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YNW Melly thinks it's unfair he's stuck in a jail cell awaiting trial for double murder, because he voluntarily turned himself in ... and he insists he's not going to run from the law.

According to new legal docs ... the rapper wants to be able to post bond and walk free until his trial -- despite the fact he's facing 2 counts of first-degree murder in South Florida. Melly says if he was going to go on the lam, he would have done so when he first got word he was facing capital murder charges.

Instead, the rapper says he chose to surrender ... so there's no reason for the court to think he's a flight risk. On top of that, YNW points out he was born and raised in the area and his entire family lives there -- which he says is even more proof he isn't going anywhere.

As for his actual case -- in which the rapper's accused of killing his friends and staging a fake drive-by shooting -- Melly seems to like his chances in court. In the docs, he says there's no murder weapon, no witnesses tying him to the shooting, no DNA evidence implicating him and no motive.

We broke the story ... the State of Florida disagrees with Melly, and is seeking the death penalty.

9:23 AM PT -- Drake took the jet North Thursday night to cheer the Toronto Raptors onto victory against the Golden State Warriors. He talked plenty of smack ... and clearly got into Draymond Green's head.

Drake should have plenty of cash available to stock his massive new jet with the finest champagne ... because he didn't pay a dime for it.

TMZ's learned the rapper got his custom OVO jet dubbed "Air Drake" for FREE ... because the Canada-based airline that made it, Cargojet, believes it'll more than pay for itself in publicity as a high-profile traveling billboard with one of the biggest rappers in the world.

The 767 jet retails for up to $200 MILLION, and all Champagne Papi has to do is use it to travel around the world and take photographs flaunting it. Fortunately for Drake ... that's right up his alley.

Cargojet's investment's already paying dividends -- Drizzy gave a tour of the jet as the final touches were being added to it earlier this month, and he was spotted in the Bahamas this week putting other private jets to shame with his luxury behemoth plane.

Yep, there's some of that free advertising the airline's looking for.

As for Drake's Caribbean trip ... he was there celebrating his beloved Toronto Raptors making the NBA Finals, and drew attention -- and catcalls -- wherever he went.

He should be rested up now, though, because like he raps on "Sicko Mode" ... the 767's got a double bedroom, man.

Ellen DeGeneres' mom is responding to her daughter speaking out about being sexually assaulted by her stepfather as a teen ... saying she feels great sorrow.

As we reported ... Ellen revealed on David Letterman's Netflix show she was molested when she was 15 or 16 by a "very bad man" her mother, Betty DeGeneres, had married.

Betty's now revealing her own misgivings about the devastating incident. She told NBC's "Today" ... "I love my daughter, and I wish I had the capacity to listen to her when she told me what happened."

She added ... "I live with that regret, and I wouldn't want that for any other parent. If someone in your life has the courage to speak out, please believe them."

BEHOLD ... the great DAME JUDI DENCH ... talking boxing, baby!!!

The legend of stage and screen is also a huge fan of pugilism -- and now that her countryman, Anthony Joshua, is defending his belts this weekend against Andy Ruiz, Ms. Dench had a few words to prepare him for battle!

"To say that I shall be cheering, I'll be cheering anyway, but we'll keep everything crossed! And, my goodness me, we can't wait to see you!"

And, that's not all ... a bunch of other UK superstars came together to root on Joshua -- including Ed Sheeran, golfer Rory McIlroy, soccer stud Harry Kane, "Fleabag" star Olivia Colman and Oasis singer Liam Gallagher.

The fight's all going on DAZN on Saturday -- live from Madison Square Garden.

It's Joshua's first fight in the United States -- which is a big deal considering his ongoing negotiations with Deontay Wilder.

Mama June is on a dark path heading toward looming death ... so frets Honey Boo Boo, who's desperately urging her mom to seek help for what looks like a severe crack cocaine addiction.

Mama June's family and friends are scared to death ... her life's in danger, and they confronted her during an intervention ... with Honey Boo Boo begging Mama to go to rehab, asking her if she values her life enough to get clean so she can watch her grandchild grow up.

We've got a clip from the finale of Mama June's 'Not to Hot' Friday night at 9 on WE tv -- and you see her, busted teeth and all, getting super defensive as her loved ones plead with her to turn her life around.

As we first showed you ... Mama looks like a shell of herself since she got busted for crack cocaine possession back in March with boyfriend Geno Doak. Mama's teeth are falling apart, and she collapses on camera during the dramatic family intervention.

We're told Geno wasn't present for the intervention ... which is interesting, because Mama's daughter, Pumpkin, insinuates he's cheating on her when she's not around.

Draymond Green says there was NO "scuffle" with Drake after the Warriors lost to the Raptors on Thursday ... blasting a reporter for even asking about the altercation in the post-game presser.

"You got a question about basketball?" Green said.

Of course, it certainly looked like a scuffle to most of the world ... Green was nose-to-nose with the "God's Plan" rapper -- and Drake clearly used the word "trash" when jawing at the Warriors star.

But, Draymond is playing the whole thing down, saying, "I didn't hit him and he didn't hit me or I didn't push him or he didn't push me."

Green added, "We talked. We barked a little bit. But I wouldn't necessarily consider that a scuffle. Not really what I, personally, would consider a scuffle."

Drake's played a key role in Toronto's playoff run this season ... he pissed off Giannis Antetokounmpo and the entire Milwaukee Bucks roster last week -- and now he is clearly already under Golden State's skin.

Game 2 tips off Sunday night in Toronto ... and Drake's expected to have courtside seats once again.

CAN'T WAIT!!!

Tom Hardy's etching his name in Royal Marine lore as a real life-ish action hero ... all for a great cause.

The 'Dark Knight Rises' villain is now immortalized as a Royal Marine action figure back home in his native Great Britain. The camo-clad doll is being sold to support the REORG Jiu-Jitsu Foundation ... a nonprofit launched in association with The Royal Marines Charity.

Last December, REORG named Hardy its head ambassador ... and he's been working with them to help combat vets improve their physical and mental recovery through jiu-jitsu.

We're told REORG commissioned Green Wolf Gear -- a veteran-owned company -- to make the Hardy dolls figures. We are told they will sell for about $230 each at the Royal Marine's online store ... and all proceeds go to the Royal Marine Charity.

Tom's been down this road before -- his characters from "Venom," "Mad Max: Fury Road," and 'Dark Night' all got the action figure treatment -- but this Marine one has to be way more personal for him.

He's been vocal about practicing jiu-jitsu since at least 2017 and recently got a second stripe on his white belt -- the first in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Also, the Royal Marines made Tom an honorary member and back in 2015 he even trained for a couple of days with the 45 Commando.

Australian artist Darren Hayes was in his early twenties when he gained fame for his buttery smooth vocals on tracks like "Truly Madly Deeply," "I Want You" and "I Knew I Loved You" for the late '90s pop duo, Savage Garden.

Darren shared the stardom on Savage Garden with his contemporary counterpart, Daniel Jones, and produced two pop albums on Columbia records ... one self-titled record, "Savage Garden," in 1997 and the 1999 follow up album, "Affirmation."

Darren and Daniel parted ways as a group in 2001 ... while Hayes continued on as a solo act after that.

5/31 8:00 AM PT -- According to the investigation files ... when cops showed Smollett photos of the Osundairo brothers, presented as his alleged attackers, he replied it can't be them because "They are black as sin."

He also confirmed he knew the men and their relationship was good, saying ... "They are straight so we don’t have any problems with women or men. They did not owe me any money, I don’t owe them any money."

The 2 brothers Jussie Smollett still insists attacked him were loaded for bear -- with a handgun and plenty of ammo ... this according to Jussie's just-released police files.

Chicago PD released the docs Thursday outlining, from start to finish, the investigation into the alleged hoax. Included in the nearly 500 pages is a record of items cops seized during a February raid at the home of Abel and Ola Osundairo. Officers found a GunVault safe, and inside it was a cache of weaponry:

-- a hipoint model C9, 9MM caliber semi-auto pistol

-- 9MM caliber magazine with live rounds

-- 45ACP caliber magazines

-- Boxes labeled Remington 22 Rounds

-- a box labeled Hornady 00 buck shotgun shells

Cops also said they found a paper packet containing 2 small plastic bags with white powder, but there are no specifics about what that white substance was. As we previously reported ... cops found 5 bottles of bleach, a red hat and 2 laptops during the raid but we never knew about the safe.

50 Cent may be cooling his jets a little after "Power" costar Rotimi agreed to fork over $100k toward repayment of what 50 is calling an unpaid loan.

Rotimi hopped on "TMZ Live" Thursday to explain what triggered 50 Cent to put him on blast for owing Fiddy a cool $300k. ICYMI ... 50 called out Rotimi after the singer bragged that his album, "Walk With Me," shot up to the top of the R&B Albums chart on iTunes.

Rotimi initially denied he owed 50 a cent but the rapper shot back with a video captioned, "My man you owe me a[n] outstanding $300,000 now WALK WITH ME to the bank." This apparently hit too close to home for Snoop Dogg, who offered to pay Rotimi's debt if it meant 50 wouldn't kill off Rotimi's character on "Power." Snoop clearly loves him some "Power."

When Rotimi joined us ... we straight-up asked him if 50's rant is true. Ya gotta check out Rotimi's explanation. Short story ... Rotimi chalked it up to a misunderstanding and says he paid the rapper $100k and will pay him the balance when the royalty checks start rolling in.

As for 50 ... he's straight with Rotimi now because moments after our interview Fiddy posted another video and captioned it, "I have no problem with @Rotimi in fact I wish him and his family the best God bless. POSITIVE VIBES."

Claus von Bulow, the man who was convicted but walked free -- after his conviction was overturned -- and ultimately acquitted of trying to murder his wife ... has died.

The trial was one of the most sensational of the 20th century. Von Bulow was charged with deliberately injecting insulin into wife Sunny in 1980, sending her into an irreversible coma.

Prosecutors claimed Claus wanted to do Sunny in so he could inherit her fortune and continue his relationship with his mistress, a soap opera actress.

Von Bulow was convicted the first time around and sentenced to 30 years in prison, and then was famously represented on appeal by Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz. He successfully argued items were illegally seized and the notes from key witness interviews had not been turned over to the defense.

The story riveted the nation, and became the subject of "Reversal of Fortune," which chronicles the murder and Dershowitz's appeal. Jeremy Irons, who played Claus, won an Oscar for Best Actor.

Claus was retried and found not guilty in 1985. He moved to Europe where he died.

The Cosmopolitan hotel will publicly apologize to Meek Mill for threatening him with arrest if he stepped onto hotel grounds, and Meek will accept the apology ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell us, the Cosmo will issue a "significant public apology" expressing regret and accepting fault when Meek was told last Saturday to leave the hotel ... or else.

TMZ broke the story, Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, prepared a lawsuit he intended to file this week against the hotel, claiming racial discrimination and defamation. Tacopina claims there is a blacklist for black rappers at the hotel, but hotel sources say that's BS.

We've also learned the lawyer for O.J. Simpson reached out to Tacopina, saying O.J. had been mistreated by the hotel as well. In November 2017, hotel staff kicked O.J. out after the staff claimed he was intoxicated and unruly. He was permanently banned from the grounds.

We're also told Snoop Dogg's people reached out and claimed mistreatment by the Cosmo.

In the end, there will be no lawsuit and everyone is putting this behind them.

TMZ broke the story, Meek and his crew showed up to attend a party at Marquee Saturday -- located inside the Cosmo -- but security wouldn't let them in. In a video, obtained by TMZ, the security guard tells Meek he can't come in because of a prior incident ... but won't give Meek any specifics on what happened.

2:00 PM PT -- Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, tells us ... the new charges concerning J.P. include more serious felonies than the original indictment -- the most serious class of felony in Illinois short of murder.

Greenberg says prosecutors upgraded and added the charges, but the original charges are still active.

1:50 PM PT -- According to the docs ... the alleged victim, J.P. is one of the same alleged victims in the February indictment of Kelly, but these additional charges pertain strictly to her.

R. Kelly's been hit with a slew of sexual assault and various abuse charges in Illinois ... 11 felonies total.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office filed these new charges Thursday -- 5 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, 4 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and 2 counts of criminal sexual assault.

According to the legal docs ... Kelly's accused of committing an act of sexual penetration on a victim listed as "J.P." by the use of force or threat of force sometime in January 2010. He's also accused of forcing contact between his penis and the alleged victim's mouth.

The docs say J.P. was under the age of 18 at the time of the offense, and 3 of Kelly's sex abuse charges are listed as related to alleged victims between the ages of 13 and 16. Kelly will reportedly be back in court next week to be arraigned on the new charges.

His crisis manager, Darrell Johnson, tells TMZ ... Kelly maintains his innocence and denies all accusations brought against him in the latest charges. He also says he believes J.P. is Kelly accuser Jerhonda Pace.

As you know ... Kelly is already facing 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse in Cook County -- and all of that is just the tip of the iceberg for his legal troubles.

As we've reported, there are 3 federal probes underway -- 1 in the Northern District of Illinois and 2 in New York's Eastern and Southern Districts.

A federal grand jury has already been convened in Illinois, and has heard testimony from alleged victims who say the singer and his camp transported them across state lines for sex when they were underage.

Buffalo Bills rookie LB Tyrel Dodson was pulled out of a nightclub and arrested Sunday after his GF told cops he roughed her up during a violent altercation hours earlier ... TMZ Sports has learned.

For the record, Dodson (an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M) DENIES the allegations -- and insinuated to police that HE was the real victim by showing cops a red mark on his face.

Here's the deal according to police docs ... 20-year-old Dodson and his GF got into an argument on May 25 in Scottsdale, AZ after he allegedly vomited on the carpet inside her bedroom after drinking too much.

Tyrel's GF alleges the 6' 2", 240-lb football player got physical with her when she confronted him about the vomit ... allegedly grabbing her "forcefully" and "shoving her against the wall."

Tyrel's GF says she slapped him in the face ... and says Dodson responded by slapping her back.

She says she fled from the scene ... but when she returned, Tyrel was still there -- so she locked herself inside her bathroom and told him to leave the premises.

That's when she says Tyrel busted through the door ... causing the door to smack her in the head, leaving her with a small welt.

She says the argument then spilled out into the kitchen, where things escalated further ... with Dodson shoving her to the ground after a scuffle over her cell phone.

Dodson's GF eventually left the apartment ... but when she returned -- she says Tyrel had taken her keys, $500 from her purse and an additional $8,000 to $15,000 in cash from a safe under her bed.

When cops reached Tyrel by phone ... he denied ever getting physical with his GF -- stating the argument "was verbal only" -- and added he only took about $1,000 from her because it was "money they both shared."

Cops didn't appear to believe him -- 'cause they say they found probable cause to arrest him on several charges including domestic violence -- and when they found out later in the evening he was at Mint Nightclub, they went in to get him.

After Dodson was removed from the club, he again denied attacking his GF and showed cops a red mark on his face ... though he never outright accused her of assault.

Tyrel was booked on three charges -- 1 domestic violence count, 1 charge of disorderly conduct and one charge of damage to property -- all misdemeanors.

Tyrel -- who played in 33 games for the Aggies in his three years at College Station -- was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent just a few weeks ago.

We reached out to the Bills and a team spokesperson tells us, "We are aware of the incident involving Tyrel Dodson last weekend. We have been looking further into the matter and will continue to gather information as the legal process continues."

Kodi Lee -- the blind, autistic "America's Got Talent" contestant who wowed judges with his incredible performance -- has caused a fan frenzy at 2 SoCal spots where he's already a rock star.

Kodi's amazing breakthrough moment on the show this week culminated with new judge Gabrielle Union using her first-ever golden buzzer to ensure his spot in the competition's live shows. Fans in his hometown can't wait until then.

Paul Little, the owner of The Shamrock Irish Pub in Murrieta, CA ... says Kodi's been entertaining at the bar for 4 years, and they've known all along what America just found out.

Paul tells us Kodi has a gig with the Temecula-based cover band, Midnight Satellites, scheduled for June 7, but after his 'AGT' appearance ... it's become a WAY bigger deal.

The owner says they've been flooded with calls for reservations, and the pub had to send out a message to regulars to reserve spots ... because the venue's almost totally booked.

Kodi and Midnight Satellites have another show at the Old Town Blues Club on July 6, and its owner, Andy Doty, tells us they're preparing for it to be "insane."

Doty says Kodi's already a local legend and always plays to a packed house, but the club's expanding its capacity -- from 75 to 200 people -- and will be ready in time for Kodi's band to rock.

Other changes for the show -- a cover charge (they're not dumb), and extra security for the much larger crowd.

If you're wondering, the band plays a variety of rock, blues and funk songs to showcase Kodi's range.