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Katy Perry has come out with a "Dark Horse" of a defense in her recent music video drama ... with her record label ponying up proof they were given the OK to film in the sensitive sand dunes of a protected area on a Spanish island.

After the Spanish government kicked off a probe this week into KP's decision to film her "Lifetimes" music video on protected ground, Capitol Records hit back with a response ... saying they were given all the necessary permits to record at the dunes of S’Espalmador.

Per a CR rep, there was one permit that was still lingering before production for the music video kicked off ... but they defend they were given verbal approval the day before shooting began on July 27.

Tom Brady, unretiring AGAIN?!

That's what TB12 joked while soakin' up the sun on a yacht off the coast of Italy, firing footballs from the boat ... and proving he's still got the arm to play in the NFL!

The soon-to-be Hall of Famer dropped the 9-minute debut episode of his new vlog, "Last Week with Tom Brady," which is produced by Shadow Lion, where he did everything from watching Simone Biles in person at the Paris Olympics with his daughter Vivian, to hangin' on a beautiful yacht in the Mediterranean with Michael Rubin and others.

At one point in the ep, Rubin, founder of Fanatics, was on a jet ski ... a perfect opportunity for Brady to throw a few passes to his buddy out on the water.

Kim Kardashian says she's content with being single right now, but that hasn't stopped her little kiddos from trying to hook her up with potential suitors.

The reality star sat down Wednesday with host Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon" for a wide-ranging interview that eventually turned to Kim's love life.

Jimmy was the one who brought up the subject, asking,  What's going on with the love scene? Are you seeing anyone?"

Gena Rowlands, who famously played Allie in "The Notebook," is dead ... TMZ has learned.

The retired actress died Wednesday afternoon at her home in Indian Wells, CA ... where she was surrounded by family, including her husband, Robert, and her daughter Alexandra Cassavetes.

We're told her son, director Nick Cassavetes, had also been at the home frequently this week.

The upcoming Britney Spears biopic has a chance to be extra authentic ... as the new owner of the singer's childhood home is inviting Universal Pictures to film on location.

The current homeowner of the old Spears family home in Kentwood, Louisiana tells TMZ … she's totally open to camera crews descending on the property to shoot scenes for the Britney flick.

It sounds like the owner's willing to bend over backward to make this happen ... she tells us she's cool with the production company removing her furniture and bringing in their own set pieces, which would need to happen to accurately recreate Britney's 1980s and '90s childhood environment.

Alyvia Alyn Lind is getting a pretty good cut of some streaming dough for an upcoming Netflix production ... she's set to earn more than $500,000 for the limited series.

The 17-year-old actress is starring in "Wayward" ... and her minor's contract shows just how handsomely she's being paid.

According to the contract, filed in court and obtained by TMZ, Alyvia is raking in $75,000 per episode for the inaugural season.

Michael Chandler's Christmas wish is to put his fist through Conor McGregor's face on the UFC's December card -- and while Santa Claus can't help here -- Dana White can, and Iron Mike desperately hopes he books the long-awaited fight as UFC 310's main event!

TMZ Sports talked to 38-year-old Chandler on Wednesday ... and asked the #6 ranked lightweight for his reaction to White recently declaring McGregor (and therefore Michael) would NOT be fighting in 2024.

"If [Conor and I] can fight in December, let's do it. I'm in. But the fact of the matter is I've stayed ready since I left training camp for that June 29 fight and I am staying ready to take a fight. Any fight, if this fight doesn't look like it's happening in December," Chandler told us.

Blake Lively's got beef, Travis Kelce has a new 'do and Chris Jones is making a $1.5 million offer for a chicken wing convict ... all this on today's TMZ Hot Takes.

First up on "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles explain why Blake felt uncomfortable around Justin Baldoni on the set of "It Ends With Us."

American actress Taylor Dooley was just 12 years old when she played Lavagirl -- Max's imaginary superheroine and fiery, Lavagirl in the 2005 action film "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D."

Dooley shared the big screen with Taylor Lautner as the heroic king of the ocean who grew up caring for sharks, Sharkboy, Cayden Boyd as the lonely boy who dreams of escaping the real world, Max and George Lopez as both Max's teacher in real life AND his enemy as Mr. Electric.

Taylor wound up working with Lautner again in 2011 for the action/thriller film "Abduction."

"Love Island: USA" star Nicole Jacky is resurfacing amid some major drama with her partner from the show, Kendall Washington ... but he's not with her.

Nicole showed up to Chelsea Studios in New York City for Wednesday's reunion show taping ... and instead of rolling in with Kendall, she was with castmates Kaylor Martin and Liv Walker.

Thing is ... Nicole has been super quiet since the show ended, when Kendall had some old nudes leaked online.

Blake Lively is catching more heat for an "uncomfortable" -- to say the least -- interview ... one that has nothing to do with the nasty "It Ends With Us" feud with Justin Baldoni.

Reporter Kjersti Flaa uploaded footage from her 2016 sit-down with Blake to promote "Cafe Society" ... and the journalist blasted their chat as her "most uncomfortable interview situation" ever.

Watch the vid ... there's tension right out of the gate when Kjersti congratulates Blake on her baby bump -- the actress was pregnant with her 2nd daughter, Inez, at the time.

"We've had one week, two weeks, three weeks and one day since Joe Biden stepped aside. The only damn place we've seen Kamala Harris is at pep rallies. What's up? Somebody gotta say something and it can't just be the conservatives. Right is right."

That's Stephen A. Smith, the world's most popular sports media personality, diving headfirst into the 2024 Presidential Election, asking a question echoed by many conservatives since Biden bowed out in July -- why no sit down interviews?

"I'm talking to my sister here. Come on now. You're running for the presidency of The United States of America. You got my vote. You're running for the presidency of the United States of America. What you hiding for? And I mean hiding in plain sight. Somebody gotta say it. Somebody gotta say it," SAS said this week on his popular podcast (full episode here).

J.D. Vance seems to hold the opinion women who are too old to have kids exist on this Earth solely to help younger generations take care of their kids.

Donald Trump's running mate agreed with that basic sentiment during an April 2020 appearance on "The Portal" podcast, when host Eric Weinstein claimed grandmothers raising their grandkids is "the whole purpose of the postmenopausal female."

The Republican Senator from Ohio was talking about the benefits of having his wife's mother help take care of their newborn son when Weinstein made his claim ... and Vance agreed.

Simone Biles has a sassy clapback for all the people bashing her post-Olympics Parisian shopping spree ... clarifying she didn't spend her own dough on a pricey Hermès bag.

The gymnastics G.O.A.T. addressed her luxurious new handbag, usually worth tens of thousands of dollars, telling fans ... "My parents bought me my Hermès bag 🥰. Don’t be mad at me, be mad at your parents."

Simone says her parents, Ronald and Nellie, gave her the bag as a treat after all her Olympic glory -- and, TBH, she did just become the most-decorated American gymnast in Olympics history. Ya get why they'd give her a little VIP treatment.

Taylor Swift is powering through her "Cruel Summer" ... as the singer has reemerged after a thwarted terror plot saw her "Eras" tour stop in Vienna canceled last week.

The pop star stepped out in London Monday for a celebratory evening in honor of her tour staffers, where she treated her employees to a night of fun at a members-only club called Annabel's.

Taylor wore a serious expression as she made her way into the hot spot ... but looked as chic as ever in a plaid 2-piece set, which she paired with chunky pea green platforms.

Wally Amos, the founder of the Famous Amos Cookies brand, has died ... his children, Shawn and Sarah Amos, confirmed.

According to the cookie king's children, Wally passed away in his home in Honolulu, Hawaii on Tuesday after suffering from complications from dementia.

Wally became a prominent name in the food world after he turned a $25K loan into the Famous Amos Cookies empire. WA shook up the baked goods game by using a recipe from his aunt, which included real ingredients -- no added chemicals or coloring.