DMX Released From Federal Prison!!! ... First Pic with His Family

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9:38 AM PT -- We just got the first pic of DMX post-prison out with his son and fiancee. We're told X and family hit up a local spot for breakfast as soon as he was released.

And, the dog is out ... DMX is a free man again after being released from federal prison!

DMX was released Friday morning from Gilmer Federal Correctional Institution in West Virginia after serving a one-year sentence for tax evasion. We're told X's family was expected to pick him up.

As we reported ... DMX is planning on dropping a new album and tackling some new movie projects, including a possible biopic!

With his prison sentence complete, X must now start forking over $2.3 million in restitution to Uncle Sam ... and he also has to start outpatient programs for substance abuse and mental health.

DMX's original release date was supposed to be on Sunday, but it's federal policy to release inmates early if their release date falls on a weekend.

Originally Published -- 7:54 AM PST

R. Kelly FBI Contacted Alleged Victim's Family ... Shortly Before 'Surviving'

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R. Kelly's relationship with Joycelyn Savage -- one of his alleged brainwashed sex slaves -- has done way more than raise eyebrows with viewers of "Surviving R. Kelly" ... we're told it's caught the attention of the feds.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Joycelyn's dad, Timothy, has been contacted by an FBI special agent regarding the R&B singer at least 5 TIMES in the past year and a half ... most recently weeks before Lifetime's docuseries began airing on January 3.

We're told Timothy provided the FBI with all the known whereabouts of Kelly and Joycelyn from state to state, starting with where their relationship began, along with text messages or emails.

Our sources say Timothy provided the feds with lots of the same information regarding alleged predatory behavior and physical abuse he gave Lifetime for 'Surviving."

The FBI has jurisdiction when an adult brings a minor across state lines for sexual purposes.

It's unclear if the FBI has launched an official investigation into R. Kelly ... but it's clear the controversy and accusations against him are on the agency's radar. He's already under criminal investigation in Georgia.

As we've reported ... Joycelyn's family believes Kelly is holding her against her will -- something she strongly denies. The 2 were seen shopping together in April 2018, and we caught her out "vacationing" in Beverly Hills back in May without Kelly.

We've reached out to the FBI but were told the agency does not confirm or deny investigations.

Awkwafina 'Tidying Up' is Awesome ... Marie Kondo's My Girl!!!

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Awkwafina highly recommends the ways of Marie Kondo if you want to be happier and cleaner ... especially if your place is cluttered with clothes and ... old lotions. Seriously.

We got the "Crazy Rich Asians" star at LAX Thursday ... she told us she's jumped on board the organization train, made popular by the Japanese author's new hit Netflix show, "Tidying Up."

Awkwafina's gone through the method -- even talks to all her clothes now -- and said goodbye to things that no longer bring her joy. She says it's done wonders for her place and her mental space.

Maybe that's why she isn't stressing over her movie getting snubbed by the Oscars ... can't say the same for our camera guy.

Luke Bryan & Jake Owen First, We Catch Some Waves ... THEN We Hit the Stage!!!

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Jake Owen and Luke Bryan are a little bit country and little bit surfer dude -- at least for this weekend -- while they're partying on la playa in Mexico.

The country superstars attempted to catch some waves -- on paddleboards, not surfboards -- in Tulum, near Luke's annual Crash My Playa festival is going down. Looks like Jake had a little more luck than Luke ... but only a little. Hey, they're Nashville bros ... no one's expecting them to hang ten.

Luke's wife, Caroline Boyer, and Jake's GF, Erica Hartlein, hung out on the beach while the guys tried their best to look epic on waves.

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In the evening, they returned to their natural habitat ... rocking the stage for the 4-day festival. Luke tried a one-handed floss move while playing, "All My Friends Say."

Good times. Although, not as good as what went down during last year's festival when he got whacked by a fan's bra. A REALLY big bra. 'Memba that?

As Luke puts it ... strip it down!!!

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Tyga Sued Allegedly Ripped Off Songwriter For 'Swap Meet'

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Tyga's being sued for allegedly ripping off another rapper for his song, "Swap Meet."

Pretty Maw, a rapper/songwriter, claims in a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ ... Tyga stole portions of her song, "17th," and used them without paying up.

P.M. claims she and Tyga had a deal in which he would pay her "a fixed monetary amount" for his use of her song, along with royalties from "Swap Meet," which was released in Sept. 2018. His song has more than 7 million views on YouTube.

She says not only that, Tyga induced her into allowing him to use her image and likeness for his song. She actually appears at the end of the music vid, as well.

Pretty Maw does not list the similarities between her song and his, but says "Swap Meet heavily samples" her work.

She's asking for money and an order stopping Tyga from ripping her off. We've reached out to Tyga ... so far no word back.

Getting sued is nothing new for the rapper -- he had a few lawsuits to deal with last year ... including one for allegedly bailing on a gig in Dubai, and another for allegedly not paying rent.

He also filed a $10 mil suit of his own.

Just wait 'til Soulja Boy hears about this one.

'Red Sonja' Star Brigitte Nielsen If Bryan Singer's Guilty Remove Him Now, Or Big Mama Will

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Brigitte Nielsen -- the OG "Red Sonja" -- isn't calling for director Bryan Singer's head just yet, but says she absolutely will ... IF troubling new pedophilia allegations turn out to be true.

We got Brigitte -- who costarred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the '85 action flick -- leaving Craig's in WeHo, and asked what she made of Singer still directing the reboot ... after The Atlantic published a bombshell report in which 4 men claimed Singer had either molested them years ago when they were minors.

The Danish-born actress wasn't fully aware of the scandal, but invoked the #MeToo movement and told us if Singer turns out to be guilty -- he's gotta get the boot.

Sonja went so far as to say she'd cut him herself, if the studio didn't do it.

Little background: the fictional Sonja character is a victim of sexual assault, a fact that helped fuel the outrage over Singer possibly directing the film.

Singer is denying all the allegations and calls the Atlantic article a "homophobic smear piece." He has not been charged with any crime. For now, Brigitte is willing to reserve judgment until Singer is proven guilty of anything.

Millennium Media, which is making the film, and producer Avi Lerner are taking a similar approach ... saying Singer will not be fired based on mere allegations.

Golden State Warriors Meeting with Obama ... And Nancy Pelosi

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They boycotted #45 ... but the Golden State Warriors got LOTS of love for #44 -- with the entire team meeting with Barack Obama on Thursday before taking the court against the Wizards.

Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and the rest of the squad met with President Obama at his Washington D.C. office ... and then posed for a group photo afterward.

Unclear what they all talked about -- but after the game, Durant told the media, "It was amazing."

Draymond described the meeting this way to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne -- "A private team meeting, team event, it was good."

Of course, the Warriors famously boycotted the White House after winning the NBA Championship in 2017 ... after visiting Obama in 2016 and 2015.

Durant previously told TMZ Sports, "We don't f*ck with [Trump]."

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DUMP TRUMP

They DO, however, like Nancy Pelosi ... the Speaker of the House not only attended the Warriors vs. Wizards game on Thursday -- she also met with players after the game, including Draymond.

By the way, the Warriors won the game 126 to 118.

Nelly Not Running from Sexual Assault Case ... Meets with Cops in UK

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Nelly took a major step in proving he's got nothing to hide in a criminal case out of the UK, where he's being investigated for alleged sexual assault.

Law enforcement sources tell us the St. Louis rapper was interviewed last week by the Essex Police at their Southend station, where they've opened a criminal probe into an alleged sexual assault from 2017 ... when Nelly performed in the area.

We're told Nelly flew out to meet with cops -- without being asked -- and we're told his participation is a major step forward in the investigation ... but not necessarily the deciding factor. It might be a while before a decision is made on whether to charge him.

Nelly was never detained at the police station. A rep for the rapper tells TMZ ... "Nelly flew to the UK on his own volition last week to work with the police in assisting their investigation to clear his name completely."

As we've reported ... Nelly's been accused of masturbating in front of a woman and forcing his penis in her mouth after a meet and greet in December 2017. She says she was able to flee and didn't immediately go to cops out of fear of not being believed.

Nelly -- who's denied the latest allegation -- is being sued for the same alleged incident. He also settled a separate lawsuit with a woman who'd accused him of rape.

MAGA Hat Student Nick Sandmann KY Prosecutor Warns ... Prison Sentences for School Threats

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The Kentucky prosecutor investigating threats against Nick Sandmann's high school wants to punish anyone threatening physical harm ... with prison time.

Rob Sanders, whose jurisdiction includes Covington Catholic High School, tells us he's deadly serious about seeking incarceration for people threatening Sandmann's teachers and classmates ... because it's a Class D felony in Kentucky, punishable by 1 to 5 years in a state penitentiary.

As you know ... threats against Nick and others at his school have been pouring in via email, phone calls and social media, ever since his confrontation with Native American elder Nathan Phillips at the Lincoln Memorial.

Sanders says the threats include burning down the school, blowing up the school, shooting up the school and attacking students ... and he wants to set an example for the nation -- threats made on social media have real-world consequences.

Sanders makes it clear he doesn't have a political dog in the fight. His only point is it's totally unacceptable to ever threaten kids, and watch ... he's not about to stop with fines.

Chris Brown Rape Accuser Claims ... She Was Under 'Psychological Pressure' To Have Sex

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Chris Brown's rape accuser is attempting to clarify key points of her claims, because her lawyer is saying she was under "great psychological pressure" during the alleged rape.

The alleged victim's lawyer, Franck Serfati, told the Associated Press Thursday his client "was not pressured physically" into having sex with CB, and the lawyer insists "non-consensual sex" allegedly took place.

Serfati says Chris allegedly "cornered her in a room that was locked" ... the lawyer also claims "there were forced sexual relations" and says his client "was only with men, older men, men who you imagine to be buff."

We broke the story ... Paris police had big problems with the accuser's story because she told cops Chris raped her in his hotel suite and then she went into another room and was raped again. We're told cops find her story almost impossible to believe because she never attempted to leave or alert anyone.

Chris' Parisian lawyer filed a defamation suit against the alleged victim Thursday morning.

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DANCIN' WITHOUT A CARE

As we reported ... Chris was freed by cops Tuesday, hours after he was arrested ... and he's been hanging around in Paris, where he's working on a music video.

A rep for Chris had no comment.

Rob Gronkowski Unsure Of NFL Future After SB ... Says Brother

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LIVING IN FANTASY LAND

Could Super Bowl Sunday be the last time Rob Gronkowski hits the football field??

His brother, ex-NFL player Chris Gronkowski, says maybe ... 'cause the older Gronk tells TMZ Sports neither he nor the Patriots superstar is sure of Rob's NFL future beyond Feb. 3.

"I couldn't tell you, and I don't even think at this point that he knows what he's going to do after the season."

Gronk's no stranger to retirement rumors ... he's dealt with a TON of serious injuries in his 9-year career -- and even reportedly threatened to walk if he was traded before this season.

But, the dude is only 29 years old ... and is still a beast -- which Chris says people are starting to take note of again now that fantasy football seasons are over.

"If you actually watched him play throughout the year, he was crushing people all year!"

Sooo ... could there be only four more quarters of that in his legendary career???

Stay tuned.

Guess Who This Poolside Pipsqueak Turned Into!

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Before this sweet swimmer was diving head first into the film industry, she was just another kid having some fun in the sun in Charleston, West Virginia. Can you guess who she is?

TMZ Live Chris Brown Files Case Against Rape Accuser

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HERE'S THE RUNDOWN
  • Wade Robson Talks Michael Jackson Documentary Controversy
  • T.I. Calls Out Travis Scott Over Super Bowl
  • Banned Cannabis Super Bowl Ad Revealed
  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Talks Donald Trump

'13 Reasons Why' Author Sues You Tried To Ruin My Career W/ False Claims Of Sexual Harassment

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The author of "13 Reasons Why" claims he was expelled from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators over false allegations of sexual harassment ... this according to a new lawsuit.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, book author Jay Asher claims he was kicked out of SCBWI after 7 anonymous women alleged he was using his status to prey upon other female members of the organization and intimidated them into silence, an allegation he says was completely false.

In the docs, Jay claims he was expelled from the society after the allegations of sexual harassment came out, and says the organization never adequately investigated the allegations against him. In the docs, Jay says he believes his accusers were resentful of his success.

Jay is going after SCBWI for damages, and says he thinks the false allegations could hurt his ability to make money as an author of young adult novels.

We reached out to SCBWI for comment ... so far, no word back.

Khloe Kardashian My Hat Says It All ... Kanye For Prez!!!

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Kanye West says he plans to run for President in the 2024 election, and it seems like he's got at least one big supporter who can't wait for his White House bid ... Khloe Kardashian!!!

Khloe and big sis Kourtney Kardashian were filming scenes for "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" Thursday afternoon at Topanga Canyon Mall ... and Khloe showed off a new baseball cap pushing Yeezy for Prez.

Forget Kanye's beloved MAGA hat ... looks like Khloe is jumping in on the political hat game with her "Kanye For President" lid.

As you know ... Kanye is super close with President Trump, and Ye started the new year by teasing his 2024 presidential run.

With her new hat, it seems Yeezy's sister-in-law is totally on board the Kanye 2024 train!

Lil Wayne Signs Top NFL Draft Prospect To Young Money Sports

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Weezy F Baby and the F is for future first-rounder ... 'cause Lil Wayne just signed Deandre Baker -- a projected top-10 NFL Draft pick -- to his Young Money APAA Sports Agency!!!

The legendary rapper made the announcement himself on Twitter, writing, "Welkome to the family @DreBaker1_ !! Lets Work!"

Of course ... the signing is a huge one for Weezy -- Baker was a superstar at Georgia and mock draft experts already have him penned into the top half of April's first round.

In fact, Baker was so good with the Bulldogs ... the dude won the Jim Thorpe Award for the best DB in the country!!

"Deandre is a silent Assassin on that field!! I can’t wait until he shows the world why he’s the #1 corner in this draft!,” COO of Young Money Entertainment Cortez Bryant said.

Lil Wayne's killin' it ahead of spring's NFL Draft ... 'cause other top prospects like Alabama's Quinnen Williams and Georgia's Mecole Hardman Jr. have already signed deals with the company.

Translation ... young moola, baby!!!