Prodigy's jailhouse cookbook is bombing with California prison officials who seem to think it's a bad idea to teach inmates how to make hooch.

The Mobb Deep rapper's "Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook" was recently banned by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Officials fired off a letter to Prodigy, explaining prison wine doesn't fly.

As they said in the letter, obtained by TMZ ... "inmate manufactured alcohol" is a major no-no.

Prodigy might have suspected this could be an issue. We had him on "TMZ Live" and he told us about some of his favorite recipes. He never mentioned the booze.

The only problem with this ban? Plenty of Cali inmates are already boned up on home brews ... or so we hear.  

Paris Jackson is reminding her boyfriend why this is the most wonderful time of the year -- and it's got NOTHING to do with Santa, and everything to do with her bikini.

Paris and Michael Snoddy were making out and rolling around in the sand Wednesday on Maui. Michael's 18-year-old daughter and her peek-a-boo swimwear are making the most of the holiday break with her dude.

Who needs mistletoe?

Stand down, Internet -- that video of Kylie Jenner supposedly banging Tyga in a bathroom, is NOT Kylie or Tyga. Everyone, calm down.

Sources close to Kylie tell us she and her camp have seen the alleged sex tape that surfaced on a website Thursday, and their only reaction is ... it's 100% not Kylie doing the deed.

We're told she's scoffing, particularly because the blurry woman with blonde braids doesn't even look like her. Kylie was rocking that 'do and similar clothing a couple months ago on Snapchat. Whoever "leaked" the tape attached her Snap videos to make it seem like the whole thing was real.

But we're told the hair is the only thing the impostor nailed. Real Kylie didn't nail anyone ... on camera.

Nicki Minaj is coming to the rescue of a Miami nightclub -- saving a New Year's Eve event by replacing Jennifer Lopez and doing it for significantly less dough.

We're told E11even nightclub acted swiftly after J Lo bailed on the gig that would have scored her a million dollar payday. It's unclear how much Nicki's getting, but our sources say the club scored a bargain.

Nicki was pretty hands-on for the event -- she wanted to approve all pics used to promote the event.

E11even's hooking her up with a pink Barbie hat for the gig and MYX fusions moscato to quench her thirst. We're told DJ Irie will be her special guest.

It's interesting ... Meek Mill will also be in the area. As we reported ... he scored a six figure gig at Dream Nightclub.

Jackie Jerome Rogers has been formally charged with the murder of Lisa Marie Naegle ... and we've learned the death penalty is off the table.

The L.A. County D.A. has charged Rogers with murder with special circumstances ... using a deadly and dangerous weapon. TMZ broke the story, Rogers confessed he struck Naegle in the head 7 times Sunday after she told him she was going to end her affair with him and try and save her marriage.

Rogers told cops where to find Naegle's body ... in a shallow grave in his L.A. area backyard.

We're told although it could be filed as a death penalty case because of the special circumstance, the D.A. has decided not to seek it ... presumably because it more resembles a "crime of passion."

If convicted, Rogers faces 26 years to life in prison. The D.A. is recommending his bail be set at $2.02 mil.

Kanye West dodged all the holiday shopping madness, and opted for the peace and quiet of a movie theater ... but it didn't help his mood.

'Ye slipped into something comfy for movie night in Westlake Village, CA -- not far from the house he and Kim are renovating. Obviously, he could use a feel-good flick right about now.

Best we can tell, he either saw 'Rogue One' or "Sing" ... he's a big fan of animated movies. Whichever it was, Kanye left looking unimpressed.

Seems more like an "Assassin's Creed" guy to us, anyway.

Brad Pitt has fired back at Angelina Jolie ... essentially claiming she's a bad parent for putting their family drama on blast for public consumption.

Brad just filed legal docs asking for an order to seal their file. Angelina had previously filed unsealed documents alleging Brad had parenting issues that made it too risky for him to have unmonitored visits with their 6 kids. She also alleged Brad had a lot to hide about his conduct.

In Brad's new legal docs, he says Angelina knows better ... they are famous people and the kids are damaged when she airs their dirty laundry in public. He suggests Angelina going public has humiliated and embarrassed their kids and could even endanger them.

And there's this ... in the docs Brad's lawyer says, "[Angelina] apparently has no self-regulating mechanism to preclude sensitive information from being placed in the public record, or she has other motives."

Brad asked for an emergency order sealing the case but was shut down, so now he's filed a formal motion to seal the case ... something the judge indicated he would grant.

Ivanka Trump just had a bumpy start to her Xmas holiday ... an out-of-control passenger on her flight began verbally berating her and "jeering" at her 3 kids.

Ivanka was on a JetBlue flight leaving JFK Thursday morning with her family when a passenger started screaming, "Your father is ruining the country." The guy went on, "Why is she on our flight? She should be flying private." The guy had his kid in his arms as he went on the tirade.

A passenger on the flight tells TMZ Ivanka ignored the guy and tried distracting her kids with crayons.  

JetBlue personnel escorted the unruly passenger off the flight. As he was removed he screamed, "You're kicking me off for expressing my opinion?!!"

BTW ... Ivanka, her family and bunch of cousins were all in coach.

8:35 AM PT -- JetBlue just released a statement, saying, "The decision to remove a customer from a flight is not taken lightly. If the crew determines that a customer is causing conflict on the aircraft, the customer will be asked to deplane, especially if the crew feels the situation runs the risk of escalation during flight. Our team worked to re-accommodate the party on the next available flight."

7:48 AM PT -- The husband of the unruly passenger tweeted an hour before the plane took off, "Ivanka and Jared at JFK T5, flying commercial. My husband chasing them down to harass them."

Bella Thorne and Charlie Puth were not meant to last ... mostly because she's allegedly still dating Tyler Posey.

Charlie is now publicly apologizing to Tyler and breaking it off with Bella, saying ... "I'm just removing myself from this." Charlie says Bella told him she was not with Posey anymore, but he found out otherwise.

He also tweeted, "I don't know Tyler personally, but I know he shouldn't be treated this way."

Bella and Charlie were spotted packing on the PDA earlier this week. It looked weird to a lot of fans who thought she was still with Tyler. Seems like they were right.

10:50 AM PT -- Bella just clapped back to the rumors, saying, "Ty and I have been broken up for like two weeks and charlie and I ARENT DATING we are friends. That article was written forever ago."

First responders rushed to Valerie Fairman initially thinking she might have suffered a heart attack ... but once on scene there were signs of possible drug abuse.

TMZ got the dispatch call to the fire dept and EMS Wednesday night in Coatesville, PA ... and the call went out as a "cardiac arrest" -- but about 10 minutes later the dispatcher changes the call to a "possible DOA."

She also says paramedics are going to need containers for needles. As we've reported ... it appears the "16 and Pregnant" star died of an overdose. She'd battled drug addiction for many years.