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Amber Heard is getting it ... with "It" director Andy Muschietti.

Amber and her new BF came up for air after hanging out Wednesday in L.A. The actress was all smiles before the 45-year-old director from Argentina packed on some serious PDA. Andy, of course, was the main man behind the movie inspired by Stephen King's 1986 horror novel.

Amber looked pretty biz caj ... with a tan trench coat, black dress and matching boots. Pretty elegant too, with a YSL handbag. BTW ... it appears she's moved on from her last fling ... with art dealer Vito Schnabel. They went public last July at the Wimbledon Championship but her smooch with Andy seems to signify Amber and Vito's relationship has gone kaput.

Amber's got a lot on her plate lately with Johnny Depp's latest legal battle. As we first reported ... the actor filed legal docs citing new evidence he never beat Amber when they were married.

Golf legend Phil Mickelson says his family used Rick Singer's company to help his children navigate the world of college admission ... but the PGA star is adamant he did NOT participate in bribes.

Officials have named Singer as the ringleader in the college bribery scandal -- where stars like Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are accused of making payments to get their kids into prestigious schools under false pretenses.

Singer ran a college prep business servicing tons of families. Mickelson says his business dealings with Singer's company were strictly above board.

"Our family, along with thousands of others, used Rick Singer’s company to guide us through the college admission process," Phil says.

"We are shocked by the revelations of these events. Obviously, we were not part of this fraud, our kids would disown us if we ever tried to interfere."

Phil has 3 kids -- including a 19-year-old daughter (who currently attends Brown University), a 17-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son.

The funny part ... according to officials, Lori Loughlin coughed up $500,000 to make sure her kids went to USC and not Arizona State.

Phil went to Arizona State ... and he turned out just fine.

The crew believed to be responsible for attacking and robbing YBN Almighty Jay and sending him to the hospital are in federal custody, but strangely ... it has nothing to do with the rapper.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops have identified a street gang that includes Zae Numbafive as persons of interest in last weekend's assault on Jay. We're told the crew goes by the name "Jack Boyz."

Zae and 3 other Jack Boyz members were arrested Wednesday in the Bronx as part of an unrelated federal investigation ... which is even crazier. The men are facing a charge of attempted murder in the aid of racketeering -- along with firearm charges -- in connection with the shooting of an off-duty NYPD officer. Another member remains at large.

If convicted, they face up to life in prison.

Our sources say the crew was questioned by investigators after their arrest about assaulting Jay as well, and 2 members admitted to being at the scene ... but didn't fess up to any criminal activity.

We're told one of the Boyz also claimed to have past issues with Jay but said they worked it out ... but the rapper denied even knowing the crew.

Our sources say Jay told cops he's willing to cooperate with the investigation now, but doubts he can ID his attackers because there were so many of them. He claims he was robbed of his wallet, $16k in cash, a $20k chain and his shoes in the attack.

As we reported ... J Prince weighed in on the situation by calling out Zae and his crew and putting out an APB to his "mob ties" to nab them. Zae responded by posting a music vid that apparently flaunted Jay's stolen bling.

8:11 AM PT -- Jussie just pled not guilty to the 16-count indictment against him. He was advised he needs to be at every court date going forward, and is set to be back in court in mid-April.

In the meantime, he'll be allowed to travel to L.A. and NY for meetings with his lawyers. He's gotta notify the court 48 hours in advance before going to either location, and also needs to check back in within 24 hours when he returns to Chicago.

Jussie Smollett just showed up to court with the same confidence he had the other day -- the big difference now ... this appearance actually matters, 'cause he's being arraigned.

The "Empire" star once again strutted his way into a Cook County courthouse Thursday with his back straight and his head held high ... just like he did on Tuesday when he showed up for a procedural hearing he technically didn't need to attend.

He's expected to enter a plea one way or another at his arraignment.

As we reported ... a grand jury handed down the whopping 16-count indictment last week nearly two weeks after Jussie was arrested and booked for allegedly filing a false police report. Jussie's attorney, Mark Geragos, called the indictment "overkill."

Regardless of how Jussie pleads ... he may very well have more than his own fate in his hands. Folks working on "Empire" feel like the future of the show will very much be tied to how things shake out for him in court, and could possibly torpedo the series at large.

Here it is ... footage showing Conor McGregor stomping out a cell phone in front of the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami -- and it's LOUD.

You don't only SEE Conor putting his foot down on the phone, you HEAR it -- two thunderous booms as McGregor slams his designer shoe down on the phone around 5 AM Monday morning.

You can also see and hear the alleged victim, Ahmed Abdirzak, plead with McGregor -- "Let me get my phone, man!"

Abdirzak tells TMZ Sports he was just trying to snap a pic of Conor on his cell phone when the UFC star lured him in by appearing to offer a handshake, but instead snatched the phone and smashed it.

As we previously reported, cops were called and eventually located McGregor at a nearby mansion where he was staying with his family.

McGregor was arrested for robbery/strong-arm and criminal mischief over $1,000 (2 felonies) ... but his attorney downplayed the incident, calling it a "minor altercation."

If convicted on both counts, Conor is facing up to 15 years in prison for the robbery/strong-arm charge ... but he doesn't seem too concerned.

In fact, he went out for a jog after he was released from jail.

It's not Conor's first brush with the law -- he was arrested in 2018 for throwing a steel dolly at a UFC bus in Brooklyn.

These photos reek of sex ... and maybe a little B.O. ... but mostly sex.

It's Bella Thorne showing off her insane physique during a bikini day in Miami with her sister, Dani ... begging the question -- does the armpit hair bother you?!

Bella thinks it's natural beauty and she won't let the pressures of society force her into shaving away the bushy bundles of joy under her arms.

Also, she's washing her hair with beer.

No, it's not because smelling like an alcoholic is alluring -- some experts claim there's real value.

In fact, Time magazine ran an interview with author Adina Grigore who swears by the beer shampoo method.

"It’s super conditioning. While you’re pouring it in your hair, it feels a little luxurious, which is counterintuitive to what you’d think pouring a can of beer in your hair is like," Grigore said.

She added, "The B vitamins and all the nutrients from the fermenting are really great, and it’ll add body to your hair, too."

So, Bella doesn't need to waste all of those suds on her melon -- splash some on the pits, too!

In the meantime, here's a video that goes well with this post ...

Two Stanford students who were rejected by Yale and USC have filed a lawsuit against the college bribery ringleader and 8 universities.

Erica Olsen and Kalea Woods are suing Rick Singer -- the man who pulled the strings in the biggest admissions bribery case ever -- along with USC, Stanford, UCLA, University of San Diego, Texas, Wake Forest, Yale and Georgetown. The students allege "unqualified students found their way into the admissions rolls of highly selective universities, while those students who played by the rules and did not have college-bribing parents were denied admissions."

The 2 students are trying to turn this into a class action lawsuit, and presumably recruit others who have been denied admission as a result of bribery and other schemes.

Olsen says she had stellar test scores and athletic talent yet was rejected by Yale. She said had she known "the system at Yale University was warped and rigged by fraud" she wouldn't have applied there. Woods was rejected by USC and said she was never informed "parents could buy their way into the university through bribery and dishonest schemes."

Though both students ultimately got into Stanford, they claim their degrees are now devalued by the criminal racketeering charges.

As we reported ... Singer -- who once shopped a reality show on the pressures of families trying to get their kids into college -- copped a plea Tuesday to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering, tax conspiracy and obstruction of justice for funneling of money to college athletic coaches and administrators in return of helping their kids gain university admissions.

Frank Cali -- the boss of the legendary Gambino crime family -- was murdered in front of his Staten Island home Wednesday night, officials confirm.

It's the first time a high-profile mafia boss has been shot and killed in public since Paul Castellano was whacked in front of the famous Sparks Steak House in Manhattan in 1985.

Officials say Cali was in front of his home when someone rolled up and opened fire, striking 53-year-old Cali in the torso multiple times. Reports say he was hit 6 times.

Cali's wife and children were reportedly inside the house when the shots rang out.

The perps also RAN OVER the mafia boss in an apparent attempt to make sure he was killed.

Someone called 911 and Cali was transported to a hospital in Staten Island where he was pronounced dead.

Cali -- known as the acting Gambino mafia boss -- began his rise to power after John Gotti went down for murder and racketeering in 1992.

He reportedly took over as "boss" in 2015.

Cali famously kept a low profile -- the opposite of Gotti. He was known as a unifying figure in the mafia world who was making more allies than enemies.

Cops say they are investigating the Cali murder -- so far, no arrests have been made.

Meek Mill now has TWO holidays named after him in two different cities across the country ... after his hometown of Philadelphia just dedicated an entire weekend to the rapper.

That's right ... Thursday, March 14, 2019, kicks off Meek Mill Weekend in Philly -- which is getting announced today by City Council President Darrell L. Clarke. We're told Clarke will open Thursday's meeting with a city level proclamation bestowing Meek with the honor.

Not only will Meek Mill Weekend be confirmed on a city level, but Pennsylvania State Senator Sharif Street will step right up after him to announce the proclamation on a statewide level.

The official "holiday weekend" runs from Thursday to Saturday. The timing isn't random -- Meek's back in town for the next couple days as his Motivation Tour rolls through Philadelphia.

The reason is pretty much the same one Houston tapped when giving Meek his own day in their city -- contributions to music and art, as well as his philanthropic efforts to change the criminal justice system. Something tells us the Philly proclamation will look something like this.

As you might know ... Meek's been hard at work both in the studio and on the big stage trying to bring people together for criminal justice reform. He's already got some big names in his corner for the cause, and it doesn't look like he's slowing down anytime soon.

Kevin Spacey's back in Hollywood after spending a lot of time -- and facing a criminal charge -- on the east coast, so it begs the question ... is he getting back to work?

The disgraced actor was seen leaving the Sunset Tower Hotel in WeHo Wednesday night, although it looks like he's still trying to keep a low profile.

As we've reported ... Spacey's mostly been hanging out on the other side of the country amid facing a felony charge for allegedly fondling a teenage boy's genitals in Massachusetts back in 2016. He appeared in a Nantucket court in early January to face the charge of indecent assault.

It's unclear if Kevin's returned to Tinseltown to get back into show business or other business, but ever since misconduct allegations began to dog him in 2017 ... he's only lost acting gigs.

Spacey was replaced in the film "All the Money in the World" and got fired from his "House of Cards" job after various stories of sexual misconduct surfaced.

In fact, the only real acting he's done recently came around Christmas time, when he posted a bizarre video defending himself ... in the character of President Frank Underwood.

Bali is known for its incredible views ... but Johnny Manziel's wife just made it MUCH better ... showing off her booty flexin' skills in a bikini by the pool!!

Bre Tiesi is in Indonesia with her friends celebrating Jordan Ozuna's birthday ... and naturally, that means everybody's ditchin' their clothes for their suits to get some fun in the sun.

No sign of Johnny on the trip ... and no offense to the QB, we're perfectly fine with that.

Of course, Johnny's had fun with the crew in the past -- who can forget their epic topless beach trip in Mexico in 2017?

The girls posted all the (clothed) fun this time around ... from impromptu photo shoots to celebrating the birthday with some cake.

As for Ozuna -- she's Bre's business partner and has been linked to Tyga and Justin Bieber in the past.

Happy birthday ... to everyone!!

Drake rolled out the red carpet for his baby mama at his concert ... and she couldn't stop showing off her dance moves.

OVO performed Wednesday night at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris for his Assassination Vacation tour ... and damn near taking center stage was his baby mama, Sophie Brussaux. You can see her in the video getting all the feels to "One Dance" ... while double-fisting a couple of drinks.

Sophie had an all-access pass at the concert ... and this kinda VIP treatment shouldn't be a shocker to die-hard Drizzy fans. We're told the two have maintained a positive relationship for their son, Adonis, who was born on Drake's birthday back in 2017.

As we've reported ... Drake's used to pulling out all the stops for his son and baby mama. You'll recall he flew them out on a private jet on Christmas ... and he's been a proud papa ever since.

Easy to see why.

Dennis Rodman has a REAL problem with the lack of toughness in the NBA -- telling TMZ Sports, "All these guys should quit wearing tampons!"

Rodman was heading into Jennifer Cohen's "Habits and Hustle Podcast" on Wednesday wearing a "Make Basketball Tough Again" hat ... so, naturally, we had to ask about it.

Dennis didn't get specific about his gripe with the league -- guessing it has to do with the increase in foul calls. In fact, that's exactly what Rudy Gay was griping about to The Athletic recently.

There's more ... Rodman also talked about his buddy, Donald Trump, and why he thinks the recent summit with North Korea's Kim Jong-un was a failure.

Of course, Rodman and Jong-un are friends -- remember when Rodman visited him in Pyongyang back in 2013?

"I think [Trump] went in there to try to ask for all this bullsh*t and stuff like that and he has to understand you just can't go in and ask a guy like that to surrender his country and his freedom and his people," Rodman said.

"Slowly, man. Ease into it, brother. You'll get something."

Rodman says he plans on going back to North Korea "soon" -- and looks forward to hanging with Kim and his family.

3/15 -- A source close to Cheryl Mack claims Joycelyn's mother traveled with her daughter to Palm Springs in 2015. We're also told Mack stopped working with R. Kelly in July 2015 and has not had any contact with the singer since.

R. Kelly allegedly coerced his alleged "sex slave," Joycelyn Savage, to lie to cops if asked about their relationship, and her family believes they have evidence to prove it ... which is now in the hands of the feds.

Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell TMZ ... federal investigators in New York involved in the R. Kelly sex trafficking probe flew to Atlanta last week to meet with the Savage family ... and received a treasure trove of digital evidence.

We're told the Savages had lots of digital records that they say display shady tactics from both R. Kelly and folks who were working for him, including a woman named Cheryl Mack ... an ex-assistant who allegedly facilitated a meeting between Joycelyn and R. Kelly early on.

According to our sources, the records show Mack had arranged for Joycelyn to fly to Palm Springs to see R. Kelly in 2015. We're told that meeting led to Joycelyn dropping everything and moving in with him, without her parents' knowledge.

For the record, Joycelyn was 19 at the time this happened. She has been living with him since then.

There's a lot more the Savages had. Per our sources, they also handed over old emails and texts between them and Mack, as well as audio recordings of R. Kelly allegedly coercing Joycelyn into lying about her situation if authorities ever talked to her.

We're told in some of the other audio recordings obtained, you hear R. Kelly discussing how he'd conceal his relationship with Joycelyn ... and in another, we're told you hear R. Kelly demand Joyceln text him a statement that she herself was lying in the event she ever ratted him out.

Our sources say the Savages also handed over social media messages they say came from R. Kelly's camp through the years to show he had others working for him to procure young women.

The Savages' attorney, Gerald Griggs, declined to comment. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York also had no comment for this story.

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan are both officially on the move with their new flames ... Channing's finally been spotted out with Jessie J.

The "Magic Mike" actor and singer took a stroll Thursday in London, with big smiles on their faces. It's one of the first times we've seen Channing and Jessie together in public ... after a LOT of juicy speculation.

As you can see -- they looked pretty into each other as they jaywalked across a road and waded into a bike lane while across the pond -- but lucky for them, traffic seemed to be nonexistent.

Meanwhile, back at home, Jenna's been doing her thing as well with her new BF, Steve Kazee. They recently took Jenna and Channing's daughter, Everly, on a Disneyland trip ... just the three of them.

Looks like the conscious uncoupling thing is going swell for these two exes since their big split. Good for them.

3/14 5:25 AM PT -- ICE officials tell us Joe is now officially out of federal prison and, as expected, he is in ICE custody -- at an unknown location. He will remain there at least until he gets his day in court to appeal deportation.

Teresa Giudice's husband, Joe Giudice, won't have one second of freedom to enjoy when he's released from prison this week ... 'cause ICE will be right there to pick him up.

An ICE spokesperson tells TMZ ... their office is fully expecting Allenwood Low Federal Correctional Institution in PA to hand over Joe Thursday when he's released.

It's unclear exactly where ICE will take him, but Joe could be in one of the agency's detention centers for a while. He's appealing his deportation, and with the case still pending ... who knows when he'll actually get his day in court.

Until then, he'll remain in ICE's custody.

Teresa has said she'll divorce Joe if he ends up getting deported back to Italy -- so a lot on the line here.