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Katy Perry has defended her decision to involve Dr. Luke in her upcoming album ... noting the music producer was one of many to help bring the new project to life.

The singer was asked to address the controversy on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast after fans called her out for working with him again ... after his lengthy legal battle with Kesha -- who infamously accused DL of rape and abuse years ago.

For the record, Dr. Luke has vehemently denied the allegations and even sued Kesha for defamation. Luke and Kesha agreed on a settlement last year.

Tuesday's season finale of "The Bachelorette" had a disastrous conclusion as Jenn Tran broke down in tears as she described how she was ultimately dumped by her suitor Devin Strader.

The drama unfolded when Tran came out onstage and sat down with host Jesse Palmer for ABC's 3-hour Bachelorette finale – after JP announced to the audience there was no happy ending in this love story.

Tran described what happened, saying after she and Strader had gotten engaged in Hawaii, she felt as if it was the happiest time in her life.

Donald Trump's sharing some cyber regrets ... admitting he sometimes wishes he didn't post a few of the more brutal "truths" to social media -- but, it ain't very often.

The Republican nominee for president sat down for an interview on Lex Fridman's podcast Tuesday ... and, Lex asked him if he ever thinks twice about firing off some of his raw thoughts on Truth Social.

DJT replies he does have some regrets ... but, only every once in a while. So, don't think for a sec 45's rethinking every controversial tweet -- or Truths, as posts on Truth Social (the site he owns) are called.

Rachael Ray is sparking concern for her health after seeming to slur her words in a new video shared on social media.

The TV chef shared a clip from her show, "Rachael Ray in Tuscany," on Instagram Monday, where she opened up about the time she nearly killed late singer Tony Bennett during one memorable dinner ... blaming her overzealous cleaning style for causing the crooner to slip and fall.

Despite the captivating tale, fans were preoccupied with her speaking style in the clip ... as Rachael appeared to struggle to get the story out, with many of her words slurring together.

Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper are living it up on a yacht off the coast of Italy ... and they're mixing romance with family time.

The actor and supermodel are floating around the Mediterranean on a big boat ... lathering each other up with sun tan oil and packing on the PDA with hugs and kisses.

Gigi and Bradley don't have the yacht all to themselves though ... his 7-year-old daughter Lea De Seine was onboard too ... Bradley co-parents her with Russian model Irina Shayk.

The three amigos shared a banana boat ride together, with Lea up front, Gigi in the middle and Bradley acting as the caboose.

Bradley soaked up the sun in some olive green swim trunks and Gigi showed off her runway-ready figure in a skimpy black and white bikini.

There were a few smooches and warm embraces on the deck ... but they didn't go full "Titanic."

The couple tooled around in a smaller boat too, and Gigi took a dip to cool off.

His nickname might be El Presidente, but don't expect to see Dave Portnoy on a ballot anytime soon ... 'cause the Barstool Sports founder says there's a ZERO percent chance he ever runs for political office.

Portnoy -- who is passionate about his views on social media -- was asked about the possibility of getting into government on the most recent episode of "The Resilient Life" with Ryan Manion ... and despite admitting he's entertained the idea in the past, he's adamant that's as far as he'll go.

"Never," Portnoy said. "I've thought about it. I get so mad, but I'm a firm believer you can get a lot more done not in political office."

Iranian-American actor Marshall Manesh first started playing Ranjit -- the former New York City taxi driver turned limo chauffeur with no driver's license -- on CBS' sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" in 2005.

Marshall was part of an ensemble cast including Josh Radnor as the hopeless romantic and former architect and professor, Ted, Neil Patrick Harris as Ted's bestie and womanizer always rockin' a suit, Barney and Cobie Smulders as the sarcastic and rigid news anchor from Canada, Robin.

Other worthy cast mentions include Alyson Hannigan as Lily and Jason Segel as Marshall

Justin Theroux just got engaged to his actress girlfriend but he's still talking about his much more famous ex-wife Jennifer Aniston ... admitting he still feels "protective" of her.

The "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" star sat down for a new interview with the Times and said Jen's recent beef with Donald Trump's running mate J.D. Vance had him in his feelings over his ex.

Justin told the Times of Jennifer ... "She is still very dear to me so, of course, yeah, I feel protective."

He was responding to questions about Jennifer's public spat with J.D. over Vance's controversial childless cat lady remarks.

Justin added ... "But she batted back criticism, as well she should."

Unclear how the interview is going to go over with Justin's new fiancée Nicole Brydon Bloom ... they just got engaged last month in Italy during his promotional run for his new movie.

Ben Affleck is letting the ongoing chatter about his personal life get to him ... and is particularly frustrated with one rumor -- involving Kick Kennedy -- that just won't die.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Ben finds the narrative that he’s dating -- or even friends with -- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s daughter ludicrous and crazy.

Remember, after Ben's estranged wife, Jennifer Lopez, filed for divorce on the 2-year anniversary of their lavish wedding ceremony in Georgia ... fans moved quickly to try and romantically link the actor to someone new.

Elton John is on the mend ... from a severe eye infection he says has left him with limited vision in one eye.

The "Rocket Man" singer shared a health update Tuesday on social media, revealing he's been dealing with an eye issue for some time now and is slowly healing.

Elton says his road to recovery has been "an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye."

The Great Blue Heron may be the answer to NYC's infamous growing rat problem ... taking out one rodent by feasting on it -- whole -- in Central Park.

Video of the wild feast is going viral online ... with users on Reddit just about losing it over the graphic demonstration of predator vs. prey.

Watch the video ... according to the original poster, the jaw-dropping incident took place on Saturday as they did a bit of yoga in the park with a friend -- and found themselves watching a scene they described as "dinosaurian."

Nikki Bella is lawyering up, Brad Pitt is making a big debut and Ricky Pearsall is recovering from a gunshot wound ... all this on today's TMZ TV Hot Takes.

First up on "TMZ Live," Harvey and Babcock explain why Nikki may be pulling the plug on her marriage to Artem Chigvintsev any day now ... because she's on the hunt for a divorce lawyer in the wake of her husband's arrest for domestic violence.

San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch says Ricky Pearsall's current health status is nothing short of a miracle ... revealing the wide receiver is "doing really well" just days after he was shot during an attempted robbery.

The Hall of Fame safety shared the incredible news with the media on Tuesday ... saying the 23-year-old rookie has already rejoined his teammates at the facility -- and the whole organization is "incredibly blessed."

Lynch confirmed Pearsall -- who suffered a gunshot wound to the chest around 4 PM in San Francisco on Saturday -- does not have nerve or organ damage as a result of the altercation.

The love story between Taylor Swift and the National Football League is back for a second season ... because the NFL is promoting the pop star more than the game's best player.

The NFL just released a promo video for the 2024 season ahead of Thursday's opening game, and Taylor has the lion's share of screen time ... making five appearances in a 28-second clip.

Taylor is shown more than any player in the league, and the NFL doesn't show Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes until the very end ... when he's seen hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Mauricio Umansky and Nikita Kahn's romance appears to be going strong ... bringing their love story to a fun new locale ... and seemingly signaling an end to his marriage.

Mere weeks after packing on the PDA in Mexico, the couple has taken Aspen, Colorado by storm ... which pretty clearly shows they're a thing. It's interesting ... the resort town is a favorite of the real estate agent and his family -- including estranged wife, Kyle Richards.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ ... Mauricio and Nikita stopped by Aspen over the holiday weekend, where they grabbed a drink at Clark's Oyster Bar. We're told the duo was "very, very chatty" ... and looked super chill.

4:26 PM PT -- OnlyJayus is firing back at her ex ... saying her request for a restraining order is filled with falsehoods and things being taken out of context.

The TikTok star tells TMZ ... "Unlike Brittany, I have been respecting her request for no contact for a couple of weeks now, including blocking her on all platforms, and I have not engaged in any behavior that would justify these allegations."

She adds ... "I take accusations of this nature very seriously and will be addressing this situation through the appropriate legal channels. I have no history of harassment or abusive behavior and am committed to maintaining my privacy and focusing on my well-being during this time."

TikTok star OnlyJayus is not taking a recent breakup well, at least according to her ex-girlfriend ... who claims she keeps showing up unannounced in the middle of the night.

Brittany Lee Dejardo is seeking court-ordered protection against Isabella Avila, AKA OnlyJayus, AKA Bella Rose, claiming her ex keeps coming around her home, is verbally abusive, and uses her massive social media accounts to berate her.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Brittany claims she told Isabella to leave her the hell alone ... but she says Isabella is not respecting her boundaries ... and it's getting toxic.