Friend Accused Of Giving Whitney Houston Cocaine Fighting Back

The friend -- an enigmatic celebrity sidekick named Raffles van Exel -- tells us, he is "neither the architect nor the culprit of the sudden demise of Whitney Houston."

Raffles was with Whitney in the hours before she died at the Beverly Hilton hotel in February -- and there were widespread reports strongly insinuating he was the singer's secret cocaine supplier.

There were other reports suggesting Van Exel was also the one who snapped the infamous picture of Whitney's body in a coffin ... and sold it to a tabloid newspaper.

But for the first time ever, Van Exel is adamantly denying all the reports -- and has begun taking aggressive legal steps to save his reputation.

Van Exel has started firing off cease and desist letters to media outlets reporting any nefarious connection between him and Whitney's death -- demanding full retractions asap ... or else.

Van Exel -- who describes himself as a "private consultant to the stars" -- has also been linked to Michael Jackson around the time of the singer's 2005 molestation trial, as well as jazz legend George Benson. more on this story

Jennifer Hudson Family Murder Jury Aware Of Who She Was

TMZ obtained the juror questionnaires -- filled out by all of the prospective jurors before they were empanelled on the jury to determine the fate of the man accused of murdering Hudson's family.

Of the final 12 -- 5 of the jurors admitted they had seen Hudson in "Dreamgirls" ... and 6 said they recognized Jennifer from her days on "American Idol."

The lone juror who didn't see Jen's Oscar winning performance or "Idol" said he knew Hudson from television ... but didn't specify which show he recognized her from.

One legal expert tells us ... Hudson's level of celebrity probably didn't hurt the case against Balfour ... because jurors tend to identify with famous people.

As we previously reported, he was convicted for murdering Jennifer's mother, brother and nephew and is due to be sentenced very soon. more on this story

Sixpence None The Richer Resurface With New Album

The title is a reference to the band's 2004 breakup. "It's about things that happened in our lives recently, personal events or on a musical level," explains Matt Slocum, who founded the band with singer Leigh Nash in 1992. "We had a transition to go through. And now we have."

'Lost In Transition' was produced by Jim Scott (Wilco, Tom Petty, Dixie Chicks) at PLYRZ Studios in Los Angeles and was recorded live with minimal overdubbing. Unlike previous Sixpence albums, 'Transition' is centered on a stripped-down approach to music. It is a gorgeous mix of infectious hooks, piano, acoustic guitars, a bit of country and a newfound and beautiful simplicity to the songs. more on this story

Jersey Shore Not Ditching The Situation

Here's how it all comes together: Situation just filed new legal docs in his ongoing battle with the clothing company over GTL-themed apparel. In the docs, Situation begs the judge in the case to let him skip an impending court date ... scheduled for June 14th.

The significance of that date -- Sitch says MTV has tapped him to return for another season of "Jersey Shore," which tapes from May 22nd to July 7th.

Sitch says he's required to be present at the "Jersey Shore" house 24/7 -- so he'd be violating his MTV contract by showing up in court.

Side note: Sitch also says he wants in excess of $10 million from A&F for trademark infringement. A judge has yet to make a decision on the court date issue.

Bottom line -- Situation's coming back ... more sober than ever! Woo. more on this story

Tim Tebow In Battle Over My Jesus T-Shirts

TMZ obtained the cease and desist letter Tebow's attorneys sent to cubbytees.com last month -- in which they claim "The Merchandise makes it appear as if Mr. Tebow actually endorses Cubby Tees and its products."

Interestingly, the tee shirts in question do not use Tebow's image or name -- but instead spell out "MY Jesus" using the colors and font of his new team ... the NY Jets. In fact, the website clearly states, "This fun design is not officially endorsed by New York's backup quarterback or the Son of God, but plays off the themes of Tebow's faith and his new team."

Still, Tebow's attorneys are demanding the site stop "any use of Mr. Tebow's name and/or likeness" -- and according to Cubby Tees, Tebow already successfully petitioned eBay to remove the tees.

The shirt makers tell TMZ they aren't backing down, and actually sent a response to team Tebow ... saying the design "shares nothing with Mr. Tebow except for promotion of a common Lord and Savior." The shirts are still for sale. more on this story

Sophie B. Hawkins Sets New Album Release

Since her breakthrough with the indelible hit single "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" and her acclaimed debut album Tongues and Tails, Hawkins has proved an enduring artist with a fierce commitment to constantly evolving, while remaining steadfastly true to her own authentic history and experience. This comes to the fore as she breaks open her heart without reservation on 'The Crossing', her long-awaited first album of new songs in several years. It is a searing, lush and startlingly naked chronicle of the most intense period of Hawkins' life. All of this emerges in songwriting and vocals that mix the brashly playful and the unabashedly poignant in fresh ways for Hawkins.

"The album is entirely me with just drums, bass, guitar and flugel," says Sophie. "I didn't hire a band - I would just meet one musician at a time and have them come to the house to record and it was a very spacious and organic process. I became an engineer really by instinct. I kept things very simple and told the musicians to have fun. It felt like it unfolded all on its own - I really wanted to retain the feel of these songs that were written completely in the moment and I think we did. I felt lucky just to be there watching this be created." more on this story

The Lady Antebellum Raise More Than $285,000 for the Henryville

All proceeds will be distributed through the New Hope/Indiana Bankers Association for the Disaster Relief Fund.

The group hosted a private prom event with Henryville High School's Juniors and Seniors where they surprised the students a with an acoustic performance, which was followed by an arena concert open to the public.

"This event started as an idea we had in the studio last year to crash someone's prom," explains Lady A's Hillary Scott. "We had no idea at the time it would fill such a need. We are amazed by the support we've gotten from our fans, sponsors and the press. This is one of the proudest moments in our career!" more on this story

Little Big Town To Ride For A Cure Again

Storytellers, Mob Wives, Yo! MTV Raps This Summer on Vh1

With the network's premiere of the second installment of the Mob Wives franchise, "Mob Wives Chicago," brand new performances on "VH1 Storytellers," as well as fresh new programming including "Big Ang," "Hollywood Exes," "Mama Drama" and "Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta," this summer is sure to be a sizzler on VH1.

Premieres: "YO! MTV RAPS (VH1 ROCK DOC)" PREMIERES THURSDAY, JUNE 7 AT 10PM* As music television's first show completely dedicated to hip hop, "Yo! MTV Raps" became a groundbreaking phenomenon that brought the music and culture of the genre from the inner cities to the mainstream. Now, given the official "Rock Docs" treatment, VH1 will go in-depth with exclusive interviews and clips to tell the full story and examine the show's music and cultural importance for the first time. more on this story

Prison Break Star Giving Acting Lessons In Jail

Sources tell TMZ, the L.A. County Sheriff has Lane mentoring about 20 prisoners as part of the "Merit" program -- designed to teach marketable real-world skills to inmates.

In addition to acting, we're told Lane is also giving a crash course in screenwriting as part of the program.

And get this -- Lane's so moved by the experience, we're told he's promised the Sheriff to continue to mentor the prisoners even after he's been released ... whenever that is.

Lane's currently in custody after a domestic violence arrest last month. He's stuck in L.A. County Jail on a parole hold, stemming from his 2007 vehicular manslaughter conviction. more on this story

Capitol K Sets New Album Release

The album was inspired by a 7000 mile road trip Kristian took across South America. We were sent this background info: Sonically informed by live sources and narratives created in there own psychical reality, Kristian Craig Robinson as Capitol K has traversed a spectrum of electronic aesthetics throughout 13 years and 5 albums with releases on Planet Mu, XL & Faith & Industry.

A legend of contemporary electronica in the purest sense, Capitol K's genre mashing, globe trotting musical explorations have seen him receive a steady stream of critical praise... From receiving MOJO dance album of the month ("An illuminating journey, well worth taking") to an 8.4 from Pitchfork and much love from the dance press ("more ideas here than most have in their careers" - DJ magazine) Capitol K has fans in all areas of the media. more on this story

J. Dash Goes Gold With WOP

The song, which has been bringing in new fans for months, created an international dance craze while the music video featuring J. Dash's friend and multi-platinum selling rapper Flo Rida, along with other "WOP" videos, have attracted the attention of over 60 million YouTube viewers worldwide.

"I can't even begin to explain how exciting it is to see "WOP" go gold," said J. Dash. "This record started as something my friends and I did for fun in the clubs and has now become a worldwide sensation unlike anything I could have dreamed of. With the release of "WOP EURO Mix" and "Transformer," I know I can continue to keep my fans dancing throughout the summer!" more on this story

Kimbra To Rock Kimmel For US Album Debut

Vows features six new songs in addition to tracks from the platinum-certified Australian & New Zealand edition of the album.

Kimbra will spend Vows release week in Los Angeles: she is confirmed to perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live! May 23rd and will be doing a special show at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on May 24th. more on this story

Kim Kardashian Conflicted Over Skechers?

Kim made a 1-year deal with the company, which touted Shape-Ups as a shoe that promotes toning and weight loss. The FTC now says the claims are bogus ... that there's no proof the shoes do squat.

But Kim is telling friends and family ... when she signed the original deal, she was a habitual Shape-Ups user and it toned the back of her legs and her considerable ass.

Kim says she signed a 1-year deal that ended in January, but even before the expiration she started to hear about the new research which showed the shoe didn't work, so she stopped promoting it all together.

Even though she wasn't about to promote the shoes for other people to wear, Kim had conflicting feelings about using the product herself.

Kim says she wouldn't endorse the shoe now -- but she's not throwing her Shape-Ups out. She still has them and might still wear them. more on this story

Terrell Owens Facing Foreclosure

It's one of the last homes Terrell still owns after being forced to sell off several others -- most recently in Dallas -- but Deutsche National Bank sued him in April, claiming he still owes $1.47 million on the property ... and hasn't made a payment in 6 months.

According to mortgage docs attached to the lawsuit, Terrell originally took out a loan worth $1.55 million in 2006 ... and had faithfully been making monthly payments of $5,126 ... that is, until last November.

Terrell has responded to the lawsuit, claiming the bank "lacks standing" to foreclose on the property -- and he refuses to admit there's an outstanding balance problem. more on this story

Jennifer Lopez Asking Court To Let Her Take Her Kids On Tour

When J.Lo and her soon-to-ex husband Marc Anthony filed for divorce -- the judge ordered both sides to keep Emme and Max within the confines of Cali unless they get permission from the court.

So J.Lo has filed documents ... explaining that both she AND Marc are about to embark on separate concert tours ... and they both want time with the kids while on the road.

In the docs, Lopez says she and Marc will be able to work out the scheduling.

A hearing is set for June 26. J.Lo's concert tour with Enrique is set to kick off in July. more on this story