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R. Kelly's legal team is digging deep into the mystery of who dropped an unauthorized album using his name and recordings, and his attorney says they've already got their sights set on a few possible suspects.

R. Kelly's criminal defense attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, tells TMZ the disgraced singer's lawyers, entertainment attorneys and trusted friends are all trying to get to the bottom of who currently has access to his music catalog. She says they have a small group of people who they've ID'd as culprits ... but notes a potential problem could be his material changing hands.

Bonjean says she spoke with R. Kelly Friday afternoon -- he was surprised and upset about the music's release without his permission.

Bonjean tells us stuff like this has been a reoccurring issue for R. Kelly ... claiming a bunch of studio equipment, computers and masters were taken shortly after his 2019 arrest. She says there's also been an issue with his calls and emails being stolen from prison.

As we reported, an album called "I Admit It," featuring a bunch of R. Kelly's SoundCloud tracks, silently made its way to major streaming platforms Friday but was quickly removed. A source at Sony Music told us it appeared to be a bootleg version.

Johnny Knoxville is known for his elaborate pranks, but his latest may have gone too far ... resulting in a lawsuit from a guy who says it caused him emotional distress.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the 'Jackass' star is being sued by Khalil Khan over a home prank. Khan says he was hired to do a routine repair job through TaskRabbit but ended up getting way more than he bargained for.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Khan says was hired to a home to repair an electric dimmer switch. He claims the owner of the house was an actor in on the prank.

Khan claims within moments of starting the work, a lamp went out and a girl about the age of 10 -- who was also apparently an actor -- accused him of killing her pony because it was on life support and died when the electricity went out.

At one point, Khan says he was led into a room where there appeared to be an actual pony. He says things got worse when he saw his car getting towed. Khan claims when he started to call the cops, one of the men who'd taken his car said he'd get in trouble for having cocaine in it ... and he says the guy even pulled out a bag of white powder. Khan says he was horrified and denied knowing anything about it.

He says Johnny, who is known for pulling stunts, eventually let Khalil in on the prank ... expressing that it was all done in good fun, offering him money for his participation.

Kelly Clarkson is looking for some serious protection from a woman she claims made multiple unwanted visits to her home ... asking a judge for a restraining order.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kelly's requesting a TRO against 56-year-old Huguette Nicole Young ... and the singer also wants her family, her nanny, and her house manager protected from the alleged trespasser.

The docs, filed by her attorney Ed McPherson, say the alleged harassment started at the end of October -- and Michael Lopez, who says he's been running Kelly's security for the past 5 years, claims Young has shown up to her home at least 18 times, often leaving gifts and notes for Kelly.

Lopez claims Young left an assortment of items on Kelly's porch -- including things like dog toys, stickers, plants, and seeds.

The legal docs claim another security guard once told Young she was on camera and is trespassing, and they say she apologized but kept returning to the home after the warning.

Kelly's asking a judge to keep Young at least a football field away from her home, job, and children's school.

As we reported, police got involved after Kelly's security finally called LAPD to file a report ... and law enforcement sources told us the department's Threat Management is investigating.

Soccer superstar Neymar was absolutely crushed after Brazil's devastating loss to Croatia on Friday ... breaking down in tears as his team was eliminated from the World Cup.

The match was as thrilling as it gets ... with Neymar breaking a 0-0 tie in the 106th minute, and Croatia's Bruno Petkovic responding by finding the back of the net for the equalizer in the 117th minute.

It all came down to penalty kicks ... and Croatia secured the dub 4-2 when Marquinhos' shot hit the post and bounced out.

Neymar was slated to go fifth for Brazil ... which means he never got a shot to score in PKs.

Neymar was understandably emotional following the loss ... sitting on the ground and crying as his teammates consoled him.

It's been an up-and-down tournament for the 30-year-old in Qatar ... he also shed tears as he sat on the bench with an ankle injury against Serbia at the start of the event, forcing him to miss time. He did, though, score two goals for Brazil, before bowing out on Friday.

Despite his overall massive success at the tourney over the years, Neymar hasn't brought home a World Cup championship for his country ... but there's always hope in 2026.

Helen Slayton-Hughes, known most recently for her role as Ethel Beavers on "Parks and Recreation," has died.

Helen's family shared the news Thursday, saying, "Helen passed away last night. Her pain has ended but her fierce spirit lives on. Thank you for the love and support of her and her work. Rest sweet one." The cause of death has yet to be revealed.

'Parks and Rec' fans remember Helen as Ethel, the court stenographer at Pawnee's city hall that had a brutal and hilarious attitude. She worked alongside Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza in a handful of episodes during the show's run ... and her character even agreed to get adopted by Chris and Aubrey's characters as their grandma.

Helen had been working in show biz for decades, appearing in a laundry list of projects ... including 'Power Rangers,' "The West Wing," "NYPD Blue," "Malcolm in the Middle," "That's So Raven," "Arrested Development," "My Name Is Earl," "Desperate Housewives," and "New Girl."

She was 92.

Jesse James' pregnant wife is persona non grata at the couple's former home ... at least according to Jesse, who wants a judge to block her from being allowed inside the residence.

Jesse filed his response to Bonnie Rotten's divorce petition, asking the judge permission to stay in his Austin, TX home and prevent Bonnie from entering ... at least while the divorce proceedings are ongoing.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jesse is also seeking the exclusive use and possession of any cars and motor vehicles that he owns.

As we've reported, Bonnie filed for divorce from Jesse earlier this week, but called things off just a day later, telling her followers she jumped the gun by putting Jesse on blast for allegedly cheating on her.

R. Kelly just dropped the biggest surprise album of 2022 ... a project called "I Admit It" with lyrics that address the years of allegations leveled against the disgraced singer.

The 13-song album features tracks with titles like "I Found Love," "Good Ole Days" and "Freaky Sensation."

But his last 3 tracks might be the most revealing -- it's a 3-part piece called "I Admit it (I Did It)," where he unloads a ton of stuff he's done in the past. He put the full 19-minute track on SoundCloud back in 2018, but this marks the first time it's made it to Apple or Spotify.

In it, R. Kelly talks about helping people that ended up turning against him ... before admitting to a laundry list of things -- including "I done f***ed with a couple of fans" and says he even slept with his girlfriend's friend.

He digs even deeper, "How they gon' say I don't respect these women when all I've done is represent" ... and "You mad I've got some girlfriends."

R. Kelly directly addresses the allegations as the tracks go on ... saying, "They're brainwashed, really? Kidnapped, really? Can't eat, really? Real talk, that s*** sound silly."

While it's unclear exactly who he's talking about, he also seems to blame the parents of one of his female flings for introducing them. Saying, "And if you really, really wanna know. Her father dropped her off at my show. And told this boy to put her on the stage. I admit that she was overage."

As we reported, Spotify made the call back in 2018 to stop promoting his music when allegations about running a sex cult continued to pick up steam ... but it sounds like R. Kelly's made it back to the platform with his telling tracks.

Tina Turner and her family have just suffered another devastating loss, her son Ronnie has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they received a 911 call Thursday morning from a person who said Ronnie was outside their home and having a hard time breathing. A few minutes later, he wasn't breathing at all.

Paramedics rushed to the San Fernando Valley address -- where bystanders were attempting CPR -- but the efforts didn't work, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

It's currently unclear what led to Ronnie's medical emergency, but we know he's had health issues for years, including cancer.

It was back in 2018 when Tina's oldest son, Craig, died by suicide. Tina gave birth to Craig before she met Ike, but he adopted Craig once they wed.

As for Ronnie, he too made a name for himself in Hollywood -- as an actor in "What's Love Got to Do With It" in the '90s.

Ronnie was 62.

RIP

Florida Congressman-Elect Maxwell Alejandro Frost, the first Gen Z candidate to make it to Congress, says he tried applying for an apartment in Washington, D.C. -- but got denied because of low credit.

25-year-old Frost let out his housing frustrations Thursday, tweeting ... "Just applied to an apartment in DC where I told the guy that my credit was really bad. He said I'd be fine. Got denied, lost the apartment, and the application fee."

He says, "This ain't meant for people who don't already have money," before answering some follow-up questions -- mainly telling people his credit tanked because of all the debt he got while running for Congress.

He added, and not jokingly, "Didn't make enough money from Uber itself to pay for a living."

Frost gives a shoutout to fellow Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who he says went through the same thing 4 years ago ... pointing out how history's repeating itself.

He ends his post pointing toward the fact that his credit should bump back up once he gets on his new salary, but adds ... "We have to do better for the whole country."

Congrats are in order for Becky G and Sebastian Lletget -- the soccer star got on one knee and proposed to the singer on Thursday ... and she said, "YES!!!"

The couple shared the exciting news on Friday ... showing a picture of the FC Dallas midfielder getting on one knee and whipping out a massive diamond ring.

The Manhattan Beach location appears to have a significant meaning for the global pop star and athlete ... as she captioned the pic, "Our spot forever."

The duo started dating in 2016 ... after Becky's "Power Rangers" costar Naomi Scott, who is married to Lletget's old teammate, Jordan Spence, set them up on a date.

They've been inseparable ever since ... and Becky recently referred to Sebastian as her "best friend" in an interview with People.

"We've been together for over six years now and it's brand new in many ways because we're really embracing the shifts and changes that are happening in our lives, within ourselves and supporting each other in that," she said in October. "And you can't really force things. But recently things have really been aligning."

Brittney Griner's signature locs are no more ... and, according to her attorney, it's all 'cause Russian prison temperatures were causing brutal hair freezing.

Maria Blagovolina, who repped the WNBA star in her trial in Russia, told ESPN on Thursday the 32-year-old got the haircut two Sundays ago ... after her 'do kept freezing following prison showers.

Blagovolina said rather than deal with the issue for an entire Russian winter, Griner elected to chop it all off.

"It's very cold in there and every time she washed her hair she got cold and would get a chill," Blagovolina said. "She should have waited until New Year's Day."

Griner had donned long hair for YEARS ... rarely ever letting the flow get shorter than shoulder-length.

The basketball player looked ecstatic nonetheless while leaving Russia on Thursday -- smiling with the new haircut while telling at least one person on her plane that she was "happy."

U.S. official John Kirby said Friday after Griner touched down in San Antonio that she's in "very, very good spirits" and "appeared to be, obviously, in good health."

Griner is now expected to be checked out by medical personnel in Texas ... before returning home to Phoenix.

Bam Margera is in a hospital battling a very serious case of pneumonia, complicated by COVID-19 ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell us Bam was hospitalized in San Diego earlier this week. He then tested positive for Covid while in the hospital ... and since then we're told doctors decided to put him on a ventilator. He's being treated in ICU, but his condition is stable.

As we reported, Bam's been in and out of rehab this year after he had completed a one-year treatment program for drug and alcohol abuse.

Our sources say during one of his stints in rehab, he befriended an attorney who convinced him he could get him out of the court-ordered treatment and "free Bam."

Since then, we've seen him partying it up in Atlanta in September, and hitting Las Vegas the following month. We're told Bam never completed his court order and many people close to him were concerned for the former 'Jackass' star.

Our sources say the so-called "Free Bam Movement" -- which was fueled by online speculation his family put him in a conservatorship similar to Britney Spears -- really confused Bam and hurt his recovery process.

We're told it got so bad, his family and temporary healthcare guardian -- who's a longtime family friend -- started receiving threats over the summer, and had to address it publicly.

ABC is pulling the plug on Christmas with the Backstreet Boys ... a late decision that comes immediately on the heels of Nick Carter being accused of sexual battery.

The band's special, "A Very Backstreet Holiday," was set to air on ABC next week, and featured all 5 singers -- Nick, Brian, Howie, AJ and Kevin -- but the network has canceled the airing ... TMZ has confirmed.

The special was shot last month in L.A., and, at this stage, would be complete and ready to air. ABC isn't offering any explanation for the last-minute cancelation, but with the announcement coming less than 24 hours after the lawsuit against Carter ... it's pretty clear.

TMZ broke the story ... Shannon Ruth sued the singer Thursday for sexual battery, saying she was 17 back in 2001 when was allegedly invited on his tour bus and given alcohol.

According to legal docs, Ruth -- who's autistic with cerebral palsy -- was then sexually assaulted by Carter ... and when she threatened to tell people about what he did, he allegedly called her a "r******* little bitch" who no one would believe. She says she contracted HPV after the incident and is now seeking damages.

Nick's attorney, Michael Holtz, told us the entire claim "is not only legally meritless but also entirely untrue" ... saying Ruth has been manipulated into making false allegations about Nick.

Some UK reporters are firing back at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry ... specifically about them claiming their royal engagement interview was rehearsed, and the media was out to destroy her.

BBC Radio 4 presenter Mishal Husain, who sat down with the couple in 2017 for their official engagement interview, responded to the staged claims with a bit of shade, saying ... "Recollections may vary."

Husain further explained she was "asked to do an interview and do said interview."

In their Netflix documentary, Meghan says the whole day -- including a photo session and the interview -- was like an "orchestrated reality show."

Lord Hall, the director general of BBC at the time of the couple's engagement, responded to the documentary noise, too ... saying Meghan's beliefs are "simply untrue."

BBC's Nicholas Witchell also shot down Meghan's most biting claim about the media: "No matter what I did they were still going to find a way to destroy me."

He says while part of her anger was pointed toward the royal fam, he believes some was aimed at the media, too. Witchell calls it an "absurd" claim, though ... adding it "simply does not stand up to proper and reasonable scrutiny."

Brittney Griner is finally home ... the WNBA star touched down on U.S. soil early Friday morning -- after officials successfully negotiated her release from Russian custody on Thursday.

The 32-year-old was spotted getting off a private jet in San Antonio ... at around 5:40 AM ET.

She appeared to be wearing the same outfit -- a red jacket and dark-colored pants -- that she wore when she crossed paths with Viktor Bout in the UAE after the U.S. agreed to trade the arms dealer to Russia in exchange for the basketball player.

White House National Security Council Communications Coordinator John Kirby told TODAY after Griner's arrival that those who traveled with her said she was in "very, very good spirits."

"[She] appeared to be, obviously, in good health," Kirby added.

Griner is now expected to undergo a myriad of testing at a local medical facility in Texas to make sure she's OK ... before she eventually returns to her home in Phoenix.

Griner had been detained in Russia since February -- after she was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. In August, she was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison.

Following her release on Thursday, Griner was seen smiling on a plane as she made her way back to the States.

Her wife, Cherelle Griner, said at the White House hours after her release that she felt like her family was "whole" again.

"Today is just a happy day for me and my family," she said. "So, I'm going to smile right now."

There's growing suspicion T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are pumping the brakes on their relationship while ABC investigates their romance ... but we're told the couple's going full steam ahead.

The 'GMA3' anchors have not been spotted together publicly since one week ago today when they signed off for the weekend, causing some to believe they've split.

Sources connected to both Amy and T.J. tell us they're still "very much together," but have chosen to keep a low profile to not bring any more attention to the situation than what's already happened.

Obviously, photos of them as a couple would only generate more buzz and conversation about the relationship -- exactly what ABC execs said they didn't want -- so, for now, they're staying out of the public eye until things get sorted out with ABC.

Amy was out solo on Wednesday walking her dog ... and before that, she was seen shopping last weekend, at a T.J. Maxx, no less.

Meanwhile, T.J. Holmes has remained totally out of sight since getting benched from the 'GMA3' desk.

TMZ broke the story, ABC's human resources and legal departments are digging deeper into all aspects of the couple's relationship to ensure there were no violations of company policies or their individual contracts.