R. Kelly Feds Digging for More Sex Tapes ... In Human Trafficking Probe

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Feds investigating R. Kelly in Illinois are on the hunt for more sex tapes that allegedly show him with underage girls ... and prosecutors are doing everything they can to find footage.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois is interviewing parties closely associated with Kelly. We're told prosecutors have been asking about the possible existence of VHS tapes purportedly showing Kelly having sex with minors.

Rumors about an alleged stash of R. Kelly sex tapes have been floating around since Kelly went to trial on child porn charges back in 2008, but it's never been found ... not by law enforcement, anyway.

As we've reported ... the feds are building another case against Kelly in Illinois, which we're told is entirely separate from the 2 probes currently underway in New York -- one by the Eastern District and another by the Southern District.

We're told feds in Illinois are investigating Kelly on 3 different fronts: sex trafficking, tax evasion and obstruction of justice.

In terms of obstruction ... we're told prosecutors have been asking people close to Kelly an array of questions focusing on his 2008 trial, believing Kelly and his handlers may have pressured witnesses. Some of the questions involve alleged payoffs to prevent witnesses from testifying in court or speaking out publicly.

We reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office, but it declined to comment.

Meanwhile, R. Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, says, "The purpose of this, as with all investigations, is to see if there was or was not wrongdoing. It certainly does not mean there was."

Stars and Scars You Be the Judge

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Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, committing a loathsome killing of their family dog is the low point of the week, while the most awesome was the Joe Jonas/Sophie Turner wedding with the help of Elvis and ring pops. So, we gotta ask ...

Kim Kardashian I Make $1 Million ... FOR EACH INSTAGRAM POST!!!

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11:11 PM PT -- An industry source tells us Kim actually pulls in $1 Million per Instagram post ... and it's likely her legal team will re-file the docs with an adjustment.

Kim Kardashian just filed legal docs revealing just how incredibly powerful and influential she is ... and that power and influence translates into insane cash.

Kim is embroiled in a lawsuit against Missguided USA clothing company, a fast fashion brand. She claims the company used her image to hawk its wares. The company apparently didn't respond to her claims, and she's now going in for a default judgment for $5 mil.

That's not why we're telling you about this. In the docs, Kim justifies the $5 mil by explaining her capacity to make big money. She says she gets between $300,000 and $500,000 FOR A SINGLE INSTAGRAM POST!!!

And, get this ... in the docs, she says she frequently turns down offers for that kind of money because she doesn't want to be associated with the brands.

As for the lawsuit, Kim says her brand is being damaged by Missguided USA associating itself with her.

It's no secret ... Kim can literally make a business by giving it a thumbs up. It's like Oprah, only arguably bigger.

Trina Braxton Niece's Death Led to Profound Realization

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ALWAYS TIME TO FORGIVE

Trina Braxton's family has had a lot of heartbreak lately, but she says the passing of her 24-year-old niece really struck a chord and made her realize something very important -- life's too short.

We got Trina at LAX Friday afternoon, and she talked about the tragic death of Lauren Braxton -- her older brother Michael Conrad Braxton Jr.'s daughter -- along with other hardships she and her family have had to endure.

As you may know, Trina lost her ex-husband to cancer in December, and recently dealt with the death of her aunt, as well. Trina says it's been trying, but everyone is holding up and supporting one another.

Regarding Lauren's death, Trina says the grieving process has opened her eyes to what truly matters in this world ... and it's not petty drama or holding onto grudges.

Trina also provides a beautiful acronym she says she keeps in mind during the difficult time after a loved one dies ... check it out.

We broke the story ... Lauren died last week in Maryland, and her father says it was related to a heart condition.

She was 24. RIP.

Christina Hendricks Good Genes or Good Docs?

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Christina Hendricks' good looks could drive you mad!

Here's a 26-year-old version of the "Mad Men" leading lady showing off her iconic crimson curls backstage at the GLAAD Media Awards in Century City, CA back in 2001 (left) and 18 years later ... the talented actress and model -- who is entering her second season acting as Beth Boland in NBC's comedy series "Good Girls" -- recently spotted rocking an amazing blowout at the launch party for David Burtka's new book in Los Angeles, CA just last month (right).

The fiery smoke show is also celebrating her 44th birthday this weekend!!!

Talk about a red, hot star.

The question is ...

Lamar Odom Not Lue, Not Kidd ... Lakers Should Hire Juwan!!!

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GO AFTER THE BEST

Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss, listen up ... Lamar Odom says you've already interviewed the PERFECT candidate to replace Luke Walton -- JUWAN HOWARD!!!

Of course, Pelinka and Buss have been searching for a replacement for Walton since they canned him at the end of the season ... and they've already interviewed a few people for the gig.

Guys like Tyronn Lue and Jason Kidd are reportedly the favorites ... but L.O. thinks the Lakers should scrap 'em both in favor of Howard, and he told us why.

"Somebody that has some presence. Somebody that can handle having LeBron on your team."

Howard's name has definitely been floated around as a name for the Lakers top job ... he was a teammate of LeBron and coached him while he was with the Miami Heat.

So, let's be real for a second, the Lakers are almost certainly gonna hire Ty Lue ... BUT don't discount what Odom is saying, there might be an 11th-hour surprise.

Juwan Howard certainly hopes so.

Soledad O'Brien 'Surviving R Kelly: The Impact' Connects Victims

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Soledad O'Brien, host of Saturday night's Lifetime follow-up to "Surviving R. Kelly," says this docuseries has been groundbreaking for victims who never had a voice.

We got Soledad Friday at LAX ... on the eve her show, "Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact," which not only follows up with the alleged victims but also the defense strategies of the embattled singer.

She says one of the values of her docuseries and others is that victims who had no previous connection are able to find each other and mobilize.

BTW ... more than 26 million people have seen the original series. Soledad's show airs on Lifetime Saturday at 10 PM ET.

'Star Wars' Cast 'Memba Them?

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It's 'Star Wars' day and there is no better way to honor the universal phenomenon than by journeying back into the galaxy!!!

Travel in time to see some of the faces you may not recognize today ... From Anakin Skywalker and Darth Maul to young Boba Fett and C-3PO, there are plenty of characters from the franchise that have completely transformed over the years.

Take a good look at what the cast members looked like back in the day, and then cruise through our gallery of the some of the cast to see what they look like today!!!

May the fourth be with you ...

TMZ Live Jenelle Evans' Husband Threatens Photog Over Dead Dog

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HERE'S THE RUNDOWN
  • Blake Lively & Ryan Reynolds Show Off the New Baby Bump
  • Kim Kardashian & Paris Hilton: Former BFFs Team Up Again
  • Lamar Odom: Winning the Fight Against Addiction
  • Offset Fires Back in Smashed Phone Incident

Justin Bieber Back Off Chris Brown!!! He's Like M.J. and 2Pac

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Justin Bieber is defending Chris Brown in the face of backlash from other artists who don't want to work with him because of his history of violence toward women.

The Biebs buddied up to Breezy on social media Friday ... posting a picture equating CB to a mix of Michael Jackson and Tupac and saying Chris is being underappreciated like the music icons were before they died.

Justin says, "everyone wants to wait til people die To give them the credit they deserve. I'm calling it now when CB passes away after a long full life, you will miss what you had in front of you the whole time the people who have over looked this mans talent because of a mistake he made.. you need to reevaluate."

As you know ... Michael was dogged by accusations of child molestation before and after his death, and Tupac spent time in prison on sexual assault charges.

Brown pled guilty to felony assault of Rihanna way back in 2009, and he's also the subject of an ongoing lawsuit over an alleged rape in Paris.

As we've reported ... Scottish pop band Chvrches ripped Marshmello for working with Brown, calling it a tacit endorsement of violence towards women.

The lead singer for Chvrches, Lauren Mayberry, says the band's been getting death threats since speaking out against Brown.

But, Justin is firmly in CB's corner.

John Singleton Private Funeral Set for Monday

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6:21 PM PT -- A source close to the family tells TMZ, Monday's funeral will be extremely intimate and closed off to the public ... a larger event will be held later this month, but those details are still being worked out.

John Singleton will be laid to rest at the cemetery where Nipsey Hussle was buried.

TMZ has obtained the invitation to celebrate the life of John Daniel Singleton. The service will be held at 10 AM Monday at Angelus Funeral Home in South L.A. It's the same place where Nipsey's family came for the viewing and private service.

After the funeral, John will be interred at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills. Again, it's the same place where Nipsey was buried.

As for the connection, we're told Nipsey and John knew each other, but the deeper connection is that they were both raised and active in South L.A. John's office was fairly close to Nipsey's store, The Marathon Clothing.

TMZ broke the story ... John's will was filed in Los Angeles Friday. His oldest daughter, 26-year-old Justice, will get his estate which is valued at $3.8 million. The will was drafted in 1993, before his 6 other children were born. They could have a claim to split the assets 7 ways.

John, who died of a stroke last month at 51, could also have a trust outside the will. His estate was reportedly valued at around $35 million, so the will may not be a full accounting of the assets John left behind.

Originally published -- 5:00 PM PT

John Singleton Will Filed in Court ... Daughter Justice is Beneficiary

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John Singleton's mother, Shelia Ward, has filed her son's last will and testament, and according to the document, obtained by TMZ, his 26-year-old daughter, Justice Singleton, the oldest child, gets his estate, which is reportedly valued at $3.8 million.

John wrote the will in 1993 when he only had one child -- Justice. He has since had 6 other children.

Under California law, the 6 children born after the will was signed may have rights, because they were not specifically excluded from the will. If the 6 kids didn't get anything from John, under California law, they could make a strong case the $3.8 million should be divided into 7 equal parts ... in other words, each child would get 1/7th.

We assume the $3.8 million is not the full extent of his assets. He may well have a trust that disposes of other assets that are not included in the will. His full estate is reportedly valued at $35 million. BTW, if the other 6 children are provided for in the trust, they would probably lose their right to collect anything under the will.

According to the docs, John's personal property is valued at $2.5 million. His real property is valued just shy of $1.3 million. Again, this does not include any assets that may be handled separately in a trust.

The document provides Shelia will get custody of the minor children, of which there are 2. Fact is ... if the biological mothers of the children have taken custody, this provision is almost certainly irrelevant.

By the way, Justice's address is the same as Shelia's, so it would appear they're close.

As we reported, Shelia and another of John's daughters, Cleopatra, were fighting while he lay in a coma after his stroke. Shelia filed legal docs asking a judge to appoint her temporary conservator so she could handle John's business affairs, and Cleopatra claimed Shelia was fleecing the estate to deny his children any money.

TMZ broke the story, John suffered a stroke last month after he had checked himself into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. for a leg problem. His mom says John suffered from hypertension for years, and that is what likely triggered the stroke.

'Teen Mom' Dropped By Pet Treat Advertiser ... After Dog Shooting

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"Teen Mom 2" just suffered another casualty -- this time in the form of an advertiser -- Greenies pet treats has cut ties with the MTV show.

In a statement Friday, Greenies announced, "We have zero tolerance for animal cruelty and we can now confirm that as a result of this incident, our ads will no longer run during Teen Mom programming."

Greenies joins a mountain of companies who have pulled the plug on their relationship with "Teen Mom." Chipotle, Dove Chocolates, TWIX and Persil ProClean are among some of the brands who have also cut ties.

TMZ broke the story ... "Teen Mom 2" star Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, is under investigation for animal cruelty after he allegedly pummeled and then shot his family dog. Both the local Animal Control and Sheriff's Department is working on the investigation.

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

Baker Mayfield Outswags Tom Brady ... at Kentucky Derby

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Can you spot the G.O.A.T.?!

He's behind the dude in SWAG pink suit!

Check this out ... a bunch of NFL stars are hanging together in Kentucky right now -- gearing up for the Kentucky Derby.

Baker Mayfield's front and center -- with an incognito Tom Brady blending in behind him.

Indianapolis Colts QB Jacoby Brissett -- Tom's former backup -- is in the bottom left ... standing next to Julian Edelman.

Also in the mix ... ex-Patriots' Lonie Paxton and Dan Koppen.

TB12 is a regular at the Derby -- so is his coach, Bill Belichick. Unclear if Bill has made it to Churchill Downs yet.

We already reported L.A. Rams head coach Sean McVay is in town with his smokin' hot girlfriend.

Expect a TON of other huge stars to make their way to Louisville before Saturday's big race!

Kim Kardashian Mission Accomplished ... Helps Free Another Inmate

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Kim Kardashian and her legal team have helped free another inmate serving a life sentence for a low-level drug offense ... this time in Florida.

Kim made the announcement Friday, saying a prisoner named Jeffrey Stringer would be walking free and reunited with his family soon after serving 22 years of a life sentence.

She posted this shot of Jeffrey's family members, who are clearly thrilled he's been granted a reduced sentence after more than 2 decades behind bars.

Sources connected to the case tell us Jeffrey was convicted for drug possession when he was 25, but because he had 2 drug priors ... he got life under the federal three-strikes law.

His attorney, Brittany K. Barnett -- who Kim credited for securing Jeffrey's release -- tells TMZ ... they went to court and successfully argued he should be released under the First Step Act, which President Trump signed into law last year.

Barnett, who co-founded the Buried Alive advocacy group for inmates like Jeffrey, says his "case epitomizes the catastrophic effect of 3 strikes." We're told he'll be released on Monday.

While Barnett did the lawyering, it appears Kim foot the bill. As she put it, "It gives me such joy to fund this life saving work."

As you know ... Kim's been dedicating much of her time to prison reform, helping Tennessee inmate Cyntoia Brown secure clemency, and playing a major role in freeing Alice Marie Johnson and Matthew Charles. She's even taken her cause to the Oval Office, meeting with President Trump ahead of Alice's release.

She's also studying hard to become a lawyer, and co-starring in her pal, Paris Hilton's music videos.

Busy woman.

Originally Published -- 3:02 PM PT

Vince Vaughn DUI Case Dismissed ... Pleads No Contest to Reckless Driving

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Vince Vaughn got a good result in his DUI case ... the DUI and other charges have all been dismissed after the actor pled no contest to "wet reckless" driving.

TMZ broke the story ... Vince was arrested in Manhattan Beach, CA, back in June, after being snagged at a DUI checkpoint. Cops say he was uncooperative when officers told him and his passenger to step out of the vehicle.

Vaughn was charged with driving under the influence, driving with a .08 blood alcohol level or higher, and disobeying a police officer ... all misdemeanors.

The 3 charges were just dismissed, and Vince -- who was not in court but was represented by his lawyer, Blair Berk -- pled no contest to wet reckless -- which is a reduced charge when someone drives with alcohol in their system, but it is not a DUI.

Vaughn will pay a $390 fine -- plus various penalties which ups the payout to around $1,700 -- and he must attend an alcohol ed course, and he'll be on informal probation for 3 years.