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The R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Aretha Franklin has spread across Detroit, with memorials on display on some of the most famous buildings in the place the Queen of Soul called home.

The Fox Theatre, Comerica Park and Little Caesars Arena have all put up tributes to Aretha with the message "Forever Our Queen" ... while fans have added balloons and gifts to Aretha Franklin Way.

The Fillmore Detroit and the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts have also posted messages of love for Franklin on their marquees. A memorial has popped up in front of New Bethel Baptist Church, which was founded by Aretha's father.

Aretha passed away Thursday in her Detroit home, and has received an outpouring of heartfelt and emotional shout-outs from countless celebs ... including Barack and Michelle Obama.

She was 76.

Aretha Franklin's body has been removed from her home and is en route to a funeral home.

A hearse was spotted at the Queen of Soul's Detroit condo building Thursday, several hours after she passed away.

Family sources tell TMZ they have struggled this week, as news broke Aretha was in her final days of life. The family wanted privacy as they said goodbye and grieved, but also understood their relative was a national treasure and felt the grief must be shared.

The family has not announced plans for a funeral or a memorial, but there are already plans for multiple memorials in various forms in Aretha's hometown. In addition, a tribute concert will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City in November.

Almost 50 YEARS after Arnold Schwarzenegger won the 1969 Mr. Universe competition -- he has finally been reunited with his 1st place trophy ... after it went missing decades ago!!

The story is wild ... Arnold won the contest in London back when he was around 22 years old -- during his second year as a pro bodybuilder.

But, he gave the hardware to his mother ... who ended up giving it away to a fan without telling her son and it went missing for years!

Arnold got a tip about the trophy during a visit to a local gym in Budapest -- when the owner put him in touch with a bench press champion named Lorand Berke ... the fan who visited Arnold's mom!

Berke brought the trophy back to Arnold -- who verified it was authentic!

Now, Arnold says he's "pumped up" to get it back and promises to get Lorand a replacement trophy as a reward.

Pretty cool, right?

Omarosa had some trouble explaining why she was a fierce supporter of Donald Trump given that she says very clearly in a secret conversation she recorded in 2016 that she knew he had used the n-word.

We talked to the ex-White House staffer on "TMZ Live" about the barrage of secret recordings she's revealed to promote her new book, 'Unhinged,' including the latest in which Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara, tried bribing her with hush money after she got fired.

We also asked about the 2016 conversation she had with Trump campaign staffers to figure out a spin in case Trump had used the n-word. A staffer said she had talked to Trump who denied ever using the word, to which Omarosa said, "That's not true."

Even cancer couldn't drain Aretha Franklin's optimism ... and the Queen of Soul was looking forward to getting back on the mic, as late as last week ... so says the producer of her upcoming biopic.

Aretha was intimately involved in the pre-production of her biopic, spending hours with producer Harvey Mason Jr.

Harvey says Aretha has signed off on the perfect person to play her ... Jennifer Hudson, who has the pipes and the acting cred to pull off the role.

The movie centers around Aretha's journey to discover her true voice and who she wanted to be as an artist. The film doesn't have a release date and there are no plans to speed the production in the wake of Aretha's passing.

Al Sharpton wants someone to blast Donald Trump with a little of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" ... 'cause dude really needs it.

We got the reverend out in NYC Thursday and, of course, had to ask him about The Queen of Soul passing away several hours earlier. Al paid heavy tribute and went down memory lane when it came to her iconic performances.

But more than anything, Al says on the heels of Trump calling Omarosa a dog he, more than anyone else, should soak in the classic track. As we reported ... Aretha died Thursday after a long battle with cancer.

Kim Kardashian West is teaching her kids how to live it up in Miami ... which should always include some time spent on a luxury sea vessel.

KKW brought her oldest children -- North and Saint -- onboard Miami mogul David Grutman's yacht Thursday ... and had her finest hot pink, skin-tight Chanel catsuit on to chase 'em around.

North matched her mom with some pink shorts, and Saint looked absolutely adorable rocking a captain's hat.

Also on the yacht were family friends Jonathan Cheban, Larsa Pippen and her daughter Sophia.

It's now clear why Donald Trump pretended not to know his Chief of Staff fired Omarosa, because he and his family were clearly on a campaign to buy her silence ... or at least to hush her up and not talk trash.

Omarosa just released another secret audio recording ... this time with Eric Trump's wife, Lara, and it's shocking. She straight-up offers her around $180k to work on Trump's reelection campaign -- what she made at the White House, but there's a string attached.

Lara says, "It sounds a little like, obviously, that there are some things you've got in the back pocket to pull out. Clearly if you come on board the campaign, we can't have ..." and then she says Omarosa's got to keep it positive.

Here's what's really shocking ... General Kelly told Omarosa she was being fired for financial improprieties involving "integrity" issues that could run her afoul of the law. She wasn't fit for the White House, but she's fit for Trump's reelection campaign?

Aretha Franklin, known for having one of the greatest voices in music history, and for hits like "Respect," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" ... died Thursday after a long battle with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Aretha passed away in her Detroit home where she was under hospice care. She'd been in failing health for many months and she was down to 86 pounds. One source told us he was informed more than a week ago that Aretha could go at any time.

She was surrounded by friends and family when she passed. Her family released a statement, saying, "In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family."

She had appeared incredibly frail in recent years, and rarely performed live. Her most recent appearance was last November for Elton John's AIDS Foundation 25th Anniversary Benefit.

Aretha's career is just incredible. Born in Memphis in 1942, her family eventually relocated to Detroit where she began singing in her father's church. She was such a powerhouse gospel singer, she landed a Columbia record deal in the early '60s.

Her string of chart-topping hits began with her Atlantic Records deal in 1967.

Aretha's achievements in the late '60s were remarkable for any artist, but especially so for a black woman in the midst of the Civil Rights movement. She held the record for the most entries on the Hot 100 list of any female artist for nearly 40 years, only to be dethroned in 2017 by Nicki Minaj.

She won 18 Grammys and was the first woman ever inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Aretha delivered a powerful rendition of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" -- while wearing that unforgettable hat -- at Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration.

Throughout her career, Aretha was known for delivering incredible one-off live performances, including at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors show where she sang 'Natural Woman' in honor of the song's co-writer, Carole King.

The Queen of Soul was 76. She is survived by her 4 sons.

RIP

The perfect way to remember Aretha Franklin is through her music ... and the Queen of Soul is now topping the charts on iTunes.

Aretha has the No. 1 song, "Respect," and the top album, "30 Greatest Hits." She also has 3 more tracks in the Top 10.

It's not just her songs that are getting major play ... Aretha has the No. 2 music vid, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." The jam features George Michael.

The hits keep coming ... Aretha has 3 more tracks in the Top 40, for a total of 7 -- "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is No. 2; "I Say A Little Prayer" is No. 4; "Chain of Fools" is No. 9; "Think" is No. 14; "Until You Come Back to Me" is No. 24; "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)" is No. 36.

As we reported ... Aretha died in her Detroit home Thursday after a long battle with advanced pancreatic cancer. She was 76.

Aretha Franklin's death is making waves around the world -- and Hollywood is no exception, where hordes of people are paying tribute to her shining star ... and we were there to catch the crowds.

The Queen of Soul's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is quickly becoming a major center of attraction Thursday in the wake of of the iconic singer's death. Folks have been leaving flowers left and right -- and now it looks like a major gathering is happening as well.

As we reported ... Aretha passed away at her Detroit home. She died of advanced pancreatic cancer. She was 76.

1:40 PM PT -- Sophie just tweeted her own explanation of the photo, saying "Lol. Thank god I have a loving fiance. Periods are a bitch."

Joe Jonas should've asked for a box of tissues for his birthday.

Joe had a mini-crisis on his hands Wednesday in the Big Apple as he consoled fiancee Sophie Turner. The "Game of Thrones" actress looked distressed as they walked around the city.

It's not clear why Sophie was crying ... maybe she's lamenting Joe's final bday in his 20s? The middle Jo bro turned 29.

What a difference a few days can make ... Joe and Sophie spent Monday double fisting fruity drinks and sucking face in Miami.

At first blush, it appears Garry Shandling left behind an estate of less than a million dollars -- a surprisingly low amount for the mega-successful comedian ... but there's more to the story.

According to new legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Shandling had a net worth $668,636 at the time of his death, which was left with the executor of his estate ... his lawyer and friend, Bill Isaacson.

But, there's a catch -- Isaacson is the trustee of a trust Shandling created that's hidden from public view ... a trust that likely contains millions more in assets.

As we reported with Anthony Bourdain, rich celebs often create these separate trusts for various reasons, including privacy and tax purposes.

That seems to be the case with the late star of "The Larry Sanders Show" as well.

Aretha Franklin was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ... and the org has already rolled out a new display to honor the singer.

Franklin -- who was inducted back in 1987 -- once gifted the HOF a Valentino dress she'd worn at Radio City Music Hall during an appearance in 1979. The Hall put that dress on display as a tribute to the Queen of Soul.

President and CEO of the Rock Hall, Greg Harris, tells us, "Lady Soul. The first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Aretha Franklin was an artist of passion, sophistication and command, whose recordings remain anthems that defined soul music. Long live the Queen.”

Barack & Michelle Obama say America has no royalty ... but the Queen of Soul is as close as we get.

The former Prez just weighed in on the passing of the legendary Aretha Franklin, saying from the time she began performing in her father's congregation, "every time she sang, we were all graced with a glimpse of the divine."

Obama adds that Aretha helped define the experience of being an American, helped us feel more hopeful and connected ... and sometimes helped us "just forget about everything else and dance."

And for that ... 44 says Franklin has earned and deserves nothing but our respect.

Aretha's performance at Obama's inauguration in 2009 was powerful and unforgettable ... one of the highlights of an historic day.

Teyana Taylor's war of words with Jeremih has reached a whole new level -- the tour Jeremih was headlining has just been rebranded and Teyana's now running the show.

Teyana announced Thursday morning on Twitter that the Later That Night tour will now be the KTSE on Aisle VII tour. She also said DaniLeigh will join her and all tour dates will go on as scheduled ... save for Toronto, which will be rescheduled later this week.

The move comes on the heels of Teyana putting Jeremih on blast Wednesday ... calling him every name in the book. She later tweeted she was done with him because she'd been extremely mistreated on the tour. She added, "I will NO longer continue to stay on the #LaterThatNightTour because if I do ima end up knocking this n**** out. I'm sorry to all who has already purchased tickets to see me. I will make sure everyone gets refunded."