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3/24 -- R. Kelly's request to travel to Dubai looks shaky at best now -- 'cause the Dubai government is coming out strong against the singer, saying he has no business coming there ... at least as far as they're concerned. The Dubai Media Office issued a statement Sunday, denying R. Kelly's claims that he might need to fly there for potential gigs ... with the agency saying there were no planned concerts for R. Kelly that the government was aware of.

The DMO also shot down claims by R. Kelly's legal team that he had plans to meet the sheikhdom's ruling Al Maktoum family ... calling BS and saying, "Authorities in Dubai have not received any request for a performance by singer R. Kelly nor are there any venues that have been booked."

8:02 AM -- The hearing has wrapped up. Greenberg formally asked for a copy of the sex tapes but the judge did not rule on whether Kelly's team will get copies just yet. Greenberg added the sex tapes should be protected from public viewing.

Also, Kelly's motion for permission to travel has been continued.

7:20 AM PT -- Kelly has just arrived to court. The hearing is now scheduled to start at 7:45 AM PT.

6:40 AM PT -- We will be live streaming inside R. Kelly's pretrial hearing in Cook County Courthouse. It's scheduled to start around 7 AM PT.

R. Kelly and his legal team are demanding to get their hands and eyes on the alleged sex tapes that prompted the 10 counts of sexual abuse ... and they're hoping to walk out of court Friday with them.

Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg, tells TMZ ... prosecutors will begin handing over discovery materials during a court hearing Friday in Chicago. He says there's no guarantee what they'll get right off the bat -- could be police reports, case material from Kelly's 2008 trial but, obviously, the items they're most anxious to see are the 2 tapes Michael Avenatti turned over to Cook County prosecutors.

Greenberg says he hasn't seen the tapes -- which Avenatti claims show Kelly engaged in various sex acts with a 14-year-old girl -- so he can't really begin to mount a defense strategy. Once he does get them, a couple different things could happen.

He'll immediately order a full forensic analysis of the tapes ... if he and Kelly believe the tape does show the singer. If they don't think it's Kelly, Greenberg says he'll speed things up to trial.

For now, it's a waiting game since Kelly's team has no idea what prosecutors will hand over.

Kelly might also ask the judge to let him travel to Dubai for work -- he had to surrender his passport when he got arrested. Sources close to the singer tell us he could potentially get a gig there, but doesn't have anything booked yet.

Greenberg says he's not sure the judge will hear that request Friday, but it's on their "to do" list because -- make no mistake -- Kelly's desperate to make some cash.

Paris Jackson is in a much better head space since her suicide scare ... spending time with friends, family and taking advice from people who genuinely care about her.

TMZ broke the story ... Jackson was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital last week after she attempted suicide by cutting her wrists. She was released from the hospital a few hours later after allegedly telling doctors she'd seek treatment at another facility ... but that never happened.

Those close to Paris had originally pushed rehab on the 20-year-old -- but she refused -- and has taken her well-being into her own hands.

Family sources tell us Paris is trying to improve her mental and physical health, and open to listening to the folks she trusts. Our sources say Paris is eating better, exercising and working on psychological issues.

Paris will turn 21 in just over a week, and organizing the party has kept her busy. We're told Paris has also been in regular communication with her younger brothers ... and is proud Blanket is gearing up for college. Macaulay Culkin -- who had an unbreakable bond with Michael Jackson -- has also been a big support.

We got Paris out in L.A. Tuesday night with her boyfriend outside Largo comedy club ... and she assured us she was doing fine.

3/24 9:40 AM PT -- Viking Sky cruise has finally docked safely in the port of Molde in Norway.

3/24 7:40 AM PT -- The ship has regained some power and is being towed in by a tugboat and 2 supply ships. Only 500 people were airlifted from the distressed vessel. There are over 800 people still on board. Around 20 people sustained injuries as a result of being tossed around like rag dolls.

7:40 PM PT -- The evacuation is ongoing and may go well into Sunday, as rescuers have been facing waves more than 20 feet high. Passengers have been getting airlifted out one at a time.

According to CNN ... passengers were on a 12-day Northern Lights cruise that began on March 14 and was supposed to arrive at its final destination in England on March 26. The Viking Sky had been stopping at various Norwegian towns before the Saturday mayday call.

12:25 PM PT-- A passenger just shared video from inside the cruise ship ... and it's terrifying. Furniture and large plants on deck of the tilting vessel are being thrashed around by the rough seas.

Other reports are coming in from passengers who have made it back to the mainland, calling the experience the worst and scariest of their lives. One woman said there's water and broken glass everywhere due to items being thrown around and smashing windows, and people are getting cut up. It's easy to see how.

There are still reportedly more than 800 people on board, as the helicopters can only rescue 10-15 at a time, and the rescue boats have been having difficulty in the rough waters.

Passengers on a cruise off of Norway's coast are taking the ride of their lives ... but not in the fun way they expected at all.

Police say the cruise ship Viking Sky issued a mayday call Saturday off of Norway's western coast due to engine problems amid high waves and strong winds.

The ship's 1,300 passengers and crew are being evacuated by several helicopters and ships after Norway's sea rescue agency received the distress signal.

There haven't been any serious injuries, fortunately, but 5 people have reportedly been taken to the hospital. According to reports, the cruise ship was beginning to drift toward shore but managed to restart an engine and regain its course as the evacuation continues.

It's expected to take several hours.

The Viking Sky belongs to Viking Ocean Cruises and made its maiden voyage in 2017.

Brandon Adams -- one of Georgia Tech's rising football stars -- has died suddenly, according to his own football team.

Georgia Tech's Sports Department announced the sad news Sunday, saying their hearts were broken over the sudden passing of their defensive lineman. The school sent their condolences to his friends and family. No cause of death has been revealed yet.

Adams appeared in 33 games over the course of his GT career between 2016 and 2018. He was having a tremendous year in terms of stats too this past season ... 24 tackles, five tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles in the 13 games played.

Tons of tributes were pouring in Sunday, with many people describing Adams as a "gentle giant" off the field.

The dog that died on an Air France-KLM jetliner bound for L.A. this week was a healthy, happy puppy heading for his new home ... according to the devastated family now demanding answers.

The family's attorney, Evan Oshan, tells TMZ ... the dog, a Central Asian Shepherd less than a year old named Bear, was recently purchased by the California family from Europe, and was en route to become their pet.

We're told Bear was chosen specifically because the breed is known for being strong and protective but gentle, and the family has 6 and 7-year-old children.

Oshan says the dog had no known health problems and was fine when he boarded the plane, and also doesn't have breathing issues like the French Bulldog that died on a United Airlines flight last year.

The family's now seeking more info from Air France, including surveillance footage of Bear and personnel files of anyone who handled him, incident reports connected to the flight, a flight manifest, cockpit recordings and KLM's protocol for stowing away animals.

In a letter to the airline, Oshan adds ... "We take the death of Bear very seriously and expect the protocol which you will follow will be consistent with the death of any passenger. Furthermore any attempt to veer from our requests will be viewed as obstruction of justice and dealt with as prescribed under the law."

We broke the story ... Bear was found dead Tuesday afternoon in L.A. in KLM's cargo hold after a long flight from Amsterdam. We're told the dog's body is still in the custody of the airline's investigator, and the family's efforts to have him returned to them have been ignored so far.

We're told the family wants the dog's necropsy done by an independent vet facility and to conduct its own investigation into the death.

3/25 -- For the record, Dre and Iovine donated a whopping $70 MILLION to the University. The department they funded -- The Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation, was established to promote entrepreneurship, computer science and engineering, audio and visual design, and the arts. Dre and Jimmy wanted to inspire innovators.

3/24 -- Dr. Dre has deleted his Instagram post in which he touted his daughter's acceptance to USC with "no jail time." Lots of people pointed out how tone-deaf it came off considering he and Jimmy Iovine made a multi-million dollar donation to USC and literally have a portion of the school named after them.

Dr. Dre's rubbing a little salt in the wounds of Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman and all the other parents involved in the college bribery scandal ... while gloating about his USC-bound child.

The music mogul and proud papa just shared a photo with his daughter, Truly Young, holding up her Certificate of Admissions letter from the University of Southern California ... and added a savage jab.

Dre wrote ... "My daughter got accepted into USC all on her own. No jail time!!!"

As we've reported ... Huffman, Loughlin and her husband are facing criminal charges for allegedly paying to get their kids into the prestigious school by fraudulent means.

Loughlin's daughters have already formally left USC and could be banned from campus forever.

Dr. Dre clearly doesn't think he has any reason to worry about something like that happening or any legal issues with her attending the college.

Some folks might take umbrage with the rapper's claim that his daughter got accepted on her own, though -- he and Jimmy Iovine founded the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy a few years back ... and there's a hall on campus named after them.

That may have had a little something to do with it ... just maybe.

Colby Covington better watch his mouth around Todd Gurley ... 'cause Kamaru Usman tells TMZ Sports the NFL superstar would whoop his ass if they ever scrapped!!!

"Todd Gurley would maul him," Usman says ... "He would maul him. He'd maul him."

Of course, Kamaru's talking about this 'cause he says he saw the Rams RB get into a spat with Covington seconds before his championship fight with Tyron Woodley at UFC 235.

So, we had to ask ... who'd win if Gurley and Covington were NOT separated that night?!

His answer -- Gurley ... and he ain't just sayin' that 'cause he HATES Covington ...

"These running backs, they have low centers of gravity, big butts, strong legs. All they have to do is -- it's not going to take them long, once they learn the technique, they're throwing hammers."

"So, yeah, I think he could take him."

The tale of the tape IS interesting ... Gurley outweighs Covington by over 60 pounds and is two inches taller -- so, is Kamaru right??

Give Farrah Abraham credit ... she knows how to change the subject when she's being grilled -- case in point ... copying Kourtney Kardashian's nude bathroom pose.

We got Farrah out at LAX and we had to ask about ripping off Kourtney earlier this month. As you know ... Kourtney found a risque way to promote her new lifestyle site by posing nude and cleverly blocking her assets with a teacup and laptop.

Two weeks later ... Farrah posted a super similar pic on Instagram, and she immediately got ripped for stealing Kourtney's nude pose idea and for a massive photoshop fail. Look closely, no belly button. We know she has one.

But, check out the clip ... Farrah wouldn't even mention Kourtney's name or offer any apologies for running with someone else's creativity. Watch how she pivots and steers the conversation to something way more serious.

The wrestling ref who's threatening a lawsuit over the viral dreadlock-cutting incident is "blatantly racist" and has NO CASE ... so says Lil Jon ... who tells TMZ Sports the guy's claims are ridiculous.

High schooler Andrew Johnson -- who is black -- was forced to either cut his dreadlocks or forfeit during a December 2018 match. The story made international news .... and the ref was accused of being racist.

As we previously reported ... the ref, Alan Maloney, is claiming he's been defamed in the coverage following this ... and he's demanding $100,000 in damages.

Enter Lil Jon -- who has famously shown off his dreads throughout his career -- and he explains why Maloney's actions were inexcusable.

"Dreads are considered to be like a man's crown, that's a lion's mane ... it's sacred," Jon says.

"For this guy to be blatantly racist as he was on that one and to claim he can't get work or whatever, well ... too bad, you shouldn't have been an a**hole."

Maloney says he was strictly following the rules that prohibited wrestlers from having long hair ... but many people have called it a bogus excuse to cover up racism.

Lil Jon agrees with them.

The college admissions scandal is growing, and big news on the home front with Kylie and Travis. So, we gotta ask ...

Former "American Idol" contestant Chikezie Eze says his estranged wife disappeared more than a year ago and took their children ... but he's finally got the court's help trying to locate them.

Chikezie and his ex, Linda Iruke, have had their issues -- he filed for divorce from her last year shortly after she accused him of domestic abuse and threats -- but this is even more troubling.

Eze tells us Iruke completely vanished in early 2018 and cut off all ties with him and their friends, and even more concerning ... he says her family hasn't been able to contact her either.

According to new legal docs ... the court stated there is reason to believe the children have been "taken, detained, and concealed" and have authorized the L.A. County D.A.'s office to investigate and locate Eze's estranged wife and kids.

He's thankful to have this assistance, and tells us Linda's family -- especially her mother -- have been vital in convincing the court to take action.

Chikezie also has an emotional message for his son -- on his birthday -- and urges anyone who knows about his family's whereabouts to contact the D.A.'s child abduction unit.

Akon's ready to show off the most prized artist on his roster ... his own son!!!

The singer tells TMZ ... his 15-year-old son, Jahvor -- aka Jah -- is getting ready to drop his first EP with some major help from his favorite producer. Akon tells us Jah will appear on his Konvict label sometime in June. We got a sampling from one of the tracks, called "Locked Away" and it features, of course, Akon.

Goes without saying ... Jah's got his pops' voice.

Ya might be thinking ... Jah's song is about his dad doing time behind bars back in the late '90s and early 2000s, but you're dead wrong. Akon tells us, "My son wrote the chorus and his verse to symbolize how a kid could be mentally 'locked up' and can't escape the inevitable ways of the streets [and] becoming a product of the environment."

Deep stuff.

Akon's kids are incredibly talented. His other son, Ty Pittman, was recently featured on MattyBRaps' "Let's Dance" track. It's already racked up over 500k views on YouTube.

As for Jah ... Akon says he's aiming for a June release because that's African-American Music Appreciation Month.

Jordan Peele has some scary good looks!

Here's a 25-year-old fresh-faced version of the multitalented producer at an event in Las Vegas back in 2004 (left) and 15 years later ... the now 40-year-old star was seen showing off some scruff at the movie premiere for his new thriller, 'Us,' earlier this week (right).

If you don't like him, then you can get out!

The question is ...

Folks at Disneyland Paris got quite the scare when a loud, malfunctioning escalator caused people to fear there was another terrorist attack ... but thankfully, it was a false alarm.

Footage of the incident shows panic spreading as visitors at the amusement park scream and run for cover Saturday night after hearing loud noises. Turns out, the sounds came from a faulty escalator and there's no threat to the public ... but it still caused chaos.

Police reportedly say people mistook the sounds for gunfire or detonations, and there was a brief stampede before Disneyland officials and law enforcement got things under control.

Disneyland Paris says ... "There has been no explosions, no shootings, no injuries. It a false alarm."

The panic's understandable, considering Paris was the scene of a coordinated series of terrorist attacks in November 2015 that killed 130 people and included bombs and mass shootings.

Jordan Belfort could have been linked to Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman and the other parents caught up in the college bribery scandal ... but he didn't take the bait.

The real-life "Wolf of Wall Street" was at LAX when we asked him about the admissions scandal involving schools like USC, Harvard, Yale, UCLA and Georgetown, and turns out ... he has a wild personal story about it.

Belfort tells us his son was applying to Georgetown and somehow, a shady character got his number and tried to rope him in ... but he and his son declined. He says the scheme went far beyond the old "wink wink" days of buying your kid's way into college with a donation too.

As for who was behind the recruitment process, Jordan speculates it could have been one of Rick Singer's "finders" ... but he's not certain.

As for Singer -- the ringleader of the scandal -- Belfort has some predictions on the legal ramifications of his crooked scheme ... and it goes beyond jail time.