A close friend of rising LA singing star Maria “Dela” De La Rosa says the 22-year-old “protected his life” the night she was gunned down — telling her “brother from another mother” not to tag along before an alleged robbery went horribly wrong in Northridge on Nov. 22.

Ethan Clemons, 21, known as “Thanos” on the Ray J–hosted dating show Love Cabin , was with De La Rosa just before she got into an Escalade with two friends and headed to a “low-income” area near the projects to meet someone.

“I was with her that night, before everything happened,” Clemons told The Post. “I was supposed to go with her, but she told me to stay home,” he said. “She protected my life that night — without even knowing it.”

Clemons was at her house when she told him, “I don’t want you going there, I don’t w

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