Music

Britney Spears is 3 days away from closing the books on child support ... namely, the checkbook.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney will write her last child support check (yes, we know, it's actually going to be wired) November 15.

We're told she's been making bi-monthly payments to ex-hubby Kevin Federline on behalf of Jayden James, their youngest son who turned 18 2 months ago. She paid $10,000 at the beginning of November and will make her final $10,000 payment Friday.

Machine Gun Kelly showed up for a surprise set with Mod Sun at a venue in Los Angeles last night, after a big family announcement earlier in the day.

Rocker Mod Sun was playing the last show of his current tour at The Wiltern Monday night, when he was joined onstage by MGK.

"Straight from the plane to the Mod Sun show, my friend," MGK said, addressing his pal onstage after he joined Mod for a song. He congratulated MS and the band for an "amazing" tour, and the crowd for "keeping the scene alive."

The Muppets' famed home in Hollywood will have new owners soon ... John Mayer and McG are set to buy The Jim Henson Company Lot -- after the Church of Scientology had reportedly been eyeing the property, TMZ has confirmed.

Mayer's rep confirmed the singer and the director are "under contract to buy Henson Studios" ... which was once A&M Studios, and Charlie Chaplin Studios before that -- making it an important piece of Hollywood history.

John and McG are shelling out a whopping $60 million to nab the deed to the Tinseltown tourist spot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Ashlee Simpson is reacting to all the buzz about her sister Jessica’s marriage being on the rocks ... and if she's concerned, she's doing her best to cover it up.

The singer was out with her husband, Evan Ross, at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills Monday evening, when our photog asked about the rumor ... sparked by Jessica's own post. We asked "Is it true? Do you know?"

Ash had a simple a one-word answer, “No.”

It could be "no" the rumor's not true, or "no" she doesn't know.

Either way, she and Evan didn't seem the least bit fazed by the topic, so chances are she knows full well what's going on -- but clearly isn't gonna out Jessica and her husband Eric Johnson's biz at this point.

9:13 AM PT -- Sources close to the situation tell TMZ that the woman seen with Mod Sun last night was "Love Is Blind" star Brittany Wisniewski.

The woman in the video with Brittany is her costar Alexandra Byrd.

Seems like Mod Sun is a big fan of 'LIB,' by the way -- he spotted Brittany in the crowd at a concert earlier this month ... and took time out of his show to call her out.

Mod Sun has moved on from Avril Lavigne ... 'cause we caught him canoodling with a hot blonde inside a Los Angeles bar.

Jessica Simpson once again has her fans buzzing over potential trouble in her marriage to Eric Johnson after she posted a cryptic caption on her most recent social media post.

The singer posted a series of photos of herself in her Nashville music room with the caption reading, "Interviews in my Nashville music room where I unearthed my singular magic. This comeback is personal, it’s an apology to myself for putting up with everything I did not deserve 🎶 🎼 🤍🖤."

Many fans were quick to dig into the comments, wondering if her caption meant she was single and had split from Eric, with her new music being a breakup album.

Kristin Chenoweth is standing by her prayers for Diddy ... even though the rapper is currently in federal detention, awaiting trial on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.

We caught up with the Broadway legend in New York City and asked her if she is still keeping Diddy in her thoughts ... given the gravity of the charges brought against him in September.

Per Kristin, she's "still praying" for Diddy ... but acknowledged the case against the Bad Boy Records founder is "really bad."

Jason Sudeikis lived out his childhood fantasy (we suspect) this past weekend ... the "Ted Lasso" star dreamed he was Chuck D -- and woke up in real life performing with Flavor Flavvvvv!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained footage of Jason and Flav flawlessly nailing Public Enemy and Anthrax's classic headbanger "Bring The Noise" in Kansas City at the 8th annual THUNDERGONG charity concert inside Uptown Theater this weekend!!!

Flav gets credited as one of hip hop's greatest hype men, and Jason definitely held his own with full breath control all the way to the end of the track!!! Don't worry about Chuck ... he's still out here dropping lyrics louder than a bomb!!!

Britney Spears is reconnecting, face-to-face, with her son Jayden after years of not seeing each other, TMZ has confirmed -- but Kevin Federline is surprised to hear people calling it a full melting of their icy relationship.

TMZ has learned Jayden has seen Britney a couple of times recently since moving back to California from Hawaii, but as for a full-on reconciliation between them ... Kevin’s been left in the dark.

Kevin’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, tells TMZ ... "If there has been a reconciliation it’s news to Kevin." Mark adds that Kevin speaks to Jayden frequently and hasn’t been told about any kind of reconciliation between the 18-year-old and his mom.

Beyoncé will have Ivy League students saying her name next semester ... the chart topper's history-making career will be studied at Yale University in 2025.

Daphne Brooks, a professor of African American Studies, American Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Music at the famed university, will be teaching a class inspired by the evolution of Beyoncé's career ... including her sound, fashion, and use of visual media.

The class, titled "Beyoncé Makes History: Black Radical Tradition History, Culture, Theory & Politics through Music," will be offered next semester ... and will trace "the relationship between Beyoncé’s artistic genius and Black intellectual practice."

One of the 3 people charged in Liam Payne's death probe is speaking out for the first time, saying he did nothing wrong in connection with the singer’s tragic death last month.

Braian Nahuel Paiz, who has been accused by Argentinian authorities of allegedly supplying drugs to the 1D star, spoke to local news outlet Telefe Notifica -- admitting to having 2 hotel meetings with the singer -- but he denies ever supplying Payne with drugs or receiving any money from him.

Paiz told the outlet he first met Liam at the restaurant where he worked as a waiter on October 2. He claimed Liam didn’t eat anything because he was already under the influence of drugs, and says Liam later invited Paiz to his Buenos Aires hotel room, where they took a few whiskey shots together.

Diddy won his first Grammy Award memorializing The Notorious B.I.G., riding The Police's already established hit ... and Sting says there's no need to disrupt history!!!

In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, Sting was asked about potentially canceling Diddy's "I'll Be Missing You" ... the 1998 smash hit that sampled his group's "Every Breath You Take" from 1983.

Diddy's catalog has been streaming well since his indictment and arrest, which would naturally include one of his biggest hits -- much to the approval of the legendary rocker.

Taylor Swift gave security at Arrowhead Stadium a crash course in good manners on Sunday, telling one guard to speak a little nicer to the paparazzi.

The pop superstar arrived at the stadium in Kansas City to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and his K.C. Chiefs battle the Denver Broncos on the field — but Taylor had her own itty-bitty skirmish behind the scenes before the kickoff.

Check out the video ... Taylor was being chauffeured in a golf cart through the arena with her mom and dad -- Andrea and Scott.

American musician Brian Setzer was in his mid-20s when he gained fame with his retro rockabilly band Stray Cats -- landing on the music charts with hit songs like "(She's) Sexy + 17" and "Stray Cat Strut" back in in '80s.

After The Stray Cats parted ways in 1984, Setzer kicked off his solo career and was the opening act for the rock band, The Honeydrippers.

In the 1990s, Brian returned back to the music scene with the band, The Brian Setzer Orchestra.

"Dig that sound shake it around you're mine, mine, mine!"

Diddy's family is remaining committed to one another while the music superproducer is locked up ... with his baby mother Dana Tran, his daughter Love and his son Christian showing support to Diddy's twin daughters, Jessie and D'Lila.

Tran brought two-year-old Love to the game Friday night ... with the baby girl outfitted in a blue varsity jacket bearing her name and her birth year -- '22. Love's already camera-ready, pointing at the photogs at the game.

Dana's got her own varsity jacket -- a forest green one -- on ... and, she flashed a smile too-- keeping her spirits up while the father of her daughter deals with his legal troubles.

Art Garfunkel says a recent reunion with Paul Simon brought him to tears ... 'cause Paul opened up about how bad Art's past words hurt him -- and Art realized he'd really messed up.

The singer-songwriter sat down for an interview with The Times newspaper ... saying the two estranged former pals grabbed lunch together for the first time in years.

Garfunkel says he asked his longtime songwriting partner why they hadn't met in awhile -- and, Paul told him comments he made in an interview back in the day really cut him to the core. It's unclear which comments he's referring to.