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Wade Robson says he's received an outpouring of support since "Leaving Neverland" was released, but he doesn't care if people still listen to Michael Jackson ... because this is about way more than that.

We got Wade Monday evening at LAX where he wanted to make it clear -- he's not the moral authority on muting MJ ... it's up to everyone individually to decide how to deal with the disturbing allegations against the singer.

Wade says he hopes his story makes people question who they worship ... more than question whether they play certain songs. He does reveal his personal decision on Jackson's music.

As for his doubters -- from members of the Jackson family to Aaron Carter -- Wade's pretty mum. He tells us people will believe what they want to believe ... and sometimes it takes time.

The high school referee who told Andrew Johnson to cut his dreadlocks or forfeit is now threatening to sue ... claiming he's been DEFAMED and he's demanding $100,000 in damages.

The wrestling match made international headlines when Johnson -- who is black -- appeared humiliated when he was essentially forced to cut his hair during the Dec. 2018 match.

The ref, Alan Maloney, has not reffed a single high school wrestling match since ... and he's pissed -- claiming he did nothing wrong.

In fact, Maloney believes he was simply following the rules laid out by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association ... and should NOT be subject to any sort of punishment.

In his letter, Maloney states his case ... saying Johnson's hair length violated the rules. Maloney claims he gave Johnson time to get a hair covering, but Johnson did not have one.

So, in accordance with NJSIAA policy, Maloney says "provided the wrestler with the time to correct the deficiency" -- aka, a haircut.

Once the video went viral, many people accused Maloney of operating out of racism and he feels the NJSIAA did nothing to correct the narrative.

Now, Maloney has fired off a letter to the NJSIAA saying he's planning to take legal action because he feels the association has participated in DEFAMING him, causing him to lose income and suffer emotional distress. He's claiming damages of $100k.

We spoke with Johnson's attorney Dominic Speziali who tells us, "To the extent that [Maloney] plans to file a claim as a victim in this incident is outright absurd."

Ariana Grande's still got Mac Miller heavy on her mind ... and she wanted to let her fans know exactly how much before beginning her world tour.

The "thank u, next" singer kicked off her Sweetener tour Monday night at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY ... but before coming onstage, Ariana rolled out some Mac tracks ... as a homage to her late boyfriend.

The gesture didn't go unnoticed by fans, who flooded social media. One fan wrote, "Ariana Grande is playing Mac Miller right before her opening song for sweetner tour rn and my heart can't handle it SO MANY TEARS."

Mac's "Dang!" was the final song to play before Ariana came out. No doubt it was an emotional night for Ariana, who told fans during soundcheck her setlist would NOT include "ghostin" or "imagine" because they would be "too heavy" to perform.

As you know by now ... those tracks seem to be about Mac Miller, who is also referenced in "thank u, next." Ariana's been mourning Mac since he died from an accidental overdose back in September.

She got this tattoo honoring Mac and remembered him on his birthday too.

The University of Michigan gymnastics coach who was arrested for having sex with one of his gymnasts in public was punished in court Monday with a fine ... TMZ Sports has learned.

39-year-old Scott Vetere was arrested back in October after cops say they caught him and an 18-year-old member of the UM gymnastics team banging in a parking lot near the Ann Arbor campus.

Vetere's been in court ever since fighting an indecent or obscene conduct in public charge -- a misdemeanor that carries a maximum of 90 days in jail if convicted.

But, court officials tell us Scott reached an agreement with prosecutors this week ... and got his charge reduced to a civil infraction. He paid off a fine and now the case is closed.

Vetere -- a former stud gymnast who was the 2000 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year -- was suspended by UM after the incident last fall. He later resigned from his position and left the school.

If Travis Scott's gonna have to wait to repair his relationship with Kylie Jenner because they're both too busy ... at least he's making a ton of money in the process.

We're told Travis has joined some elite company after his February 8 Astroworld concert at The Forum sold out and grossed a whopping $1.7 million. Yup, nearly $2 million for ONE SHOW. We're told he sold more than 16,300 tickets.

This is huge for Travis because the sellout means Travis is only one of a few artists to have repeat sellouts at The Forum in a 12-month period. He also sold out shows on December 19 and 20.

To put this feat in perspective ... Travis now joins legends like Garth Brooks, Juan Gabriel, The Grateful Dead, Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, Sting and Michael Jackson to accomplish repeat sellouts since 1990. And, get this ... the $1.7M is the highest-grossing, single-night engagement of the Astroworld tour. #Goosebumps

But, while the rapper continues stockpiling career accolades, it's been rocky waters at home.

As we first reported ... Travis and Kylie haven't had a chance to fully repair their relationship after she accused him of cheating, largely in part to each building their own empires.

For what it's worth ... Travis has just 10 more dates left on his tour.

Pete Davidson and Kate Beckinsale seem to be in the midst of a full-blown rock 'n' roll romance -- so why not crash a Motley Crue party while you're at it?

The 'SNL' star was spotted leaving an MC gig Monday night on the Sunset Strip at the Whiskey a Go Go, where Tommy Lee and co. were celebrating the premiere of their biopic, "The Dirt." He was holding Kate's hand and leading the way again ... that's kinda their signature look together lately.

Considering what's new with Motley Crue and who's involved, it's no wonder Pete and Kate were there. His buddy, Machine Gun Kelly, stars as Tommy in a new Netflix movie about the band called The Dirt. The movie premiere took place before their shindig.

It must've been a feel-good time, 'cause Pete and Kate were in the mood to make out right afterward. They sure didn't hesitate once they were in their car.

Nicki Minaj did not secretly walk down the aisle with bad boy boyfriend Kenneth Petty, despite recently referring to him as her "husband."

As you know ... the rumors started kicking into overdrive after Nicki called her new man her "husband" on the latest episode of "Queen Radio."

Sources close to Nicki tell TMZ ... she's very much in love with Kenneth, but any reports saying they're married are false ... despite what she said.

We broke the story ... the superstar rapper is considering getting hitched to Kenneth -- and they are talking marriage after just a few months of dating -- but we're told they haven't jumped the broom.

As for Kenneth's checkered history with the law, which includes convictions for first-degree attempted rape and manslaughter, we're told Nicki doesn't care about his troubled past because he treats her great ... and she's tired of people bashing him.

Bottom line ... Nicki calling Kenneth her hubby is kinda like Travis Scott calling Kylie Jenner his "wife" ... although that seems to be on shaky ground these days.

Conor McGregor says he has no problem being the CO-MAIN event of a future UFC card -- he just wants Dana White to give him OWNERSHIP in the brand before he returns to the Octagon.

Of course, UFC legend Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone recently claimed McGregor refused to sign a fight contract unless their fight would be the sole MAIN event.

The issue ... neither Cowboy or Conor hold a UFC title at the moment and Dana White has said they want every major card to have a championship fight in the main event slot.

Enter McGregor ... who finally broke his silence on the issue Friday while speaking with fans at a bar in Chicago, Binny's -- saying, "I’m ready to fight, I’ve said that. No problem."

But, Conor says he doesn't want to fight for a paycheck anymore ... he wants a legit stake in the company, as he's demanded for years.

"Me sliding into the co-main event ... it’s now boosting [the UFC's] brand over fighter rhetoric that they have. And, there's no problem with that," Conor said in video captured by BJPenn.com's Mike Pendleton.

"If they want me to push that and I have no problem with pushing that, give me my rightful shares in the UFC company. That’s all I ask."

"You can put me on the first fight of ESPN+, no problem ... let's see how it goes ... but I'm still prepared and ready to fight."

Conor has demanded ownership in the UFC for years -- and at one point, UFC minority owner Mark Wahlberg offered him a piece of his stake in the company.

Wahlberg later rescinded the offer. But, ya gotta wonder if the UFC is considering Conor's demand with the kind of money McGregor's fights bring in.

Danielle Bregoli is too busy growing her business empire to be bothered with a lame-ass sweet sixteen.

We got Danielle Monday at LAX, where our photog asked how she's celebrating her impending 16th birthday ... Danielle says her people are busy planning a party for her, but she'd rather just kick it at home on her big day. Yeah, we're kinda shocked too.

Bhad Bhabie makes some pretty good points though ... fancy parties just never turn out how they're supposed to. And, who needs the stress that comes with it?!?

Of course, Danielle ain't your typical teen ... she's already got her own Snapchat series, futuristic billboard ad, certified gold single, a music vid with DMX and a huge endorsement deal. No wonder she wants a night off.

Skipping the birthday bash might be a smart idea after all ... good luck finding the millionaire a present.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Tyrone Crawford -- a defensive team captain -- shoved TWO police officers while they were making an arrest during a bar brawl in Florida, TMZ Sports has learned.

Crawford was at the Coyote Ugly Saloon in Panama City on March 15, when things got violent around midnight. Sources tell us Crawford's crew had gotten into it with bar staff.

The fight was epic -- in a bad way -- multiple people suffered bloody injuries, including bar staff. One employee suffered a broken foot in the melee.

Cops raced to the scene ... and witnessed 8 to 10 people still fighting outside, this according to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports.

The report does not mention Crawford by name, but we've spoken with witnesses who are adamant Crawford was a key player in the incident.

At one point, Crawford -- 6'4", 285 pounds -- bull rushed his way through two cops and aggressively put his hands on TWO officers who were in the process of handcuffing one of the alleged combatants.

Multiple cops swarmed Crawford and restrained him -- while pushing him away from the arrest scene.

The incident involving Crawford was captured on the bar's surveillance video and shows the scene play out clear as day.

Despite the chaotic scene, Crawford was NOT arrested.

'Love & Hip Hop' star Spice was apparently feeling pressured by the music industry about her "look," which might be why she went full white face to promote new music ... or so it seems.

In an exclusive clip teasing season 8, obtained by TMZ, Spice is being told by an artist development agent that her appearance is sub-par, which sends her barreling into a doctor's office as she starts to consider whether she should potentially bleach her skin.

It's pretty dramatic ... the doc even tells her she should get a psychological evaluation before pursuing any bleaching. It sure looks like Spice didn't appreciate that.

The trailer captures just part of the convo that seems to have sent Spice down the rabbit hole of questioning her "look," but VH1 released the full thing. The guy, Von, doesn't say anything about lightening, but suggests her current image might not work in the U.S.

As we reported ... Spice definitely went full white face as part of the rollout for her new mixtape, "Black Hypocrisy," which shocked the hell out of everyone and their mothers.

Interestingly enough, Spice later said publicly that she had not, in fact, bleached her skin ... and that the photo was aimed at raising awareness of colorism among black people.

That's definitely not how the new trailer plays it here, but it sounds like folks will have to tune in to see what really went down. Season 8 premieres on March 25.

Miley Cyrus was so overcome with emotion at the memorial service for one of her favorite 'Voice' contestants ... she couldn't fight back the tears.

Miley attended the Celebration of Life for Janice Freeman Monday at Mariners Church in Irvine ... where she poured her heart out and honored the former 'Voice' singer. You see Miley break down but she still manages to get a laugh when she says, "I was never her coach, ever. She was always mine."

Before surrendering the stage to her dad, Billy Ray, who led a rousing rendition of "Amazing Grace" ... Miley had some touching words for Janice, whom Miley was paired up with during season 13 of "The Voice."

Miley said, "I've learned more from her than anyone that I've ever gotten the honor to be in the room with, not just vocally, I should've gotten more lessons than I did, but she taught me everything that I know about love."

She went on to say, "And, to be here, and I had planned on singing a song for her, but just losing her is just too much for me. So ... my dad's gonna take care of this for me. But, I'll always be your sister, I'm here for you, and I'm here for your family, and Janice I'll miss you more than I could ever say."

Miley joined her dad in song.

Former Disney star Kyle Massey is vehemently denying allegations he sent sexually explicit photos to a 13-year-old girl ... claiming the lawsuit against him is a clear and simple case of extortion.

We broke the story ... the "That's So Raven" star is being sued by a teenage girl who claims he sent her images of his erect penis, along with sexually explicit text messages. She's suing for at least $1.5 million.

Kyle's lawyer, Lee Hutton, tells TMZ his client couldn't be clearer ... "No child should ever be exposed to sexually explicit materials and I unequivocally and categorically deny any alleged misconduct."

Kyle says it's all just a money grab ... he claims earlier this year the accuser's legal team demanded $1.5m threatening to go public to destroy his career if he did not comply. Hutton says his client told the accuser to pound sand.

2:15 PM PT -- Anthony Comello's attorney, Robert C. Gottlieb, tells TMZ that his client has waived extradition Monday and will be arraigned in a Staten Island court next week. Gottlieb also tells us that Comello has been placed in protective custody after receiving "serious threats," where he will remain while his case is pending. Gottlieb adds that Comello's family cannot believe the accusations against Anthony, and promises to get to the truth of the matter.

The man suspected of killing Gambino crime boss Frank Cali came to court with a message on his hand ... "United We Stand MAGA Forever."

Anthony Comello faced a New Jersey judge Monday and displayed his left palm with words written with a blue ballpoint pen. A court officer scoffed at Comello -- who was arrested and taken into custody over the weekend -- asking him why he was waving his hand to reporters. His response ... "Why? I'm handcuffed," suggesting he couldn't do any harm by showcasing his palm.

Our law enforcement sources said cops believe Comello may have murdered Cali because the mob boss was blocking him from dating Cali's niece.

You'll recall, domestic terrorism suspect Cesar A. Sayoc pledged allegiance to Trump ... festooning his van with tons of pro-Trump stickers and allegedly sending pipe bombs to CNN, President Obama and others.

Then there's Florida shooter Nikolas Cruz, who wore a MAGA hat during target practice just months before killing 17 people at his former high school.