MATTHEW PERRY CRYPTO SCAMMERS HACK HIS X ACCOUNT ... Solicit Donations Too

Mathew Perry's X account was hacked by scammers trying to pull off a sneaky crypto donation scheme through a fraudulent website ... this according to his foundation.

A link that was recently advertised as directing would-be donors to make contributions to the late actor's foundation actually led them to a copycat site -- but The Matthew Perry Foundation has wasted no time calling out the scam as totally bogus, while gaining control of his socials again.

They wrote on IG Monday ... "We have received reports that Matthew's official X page has been hacked and is directing users to a fraudulent site soliciting donations via cryptocurrency" ... going on to urge people not to fall for the trap by sharing the fake social media post.

They also clarified that MatthewPerryFoundation.org was the only legitimate site associated with the foundation -- and that any others should NOT be trusted or donated to.

As for the scammers behind the fraudulent post, their identity remains a mystery for now ... and it's also not known at this point how many people might've donated through the bunk link and how much they might've lost. The post in question has been taken down from X.

The Matthew Perry Foundation was set up in MP's name to provide support to those battling addiction, a cause that was close to the late actor's heart.

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He bravely shared his own struggles with alcohol and opioid addiction, even candidly documenting his own sobriety journey in his 2022 memoir, "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing."

TMZ broke the story ... "Friends" star Perry died last October after his assistant found his body floating in a hot tub at his L.A. area home.

The coroner performed an autopsy, concluding Perry died from the "acute effects of ketamine," an anesthetic used to treat depression. Drowning was listed on the autopsy report as a secondary cause of death.

Cam Newton Dragged Into Brawl ... Fight at 7v7 Football Event

2/25/24
CAM VS. EVERYBODY

Cam Newton appeared to get in a fight with a group of guys recently ... and it was all caught on video.

The former NFL quarterback's right in the middle of a group of guys who have jumped on him, and he's trying to hold them back without swinging back.

As they spun around, another man in a white t-shirt came up and threw a punch at Cam, a blow that appeared to make contact with someone.

Ultimately, Cam fended off these people long enough to receive help from others -- including a police officer who came in and backed several individuals away from Newton.

There's not a lot of context about what started the brawl which seems to have taken place at the B.E.S.T. Academy 6-12 in Atlanta.

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It seems Cam was there for an event put on by his foundation C1N, a 7v7 league that plays tournaments all across the country.

COMIN' AT CAM???
TMZ.com

Another angle of the brawl shows a couple of the guys shoving Cam around before the group goes flying off into an area covered by trees -- but, outside of that, it's unclear what might've set off such an explosive situation.

We've reached out to Cam's camp and Atlanta police ... so far no word back.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Shane Gillis Back on 'SNL' After Firing ... Doesn't Tone Down Jokes

Shane Gillis finally took the "Saturday Night Live" stage more than four years after being hired then fired from SNL before his first episode ... and fans are pretty split on his hosting performance.

The comedian stepped out centerstage of Studio 8H in New York City to host the legendary sketch show, and he barely addressed the scandal that got him fired back in 2019 ... instead launching into material that drew the ire of some fans.

SG started, "Most of you probably have no idea who I am. I was fired from this show a while ago. Don't look that up, please. If you don't know who I am, please don't Google that."

SEPTEMBER 2018
CHINATOWN ATTACK
Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast

And, then he just moved on -- not addressing or apologizing for comments he made back in 2018 about Asian-American people that got him axed.

Instead, Shane decided to launch into a whole new set of jokes that seemingly alienated part of his audience.

SHANE'S SLURS & INSULTS
A Fair One

He performed several minutes on Down Syndrome before using a pair of words pejoratively which have become taboo in recent years. You can check out the clip for yourself to hear what Gillis said.

Shane seemed to feel the tension in the room, mentioning multiple times that he thought certain jokes would get bigger laughs and adding he could see people clearly not enjoying his set.

He performed in a few noteworthy sketches BTW ... one parodying Donald Trump's new golden sneakers and another alongside cast member Bowen Yang -- the first full-time Asian American on the show who was vocal when Shane was fired.

As for fan reactions ... they're pretty split. Just look up Gillis' name on X. Some people are obviously calling Gillis out for his non-PC comments while others are saying they loved his irreverent set.

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Seems like only one way to settle this ... let us know what you think below!

Shane Gillis' Monologue Was ...

SHANE GILLIS VUELVE A "SNL" TRAS SU DESPIDO ... Y no baja el tono de las bromas

Shane Gillis finalmente subió al escenario de "Saturday Night Live" más de cuatro años después de ser contratado y luego despedido de SNL antes de su primer episodio, y los fans están bastante divididos sobre su actuación como anfitrión.

El comediante salió al escenario de Studio 8H en la ciudad de Nueva York para presentar el legendario programa de sketches, y apenas abordó el escándalo que hizo que lo despidieran en 2019, en cambio, lanzó un material que atrajo la ira de algunos fanáticos.

Shane comenzó: "La mayoría de ustedes probablemente no tienen idea de quién soy. Fui despedido de este programa hace un tiempo. No lo busquen, por favor. Si no saben quién soy, por favor, no lo busquen en Google."

SEPTEMBER 2018
"ataque al estilo del barrio chino"
Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast

Siguió adelante sin abordar o disculparse por los comentarios que hizo en 2018 sobre las personas asiático-americanas.

En cambio, Shane decidió lanzar un nuevo conjunto de bromas que aparentemente enfurecieron a parte de su audiencia.

INSULTOS Y CALUMNIAS DE SHANE
A Fair One

Interpretó varios minutos sobre el síndrome de Down antes de utilizar un par de palabras peyorativas que se han convertido en tabú en los últimos años. Puedes ver el clip por ti mismo para escuchar lo que dijo.

Shane parecía sentir la tensión en la sala, mencionando varias veces que pensaba que ciertos chistes conseguirían más risas y añadiendo que podía ver a la gente claramente no disfrutando de su set.

En todo caso, actuó en algunos sketches notables. En uno parodiaba las nuevas zapatillas deportivas de oro de Donald Trump, y en otro junto al miembro del elenco Bowen Yang, el primer asiático-americano a tiempo completo en el show que fue vocal cuando Shane fue despedido.

En cuanto a las reacciones de los fans, son bastante divididas. Solo tienes que buscar el nombre de Gillis en X. Algunas personas están, obviamente, criticando a Gillis por sus comentarios, mientras que otros están diciendo que les encantó su actuación irreverente.

tmz investiga
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¡Parece que solo hay una manera de resolver esto... háganos saber lo que piensa a continuación!

El monólogo de Shane Gillis fue...

Bobbi Althoff Así se hizo el video deepfake con IA !!!

El video filtrado de Bobbi Althoff casi rompió Internet recientemente y aunque ella salió a decir que no podía ser más falso, TMZ sabe cómo la tecnología engañó a miles de personas.

Paul Dawes, consejero delegado de More.ai, explica a TMZ cómo funciona la inteligencia artificial. Dice que esta busca entre todas las imágenes 2D disponibles para encontrar patrones y crear contenido original. En el caso de Bobbi, ya hay un montón de contenido en línea de ella que puede ser usado por la IA para crear un video falso.

2/21/23
Acallando los rumores

Lo mismo pasa con todas las celebridades, políticos y entidades de marca que son objetivos susceptibles de ser manipulados por la IA.

A los programas de IA les cuesta más falsificar imágenes en 3D, pero a juzgar por la rapidez con la que evoluciona la tecnología, es solo cuestión de tiempo para que también lo hagan.

Más aún, muchos de estos programas de IA son de código abierto, por lo que incluso si una empresa cierra, el código de fuente abierto sigue estando isponible para que el público lo utilice. Vaya.

Por supuesto, Paul Dawes nos recuerda que las redes sociales tienen una gran responsabilidad en el control de los contenidos que se distribuyen. Por desgracia, parece que las plataformas en línea están siendo arrasadas con todo tipo de contenido ofensivo en este momento, sin mucha supervisión.

Por ahora, dice que lo mejor que podemos hacer es ganar suficiente tiempo como para que las herramientas reguladoras se pongan al día e impidan que las personas sean objeto de creación de imágenes sexualmente explícitas.

TMZ investiga
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Por supuesto, la IA ya ha violado la privacidad de Bobbi y de muchos otros, por lo que el mal uso del contenido generado con inteligencia artificial es definitivamente un tema preocupante en la nueva era de Internet.

BOBBI ALTHOFF AI Deepfake Video Was Made This Way!!!

Bobbi Althoff's leaked AI deepfake video nearly broke the internet recently ... and even though she called it fake as hell, TMZ knows how the technology fooled thousands.

Paul Dawes, CEO of More.AI, gave TMZ the lowdown ... saying it scours all available 2D footage to find patterns to create original content. In Bobbi's case, there's already a ton of online content for AI to use as a basis for creating the deepfake vid.

2/21/23
SHUTTING DOWN THE RUMORS

The same goes for other celebs, politicians, and any branded entities ... all prime targets for AI manipulation.

AI programs have a harder time deepfaking 3D images ... but judging how quickly things are evolving with the technology, it's only a matter of time before it masters that too.

What's more ... a lot of these AI programs are open-source, so even if a company shuts down, the open-source code is still available for the public to use. Yikes.

Of course, he reminds us social media has a big responsibility in controlling the content being distributed. Unfortunately, online platforms are inundated with all sorts of offending content without much oversight.

For now, he says the best we can do is buy enough time so regulatory tools can prevent people from being subjected to sexually explicit images of their likenesses.

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Of course, AI has already violated the privacy of Bobbi and many others ... so the misuse of AI-generated content is definitely a concerning issue in the new age of the internet.

For more viral news, check out TMZ Verified, available on all podcast platforms.

Justin Fields Yeah, I Unfollowed Bears ... I Gotta Escape Caleb Williams Debate!!!

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is attempting to clear the air on his decision to unfollow his employer on Instagram ... claiming part of it had to do with escaping the Caleb Williams debate.

The NFL star caused a stir when he removed the Bears from his feed last week ... with some folks speculating it was foreshadowing his future with the organization and what Chicago will do with the top pick in next month's draft.

Of course, many expect the USC standout to have his name called first ... which would almost certainly end Fields' time in the Windy City.

Fields was asked all about it on the "St. Brown Bros." podcast episode that dropped on Wednesday ... and he wants everyone to relax.

"Why do people take social media so serious?" Fields asked. "I still mess with the Bears, this and that. I'm just trying to take a little break. I unfollowed the Bears AND the NFL, bro. I'm not just trying to have football on my timeline."

Fields compared his social media activity to talking to a girl -- just because they may not follow each other doesn't mean something isn't going on behind the scenes.

The former No. 11-overall pick did point out one thing that bothers him in particular -- the comment section turning into a massive back-and-forth over what the Bears should do.

"It's either, 'Keep Fields, we want Fields,'" he added. "It's either 'Draft Caleb.' So it's like, bruh, man, I'm tired of hearing the talk. I just want it to be over."

Bobbi Althoff Deepfake Masturbation Video Ain't Me, It's Freakin' AI!!!

2/21/23
SHUTTING DOWN THE RUMORS

Bobbi Althoff has been trending all week for all the wrong reasons -- a video purporting to depict her in a sexual manner has been circulating ... but she's calling it out as fake as hell.

Here's the deal ... this clip has been floating around online for the past few days -- and anyone who's anyone can tell it's a straight-up deepfake ... superimposing what looks to be Bobbi's face onto a woman who's masturbating on a bed, all in front of a camera.

Some idiots on X have been feeding into and recirculating it as real -- claiming it was "Bobbi's nudes" -- but the influencer herself is pouring cold water on all that by speaking out.

She posted a screengrab of her name trending on X/Twitter -- which was apparently popping off in the "Rap" category -- and noted that what people had been losing their minds over was not, in fact, her ... but rather, just a computer image trying to pass as her.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Bobbi wrote, "Hate to disappoint you all, but the reason I'm trending is 100% not me & is definitely AI-generated." She also posted a video addressing it ... and stamped it down there too.

So, there you go ... Bobbi's saying it ain't her -- and if you're familiar with her brand ... you'd know she would NEVER record herself doing something like that. BA is a bit of a prude -- and she's also a mom ... so definitely not the type to be raunchy just 'cause.

Granted, she is single these days -- her husband recently filed for divorce -- but still ... this ain't the sort of thing Bobbi would post. It had "fake" written all over from the jump.

Funny enough ... Bobbi was probably hoping to be trending over her latest cringe-y interview -- this time, she talked to Wiz Khalifa ... and it's just as good as all her others. Unfortunately, pervs had her name going around for something super gross ... what else is new?

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Welcome to the new world of the Internet, y'all ... none of us are safe with this tech. 😬

Bobbi Althoff El video sexual es un deepfake No soy yo, es la maldita IA!!

2/21/23
Acallando los rumores

Bobbi Althoff ha sido tendencia toda la semana y no por las razones correctas. Ha estado circulando por estos días un video que pretende mostrarla de una manera sexual, pero ella está diciendo que eso es falso como el infierno.

Esta es la cuestión, el clip ha estado apareciendo en línea los últimos días, y cualquiera podría darse cuenta de que es un deepfake, esto es, la superposición de lo que parece ser la cara de Bobbi con una mujer que se masturba en una cama, todo delante de una cámara.

Algunos idiotas en X lo han hecho circular de nuevo como real, afirmando que son "desnudos de Bobbi", pero la propia influencer está echando agua fría sobre todo.

Ella publicó una captura de pantalla de su nombre en las tendencias de X / Twitter, al parecer en la categoría "Rap", y señaló que las personas que han estado perdiendo la cabeza, lo han hecho por las razones incorrectas, pues no es ella, sino más bien, solo una imagen computacional tratando de pasar por ella.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Bobbi escribió: "Odio decepcionarlos a todos, pero la razón por la que soy tendencia, en un 100% no soy yo, y está definitivamente generada por IA". Ella también publicó un video abordando todo el asunto, que compartió también.

Así que ahí lo tienen, Bobbi está diciendo que no es ella y si estás familiarizado con su marca sabrías que NUNCA se grabaría a sí misma haciendo algo así. Bobbi es un poco mojigata y también madre, así que definitivamente no del tipo obscena porque sí.

Por supuesto, ella está soltera por estos días. Su marido recientemente le pidió el divorcio, pero aun así, este no es el tipo de cosa que Bobbi publicaría. Todo en el video grita "falso".

Bastante divertido. Probablemente, Bobbi esperaba ser tendencia por su última entrevista. Esta vez, habló con Wiz Khalifa y es tan buena como todas las anteriores. Por desgracia, los pervertidos tenían su nombre dando vueltas por algo super bruto.

TMZ investiga
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Bienvenidos al nuevo mundo de Internet, ninguno de nosotros está a salvo con esta tecnología. 😬

Suge Knight My Social Media Hacker's Racist!!! But Snoop Knows What It Is

HACKED!!!
Collect Call with Suge Knight / Breakbeat Media

Suge Knight says he has an ID on an alleged social media hacker that he says Snoop Dogg reacted to in a recent fake post ... but understands why people think he's doing the smack talking.

On the newest episode of his "Collect Call" podcast, Suge claims to Dave Mays that a guy named "John" from Atlanta is the one responsible for the nonstop string of negativity on his X and Facebook accounts.

Suge accuses the guy of attempting to start a race war ... a recent swipe at Snoop got the legendary rapper's attention and he offered prayers for Suge's spirit.

Suge admits the posts totally matches his energy and tone but is adamant he's not behind the avalanche of animosity on his social media handles.

The incarcerated Death Row Records founder didn't let Snoop and his business partner Michael “Harry-O” Harris off the hook, though.

Death Row Is In Good Hands
TMZ.com

We recently talked to Harry about the future of the infamous label, which he and Snoop currently own but Suge is arguing they had no stake in building its foundation and should therefore back off!!!

Chrisean Rock Responds to Alleged Assault Lawsuit ... With Expletive-Laden Tweet

Chrisean Rock seems to be responding to a lawsuit on social media ... penning an angry tweet calling out an unnamed person for wasting money on a lawyer.

The rapper took to X to vent her frustration in an expletive-laden tweet calling out a "big back bitch n****" for going after her money -- and saying this person's not getting a cent.

Now, Chrisean didn't say exactly to whom she was referring ... but we do know she's involved in one major lawsuit right now over an alleged assault at Tamar Braxton's show back in November.

As we reported ... TV personality James Wright is suing Chrisean for allegedly assaulting him backstage at Braxton's concert. He claims she left him with multiple face lacerations and two broken teeth.

1/1/24
ADDRESSING THE ALLEGED ASSAULT

Wright was reportedly hospitalized after the show in Downtown Los Angeles ... and Tamar later opened up about the alleged incident during an emotional Instagram Live.

1/1/24
AWKWARD

We also got video of Chrisean breaking up a prayer circle before the concert ... but sources told us this had no bearing on the alleged incident -- and everyone laughed off the moment.

Despite the lawsuit, Chrisean seems pretty committed to keeping her money where it is ... at least if her tweet is any indication.

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Only time will tell if she's gonna stick to her guns.

Trump lanza una línea de zapatillas Con el lema "Never Surrender" (nunca te rindas)

Donald Trump está haciendo un movimiento a lo Michael Jordan, porque ahora está vendiendo zapatillas, presumiblemente para pagar lo que hasta ahora asciende a un total de 500 millones de dólares en juicios.

Trump anunció la línea de zapatillas el sábado, bajo el apodo, "Trump Sneakers". Él los está llamando el "NEVER SURRENDER HIGH-TOP SNEAKER" con un precio de $399.

Trump afirma que ha tenido la idea durante más de 10 años, pero es una gran coincidencia que se diera a conocer un día después de que se le ordenó pagar $355M por la manipulación de los libros de su empresa.

Solo se venderán 1.000 pares, así que no le servirá realmente para salir de sus problemas financieros.

Trump hizo el anuncio el sábado en Sneaker Con. Las zapatillas llevan una "T" y un "45" estampados. Y está vendiendo una colonia y un perfume a 99 dólares cada uno.

La empresa que está vendiendo los artículos es CIC Ventures LLC. No parece ser parte del imperio de Trump, ya que el juez dijo que Trump no puede hacer negocios en su empresa con sede en Nueva York durante tres años.

02/16/24
¡ESA ES TU RESPUESTA!
TMZ.com

A propósito, si Trump está pensando en elegir a RFK Jr. como su compañero, debería pensarlo mejor. RFK y su esposa -Cheryl Hines- dejaron claro en "TMZ Live" que eso no va a suceder.

Una cosa más, Trump le respondió enfurecido a la gente en redes sociales respecto a unas imágenes que están dando vueltas en las que aparece mostrando una barriga prominente, alegando que la foto era una falsificación generada por A.I.

tmz investiga
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Así es amigos... van a ser 8 largos meses.

Donald Trump I Get My Kicks from Selling Kicks

Donald Trump is hoping for a Michael Jordan moment because he's now selling sneakers ... presumably to pay off what is now amounting to a total of half a billion in judgments.

Trump announced the sneaker line Saturday ... under the moniker, "Trump Sneakers." He's calling them the "NEVER SURRENDER HIGH-TOP SNEAKER" with a price tag of $399.

Trump claims he's had the idea for more than 10 years, but it's pretty coincidental the kicks were unveiled a day after he was ordered to pay $355M for cooking the books of his company.

There are only 1,000 pairs being sold, so it won't come close to digging him out of the financial hole.

Trump made the announcement Saturday at Sneaker Con. The sneakers have a "T" and a "45" emblazoned on them.  And he's selling cologne and perfume at $99 a pop.

BTW ... the company that's selling the items is CIC Ventures LLC. It doesn't appear to be part of the Trump org, which would be problematic since the judge in the case said Trump can't do business in his New York-based company for 3 years.

02/16/24
THAT'S YOUR ANSWER!!!
TMZ.com

BTW ... if he's thinking of picking RFK Jr. as his running mate, he should think again. RFK and his wife, Cheryl Hines made it clear on "TMZ Live" Friday that's not gonna happen.

And one more thing ... Trump launched on folks on social media for images of him they were using with belly in full display ... claiming the pic was a fake -- generated by A.I.

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It's gonna be a long 8 months.

DOLLY PARTON GIVE ELLE KING A BREAK!!! Drunken Tribute Forgiven

Dolly Parton says she feels no ill will toward fellow country singer Elle King for butchering a birthday tribute song for her -- despite fans being adamant Dolly would be mortified.

It was all captured on camera ... country singer Elle forgot a bunch of lyrics to Dolly's "Marry Me" while onstage in Nashville, with the performance quickly descending into a drunken, expletives-ridden mess. But the icon says it's no biggie ... putting Elle's behavior down to her navigating some hard things lately.

1/19/24
LOST THE LYRICS
Tik Tok / @auctioneergirl

Dolly actually had nothing but gushing words for Elle ... telling "Extra" Elle's a great artist and a great girl who had just a little bit too much to drink.

She's also urging us all to "forgive that and forget it and move on, 'cause [Elle] felt worse than anyone ever could."

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That might be, but the Grand Ole Opry audience that night certainly didn't care how Elle was feeling at that moment ... as the singer resorted to hurling foul language, and mocking fans for purchasing tickets.

Many vented their anger on X ... complaining their evening was ruined by her horrible, drunk, and profane performance.

Her antics were deemed so outrageous that even the Grand Ole Opry said they "deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used."

But if Dolly is pardoning her actions, then who are we to challenge the Queen of Country?

Dolly Parton insta a sus fans a perdonar y olvidar El homenaje fallido de Elle King

Dolly Parton dice que no siente rencor hacia la cantante de country Elle King por estropear una canción de homenaje en su cumpleaños, a pesar de que los fans insistieron en que Dolly estaría mortificada.

La cantante de country Elle se olvidó de la letra de "Marry Me" de Dolly, mientras estaba en el escenario en Nashville, y la actuación se convirtió rápidamente en un lío de borrachos lleno de improperios. Pero el icono dice que no es gran cosa y le pone paños fríos al asunto.

1/19/24
olvidando las letras
Tik Tok / @auctioneergirl

Dolly en realidad no tenía más que palabras efusivas para Elle, diciendo "Extra" Elle es una gran artista y una gran chica que tenía solo un poco demasiado para beber.

Ella también nos insta a todos a "perdonar eso y olvidarlo y seguir adelante, porque Elle se sintió peor de lo que nadie podría".

tmz investiga
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Eso podría ser, pero la audiencia del Grand Ole Opry esa noche ciertamente no le importaba cómo se sentía Elle en ese momento ... ya que la cantante recurrió a lanzar lenguaje soez, y burlándose de los fans por la compra de entradas.

Muchos ventilaron su ira en X, quejándose de que su noche fue arruinada por su horrible, borracho y profano rendimiento.

Sus payasadas fueron consideradas tan escandalosas que incluso el Grand Ole Opry dijo que "lamentan profundamente y se disculpan por el lenguaje que se utilizó".

Pero si Dolly perdona sus actos, ¿quiénes somos nosotros para desafiar a la Reina del Country?

Dwayne Johnson Responds to 'False Clickbait Garbage' ... Blasts Claim Fans Booed For Broken Maui Promise

Dwayne Johnson popped off over accusations he was booed for not following through on aid to Maui ... calling the claim "false clickbait garbage" in a furious response on X.

Here's the deal ... Nick Sortor -- an internet personality who has appeared on networks like Fox News and Newsmax -- posted a video to Twitter showing people at a WWE event raining jeers down on The Rock.

Sortor claimed these people were berating Johnson for not following through on his promise to aid the island of Maui following the devastating wildfires last summer.

He even pointed to some fans' chanting in the vid ... claiming they were saying "Maui" over and over -- and if you listen to the clip, it does sound like that's exactly what they're yelling.

But, DJ wasn't having this interpretation of events -- instead hopping on X to slam Sortor's analysis and insisting he was being booed for playing "the heel" in a WWE press conference -- professional wrestling-ese for "the villain."

Johnson said he tries to stay above the social media fray generally, but decided to correct Nick because he used "Hawaii's tragic events to draw attention" to himself before explaining his own role of villain at the presser Thursday.

HELPING MAUI

He went on to claim The People's Fund of Maui -- kicked off by himself and Oprah Winfrey in August with a $10 million donation -- has delivered more than $50 million to thousands of survivors who were affected by the fires.

He praised the resilience of those people whose lives were uprooted by the fires and wrote directly to Sortor "instead of posting bulls*** like this that you know is false - I encourage you to post something positive for Hawaii, for our Polynesian American people. Or actually take positive action and come to Hawaii to help out in an uplifting way."

He encouraged Nick to use his platform to lift up the people of Hawaii instead of trying to tear him down ... and apologized to "all our Poly/Hawaiian ohana of Maui, for shining light on this toxicity as you struggle through tough times."

BTW ... Sortor isn't backing down -- responding on X by saying he's also based in Hawaii and Dwayne has his contact info, so he's happy to meet Johnson whenever he wants.

FWIW ... a community note has been added to Sortor's tweet explaining the context of the booing video -- and the crowd may have been shouting "Maui" but that's also The Rock's character's name from the highly popular Disney movie "Moana," so it could've been yelled in a totally different context.

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The Maui fires reportedly killed 100 people, leaving many more injured and homeless -- it's a sensitive topic ... one that clearly set Johnson off.

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