Music

Rascal Flatts' J.D. Rooney has been off the radar for a long while -- but he's back to clear the air on his personal life ... and addressing the rumors he was transitioning to a woman.

The country artist posted a lengthy update on X Wednesday, where he opened up about where he's been, what he's been going through and what's NOT true about his personal journey ... namely, he debunks a rumor that he was undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

Rooney starts his open letter to fans by apologizing for being MIA over the past few years or so, and then adds ... "First off, I am alive! There have been so many rumors and opinions thrown around about me - but I’m finally healthy and ready for the world. And NO, I’m not transitioning to be a woman.  That thought has never entered my mind. Nothing against the trans community whatsoever but I needed to set the record straight."

The famed guitarist goes on to say he hit rock bottom in September 2021 when he got busted for a DUI in Tennessee -- a wild incident TMZ covered in great detail at the time.

Rooney says after that, he went away to Utah to get clean ... a process he says took a lot out of him, but from which he came out the other side sober and better than ever. JDR reflects on what he says his alcoholism caused ... like major rifts in his relationships.

Like we said, J.D.'s doing much better now -- adding, "My life has been changed forever - and I’m grateful for the change. I’ve been sober now for almost 28 months come this Jan 13. I never believed I could actually live my life without drinking. It had become such a huge part of my daily and nightly routine ... God intervened and helped me to get my life back."

He thanks fans/supporters for the prayers and well-wishes -- and dishes those back to 'em in return ... hoping everyone has a great 2024, which he certainly seems to be having himself.

Desde las secuelas de su divorcio a suspirar por sus hijos, Britney Spears tiene un montón de cosas en su mente en este momento, pero su carrera musical na es uno de ellas.

Fuentes con conocimiento directo le dicen a TMZ que los informes recientes de que Britney está en la primera etapa de su 10 º álbum de estudio no son ciertos... y la música es la última de sus preocupaciones en este momento.

También nos dicen que los campos de Charli XCX y Julia Michaels no se están comunicando con el equipo de Britney ... a pesar de los medios de comunicación que afirman que habían sido aprovechados para escribir canciones para el hitmaker "Womanizer".

Un regreso musical no puede ser su prioridad en este momento, pero nuestras fuentes nos dicen que ella podría cambiar de opinión en el futuro.

La música de Britney tuvo un impulso últimamente cuando trató de liberarse de los grilletes de su tutela

Sus esfuerzos dieron frutos, pero fue a expensas de la relación con su padre, Jamie Spears. Sin embargo, la cantante se ha mostrado habierta a una reconciliación, sobre todo después de la noticia de que le amputaron la pierna.

Chandler Jones is adding to his body ink collection -- this time, the current NFL free agent decided to have the word "Messiah" forever etched across the top of his head.

33-year-old Jones shared footage of his most recent tattoo session at a shop in Arizona on Wednesday ... showing an artist putting the needle to his dome as he calmly sat through the process.

After the job was finished, Jones said he heard his late mother, Camille, tell him to stop getting tattoos.

Jones has seemingly hit a rough patch since the Las Vegas Raiders cut him back in September ... including numerous run-ins with law enforcement and bizarre Instagram posts.

It's unclear what exactly is going on with the Super Bowl champion ... but his followers have expressed concern and support in the comment section of his uploads.

TMZ Sports is told Chandler has been staying with his brother, Arthur, recently ... and being around family has done a lot of good for his situation.

Joe Jonas is not one to be left in the dust while his ex, Sophie Turner, moves on following their bitter split ... spotted boarding a private jet with a stunning model.

After ringing in the New Year in Los Cabos, the singer linked up with former Miss Teen USA titleholder Stormi Bree Wednesday ... which is sure to kickstart some romance rumors.

It's the first time we've seen the two together -- and they don't even follow each other on IG -- so they may be trying to keep things under the radar.

Either way, after some downtime in Mexico, it's likely Joe's heading home to NYC ... as Sophie has to drop their kids off to him on Jan. 7 after she spent Xmas and New Year's with them.

Unclear if the former "Game Of Thrones" star introduced the youngsters to her new BF, British aristocrat Peregrine Pearson, during the holidays.

The new couple were hot and heavy from the get-go ... kissing in Paris just one month after Joe filed for divorce from Sophie in September ... and later lockin' lips some more during a cozy London stroll in early December.

Joe's clearly taking things a little slower ... but it may just be a matter of time before he gets in some serious smoochin' with Stormi!

Joe Jonas tampoco se está quedando muy atrás, mientras su ex Sophie Turner sigue adelante después de su amarga ruptura, ya que el cantante fue visto abordando un jet privado con una impresionante modelo.

Después de pasar el Año Nuevo en Los Cabos, el cantante apareció con la ex Miss Teen de Estados Unidos, Stormi Bree el miércoles, lo que puso en marcha rumores de romance.

Es la primera vez que vemos a los dos juntos, ni siquiera se siguen en Instagram, por lo que pueden estar tratando de mantener las cosas bajo el radar.

De cualquier manera, después de un tiempo de inactividad en México, es probable que Joe se dirija a casa en Nueva York. Sophie le tiene que dejar a sus hijas el 7 de enero después de haber pasado la Navidad y el Año Nuevo con ellas.

No está claro si la ex estrella de "Juego de Tronos" le presentó su nuevo novio a las pequeñas, el aristócrata británico Peregrine Pearson durante las vacaciones.

La nueva pareja se ha visto cariñosa y muy en serio desde el principio, besándose en París solo un mes después de que Joe le pidiera el divorcio a Sophie en septiembre y más tarde bien juntos durante un tierno paseo por Londres a principios de diciembre.

Iggy Azalea is calling it quits on the album she’s been working on for months -- most of them with Tory Lanez -- and she doesn’t know if she’ll return to music, because her heart’s no longer in it!!!

The Aussie-born rap star penned a lengthy note to her fans Wednesday ... blindsiding many in the process by declaring hanging it up was the best course of action for her in 2024.

Iggy denied she was bullied or pressured to drop the mic, but admitted she no longer loves expressing herself through music.

She says, "In truth what I’ve known for a long time is that I feel more passionately about design and creative direction than I do about song writing. To many of you that’s no shock to read. It shows in my work. 😢 ... Haha! Jokes aside, i do spend a lot more time on that part of things… because Im most confident at that."

The "Fancy" rapper then revealed she's no longer moving forward with her next album project -- she says production's been stalled for months, and there was 0% urge to finish it.

Iggy had been working with Tory in-studio throughout 2022 but their pairing obviously hit a skid when TL was found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion, and sentenced to 10 years in prison ... a verdict Iggy did not like.

Without Tory steering the ship, Iggy spent much of 2023 teasing singles without delivering them ... which brings us to present day, and her waving the white flag.

Iggy Azalea está dando por terminado el álbum en el que ha estado trabajando durante meses y no sabe si volverá a hacer música, ¡dice que su corazón ya no está en sintonía!

La estrella del rap nacida en Australia le escribió una larga nota a sus fans el miércoles. La nota dejó a algunos bastante desilusionados, pero hacerlo fue la mejor manera para ella de comenzar el 2024.

Iggy negó haber sido intimidada o presionada para colgar el micrófono, pero admitió que ya no le gusta expresarse a través de la música: "En verdad lo que sé desde hace tiempo es que siento más pasión por el diseño y la dirección creativa que por escribir canciones. A muchos de ustedes no les sorprenderá. Se nota en mi trabajo. 😢 ... ¡Jaja!  Bromas aparte, le dedico mucho más tiempo a ese aspecto de mi vida... porque me siento más segura haciendo eso".

La rapera de "Fancy" reveló que ya no estaba avanzando con su próximo proyecto de álbum, Iggy dice que la producción se ha estancado durante meses y había 0% de ganas de terminarlo.

Iggy había estado trabajando con Tory Lanez en el estudio a lo largo de 2022, pero su emparejamiento se vio sacudido cuando Tory fue declarado culpable de dispararle a Megan Thee Stallion y condenado a más de 10 años de prisión, un veredicto que a Iggy no le gustó en absoluto.

Sin Tory dirigiendo el barco, Iggy pasó gran parte de 2023 burlándose de singles sin entregarlos y lo que nos trae a la actualidad con la bandera blanca ondeando.

50 Cent's New Year's resolution is already crashing and burning -- barely a day after saying he'd bring positive energy in the new year, he couldn't resist taking a jab at his favorite punching bag ... Diddy!!!

On Tuesday, 50 posted himself with a glass of champagne and a Santa Claus hat along with the upbeat message, "2024 let’s go! Nothing but positive energy, let’s make it happen."

Too bad Uncle Murda's "Rap Up 2023 Pt. 2" recap was designed solely to highlight Diddy's string of legal battles, while also plugging 50's expose doc on the Bad Boy mogul.

On top of that, 50 jumped at the opportunity to sling more mud at the Bad Boy legacy in a follow-up IG post.

Uncle Murda didn't bite his tongue accusing Diddy of being guilty of all the allegations, and did it disrespectfully over Diddy and Biggie's "Victory" instrumental to add insult to injury.

G-Unit Film and Television confirmed with TMZ Hip Hop that 50's proceeds from his Diddy doc will benefit real victims of sexual misconduct, so he might argue a positive will come out of the constant promotion of the project.

Blueface is putting all the controversy he built up in the last year with rival rappers to good use ... by hopping on the remix of his baby mama Jaidyn Alexis' "Barbie" track and dissing them all!!!

After Jaidyn raps her verse, Blueface defiantly inserts all his beefs into the conversation ... "Offset upset/Cardi B got the update/Soulja Boy found out his bitch got f*****" ... before going on to claim that NLE Choppa’s baby mama Marissa Da'nae also wanted to surf on his board.

Blueface and Offset have been at odds for weeks over still unfounded claims he cheated on Cardi with Chrisean Rock ... but BF's bits about Soulja's ex-girlfriend are easily the boldest -- considering he's currently being sued by her!!!

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story in December ... Jackilyn Martinez, mother of Soulja Boy's kid, filed a lawsuit against Blue for allegedly making false statements about their past hookup.

Blueface acknowledged he was just jabbing to get streams, because hip hop is a business at the end of the day.

Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny may have called it quits on their relationship before the end of 2023, but they rang in 2024 together with a crew of close pals ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the two remain close -- despite their recent breakup -- and have a group of mutual friends. The crew -- including Justin and Hailey Bieber -- were all vacationing together near Barbados, taking in New Year's Eve festivities.

In fact, in a clip of NYE fireworks posted by one of Kendall's pals, you hear Bad Bunny in the background wish everyone, "Feliz Año Nuevo!"

While the recent reunion may raise some eyebrows, we're told the two aren't officially back together, not yet at least, we're told the trip happened because of mutual friends ... there's nothing romantic.

It was a whirlwind romance for Kendall and the music superstar, spotted back in February leaving a double date with Justin and Hailey. Things heated up a month later when they were seen sharing a kiss and hug after sushi with her sis, Kylie Jenner.

In April, TMZ obtained photos of the two on a solo horseback riding date ... indicating things had gotten really serious between the two.

By the middle of the year, they were officially official -- cuddling up together at a Drake show, sitting front row at the Gucci show, doing a Gucci campaign together and hitting up the 'SNL' after-party following BB's gig on the show.

However, come late October, fans started to notice the two hadn't been spotted together in a while and questioned if things had fallen apart.

Fast forward to last month, and news broke of the couple's reported split.

Kendall Jenner y Bad Bunny pueden haber puesto fin a su relación antes de que terminara el 2023, pero empezaron el 2024 juntos y con un grupo de amigos cercanos, según ha averiguado TMZ.

Fuentes con conocimiento directo nos dicen que los dos siguen siendo cercanos -a pesar de su reciente ruptura- y tienen un grupo de amigos en común. El equipo -que incluye a Justin y Hailey Bieber- se fue de vacaciones juntos cerca de Barbados, para celebrar las festividades de Año Nuevo.

De hecho, en un clip de Año Nuevo, con fuegos artificiales, publicado por uno de los amigos de Kendall, se escucha a Bad Bunny de fondo desear a todos: "¡Feliz Año Nuevo!"

Aunque el reciente encuentro puede levantar sospechas en algunos, nos dicen que los dos no están oficialmente juntos de nuevo, o no todavía por lo menos. Nos dicen que el viaje ocurrió debido a estos amigos en común y que no hay nada romántico.

Fue un romance relámpago el de Kendall con la superestrella de la música, que se remonta a febrero, cuando salieron en una cita doble con Justin y Hailey. Las cosas se calentaron un mes más tarde, cuando fueron vistos compartiendo un beso y un abrazo después de comer sushi con Kylie Jenner.

En abril, TMZ obtuvo fotos de los dos andando a caballo en solitario, lo que indicaba que las cosas se habían puesto muy serias entre los dos.

A mediados de año, eran oficialmente oficial. Los vimos acurrucados juntos en un show de Drake, sentados en primera fila en el show de Gucci, haciendo una campaña de Gucci juntos y participando en la afterparty SNL después de la actuación de BB en el show.

Sin embargo, a finales de octubre, los fans empezaron a notar que no habían sido vistos juntos en un tiempo y se preguntaron si las cosas habían terminado.

A principios de este mes se supo que la pareja se había separado.

Lil Nas X says not even a Dave Chappelle brouhaha can disrupt his newfound "Christian era" of his music career -- and sounds like he wants the comedian to get a new routine.

On Wednesday, LNX took exception to Dave's bit about him on his latest Netflix special "The Dreamer" ... where DC tells a story about LNX having his hopes set on recruiting Chappelle for his controversial 2021 "Montero" video.

The video infamously depicted LNX traveling to Hell to give Satan a lapdance -- but Dave said he had no idea who the "Old Town Road" artist was at the time ... and laughed at LNX's decision to push sexual boundaries onto his youthful fanbase.

LNX is now arguing that "Montero" is old news and anyone holding on to that version of him is living in the past.

To prove it, LNX announced his new single/video coming next week and previewed the holier than thou artwork ... an illustration of him dressed as a priest with the caption, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen."

T.I. y su esposa Tiny Harris están siendo acusados de drogar a una mujer que conocieron en un club nocturno y de luego llevarla a su hotel para hacer un trío, según la demanda que la mujer ha presentado contra la pareja.

La demandante, que se ha presentado como Jane Doe, dice que estaba alistada en la Fuerza Aérea de Estados Unidos y estacionada en Los Ángeles alrededor del 2005, cuando ella y un amigo fueron a una fiesta en la casa de Coolio y se reunieron con un tipo que se hizo llamar "Caviar". Según alegan, este tipo trabajó para T.I. y Tiny.

En la demanda obtenida por TMZ, la demandante dice que T.I. y Tiny no se presentaron en la fiesta, pero "Caviar" le dijo que estarían en un club nocturno de Los Ángeles la noche siguiente y ahí es cuando todos se reunieron en la sección VIP.

La mujer dice que pidió 2 Amaretto sours por su cuenta, y que luego Tiny supuestamente le dio otra bebida que nunca probó, pero que ella y su amiga sí compartieron.

Cuando T.I. decidió marcharse del club, la mujer afirma que le pidió a Tiny irse con ellos. Su amiga se iría con "Caviar", quien le dijo que todos iban al mismo sitio.

Pero eso no es lo que pasó, al parecer ... En la demanda, la mujer dice que otras dos mujeres que no conocía se metieron en un SUV con Tiny, T.I. y ella, y los 5 terminaron en una habitación de hotel. Pero Tiny echó a las otras dos mujeres, porque una de ellas estaba coqueteando demasiado con T.I.

Una vez que se quedaron los tres solos, ella alega que Tiny la llevó al baño, donde le quitó la ropa y luego T.I. se unió a ellos desnudo y todos se metieron en la ducha.

Después, afirma que empezó a sentirse aturdida y muy mareada, y T.I. le dijo que se fuera a la cama. Mientras él veía algo de porno, ella afirma que él le pasó un aceite y le exigió que le diera un masaje. Finalmente, Tiny se unió a ellos y supuestamente inmovilizó a la mujer boca abajo y empezó a frotar y machacar su cuerpo desnudo sobre el demandante.

Mientras esto ocurría, la demandante alega que T.I. le penetró la vagina con el dedo del pie, y ella le dijo "no" mientras intentaba apartarle. Según la demanda, él se levantó y dijo que iba a buscar un preservativo. Ella se fue al baño a vomitar. Afirma que T.I. se rio burlonamente de ella y le dijo: "¿Estás bien? Parece que estás en último lugar".

Poco después, dice que se desmayó hasta la mañana siguiente, cuando un guardia de seguridad la despertó. Ella afirma que su "vagina estaba muy adolorida", sentía picazón y ardor, pero el guardia de seguridad le dijo que se tenía que ir y la acompañó a la salida mientras T.I. y Tiny todavía estaban dormidos en la cama.

La mujer ha demandado a los Harris por agresión sexual, asalto, negligencia y detención ilegal.

Por cierto, dice que presenta la demanda ahora debido a la Ley de Responsabilidad por Abuso Sexual y Encubrimiento de California, que abrió una ventana de un año para la reactivación de las reclamaciones cuando el estatuto de limitaciones de otro modo habría corrido.

7:52 AM PT -- T.I. and Tiny Harris tell TMZ ... "On the heels of positivity, negativity always rears its ugly head. This plaintiff has been threatening to file this lawsuit for THREE years. For THREE years, we have emphatically and categorically denied these allegations. For THREE years we have maintained our innocence and refused to pay these extortionate demands for things we didn't do. For THREE years, we've maintained the same position while the claims in this story have changed time and time again. Our position is clear... We are innocent of these fake claims, we will not be shaken down, and we look forward to our day in court."

T.I. and his wife Tiny Harris are accused of drugging a woman they met in a nightclub, and then taking her to their hotel for a threesome ... according to the lawsuit the woman's now filed against the couple.

The plaintiff, who's filed as a Jane Doe, says she was enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in L.A. in or around 2005 when she and a friend went to a party at Coolio's home and met a guy who went by "Caviar" ... who, they allege, worked for T.I. and Tiny.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the plaintiff says T.I. and Tiny no-showed at the party, but "Caviar" told her they would be at an L.A. nightclub the next night, and that's when they all met ... in the VIP section.

The woman says she ordered 2 Amaretto sours on her own, before Tiny allegedly handed her another drink ... one from which she never saw Tiny sip, and which the woman also shared with her friend.

When T.I. decided to leave the club, the woman claims he asked her to ride with Tiny and him ... while her friend would ride with "Caviar," who said they were all going to the same place.

But, that's not how it played out, allegedly ... in the suit, the woman says 2 other women she didn't know got in an SUV with Tiny, T.I. and herself, and all 5 of them ended up in a hotel room -- but Tiny kicked out the other 2 women, because one was flirting too much with T.I.

Once it was just the 3 of them ... she alleges Tiny took her into the bathroom, where she took off both of their clothes and then a naked T.I. joined them and they all got in the shower.

Afterward, she claims she was starting to feel lightheaded and extremely dizzy, and T.I. told her to go to the bed. While he watched some porn, she alleges he handed her massage oil and demanded she give him a rub down. Eventually, Tiny joined them and allegedly pinned the woman on her stomach and began rubbing and grinding her naked body on the plaintiff.

While that was happening, she alleges T.I. penetrated her vagina with his toe, and she told him "no" as she tried to push him away. According to the suit, he got up and said he was going to get a condom -- but the plaintiff says she went to the bathroom to vomit. She claims T.I. mockingly laughed at her and said, "Are you alright? Looks like you in last place."

Shortly thereafter, she says she passed out until the next morning, when a security guard woke her up. She claims her "vagina was in serious pain" -- itching and burning -- but the security guard told she had to go, and escorted her out while T.I. and Tiny were still asleep in the bed.

She is suing the Harrises for sexual battery, assault, negligence and false imprisonment.

BTW, the plaintiff says she's filing the suit now due to California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act ... which opened a year-long window for the revival of claims where the statute of limitations would have otherwise run.

A lawyer for T.I. and Tiny tells TMZ ... "Not only are the claims bogus, but they missed the deadline to file the lawsuit."

Kelly Clarkson afirma que su exmarido y ex manager le dijo que no era lo suficientemente sexy para aparecer como jueza en "The Voice", a pesar de que finalmente lo consiguió.

La ex participante de 'Idol' al parecer hizo la alegación sobre Brandon Blackstock -con quien se divorció en 2022- a un comisionado de trabajo de California en 2023 al tratar de determinar cómo había manejado Brandon sus finanzas durante su relación, según un documento judicial obtenido por el Post.

Según el medio, Clarkson dio testimonio en el que alegó que Blackstock le había dicho que no pasaría como entrenadora de 'The Voice' porque no tenía el atractivo para ello.

Según los informes, Blackstock le dijo que la NBC estaba "buscando a alguien más del tipo símbolo sexual". Luego, supuestamente invocó el nombre de Rihanna como una comparación para señalar que Kelly no se parecía a ella, y citó que esta era una razón para no perseguir el trabajo de coaching que quería.

Kelly al parecer le había transmitido a Blackstock que quería unirse al panel de jueces por un tiempo, pero este la habría rechazado, argumentando que no solo no era lo suficientemente guapa para la televisión, sino que la cadena estaba interesada en contratar a una estrella negra.

Al parecer, Blackstock dijo que Kelly y el entonces juez Blake Shelton eran "demasiado parecidos". Por supuesto, Kelly finalmente se unió a "The Voice" en 2018 y se quedó durante varias temporadas. Blackstock testificó que le consiguió el trabajo a Kelly en 2017 después de conversar con un ejecutivo de NBC y amenazarla con que volvería a 'Idol' si no la contrataban, y cuando le preguntó qué necesitaban para engancharla en NBC, según los informes, dijo que iba a costarles el "dinero de Blake."

La acusación se produce en medio de un reciente hallazgo por el mismo comisionado de trabajo de California de que Blackstock habría cobrado de más a Kelly durante su relación profesional, que coincidió con su matrimonio. TMZ fue el primero en dar a conocer la noticia, ahora él le debe $2,6 millones por los honorarios que cobró.

Kelly Clarkson claims her ex-husband/former manager told her she wasn't hot enough to appear as a judge on "The Voice" ... even though she eventually got the gig.

The 'Idol' alum reportedly made the allegation about Brandon Blackstock -- who she divorced in 2022 -- to a California labor commissioner in '23 while trying to determine how BB had handled her finances during their relationship, per a court doc obtained by the Post.

According to the outlet, Clarkson gave testimony in which she alleged Blackstock had told her she wouldn't pass as a 'Voice' coach 'cause she didn't have the sex appeal for it.

She reportedly said Blackstock told her NBC was "looking for a more sex symbol type" ... and then allegedly invoked Rihanna's name as a comparison to point out who Kelly did not look like, and which he cited as a reason for not pursuing the coaching gig she wanted.

Kelly had apparently relayed to Blackstock she wanted to join the panel of judges for a while -- but went on to claim Blackstock rebuffed her, arguing back that not only was she not good looking enough for 'TV,' but claiming the network was interested in signing a Black star.

Blackstock reportedly said Kelly and then-judge Blake Shelton were just "too similar." Of course, Kelly did eventually join "The Voice" in 2018 ... and stayed on for several seasons. Blackstock testified that he got Kelly the job in 2017 after going to an NBC exec and threatening that she'd go back to 'Idol' if they didn't sign her ... and when asked what it would take to snag her at NBC, he reportedly said it was going to cost "Blake money."

The allegation comes amid a recent finding by the same CA labor commissioner that Blackstock had overcharged Kelly during their professional relationship -- which coincided with their marriage. TMZ broke the story ... he now owes her $2.6 mil for fees he collected.