Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande Still With Scooter Braun's Company Music Exec's Taking On Larger Role

Music executive Scooter Braun still has A-list clients like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande under his belt, despite reports ... but we're told he's got his hands full -- because he's stepping into a larger role.

Sources familiar with what's happening behind the scenes tell TMZ ... all of Scooter's clients, including Justin and Ariana, are still under contract with his company, SB Projects.

However, we're told contract negotiations have been going on for several months as he shifts into his bigger role as CEO of HYBE America -- his multi-billion-dollar South Korean entertainment company that manages the likes of BTS.

Sources say folks spreading rumors about Bieber and Ariana are off ... Scooter's team at SB Projects is still handling both Justin and Ariana as they work through figuring out what the new structure will look like.

For those unaware, reports have been flying recently about the 2 superstars leaving SB, but it's been a bit of a gray area until now.

There was also word that Demi Lovato has stepped away from Scooter -- our sources confirm her departure, saying it was a mutual decision.

As we reported, Scooter's HYBE America dropped around $300 million to purchase music label, Quality Control, earlier this year ... the ATL rap label that includes big names like Lil Baby and City Girls.

Bengals Star Ja'Marr Chase Gets Restraining Order Against Alleged Harasser

UPDATE

2:49 PM PT -- A judge has just granted Ja'Marr Chase's request for a temporary restraining order against his alleged harasser ... ordering the woman to stay at least 100 yards away from the football player and his mom.

UPDATE

According to court documents, a hearing on if the TRO will become a permanent one has been set for Sept. 7.

UPDATE

6:52 AM PT -- 8/16 -- Ja'Marr Chase's attorneys, Jason Lampert and Michael Goldstein, released a statement to TMZ Sports on Tuesday's filing ... saying, "Earlier today Mr. Chase filed a restraining order in Los Angeles County in connection with Ms. Hunter's ongoing harassment of Mr. Chase and his family since 2021."

UPDATE

"After exhausting every out of court remedy, he was left with no other option. Mr. Chase intends to use all legal options to protect himself and family from this unwarranted harassment. We have no further comment while this matter is pending."

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, one of the best young players in the NFL, is seeking court-ordered protection from a woman he claims is harassing him and his mother.

Ja'Marr beelined it to court Tuesday to file for a temporary restraining order against a woman named Ambar Hunter, who he claims he had a one-night stand with.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Ja'Marr claims Ambar is behind an "unhinged and disturbing" pattern of harassment aimed at him and his mother ... claiming she started threatening them after he refused to continue their relationship after a single night of romance.

Ja'Marr says he hooked up with Ambar way back in July 2021, and she's since tried to damage his brand, reputation and corporate sponsorships through "calculated and ongoing harassment."

The NFL All-Pro says Ambar mainly harasses him on social media, where she posts false statements about him being a deadbeat dad in order to sic her 18,000 followers on him and his mom.

Ja'Marr says they do not have a child together, as Ambar claims, and says she posts photos of another person's child to make it seem like they have a kid. Ja'Marr says she's refused to subject the kid to a DNA test.

What's more, Ja'Marr claims Ambar is spinning a web of lies about being a victim of domestic violence ... he says no law enforcement agency has found her to be credible.

Ja'Marr says Ambar is still ranting about him on social media as recently as this past July ... even going so far as to post his and his mother's personal cell phone numbers on Instagram, which he says led to tons of harassing calls and texts.

In the docs, Ja'Marr slams Ambar for what he says is an "ongoing harassment scheme" to harm him and negatively impact his NFL career ... and he's asking a judge to sign off on a temporary restraining order.

Originally Published -- 8/15 6:32 PM PT

Livvy Dunne Cheers On Rumored BF Paul Skenes ... At Milestone MILB Game

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TikTok / @thebullpentraining

The rumored romance between Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes appears to be very real ... 'cause the star gymnast attended the pitcher's important minor league game Tuesday night -- and she couldn't have seemed more smitten.

Skenes made his much-anticipated Single-A debut for the Bradenton Marauders -- just over a month after the Pittsburgh Pirates took him with the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft -- and Dunne had maybe the best seat in the house for the contest.

Livvy -- who's dropped hints she's been dating Skenes for the last few weeks through posts on her social media pages -- was in a box seat ... and looked as happy as ever to be there.

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And, Skenes certainly didn't disappoint her or the thousands of other Pirates fans who were tuned into the action ... he looked brilliant in his one inning of work, striking out two -- while hitting 100 MPH on the radar gun.

Dunne, meanwhile, was seen cheesin' after nearly every pitch.

It's the second time the 6-foot-6 righty has taken the mound since he was drafted ... he also threw an inning for the Rookie-level Florida Coast League Pirates last week -- and impressed there too.

As for his relationship with Dunne ... the two met at LSU -- and while neither has publicly confirmed they're an item, Livvy has made it clear through her attendance at Tigers games this past season and through her new Pirates attire that there's at least something going on between the athletes.

Skenes will reportedly stay in Bradenton through this week and pitch another couple innings for the Marauders on Sunday ... and if Dunne makes an appearance there too -- it sure would seem like young love to us!

Selena Gomez & Francia Raisa Friendship Back On Track ... Amid Rumors Of Friction

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Selena Gomez enjoyed a girl's night out with her kidney donor, Francia Raisa, in L.A. Friday, putting to rest any rumors of tension between them.

The two were mobbed by paparazzi wildly snapping photos and shooting video after they had dinner at Giorgio Baldi restaurant in Santa Monica.

Selena and Francia, both dressed to the nines, disappeared into the back of a waiting car, which then drove away.

Their get together comes at an interesting time. Despite their up and down relationship over the past year, Francia recently told a photojournalist there was no bad blood between her and the singer/actress. It appears she was right on the mark, given last night's outing.

As we've reported ... Selena and Francia were longtime friends who first met at an event many years ago while they were actors in separate TV shows.

In 2017, Selena revealed she needed a kidney transplant because of her battle with lupus. Francia stepped up and offered one of hers to Selena, who was happy to accept, and the kidney transplant was a success.

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Then, five years later, Selena told a reporter Taylor Swift was her only real friend in Hollywood, prompting Francia to write "interesting" in the comments section of an Instagram post discussing the matter.

Selena responded, "Sorry I didn't mention every person I know." Still, it created some friction between them and rumors started circulating they were no longer buddies.

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But, this past March, Selena said she "never ever, ever, be more in debt to a person than Francia." Coupled with Francia's latest statements on their relationship and now the dinner, it looks like everything is hunky dory with them.

We covered the drama on a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all platforms.

Harry Styles & Taylor Russell Hands All Over Each Other In London ... Dating Rumors Heat Up

Harry Styles and his suspected new boo, Taylor Russell, were getting pretty close to each other across the pond ... all smiles at the debut of her brand new play.

The singer was spotted cozying up to Taylor at press night for "The Effect" at the National Theatre in London Wednesday ... we're told Harry was keeping a low profile during the play, making sure Taylor got her props.

After the show, Harry and Taylor were certainly friendly in the crowd -- he even introduced her to his pal, James Corden. While Harry and Taylor never kissed or showed serious PDA, it was clear they wanted to stay close.

We're told Harry left the shindig after a while, jumping into the back of a car by himself while carrying Taylor's stuff. However, sources say Harry's ride pulled up to the stage door not long after, with Taylor jumping in the back seat before pulling off.

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TAYLOR FRONT & CENTER
TMZ.com

In case ya forgot, rumors about HS and TR have been circling for a while ... she was spotted at his Vienna concert last month, getting the true VIP treatment. It looked like she was in an area where members of his crew worked their magic behind the scenes.

Apart from that show, pics were going around of the 2 of them allegedly spending time together in Vienna ... so if they really are a thing, he's doing great in the boyfriend department -- supporting her at her latest play!

Jeff Lewis Kyle Richards 'Lesbian on Ozempic' Was a Joke ... But Now She's Not Texting Me Back!!!

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JUST JOKING!!!
TMZ.com

Jeff Lewis wants to let everyone know he was just havin' some fun when he called his pal Kyle Richards a "lesbian on Ozempic" ... unclear if she's realized that though, because she's leaving his messages on read!

We got Jeff at the Rockefeller Center in NYC Wednesday after he caused some buzz on Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live" with the comment.

Jeff makes it clear, he was only joking, and tells us he wanted to poke fun at the rumors about Kyle and country singer Morgan Wade dating -- something Kyle's denied quite a bit.

Despite it obviously being a goof, Jeff fills us in on some potentially troubled waters -- he shot her a text and she still hasn't responded. 👀

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Bravo

As we reported, Jeff drew some big laughs when he cracked wise about his friend ... Heather McDonald also jumped in, saying being gay is a side effect of the medication.

Hopefully, all is well between Kyle and Jeff -- just text him back, girl!!!

'Bravo' Star Jeff Lewis Jokingly Jabs Kyle Richards ... She's a 'Lesbian on Ozempic'

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CRUSHING KYLE
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Jeff Lewis called Kyle Richards a "lesbian on Ozempic," and while he was certainly joking ... it's a toss-up as to whether the 'Housewives' star herself is laughing.

The famous interior designer -- known for appearing on Bravo's "Flipping Out" -- made the flippant comment on Andy Cohen's show "Watch What Happens Live" ... where they were running a silly segment called 'Jeff, What's Your Issue?' and flashing through faces of people.

Eventually, they landed on Kyle ... and Jeff made the crack, feigning outrage that she didn't tell him she was into women and that she was taking the diabetes weight-loss medication. You could tell it still had an impact though ... 'cause Andy was left blushing on the spot.

Heather McDonald was also on set for this moment, and she ran with the gag ... joking that one of Ozempic's side effects is that it makes people gay. Jeff, who's gay, kept going with it, and the whole thing was dealt with in a light-hearted manner, all told.

Of course ... Jeff's zing comes on the heels of recent speculation Kyle might be dating female country singer Morgan Wade ... this after spending a ton of time with her on the road, and right around the time she separated from her husband, Mauricio Umansky, no less.

Since then, we've learned that's not the case ... and that the reason Kyle's been hanging out with Morgan so much is because of a documentary she's producing about the artist's life.

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STAR OF THE SHOW

Still, people have had their opinions about Kyle and Morgan regardless ... something they're well aware of, and which they leaned into in MW's latest music video -- poking fun at all the rumors.

We'll see how Jeff's remarks land with Kyle, who hasn't responded. Not yet.

Kyle Richards Appearing In Morgan Wade's Music Video ... Mocks Dating Rumors!

Kyle Richards is teaming up with Morgan Wade for the country singer's new music video ... a move the two say is intended to poke fun at rumors they're currently dating.

Morgan shared a behind-the-scenes look at her new music video for her song, "Fall in Love with Me," which dropped on Friday. She says the vid comes next week, and it looks like Kyle is front and center.

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STAR OF THE SHOW

The gals say the internet's gonna go nuts over it, with the singer saying folks always assume she's dating whoever is in her music videos ... so they thought what better way to have some fun with the rumors than to put Kyle in one of them!

They chat about how the 2 became friends and even joke around about the different fits Kyle wears for the vid -- clearly, they get along pretty well together.

You'll recall, rumors have been flying about them dating ever since her split from Mauricio Umansky ... but Kyle's been pretty adamant about them being just friends.

We learned earlier this week that Kyle's been producing a documentary about Morgan's life, so they've obviously been getting closer as a result ... so the music video appearance seems like the perfect fit!

Kylie & Timothée Still a Thing Despite Split Reports

Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet are still a couple, despite reports claiming the two have called it quits ... TMZ has learned.

If you missed it, a report popped up Wednesday claiming Kylie'd been "dumped" ... a story we're told couldn't be further from the truth.

We've spoken to multiple sources close to the couple who tell us just because Kylie and the "Wonka" star haven't been seen together in public doesn't mean they've split. Our sources say everything is cool between the two, they're still an item, and "any reports that say otherwise are false." One source warned fans, "not to believe everything they read."

Of course, things have been pretty secretive between Kylie and Timothée, with reports first popping up they were dating early April.

As we reported -- Kylie was spotted at Timothée's place when the rumors started, and the two grabbed tacos around the same time.

Since then, we haven't seen a whole lot of the two together ... so it's clear they just want to keep things on the DL and out of the spotlight while they continue to build their relationship.

Harry Styles Sign of the Tatted Times Olivia, Wherefore Art Thigh?!?

Harry Styles is sailing off into the sunset after wrapping his nearly 2-year-long tour -- but it seems he can't quite shake everything that came with it ... like, perhaps, Olivia Wilde.

The singer is still out in Italy, enjoying a little R&R after completing his final show in Reggio Emilia. On Friday, he went on a little boat trip on a lake in Bolsena -- where he and some pals (James Corden included) were soaking up the sun. And, yes ... HS went shirtless.

Besides the fact that he's got a ripped bod, he's also got a ton of tattoos all over his torso. More importantly, though, he has leg tats as well -- one in particular here stands out.

Peep ... it's ink on his thigh, of all places, and it clearly reads "Olivia." There's another word right underneath that, but it's harder to make out what that one is, or what the connection is. Of course, for the Olivia tat ... folks are obviously assuming it's related to his recent ex.

There's another possible explanation ... in 2015, One Direction put out a song called 'Olivia,' so this could be related to that. Considering we haven't seen this tat on him before, though -- many are speculating it's fairly recent. If it is ... well, that's certainly interesting.

As you know ... Harry and Olivia dated for the better part of a year or so, and they seemed head over heels for quite a long time. Of course, their relationship wasn't without drama.

Seeing how Harry dating Olivia caused a lot of strife (at least among his fans) ... ya gotta wonder if he'll have this removed at some point -- again, assuming it is in fact related to her.

Then again ... maybe he never looks back for this sort of thing. No ragrets, right?

Kyle Richards Shops w/ Morgan Wade in Aspen ... All Business!!!

update

12:55 PM PT -- As it turns out, there's a perfectly good explanation for why Kyle is hanging with Morgan in Aspen of all places -- and it's strictly business, as TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Morgan's actually got a show in town later this weekend, which explains why she's there herself. As for Kyle, we're hearing she's actually shooting a docuseries in Aspen as well ... so, it seems like their paths naturally crossed.

Folks are, no doubt, going to still speculate about KR and MW -- seeing how they've been hanging out a lot lately -- but on its face, it would appear they're just good friends.

Kyle Richards isn't putting out the fire over speculation about her and Morgan Wade -- in fact, she's kinda throwing gas on ... 'cause now, they're out in Colorado, just the 2 of 'em.

The 'RHOBH' star was spotted hitting the town in Aspen Friday with none other than Morgan tagging along, right by her side. In photos obtained by TMZ, you can see them cruising into a shop and perusing the shelves ... eyeing jewelry and other knickknacks strewn about.

We're told that while Kyle and Morgan did have a little entourage with them ... they were mostly left to their own devices, and didn't really leave each other's side during the pop-in.

Now, while they were definitely rolling together ... eyewitnesses say there were no clear signs of PDA between them during this outing. Still, though -- them continuing to hang out as much as they do (which is a lot) is further fueling rumors that they're a romantic item.

They've publicized their close friendship for about a year and a half now -- going on vacays together and whatnot ... but folks are thinking they're actually dating now, especially in the wake of Kyle's current separation with her longtime husband, Mauricio Umansky.

Kyle recently made it seem like she and Mauricio were working things out -- but in this instance ... the guy is nowhere to be found. So it's unclear where things stand, TBH.

Whether Morgan is Kyle's girlfriend or not ... at least she's in good company through all this.

Happy bargain hunting, you two.

Originally Published -- 12:03 PM PT

Travis Scott Flames Timothée Chalamet Over Kylie

Travis Scott is treating Kylie Jenner's new boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet, like an oompa loompa on his new album "Utopia" ... and wants his bm to know she'll never find another beau more lit than him!!!

On the appropriately titled track, "Meltdown," Travis blows his tops going at Timothée while dissing his upcoming role as the King of Candy with the lyrics, "Chocolate AP and chocolate the Vs got the/ Willy Wonka factory (Vs)/ Burn an athlete like it's calories find another flame hot as me, bitch!!!"

In case you're not following Travis' hot lines, an AP is short for Audemars Piguet, one of the watches rappers favor these days that cost just as much as a moderately sized mansion ... while Timothée is set to play Willy Wonka in the fable's latest reboot ... a move too corny for his taste.

Confirmation that Kylie was getting cozy inside Timothée's chocolate factory began to surface in April, when her car was spotted at his house, and again during a mid-day taco run.

Kylie and Travis entered the summer in a fluid co-parenting situation, with zero expectations of getting back together ... but Travis is clearly upset Kylie moved on with the Golden Ticket guy!!!

Travis dropped his long-awaited "Utopia" album on Friday and all signs point to it being a huge success, with several fans complaining of outages on streaming services as everyone rushed to listen.

Well, everyone 'cept for Timothée most likely.

Irina Shayk Dating Tom Brady ... Spend Night Together, He Caresses Her Face

UPDATE

8:05 AM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Tom Brady and Irina Shayk are indeed dating. We're told they met in May at the wedding of billionaire art heir Joe Nahmad and model Madison Headrick in Sardinia. Our sources say "A number of models were hitting on Tom, and Irina was one of them," although her rep denies it.

UPDATE

The sources say Gisele Bundchen is "not happy at all" about the news Tom is dating Irina. The news came out just a couple of days after Gisele's birthday.

UPDATE

We're told Tom and Irina spent the entire weekend together.

Tom Brady seems to have a new love in his life -- and it just so happens to be Bradley Cooper's ex ... Irina Shayk, who spent the night at the dude's house this weekend.

Paps caught TB12 and Irina apparently cozying up in L.A. over the course of 2 days -- which all started on Friday, when we're told he first picked her up at Hotel Bel-Air in the afternoon ... only to drive her over to his crib. Our sources tell us Tom and Irina walked into his pad -- all smiles-- and that she didn't leave his place until the following morning ... at about 9:30.

Tom dropped Irina off at the hotel, only to pick her back up later that same afternoon. It was here they were photographed and filmed having a sweet interaction in his car.

They were stopped at a light ... and, clear as day, Tom is seen stroking Irina's cheek -- very tenderly, we might add. She's leaned over in her seat with a huge smile ... and Tom is also flashing a big grin. They even seem to be laughing together.

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After this brief moment of PDA ... we're told Tom and Irina went back to his pad yet again.

Funny enough ... rumors of these two possibly being involved have been swirling for about a month now. Reports said they were at the same wedding back in June, and that Irina was allegedly "throwing herself" at Tom all throughout the evening ... something her rep denied.

In fact, Irina's team came out swinging at the notion she was into him ... calling that report "totally malicious and fictional." Welp, it would appear there was some truth in it. Tom and Irina haven't said anything about this themselves yet -- but on its face, it looks like they're romantically involved ... if not fully dating. TB ain't stroking anyone else's face like that!

Of course, they're both single ... especially Tom, who recently divorced Gisele Bundchen. Irina and Brad have been done for a while -- and she's dated around since, as we've seen.

Tom is certainly the most eligible bachelor in Hollywood ... and has a lot more time on his hands post-football. Sure seems like he's making good use of it -- have fun you two!

Originally Published -- 6:00 AM PT

'SpongeBob SquarePants' Voice Actor's Wife Clarifies My Hubby Ain't Dating Ariana!!!

Ariana Grande is dating a guy who plays SpongeBob SquarePants -- but it ain't the main one you're thinking of ... which is why the wife of the real SB is chirping up.

Fellow voice actor Jill Talley -- who's married to the man who's been voicing SpongeBob on TV for years now -- posted a clarification in response to an IG post from The Cut ... which ran with a confusing headline about AG's new boo, Ethan Slater.

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It reads, "Is Ariana Grande Dating Spongebob Now?" and it also features a shot of Ariana and Ethan -- this of course after we broke the news that the 'Wicked' costars are together.

Naturally, The Cut's implication here is technically accurate ... but not totally clear in and of itself. Yes, Slater portrays a live-action version of SpongeBob on Broadway -- a role for which he's earned Tony noms. But he's NOT the voice actor who's been playing him forever now.

That's something JT wanted to set the record straight on, commenting on The Cut's post ... "Hi everyone, I’m married to Tom Kenny (who voices SpongeBob on the TV show). He is not dating Ariana Grande. I don’t know if Ethan Slater (who played SpongeBob in the musical) is or isn’t dating Ariana Grande. However, they’re both adorable and I totally ship it."

She added this on her own relationship ... "Just wanted to set the record straight. P.S. as for me and Tom Kenny -- we are celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary today."

In other words ... one dude shouldn't be mistaken for the other -- and for a minute, it sounds like they were. Good to know the OG SpongeBoy is faithful through and through.

Like we first told you ... Ethan and Ariana have been dating each other for a few months now -- making the timeline of things a little murky. We know she and Dalton Gomez had ended their relationship in January, but that they also gave it one last go in May during their 2-year anniversary. On the face of it, it seems like there might've been some overlap.

As for Ethan, he's also still married ... but we're hearing he, too, is separated from his wife.

Lakers Star Austin Reaves I Never Dated Taylor Swift ... 'All Bulls***!!!'

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ALL THE SMOKE / SHOWTIME

Lakers star Austin Reaves is shaking off rumors that he dated Taylor Swift ... saying straight up there's never been a love story between him and the pop singer.

The rumor initially cropped up a few weeks ago ... with some on the internet suggesting they had seen the basketball player with Swift while the two were at an Arkansas bar shortly after she had called things off with Matty Healy.

But, when Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson inquired about it all on the latest episode of the "All The Smoke" podcast ... Reaves said it just ain't true.

"I have never met her, never talked to her," the 25-year-old told the guys on the show. It's "all bulls***. I don't know her."

"I ain’t never talked to her," he added.

As for if Reaves would be down to date her at some point in the future ... Jackson actually tried to pry that answer from the hooper, but the media-savvy Reaves didn't want to indulge.

A shooter on the court only, it seems!

Quavo & Lori Harvey Not Dating, L.A. Run-In Just Coincidence ... He Was All About Biz

The Quavo and Lori Harvey dating rumor's been fueled by a couple of misleading photos -- and we've learned all they really have in common right now is the same taste in restaurants.

The buzz is the celebs had a hot lunch date at the San Vicente Bungalows -- an exclusive L.A. hot spot -- and while it's true they were there at the same time this week, they were not together.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Quavo was sitting at a different table from Lori, and he was having a lunch meeting. We're told he was focused purely on business, and not Lori.

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YOU GO, GIRL
TikTok / @_lexxdanielle

Even Lori's tried to squash it by commenting on the TikTok post that claimed they must be dating. She explained she was there with friends, and Quavo co-signed ... calling the post "cap."

Real talk? We're told the pics of them leaving the joint were taken 10 minutes apart. While that's a common tactic celeb couples use to throw off paps, this time it's just a coincidence.

Lori is still dating "Snowfall" star Damson Idris, and Quavo is putting the finishing touches on his "Rocket Power" album, which will feature his collab with Future -- the one with that direct shot at Russell Wilson.

Sorry folks, just a very cold cup o' tea when it comes to Lori and Quavo.

Old news is old news!
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