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R. Kelly is under investigation for possessing a retired warden's phone number at his federal lockup in North Carolina ... and he's been placed in isolation for the duration of a probe of the incident, according to his lawyer.

Kelly's attorney, Beau Brindley, tells TMZ ... the R&B singer's problems began when he got involved in a mentor program to help guide other inmates, which was overseen by the warden at FCI Butner Medium 1.

Recently, the warden retired ... but before he left, he gave Kelly his cell phone number in case the convicted felon needed to reach out to him to seek advice about the mentor program.

Jeffrey Epstein may have had a collection of highly poisonous plants known to produce a drug that blocks free will in its victims ... according to newly discovered emails in the last document dump of the Epstein Files.

In one of the uncovered messages, Epstein sends an email asking about his "trumpet plants at nursery."

For background ... Angel's Trumpet plants are extremely toxic and produce a drug called scopolamine, which is known to basically turn humans into zombies, wiping them of memory and eliminating their free will. Severe intoxication reportedly may even cause paralysis and death.

Even more alarming, scopolamine reportedly doesn't show up on toxicology reports.

It’s always summer somewhere when Summer Walker steps out ... and these pics are living proof she brings the heat wherever she goes!

Check out these scorching shots ... Summer’s soaking up the sun in a barely-there Fendi bikini, putting her curves on full display while striking poses that are impossible to ignore.

No surprise here -- Summer’s basically made a sport out of blessing fans with next-level bikini moments, and TBH, nobody’s complaining!

Cass Lacelle, who starred on Freeform's reality series "Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise," has died after a battle with ovarian cancer.

Her loved ones shared the devastating news Monday in a post on her Instagram page, saying she passed away February 11 following what they called a "short but incredibly courageous battle with cancer."

"Cass leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured," the statement read. "She is the definition of memorable; in just 34 years, she made an extraordinary impact on everyone who crossed her path."

Hollywood icon Robert Duvall has died ... the actor passed away at his home Sunday at the age of 95, according to his wife.

In a Monday morning Facebook post, Robert's wife Luciana wrote ... "Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort."

She added ... "His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court. For each of his many roles, Bob gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented."

Paul Salem -- a wealthy businessman and Chairman of the Board of MGM Resorts International -- has his eye on Nicole Kidman ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell us Salem is romantically pursuing the Oscar-winning actress ... though we're told they are not dating at this point. Our sources say the two share mutual friends, are acquaintances, and have met twice in group settings.

We're told so far, there have been no one-on-one hangouts ... at least not yet. Still, our sources say it's fair to say Paul is interested and making that known to people close to him.

A new "Charlie’s Angels" film is in the works ... but despite online casting rumors and wishes -- which include the return of Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu -- it'll be a while before the sexy spy trio is picked for their assignment.

Here's the deal ... it was reported over the weekend that a new iteration of the popular franchise is underway at Sony ... and of course, fans went bonkers over who should be in the starring roles.

A source with knowledge tells TMZ ... it's way too early to talk casting since the project is in early development -- and the script is still being written by Pete Chiarelli, whose credits include "Crazy Rich Asians," "The Proposal," and "Now You See Me 2."

Jada Pinkett Smith is firing back in court at the man who claims she threatened him over Will Smith ... TMZ has learned.

Jada filed court docs demanding the lawsuit -- which is asking for $3 million in damages -- brought by Bilaal Salaam be thrown out. The actress asserts that Bilaal’s case is nonsense.

The "Girls Trip" star said all of Bilaal’s claims were “false, uncorroborated and made to generate attention as part of an ongoing public campaign of harassment directed at” her and her family.

Jada said Bilaal’s lawsuit seeks to punish her for her “constitutionally protected speech on a matter of intense public interest about her family.”

"America's Next Top Model" creator and host Tyra Banks is finally adding some context to why the show documented Shandi Sullivan's "drunk shower sex" ... which the Season 2 contestant says was sexual assault.

To catch you up ... Shandi opened up about her experience on the reality show's second season -- AKA Cycle 2 -- for the new Netflix docuseries, "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model."

Fans will remember one of the show's storylines seemed to suggest Shandi had cheated on her boyfriend during a wild night of drinking ... but Shandi says the sexual encounter occurred without her consent.

Billy Steinberg -- the legendary songwriter behind Madonna’s smash hit "Like a Virgin" -- has died at age 74 after a battle with cancer, TMZ has confirmed.

His death Monday was confirmed by his attorney, Laurie Soriano.

Steinberg’s career took off early with his bands Billy Thermal and i-Ten ... the latter was formed with songwriting partner Tom Kelly. But it was their collaboration on "Like a Virgin" that cemented Billy's place in music history, with the song spending six straight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has just confirmed all of Nancy Guthrie's family members have been cleared as possible suspects in her disappearance.

Nanos released a statement Monday, saying, "To be clear ... the Guthrie family -- to include all siblings and spouses -- has been cleared as possible suspects in this case. The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case."

He continued ... "To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims plain and simple."

TMZ has received a 4th email from the man claiming to know who kidnapped Nancy Guthrie and where she is ... and we have a proposition for that person.

The email -- with the same bitcoin account as the other 3 notes -- says in part, "I know what I saw 5 days ago south of the border and I was told to shut up so I know who he is and that was definitely Nancy with them."

This is the second reference he's made to there being more than one person involved in the purported abduction. In the third letter, received by TMZ on Friday, he said, "... be prepared to go International."

Singer and "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kandi Burruss chatted with us about her first Valentine's Day since splitting from her estranged husband Todd Tucker ... intervening before her mom could hijack her interview!

While our photog waited for Kandi, it was Mama Joyce who got to our camera first ... so we asked for her thoughts on the divorce news.

Kandi quickly rushed to usher her mom off to their waiting vehicle ... but Mama Joyce managed to cram in one sentence.

Even with Nancy Guthrie still missing, life at her Tucson, Arizona home hasn’t completely stopped ... a landscaper was just spotted showing up and getting straight to work.

A KNXV-TV journalist captured video of the worker pulling up this morning, grabbing tools from his trunk, and heading into the backyard ... walking right past a marked police car, apparently getting the green light despite the ongoing kidnapping investigation.

It’s not the first time routine maintenance has continued either ... pool cleaners were also seen at the home last week, and while it initially raised questions, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told TMZ the family specifically requested the service to keep things maintained.

Donald Trump might’ve been celebrating Presidents Day stateside ... but over in Germany, they were dragging him through the streets -- literally.

Düsseldorf’s infamous "Rose Monday" carnival parade unleashed a brutal procession of Trump mockery ... with massive floats showing Trump caricatures punching Jesus, cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and even dancing pants-less with a gagged Statue of Liberty with his tongue hanging out.

They did not hold back on the visuals -- another Trump model had his naked rear in the air, with lipstick kisses labeled with various names and organizations -- all exaggerated for maximum effect in front of massive crowds.

Cure your Valentine's hangover with this sweet treat: a sexy celeb in red-hot lingerie ... Can you guess who she is?!

She's a TikTok queen from France with more than 18 million followers. If you've scrolled her page, you'd definitely recognize this physique ... she's a belly dancer!

Hit the gallery for the reveal, and then find the hidden "lingerie" word below: