TMZ.com Home

Jussie Smollett took aim at Donald Trump during a "Drop the Mic" appearance, and even though TNT's yanked the episode ... we got a snippet of his rap battle.

Jussie was taking on "Orange is the New Black" star Danielle Brooks when he spit a few orange disses on President Trump.

The episode was released online the week after Jussie claimed he was brutally attacked in Chicago -- but in the wake of Jussie's arrest on felony charges for filing a false police report, TNT says it's never gonna air.

The collateral damage in all this -- "American Idol" star Clay Aiken and Ian Ziering ... who also battled in the episode, won't be seen on TV.

Jussie's never hidden his disdain for Trump, and recently tweeted at the Prez, calling him a "bitch ass n***a."

However, Smollett did work in a Barack Obama line. That one was a compliment ... watch.

1:01 PM PT -- HBO has responded to the lawsuit, telling TMZ, "Despite the desperate lengths taken to undermine the film, our plans remain unchanged. HBO will move forward with the airing of LEAVING NEVERLAND, the two-part documentary, on March 3rd and 4th."

They continue, "This will allow everyone the opportunity to assess the film and the claims in it for themselves."

Michael Jackson's Estate has just sued HBO, claiming the network screwed them over after promising not to take shots at MJ which they did in the upcoming documentary, "Leaving Neverland" ... and the suit claims damages could exceed $100 million.

The Estate alleges HBO signed a contract that included a non-disparagement agreement with Jackson in 1992 when the network aired "Michael Jackson Live in Concert in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour."

In the contract, there was a non-disparagement provision, which includes this ... "HBO shall not make any disparaging remarks concerning Performer or any of his representatives, agents, or business practices or do any act that may harm or disparage or cause to lower in esteem the reputation or public image of performer."

As you know, "Leaving Neverland" showcases 2 accusers -- James Safechuck and Wade Robson -- who say MJ molested them when they were children. The Estate claims the 2 are perjurers with no credibility since they have testified under oath no such molestation occurred.

We reached out to HBO ... so far, no word back.

R. Kelly's just been accused of sexual misconduct by two women who told their story for the first time ... because they want to encourage other victims to come forward as well.

The women -- Latresa Scaff and Rochelle Washington -- are represented by Gloria Allred, who came out strong against the singer at the NYC press conference by accusing him of using his fame to manipulate 2 starstruck teenagers in 1995. She claims he plied them with drugs and alcohol to take advantage of them sexually.

Allred says the women's story fits a pattern of predatory conduct by Kelly, and delivered a stern message to him -- you have nowhere to run or hide, and you're not going to get away with this anymore.

Latresa and Rochelle also spoke, and Latresa gave a detailed account of the night she claims she was sexually abused by Kelly. She says she was 16 and Washington was 15 when they went to an R. Kelly and LL Cool J concert and after-party in Baltimore.

She claims Kelly singled them out and someone in his crew gave them drugs and alcohol despite being underage. They were then invited to Kelly's hotel afterward and their cab fare was paid for to get there.

Scaff alleges the 2 called a local radio show to tell them they were sitting in R. Kelly's hotel room and even made it on the air ... before the singer arrived. When he did, Scaff claims his penis was exposed and he quickly got the teenage girls on his bed and tried to coax them into a threesome.

Latresa says Rochelle declined and went to hide in the bathroom, and that's when Kelly had sex with her without her consent. She says Kelly left the room shortly afterward and they never heard from him again.

As we reported ... a grand jury has been convened to investigate the alleged sex tape that Michael Avenatti handed over to Cook County's State Attorney's Office. Avenatti says the VHS tape shows Kelly having sex with a girl who seems to be 14 years old.

The votes are in, and by a narrow margin ... TMZ's "Best in Show" go to a pair of lovable puppers -- Carl and Lily!

The couple's romantic doggy date video barely topped the cute raccoon who "Woke Up Like Dis" to take home 1st prize and $3,000 to boot. The 4 other finalists scored $500, as well.

Thank you to all the pet owners out there who submitted funny, creative and adorable vids of their little loved ones. Stay tuned for a new challenge next week for yet another chance to win some cash.

Kanye West looks like he's got a lot on his mind these days ... and we're guessing neon sherbet might be one of them.

The rapper was out Thursday heading to his office in Calabasas when he stepped out with a new hairdo. It's pretty colorful. A little purple here, a little green there and tons of red. Whatever the case ... make no mistake about it, Ye looks like a man on a mission.

Kanye's no stranger to giving his hair a remix. Remember that one time he decked his dome in some bright ass red? At the time, the new style came on the heels of a music video shooting scare with Tekashi69.

This time around, the hairdo comes after an awesome Kenny G surprise for Kim K on Valentine's Day. A lot less dramatic, for sure, but still makes him easy to spot in a crowd!

TMZ Sports has obtained the injury photos cops took of the woman who claimed she was physically attacked by NFL star Antonio Brown ... and they show a very minor scratch on her forearm.

As we previously reported, the woman -- who has a child with Brown -- went to the Hollywood Police Dept. on January 18, 2019, to report an incident where Brown allegedly shoved her while they argued at his home on Jan. 17.

Cops took a report and photographed the alleged injury on her left forearm. According to the police report, the woman said her wrist was in pain and she was scraped from Brown pushing her.

Cops described the injury as "an abrasion with some scabbing."

A short time later, cops say the woman had a change of heart and asked to "cancel" the initial police report -- and stopped cooperating with officials.

Cops explained they could not "cancel" anything -- and had to include her initial statement and the photos in the case file.

For his part, Brown adamantly denies any wrongdoing, and his attorney has said he will pursue legal action to get primary custody of their child because he believes she's an unfit parent.

Tom Green's counting down to November 3, 2020 ... because that's when he can finally vote for President, now that he's a U.S. citizen!!!

The comedian went through the naturalization oath ceremony Wednesday at the L.A. Convention Center along with hundreds of others. As you probably know, Tom was born in Canada but he's lived in the U.S. for two decades.

Check out the clip ... Tom couldn't contain his excitement as he proudly waves a U.S. flag. BTW, the same could NOT be said of President Trump who had a message for the newly naturalized citizens.

The obvious question ... what took so long? Tom tells TMZ ... being a standup comedian and commenting on society is great, but after living in America for 20 years now, he wanted the opportunity to vote and take part in the democratic process.

Make no mistake ... Tom bleeds Canada's red and white, and he's in no way turning his back on Canada. He's just now making room for America's red, white AND blue. And, he's showing both countries love ... 'cause now he has dual citizenship.

He knows his U.S. history too -- bet ya can't name every prez as Tom did while on "Celebrity Big Brother."

Danielle Staub and Marty Caffrey finally closed the deal on their bitter divorce ... and she's ecstatic to say goodbye to their less than 10-month marriage.

We got "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star leaving the courthouse Thursday in Bergen County, NJ and she happily flaunted her divorce papers. She also had a parting bird for Marty.

Danielle told us she's beyond relieved to be done with Marty, and took a shot at his last name. Don't think Danielle's soured on love, though ... because she says she's already back in the dating pool. She's just avoiding a certain type of guy from now on.

As for their divorce agreement ... Danielle tells us she's buying their $2 million dollar home and keeping all the wedding presents, despite reports she has to return them. For what it's worth, Marty told us on the way into court he hoped they could remain friends. Fat chance ... according to Danielle.

We broke the story ... just months after their May wedding in the Bahamas, things started getting really nasty when Danielle claimed she was blindsided by Marty listing their house without telling her.

Marty called BS, telling us she knew in advance he was listing the home. Things took a darker turn last month when cops responded to a domestic disturbance at their home. Danielle filed a protective order against Marty, but he claimed she was making up bogus allegations because everyone hates her on 'RHONJ.'

The good news -- they're both free to move on to the next relationship now. This was Danielle's third divorce ... and Marty's second.

Danielle's also making plans to move on professionally. This might sound a little strange, but she pitched us her idea for a new series ... one that focuses on her tragic childhood.

As you might know, she's written about being repeatedly raped as a child, and she's ready to bring that story to TV.

Peter Tork -- the lovable member of the pop band, The Monkees -- died Thursday after a decade-long battle with tongue cancer.

Peter's sister reportedly confirmed the musician's death but did not reveal where he passed or the cause. The Monkees singer was diagnosed in 2009 with a rare cancer ... adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Tork was known as the wise-cracking, self-described "dummy" of the made-for-TV music group ... who played bass guitar and keyboard.

His biggest claim to fame, musically, might be the piano intro on the group's mega hit, "Daydream Believer."

He also contributed on vocals, singing the lead on tracks like "Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again?"

Peter was also the oldest member of the group, at 24, when "The Monkees" show first aired on NBC in 1966 ... and instantly became a sensation thanks to the trail blazed by Beatlemania.

Tork left the group after its huge success in the late '60s and tried to make it on his own as a solo artist, but returned to The Monkees in the mid-'80s for major reunion tours.

Peter's survived by his wife, Pamela, and his 3 kids -- 2 daughters and a son.

Nobody in the history of dating has ever screwed up THIS badly ...

A man at a Colorado Avalanche game elbowed his girlfriend in the head trying to catch a puck ... and then gave the souvenir to another woman -- and his GF was PISSSSSEEDDD!!!!

It all went down at the Avs-Jets game in Denver on Wednesday night ... when Colorado star Gabriel Landeskog flipped a puck in the stands to give fans a shot at some memorabilia.

That's when a guy committed the ultimate dating foul -- not only catching his GF with a flying 'bow ... but GIVING AWAY the prize to another woman!!

His date could not have been any less pleased with him ... but there was some good news -- the Avs went on to win 7-1!!

Lil Pump had an intense showdown with Miami cops -- shouting back and forth -- moments before they arrested him for misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

TMZ's obtained police body cam footage from the rapper's December arrest before his flight outta Miami. You can see an incredibly frustrated Pump repeatedly tell cops a bag that smelled of weed, according to TSA, was definitely NOT his.

In the video, you can also see Pump's manager mount the same defense ... but clearly, it fell on deaf ears because cops were adamant the bag belonged to Pump. Check out the video ... Pump gets visibly angry and that triggers a cop to shout right back at him.

TMZ broke the story ... the rapper was hauled off his flight from Miami to L.A. after he was accused of carrying drugs in the bag that smelled like weed. Our law enforcement sources eventually confirmed Pump's version of events -- he was NOT carrying any drugs.

Pump's manager was also arrested for disorderly conduct. Both men entered not guilty pleas.

Nike is vowing to get to the bottom of the shoe fail that caused Zion Williamson's game-ending injury ... wishing the Duke superstar a quick recovery and promising to "identify the issue."

The Swoosh was front and center during the Duke/UNC game Wednesday night after Z-Dub's PG 2.5 shoe fell apart when trying to change directions 30 seconds into the game.

Zion spent the rest of the night in the locker room ... and Coach Mike Krzyzewski says his star is dealing with a right knee strain.

"We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery," Nike says.

"The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue."

Our Nike sources tell us, brand executives called an emergency meeting Thursday morning to discuss a crisis strategy -- including how to deal with the negative publicity.

One source tells us the brand is obviously embarrassed by the incident -- and some execs are concerned it could cause high profile players to sign shoe deals with rival companies.

One of Nike's competitors has already jumped on the opportunity to throw shade ... with Puma saying, "Wouldn't have happened in the pumas" in a now-deleted tweet.

Tisha Campbell-Martin and Duane Martin have finally come to terms -- at least temporarily -- on how they'll handle exchanges of their kids ... a promising sign in their nasty divorce.

The exes filed new docs, obtained by TMZ, saying they've agreed to joint custody of their kids and detailing how they're gonna handle drop-offs. They're ditching the neutral police station meetup they'd previously used, and doing it at Starbucks now.

Per their agreement, Tisha and Duane say exchanges of their two children will now take place by either dropping them off at school, or at a specific Starbucks in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley. There won't be any face time between the parents though.

For a Starbucks drop-off, Tisha and Duane say that one parent will be inside while the other remains in the car as the kids come in or out. They'll only text to assure the safe transfer of the children -- and when they do, they'll only communicate through a third-party app.

Their agreement requires each of them to respond to a text within 24 hours. If one parent is going to be absent during their custodial time, they have to give the other a heads-up.

While custody seems to finally be settled, the rest of their divorce continues.

2/21 -- Khloe is up early this morning clearly contemplating the fallout of her split with Tristan. She just posted four messages on her Instagram story that could be directed at either Tristan or Jordyn, depending on how you read these.

The first post says, "the worst pain is gettin hurt by a person you explained your pain to." She follows up by writing, "Somebody needs to hear this...That betrayal was your blessing!!!" Her third post cites a quote and her 4th is a drawing of a woman crying. Check them out in full below.

Khloe Kardashian put on a brave face -- making a very public appearance just days after her split with Tristan Thompson -- as Jordyn Woods packs her bags to move out of Kylie Jenner's home.

Khloe was at the opening of Pretty Little Thing on Melrose in West Hollywood Wednesday night. Kardashian looked somber, but took a short time to pose for pics in a flurry of flashes on the red carpet. Sources close tell us Khloe considered canceling her appearance but wanted to make sure she kept her professional commitments ... and didn't let anyone down.

Sources connected to Jordyn tell us the 21-year-old will be moving out of Kylie's Hidden Hills mansion and in with her mom. We're told the decision to move out was Jordyn's.

As for Khloe ... our sources say she's devastated over the split with Tristan, but is trying her best to keep a brave face for her daughter, family and friends.

TMZ broke the story ... Khloe split with Tristan after the NBA star allegedly hooked up with Woods at a house party in L.A. Sunday night. Kim Kardashian unfollowed both Jordyn and Thompson on Instagram Wednesday.

Neither Jordyn or Tristan -- who was quick to tweet and delete "FAKE NEWS" after the story broke -- have made an official comment on the incident.

Originally Published -- 2/20/2018 9:46 PM PST

2:15 PM PT -- Syracuse PD says Boeheim did exactly what he should've done after the accident by calling 911 and using his cell phone flashlight to flag oncoming drivers away from the scene.

9:14 AM PT -- Jim Boeheim issued a statement saying he's "heartbroken that a member of our community died as the result of last night’s accident."

"Juli and I extend our deepest sympathies to the Jimenez family. Out of respect for those involved, I will not be providing further comment at this time."

7:15 AM PT -- The Syracuse PD issued a statement saying, "It was revealed that the victim was an occupant in a vehicle that had lost control on the highway striking a guard rail."

"The occupants then exited the vehicle and proceeded to walk on the highway within close proximity to that vehicle."

"An oncoming vehicle noticed the disabled car and tried avoiding the vehicle which was in the middle of the road. As a result, the driver, James Boeheim 74, of Fayetteville NY struck the victim who was standing on the side of the road."

"Both drivers remained on scene and are cooperating with this investigation. Field sobriety and alco-sensor tests for both drivers were negative for any signs of impairment."

"Reconstruction of the scene will be performed and speeds cannot be determined at this time. No Uniformed Traffic Tickets have been issued at this time."

7:13 AM PT -- Boeheim is "devastated" ... according to his good friend, Adam Weitsman, who spoke with the coach Thursday morning.

WTVH reporter Michael Benny spoke with Weitsman who says Boeheim is clearly affected by the crash.

"He says the man was in the middle of the road, not along the side or anything like that," Weitsman told Benny.

Syracuse head basketball coach Jim Boeheim is cooperating with police after hitting a man with his car on Interstate 690 late Wednesday evening. The victim has died from his injuries.

Officials say Boeheim was NOT drunk and will NOT be charged with a crime.

The victim has been identified as 51-year-old Jorge Jimenez -- who was walking on the Interstate around 11:30 PM when he was struck by Boeheim's vehicle.

Cops believe Jimenez had been riding in another vehicle with other passengers -- and that vehicle had crashed before the Boeheim incident. At some point, Jimenez got out of the car and began to walk.

Cops say the 74-year-old coach underwent a field sobriety test -- and officers determined he did not show signs of intoxication. Syracuse.com reports Boeheim had a .00 blood alcohol level.

The coach is cooperating with the investigation.

Officials say the roads were ice Wednesday night -- but it's unclear if the conditions played a role in either crash.

Boeheim coached the Syracuse basketball team earlier in the evening -- leading the Orangemen to a 69-49 victory over Louisville at the Carrier Dome.

We reached out to the Syracuse Athletic Dept. for comment -- but so far, they're not saying anything.

Story developing ...

Blac Chyna and Soulja Boy are breaking up after dating for only a couple weeks ... ending a relationship that will go down as one of the fastest flings in hip-hop history.

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ ... the relationship started to fracture after Soulja and Chyna got into a huge argument about Tyga. During the argument, we're told SB and BC started bickering about each other's true intentions in their relationship.

We broke the story ... the reason Soulja and Chyna started dating in the first place was revenge on Tyga. Tyga is Chyna's ex, and he just had major beef with Soulja. Now, it seems Tyga is part of the reason why they're throwing in the towel.

There are other factors involved in the breakup ... we're told Soulja and Chyna just weren't on the same wavelength, with Soulja looking for group hangs and Chyna preferring the Netflix and chill vibe. As a result, we're told BC felt SB wasn't ready to commit.

Say this for Soulja and Chyna ... they squeezed as much out of their abbreviated relationship as they could. They hit up some Grammy parties together, spent a day getting mani-pedis, and went on a huge Valentine's Day shopping spree!!!

We're told Soulja showered Chyna with $20,000 in gifts on V-Day and they had a fun night ... but it wasn't enough to keep the relationship alive.

The good news ... we're told the breakup is totally amicable, and there's a chance they might try their luck again in the future.