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Turns out, Carl Lentz -- the pastor at Hillsong church who's tight with Justin Bieber and Kevin Durant -- is a sneakerhead who splurges ... but responsibly, he says.

We got Carl Monday at LAX and had to first ask him about the sick sneakers we spotted him wearing ... a pair of Air Jordan XXXIII SE shoes that begged the question -- is it okay for men and women of the cloth to splurge on expensive stuff?

He admits the optics ain't necessarily great when, say, a pastor tells his congregation he needs a private jet (true story) or when pastors wear shoes worth thousands. There's even an Instagram account @preachersnsneakers that documents such spending.

Carl says, like all pastors, he draws a salary and what he chooses to buy with his money is his business -- within reason, of course. He also encourages lay people to ask questions if something looks fishy.

That being said ... Carl's got a favorite pair of kicks in his closet, and spilled the beans to us. Hint: they've got King written all over them, and could go for thousands, although CL says he got in on the ground floor.

How does the self-proclaimed "King of R&B" celebrate his 25th birthday??? By throwing down $40,000 for a lavish dinner party at a high-end steakhouse!!!

Jacquees pulled out all the stops Monday night for his bday bash ... renting out a private room on the first floor of Mastro's in Bev Hills and hosting dozens of his closest friends for a banquet fit for a king.

Jacquees was lording over the dinner table as he chowed down on oysters, king crab legs and steaks ... washing it down with Ace of Spades and Hennessy. In true royal extravagance, Jacquees and his pals sampled every single appetizer on the menu!!!

As you can see, Jacquees kept the king theme going for his custom bday cakes ... swapping out candles for a crown on one, and slapping an image of him wearing a crown on another.

Jacquees dropped a fat bag celebrating himself, but he also secured a couple too ... his rapper girlfriend, Dreezy, gave him a huge Louis Vuitton bag and his manager, Johnathan, gave him a slightly smaller version.

The feast started at 8 PM and didn't end until 1 AM ... Jacquees and co. were having so much fun, they kept the staff working an hour overtime to keep the party going.

3:15 PM PT -- There is ONE bit of good news for Mellie. We found out her Tennessee arrest was dismissed in court about 3 months later ... so, she won't be doing any additional time there.

"Gypsy Sisters" star Mellie Stanley could be sent behind bars for her role in what cops say was a massive coupon scam out of Kentucky -- 'cause she's pled guilty ... and is looking at serious prison time.

According to a court clerk, Mellie pled guilty last week in Fayette County, KY to 2 felonies -- theft by deception and criminal possession of a forged instrument.

The charges stem from a huge coupon scam authorities say Mellie and her hubby were involved in back in 2017 ... in which she was accused of swindling thousands of dollars worth of gear from Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us.

The good news (for her, anyway) -- Fayette County Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Prosecutor Andrea Williams tells TMZ ... 3 other charges Mellie was facing in the bust were dropped per the terms of a plea deal.

That being said, she's still facing the possibility of as much as 5 years in prison for the theft charge alone. On top of that, the Commonwealth says she'll have to pay $23k in restitution.

You might recall ... Mellie was also nabbed in Tennessee in a very similar bust, and that case is still pending. Her Kentucky sentencing hearing is set for June.

Nipsey Hussle's family is politely shutting down any fundraising efforts to support his kids -- even from celebs -- because turns out their father made sure they'd be financially secure.

Sources close to Nip's family tell TMZ ... Nipsey made sure his 2 children, Emani and Kross Asghedom, would never have to rely on other people for money.

While there have been multiple crowdfunding pages popping up for them -- including the one retired NFL star Reggie Bush started -- we're told the family wants everyone to know the kids are more than alright.

Nipsey was remembered as a savvy businessman during his celebration of life ... and for good reason. We're told he owned all of his master recordings, his Marathon Clothing store, and he also set up multiple trust funds to make sure his kids and family would never need a handout.

As we reported ... Bush set up a GoFundMe in hopes of raising $100,000 for Nipsey's kids, personally chipping in $10k to get things started. But, that fundraiser has already been scrubbed from the internet.

Joey Fatone isn't holding any grudges against Justin Timberlake for missing Ariana Grande's Coachella set ... but he also isn't guaranteeing any future 'NSYNC collabs.

We got Joe at LAX Monday -- a day after he and the guys performed with Ari, sans JT -- and he confirmed what TMZ first reported ... that Justin only skipped the show 'cause he was wrapping up his world tour.

Justin not being there didn't seem to affect the awesomeness of the performance -- Ari and 'NSYNC were definitely, well ... ya know, in sync. Lots of rehearsal time, as you might imagine.

For the record, Justin finished up his Man in the Woods tour Saturday night in Connecticut. If he wanted, he could've technically flown to SoCal and tried to make it work, but as we told you ... the issue was no rehearsal time. Joey backs that up, saying it would've been brutal for JT.

What do you do when you just signed the largest contract in the NFL???

If you're Russell Wilson and Ciara ... you make a celebration video from the comfort of your own bed!

The Seahawks quarterback inked a 4-year, $140 MILLION deal late Monday night -- with $65 MILLION guaranteed!!!

The deal makes 30-year-old Wilson the highest paid player in the league ... leaping over guys like Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford, Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins -- even Tom Brady.

But, Wilson wasn't poppin' bottles and hittin' the club -- instead, he hit the sheets with Ciara and posted a video message for his fans.

"Hey Seattle, we got a deal," a shirtless Wilson said.

"Go Hawks! But, I'm gonna see y'all in the morning."

Ciara was cuddling up next to her man -- and looked VERY happy.

Hey, you would be too if your spouse just signed a $140 MIL deal!

Wilson has been a monster on the field since being selected by the Hawks in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

He's racked up 6 Pro Bowl appearances and led the Hawks to a Super Bowl victory during the 2013 season. Seattle has reached the playoffs 6 of the 7 years he's been under center.

He holds a TON of Seahawks team records including highest career passer rating and most career rushing yards.

Holy baby animals in trouble, Batman!

That's what Dolores Catania was probably thinking when she found an apparently injured bat on an NYC street and stepped up to save the day ... with an assist from our paparazzo.

We got the 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star in NYC Monday, shortly after she launched Operation Bat Rescue. Dolores explained her doctor's visit was delayed after she stumbled on the baby bat. She was frantically trying to get someone to take the animal to the nearest bat cave ... AKA some experts to nurse it back to health.

That's where our guy, Jeremy, became her Johnny-on-the-spot. Dolores was in a bind due to a scheduled doctor's appointment (facials ain't gonna do themselves, after all) and begged Jeremy to save the day ... or, at least, the bat.

Dolores, a huge animal lover who always tweets about animal rescues, was outside her doctor's office when she convinced Jeremy to do her bidding. She asked him to take the BAT to a BIRD sanctuary ... which doesn't exactly add up, but beats leaving it for dead.

Watch the clip to see how he got the job done.

BTW, we got this update since the drop-off. Turns out it's a male Eastern red bat.

This little guy was severely dehydrated, but much like your average town drunk ... after getting some fluids, we're told he's doing much better. And, don't worry, Eastern red bats aren't mini-Draculas. We checked ... they eat moths and insects.

4/16 10:40 AM PT -- Notre Dame Cathedral spokesman Andrew Finot says he estimates the building will be closed to the public for at least 3 years, because the entire roof has disappeared and needs to be rebuilt entirely.

Finot says there is still standing water on the floor of the cathedral from firefighters battling the flames, but believes 80 percent of the priceless artifacts in the sanctuary were saved.

3:52 PM -- Miraculously, the interior is still standing, and the famous stone archways are still bearing weight.

However, those holes in the ceiling and the debris in front of the altar are clear signs that the restoration process, if possible at all, will be a long and difficult project.

2:15 PM -- In what might be the best news possible, under the circumstances ... the Paris police chief just said Notre Dame's structure has been saved, and the fire stopped from spreading to the northern belfry. In fact, they say both towers are going to be safe.

12:48 PM -- According to Agence France-Presse -- the international news agency based in Paris -- French fire services say they are "not sure" if the Notre Dame fire can be stopped. The deputy interior minister said saving Notre Dame "is not certain."

12:02 PM -- The fire has sadly reached the left tower. Macron also arrived on the scene moments ago. He had previously tweeted, "Our Lady of Paris in flames. Emotion of a whole nation. Thought for all Catholics and for all French. Like all our countrymen, I'm sad tonight to see this part of us burn."

11:45 AM PT -- A Notre Dame spokesperson says ... "Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame." Sources believe the inferno may have been caused by recent restoration of the church.

11:30 AM PT -- It is currently unknown what caused the fire or if any people were inside the church at the time. A church spokesperson has told French media all of Notre Dame Cathedral's frame is burning after the spire collapsed.

President Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe are heading to the scene.

11:15 AM PT -- The cathedral's roof and famous spire has collapsed in flames. Firefighters are on the scene trying to battle the blaze, but are reportedly having major problems due to their ladders being too short to attack the fire. The cathedral's roof has also completely collapsed.

President Emmanuel Macron has canceled a national address because of the current emergency.

Notre Dame Cathedral -- one of the most popular landmarks in Paris -- is going up in flames.

Shocked and horrified tourists are posting photos and videos that show flames in and around the building's huge spire. Smoke is billowing up and filling the sky over Paris ... where prosecutors have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

Firefighters are racing to the scene, and according to one reporter, the fire might have been sparked by restoration work that's being done at Notre Dame. According to reports ... most of the art work inside the church is feared gone.

CBS News reports status of the "pieces of the cross they believe that Jesus was crucified on, as well as part of the thorned crown that he had, as well as one of the nails from the crucifixion" is unknown.

The famous church was completed in the 14th century -- nearly 200 years after breaking ground -- and is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.

The length of time it took to build is evident in the various architectural styles throughout the building -- there are signs of the Renaissance and the Naturalism era along with the French Gothic look.

The Cathedral is one of the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress, which artitects installed long after the original design to alleviate the wall's stress fractures that began to occur as the walls grew higher.

The Cathedral has suffered damage and deterioration over the centuries, especially during the French Revolution in 1786. It was saved from possible destruction by Napoleon, though -- who crowned himself emperor inside the cathedral in 1804 -- and later restored. Its notable central spire was actually added during restoration in the 19th century.

Along with being a famous landmark and tourist attraction, it has played host to countless religious ceremonies and historical events ... including the crowning of Henry VI of England in 1431 and the beatification of Joan of Arc by Pope Pius X in 1909.

The cathedral is the iconic setting of Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame."

The Middle Ages structure gets more than 12 million visitors each year ... making it the most visited building in Paris.

One bit of good news ... 16 statues that sit atop Notre Dame -- representing the 12 apostles and 4 evangelists -- were removed just last week as part of the restoration project.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg is capturing the imagination of the country in a way we haven't seen in decades ... and aside from politics, one of the ways he's connecting with voters is through pop culture.

The openly gay South Bend Mayor, who is soaring in popularity during the early stages of his 2020 Presidential campaign, came on "TMZ Live" for a lengthy interview, and you really get a sense of what he's all about during our 25-minute conversation.

Buttigieg tackles a variety of issues, from how he plans to respond when Donald Trump targets him with homophobic remarks, to the consequences parents like Lori Loughlin should face if they cheat the system to get their kids into college.

During his visit, Pete also chats with us about religion, coming out, and Kim Kardashian's role in prison reform.

And, that's not all ... Mayor Pete dishes on his fitness routine, downloads us on his favorite music and plays a solid Jimi Hendrix riff when we hand him a guitar!!!

Forget The Big Shaqtus ... just call him Shaqiana now -- 'cause Shaquille O'Neal hit the Bust Down dance -- and kinda crushed it!!

Okay, it wasn't all that great ... but dude is 7'1", 324 pounds -- so give it up for him!!!

It appears the impromptu Blueface nod went down just off the set of Shaq's ultra-popular "NBA on TNT" show Monday night ... where O'Neal broke it down for a few people in the office (one of whom had a cell phone, thank god).

There was a dramatic buildup ... some hip thrusting ... and even a little butterfly dance. It was great.

There were some tense moments -- Shaq did try to drop things a little too low and seemed to tweak his groin. But don't worry, he's gonna be okay!!!

It's just the latest awesome feat that O'Neal's provided us on set ... 'memba when the 46-year-old threw down a monster dunk a couple of weeks ago?!?

Marlon Wayans says all the buzz about "Game of Thrones" and its final season is missing one thing -- some brothas in the Brotherhood Without Banners ... or anywhere else in Westeros, for that matter!

We got the comedian at LAX Monday and he admitted he's not down with the 'GoT' craze, partly because he's noticed there's a major lack of black actors. He points out the biggest characters of color on the show aren't even human -- the dragons -- and don't get nearly enough respect.

That's not his only beef with HBO's hit show ... his other issue is all about making the most of his time -- and he's decided to throw it into a different cable sensation.

The 'Thrones' Season 8 premiere Sunday night became the most-watched scripted show of the year so far and shattered HBO's ratings record with 17.4 million viewers across all platforms ... though Marlon wasn't among them.

And, for the record, there have been a handful of black characters on the show ... like Daenerys' right-hand gal Missandei, along with Grey Worm, Xaro Xhoan Daxos and Salladhor Saan.

Georgia Engel, who rose to fame playing Georgette Franklin on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," has died.

The actress died Friday in Princeton, NJ, according to the New York Times, and a cause of death has not been determined. Georgia was a Christian Scientist and reportedly did not see a doctor.

Georgia joined 'Mary Tyler Moore' in 1972 during the show's third season, and she was nominated for 2 Emmy Awards for supporting actress in a comedy. As the innocent girlfriend of Ted Knight's news anchor character, Ted Baxter, Georgia's breakout character Georgette was soft-spoken and ditzy on the outside, but tough as nails inside.

Georgia also earned 3 Emmy nominations for her work on "Everybody Loves Raymond," guest starring as Pat MacDougall in 13 episodes. She also had a handful of stints on "The Betty White Show," "Goodtime Girls" and "Jennifer Slept Here."

Georgia is best known for her roles on TV ... but her career began onstage when she reached Broadway in 1969 as a replacement in the original production of "Hello, Dolly!" Afterwards, Georgia appeared in an off-Broadway production, John Guare's "The House of Blue Leaves," before eventually finding her way to 'Mary Tyler Moore.'

Georgia was 70.

4/16 -- Wilson's attorney says they're only suing because settlement talks with Justin's insurance company broke down a couple of months ago when they got a "lowball" offer.

In a statement, the attorney says Wilson suffered a torn meniscus and knee cap damage in the accident and had to undergo arthroscopic surgery.

Justin Bieber's getting sued by the photographer he accidentally drove over as he was leaving a church event.

The accident was pretty brutal to see and hear -- back in 2017, Justin was leaving a worship service in Bev Hills when he pulled away in his 2017 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup. The photog, William Wilson, was no match for the monster truck and went down in a heap.

Wilson is now suing Bieber, claiming the singer was negligent in the way he pulled out into the street. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Wilson says he suffered "permanent disability, emotional damages and general damages."

He doesn't specify his injuries, but at the time ... Wilson posted a video from his hospital bed.

You might recall, Justin immediately pulled over and tried to assist Wilson. He also stayed on the scene until police arrived to take a report. Police eventually decided not to pursue any criminal charges against Bieber ... and chalked it all up to an accident, partially caused by camera flashes blinding Justin.

Cops also said the photog shouldn't have been standing in the street.

Wilson's suing Justin for unspecified damages. We've reached out to Justin's camp ... but no word back yet.

Mayor Pete Buttigieg is already getting tons of support from Hollywood in his bid for the White House ... celebs are donating to his Presidential campaign right out of the gate.

We sifted through 2019 Federal Election Commission filings to see which celebs are opening their wallets for Mayor Pete and found contributions are pouring in since he officially announced his candidacy over the weekend.

Jane Lynch is leading the way after throwing down $2,700 ... while Mandy Moore and Bradley Whitford each plunked down $2,000 and Pedro Pascal tossed in $1,500.

Ryan Reynolds is also backing Mayor Pete from the jump ... the A-list actor chipped in $250. We haven't seen Ryan publicly support the South Bend Mayor, but his donation proves he's at least curious about what he's selling.

Ditto for one of the famous Kennedy clan. We found three separate $250 donations from Caroline Kennedy ... daughter of President John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

The openly gay mayor is also getting some financial support from the LGBT community ... openly gay comedian Guy Branum cut a $500 check and Chaz Bono made 3 donations totaling $650.