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It's not quite "How I Met Your Father" -- not yet, anyway -- but Kristin Cavallari's explaining how she bagged her much younger boo, Mark Estes, and like most things these days, it started with her scrolling.

Kristin spilled the tea on her 'Let's Be Honest' podcast ... she says she was casually watching TikTok vids in September, when she stumbled upon Mark's group Montana Boyz, and he caught her eye as the hottest one.

She then moved on with her life -- until fate swooped in 3 weeks later, bringing them together.

Kristin said she randomly got a DM from one of the Montana Boyz saying, "I love you" ... and she was so excited by the digital flirtation, she invited them to her podcast.

As Kristin was setting up the interview, her assistant dropped the bombshell the Montana Boyz were moving to Nashville ... right where Kristin lives! How convenient.

It's like the stars aligned or something.

Kristin kept the DM convo alive ... telling them she'd take them line dancing when they were in town -- before asking who in particular she was talking to. When she found out it was Mark, she responded, "Oh good, you're my favorite!"

Once together, the pair wasted no time ... going on a date just before Valentine's Day, and Mark even met Kristin's kiddos, who she shares with ex-husband Jay Cutler.

Right after their date, they started hanging out a whole lot more, and next thing you know, they were jetting off to Cabo together -- around the time their romance came to public attention.

At 37, the reality star adds that dating a 24-year-old wasn't part of her grand plan. Age is just a number, after all!

She's certainly head over heels for her man ... commenting "smash" on a recent IG thirst trap of him. Might just be the real deal, folks!

Jenifer Lewis fell from a balcony while vacationing in Africa a couple years back -- and she says the horrific experience nearly took her life ... part of which was caught on video.

The "Black-ish" star recounted this awful story to Robin Roberts on 'GMA' Tuesday ... and yes, it's terrible as it sounds -- as JL says she practically died from this accident -- which happened while she was in Serengeti ... this after traveling to Cape Town and Rwanda.

This all happened in late 2022, after Jen had wrapped production on Season 8 of her hit show ... and she was doing a little traveling with friends. She says things were looking up.

Anyway, when she got to Serengeti ... Jenifer says she checked into a hotel -- one she didn't get a tour for, she notes -- and that's when this nightmare unfolded. As she was in her room at night, Jen says she saw an infinity pool right outside on her own deck.

She thought she could just access it directly from the balcony -- but because it was so dark ... she didn't see that there was a massive gap, through which she fell a whopping 10 feet.

Jenifer says there was no warning sign that someone could fall there -- and goes on to describe the excruciating pain she felt ... once the initial shock wore off, of course.

She says ... "My right hip took the impact. My shoulder went up against the stone. A lightning bolt went through my mind's eye. In pitch black, I didn't know I was falling. nothing would move."

Jenifer continues ... "So I laid there and said, 'Move your body, baby. Come on Jenny, move your body.'" Eventually, people came to her aid -- but she was still in danger ... because there were wild animals roaming about, including a Cape buffalo that got very close.

Gap Band member Anthony Walker -- famously known as "Baby Gap" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Dr. Eric Walker, Anthony’s younger brother, tells TMZ ... the singer and musician passed away at an Ohio hospital last Monday -- this after he experienced complications from a neck surgery he was undergoing.

Unclear what exactly the procedure was meant to correct, or what went wrong -- but we're told Anthony died as a result. His sibling tells us the artist's life will be celebrated in his hometown of Chicago later this week.

Anthony's family tells us they thank his fans for their love and support during this tragic time.

Anthony joined the famed R&B/Funk band in 1979 ... contributing to the group as a dancer, choreographer and songwriter. Despite his late addition to the group -- which formed in 1967 -- Anthony went on to perform with GAP Band for the next 23 years as a core member.

The Gap Band notably appeared on "Dick Clark's American Bandstand," "Don Cornelius' Soul Train" and "Solid Gold." Anthony even did some moonwalking for Dick himself back in the day ... and he showed him how to do the cool move that Michael Jackson has popularized at the time.

In 1985, Anthony had a major music win thanks to a collaboration with Charlie Wilson -- the GAP Band's lead singer -- and bandmate Billy Young ... as they produced together the album "Billy & Baby Gap." Not only was it the first album released as part of a band member collab, but their single "Rock the Nation" hit No. 3 on the charts.

During his lengthy career, Anthony also collaborated with music legends Rick James and George Clinton. You'll even hear Anthony's percussion skills on Snoop Dogg's single "Snoop's Upside Ya Head."

Anthony didn't just make a splash with GAP Band ... he famously formed a break-dancing group, known as "Tidal Wave," in the '70s. They once even beat out the famed New York City Breakers in competition  ... in addition to nabbing several other awards during their run.

There's no doubt dance played a huge role in Anthony's career ... he taught at John Travolta's dance studio in the early '80s and even went on to work as a choreographer for Disney.

Prior to his passing, Anthony was spending his time performing with GapX ... a group formed by other former members of the Gap Band. He was 60.

'Star Wars' child star Jake Lloyd has been receiving treatment at a mental health facility for the past 10 months ... according to his mother.

Lisa Lloyd says her son -- famous for playing young Anakin Skywalker in 1999's "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" -- began his inpatient program in March 2023. She told Scripps News Monday, he'd been experiencing a psychotic break while they were driving home after making a McDonald's run.

Lisa recounted how Jake, now 35, expressed a desire to turn off the car, and unsettlingly, proceeded to carry out the act while they were in the middle of 3 lanes of traffic ... leading to a tumultuous exchange of yelling and screaming between Jake and her.

The incident caused a major traffic jam, prompting other drivers to call 911, and when cops arrived on the scene, they asked Jake a bunch of questions to get deets surrounding the incident.

However, Lisa says Jake was unable to make sense of the officers' questions ... describing them as a "word salad." Hearing a jumble of incoherent speech is often associated with conditions like schizophrenia, which Jake was diagnosed with back in 2008.

Jake was admitted to the hospital that day ... and later entered the rehab facility for an extended 18-month stay to battle his demons.

Thankfully, there's good news regarding his progress -- Lisa says he's doing great, even exceeding her expectations by relating to people better and becoming a bit more social.

2:03 PM PT -- John Barnett's family released a statement on their loved one's passing, and they reiterated his cause of shining a light on safety concerns that he was raising while at Boeing -- noting he was deeply affected by the lawsuit he was embroiled in, which they say was going to trial in June. His family says they believe his experience at Boeing contributed to his death.

The Boeing whistleblower's attorneys say he didn't appear suicidal before he died -- which is why they think his death is incredibly suspicious ... and are calling for answers immediately.

Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles -- who were repping John Barnett in a retaliation lawsuit against Boeing, which was well underway -- tell TMZ ... Barnett was in the middle of depositions last week in his civil case, a process they say was nearing an end soon.

We're told Barnett was in good spirits and very much so looking forward to putting this whole saga behind him, ready to move on. They add, "We didn't see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it."

They add, "We are all devastated. We need more information about what happened to John. The Charleston police need to investigate this fully and accurately and tell the public what they find out. No detail can be left unturned."

The attorneys explain that Barnett had filed suit because he felt Boeing had retaliated against him after he tried sounding the alarm on what he believed was them turning a blind eye to safety issues ... and alleged in his lawsuit they'd fostered a hostile work environment.

Like we said ... Barnett's case seemed to be wrapping up -- and amid reports Barnett took his own life in the middle of all this, it's safe to say his legal team is incredulous. Knowles was even quoted as calling the self-inflicted wound being attributed to his client "alleged."

As we reported ... Barnett had been going around and speaking very publicly about the issues Boeing had been experiencing lately -- even coming onto our own show, "TMZ Live."

He explained why he felt them getting the green light to hit the skies again so soon after the Alaska Airlines incident was dubious -- claiming this was in line with his own experience with Boeing as a quality manager ... a period during which he alleged he saw many lapses.

In the aftermath of our chat with Barnett, Boeing planes have continued to experience problems -- including something dramatic just this week ... with a flight from Australia to New Zealand beginning to drop out of the sky after apparent massive equipment failure.

TikTok star Leah Smith has died after battling stage 4 bone cancer ... and her fans who've followed her journey on the app are devastated.

The content creator's boyfriend, Andrew, announced the sad news Monday -- posting an update to Leah's 500,000-plus followers ... revealing she passed away earlier that morning.

In his video -- which has already amassed millions of views -- Andrew thanked her fans for all their love and support throughout Leah's tough fight with cancer ... which she documented extensively. Fellow TikTokers Katylee Bailey, Issey Moloney, Miah Carter and Ami Charlize have all expressed their condolences to Leah's loved ones.

At the start of 2024, Leah, who often documented her cancer journey, shared that she was struggling amid her health battle ... as her sickness had left her bedridden. By February, the social media star had reentered the hospital due to extreme pain.

She shared at the time ... "I can’t even move to go to the toilet."

Shortly after this update, Leah confirmed that her cancer had spread and that new tumors had grown.

As her health continued to worsen, Leah hinted that she was reaching the end of her journey ... detailing the crushing pain she was experiencing since her meds had stopped working.

Leah's brother Liam and friend Vikki took over posting for the star in recent weeks. In fact, just 3 days ago, the latest update read that Leah was "still here and fighting."

Vikki has since confirmed that Leah's page will not be deactivated ... but will remain on TikTok to preserve the star's legacy. She was only 22.

RIP

Neve Campbell is coming back into the fold for 'Scream' -- something she just announced after exiting a couple years back over pay discrepancies ... and a lot of drama since.

The actress broke the news on Instagram Tuesday, posting a photo of a 'Scream 7' script with her name on it -- and some other interesting deets about who's writing this, and who's directing (more on that later).

NC writes, "I’m so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!! It’s always been such a blast and an honor to get to play Sidney in the Scream movies. My appreciation for these films and for what they have meant to me, has never waned."

She adds, "I’m very happy and proud to say I’ve been asked, in the most respectful way, to bring Sidney back to the screen and I couldn’t be more thrilled!!! Well actually I could."

Neve goes on to say that she's honored to work on this latest installment with the original screenwriter for the first and second films -- Kevin Williamson -- who's now directing.

She finishes by saying ... "To the amazing Scream fans, I hope you are as excited as I am. See you on set."

Clearly, whatever pay issues Neve had when she first walked away from 'Scream 6' have been resolved -- remember, she first said the honchos behind the film weren't shelling out a wage that she considered fair ... and as a result, she was absent from the last movie.

Of course, in the aftermath of all that ... the 'Scream' franchise has lost two of its lead stars -- Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega -- so this move to get Neve back into the mix as the main character (again) is sort of a no-brainer. She's the soul of the franchise, after all.

It's interesting ... earlier this year, Neve strongly suggested she was open to returning amid all the chaos the franchise had been experiencing of late -- but also implied she'd only come back for the right amount of money. Clearly, they wrote her a fat check.

12:22 PM PT -- Philip Sokoloski of FilmLA -- the company handling the permitting for this shoot -- tells TMZ ... he was just informed by a colleague that they've gotten word the whole shoot that was scheduled for Wednesday is now officially off.

No word on exactly why, but we're told the production will not move forward. Any equipment that was out there between yesterday and today is likely to be packed up and removed soon.

11:37 AM PT -- Disney+ says Taylor Swift will not be in attendance or be performing on Wednesday during the shoot.

Taylor Swift and the Hollywood sign are going to be one and the same this week ahead of her big debut on Disney+ -- and neighbors there are pissed about it ... TMZ has learned.

Residents who live by the famed landmark near Griffith Park in Los Angeles are up in arms over a production that's been ramping up all week -- which is scheduled to shoot something big on Wednesday ... this according to the film permit notice neighbors have received.

TMZ has obtained a copy of one of those permit notices -- which, BTW, we've confirmed law enforcement is in possession of as well, with cops being put on notice that filming's going down the H'wood sign tomorrow -- and it spells out pretty clearly what's going down.

Check out the notice yourself ... it says they'll be filming for "Disney + TS" and it'll be taking place along Mulholland Highway -- right below the Hollywood sign itself. Prep for the shoot is taking place all day Tuesday, and cameras are scheduled to be rolling all day Wednesday.

Come Thursday ... that's when the production will work on breaking everything down and clearing out -- which is why we're told neighbors around there are furious over all this.

We're told residents in the vicinity feel like this is a massive eyesore, and not just that -- but it's creating a bunch of foot traffic and ruckus that's disturbing their peace and way of life. We're told there's been a lot of internal communication among different home associations and other orgs ... and let's just say, folks there aren't happy with the production.

Unfortunately for them, the show will go on ... and as you can see, there'll be some aerial photography happening as well. We're told drones are expected to be in the mix ... possibly a lot of them. BTW, before Swifties start hiking up the hill ... there's nothing in the permit to explicitly suggest Taylor is going to perform at this thing.

Of course, this performance would be happening one day before Taylor's "Eras" Tour concert movie drops on Disney+ -- although, it'll be a "Taylor's Version" drop, with 4 extra songs.

Disney's been plugging the hell out of this release -- and you gotta imagine they're stoked to be the company Taylor decided to release her film on ... 'cause it was a huge hit in theaters.

Makes sense they'd be doing something big and splashy to promote it even further.

We've reached out to Film L.A. and Taylor's camp ... so far, no word back.

Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld are now apparently so serious ... one of the NFL star's closest teammates just said he believes the quarterback is "in love" with the actress.

Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins broke it all down while appearing on Kay Adams' "Up And Adams" show on Tuesday alongside Taylor Lewan.

The 29-year-old offensive lineman -- who's great pals with Allen -- was talking about how the signal-caller famously split his pants in Paris last week ... when he insinuated the QB's obsession with Steinfeld led to the now-viral moment.

Dawkins explained that because he thinks Josh is so smitten with Steinfeld, he's been open to trying out a new wardrobe ... which culminated in the pants malfunction.

Then, he dropped the L-word into the conversation.

"You know your quarterback, man," Dawkins said. "And I know Josh, and I know Josh is not a product of his environment, but, you know, Josh is in love."

"Josh is in love," Dawkins continued. "So, if his girl is shopping and she's like, 'Joshee, try these on!' Josh is going to say, 'All right. I'll try these on!'"

Lewan's eyes got super big when "love" got thrown around ... but it sure doesn't seem like Dawkins was speaking in hyperbole.

After all, Allen and Steinfeld have been dating for around a year -- and while they've largely kept out of the public eye, they've seemed to spend a ton of time together. In fact, Steinfeld was seen traveling to L.A. this past December to watch Allen's game against the Chargers, before she jetted back to Buffalo to presumably spend the holidays with him.

Neither has publicly commented on the other much -- if at all -- but it sure looks like behind closed doors, a real-deal romance is brewin'.

While Kate Middleton and the royal family dig out from the Mother's Day pic scandal, the company that helped them pull it off is popping bottles -- 'cause Photoshop's suddenly hot on Wall Street.

Despite the Princess of Wales -- or someone at the palace -- having sketchy photo editing skills, Photoshop's parent company, Adobe, saw a spike in its stock price after Monday's trading ... affirming the old adage of any publicity's good publicity.

Here's the breakdown ... Adobe (ADBE) went from $551.69 on Friday, did a little Monday morning stretch to $552.45, and by the end of the day, they were ridin' high at $560.42. The numbers don't lie!

Business writer Trung Phan immediately put the company's $3B market cap to Princess Kate's claim she'd used Adobe's product.

Of course, it's unclear if the Kate saga really is behind the fluctuation -- but the whole thing is a bit of a coincidence.

It also seems like everyone's getting a kick out of imagining Kate as just another regular Joe, clicking away on Photoshop like the rest of us mere mortals.

One person joked on X, "I like the idea that kate middleton got a royal discount on adobe creative cloud and started poking around in Photoshop," ... and another added, "The Palace now upgrading to the full Adobe suite to fix the Kate Middleton pic."

Nonetheless, while a whole set of conspiracy theories are floating about why the royals doctored the pic ... KM's official Kensington Palace statement claims she just did a crappy job using Photoshop to improve her Mother's Day snap with her 3 kiddos.

Her apparent falling on the sword doesn't explain why the Palace lied, in the first place, about when the photo was taken -- nor does it shed any light on what's really going on with Kate's now 2-month-long recovery from abdominal surgery.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann have to shell out even more cash amid their divorce -- this time, paying for someone to come by and see if they're good parents ... TMZ has learned.

According to new court documents, obtained by TMZ, the embattled exes were recently appointed a parent fitness evaluator who will monitor the on-and-off couple and their 4 minor children ... Kroy Jr., Kash, and twins Kaia and Kane.

The evaluator's services include interviewing Kim, Kroy and their kids, home visits, observing the duo and their youngsters, potential school observation, and consulting with professionals who have worked with the family.

Plus, the evaluator has the right -- and the authority -- to investigate all aspects of the case. This means the appointed pro can inspect all records ... whether it be from the Department of Family and Children Services, the kids' school, a hospital, medical providers, the cops, and more -- any and everything related to Kim and Kroy's brood, basically.

The evaluator can even make copies of the records accessed -- and they don't need Kroy or Kim's permission for any of it. Translation ... no stone will be left unturned here.

As we reported ... Kim and Kroy's kids were dragged into their contentious split when one of them called the police in November to break up a heated argument between the parents. This was the third time officers were called to their Georgia home -- which is facing foreclosure.

This service will not come cheaply for the Bravo stars, BTW ... they each have to pay a one-time $2,500 for the evaluator -- so $5,000 total. Remember, Kim and Kroy have had some notable financial trouble of late -- and have faced lawsuits over unpaid credit card debt, etc.

11:03 AM PT -- Fort Lauderdale PD is saying this brawl has nothing to do with their city or their beaches -- so it's unclear where exactly this happened ... but it's still pretty crazy all the same.

Spring Break's looking more like a UFC match as all-out mayhem erupts on South Florida beaches ... and the good people of Fort Lauderdale are probably saying, "Thanks a lot, Miami!!!"

The annual college student getaway kicked off Monday with thousands of students making their way to FL, and it almost immediately got outta hand. Multiple bikini-clad students went toe-to-toe in the sand -- as the video shows, it quickly turned into a melee involving dozens.

No word on what exactly sparked the brawl, but we're guessing alcohol played a part.

This is exactly the kinda scene Miami Beach feared when the city imposed new restrictions ahead of Spring Break -- but, as you can see, the madness has just moved up the coast a bit to Lauderdale.

Miami's decision came after 2 shootings during last year's break, which also resulted in 488 arrests ... and more than 230 of them were felony cases.

As we reported ... the city posted a campaign video where spring breakers were urged to take the party elsewhere and informed there would be threatened curfews, bag checks, restricted beach access and DUI checkpoints.

All vibe killers, so it's no wonder Fort Lauderdale is absorbing the massive party scene.

One day in, and that city has already had to ramp up the police presence ... putting more officers in the sand to patrol beach parties, and K-9 units were inspecting sunbathing revelers.

Cops or not, one thing's already clear -- when the crowds gather, there's gonna be fighting.

Bo$$, who famously was the first female rapper signed to Def Jam, has died.

Rapper Bun B announced the news Monday evening, paying tribute to Bo$$ ... whose real name was Lichelle Marie Laws. Bun posted a pic of Bo$$, and wrote, “Rest in peace to my big sis Lichelle Laws AKA Boss. One of the best female MCs and a dear friend."

Bun's announcement sparked quite a huge reaction from the hip hop world ... as Jermaine Dupri, Jadakiss, 9th Wonder, Ed Lover, Lloyd Banks, Slim Thug and many others all paid tribute to the pioneering MC.

DJ Premier also weighed in, praising Bo$$ as a talented legend, and made a public plea for Def Jam to release a collab he'd recorded with her in 1993.

DJ Battlecat remembered Bo$$ for leading the way for women in gangsta rap ... and added, "Rest in Detroit Queen."

Bo$$ was born and raised in Detroit, but moved to L.A. shortly after graduating high school. She integrated herself into the local music scene, catching the eye of one of DJ Quik‘s associates.

As the story goes, Russell Simmons was the one to sign her to Def Jam, and by 1993 she dropped her first (and only) studio album, "Born Gangstaz." She found some success on the charts with "Deeper" making the Hot 100.

No word on circumstances surrounding her death, or an official cause of death ... but Bo$$ had battled renal disease, which she was first diagnosed with in 2011. A GoFundMe was also set up in her name after a 2017 stroke and seizure left her needing "costly" care ... including a possible kidney transplant.

She was 54.

9:35 AM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor are not dating, and there's nothing romantic between them at all. We're told Leo is still in a relationship, and he's not with Teyana. This interaction was strictly friendly, we're told.

Leonardo DiCaprio and his costar, Teyana Taylor, were looking pretty damn cozy over the weekend at a pre-Oscars party ... with a lot of touching going on between the two of them.

Check out these videos of the two actors -- who are currently in production for PT Anderson's new indie flick -- hobnobbing Friday night at the WME party here in L.A., where they were seen making contact at a couple different points in the evening.

Specifically ... Leo was seen with his arm wrapped around Teyana's waist as they got close and chit-chatted in private amid all the hustle and bustle of the party going on around them.

Teyana was wearing a fairly revealing outfit, FWIW ... and her lower back was exposed.

There was another moment where they were getting a little flirty -- with Teyana and LD facing each other and TT fixing Leo's ponytail from the back of his baseball cap. This one wasn't PDA, per se, but you can tell Teyana was comfortable doing it ... and ditto for Leo.

Once the hair help was complete, they continued to talk ... and laughed it up as well. No signs of them doing anything more telling than what we can see here, including kissing.

Still, it's pretty eye-opening to see ... especially since Leo is supposed to be dating model Vittoria Ceretti -- who was noticeably absent from this shindig. The last time Leo and Vittoria were spotted together in public was actually recent -- they were out and about in late Feb.

Teyana, of course, is in the middle of a divorce with Iman Shumpert ... which has gotten pretty ugly at times. They share children together, and while Teyana has tried keeping their divorce proceedings private -- much of the drama has surfaced in public court docs.

Of course, the bigger backdrop here is Leo/Tey acting in the same movie of late -- and on its face, it would appear they've gotten close. We've seen tons of footage of them on set, and they seem intricately involved in the script ... 'cause Teyana's shot a lot of scenes with LD.

Whether they're more than just friends, though ... anyone's guess. Clearly, they're comfortable with one another -- comfortable enough to put hands on each other, at least. One last thing .... we know Leo and Teyana left this party separately, for whatever that's worth.

We've reached out to Leo and Teyana's camp ... so far, no word back.

Originally Published -- 8:11 AM PT

Rising crime in Oakland has left Taco Bell in a precarious situation -- close their indoor dining rooms, or risk their employees' security ... and several TBs chose the former.

At least four Taco Bell locations in the Bay Area city have moved to a drive-thru-only model in the name of safety.

The company assured customers that safety is their top priority ... noting that additional protection methods have been taken amid the city's rising crime.

In addition to closing dining rooms, the local franchise owner has hired security guards and met with law enforcement. It's reported that another location -- which has kept its dining room open -- has gone cashless to deter robbers.

This update comes after KPIX-TV reported that one Taco Bell had been robbed four times over the course of the last four months. The restaurant was left with plywood-covered windows after the culprits drove a pickup truck through the building to steal a safe.

Taco Bell is faring a bit better than In-N-Out. Remember, the popular burger chain is set to close its only Oakland location over crime in the area.

Similarly, a Denny's -- which had operated in the area for 54 years -- shut down amid rising safety concerns. Even Raising Cane's shuttered one location near the airport last year.

As for what's being done to prevent the growing criminality ... the state's governor, Gavin Newsom, is reportedly trying to crack down on crime. He apparently sent over a hundred highway patrol officers to help control the surge of bad behavior in Oakland and elsewhere.

A passenger onboard the nosediving Boeing flight from Australia to New Zealand has recounted his horrific experience ... and he's shared pics of the injuries people sustained, too.

61-year-old Brian Jokat gave the blow-by-blow to CNN -- saying he'd fallen asleep on the plane only to awaken to see bodies flying past him and hitting the roof ... a scene he likened to "The Exorcist," as the plane dropped around 500 feet on Monday, according to him.

At first, he says he thought it was a dream -- but then a fellow passenger suddenly dropped from the roof, hitting his armrest ... and that's when he realized he was in a living nightmare.

After the flight ... an airline spokesperson said there was a technical issue that had caused the drop, but left everyone in the dark about what it actually was. However, Brian has given insight into what really went down ... telling CNN the pilot revealed he'd lost control of his instruments on a dime, with everything just going dark.

He says the shocked pilot came back to check in on everyone ... telling them he'd essentially lost control of the jet 'cause the gauges went blank on him. Absolutely terrifying, no doubt.

After a few seconds, the gauges returned and reengaged to their normal flight pattern ... with the plane ultimately landing safely at Auckland airport, much to the relief of Brian. He also told The Post he was certain they were all gonna go down and had made peace that it was all out of his control.

BTW, Brian shared pictures of people's injuries as they were being tossed around in the cabin -- and they look absolutely brutal, to say the least.

Roughly 50 passengers were treated for mild to moderate injuries, and one person was in serious condition.

This is just the latest incident with Boeing of late -- their aircrafts have come under incredible scrutiny due to problems in the sky ... and doubly so amid John Barnett's sudden death.