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Don Lemon was handsomely compensated after being fired from CNN last year -- in fact, it's almost as if he never left ... 'cause the dude's definitely getting paid like it, per a new report.

According to the Wrap, the former CNN anchor finally reached a deal with his former bosses at the cable news network to finalize his separation from the company -- this after he was canned almost a full year ago.

Apparently, they'd been working out the details of his exit package -- and now, word is they finally landed on a number ... which is astronomical. The Wrap says he got $24.5 million.

What's astonishing about that figure is that, per the outlet, this amount of cash is exactly what he would've been paid if he'd been allowed to stay there and finish out his contract -- which they say had another 3.5 half years left on it before his ousting in April.

In other words, he got his full contract's worth of money ... so good on his negotiating team.

Weirdly enough, though, CNN is actually pushing back on the number ... telling People the report of his massive payout is "incorrect." With that said, they didn't elaborate beyond that.

In any case ... it sounds like Don's walking away from this saga a happy camper. Yes, he's no longer on TV -- but he's moved on over to X for a new show, similar to Tucker Carlson.

While he was fuming after getting the boot at CNN, Don ended up with the last laugh ... the guy who fired him, Chris Licht, ended up being shown the door as well not long after. Meanwhile, Don's millions of dollars richer ... and he's in the free speech space now.

Diddy's latest accuser is being questioned on several key things after filing a lawsuit full of heavy allegations of sexual misconduct ... but his attorney has all the answers.

Rodney Jones' attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, is firing back after people started questioning his client's claims ... with the first being Rodney's allegation that Diddy forced him to watch a video involving Stevie J having sex with another man.

Remember, Stevie J told us earlier today that all the allegations concerning him were totally bogus -- and an adult film star Knockout has since come forward and said he's the man in the now-viral pic from the supposed sex tape and not SJ. So ... what gives, right?

Tyrone tells TMZ the video in question was allegedly provided to Rodney by Diddy himself, and we're told Rodney's sticking to his story that Diddy told him it was Stevie J -- that's what he's alleging anyway.

In terms of who it actually is ... Tyrone says his client only knew what was allegedly relayed to him when it first fell into his lap during his time with Diddy.

Tyrone also offers an explanation over another question that's been raised -- namely, why Rodney made no mention of sexual assault in his GoFundMe page a few weeks before the lawsuit was filed Monday ... where he literally tried to raise funds in an attempt sue Diddy after claiming he screwed out of royalties and publishing rights on Diddy's latest album.

Tyrone tells us, "Victims of sexual assault respond to their trauma in very different ways. There is no uniformity in response to sexual trauma."

He adds ... "Mr. Jones is a father and Christian. He was willing to sacrifice his rights concerning his assault, in an effort to protect his dignity and the dignity of his family. Mr. Combs was made aware of Mr. Jones' claim for assault from the moment Mr. Jones made his intentions to sue clear."

Tyrone explains the main reason Rodney started the GFM was to pay his previous attorney ... who was hired to assist with collecting the publishing and royalties money. Since then, his claims against Diddy have obviously expanded in scope ... and now Tyrone's involved.

Lastly ... Tyrone also addresses speculation that Rodney isn't the man with Cuba Gooding Jr. in a snap that was included in the complaint as purported evidence -- where the actor is allegedly seen cozying up with another dude, which the suit says is Rodney.

Tyrone's straight-up dismissing the conjecture that it ain't Rodney ... 'cause he says it 100% is. He actually claims they've got the video proof to back up their claims here.

Despite some holes people have tried poking in Rodney's narrative -- his attorney is remaining steadfast ... and insisting his client is telling the truth.

The Eagles might be stepping in to replace U2 as the Sphere's next big legacy act -- that is, if they can hammer out these negotiations they're currently involved in ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the iconic rock band are in active discussions right now to potentially serve as forthcoming talent to fill in at Sin City's newest music venue ... which would be a big deal, seeing how there's only been one so far in its big debut.

We're told that while The Eagles are in in talks at the moment, a deal isn't in place yet -- and it's unclear when exactly things might get finalized.

One thing we do know is the timeframe organizers have in mind for a would-be residency for Don Henley and co. assuming everything works out ... we're told they're thinking Fall/Winter.

That jibes with the Eagles' farewell tour they announced last year -- dubbed 'The Long Goodbye' -- which is supposed to kick off in September out in NYC. They have a number of shows scheduled all over the country, and those are supposed to run through mid-November.

Assuming this timeline ends up falling into place the way our sources say they might -- it would appear they'd be slated to start performing at the Sphere sometime around late November, and would probably keep on jamming out there for a few months.

Bono and the boys have been occupying the Sphere space since September, and their final shows are going down later this weekend ... marking about 4 months worth of music.

Of course, the reviews for the Sphere have been spectacular ... and people say it's truly one of those things you have to see to believe. Lots of cool visuals going on inside (and out).

One last thing ... the Eagles have been touring with a live orchestra lately -- and while it remains to be seen if something like that would manifest at the Sphere ... it's possible.

In terms of money, no word on how much the 'Hotel California' musicians would snag for something like this ... but U2 is said to have been raking in about $4 million a concert.

Olivia Wilde had all eyes on her at the YSL fashion show in Paris ... this as she put her body on full display with a bodysuit that showed off what she's working with upstairs.

Check out these photos of the director/actress confidently striking a pose Tuesday while attending a runway show for the Parisian fashion house -- beaming while wearing the black, see-through look on the red carpet. Yes, her breasts are visible in the sheer outfit.

There were other stars at this event too, BTW ... but Olivia was definitely the highlight.

The "House" alum paired the racy item with dark leather gloves, tinted shades and sexy pumps -- only further highlighting her spicy outfit ... and even spicier attitude.

Hard to tell what her intention here was ... but Olivia seems to be telegraphing that she ain't afraid to put it all out there in the aftermath of her high-profile splits from exes Jason Sudeikis and Harry Styles -- both of whom have moved on to new relationships.

ICYMI ... the 39-year-old actress split from longtime love Jason in 2020 ... after welcoming two children together over the course of their 9-year relationship. The "Ted Lasso" creator has since been linked to actresses Keeley Hazell and Elsie Hewitt.

Olivia then infamously dated the One Direction singer while working on her psychological thriller starring Florence Pugh.

Of course, as TMZ previously reported ... Olivia and Harry called it quits in November 2022 -- although, Harry still had an "Olivia" tattoo on his thigh as recently as July.

Nonetheless ... we don't anticipate a reconciliation between 'em any time soon -- Harry has been dating actress Taylor Russell since last summer. As for Olivia, she's looking real single right now ... and pretty good too, if we might say so ourselves.

Adele's putting her iconic voice on ice due to illness, and that means ticketholders for any of her next 5 weekends -- the last for this leg of her Las Vegas run -- will have to change their travel plans.

The singer announced Tuesday afternoon she's officially pausing her Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace at the behest of her doctors. She says, "I was sick at the end of the last leg and all the way through my break. I hadn't quite gotten the chance to get back to full health before shows resumed and now I'm sick again, and unfortunately it's all taken a toll on my voice."

It's clear she's been battling health issues ... last Thursday she was out in rainy Beverly Hills wearing a facemask -- and while she still managed to perform this past weekend in Vegas, she told the audience she was struggling to hit her "head notes properly" because her "chest is on fire."

Adele's full run at Caesars was scheduled to end the weekend of June 14 -- but it's unclear what the postponement will mean for fans. She's supposed to start a series of shows in Germany after Vegas.

As of now the postponed Vegas dates are all 5 weekends in March, and she says ticketholders will be sent info on rescheduling ASAP.

Kourtney Kardashian and her partners at her buzzy health supplement brand Lemme experienced a crazy heist last week -- 'cause someone jacked their s*** ... and left a ransom note!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... a truck stationed at a facility that Kourtney and co. are using to ship out product for her Lemme brand was stolen from the premises of the warehouse it was at this past weekend, out in the San Fernando Valley here in SoCal.

We're told this happened at the logistics facility Kourtney and her team use for Lemme products -- and this truck that was taken contained upwards of $4 million worth of Lemme Burn ... one of her top-selling products in the Lemme lineup.

In terms of how exactly this happened ... our sources tell us an individual (or individuals) appear to have hacked the facility's system and made their way onto the property with false paperwork and identification ... and we're told they literally drove off the lot scot-free.

Here's the craziest part ... our sources say a ransom note was digitally sent by this group, and it demanded payment to get all these pricey capsules back in Kourtney's possession.

We're told a grand theft report with law enforcement was filed over this ... and cops are now investigating.

A Lemme rep tells us ... "Our team is working closely with law enforcement agencies to investigate the theft. In the meantime, we are implementing contingency plans to minimize any impact to our customers and retail partners."

3:08 PM PT -- Kristin Cavallari just took her relationship to the next level, going IG official with her new boo in a cute selfie. She captioned the post, "He makes me happy."

Kristin Cavallari has a new stud in her orbit -- and it looks like she brought the young buck with her on vacation south of the border ... and TMZ has the first picture of this hunky fella!

Check out this photo we obtained, which was taken last Friday down in Cabo -- where we're told she'd just landed with dude ... whom we've identified as 24-year-old model Mark Estes. Eyewitnesses tell us this is them on the tram at the airport in Cabo heading to customs.

Even before this, though, we're told Kristin and Mark were very flirty on the flight over -- showing a lot of PDA ... and certainly looking like a couple.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us Kristin and Mark have been spending time together for about a month now -- but it's unclear if things are exactly romantic or not.

We're told Kristin was down in Mexico last week to work on her Uncommon James jewelry line ... and our sources say Mark tagged along for the quick trip. No word on how exactly they met ... but we're told they're hanging out right now, and that it ain't that serious.

Remember ... the last high-profile relationship Kristin was in -- post-Jay Cutler, of course -- was actually Tyler Cameron ... another model who's hobnobbed in and around Hollywood.

Doesn't look like Mark's as famous as him ... but he's definitely just as good-looking.

Taylor Swift really knew how to win over Travis Kelce's teammates ... 'cause Kansas City head coach Andy Reid just revealed she baked homemade Pop-Tarts for the Chiefs' offensive linemen -- and they were so good, he couldn't get his hands on one!!

Big Red shared the interesting anecdote at the NFL Combine on Tuesday ... when he was asked about the pop superstar's presence around the team.

As it turns out, it was certainly a sweet experience for many ... 'cause Reid said the big boys up front felt the love in the form of some pastries at some point during their championship season.

Big Red explained to "PFT Live" the gesture might have been an attempt to fit in with Kelce's friends ... and he thinks she sincerely enjoyed the "escape" football provided her this season.

Reid -- who pointed out he's known the Swift family for years -- praised how grounded Taylor's continued to be throughout her career ... even though she's the most famous woman on the planet (in his opinion).

Of course, Taylor was present at the majority of Kelce's games this season ... including the Super Bowl, which was a great night for her man's team, and all the postgame celebrations that went down in Vegas.

Billy Porter is parting ways with his New York home after expressing financial woes during the SAG-AFTRA strike this summer ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the sale tell TMZ ... the "Pose" star listed his 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath house -- which is located 70 miles outside NYC in the beach town of Bellport Village in Long Island -- on Tuesday ... asking for a cool $2.5 million for the over one-acre property.

While it may sound like a pretty penny to some ... it's worth every cent. The house comes with a gorgeous outside patio, a heated lap pool, a home gym, and its very own tree house. The property also offers over 4,500 square feet of living space on well-kept grounds.

Now if you're wondering why Billy would part ways with such an ideal investment ... he actually shared back in August he was hurting financially, as a result of the SAG strike, and telegraphed this sort of move might happen down the line.

At the time, he said both a movie and a TV show he was working on got scrapped due to the protests ... which lasted a whopping 118 days.

There's also this ... BP and his ex-husband Adam Smith announced their split last year -- and they wouldn't be the first celebrity couple to sell their home amid a division of assets.

It looks like Billy will have a fresh start when the ink dries on his house sale.

A social media influencer with two million followers on Instagram is claiming Tyreek Hill broke her leg in a fit of rage in his backyard during a football drill last summer ... and now, she wants him to fork over some serious cash for it all.

Sophie Hall made the allegations in a lawsuit filed in Broward County, Fla. last week ... alleging the incident went down a short time after she had booked a ticket for her son to attend one of the NFL star's football camps in South Florida.

She claimed that after her purchase went through, she received some flirtatious messages from Hill on IG. One of the texts, she said, included a line from the Dolphins wide receiver that read, "I've been know to be a good stepdad."

Hall says during their chat on the social media app, Hill also invited her to "come a day early so me and mom can hang" -- before he gave her his personal cell phone.

In her suit, Hall says she went on to attend the camp with her son on June 17 -- and while there, Hill asked her to come back and visit him at his Southwest Ranches mansion.

Hall says days later, Hill purchased a flight and travel arrangements for her to reconnect with him on June 28.

Hall claims after she made her way to Hill's home, he asked her to participate in some football drills during a training session he was having in his backyard. Hill allegedly asked her to rush against him in a defensive line vs. offensive line, 1-on-1 style workout. According to Hall, she shoved the Super Bowl champion backward, which caused him to be embarrassed.

"Mr. Hill's attitude changed and he became angry," Hall said in her suit.

Hall alleges Hill then flipped the drill around so he could rush against her. And, after a couple reps, she said Hill "charged into her violently and with great force" ... 'causing her to suffer a right leg injury.

Hall says she complained that she was hurt ... but claims Hill has downplayed the severity of her injury, telling her to just rest on a bed and ice the leg.

In her suit, Hall says when she eventually got back home on July 1, 2023, an orthopedist diagnosed her with a leg fracture ... that required metal hardware implantation to fix.

Fat Joe believes in the separation of style and politics, and as such, is a proud owner of Donald Trump's new gold high-top sneakers ... despite having ZERO intention of voting for him!!!

The veteran rap star recently held sneakerhead court on his IG page and defended his acquisition of Trump's "Never Surrender" kicks -- the exclusive "Friends & Family" editions.

Joe didn't pay for them with his own money but he thinks they're fire, so he didn't refuse the handout!!!

Of course, Joe's allegiance to the shiny sneaks has an extra layer of scrutiny after a Fox News host predicted the shoes will help Trump win over Black voters -- an offensive notion Detroit rapper Peezy gravitated toward ... but not Joe.

He compared Trump to dead artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol ... saying art collectors don't question anything they were into behavior, they simply praise their works.

Unintentional or not, that's pretty high praise for DT.

Gary Sinise is mourning the loss of his son after a battle with a rare form of cancer -- and his obituary for his boy is beyond moving.

The "Forrest Gump" star -- who played Lieutenant Dan -- posted a tribute Tuesday to his son, Mac, who he revealed died last month. Gary says Mac passed away on Jan. 5 and was laid to rest on Jan. 23 ... this after he succumbed to chordoma, which affects the spine.

Gary says Mac was diagnosed with this cancer in 2018 ... the same year his wife, Moira, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Luckily, she's recovered since and is in remission.

Gary posted photos of himself and Mac together -- including a shot that features his son in a wheelchair. He also notes Mac was heavily involved in his foundation, and had a love for music -- noting he even helped create an album with original compositions.

He writes of his son, "In sharing our story, we hope to shine a little bit of light on what has been a difficult time for us as Mac was truly a light for all of us."

Gary adds, "An incredible inspiration to those who knew and loved him, he faced his battle with grace, courage, and love. Even with one setback after another, he never stopped living and learning, creating, and giving, and loving. He loved all our family."

He ends his tribute post with this ... "Thank you, Mac. You did it. Resurrection & Revival will live on. And so will you. In our hearts forever. We were blessed to have you in our lives as son, brother, and friend...and we will miss you and love you for eternity."

Mac was only 33.

Gabourey Sidibe and her husband Brandon Frankel are in for a double take in their life ... 'cause she's pregnant with twins!

Yes, that's right ... the 40-year-old "Precious" star broke the happy news on IG ... sharing snaps of herself in a pink dress while Brandon cradled her baby bump at a Babylist baby registry event.

You could tell the parents-to-be are overjoyed -- which you can see in the photos they posted to ring in the momentous occasion. As you can see, they posted different shots of themselves -- which appear tied to plugging this Babylist company, FWIW -- which showed they'd already picked out a double stroller, carrier, and clothes for their new additions.

If the pics didn't give away Gabby's excitement, her caption certainly did ... she wrote: "I'm pregnant! We thought it was time to give our cats some responsibility so we're giving them each a baby to take care of! Double the babies, double the cats, double the fun!!"

She added ... Twin Delivery coming soon!" Gabby went hard on her twin puns, signing off, "Twinty Twinty Four!!" So yeah, she's leaning into the twin stuff -- as she should, we suppose.

For a refresher ... Gabourey married Brandon in March 2021 ... but she only made the news public the following year on "Live With Kelly And Mark."

She told the hosts they got engaged in November 2020 after meeting on a dating app ... but hated weddings to the point they'd already tied the knot over a year ago -- a confession that completely caught everyone off guard.

Looks like they've been living the happily married life ever since ... and now, Gabby's getting ready to welcome her first kids. She's come a long way since playing Precious in the movie -- now, GS is all grown up and all set to become a mom. Boy, time flies!

Brandon has poured his heart out about his new wife ... writing on IG there was no one else he'd rather be raising kids with. His dream is coming true -- Brandon and Gabby are expanding their family.

Kara Swisher is getting real about the unavoidability of artificial intelligence ... offering up candid advice on how we should navigate the ever-evolving technology in the future.

We got the famed tech journalist -- who just released her new book, "Burn Book: A Tech Love Story" -- Tuesday on "TMZ Live," where she issued a warning about what's to come for AI.

Kara tells us artificial intelligence isn't going anywhere -- and while fake propaganda's always been around, AI is making it almost impossible to distinguish phony info from the real thing.

Which is why she thinks the government needs to start a dialogue with tech companies about regulation ... something it does with other industries.

One thing Kara's not keen on is the notion all AI creations fall under free speech, and all the protections that come with that tag -- instead, she'd like to see more people sue for damages.

For example, Taylor Swift was recently victimized when phony X-rated/NSFW AI images of her surfaced online -- and if she were to sue the creators, Kara says that might deter future bad actors.

Two men have now been convicted of murdering Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay ... bringing an end to one of hip hop's longest-running cold cases.

The jury in Brooklyn Federal Court found both defendants Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr. guilty Tuesday, just a little under a month after the trial began.

Jay was gunned down more than 21 years ago on the evening of October 30, 2002 ... where prosecutors argued Washington and Jordan both ambushed him at his studio over a failed drug deal, with Jordan executing him at close range with multiple shots to the head.

A third defendant, Jay Bryant, will be tried at a later date after he was implicated in the murder.

Investigators say Bryant left an article containing his DNA at the scene as he's said to have been the point man allowing Washington and Jordan access to the studio to murder the hip hop icon.

Carmen Electra is bidding farewell to her birth name and embracing her iconic stage moniker for good ... 'cause her name change request has been officially granted!!

TMZ has confirmed that the iconic "Baywatch" actress/model was legally granted the name she sought about 2 months ago -- this according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ.

Two months after she made her intentions known to the court, she's now legally recognized as "Carmen Electra" instead of her birth name Tara Leigh Patrick on government docs and all.

We broke the story ... CE made the filing on Dec. 29, 2023, and we were told at the time her reasoning boiled down to her wanting a fresh start for the New Year.

Of course, it's been absolutely ages since anyone's called her Tara as Carmen's been rocking her super cool moniker since bursting onto the scene back in the day.

If you didn't know the backstory to how she even got her stage name, it was actually late icon Prince who bestowed it upon her when she auditioned to be part of an all-girl group he was assembling in the early '90s.

Unfortunately, she didn't make the cut for Prince ... but she went on to blaze her own trail to stardom, making a splash on TV and beyond -- and obviously, the name Carmen stuck around.

Safe to say ... her cool moniker has become synonymous with her iconic status as a pop culture icon, so it's only fitting she made it the real deal.