Quavo Feud with Offset, Migos Break-Up??? ... I Just Can't (Won't) Say

Quavo Dodges Questions About Offset, Migos Break-Up MAY 2022
UP IN THE AIR
BACKGRID

Quavo and Offset are on the outs again, and this time it means Migos is done as a group -- at least that's the online buzz, and Quavo isn't doing anything to put out that fire.

Huncho was at LAX Thursday when a photog asked him about reports the trio is breaking up, and his response is ... interesting. All the talk about Migos' demise stems from 2 things: Quavo's new Offset-less project and a bunch of social media UNfollows.

He was happy to talk about one of those things — namely, his and Takeoff's new track, "Hotel Lobby." The new duo's taking the name Unc & Phew, due to their family ties — but Quavo deftly dodged the topic of Offset.

ICYMI ... Offset and Cardi B stopped following Quavo and Takeoff on Instagram, and Quavo stopped unfollowed Offset and Cardi. Takeoff's like Switzerland: he's still following everyone.

So, is this real beef? Quavo isn't saying, which makes us lean toward this being a skillful marketing scheme for Unc & Phew.

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MIGOS NO MORE
TMZ Hip Hop

The "TMZ Hip Hop" crew tackled the potential break-up news on Thursday's episode, and if it's true they found the silver lining ... for Cardi and Offset's fans, anyway.

Check out full episodes of the show on these stations:

New York: 11 PM MY9 (WWOR)
Los Angeles: 2:30 PM FOX11 (KTTV)
Chicago: 12 AM FOX32 (WFLD)
Philly: 12 AM FOX29 (WTXF)
Dallas: 12:30 PM FOX4 (KDFW)
Houston: 12:30 PM FOX26 (KRIV), 10 PM MY20 (KTXH)
Washington, DC: 12 AM FOX5 (WTTG), 6:30 PM FOX5 PLUS (WDCA)
Seattle: 11:30 PM FOX13 (KCPQ)
Phoenix: 11:30 PM FOX10 (KSAZ)
Minneapolis: 11:30 PM FOX9 (KMSP)

If you're not in those cities, you can catch it nationally on Fox Soul.

Lil Wayne Claps Back At Cuban ... 'I'll Piss In Ya F'n Mouth Ho'

Lil Wayne once said "You don't want to start Weezy, 'cause the F is for finisher" ... and he's proving to back his words with Mark Cuban -- firing back in his beef with the Dallas Mavericks owner and saying, "I will piss in ya f'n mouth ho."

The back-and-forth between the rapper and billionaire has been brewing ever since the Young Money rapper called Luka Doncic a "ho" on Twitter last week ... prompting Cuban to respond after Dallas defeated the Suns by 33 points in Game 7 on Sunday.

Wayne didn't take the jab lightly ... unleashing a pretty disgusting response to Cubes in a since-deleted tweet.

"Mark Cuban don’t make me get u smacked boy U playing w me??" Tunechi said. "I will piss in ya f'n mouth ho."

Shortly after, Wayne followed up for good measure writing, "Ya lil bitch its up."

Now, Wayne might have been a bit of bad luck for the Suns -- as soon as he tweeted about Luka, the Mavs turned the series around and ended Phoenix's season in blowout fashion.

It's unclear if the two are going at each other in jest, or if it's a real problem ... but it appears neither side is backing down.

Diddy Caught in Yung Miami & Gina H. Love Triangle ... GFs Feuding Over Him!!!

Diddy is all about "love" these days ... maybe a little too much, because 2 women in his life are going at each other now after both were in Las Vegas where he hosted the Billboard Music Awards.

In one corner, City Girls rapper Yung Miami, and in the other Diddy's muse, model Gina Huynh -- Miami was at the BBMAs as a presenter, while Gina was a very interested spectator. She posted from the show, saying "Baby Daddy is hosting Billboards."

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Diddy after-partied hard Sunday night with Yung Miami, but things got messy Tuesday when Gina shared a pic of Brother Love's lips on her cheek -- and prompted YM to fire off more than a few subtweets.

Most notably, she's saying she will continue to see Diddy no matter how many pics Gina drops on the 'Gram.

And, then it got nasty as Gina invited Miami to dine on male genitalia -- not Diddy's we're guessing -- and eventually plugged her own rap song.

Diddy, for his part, has remained mum about the women sparring over him ... at least, publicly. Seems wise.

He didn't get to be worth a reported $885 million by making dumb moves!

Amber Heard Johnny Can't Look at Me 'Cause He's Guilty!!!

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look at me!!!
UPDATE

2:26 PM PT -- A source close to Amber tells TMZ ... "Depp’s lawyers’ only defense is a dishonest offense. His lawyers might be entitled to their own opinion, but they’re not entitled to their own facts. This case is not a matter of he said/she said. It is a case of what he did/she did."

UPDATE

They add, "The central issue on Day One of this trial is the same as it is today. What Depp did, while appalling, is beside the point. What Amber did is the point. Did she have the right of Freedom of Speech as exercised in her Washington Post Op-Ed --- an Op-Ed the paper found fit to print and an Op-Ed in which Amber never once mentioned Depp’s name."

UPDATE

Court is wrapped for the day ... there's one more live witness that'll be called tomorrow, and other previously recorded depositions that'll be played in the weeks ahead.

UPDATE

2:00 PM PT -- Amber Heard's close friend, iO Tillett Wright, just testified about the poop left behind in Johnny's bed -- while also addressing the couple's last alleged blowup fight.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Wright gave his recounting of what he remembers about Johnny and Amber's relationship -- as he was around during much of it -- but one standout moment from his testimony once again focused on the doo-doo Johnny believes Amber and/or him put on his sheets.

UPDATE

Wright testified that he was made aware of this theory during a phone convo with Amber -- with her and Johnny on other end -- and he found it laughable ... saying he wasn't there and had nothing to do with it. Suddenly, things took a turn, he claims, when he says he heard Johnny and Amber arguing on the phone, and JD allegedly say something about pulling her hair back. That's when he says he started frantically calling friends to come to AH's rescue.

UPDATE
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No s***
UPDATE

Wright also testified that after Johnny and Amber got hitched, he heard Johnny say something to the effect of ... good, now I can punch her in the face and no one can do anything about it. With that said, he noted -- he'd never personally seen either person physically hit the other.

Johnny Depp's attorney insisted her client hadn't looked at Amber Heard once in this trial to uphold a promise he made -- but his ex is calling BS ... offering a very different explanation.

Johnny's lawyer, Camille Vasquez, kicked off her cross-examination Monday with a simple question ... Johnny hadn't shot a glance her way amid the trial, had he? Amber said she didn't believe so, and Camille suggested she knew exactly why ... because he vowed she'd never see his eyes again.

She then played an audio recording where Johnny and Amber were arguing -- this after she'd gotten a TRO against him -- and in it you hear him say something to that effect.

Amber hadn't refuted it much during cross, but on redirect -- when her attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, reopened the door on the eyes thing -- Amber pounced to refute Johnny's supposed reasoning ... arguing, instead, that he couldn't look at her because of guilt.

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promise me this ...

It made for a dramatic moment ... Amber got emotional, saying she'd survived him -- adding that she believes he wouldn't look at her since he knows he's in the wrong for this case.

She also claimed he had, in fact, looked her in the eye a few times after that meeting in July 2016 -- when they tried reconciling post-TRO -- and Amber even says Johnny had shown her kindness thereafter ... allegedly slipping her his new phone number.

We'll say this ... Johnny has been dedicated in not staring up at Amber once while she's been under oath -- which is kinda awkward, because she's certainly shot him a look or two throughout. In any case, it seems she and her attorneys think the eyes narrative is nonsense.

Anyway, Amber ended up getting the last word with her attorney leading the way -- she's done now with her testimony. Unclear if another witness is going to be called to the stand, including Johnny himself, but the court is currently on another break.

Originally Published -- 12:28 PM PT

Jack Harlow to Brandy At Least I Know Your Music!!! Fires Back with Her Ye Tune

Jack Harlow's rummaging through some old playlists to jab back at Brandy in their growing, but playful, beef over Jack being clueless about the singer's family tree.

ICYMI ... Jack was chopping it up with his OG's at Hot 97 when it hilariously came out that he didn't realize Ray J and Brandy were actual siblings, sparking yet another cultural debate involving the 24-year-old artist.

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WHACK JACK
TMZ.com

Late last night, Brandy finally got wind of the conversation -- responding like 2Pac, threatening to out-rap JH, and sing him to sleep. Even though she later admitted she was joking, she copped to not knowing Jack was a rapper.

Seeing as how Jack has the No. 1 song in the country -- "First Class" -- we can't figure out with Brandy diss is harsher ... the shot at his rapping, or the ol' "I don't know you."

Just imagine someone asking if Brandy was a singer when her "The Boy Is Mine" duet with Monica was ruling the charts? Yeah, total burn.

Jack did some burning of his response ... posting an IG story Tuesday with a pic of Brandy and Ray J while using her own lyrics from her 2005 Kanye West collaboration "Bring Me Down" off the album "Late Registration" against her.

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Released in 2005 on the album "Late Registration," the song came out when Jack was 7 years old ... proving he's at least up on hip hop history. Or someone gave him a heads-up.

Amber Heard Grilled by Depp's Team ... Night With James Franco Addressed

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TAKEN TO THE PENTHOUSE
UPDATE

11:42 AM PT -- Amber was just asked about a deposition she sat for years ago -- one which has been the subject of much speculation since it became public -- where AH appears to be smirking and rolling her eyes sarcastically as she listens back to audio of Johnny describing being hit.

UPDATE
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'WERE YOU ENTERTAINED?'
UPDATE

Vasquez played the audio in question -- in which Johnny is telling Amber he believes she slammed a door into his head, and her refuting that -- both in real time Tuesday and via Amber's old deposition, and on the latter ... you see Amber smile (and eat) throughout.

UPDATE

Vasquez asked Amber if she found the idea of hitting her husband funny, and Amber explained ... she wasn't smiling because of the audio itself, but because of what was happening around her at the time in the room where her deposition was taking place.

UPDATE
UPDATE

JD fans have long latched onto this video as apparent proof (in their eyes) that Amber is twisted and diabolical toward Johnny's pain -- but she insists that is not what her body language was communicating, despite some people's interpretation of the viral clip.

UPDATE

9:55 AM PT -- A source close to Amber tells TMZ ... "Depp's legal team did a great disservice to all women this morning. They showed women exactly what could happen to them in court if they speak up about abuse at home." The court is on recess for their lunch break, but will be back later.

UPDATE

9:28 AM PT -- Amber Heard was just asked about James Franco on cross-examination, and it seems the whole point of bringing it up was to hint at the idea ... she might've been fooling around behind Johnny's back -- at least that's the impression JD's attorney has left.

UPDATE

Camille Vasquez played surveillance footage from Johnny's DTLA building a few days before AH took out her TRO -- this after an alleged explosive fight in their apartment -- and you see Franco slink in covered up in a hat and jacket, while wearing a backpack. Amber is there to greet him, and they both go up to her floor, where they exit together -- at around 11 PM.

UPDATE
UPDATE

CV was suggestive -- asking if Amber was aware of how late it was, and whether she was aware Johnny was out of town at the time. Amber said she can't recall remembering Johnny's schedule or not at the time ... she wasn't explicitly asked if she'd been intimate with JF.

UPDATE

Camille has moved on, and is now focusing on the WaPo op-ed, trying to get Amber to admit that the piece was obviously about Johnny -- but Amber's insisting it was not about him.

UPDATE
UPDATE

7:38 AM PT -- Vasquez is bringing up journal entries Amber and Johnny entered following the Australia incident in March -- when they were on a "honeymoon phase" -- and it appears Amber admitted in writing to "her part" in whatever might've happened Down Under.

UPDATE

The entries being presented are mostly from the summer of 2015, and in some of the writings ... Amber seems head-over-heels in love with JD, while acknowledging the ups and downs of their relationship.

UPDATE

Vasquez is also asking about them going to the Bahamas in 2015 -- where Amber claims Johnny sexually assaulted her in a bathroom, and that she was trying to get away from him -- but Vasquez points out the manager of Johnny's island, Tara Roberts, has testified to seeing Amber come after Johnny (not the other way around).

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tense back-and-forth

Amber Heard's story about the Australia incident that claimed Johnny Depp's finger is getting diced up and tossed in the fire on cross-examination ... she's knee-deep in a grilling.

The actress is enduring rapid-fire questioning by JD's attorney, Camille Vasquez, who is getting into the weeds on just about every one of Amber's allegations of physical assault -- as well as the notorious lost digit tale that's up on the chopping block Tuesday morning.

Vasquez is asking about the exact sequence of events -- insisting Amber has testified to specific actions happening in specific order -- but AH says she can't recall what happened first/next, etc. ... while also claiming she's never said she did remember the chronology.

It's interesting -- what's being dissected here is the claim Johnny sexually assaulted Amber with a liquor bottle of some sort -- the same day JD lost his finger, BTW -- which Vasquez is attempting to pick apart by going through the alleged assault in slow-motion, frame by frame ... constantly bringing up her previous testimony, either in this trial or in older depositions.

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CHALLENGING HER CLAIMS

Here's another thing that Johnny's team is latching onto consistently ... the fact that there seems to be little to no medical records documenting horrific injuries Amber claims she suffered -- including the ones in Australia -- but now, Amber seems to be saying that her perception of some of the injuries at the time might've been worse than the reality.

In any case ... Amber has acknowledged she didn't seek medical treatment for a lot of the alleged injuries, but maintains they did in fact happen -- and that Johnny was responsible.

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GETTING EMOTIONAL

Vasquez is constantly trying to keep Amber on track and focused on exactly the questions she's being asked -- and while the questioning is tenacious, Amber seems to be holding up pretty well. CV's clearly going to be diving in on just about everything Amber's testified to -- which has been a lot thus far.

The cross-examination is just getting started, and it's bound to get even juicier.

Originally Published -- 7:17 AM PT

Mark Cuban Roasts Lil Wayne With Epic Tweet ... For Calling Luka 'Ho'

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban got the last laugh over Lil Wayne on Monday ... firing back at the legend for calling Luka Doncic a "ho" -- by using one of Weezy's very own song lyrics!!

Of course, Wayne -- who is a big Chris Paul supporter -- was sitting courtside as he watched the Suns lose Game 7 to the Mavs in pathetic fashion behind Luka's 35 points on Sunday.

Wayne ended up getting a ton of blame for the 123-90 blowout loss ... with folks claiming his "Luka a ho" tweet from May 8 gave the Mavs too much motivation.

Cubes shared his two cents on Monday ... and the clapback's gotta sting.

"'It’s a s*** show, put you front row' #MFFL," Cuban's tweet read with a pic of Wayne at the game.

Of course, the line comes from Tunechi's hit, "Uproar" from 2018 ... and ya gotta admit, Cuban's taking the win on the court AND on Twitter here.

The billionaire owner better watch out, though -- he could be on the receiving end of a diss track soon.

Mack Maine Gillie Da Kid Is Lying Over Last Weezy Meet-Up Here's Video Proof!!!

Gillie Da Kid is in the crosshairs of Lil Wayne's camp -- all thanks to comments he made about his recent interaction with Weezy.

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WE'RE GROWN A** MEN
It's Tricky with Raquel Harper

Gillie was on the "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" earlier last week when he claimed Lil Wayne appeared to be scared of him, saying hi and quickly fleeing the room when the two ran into each other recently.

Apparently, Young Money President, Mack Maine, got wind of the interview and flamed Gillie on Instagram, claiming he was capping over their decades-long beef. During the interview with Raquel, Gillie said he recently saw Lil Wayne at a Jackson State University event and claims a shook Weezy "got the f*** outta there!" after a brief encounter.

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MEETIN' WEEZY
Instagram/@mackmaine4president

Mack Maine posted footage of the JSU meet-up which does see a smiling Wayne briefly connect with Gillie and his "Million Dollaz Worth Of Game" co-host Wallo — but doesn't appear to have the tension Gillie claims he felt during the exchange.

MM went on to drag Gillie further, sarcastically asking if he did indeed ghostwrite "Tha Carter" (Wayne's breakout album from 2004), who penned the other 4 successful installments.

Mack and Wayne have been thick as thieves for years, so you can pretty much guarantee Wayne shares the same sentiments.

The drama stems from Gillie allegedly doing extensive ghostwriting work for a then newly solo Lil Wayne and he went go on to claim he never got paid. Their beef thankfully never got violent but did see a few ugly diss tracks come from outta Gillie's direction.

One person who's not in the crosshairs is Raquel ... who didn't gather much animosity from the convo, just clarifications.

Gillie Da Kid I Have No Beef With Wiz Khalifa ... Even If He's Behind IG Ban

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WHY SO SERIOUS?
It's Tricky with Raquel Harper

Gillie Da Kid says he's not holding a grudge against Wiz Khalifa ... despite the fact he thinks Wiz got him kicked off Instagram over a misinterpreted diss.

Here's the deal ... Gillie claims Wiz got him banned from IG because the "Black and Yellow" rapper didn't like a joke he made about Wiz's affinity for posting workout videos in biker shorts.

Gillie said on the "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" podcast ... he was only kidding and is surprised Wiz can't take a joke because the dude's known for laughing and smoking weed all day.

While Gillie's had to start all over on the gram -- he had millions of followers before last month's ban -- he explains why there's no lingering beef with Wiz, at least on his end.

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For his part, Wiz has denied any involvement ... despite Gillie claiming the ban stems from Wiz allegedly complaining to IG honchos about being bullied.

Make sure you follow "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" on Apple, Spotify, Google -- or wherever you get your pods -- so you'll never miss an episode.

Pete Davidson Kanye Is Like Mrs. Doubtfire ... Jokes From New Stand-Up

Pete Davidson is poking fun at Kanye West's divorce from Kim Kardashian ... comparing his girlfriend's ex-hubby to a famous Robin Williams movie character.

The 'SNL' star came out swinging in his stand-up set on "Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival" ... shading Kanye for being a modern-day Mrs. Doubtfire.

Pete asks the crowd ... "Does anybody else secretly hope that, like, Kanye pulls like a Mrs. Doubtfire? I come home one day and they're like, this is the new housekeeper. And, he's like, "What's up fam?"

Of course, Robin played the title character in the 1993 movie about a divorced actor who dresses up as a female housekeeper to be able to see his kids.

Pete even joked about the Kanye allegedly spreading rumors he had AIDS ... joking John Mulaney called him and told him the best way to respond would be to spread a rumor Kanye has Polio.

Pete's bit went on ... he says he's not bothered by Kanye's collab with his friend Jack Harlow ... joking the thing that would offend him is if comedian Bill Burr suddenly showed up at Sunday Service.

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JABS AT "SKETE"
@kanyewest / INSTAGRAM

We've seen Kanye reference Pete in music videos ... and now Pete's returning the favor from his forum.

A$AP ROCKY Calls Out Chris Brown In New Song ... 'I Don't Beat My Bitch'

A$AP Rocky is using his new song to call out one of Rihanna's exes ... referencing his girlfriend's infamous beating at the hands of Chris Brown.

The rapper takes a thinly-veiled shot at Breezy in his new track, "D.M.B" ... where Rocky raps, "I don't beat my bitch, I need my bitch." The song title stands for, "DAT$ MAH B!*$H."

Of course, A$AP is referencing CB's well-document attack on RiRi back in 2009, when Chris punched her in his car, resulting in bruising and a split lip.

Chris was sentenced to 5 years probation and community service for assaulting Rihanna, and later admitted the incident made him feel like a monster and would haunt him forever. Clearly, A$AP is not letting Chris live it down.

The music video for "D.M.B." just dropped Thursday, and there's also imagery of A$AP and Rihanna tying the knot -- they have gold grills that say "Marry Me" and "I Do" -- which is interesting because RiRi is pregnant with Rocky's baby.

Kris Jenner Didn't Negotiate Kim's Sex Tape Deal

Ray J insists Kris Jenner was smack in the middle of negotiating Kim and Ray J's sex tape, but we've learned the businesswoman of the century was hands-off when the deal was cut.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Kris never negotiated with Vivid Entertainment, which distributed the tape back in 2007. We're told Kim and Ray J dealt with Vivid directly and with their lawyers.

In his interview, Ray J maintains Kris and Kim hatched the plot to make and peddle a sex tape in the wake of the enormous financial success of Paris Hilton's. Sources on the other side dispute that, maintaining she had nothing to do with planning the tape, and we've learned Kris was hands-off making the actual deal and had no contact with Vivid.

Of course, that doesn't mean Kris wasn't working behind the scenes, as Ray J claims.

As we've reported over the years, although the Kardashians claimed they never signed off on the tape, the reality is that Vivid could not have released it without the signatures of Kim and Ray ... if it did, there would be a slam dunk lawsuit, because Vivid could not use the name or likeness of anyone on tape without their consent.

Kim actually sued Vivid before the tape was released and that lawsuit was dropped ... we're told because she and Ray cut the deal they wanted and that cleared the path for the release of the video.

As for $$$ ... we've learned Kim and Ray split a $1 million advance, and together they got a percentage of profits from the tape. It's the highest-grossing sex tape of all time, beating out Paris Hilton's.

Amber Heard Here's the 1st Time Johnny Hit Me ... Says He Slapped Her 3x

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HERE'S HOW IT STARTED
UPDATE

2:21 PM PT -- Amber says once on a flight to Russia, she and Johnny decided to take MDMA and Johnny convinced a female flight attendant to do the same. Amber says the flight attendant became comfortable with her, touching her, which pissed Johnny off.

UPDATE

Amber claims Johnny then slammed the attendant's wrist on a table, telling her not to touch Amber. Amber says the whole thing triggered memories from her own experiences with Depp.

UPDATE

1:36 PM PT -- Amber just detailed the time Johnny allegedly searched her entire body for drugs ... and it got emotional.

UPDATE
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AGGRESSIVELY SEARCHED
UPDATE

She described the incident as a cavity search, saying Johnny poked around the inside of her vagina looking for cocaine he believed she was hiding from him. Amber said she would never hide cocaine in her body, because she didn't like drugs.

UPDATE

Amber told the jury the alleged incident went down on a group getaway to Hicksville Trailer Palace in Joshua Tree, CA ... and she says Johnny did the alleged cavity search in one of the trailers, even ripping one of her favorite dresses in the process.

UPDATE

She says she just stood there staring at a light in the trailer and didn't tell him to stop.

UPDATE

Also during her testimony, Amber recalled an incident where Johnny allegedly grabbed a teacup Yorkie while they were driving and held the pooch out the window of the moving car and started howling.

UPDATE

12:16 PM PT -- Amber just described the first time Johnny Depp allegedly hit her ... and it was tearful testimony. Unclear what year this supposedly happened, but she says they were on a couch and that he was drinking -- on top of that, she says she also believed he'd been using coke ... based on a jar of the stuff she claims was on the table nearby.

UPDATE

She goes on to explain that she asked him about a tattoo on his arm, and he said it read "Wino," which Amber says made her laugh because she thought he was joking. Suddenly, she claims he slapped her across the face -- which left her stunned. She testifies that he slapped her a second and third time as well, allegedly saying ... "You think you're a funny bitch?" Amber says she hoped and prayed he was gonna say "kidding" at some point.

UPDATE

When that didn't happen and she realized he was dead serious, she says she started to leave -- which made him start to bawl and apologize. She says he was on his knees asking for forgiveness, explaining that he thought he'd "put the f***er away," referencing a "monster."

UPDATE

She says she left the house, but that they spoke privately later ... where he vowed he'd never hit her again -- so she stayed with him. From there, she says things became violent between them regularly ... claiming Johnny would often drop in on her and accuse her of infidelity ... and often strike her during fights, despite her denying his accusations.

UPDATE
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HAPPIER TIMES
UPDATE

11:49 AM PT -- Amber's describing how Johnny came on strong when they filmed 'The Rum Diary,' saying he was the one who kissed her first. Once they circled back a couple years later for the press tour -- she says they embarked on a whirlwind romance that was hot and heavy ... and for which she says she was head over heels at first in the early stages of their relationship.

UPDATE

She references a "bubble" in which they dated -- apparently they were together in secret at the time -- and Amber says she was overwhelmed with the lavish gifts and worldwide destinations he invited her to see with him. Basically, things were great in the beginning.

UPDATE

11:23 AM PT -- Amber's first words under oath were emotional ones -- her lead attorney asked what she made about the fact that she was here in court over this matter ... and AH held back tears as she described how horrifying and painful it was for her to relive this chapter of her life.

UPDATE
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CHOKED UP ON THE STAND
UPDATE

Sounds like she's upset about the fact that some people she knew back then have spoken ill of her ... getting into the details of a private life she shared with then-husband, Johnny. Amber also briefly spoke about the U.K. trial a bit -- noting she was the star witness there ... and hates that she's having to go through this all over again on the biggest of stages.

UPDATE

So far, she's going through her early life and explaining how she landed in L.A. ... going through the same sorts of beats and motions that Johnny did, at first, when he testified. Amber is also recounting how she first encountered Johnny during "The Rum Diary."

Amber Heard has started testifying in Johnny Depp's defamation case -- the first opportunity she's had to tell her side of the story during the trial ... and it will be interesting to see if she can turn things around.

Johnny's ex-wife is on the stand, with her attorneys asking her questions first. They'll presumably guide her through a completely different narrative than the one JD's legal team has laid out thus far with their witnesses and even their own client.

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"YOU'RE F**KING KILLING ME"

As you know ... Johnny's side has presented him as the real victim of domestic violence -- as opposed to the other way around -- with the actor claiming Amber would often pick fights and even resort to violence when things escalated. He's insisted he never struck her.

Johnny's witnesses have also backed his story ... with friends and workers who were around in those days saying they, too, never saw any marks on Amber during the period she claims she was being hit. Three LAPD officers have testified to the same ... which was major.

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MADE-UP MAKEUP???

Now, it's Amber's turn ... and she's got a lot of ground to make up -- not just for the jury, we're sure, but in the court of public opinion ... which seems to be firmly on Johnny's side.

It'll be interesting to see how she responds to the most damning pieces of evidence that have been introduced thus far -- including the mystery of poop in Johnny's bed, the makeup mix-up that kicked this whole thing off ... and her admitting on tape to hitting her then-hubby.

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CRUEL AND GROTESQUE

Of course, people also wanna hear how she explains the fact Johnny got his finger cut off. He says it was injured when she threw a vodka bottle at him -- and we know she's denied that before ... but here, we'll probably get to hear the gory details from her POV all over again.

If Amber can come off as believable and compelling on the stand, it could have a big impact on the jury ... because as we said, she has not been painted in the greatest of lights at this point.

Originally Published -- 11:05 AM PT

Ray J Kim K Sex Tape 'Leak' Concocted ... Me, Her & Kris Involved

Ray J is speaking his truth about his ex, Kim Kardashian -- and that would be ... the infamous sex tape "leak" that put her on the map wasn't an accident at all, but a planned event and the Kardashians were in on it.

The singer spilled the alleged beans to DailyMail.com -- telling the outlet he's furious the Kardashians have essentially accused him of holding an unreleased sex tape over their heads ... and that he was the one who leaked the OG tape in the first place.

He insists the truth is the exact opposite -- namely, that the "leak" wasn't that at all ... but a systematic deal brokered between himself, Kim and Kris Jenner and Vivid Entertainment.

Here's how it allegedly went down, according to Ray J ... he says that while he and Kim were dating, he jokingly floated the idea of putting out a sex tape of theirs in the wake of Paris Hilton's video leaking -- which elevated her status and celebrity.

While he claims he didn't really mean it, Ray alleges Kim jumped on the idea ... going to her mom, talking it out and then getting the wheels in motion on the whole thing, which he says he was not really privy to until it came to signing away the rights.

Ray says he and Kim both signed a contract, and the rest is history.

Here's the fascinating thing ... the guy claims all the original sex tape footage -- including a SECOND one he says they shot in Santa Barbara that is unreleased thus far -- has always been in Kim's possession ... in a Nike shoebox under her bed.

Ray claims he's never been in possession of any copies, and that he's been fuming over the fact the Kardashians have made it seem of late he had more footage and that he was on the verge of releasing it. He did, in fact, give Kanye West a computer and hard drive with some personal content between him and Kim ... but argues there was nothing explicit on it.

One other thing ... it sounds like the Kardashians themselves might've triggered his rage here with their new Hulu series. In one of the first few episodes, Kim and co. apparently joke about Ray putting a dildo in her butt, which he's irate over ... saying they made him look bad.

It'll be interesting to see how the Kardashians respond, especially since Kris/Kim have long denied being involved in the release of the tape ... despite most people not believing them.

Met Gala Kim's Marilyn and Kris's Jackie ... Callback to Betrayal

Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner both looked spectacular Monday night at the Met Gala ... but the imagery re-creates one of the toughest moments in the real Jackie Kennedy's life.

Kim's dress was the actual garment worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang a super-sexy Happy Birthday to JFK May 19, 1962 at Madison Square Garden.

It was a secret to the public but not so much in the Beltway ... JFK was banging Marilyn (as was RFK) ... and everything about Marilyn that night undeniably oozed sexuality. Lots of folks in that circle say Jackie Kennedy was less than pleased ... that's an understatement.

In fact, JFK was also taken aback and shortly thereafter both he and RFK cut off their relationship with Marilyn. The actress was livid and felt used, and even started calling the White House with her grievances.

The new Netflix documentary, "The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes," gets into the birthday song in-depth and how it affected all the relationships. According to the doc -- and there was compelling evidence this is true -- Bobby Kennedy flew to L.A. on August 4, 1962, the day she died, and went to talk to Marilyn. Eyewitnesses say they got in a huge argument, Robert left and scurried out of L.A., and Marilyn then OD'd on prescription drugs.

On the other hand, both Kim and Kris dressed up as 2 of the most iconic women in the last hundred years.

Kim Kardashian Wins Defamation Portion of Case Against Blac Chyna

Blac Chyna's jury is still deliberating whether the Kardashians are on the hook for tanking her reality show, but Kim Kardashian has already scored a major victory.

The judge just tossed out Chyna's defamation claim against Kim, ruling KK made no defamatory statements against Rob's ex.

Chyna's lawyer argued even if Kim didn't directly make false statements against Chyna, she essentially co-signed slanderous and libelous statements allegedly made by other members of the Kardashian fam.

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Well, the judge begged to differ, saying there was ZERO evidence Kim took a "responsible part" in the various statements that have become the centerpiece of Chyna's case.

Translation -- Chyna's lawyer tried to sell a theory that Kim somehow winked or otherwise gave credence to statements made about Chyna's predilection for violence toward Rob. Chyna's lawyers also argued Kim was a co-signer on others who allegedly trash-talked Chyna to E! execs.

That all said, there's plenty for the jury to still consider. There are other defamation claims against various members of the Kardashian klan, as well as a claim they intentionally derailed her reality show.

Chyna was asking for $40 million for that claim.

The jury continues to deliberate.