual skills -- but then he quickly gets, "Is it true what Britney Spears said about you that you and she shared a kiss??"

Once the full question is out, Ben's expression totally changes ... smile gone and exasperatedly shaking his head as he walks swiftly to his car and drives off.

BA's clearly not happy about having this question directed at him ... all triggered by one of Britney's social media posts.

As we previously reported ... BS shared a throwback snap of herself with Ben and legendary songwriter Diane Warren, and claimed she made out with Ben on the same night the photo was taken back in 1999.

She also implied a lot more happened before they locked lips, but didn't share exactly what she meant by that with fans.

The comment raised a lot of eyebrows ... after all, Britney just released her memoir packed full of bombshell revelations -- so it's odd she seemed to have left this out. She's claiming she completely forgot about it which seems unlikely, to say the least.

She later took down the post -- an added layer of drama -- but it appears that move isn't quelling interest in what is, at this point, just a rumor she's created.

Travis Kelce's ex, Kayla Nicole, might have had a falling out with Patrick and Brittany Mahomes ... but there's clearly still plenty of love between her and Jackson Mahomes -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned they rubbed elbows in Vegas.

Eyewitnesses tell us ... Kelce's former flame -- who he dated for years before Taylor Swift -- and the Chiefs QB's younger bro came together at the Aria's High Limit Lounge around 10:15 PM Thursday, and they didn't leave each other's side for about an hour.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us this meetup wasn't planned -- it was more of a bump-into sitch, apparently -- although folks at the casino say it seemed coordinated, as we're told Kayla joined Jackson at the hotel's fancy bar after he'd been waiting around for a minute.

So, to some, it appeared Jackson might've been waiting for her.

Regardless, witnesses say Jackson and Kayla -- who became good friends during the years the model dated Kelce -- were warm toward each other while they talked, appearing jovial throughout their entire conversation ... which, we're told, was an engrossing one for both.

Of course, this is notable because Kayla has recently attempted to distance herself from Patrick and Brittany ... after the latter struck up a bond with Kelce's new bae, Tay Tay.

ICYMI ... Kayla unfollowed the famous couple online -- later explaining she did it to "protect" herself amid the tight end's new romance and his obvious continued bond with Patrick.

While Kayla seemingly shook off any connection to Mahomes/Kelce -- she's clearly still cool with Jackson, which makes sense based on what else we know.

Sources tell us there's no bad blood between any of the parties, and just because Brittany and Kayla's friendship fizzled after she and Trav ... there was never an expectation anyone else surrounding them would cut ties, including Jackson.

Trav, of course, has moved on ... and Kayla seems more than ready to do the same -- saying last month she's no longer interested in dating athletes, wanting a man with power instead.

On its face, her run-in with Jackson doesn't appear to have been romantic. But it is interesting Kayla is in Vegas at all right now ... suppose we'll see what happens.

Katt Williams and Mo'Nique's sharing their "truth" on "Club Shay Shay" was the worst possible move for the Black community ... at least in Judge Mathis' eyes.

The man has been paid to have an honest gauge on uneasy situations -- legal, ethical and otherwise -- and according to Hizzoner, he rules that all this mud-slinging stinks. On Friday, Mathis held court on his IG page and called for an end to the recent missiles launched in the public eye amongst Black entertainers.

He didn't single out Katt and Mo by name but the social media space has been in shambles since Katt's interview aired on January 3 ... and Mo followed suit this week -- even joining KW's nationwide tour with other comics who seem to have bones to pick.

Judge Mathis didn't bite his tongue -- he called the feeding frenzy an embarrassment to Black culture and feels it his gut that big H'wood execs and studios are silently laughing on the sidelines.

He also pointed out he doesn't see other cultures tearing each other down in public ... just Black people being the sideshow spectacle -- that's how's he framing his argument here.

The 63-year-old justice admitted he doesn't always keep his cool in his own courtroom but notes those outbursts are spun into entertainment for his TV shows.

Judge Mathis concluded by stressing that these stars' issues should be hashed out in private settings ... instead of setting bad examples.

We'll see if Shannon Sharpe takes a breather with these interviews -- or if he keeps on bringing celebs with more grievances to air. On its face, he seems inclined toward the latter.

Usher had a lot of celebs in his teaser promo ahead of his Super Bowl Halftime Show, including J Balvin -- but despite speculation he'll be in the mix ... we now know otherwise.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the Colombian singer will not be participating in the halftime show with Usher and co. come Sunday, even though a lot of people assumed that might be since he showed up in the short film that Apple dropped Thursday.

As it turns out ... we're told Balvin is actually in Brazil right now and will be performing at Carnival on Super Bowl Sunday -- so he'll be far away from the action going down in Vegas.

Not only is he technically booked on the same night of the SB ... our sources say his focus right now is on his upcoming international tour -- "Que Bueno Volver a Verte" -- that kicks off in April in Germany. Plus, we're told he's in the middle of rehearsing for Coachella too.

Now, if you're wondering why JB was even featured in the Apple promo to begin with -- which also had Ludacris, Lil Jon and Taraji P. Henson in there -- we have an answer.

Our sources say the point of the promo was to highlight Usher's biggest collaborators over the years -- and Balvin is one of those lately ... they have their song 'Dientes' together.

In terms of who will actually come out for Usher's performance ... it's almost a given that Luda and Jon will join him at some point -- and we first reported ... Alicia Keys is for sure going to be onstage with Ursher.

Another person we know has been spoken to about potentially coming on as a special guest in none other than Justin Bieber -- but it's unclear if he'll actually perform or not for now.

Taylor Swift's alleged stalker will not be facing a criminal trial after being arrested multiple times outside her pad ... because prosecutors say he's just not up for it, legally.

According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office ... David Crowe -- the man who prosecutors say has been lurking around Taylor's NYC home for a while now -- has been deemed unfit for trial based on the results of his psychological exam.

We're told the criminal case against Crowe has been dismissed and he will be committed to the custody of the Office of Mental Health, where he will receive necessary treatment.

As we reported ... David was arraigned last month on stalking and harassment charges but was then set free, only to be arrested again 2 hours later after going back to Taylor's block.

Crowe's lawyers asked for a psych exam before a potential trial, and a judge agreed ... and now the results are in and he's being sent off to a mental health facility instead of facing criminal prosecution.

Taylor was in the Big Apple during Crowe's multiple arrests ... but now she's a world away on tour in Japan -- and soon, she'll be in Vegas for the Super Bowl ... distanced from this.

Considering this man is now going to be confined to a facility going forward ... ya gotta imagine she'll be breathing easier when she's at home in NYC -- although, this guy was just the latest person who's been obsessed with her and who came to her home uninvited.

Also ... Taylor's jets have been getting tracked in recent months -- another headache for her, and a major concern for her team -- who said the tracking amounted to a roadmap to her whereabouts, information that can obviously lead to danger when in the wrong hands.

On this front, though ... no more worries about Crowe -- he's going away for a long time.

Alicia Keys will be a featured guest at Usher's Super Bowl Halftime Show, TMZ Hip Hop can reveal ... the latest development in the highly anticipated performance!!!

Sources close to the production confirm eyewitness accounts that AK rehearsed with Usher inside Allegiant Stadium on Thursday. Now that we know she'll be in the mix -- the first confirmed guest of his BTW -- all signs pointing to them doing one big song together.

Of course, we're talking about their 2004 mega duet "My Boo" -- which will undoubtedly be at least one of the tracks she performs.

The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 6 weeks when it came out -- and became the soundtrack to high school slow dances worldwide. It'll be interesting to see where the slow jam is included in the track list ... but he'll have plenty of time to squeeze it in.

Remember ... Usher negotiated to have a 15-minute set as opposed to the originally allotted 13 minutes ... 'cause it's the only way he knows how to rock, it seems. Considering how many famous collaborators Usher has had over the years ... it makes sense he needs the extra time.

His Apple Music commercial to promote the big event also heavily featured his "Yeah!" collaborators Ludacris and Lil Jon. Most everyone assumes these two guys will also be special guests during his performance ... although, they technically haven't confirmed yet.

As you know ... Usher has also been talking to Justin Bieber as a potential guest onstage -- although we haven't locked down whether the Biebs will actually be in attendance or not.

Wolf Blitzer looked like he was about to puke during a CNN segment on Donald Trump ... seemingly choking back vomit before the network suddenly cut to commercial.

The 'Situation Room' host looked to be in distress Thursday during an interview with Rep. Jamie Raskin, making a series of pained facial expressions as Raskin talked about Trump and the Colorado ballot controversy.

Check out the video ... Wolf seems to be on the verge of vomiting and he struggles to choke something down and keep his mouth closed.

CNN finally catches on and cuts Wolf's feed, leaving Raskin on the screen ... and seconds later vomit-like sounds are heard off camera as CNN pulls the plug and goes to commercial in the middle of a Raskin sentence.

Wolf did not come back on camera after the break, instead being replaced by CNN chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid, who announced "Wolf had to step away" and would "be back."

However, Wolf never came back before his show ended and CNN told the Washington Post, "Wolf wasn’t feeling 100% while anchoring Thursday night. He looks forward to being back in the Situation Room and appreciates the well wishes."

For his part, Wolf gave a health update Thursday night, saying ... "I'm fine! Thanks for the well wishes. I’ll see you back in the Situation Room soon."

O.J. Simpson is reportedly battling cancer -- but the man himself is somewhat pushing back that he's in poor health ... although, not necessarily denying the notion that he's been diagnosed.

The notorious ex-con -- who was famously acquitted in his double murder trial in the '90s, and who has maintained his innocence -- was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer ... according to Local 10 News.

The publication cites sources for their reporting ... and they go on to say O.J. has been receiving chemotherapy in the area. Unclear when exactly he was given the bad news.

One other bizarre element about this report is that Local 10 News says they're hearing O.J. has been going around and telling friends there are rumors about him going into hospice ... something he's apparently been denying to his closest pals.

Welp, O.J. doubled down on that denial Friday on the heels of this report coming out -- and while he is denying any notion of him being in hospice ... nobody seems to be claiming that.

Again, O.J.'s not saying he doesn't have cancer ... but he is trying to make it seem like everything is just fine and dandy in his world -- and that his focus is on the Super Bowl.

Here's the weird thing about all this ... O.J. appears to have already acknowledged that he has cancer and that he had done chemo. A video he posted in May 2023 -- where he rambles -- briefly touches on the fact that he "caught cancer," without specifying what type -- but in the clip, he also suggested he'd beaten it and that he was doing just fine now.

The ex-RB talked about dropping weight during chemo and how weed helped him get his appetite back -- but this video seems to have completely flown under the radar at the time.

Turns out Patrick Mahomes hasn't actually worn the same pair of nasty red drawers DURING nearly every NFL game of his career, just before kickoff ... according to his mother, Randi Mahomes.

Randi recently joined the "Got It From My Momma" podcast ... when the conversation turned to the infamous underwear Patrick recently revealed he wore for almost all of his career. Mom straightened the record.

“I asked Brittany, it’s not that he wears them in the game. He wears them from point A -- like leaves the house, gets to the game. I don’t think he actually wears them in the game,” Randi explained.

Of course, Patrick made the admission to a stunned Peyton and Eli on the Manningcast earlier this season, saying he'd worn the present from his wife Brittany Mahomes since his great rookie season.

"I love a good superstition, but couldn't you just do something like eat the same pregame meal? Did it have to be the red underwear?" Eli asked Patrick at the time.

Randi, like Manning, wasn't a fan of the tradition when she first heard about it, saying, “I was at work, I went into my co-worker's office like I can’t handle this.”

Mahomes and his Chiefs squad are slight underdogs against the 49ers ... we'll see if Patrick breaks tradition and wears them for the game on Super Sunday.

Usher has been in direct talks with Justin Bieber about sharing the stage during the Super Bowl Halftime show, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Usher reached out to Bieber about performing. We're told there were no handlers involved on either side ... they talked directly to each other.

Our sources say they do not know the outcome of the talks, but Usher definitely wants Bieber to join him for what promises to be the most-watched Super Bowl in history.

As you know, Usher mentored Bieber when the latter was 13 years old and helped guide his career, along with manager Scooter Braun. The 2 have been close ever since.

Justin has pulled back from performing on tour. He stopped his "Justice" world tour in 2022 -- officially canceling the tour in March 2023 -- after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. He has performed at one-off events, including a performance at NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto this past weekend.

We know Usher will be joined by Lil Jon and Ludacris. There's some rumblings Alicia Keys will also perform.

Travis Kelce did NOT host a big shindig in Sin City a couple nights before the Super Bowl, despite his name being on the invitation for a house party ... TMZ has learned.

There was an invite going around social media Thursday promoting "The Kelce House Party" later that night in Las Vegas ... with Travis' name prominently displayed above the RSVP. Of course, many quickly wondered ... is TK partying his off just a few nights before the game???

Understandable -- on its face, the invite made it seem like Travis was hosting the party with his brother, Jason, which was billed as an event for their 'New Heights' podcast ... and there were even some reports going around claiming Travis was hosting this thing.

However, sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Travis didn't host any parties in Vegas last night, and more importantly ... he isn't hosting any ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, period.

For the non-sports fans out there thinking the players on the Super Bowl teams will be having fun in and around The Strip before Sunday's Big Game, our sources say that's just not the case ... and players are basically having zero fun in Sin City before the SB.

Thing is ... we're told Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs players have some pretty loaded schedules, plus a curfew. They start their days early and the day is filled with meetings, practices and training.

They have a strict curfew at midnight every night ... and our sources say if Travis or any of the players get caught anywhere near The Strip, they aren't going to be playing in the Super Bowl.

By the way, the Chiefs are staying far away from the glitz and glamour ... the team hotel is The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa, about a 40-minute drive from The Strip.

Sounds like Travis missed out on a fun party with his brother ... the invite says, "You're invited to come through the Kelce House, grab a beer (or 20, alright nah), kick back in the living room, take in an electric set from Cleveland's own DJ MEEL, play some pong on the deck, and all that. Be cool, have a good time, and above all - DON'T tell mom!"

Now, on the question of whether this 'Kelce House Party' is legit -- our sources tell us it is ... but that Travis himself was never explicitly tied to it. It was basically a bash put together by people who help run his podcast ... and we're told upwards of 400 individuals got an invite.

Unclear if Jason showed up or not -- he's a cohost of 'New Heights,' after all -- but we know for a fact ... Trav was nowhere near this thing on Thursday.