Music

Justin Bieber is thinking of Liam Payne and his fans in the days following the One Direction alum's death ... encouraging those who love the singer to grieve as they see fit.

The pop star posted on his Instagram Stories Monday, where he addressed Liam's passing by sharing a fan video featuring the many vigils assembled in LP's honor.

A caption on the clip read ... "Rest Easy Liam."

Cops in Argentina are digging deep to get answers in Liam Payne's death, and TMZ has learned they're questioning all the employees at the hotel where he fatally fell from his third-story balcony.

Law enforcement sources in Buenos Aires tell TMZ ... cops are focusing on one hotel employee in particular who they suspect might have supplied the late singer with anti-anxiety meds reportedly found in Liam's room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel.

We’re told police are investigating to determine whether the employee supplied Liam with any of the drugs found in his system -- including cocaine, crack, ketamine, ecstasy and a form of crystal meth called "cristal" -- according to initial autopsy results.

Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter are still boo'd up ... and he's giving her a very public show of support amid persistent breakup rumors.

The Irish actor was spotted over the weekend at Sabrina's Sunday concert in Charlottesville, VA ... the latest evidence the couple is still going strong.

Barry had a front-row seat to watch Sabrina do her thing on her "Short n' Sweet" tour.

2:23 PM PT -- Ariana Grande is issuing a public apology to Elvira after the Mistress of the Dark called out the pop star for some alleged bad behavior many years ago.

After Elvira's criticism went viral, with the TV personality even sharing one article about the drama on her Instagram feed, the singer took to the comments and shared her side of the story.

She wrote ... "i’m so disheartened to see this. i actually don’t even remember getting the chance to meet you because i had an anxiety attack and to my memory, left before the rest of my family (this was around 7 years ago and at the time i was really not great with being in public crowds or loud places)… but if i’m misremembering this moment, i sincerely apologize for offending you so."

SZA got invaluable face time with Katt Williams on the set of her debut film ... he thinks she's got the "It" factor to fly over the cuckoo's nest!!

The "S.O.S" singer revealed to Kendrick Lamar in their Harper’s Bazaar magazine feature story that Katt calmed her jitters on her first-ever film, which she costars in opposite Keke Palmer.

SZA tells Kendrick she was freaking out and already planned to skip the premiere when the film releases in January -- but Katt eased her nerves.

Polo G has been behind bars since Saturday after police claimed they found a loaded gun in his car -- and immediately arrested and hauled the "Hood Poet" off to jail!!!

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Hip Hop cops pulled over Polo for speeding in the San Fernando Valley Saturday afternoon.

After searching his vehicle, we're told LAPD officers discovered the loaded pistol, so they cuffed him and booked Polo for felony possession of a concealed weapon.

John Mayer poured his damn heart out reflecting on his beloved Mets 2024 season -- penning an emotional message thanking the team and star shortstop, Francisco Lindor, for being a source of inspiration to him this year.

The legendary musician collected his thoughts a day after the Mets lost in the NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers ... and it's clear the impact the squad had on him goes far beyond the wins and losses on the baseball diamond.

In fact, Mayer recalled a moment during Dead & Company's residency at the Las Vegas Sphere ... when he injured his finger and half his nail was sheared off during a show -- but Lindor's resiliency helped him get through it.

Liam Payne's fans are pouring their grief into his music, with streaming numbers for both his solo tracks and One Direction songs surging on Spotify.

Before his tragic death last week, Liam had 4.7 million monthly listeners on the streaming app, but that number has nearly doubled to 8 million now. Plus, his 2019 debut single "Strip That Down" featuring Quavo has racked up over 800,000 additional streams since then.

The numbers are also booming for One Direction -- they had 42.4 million monthly listeners before, and now they're nearing 50 million.

AJ McLean is remembering Liam Payne as "a light" in his life following the singer's recent death ... looking back on their time together working on a new Netflix show.

The Backstreet Boys member addressed the late One Direction star's passing at LAX, where he shared how he and Liam became friends while working on "Building the Band," a music competition series where singers get a chance to build the next great pop group.

AJ says they just finished wrapping the TV show ... where he, Liam, Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland worked closely together over a 6-week period and had "a great time."

Diddy has been hit with a flood of new lawsuits -- including one brought by a girl who referenced unnamed celebrities and was just 13 years old when she says the music mogul drugged and raped her at a house party.

In total, Diddy is now facing 5 additional federal suits -- all of which were filed by Texas attorney Tony Buzbee on behalf of his clients who claim Diddy sexually assaulted them in separate attacks between 2000 and 2022. Two more cases were filed Sunday night in state court in New York.

Perhaps the most disturbing allegations have been levied by a woman who claims she was 13 in 2000 when she was dropped off by a friend at Radio City Music Hall in NYC to attend MTV's Video Music Awards.

Kendrick Lamar is finally addressing his chart-topping Drake diss "Not Like Us" -- in true Gemini fashion ... there's a time for peace and a time to fight!!!

The future Super Bowl halftime performer was asked what "Not Like Us" meant to him by his longtime friend and "All The Stars" collaborator SZA for his Harper's Bazaar cover story Monday ... he says "Not Like Us" embodies his persona!!!

"'Not Like Us' is the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent," K. Dot told SZA with a laugh. "Now, if you identify with the man that I represent  … This man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering."

Britney Spears is flipping the script and putting herself first after a few marriage misfires ... dropping a bizarre post where she revealed she actually married herself -- and proudly called it one of her best decisions ever.

In classic Britney style, she shared one of her signature disjointed clips Sunday, rocking a white lace slip dress and veil for full bridal vibes, spilling the tea in the caption that her fairytale "I do" to herself actually went down a little while back.

Britney wrote, "The day I married myself … Bringing it back because it might seem embarrassing or stupid, but I think it's the most brilliant thing I've ever done!!!"

Addison Rae is giving her best Britney Spears impression for her latest outing in Los Angeles ... with one very special accessory rounding out the look.

The Internet personality stepped out in L.A. with friends Sunday, rocking platinum blonde hair, denim cutoff shorts, a white T-shirt twisted into a little top, and tan heeled boots ... an ensemble eerily similar to one Brit rocked in the early '00s.

The outfit could've easily been a tribute to the legendary pop star ... as Addison also carried around a can of Pepsi as she hit the streets in her racy day look.

Liam Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy is stepping back into the public eye after the tragic death of her pop star boyfriend.

The late singer's love has been spotted for the first time since the One Direction alum fell to his death in Buenos Aires, Argentina last week ... and the influencer appears to be keeping a low profile in the wake of the tragedy.

Kate, who had been dating Liam for about 2 years before his death, was seen out and about in Florida Sunday, where she ran an errand to grab some dog food not far from her Palm Beach abode.

Liam Payne's sister Nicola is hoping the singer has "finally found peace" after he fell to his death in Argentina last week.

The One Direction alum's older sister posted on Instagram in the aftermath of Liam's death ... paying tribute to the late pop star and revealing her initial reaction to the tragic news.

As Nicola put it ... she learned of Liam's passing through a news notification on her phone, which left her hoping the update was "untrue."

She added ... "I have spent days hoping that it was a mistake and somebody got it wrong. You were truly too good for this earth, you are an angel who just lived for making people smile and happy. You have always shown kindness to everyone you met and it shows with just how many people have confirmed what we always knew!"

As Nicola continued, she declared herself and the rest of the Payne family Liam's "biggest fans always and forever" ... praising her little brother for his "brilliant" talent and dedication.

Before signing off her note, Nicola promised to keep Liam's legacy alive, especially for the singer's son, Bear ... who he welcomed with Cheryl Cole in 2017.

She noted ... "We will make sure Bear knows about his daddy and how much you loved him, we promise this."

Nicola's tribute comes shortly after Liam's other big sister, Ruth Gibbins, posted to social media, in which she apologized for not being able to "save" the singer.

Countless others have honored Liam in the wake of his passing, too ... including Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Simon Cowell, Ed Sheeran and Rita Ora.

As TMZ previously reported, Liam fell to his death from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires last Wednesday. The singer had been in Argentina to support his former 1D bandmate Niall's concert at the Movistar Arena earlier in the month ... ultimately choosing to extend his visit.

Police have said Liam jumped from his hotel balcony ... and that a possibly hallucinogenic drug, called "cristal," may be to blame. However, police are waiting for final test results for substances found in Liam's hotel room before confirming. The investigation is ongoing.