TMZ.com Home

Just saying Jussie Smollett's name in public is enough to draw gasps, at least based on the audience reaction to 'SNL' ripping the crap out of him.

'SNL' actually went full scorched earth -- taking down Jussie, Robert Kraft, Michael Avenatti and Rudy Giuliani with one skit last night. Avenatti, Giuliani, Jeanine Pirro and Alan Dershowitz (played by Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong and host John Mulaney) were the lawyers' version of "Shark Tank" ... deciding whether to defend Smollett and Kraft.

When Chris Redd walked out as Jussie the studio audience had an audible -- and not pleasant -- reaction. Check out the clip ... the punchline is all about Dershowitz, who famously defended O.J. Simpson, tapping out.

Their bottom line on Kraft, BTW -- for the skit, anyway -- was that he got a really good deal at $59.

Javier Bardem is no old man!

Here's a 28-year-old version of the "No Country For Old Men" star posing in his specs back in 1997 (left) and 22 years later ... the now 50-year-old "Mother!" actor -- who is celebrated his birthday on Friday -- at an award show in Hollywood earlier this week (right).

Eat, Pray, Love ... and look good!

The question is ...

Shareef O'Neal is ALMOST ready to hit the hardwood again ... the UCLA star tells TMZ Sports he's just a month and a half away from a return to the court!!!

"I feel great," he says.

Shareef underwent heart surgery to correct an irregularity back in December ... and his post-op pictures showed just how serious the procedure really was.

But, when we got the 19-year-old leaving Staples Center on Wednesday night ... he was in good spirits -- and tells us his first workouts since the operation are just DAYS away.

In fact, Shareef says Shaq will play a BIG role in his gameplan for a return to the Bruins when he's cleared, telling us his pops, "knows basketball."

Ya think?!

Shareef was an elite prospect coming out of Crossroads H.S. in Santa Monica ... and he famously flipped his commitment from Arizona to UCLA late in his recruiting process.

The power forward was expected to be a key piece of the Bruins this season ... but his heart surgery sidelined him for his entire freshman season.

Mystikal's not taking any plea deals in his rape case and actually believes there's a strong chance the charges will be dropped altogether.

The rapper's lawyer, Joel Pearce, tells TMZ ... he recently met with Caddo Parish, Louisiana prosecutors and they offered what seems like a sweet deal. The aggravated rape charge, which carries a life sentence, would be reduced to simple third-degree rape ... with a 25-year max sentence. He says they'd also drop the second-degree kidnapping charge.

In exchange, Mystikal would have to plead guilty to felony simple rape ... which Pearce says he's unwilling to do. Offer rejected.

We're told Mystikal and his defense team believe the alleged victim is lying and has major credibility issues, so they're ready to play this out in court.

The trial's scheduled to start in May, but Pearce says plea negotiations are still ongoing,

We broke the story ... Mystikal finally posted his hefty bond and was released from prison last month after spending 18 months behind bars.

He posed with his lawyers on the way out and said he was thankful for to get back to being a father and working on music. A big chunk of his bail money came from an advance on a new recording deal.

Miranda Lambert's hot cop husband is no stranger to the spotlight ... because his thirst for fame once led him to an appearance on 'Project Runway.'

We did some digging and discovered Brendan McLoughlin reset his 15-minute clock for a part on "Project Runway All Stars" alongside Alyssa Milano.

Brendan appeared on the 4th episode of season 5, logging some serious camera time during the "Unconventional Materials Challenge" ... where designers are tasked with creating a high-end runway look out of supplies from police officers, firefighters and EMTs.

Brendan was on the show repping the NYPD ... and his charisma and dashing good looks landed him a speaking role!

If you watch the full episode from 2016 ... you'll hear a contestant getting super thirsty after taking a look at Brendan and saying, "I usually avoid the police, but he can handcuff me anytime he wants."

As we've reported ... Brendan's love of the spotlight started long before he married Miranda. He went viral doing the Cupid Shuffle at NYC Pride and rubbed elbows with country stars like Blake Shelton while working security at 'GMA.'

Yeah, he's basically a triple threat.

You're probably not reading this because you're still staring at Sage Northcutt and Eddie Alvarez's irresistible washboard abs ... so, we'll wait.

...

...

... Okay, ready?

HOLY CRAP, LOOK AT THESE GUYS!!! Sage and Eddie were out promoting ONE Championship in L.A. earlier this week ... when our camera guy was thirsty for some 6-packs.

The fighters happily oblige to show off their hard-earned bods ... but when we tried to pin them up against each other for an epic ab-off, say "new vs. experienced" ... they refused.

So, we'll take matters into our own hands -- on your left, you have the 23-year-old Northcutt (new) ... and on the right, you have the 35-year-old Underground King (experienced).

Check out what each guy has to say about each other (they're too damn nice for their own good).

WHO HAS THE BEST ABS!?!?! WE MUST KNOW.

Danielle Staub's wedding looks like it's going to have to wait ... because her daughters are putting up a fight.

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star was heading into her NYC hotel Saturday when she revealed she might not marry her fiance, Oliver Maier, on Monday as planned. Danielle claims her 2 daughters are "pushing back" ... but it's unclear what their issue is.

Danielle and Oliver were spotted heading into Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry store earlier Saturday to pick out her wedding ring, which she says will be ready Monday ... even if they don't tie the knot.

Looks like they took a close look at a variety of styles, too ... while enjoying a drink.

As for whether or not Danielle's having second thoughts about getting married (for the fourth time) ... she says no way -- Maier's the one.

We broke the story ... Danielle's ex-husband, Marty Caffrey, thinks her getting remarried so quickly might be less about true love and more about money. Remember, they were just officially divorced 9 days ago, and part of their agreement includes her buying their $2 million house.

6:00 PM PT -- Coach Williams did not return to the game in the second half, but school officials reportedly said he was feeling better after another bout with vertigo. UNC won the game, 81-79.

Scary moment in Saturday's College Basketball matchup between North Carolina and Clemson -- UNC's coach Roy Williams collapsed in front of his team's bench.

Williams went down to a knee with just a little under a minute left in the first half and had to be helped to the Carolina locker room. It's unclear what happened, but one of the announcers mentions he has a history of battling vertigo.

The UNC hoops' Twitter account also said he had a vertigo attack, and it's unclear if he'll return to the game.

The Clemson crowd cheered for Roy as he raised his hand as he was helped off the court ... but he appeared to be walking under his own power. Hopefully he's okay.

Khloe Kardashian's had a change of heart, because now she's saying Jordyn Woods should not be blamed for breaking up her family ... this is Tristan Thompson's doing.

Khloe just posted a series of tweets starting with, "This has been an awful week & I know everyone is sick of hearing about it all (as am I). I’m a rollercoaster of emotions & have said things I shouldn’t have."

She then adds this has been very painful because she was hurt by someone close to her who she loves and treats like a little sister -- Jordyn -- but ultimately ... this is all Tristan's fault.

It's interesting ... Khloe adds even though she was humiliated by Tristan cheating on her -- it wasn't as much of a shock this time around.

Now she says it's time for her to move on and count her blessings -- "my family, my health, & my beautiful baby True."

This is a near 180 from Friday when Khloe quickly called BS on Jordyn's story on "'Red Table Talk" and accused her of being a liar and home-wrecker. Jordyn admitted she shouldn't have gone to Thompson's house party, but claimed she didn't really cheat with him ... there was just a friendly goodbye kiss with zero passion.

Khloe later said they were equally to blame.

2:30 PM PT -- Danielle's rep, Steve Honig, has clapped back at Marty's insinuation, telling us ... "Marty needs to stop trying to parlay his 15 minutes of fame into a career in reality television."

Honig adds ... "He should be spending his time addressing his own issues, of which there are many, rather than providing commentary on Danielle."

Marty Caffrey says Danielle Staub getting remarried so quickly after their divorce is pretty shocking -- even for her -- but he thinks there might be an ulterior motive ... worth a couple million bucks.

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star's ex-husband tells TMZ ... he doesn't understand the urgency of Danielle tying the knot again UNLESS it has to do with their divorce agreement -- specifically, the part where she has to buy their $2 million NJ home.

Marty says he hopes Danielle and her new fiance, Oliver Maier, are truly happy and in love, but watch the clip ... he has a list of reasons that make him doubt it.

We broke the story ... Danielle was ecstatic leaving the courthouse just a little more than a week ago, flaunting her divorce papers and giving Marty a parting middle finger.

Days later she revealed she was engaged again -- for the 21st time! -- and is scheduled to marry Maier Monday in NYC. After it's official, Staub will become a duchess ... because Oliver is the duke of Provence. His family is from southern France, and owns 15 vineyards and 2 castles.

Nice catch.

Marty seems to be cool with all of it ... as long as the house gets paid off. If it does, he says he'll buy Oliver a drink.

We reached out to Danielle for comment -- no word back so far ... but she might be a little busy planning her 4th wedding.

R. Kelly is on edge and federal investigators don't want to rock the boat ... so they've asked Joycelyn Savage's family to pull the plug on plans to conduct a welfare check at R. Kelly's Chicago home.

Sources involved in the case tell TMZ ... the feds told the attorney for Joycelyn's parents it would be best to hold off on getting police to knock on R. Kelly's door again. The reason? We're told investigators are concerned it could interfere with the ongoing federal probe.

TMZ broke the story ... Joyceln's folks wanted to join law enforcement in Chicago for a follow-up visit to check on her. Our sources say the feds believe R. Kelly is extremely "agitated" after getting arrested, charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse, and probed by the feds for possible human trafficking violations.

You'll recall Joycelyn and Azriel Clary were both in court last weekend supporting R. Kelly during his bail hearing. However, law enforcement is worried another welfare check -- the last one was in January -- might freak out the women ... who the feds will, obviously, want to interview when the time is right.

We're told the family will take the feds' lead, and stand down on the Chicago trip. They still plan to turn over what they call "physical evidence" in the case.

Kevin Garnett's divorce is not going to come cheap ... if his estranged wife gets what she feels she's due.

According to new legal docs ... Brandi Garnett is seeking $146,000 per month in spousal support, plus another $46k monthly in child support for their 2 daughters -- ages 10 and 6. Brandi says she has the girls 95 percent of the time.

Do the math ... and that's more than $2.3 million per year. Brandi says that's fair, though, because she claims KG's still hauling in at least $5 mil a year ... on top of having earned more than $300 mil in his NBA career.

Brandi's also asking for $300k in attorney fees immediately to cover the cost of the divorce proceedings so far and estimated future costs to hammer out an agreement.

There's more -- according to the docs, Brandi's requesting an additional $25k to retain counsel in another financial matter involving Kevin allegedly getting swindled out of $77 MILLION. As we reported, KG claims his former accountant worked with a crooked wealth manager to steal a fortune from him over several years.

Brandi filed for divorce from Kevin in July after 14 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.

The authors of an online petition think Priyanka Chopra's not acting like a Goodwill Ambassador because she seemingly took sides in the recent clash between nuclear powers, India and Pakistan.

The online petition calls for UNICEF to remove Priyanka from her ambassadorship due to a tweet she posted earlier this week. The actress tweeted a Hindu phrase that translates to "Long live India" on Tuesday ... the same day Indian fighter jets bombed a militant training camp in Pakistan. Pakistan later shot down an Indian plane and captured its pilot.

Now, obviously, Priyanka was born and raised in India -- she's arguably the country's biggest celebrity. And it's well known several generations of her family served in India's armed forces.

Still, the petition calls for her to remain neutral, reading in part ... "War between two nuclear powers can only lead to destruction & death. As goodwill ambassador of UNICEF, Priyanka Chopra was supposed to stay neutral & peaceful but her tweet in favour of Indian arm forces after they invaded Pakistan airspace shows otherwise. She doesn’t deserve this title anymore."

Worth noting ... the petition was started in Pakistan and makes no mention of the Pakistan-based militant group. It currently has a couple thousand signatures. UNICEF isn't commenting, and we've reached out to Priyanka's reps.

Violent clashes between Indian and Pakistani forces began 2 weeks ago when a suicide car bomb killed 40 Indian troops. A Pakistani militant group claimed responsibility.

Priyanka's made no other public comment. In fact, it's been business as usual -- she and husband Nick Jonas flew back to India earlier this week.

A couple days later, the Jonas Bros. debuted their new music vid, "Sucker," featuring their significant others ... Priyanka, Sophie Turner and Danielle Jonas.

Jeremy Meeks has gone from the big house to the dog house -- if you believe reports he and fiancee Chloe Green are on the outs -- which might explain his gushingly loving birthday message to her.

The "hot felon" posted a birthday wish Saturday for the billionaire Top Shop heiress, saying ... "There's NO ONE else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. You're an amazing mom and I'll love you FOREVER." There was more, but you get the point.

Chloe, who's celebrating her 28th, and Jeremy got into a tearful argument last week while in Dubai ... according to Daily Mail, and she flew back to their home in Monaco ... without him. Chloe's posted pics since then without her engagement ring.

Jeremy and Chloe, who have a 10-month-old son, Jayden, have refused to comment about their relationship since the reported split -- but it sure sounds like he's doing his best to make amends.

Kylie Jenner isn't going to make any drastic decisions to blow up her family -- at least not yet -- and she's willing to try and work things out with Travis Scott ... sources tell TMZ.

TMZ broke the story ... the couple got into a massive fight Wednesday after Travis flew home to surprise his baby mama and Stormi. We're told at some point during the visit, Kylie went through Travis' phone and discovered "evidence" he had been unfaithful.

Travis' reps tell us the rapper insists he did not cheat.

Our sources say Travis stayed at Kylie's home Wednesday and Thursday, and the couple tried working things out. We're told Kylie was extremely pissed at him, but she's trying to keep her emotions in check ... in no small part for the sake of their daughter.

Sources close to Travis say he plans to take the stage in NYC at Madison Square Garden Saturday night. You'll recall -- Scott canceled his show Thursday in Buffalo, claiming he was ill -- but we're told the fight with Kylie was the real reason for pulling the plug.

As for the situation with Kylie's best friend, Jordyn Woods ... Kylie's family is furious after her interview on "Red Table Talk," but Kylie hasn't ruled out a future reconciliation with her. Khloe, clearly, has a different opinion.