Music

Gayle King's sticking up for Justin Timberlake ... saying he's a responsible, upstanding dude who just made a one-off bad decision when he allegedly chose to drink and drive.

The newscaster gave her take on "CBS Mornings" Wednesday after a segment about JT's arrest ... saying he's a great guy who isn't usually a reckless person -- and, calling his alleged slip-up a "stupid mistake."

Gayle adds there's no excuse for driving drunk in general ... and says she's sure Justin knows he messed up.

12:50 PM PT -- Remy Ma is now reacting to her son's arrest, telling TMZ ... "We stand by JaySon's innocence and pray that the NYPD will conduct a complete and thorough investigation to reveal the truth. This is undoubtedly a difficult time for my family and me. While we sincerely appreciate the love and support we have received from all of you, we kindly ask for privacy as our legal team works to prove JaySon's innocence."

Remy's son is being represented by attorney Dawn Florio, and Remy says, via the law office, "As his mother, I want to address this situation personally but have been strongly advised by his legal counsel not to say anything -- as most people in similar situations are informed by their attorneys due to it being an active case.

Remy Ma's eldest child and another man are being accused of first-degree murder -- they're currently in police custody.

2:34 PM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... no settlement was struck between Madonna and the plaintiffs, and these guys dismissed the lawsuit on their own accord.

Madonna can put one of her concert lawsuits behind her ... 'cause it's been wiped away from the court docket -- and from the looks of it, a settlement may have been reached.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Michael Fellows and Jason Alvarez -- the plaintiffs who originally brought this class action -- voluntarily dismissed their suit with prejudice ... which usually indicates some sort of arrangement was reached by the parties.

Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are breathing new life into their Verzuz platform through a partnership with Elon Musk that'll have all their upcoming events on X for free ... and yet, some fans are still complaining.

The two superproducers made the announcement Wednesday during the Cannes Lions conference in France, and celebrated by posting pics of themselves toasting with Elon.

Swizz and Timbo's jubilee rubbed a lot of diehard Verzuz fans the wrong way -- the last competition was nearly 2 years ago, and fans thought the show was best back in quarantine days ... when we were all stuck in the house.

Justin Timberlake's got a UFC superstar ready to fight for his freedom ... with Conor McGregor throwing his support behind the singer following his DWI arrest.

Notorious reacted to the "Selfish" crooner's legal troubles roughly 24 hours after the news broke on Tuesday ... and he's certainly not turning his back on Timberlake over the matter.

"Free JT," McGregor said on Wednesday ... sharing a pic of the musician's mug shot for good measure.

Ashanti and Nelly are not just engaged, but they're actually already married -- in fact, they have been for several months now ... and, of course, they got a baby on the way too.

According to public records, the two music stars are legally man and wife -- and their marriage date is listed as having been recorded on December 27, 2023 ... so, a whole 6 months ago.

The paperwork doesn't specify what city they tied the knot in -- but it became official in St. Louis County, so all signs point to them doing the deed in Nelly's hometown. FWIW, they haven't had a public ceremony yet, but have been teasing their wedding in recent weeks.

Katy Perry is facing backlash for again working with music producer Dr. Luke ... almost 7 years after being dragged into his legal battle with Kesha -- who seems to have chimed in.

According to Rolling Stone, Katy is collaborating with a slew of music producers for her untitled 6th studio album. Per the report, Katy has tapped the producers who helped make hits on her albums "Teenage Dream" and "Prism" ... including Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Stargate, among many others.

Because Katy is going back to Dr. Luke well for her new tunes -- Kesha's fans are PISSED and dragging her for the decision ... calling it a betrayal. And Kesha seems to agree.

Justin Timberlake has remained tight-lipped in the aftermath of his DWI arrest ... but his lawyer says he's ready to fight tooth and nail for his client, which is interesting.

JT's defense attorney, Edward Burke Jr., tells TMZ ... "[We] look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations. He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time."

Ed adds ... "He is currently awaiting full discovery from the DA's office." It almost seems like Justin and co. think the arrest and subsequent charges are BS -- that's the vibe here anyway.

Sabrina Carpenter needs a clear path for herself free of adoring fans -- and that's exactly what her security provided this week across the pond ... in not-so-subtle terms.

The singer's bodyguard got filmed shoving people outta the way upon her arrival to London BBC Radio 1 Studios Tuesday ... specifically, photographers that were trying to snap pictures of her as she was heading into the building.

There was one dude on her staff who was leading the way with some pretty rough shoves -- getting handsy with paps and roughly powering through to make way for his client.

Travis Kelce's whirlwind offseason continued in Nashville on Tuesday ... the Chiefs star was spotted in the city livin' it up with George Kittle!!!

Taylor Swift's boyfriend flew in to the party town this week to help Kittle and Greg Olsen throw a massive event for their "Tight End University" ... and following some afternoon activities with the guys, he blew off a little steam with the duo in the evening.

The three hit the stage at the Brooklyn Bowl -- and got the crowd ready for a special "Tight Ends & Friends" show that featured performances from Jelly Roll, Jon Pardi and more.

Billy Ray Cyrus is firing back at his estranged wife after she claimed he bailed on their marriage one day before a planned double mastectomy ... but he has his own version of events.

The country star filed new legal docs in response to Firerose's complaint in their ongoing divorce case -- which Billy kickstarted by seeking an annulment following just 7 months as man and wife ... with BRC alleging marital misconduct as his primary reason.

Now, we're getting more of a sense of what set Billy off -- and according to his latest filing, obtained by TMZ, he's claiming Firerose completely misled him about who she really was.

Jessica Biel is all about her J-O-B in the aftermath of her husband Justin Timberlake's DWI arrest.

The actress was spotted filming her new show, "The Better Sister," Tuesday in NYC ... where she appeared unfazed by her hubby's recent legal drama in Sag Harbor, which is a couple hours east of where she's shooting in the Big Apple.

Jessica stunned in her costume for the Prime Video series ... wearing a body-hugging black and tan dress while sporting a chic bob. The actress -- who has been married to the *NSYNC alum since 2012 -- smiled wide while waiting for her moment in front of the camera.

Britney Spears enjoyed a mini celebration topped off with a cocktail just hours after her ex-BF Justin Timberlake was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

In a Tuesday night Instagram post, the pop star uploaded a photo of a mixed drink in a glass with a cherry garnish on the rim and a yellow flower petal floating in the liquid, which may or may not have contained alcohol. She wrote in the caption, "It's the little things you know."

Of course, Brit also posted a video of herself wearing 2 different dresses in a hotel room and striking various poses as music played in the background.

Justin Timberlake isn't losing any luster in the Hamptons with his DWI arrest -- the posh hotel where he drank before getting busted says the singer's legal issues won't prevent him from getting a table or a room.

As we've reported ... JT was dining with friends at The American Hotel in Sag Harbor, NY Monday night before getting arrested for allegedly driving drunk. He told cops he'd only had one martini before getting behind the wheel.

Ted Conklin, owner of The American Hotel, tells TMZ ... the property will welcome Justin back with open arms and they have no plans to ban him -- mainly because he was a model customer while there.

Move over Jay-Z and Beyoncé -- there's a new real estate mogul in town, and it's the guy who founded Oakley ... 'cause he just sold his cliffside estate for a record-breaking number.

James Jannard -- the billionaire who's behind the iconic sunglasses and apparel brand -- just unloaded a mansion he's owned in Malibu for the past 22 years ... and he scored a massive profit,' cause he sold it for a whopping $210 million ... this according to the L.A. Times.

The outlet reports Jannard sold the 9.5-acre oceanfront compound to a Delaware LLC -- and that it was done quietly ... 'cause the property never technically hit the market. BTW ... JJ bought this home way back in '02 for a mere $31 mil. So, yeah .... a $179 million windfall.

Morgan Wallen isn't the only person facing criminal charges for throwing chairs off buildings ... 'cause a guy in New York is accused of doing the same thing, which was caught on video.

Video of a wooden chair being thrown off a New York City high rise last week is making the rounds on social media -- and for good reason ... it's absolutely terrifying, and it wasn't the only thing this man allegedly chucked off the side.

The NYPD tells us they arrested a 33-year-old man from South Florida for allegedly throwing a chair from the 20th floor of a tall building in midtown Manhattan -- in addition to other pieces of furniture, which cops say he started chucking from a terrace.