Interview

Aaron Rodgers feels badly about how things played out for benched backup Zach Wilson ... admitting he's "disappointed and sad" the young quarterback didn't get to sit back and learn from him this season.

The former No. 2 overall pick recently lost his starting gig to Tim Boyle after struggling to find a rhythm as Rodgers recovers from his Achilles injury ... and during the four-time MVP's appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show," he said he has guilt about the situation.

"I feel for Zach, I love Zach." Rodgers said. "Zach's such a great kid and I do think he still has a bright future in the league."

Rodgers believes it's more fair to throw blame on the whole team than just on Zach ... but ultimately, it was time to find a spark on offense.

"This is disappointing, I have some personal guilt around the whole thing," he added. "I mean, I'm pissed I wasn't able to play and frustrated that if I was out there, and I feel like I'd be playing well, there would be obviously different narratives around our team and Zach would have the opportunity to learn and grow and see what it looks like without the pressure on and being able to sit in those meetings and go through the season and just kind of watch me and my process."

Rodgers said the team will continue to support both Zach and Tim moving forward ... but reiterated it's not all Wilson's fault the team is sitting at 4-6.

La modelo Danii Banks entiende la principal queja que ha habido por enseñar sus tetas en un partido de la NFL y es el hecho de un montón de niños estaba en el estadio en ese momento, pero ella está segura de que ningún pequeño la vio.

La modelo de OnlyFans le dice a TMZ que estaba en una sección de 21 y más cuando "liberó sus pezones" durante el partido de Las Vegas Raiders el domingo pasado, y no fue como que ella y "las chicas" fueron presentadas en la pantalla grande del estadio.

Así que Danii cree que los niños no tienen cómo haber visto su breve momento en topless. Bueno, a menos que tuvieran binoculares en una sección cercana, pero ¿cuáles son las posibilidades de eso?

Danii, como informamos por primera vez, terminó siendo expulsada del estadio Allegiant por su sexy jugada, pero dice que solo los guardias de seguridad y la policía tuvieron un problema cuando la vieron semidesnuda.

Danii publicó una versión borrosa de su topless en sus redes sociales, que ahora está llena de comentarios de haters diciendo que no debería haber hecho eso alrededor de tantos chicos aficionados.

Ella dice que entiende esas preocupaciones, hasta cierto punto, y pide disculpas a los padres si sus hijos le dieron un vistazo a los activos de Banks.

No todo el mundo está enojado con Danii, sin embargo. Ella dice que ha conseguido miles de nuevos suscriptores en OnlyFans desde el pasado domingo y ella nos cuenta cómo una despedida de soltero jugó un papel importante en que su parte superior se descubriera.

Model Danii Banks understands the main gripe with her flashing boobs at an NFL game -- the fact lots of kids were in the stadium -- but she's confident no little ones saw her top drop.

The OnlyFans model tells TMZ, she was in a 21 and up section when she freed her nipples during last Sunday's Las Vegas Raiders game ... and it wasn't like she and "the girls" were featured on the stadium big screen.

So, Danii believes kids couldn't possibly have seen her brief topless moment. Well, unless they had binoculars in a nearby section -- but what are the chances of that?

Danii, as we first reported, ended up getting booted from Allegiant Stadium for the sexy stunt, but says it was only security guards and police who had a problem when they saw the nudity.

DB did post a blurred version of her going topless on her social media ... which is now littered with comments from haters saying she never should have flashed her boobs around young fans.

She says she understands those concerns, to an extent, and apologizes to any parents if their kids happened to get an eyeful of Banks' assets.

Not everyone is mad at Danii though ... she says she's gotten thousands of new OnlyFans subscribers since last Sunday night, and she tells us how a bachelor party played a big role in her top coming off.

Shaquille O'Neal se niega a criticar a Draymond Green por su papel en una salvaje pelea a principios de esta semana, diciéndole a TMZ Sports: "¡¡Yo hubiera hecho lo mismo!!"

Todo el mundo se fue en contra de la estrella de los Warriors después de que pusiera fuertemente su brazo alrededor del cuello de Rudy Gobert y no lo dejara ir en una pelea de los Golden State y Minnesota el martes por la noche. Pero cuando llegamos a su evento de caridad en Los Ángeles el jueves, dijo que simplemente no podía sumarse a la mayoría.

En cuanto al porqué, Shaq dijo que es simple: "Tienes que dar la cara por tu compañero de equipo".

"Si tú y yo estamos teniendo una entrevista y alguien viene aquí", dijo Shaq a nuestro fotógrafo, "voy a tener que patearle el culo. Porque tú eres mi chica".

Por supuesto, el entrenador de los Warriors, Steve Kerr, no estuvo exactamente de acuerdo con Shaq en esto. Aunque apreció el hecho de que Green estuviera defendiendo a Klay Thompson durante la pelea, le dijo a los periodistas que el alero de los Dubs llevó las cosas demasiado lejos.

"Draymond se equivocó", dijo Kerr. "Él lo sabe. No se ve bien".

Shaquille O'Neal is refusing to criticize Draymond Green for his role in a wild fight earlier this week ... telling TMZ Sports straight up, "I woulda did the same thing!!"

Everyone's piled on the Warriors star after he put Rudy Gobert in a chokehold and wouldn't let go during a tussle at Tuesday night's Golden State vs. Minnesota game ... but when we got The Diesel at his charity event in Los Angeles on Thursday, he said he just couldn't join the masses on this one.

As for why ... Shaq said it's simple -- "you've got to stick up for your teammate."

"If me and you are having an interview and somebody comes here," Shaq told our photog, "I'm going to have to whoop their ass. Because you're my homegirl."

Of course, Warriors coach Steve Kerr wouldn't exactly agree with Shaq on this one ... while he said he appreciated the fact that Green was defending Klay Thompson during the scuffle, he told reporters this week the Dubs forward just took things way too far.

"Draymond was wrong," Kerr said. "He knows that. It's a bad look."

Sean Strickland's the UFC Middleweight champ today, but by the end of 2024, Brendan Allen believes the top of the division will look different ... he expects to be the titleholder!

TMZ Sports talked to 27-year-old Allen, the #10 ranked 185-pounder in the promotion, ahead of his UFC Fight Night main event scrap with #13 ranked Paul Craig on Saturday in Las Vegas ... a big fight for the rising star.

We asked Brendan for his assessment of the division.

"I think I'm the best in the world. It's up to me to prove it," Allen said, adding ... "I think Sean [Strickland] will be there for a little bit. Hopefully, ending of next year it'll be 'And new' for me. That's the goal. I don't care who's there when it's my turn. But obviously, the goal is 'And new' when I get my turn."

Allen, 22-5, is coming off a win over Bruno Silva in June ... his 5th straight victory.

35-year-old Craig had lost two in a row -- against Volkan Oezdemir (July '22) and Johnny Walker (January '23) -- before rebounding against Andre Muniz in July. Paul's 17-6-1 over his pro career.

Brendan also weighed in on Paul's decision to go from 205 lbs. to the 185 lb. division ... a move that could come around to bite Craig, according to Allen.

"I think the weight cut will play a role, but it's not the sole or main reason [I'll win]. I just think that I'm gonna be too good, too fast, too strong. He may be bigger, but I'm just a different guy when it comes to this weight class, and I'm gonna show just that.," Brenda told us.

We also talked to Craig ... who is going to do his best to (at least momentarily) stop the Allen hype train.

1:57 PM PT -- After seeing the interview clip go viral, Tyler, The Creator is sending an olive branch to "Hot Ones" host Sean Evans for using the show as a scapegoat for hip hop's nonsense.

Tyler explained he's actually a fan of the show and simply used it as a loose example because it was at the top of his mind ... although "deep-throating" wings is clearly a bar!!!

No sorry for the sneakerheads, though. Joe La Puma, looks like you're on your own.

Tyler, The Creator is fed up with rappers and their lifestyle interviews ... mainly the ones found on Complex's channel involving scarfing down chicken wings and dropping thousands on new shoes!!! 😬

Midway through his sit down with Nardwuar, Tyler went on a bit of a tangent about the state of music ... explaining why he goes in-depth detailing his art.

He got a little ticked off as he criticized artists for feeding into the social media system and hopping on platforms to go "f***in' sneaker shopping" -- or even "deep-throating" hot wings for an hour!!!

Complex has been wooing audiences with their "Sneaker Shopping" and "Hot Ones" series for years featuring tons of celebrity guests -- but Tyler's letting it be known he's not that dude.

The way he sees it, artists are wasting precious time with chicken and sneakers when they should be discussing that 15-track album ... before it crashes and burns on Billboard.

We've seen plenty of artists complain about rap's quality these days ... ranging from current-gen artists such as Lil Yachty to veterans like Xzibit.

But, Tyler's beef is a little different -- regardless of the music quality, he's imploring rappers to up their game when it comes to promoting that music.

More focused interviews don't sound like a horrible idea.

Jake Paul's a big deal in boxing, and some people don't like it ... but don't count legendary boxer Andre Ward among that group 'cause the multiple-time former world champion tells us he's a fan of The Problem Child driving new fans to the sport!

"I don't hate on it," Ward told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) this week ... of Paul's transition from YouTuber to boxing star.

"The crossover stuff like what Jake Paul, Logan [Paul] is doing, [Francis] Ngannou just did, I respect it. That takes a lot of courage, takes a lot of heart."

Ward -- who retired in 2017 with a perfect 32-0 record -- said he applauds Paul for ignoring the naysayers who have labeled him a gimmick or sideshow and want him out of the sport.

"I don't think so. It actually brings a new audience, more eyeballs," Ward said, "and if the fanbase follows them over to boxing, then more power to 'em."

"I'm a fan of it, I appreciate it and I watch it."

In fact, Ward, who is still only 39 years old, told us he'd actually be down to step back in the ring for an exhibition fight ... against Jake or Logan.

"I don't hate against it. I would probably do it for the right situation. I keep myself just good enough to where if I needed 7, 8 weeks, I can take care of my business," Ward said.

Although he hasn't been fighting, Ward's been busy ... in fact, he just released a brand new memoir titled "Killing The Image: A Champion's Journey Of Faith, Fighting, And Forgiveness."

Ward's book isn't just about boxing ... Son of God talks about everything from his difficult childhood to the role that faith and religion have played in his life, and how it's guided to him incredible heights -- including 5 world titles and an Olympic gold medal.

"This book takes you deep into my mind, into my life, into my upbringing [and] how I go to the point that I'm at today."

Jake Paul es muy importante en el boxeo y a algunas personas no les gusta, pero no cuentes con que el legendario boxeador Andre Ward entre ese grupo. El varias veces ex campeón del mundo nos dice que es un fan de "The Problem Child" por que atrae a nuevos aficionados al deporte.

"No lo odio", dijo Ward a Babcock en el programa de televisión "TMZ Sports" (se emite todas las noches en FS1) esta semana, de la transición de Paul de YouTuber a estrella del boxeo.

"Las cosas cruzadas como lo que Jake Paul, Logan [Paul] está haciendo, o lo que [Francis] Ngannou acaba de hacer, lo respeto. Eso requiere mucho coraje, requiere mucho corazón".

Ward —quien se retiró en 2017 con un récord perfecto de 32-0— dijo que aplaude a Paul por ignorar a los detractores que lo han etiquetado como un simple showman o espectáculo secundario y lo quieren fuera del deporte.

"No creo que sea así. En realidad aporta un nuevo público, más ojos", dijo Ward, "y si la afición les sigue hasta el boxeo, pues más poder para ellos".

"Soy un fan, lo aprecio y lo veo".

De hecho, Ward —que solo tiene 39 años— nos dijo que estaría dispuesto a volver al ring para una pelea de exhibición contra Jake o Logan.

"No tengo nada en contra. Probablemente lo haría en la situación adecuada. Me mantengo lo suficientemente bien como para ocuparme de mis asuntos", dijo Ward.

Aunque no ha estado luchando, Ward ha estado ocupado, de hecho, acaba de publicar un nuevo libro de memorias titulado "Killing The Image: A Champion's Journey Of Faith, Fighting, And Forgiveness".

El libro de Ward no trata solo de boxe, Hijo de Dios habla de todo, desde su difícil infancia hasta el papel que la fe y la religión han desempeñado en su vida, y cómo le han guiado a cotas increíbles (5 títulos mundiales y una medalla de oro olímpica).

"Este libro te lleva a lo más profundo de mi mente, de mi vida, de mi educación y de cómo llegué al punto en el que estoy hoy".

The start of C.J. Stroud's NFL career has been so impressive ... even his Houston teammate, Dare Ogunbowale, says he's having a hard time believing it.

"I'm not even going to lie," the Texans running back told TMZ Sports this week. "A little bit of it definitely surprises me just 'cause I know what it takes to be an NFL player, but I really know what it takes to be a quarterback in this league. It is not easy.

"And he's making it look easy."

Through eight games of his rookie season so far, Stroud's thrown for 2,270 yards, 14 touchdowns and just one interception. In his last game, a thrilling win over Tampa Bay, he set a rookie record with 470 passing yards.

Ogunbowale tells us it's all been incredible to watch ... explaining, "It's special, man."

"Obviously you see the talent," he added, "but the poise he has, the command he has in the huddle, the confidence he has in him and this offense, it's fun to see."

Stroud will be facing a tough test this weekend -- as he'll lead the 4-4 Texans into Cincinnati to play the red-hot Bengals.

Dare says it's obviously going to be hard a matchup ... though, sadly, he told us his duties for the game will not include kicking -- as they did against the Buccaneers last weekend.

Jiri Prochazka admits Alex Pereira is a good freakin' fighter, but is he the most dangerous man he's ever faced? Prochazka doesn't think so.

TMZ Sports talked to the 31-year-old, #1 light heavyweight contender ... and we asked Jiri if Alex presented the biggest challenge to him over his 10+ year pro-MMA career.

"I will see that when I face him. I will feel that who is he. But what I've saw with his style, I think I've fought with more dangerous guys."

Surprising ... until you look at the opponents he's shared an Octagon with over the years, including Glover Teixeira (submission win, 2022), Volkan Oezdemir (KO win, 2020), and Dominick Reyes (KO win, 2021).

But, as good as those fighters are, none possess the crushing knockout power of Poatan (8-2, 6 KO) ... especially when it comes to his vicious left hook. Alex has put many men to sleep with that shot over the years.

We asked Jiri, a dynamic striker in his own right, if he believed he could win a stand-up battle against Alex, assuming things don't go to the ground where Prochazka would seemingly have the advantage.

"Yes, yes. 100 percent yes," Prochazka said without any hesitation.

Of course, the guys are fighting for the belt held by Jamahal Hill ... who ruptured his Achilles a few months ago.

We asked Jiri what it'd mean to him to once again have the UFC championship belt wrapped around his waist ... and he was at a loss for words.

"I can't talk about it. You will see that in Madison Square Garden, and I believe in that."

As for Pereira, we talked to him, too ... and let's say he sees things going a bit differently.

Move over Patrick Mahomes -- Joe Burrow is actually the best quarterback in the NFL ... so says Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, who tells TMZ Sports the Cincinnati Bengals superstar deserves the title when he's 100% healthy.

Joey B has had his fair share of injuries in his short career -- he tore his ACL and MCL in his rookie season, forcing him to miss the final six games ... and, more recently, suffered a calf strain in July that continued to give him trouble early on in his 2023 campaign.

He's now proving he's back to his usual self after leading the Bengals to four straight wins ... and Ochocinco says this version of Burrow is all the evidence he needs to put him at the top of his QB list.

"A healthy Joe Burrow is the best quarterback in the NFL," 45-year-old Johnson -- who played for the Bengals from 2001 to 2010 -- said this week.

"You can argue Patrick Mahomes, you can argue what other quarterbacks, but he just is."

Burrow has been balling out lately ... with big wins over San Francisco and Buffalo over the past two weeks as the Bengals find themselves in the contender conversation once again.

Since Burrow was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, he has led the Bengals to five postseason wins and a Super Bowl appearance ... something Johnson said shouldn't be ignored.

"What he's done for that franchise in such a short amount of time, I mean, how can he not be [the best]?"

Speaking of Burrow, he appeared on this week's edition of "Inside the NFL" -- which airs Tuesdays on the CW -- and Johnson said he had a blast interviewing the Ohio product.

"It was a joy for me," Johnson said. "It was really, really dope."

Montana Tucker dice que no se siente segura como una persona judía en los Estados Unidos y teme que el odio hacia los judíos en línea sea parte de un problema mayor.

La cantante se unió a nosotros en "TMZ Live" el lunes y nos dijo que sus populares mensajes de TikTok son ahora pozos negros de comentarios antisemitas y solo está empeorando.

Montana, que tuvo familiares que murieron en el Holocausto, dice que la gente se siente envalentonada para vomitar odio contra los judíos, no solo en las redes sociales, sino también en la vida real.

Para Montana, su contenido de canto y baile ahora está plagado de comentarios de odio de antisemitas que le dicen que merece morir simplemente porque es judía e incluso hay algunos negadores del Holocausto.

Montana dice que el hate es realmente intenso en estos momentos como resultado de la guerra entre Israel y Hamás, pero ella dice que se ha estado gestando desde hace un tiempo, primero se agudizó el año pasado cuando publicó una docuserie sobre Auschwitz, donde su familia murió en campos de concentración.

Las cosas están tan mal para los creadores judíos en TikTok, Montana nos dice que ella y otros no se sienten seguros, y dice que está liderando un grupo de celebridades que están presionando la plataforma para tomar medidas enérgicas contra el antisemitismo.

Montana también dice que muchas personas que vienen después de ella en los comentarios están apoyando a Hamás a pesar de que es una organización terrorista conocida por su terrible tratamiento de las personas LGBTQ + y las mujeres.

Montana Tucker says she doesn't feel safe as a Jewish person in America ... and she fears the hate towards Jewish people online is part of a larger problem.

The singer joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and told us her popular TikTok posts are now cesspools for antisemitic comments ... and it's only getting worse.

Montana, who had family members die in the Holocaust, says people feel emboldened to spew hate against Jews ... not only on social media but also in real life.

For Montana, her singing and dancing content is now littered with hateful comments from antisemites telling her she deserves to die simply because she's Jewish ... and there are even a few Holocaust deniers.

Montana says the hate is really bad right now as a result of the Israel-Hamas war ... but she says it's been brewing for a while, first ratcheting up last year when she posted a docuseries about Auschwitz, where her family died in concentration camps.

Things are so bad for Jewish creators on TikTok, Montana tells us she and others don't feel safe ... and she's leading a group of celebs pressuring the platform to crack down on antisemitism.

Montana also says lots of people coming after her in the comments are supporting Hamas ... even though it's a terrorist organization known for its awful treatment of LGBTQ+ people and women.

El personaje de Matthew Perry, Chandler Bing, estuvo a punto de protagonizar un escándalo al engañar a Monica, pero nos han comentado que el actor consiguió que se desechara la idea.

Hablamos con Lisa Cash, que apareció en el episodio de 1999 de la temporada 5, "The One in Vegas: Part 1". Nos dice que consiguió el trabajo como extra, pero su papel en el episodio fue originalmente mucho más controvertido... o lo habría sido si Matthew no hubiera hablado.

Ella le dice a TMZ que la escena tenía origen en Mónica -interpretada por Courteney Cox- quien tenía una acalorada discusión con Chandler. El personaje de Lisa supuestamente iba a entrar a la habitación de Chandler para realizar un servicio de habitaciones a su habitación de hotel en Las Vegas.

Al parecer, Chandler y el personaje de Lisa se llevaron bien después de su gran pelea con Mónica, llegando incluso a engañarla con la empleada del hotel.

Si veías la serie, sabes que eso es algo que los fans NUNCA le perdonarían a Chandler y eso es exactamente lo que Matthew pensaba. Lisa dice que después de ensayar la escena, fue a los escritores y les dijo que la eliminaran.

Lisa sabía que tener un papel protagonista con Matthew Perry habría sido un cambio de juego para su carrera, pero cree que en última instancia fue un buen movimiento y podría haber cambiado el curso de la serie.

Mientras que toda la trama fue cancelada, Lisa terminó permaneciendo en el episodio como azafata en la escena de Ross y Rachel.

Matthew Perry's character, Chandler Bing, on "Friends," almost had a scandal on his hands by cheating on Monica ... but we're told the actor got the whole idea scrapped.

We spoke with Lisa Cash, who appeared in the 1999 episode from season 5, "The One in Vegas: Part 1" -- telling us she got the gig as an extra, but her role on the episode was originally a lot more controversial ... or it would have been if Matthew didn't speak up.

She tells TMZ ... the OG scene revolved around Monica -- played by Courteney Cox -- getting into a heated argument with Chandler, with Lisa's character eventually bringing up room service to his hotel room in Vegas.

Apparently, Chandler and Lisa's character hit it off after his big fight with Monica -- going so far as to actually cheat on her with the hotel staffer.

If you watched the show, you know that's something fans would NEVER forgive Chandler for, and that's exactly what Matthew thought. Lisa says after rehearsing the scene, he went to the writers and told them to axe it.

Lisa knew having a costarring role with Matthew Perry would have been a game changer for her career, but thinks it was ultimately a good move and could have changed the course of the show.

While the whole plot got nixed, Lisa ended up staying in the episode as a flight attendant in Ross and Rachel's scene.