Amanda Bynes is back on the streets ... the judge released her on her own recognizance moments ago in NYC -- after she offered a hysterical excuse for her alleged bong-tossing arrest.

Amanda told the judge the bong cops say she threw out of her apartment window last night was "just a vase."

Prosecutors requested Bynes be held in lieu of $1,000 bail. The judge instead chose to let her go without bail ... but gave her a stern warning that if she missed her court date in July an arrest warrant would be issued.

Amanda was escorted out of court by an officer ... and left, on her own, in a taxicab.

Amanda Bynes has just arrived to court to face a judge about her bong-throwing arrest in NYC last night ... sporting the same clothes and platinum blonde wig she was wearing last night. 

Bynes was led into the courtroom in handcuffs ... after spending the night in jail ... and asked photogs not to shoot her as she tried to hide her face.

As we previously reported, Bynes was booked for marijuana possession, tampering with evidence and reckless endangerment after cops say she chucked a glass bong out of her apartment window.

Story developing ...

Amanda Bynes was arrested in her NYC apartment Thursday night for marijuana possession and throwing evidence out the window ... TMZ has learned.

According to law enforcement sources ... a building official called police after spotting Amanda in the lobby with a joint, acting erratically and talking to herself.  We're told when cops arrived they knocked at her door and she let them in. 

Our sources say when police saw the bong Amanda quickly tossed it out the window ... which fortunately didn't hit anyone on the street below.

Amanda, who was wearing a platinum blonde wig, was placed under arrest and went ballistic, yelling, "Don't you know who I am?"

She was booked for criminal possession of pot, as well as reckless endangerment and FELONY tampering with evidence.

Our law enforcement sources say Amanda was briefly taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation and then taken to the station for booking. 

But the cop shop wasn't the last stop.  A cuffed Amanda was then taken to night court just before midnight.  She's still there in a holding cell, waiting for a judge.  She should get a hearing sometime this AM.

Amanda's behavior has become increasingly bizarre over the past year -- with numerous arrests, a complete physical transformation and crazy tweets.

Fox News honcho Roger Ailes is coming out SWINGING against the U.S. government ... after the FBI secretly seized a Fox News reporter's phone and email records because of his work on a story about N. Korea's nuclear program.

Backstory -- the reporter at the heart of the drama is James Rosen, who was labeled a "co-conspirator" in a leak investigation for allegedly speaking with State Department contractor Stephen Jin-Woo Kim about North Korea's nuclear program. The Justice Department charged Kim with violating the Espionage Act for his contact with Rosen.

Now for Ailes -- who just fired off a letter to Fox employees yesterday, voicing his anger over the government's actions.

"The recent news about the FBI’s seizure of the phone and email records of Fox News employees, including James Rosen, calls into question whether the federal government is meeting its constitutional obligation to preserve and protect a free press in the United States."

He continues, "We reject the government's efforts to criminalize the pursuit of investigative journalism and falsely characterize a Fox News reporter to a Federal judge as a 'co-conspirator' in a crime."

"The administration’s attempt to intimidate Fox News and its employees will not succeed and their excuses will stand neither the test of law, the test of decency, nor the test of time. We will not allow a climate of press intimidation, unseen since the McCarthy era, to frighten any of us away from the truth."
 
"To be a Fox journalist is a high honor, not a high crime."

Shades of Watergate paranoia?  Seems like this BS is more nonpartisan than everyone thought.

Tim Curry reportedly suffered a stroke at his L.A. home last night ... but the 67-year-old actor is recovering and is said to be "doing great."

Curry -- who starred in classics like "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Clue" -- was in his home in the Hollywood Hills when he suffered the stroke, this according to the Daily Mail.

Curry's agent Marcia Hurwitz reportedly told the DM, "Tim is doing great," ... adding, "'He absolutely can speak and is recovering at this time and in great humor."

Story developing ...

 

Just hours before Jose Canseco allegedly committed rape ... the alleged victim posed for a very flirty pic with J.C. in a Vegas casino and joked that they had just gotten married, TMZ has learned. 

The pic was taken on the floor of the MGM Casino at 2:51 AM on May 10 -- with the woman cozying up for a couply shot with Jose ... with her open right hand placed on the center of his exposed chest.

The person who took the photo says he's a huge Canseco fan (apparently those still exist) ... and had recognized Jose strolling around the casino with a female companion.

The fan asked Jose if he could snap a shot -- and Jose obliged, striking a pose with the woman while she giggled and told the photog she and Jose had just tied the knot.

For the record -- we've done some digging, but couldn't find any proof of a Canseco marriage.

The photog told us the two seemed happy ... no signs of distress.

Of course, things changed -- 'cause the woman reportedly told police Jose drugged and raped her later that day.

Jose has denied the allegations -- claiming his accuser is making up the story for publicity.

Some racist jerk has desecrated Michael Clark Duncan's grave ... this according to a Duncan family rep, who tells TMZ a vandalism report has already been filed with the police.

We're told ... a family friend stopped by Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills to deliver flowers to the spot where MCD was interred in Sept. 2012 ... when she noticed a figure of a cartoonish black face had been attached to the center of MCD's tomb.

The friend believes the black face is an image of "Sambo" -- a character that has long been considered an offensive and racist depiction of a black person.

MCD's friends and family were shocked by the discovery -- wondering what kind of lowlife would desecrate Michael's final resting spot.

We're told the family contacted the LAPD -- and were told the incident could be considered a hate crime. Cops are currently investigating the situation. 

The family tells us ... Forest Lawn immediately removed the "Sambo" from MCD's tomb -- but they won't be satisfied until they find out who violated the tomb.

Steve Nash is making a full-court press to block his ex-wife from moving from Phoenix to L.A. with their 3 kids so he can avoid paying child support ... this according to court docs filed by his ex.

Nash and his ex Alejandra are locked in a legal battle royale over where she's allowed to move.  Alejandra wants to relocate from Phoenix to L.A. ... so the kids can be closer to Steve.   But the b-baller has vigorously tried to block the move, which is curious because he famously chose the Lakers over the New York Knicks to be closer to the youngins.
 
Alejandra says Nash has told her he didn't want her to move out West because he might be traded or forced into retirement ... which would mean uprooting the family again.

But Alejandra says Nash is simply blowing smoke -- and that the REAL reason he wants her to stay put in PHX is because California courts are likely to impose huge child support obligations against him -- something the Phoenix courts have not done.

Alejandra claims Steve is not paying a cent in child support ... zip, zero, zilch ... and he doesn't want to blow a good thing.

Alejandra says Steve's admitted that living so far from the kids is tough on him and them ... and it would be better for everyone if they could spend more time together ... but his desire to save a few bucks on child support is trumping his obligation to his family.

For now ... a judge has issued a restraining order, prohibiting Alejandra from moving West until their trial, which is scheduled for next week.

"Baywatch: The Retirement Years" would be an awesome show ... because TMZ has learned, 60-year-old David Hasselhoff just bought himself a brand new mansion for $1.95 million.

Sources close to the deal tell us, Hoff purchased the 5,767-sq.-ft. Mediterranean home in Calabasas last week.

The 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom house sits in a small gated community ... and it's even got its own basketball court.

Perfect timing for Hoff -- he just sold his bigger house in Encino, which he listed last November for $3.795 million.

It's thick, round, wrapped in stripes ... and a total mystery. But just as TMZ's investigative team attempted to put a name to that sweet rear -- someone cracked it wide open. The mystery ... that is.

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Charlie Sheen has decided he's WAYYY too Caucasian to star in the new "Machete" movie -- so he's channeling his Latino roots and changing his name back to Carlos Estevez ... at least for now.

TMZ obtained a screengrab from the upcoming flick ... which shows Sheen will use his birth name in the new Robert Rodriguez joint. It's the first time in his professional career he won't be billed as Charlie Sheen.

It makes sense ... Rodriguez films often celebrate Latino pride (think "El Mariachi," "Desperado," "Machete") so Sheen is just getting into the spirit of the campy thriller about a rampaging Mexican assassin.

A little history ... Charlie Sheen’s dad Martin Sheen was born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estevez, from his Spanish father's side. He made up "Martin Sheen" to get acting jobs but never changed it legally ... passing "Estevez" to all 4 kids.

Martin has said he regrets not sticking with his real name ... so this TOTALLY counts as a son-redeems-the-father story, right?

Sad ...