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Selena Gomez went all mushy-gushy with a sizzling birthday shoutout on IG ... celebrating her BF Benny Blanco's 36th in style.

The actress/singer didn't hold back one bit in her post, dropping the L-bomb and spilling all the deets about what makes him so damn special to her -- not to mention a bunch of PDA-packed snaps and clips together.

She gushes in the caption, "Happy birthday baby! Your emotional endurance, positive disposition, unbelievable talent (that blows me away), undeniable humor and loving, kind heart absolutely kill me. I love you @itsbennyblanco 🎂🥹."

BB kept it short and simple ... responding in the comments with a flurry of loved-up emojis, which honestly said it all!

As for the pics/clips themselves, Selena's all cuddled up with her music producer boo, stealing kisses left and right ... and giving cute insight into them just being a normal, everyday couple.

Ever since S & B went IG official back in December, they haven't been shy about showing off their love -- and, besides social media, they've also been hitting up award shows and sports events as a duo.

They were also spotted at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, CA in Jan ... where we caught the first glimpse of the pair's height difference -- BB's a bit shorter than his GF, but clearly little things like that don't matter to Selena.

Donald Trump mocked Joe Biden after Thursday's State of the Union address ... comparing him to a cartoon character in a filtered video he posted to his social media platform.

Perhaps unsurprisingly ... DT went the juvenile route in response to President Biden's hour-plus speech at The Capitol ... posting a brief compilation of Joe at the podium -- with the Veep sitting behind him -- that featured JB and her with a bunch of goofy filters.

Strangely enough, the 27-second clip DT uploaded to Truth Social used footage from Biden's SOTU address last year ... none from this year, which was weird.

In any case ... the clips Trump threw up spliced together four filtered and animated scenes featuring Biden delivering the 2023 speech with Kamala Harris behind them -- and he made them out to look pretty ridiculous ... the type of thing a 14-year-old might do in his free time.

Some of the images showed Biden and Harris with bulging eyes and frozen faces, as well as braided pigtails and hats. Another visual depicted Biden as a shaggy dog and Pinocchio.

Of course, this is relevant because DT is going toe-to-toe with JB in the 2024 presidential election. If DT's response here was any indicator, we're in for a lot of mudslinging this campaign season ... not to mention sophomoric jokes and jabs.

As for Biden's SOTU speech ...  most people in his Democratic party thought it was passionate and rousing. The 46th Prez talked about a range of issues, including the war in Gaza, Roe V. Wade, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and threats to democracy.

Biden also took a shot at his GOP rival without naming him. POTUS quoted his "predecessor" telling Vladimir Putin, "Do whatever the hell you want," in Ukraine.

Akira Toriyama -- the artist who created "Dragon Ball" and other iconic manga series -- has died.

His company, Bird Studio, confirmed the sad news Thursday -- announcing the legendary illustrator and writer passed away on March 1 as a result of acute subdural hematoma ... which is when blood collects between the brain and the skull.

No word on where exactly he died -- or under what specific circumstances -- but his org was clearly crushed, as it sounds like there is unfinished business of his. They wrote, "It's our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm. Also, he would have many more things to achieve."

Bird Studio added, "However, he has left many manga titles and works of art to this world. Thanks to the support of so many people around the world, he has been able to continue his creative activities for over 45 years. We hope that Akira Toriyama's unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come."

Toriyama's company went on to say that a funeral service was already held, and that only a few relatives and loved ones were in attendance. The org also says that gifts of condolences are appreciated, but will not be accepted on his behalf ... going on to ask for privacy.

In terms of a public memorial ... the company says they're not sure if it'll happen just yet.

This just speaks to the massive impact Akira had in Japan, but also ... around the world. His OG "Dragon Ball" comic series from the '80s spurred not only multiple anime TV shows -- which have become idolized and wildly popular throughout the years -- but a mountain of merch and collectibles that fans of all ages continue to enjoy today.

While his biggest claim to fame is creating "Dragon Ball" -- and getting credit for the many spinoffs as well -- Toriyama started other manga series as well, including "Dr. Slump," "Cowa!," "Kajika," "Sand Land" and others. He's renowned for his unique visual style -- which went on to influence countless other mangas and anime shows thereafter ... a trailblazer in every sense.

He was 68.

"Naked & Afraid" keeps hitting new milestones ... this time it's a starving contestant driven to munch on leeches that were trying to munch on her, and the footage ain't for the weak!

The jaw-dropping survival tactic is goes down on Sunday's episode of the Discovery Channel hit -- Sarah Barnett's instincts kick into gear while wading through croc-filled water for food, and suddenly opting to turn the tables on the blood-bloated suckers.

Sarah fearlessly peels several wriggling leeches from her leg, gathering just enough to keep her hunger at bay and feed her partner, Sam Strong, in their battle for survival in the unforgiving wilds of South Africa's Black Hills.

Of course, Sarah's not aiming for Michelin stars here, she's just focused on staying alive -- as you can see when she bravely chomps down on one of those suckers ... seared over their campfire.

Sarah very nonchalantly informs Sam about the extreme menu item, telling him blood burst into her mouth when she bit into the leech.

While she has zero gag reflex, poor Sam feels the squeeze just watching Sarah chow down ... and decides to give it a hard pass, despite being absolutely ravenous.

Hey, everyone has a limit, even on "Naked and Afraid."

These California natives won't just be battling leeches; they're also dodging man-eating crocodiles, prowling lions, and venomous snakes during their 21-day survival challenge.

Tan Mom is bowing out of the race for a U.S. Senate seat in Florida, and, oddly, Wendy Williams -- of all people -- played a role in her decision ... TMZ has learned.

The bronzed mother of 5, whose real name is Patricia Krentcil, says in a new video obtained by TMZ that she's dropped out of the running after watching the new Wendy documentary, and comparing it to her own reality series, "Tan to 10."

Tan Mom says she realized she could end up like Wendy, who struggles with alcohol abuse and a myriad of other health issues, if she continued with all the pressure that comes along with a political run for office.

Another factor ... mass layoffs at struggling and bankrupt Vice Media.

Tan Mom says she was filming a documentary about her campaign for Vice, but the media company pulled the plug and has not paid her or her team a dime, despite a contract she says she signed with Vice.

Patricia says the Vice staffers who were working on her documentary told her team a couple weeks ago their entire department was laid off, and would try to get her paid -- but Tan Mom says the whole thing has been a waste of time and effort and greatly hurt her campaign.

She also took time off the campaign trail in November to undergo a risky medical procedure ... bypass surgery to remove a stent separating her pancreas and liver.

When she announced her Senate bid last year, Tan Mom told us she was motivated to run because of Florida's hot-button issues ... like healthcare and drag show bans.

Even though she's waving the white flag, Tan Mom says she's proud of all the work she did on her campaign -- such as a Town Hall she filmed at Hamburger Mary's supporting the LGBTQ community.

Even though the Denver Broncos paid tens of millions of dollars for Russell Wilson to get off of their roster, Warren Moon says he's convinced the quarterback isn't washed ... telling TMZ Sports this week there's "no question, Russell can be very effective."

Moon -- a former Seattle Seahawk who stayed close with the franchise in retirement -- has seen the majority of Wilson's career up close ... and he seems sure that despite what the 35-year-old signal-caller has put on tape these past two seasons in Denver, he's still got juice left.

Moon says, though, it will take surrounding him with talent -- and a good offensive scheme -- to bring that all out.

Of course, there aren't too many organizations with those traits who are looking for a quarterback at the moment. Most have franchise guys they like -- and the ones that don't appear poised to select one of the top QBs in next month's loaded draft.

Plus, guys like Kirk Cousins and Justin Fields look like they might be available for QB-needy teams as well.

But, Moon says he thinks Wilson will land on his feet somewhere ... it just might take a minute.

As for if he could see Wilson settling for a backup job in 2024 -- Moon said he doesn't think that's a possibility. He believes Wilson would just hold out until a starting job opened up -- similar to what Joe Flacco did with the Browns last season.

Former NFL executive Marc Ross also talked with us about Russ this week ... and he says he's not so sure he'd bet on Wilson getting a starting gig in '24.

It's the end of the week here at TMZ -- but we're finishing strong on our TV shows!

Kicking things off on 'TMZ Live,' Charles and Babcock discussed the conviction of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed -- the armorer on the set of 'Rust,' who was just found guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins in 2021.

With her verdict in the books -- many wonder how this will bode for Alec Baldwin.

Next up, we have 'TMZ on TV' -- where the gang talked about Katy Perry's hot new look at a music award show this week ... where her booty was on display.

We haven't seen her get wild like this since the 2010s ... talk about flashback.

Finally, we land on 'TMZ Sports,' where Mojo and Mike talked Alex Rodriguez hitting up an Olivia Rodrigo concert with his kid ... but being a fish out of water.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

British Virgin Islands singer and songwriter Iyaz was 21 years old when he rose to fame -- and reached millions across the world -- when he topped the charts with his debut album "Replay" back in 2009.

The viral song has 867 million listens on Spotify and peaked at #2 on Billboard's Hot 100. His other catchy tunes include "Solo," "Pretty Girls," and he also sang on the track "We Are The World 25 For Haiti".

Iyaz will be joining Usher, Janet Jackson, Snoop Dogg and other hot stars for the Lovers & Friends music festival this summer.

"Shawty's like a melody in my head that I can't keep out, got me singling na-na-na-na every day!"

Emily Willis, the famous adult film actress, is still in critical condition following her hospitalization last month -- in fact, we've learned she hasn't regained consciousness.

Michael Willis -- Emily's father -- tells TMZ his daughter is currently in a coma and unresponsive at a hospital, but has stabilized a bit in comparison to the state she was in when first admitted in early February.

While she isn't as bad as she was when she went in, we're told the family is bracing for the worst -- as Emily is now on a ventilator to assist with her breathing.

Michael confirms to us that Emily was in rehab for eight days before she suffered a cardiac arrest while in treatment. While law enforcement sources previously told us that the 25-year-old was brought in for an apparent overdose ... Michael says doctors told the family that her early toxicology screen came back negative. Translation -- nothing was in her system.

FWIW ... Michael says they're all still waiting on a physical copy of the report to confirm this.

Michael -- who is actually her stepfather, but raised her as his own --- recalls Emily eating very little before entering rehab ... telling us that she weighed only 80 pounds when she checked herself in. However, it's unclear if that played a role in her health crisis.

Still, according to Michael, Emily was determined to get healthy and was very open about seeking help for her substance abuse problem.

Emily's loved ones are doing everything they can to help the stricken starlet -- her brother, also named Michael, has launched a GoFundMe to help cover her medical bills and other expenses. Her father tells us they needed to do this as they're unable to access Emily's funds ... which are currently locked and do not list her family as beneficiaries.

7:25 PM PT -- President Biden announced he's directing the U.S. military to install a seaside pier in Gaza that will allow for a massive influx of aid to Palestinians. He emphasized that no U.S. troops will be on the ground in Gaza, and implored Israel to do more to allow for the flow of humanitarian aid.

6:50 PM PT -- Biden directly addressed the Supreme Court Justices seated in the front of the chamber, and issued what came off like a not-so-subtle threat regarding their overturning of Roe V. Wade -- "With all due respect Justices, the women of America are not without electoral or political power. You're about to realize just how wrong you are about that."

Biden's clear hope ... the line will prompt women upset about the loss of reproductive rights to vote for him. He vowed to restore Roe V. Wade if voters give the Dems control of the House of Representatives.

6:30 PM PT -- The Prez didn't waste much time going right after Donald Trump ... although he didn't say his name, just 3 minutes into the speech he started talking about Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion, and said, "Now my predecessor, a former Republican President tells Putin, 'Do whatever the hell you want.' That's a quote."

The remark drew jeers from the GOP, but Biden continued, "Bowing down to a Russian leader, I think it's outrageous, it's dangerous and it's unacceptable."

President Biden is giving his third State of the Union address since being in office ... and he's got a lot to talk about heading into his campaign for a second term.

POTUS is speaking to the nation from the Capitol, making his case to return to the White House as voters get ready for his election rematch with Donald Trump.

While lotsa folks are concerned about Biden's age -- he's 81 and Trump is 77 -- the Prez says his age is actually a positive as it gives him a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Biden's prepared remarks have him saying, "My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on the core values that have defined America: honesty, decency, dignity, equality. To respect everyone. To give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor. Now some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution. That's not me."

Other topics Joe is likely to address ... the war in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, abortion, taxes, healthcare, immigration, inflation and prescription drug prices.

Biden's expected to highlight his accomplishments during his first 3 years in the White House, and draw a fine line between Republicans and himself ... possibly even getting some shots in at the GOP.

JB's been working on his speech for a minute now, but attempted to lighten the mood early on Thursday by posting a Zoom call with several ex-presidents from TV and film.

No one's seriously expecting him to borrow from Bill Pullman's famous "Independence Day" speech.

SOTU addresses are always important as they're intended to address all the issues impacting Americans -- but this one's even more critical as it's likely to be the single largest audience Biden will have between now and Election Day.

Check back in this post, as we'll be updating with all the standout moments from his speech.

Matt Rife seems ready to take a "comedian" to court who accused him of performing a sex act to gain success -- as Matt feels his rep's been harmed ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Matt and his team have been reaching out to various litigators to see what his best option might be to deal with the salacious claim made by entrepreneur Nima Yamini this week -- including potentially filing a lawsuit against him.

ICYMI ... Nima -- a self-described comedian -- alleged he and Matt were once both brought into a room with two Hollywood execs and promised fame and fortune if they'd perform fellatio on them ... which Nima said he refused, but alleged Matt stayed behind and did the deed.

Matt's name started to trend as a result of this allegation -- and now, we're hearing he feels he's been defamed ... and appears inclined on taking some form of legal action here.

We're told Matt's sick of people using his name to gain clout -- which is obviously how he feels about Nima here, who appears to have no serious track record in comedy -- and our sources say Matt wants to stand up for himself ... especially against something as outlandish as this. BTW, this isn't the first time someone's name-dropped him to spark controversy.

Remember, TikToker Bunny Hedaya had her 6-year-old son blast Rife, saying he was "mean to girls" in response to his standup special ... and Rife clapped back with, "your mom buys you presents with the money she makes on OnlyFans."

He caught some flak for that ... and in the end, dropped the back and forth. Here, though, our sources say he wants to regain control of the narrative -- because this claim of Nima's is categorically false ... and he doesn't wanna let this guy get away with floating it unchecked.

Nima, FWIW, did not name the two supposed execs that were allegedly in the mix of the scenario he describes -- which is why a lot of people have been calling BS on his story.

Alec Baldwin may look to enlist the help of other celebs when his manslaughter trial over Halyna Hutchins' death gears up this summer -- but there's a catch ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with knowledge of the case tell TMZ ... the actor's team is considering putting together a list of famous people to potentially testify on Alec's behalf during his trial in July -- but we're told these stars would be people who've already spoken out in Alec's defense.

Specifically, we're told Alec and his team would possibly be eyeing public figures who've weighed into the issue of whether an actor can be held responsible for weapons on set.

Worth noting ... our sources say this potential witness list hasn't come to fruition just yet -- remember, the trial is still months away -- and we're told nothing is set in stone either.

Still ... if this comes to pass, it'd be major news -- especially with the potential names.

So far ... Alec has received public support from a number of stars, all of whom have taken a firm stance -- namely, that it's crazy to go after Alec for something he wasn't tasked with checking in an acting capacity. Some of those names include Debra Messing, Mickey Rourke, DJ Qualls, Frances Fisher (who also starred in "Rust") and others.

Interesting to note ... some of these actors have already committed to being available in court if Alec should come to call on them -- including Mickey ... who tells us he's game to testify.

Mickey tells TMZ ... "Whatever Alec needs I’ll be there 100%. The armorer is 100% responsible for any gun handed to an actor. Especially, to an actor who didn't have experience with guns."

Rourke adds ... nobody from Alec's legal team has reached out to him yet.

As we reported ... Alec pled not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge in January ... over two years after he held the prop gun that went off and killed Halyna during a "Rust" rehearsal. Director Joel Souza was also injured at the time.

The armorer on set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was just convicted of involuntary manslaughter herself -- and while some feel that doesn't bode well for AB ... others disagree, arguing it only cements that the person responsible for weapons on set was found criminally liable.

Megan Thee Stallion's snake-driven campaign slithered away with a whimper when she met face-to-face with the real deal ... a bottle of alcohol with a dead snake stuffed inside!!!

The rapper is currently turning heads during a trip out in Japan that tested her "Fear Factor" meter -- this after she sampled Habushu, a traditionally super strong liquor native to Okinawa.

Apparently, it's powered by poison ... the local Habu snake is said to ferment inside the container to age as long as possible -- which makes for one hell of a boozy drink.

Welp, Meg dove in without hesitation and asked if the potion would send her to the morgue -- but she didn't chicken out ... taking a sip of the concoction, but not really liking it much.

Meg took a little slurp of the Habushu -- but this time around, she didn't drive the boat too far ... docking and anchoring her experience, saying the drink was too strong for her liking. Can't blame her ... drinking dead snake, even for a buzz, doesn't sound pleasant at all.

It's pretty funny ... Meg topped the Billboard Hot 100 a few weeks back with her single "Hiss" -- which was the follow-up to another reptilian record "Cobra." But, when it comes to the real McCoy ... she isn't into it, it seems.

Tom Brady was an emotional wreck over the infamous Deflategate scandal ... with former Patriots players revealing just how hard the quarterback took the allegations following the AFC Championship Game in 2014.

Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis -- who played for the Pats for one season -- says a visibly upset Brady spoke with his teammates at some point prior to Super Bowl XLIX ... and he burst into tears as he denied any wrongdoing.

"When Deflategate happened and Tom was the headliner of the whole situation, he addressed us as a team," Revis said in the "The Dynasty: New England Patriots" documentary on Apple TV+. "You could tell he was distraught."

"He was actually bawling his eyes out in front of us."

According to Revis, Brady explained he would not ruin the season for his teammates ... and all the claims were false.

Pats owner Robert Kraft also weighed in on the challenging time for the face of the franchise ... saying the two weeks between the AFC title game and Super Bowl were "very difficult on Tommy."

Brady was accused of asking team managers to release pressure in the game balls below the league requirement for the Pats' win over the Indianapolis Colts ... which eventually led to a four-game suspension.

Danny Amendola added the whole scandal took a toll on Brady ... especially because his kids dealt with hecklers at school over it all.

Joe Biden's celeb-packed State of the Union address preview was a stroke of genius -- this according to political heavy-hitters, Lis Smith and April Ryan.

We spoke to both on 'TMZ Live,' Thursday ... with Lis telling us that whoever in Biden's camp came up with that idea deserves a serious raise, 'cause these speeches can be a major snooze-fest ... so making politics cool for those who might not care is a big deal!

Lis goes on to say that if more folks in politics injected a little fun and humor into the mix, maybe we wouldn't be so stressed out all the time.

She's also saying the positives of that clip and Biden's approach totally outweigh any negatives ... adding that people throwing shade at it were probably never gonna vote for JB in the first place.

April -- the White House Correspondent for TheGrio -- also backs Lis' sentiments ...  saying Joe's team dropped that video to connect with everyone and show he's in touch with people's everyday struggles despite sitting in one of the most important buildings in the world.

She also tells us it's a smart move on his part 'cause becoming the U.S. President ain't just about domestic policy issues ... it's about playing on the global stage, too.

By putting out that video of him hilariously seeking advice from former President actors Morgan Freeman, Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Michael Douglas, and Tony Goldwyn ahead of his super serious speech ... he's painting a winning picture and showing confidence, rather than highlighting setbacks.

Of course, Joe's definitely had his fair share of criticism during his presidency -- especially when it comes to concerns about his age.

United Airlines left its mark on San Francisco when one of its flights took off Thursday ... and almost immediately lost one of its tires, which came crashing down on parked cars at SFO Airport.

Video captured the moment the Boeing 777 took off bound for Osaka, Japan with 249 passengers aboard -- before the jumbo jet's landing gear retracted into the fuselage, the massive tire flew loose right above an SFO employee parking lot.

Thankfully, no one was injured on the ground, but there was plenty of damage to some vehicles.

As for the damaged plane, United says it landed safely at LAX, mainly because it's a 777, which has 6 tires on each of its 2 main landing gear struts. The airline says it's designed to land safely with missing or damaged tires.

Once it was on the ground, United moved all the passengers to a new aircraft for the next leg of the flight ... which is heading to Osaka Thursday evening.

While there were no casualties from this incident, it's still concerning from the standpoint of it being yet another issue with a Boeing aircraft. You'll recall, the door blew off a Boeing 737, operated by Alaska Airlines, 2 months ago -- leading to a temporary grounding of all 737 Max 9s.