Peloton More Damage Control Thanks to TV ... Our Bikes Are NOT Lethal!!!

Peloton can’t catch a break -- because another TV character had a major health scare on one of their machines.

The fitness company is once again defending itself and clarifying the difference between reality and fiction ... this in the wake of a guy on the show "Billions" having a heart attack while riding a Peloton bike.

Catch your breath ...
Showtime

The new episode of the Showtime series aired Sunday, and it shows a character -- David Costabile’s Mike Wagner -- caving in on himself during a Peloton ride ... eerily similar to what happened to Chris Noth’s character for the series premiere of “And Just Like That...”

The difference now ... Costabile survives the ordeal onscreen, but Peloton is still in damage control anew -- issuing a statement to assure any current and would-be customers that ... their equipment is safe, and they’re not signing off on their brand being used to knock people off in scripts.

Peloton writes, “We get TV shows want to include @onepeloton to get people talking, but to be clear, we did *not* agree for our brand or IP to be used on @SHO_Billions or provide any equipment.”

They add, “As the show itself points out, cardiovascular exercise helps people lead long, happy lives.”

12/12/21
"TAKE ANOTHER RIDE"
Peloton

Of course, this is giving folks deja vu all over again following last month’s Peloton PR crisis -- when they had to scramble to address Mr. Big’s shocking death on ‘AJLT’ ... which they cleverly did, at first, with a funny ad in response that featured the deceased character.

Soon after, though, Noth got accused of sexual assault by a handful of women -- and Peloton yanked the ad altogether, fighting off a fresh round of bad press.

Not a great time to be in the stationary bike biz, it seems. Oof ...

'Shameless' Cameron Monaghan Roses are Red, But Mine Were On Fire!!! Suspect Arrested for Arson

Cameron Monaghan's quick-thinking neighbor told cops he caught a woman red-handed doing a shameless act ... and now the suspect is in jail.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LAPD got a call last month around 9 AM from a man telling the dispatcher he was following a woman on foot, claiming he witnessed her setting the "Shameless" star's rosebush on fire, which was promptly put out.

We're told the neighbor initially saw the woman set the rosebush on fire and leave ... but when she returned to the area the neighbor followed her and called cops. It wasn't long before cops caught up to the man and detained the woman. It's unknown if Cameron -- who played William H. Macy's stepson/nephew in the Showtime hit series -- was home at the time.

According to police ... there's home surveillance of the woman lighting the fire. We're told the 44-year-old suspect was ultimately arrested and the L.A. County District Attorney's Office has now charged the woman with 1 count of felony arson and 1 count of misdemeanor possession of a smoking device.

She remains behind bars on $151,000 bail.

Showtime's 'Billions' Cayuga Nation Sues ... You Badmouthed the Tribe!!!

The Showtime drama "Billions" could be on the hook for stacks of cash for its portrayal of a Native American tribe and one of its honchos.

A real-life Cayuga Nation Council member Clint Halftown points out there's a character on the show named Jane Halftown ... who just happens to be a council member. In the suit, Clint calls out a scene where Paul Giamatti's character is discussing a land deal with Jane Halftown that reeks of corruption on the part of the tribe.

THE SCENE
Showtime

According to the suit, the Nation claims "Billions" makes it seem like the Cayuga are all about accepting "unlawful gratuities" and coercing politicians into getting their way.

In the suit, the Nation says "Billions" producers were lazy because they didn't bother to change names -- as in using a fictitious tribe and council member. They claim they DID do that for the main characters. For instance, the show's star, Damian Lewis, plays Bobby Axelrod ... and they claim he's widely considered to be modeled after real-life hedge fund manager Steve Cohen.

Halftown and the Cayuga Nation say Showtime and the show's producers can make things right in two ways: stop referring to the Nation and the Halftown character in future episodes AND compensate the Nation for the damage to its reputation.

Showtime along with producers Brian Koppelman, Andrew Sorkin and David Levien are named as defendants. We've reached out to Showtime, but no word back.

Deontay Wilder v. Tyson Fury That Fight Was 'Bulls**t!!!' Ice Cube Angry About Draw

SPLIT OPINIONS
TMZSports.com

Ice Cube's gotta say it was NOT a good day when Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury's heavyweight championship fight ended in a split decision draw -- in fact, Cube's straight up pissed.

We got him storming out of L.A.'s Staples Center moments after the boxers fought to a 12 round tie, and he called the outcome "bulls**t" because he thinks Wilder was robbed.

True enough, Wilder did knock down Fury twice -- including in the 12th -- but he got up both times.

Just like the match ... opinions are split. We also talked to boxer Andre Berto leaving the bout and he thought the result was fair, and he's looking forward to a rematch.

Michael Rappaport, on the other hand, wanted more from Deontay.

We know this ... if there is a rematch -- there's totally gonna be -- you can believe Ice Cube won't be watching! He's really not happy.

LeBron James Reflects on Trayvon Martin 'I Thought About My Sons'

LeBron James couldn't help but think about his own boys after Trayvon Martin's death ... saying he realized that could've been one of his kids who was killed.

TMZ Sports has a first look of the final episode (airs Saturday at 9 PM) of his 3-part docu-series, "Shut Up and Dribble" ... which focuses on the impact NBA players have when it comes to social activism.

"I'm sitting there and I'm reading all these different articles," James says, "I'm seeing all these different play-by-play. I'm seeing all these different stuff of what happened, what didn't happen, what could have happened to prevent this ... and I just started to think about my boys, my sons."

LBJ has two sons -- Bronny (14) and Bryce (11) -- and one daughter, Zhuri (4) -- and has talked about the impact Martin's death has had on raising his kids.

The clip is pretty powerful ... with soundbites from President Barack Obama, Chris Bosh and Etan Thomas speaking about the tragedy.

Michael C. Hall Bid On My 'Dexter' Stalker Outfit ... 'Star Trek' Memorabilia Hitting Auction Block Too

There's an online bidding war about to erupt, and "Dexter" fans will have the opportunity to take home Michael C. Hall's famous stalker getup from the psychological thriller ... if they have the cash.

The Dexter Morgan stalker ensemble from the hit Showtime series is hitting the auction block Dec. 1, with the online merchant, Prop Store, valuing it between $2,000 and $3,000.

For TV buffs with deeper pockets, there's an opportunity to bring home some historic "Star Trek" memorabilia ... because the costumes from American TV's first interracial kiss are also heading to auction.

The togas worn by William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols when they kissed on a 1968 episode of "Star Trek," the first interracial kiss on American TV, are valued between $60,000 and $80,000. Just be ready to outbid the Trekkies.

There are tons of other cool Hollywood memorabilia up for auction ... a bag of blue sky meth from "Breaking Bad" (valued at $3,000), Robin Williams' egg spaceship from "Mork & Mindy" ($30,000), Howard Stern's Fartman uniform from the 1992 MTV VMAs ($8,000), and Laura Palmer's red casket from the cult series "Twin Peaks" ($3,000).

Russell Crowe Whatever Ailes Ya ... Becomes Ex-FNC Honcho

Russell Crowe is pulling a Christian Bale ... fully immersing himself in his role as late Fox News chief Roger Ailes, and doing such a great job at it, you'd never recognize him on the street.

Crowe was seen shooting Tuesday in NYC for the upcoming limited TV series, "The Loudest Voice in the Room." As you can see, Crowe's makeup team is on point ... perfectly transforming him into the controversial media mogul, who died in 2017 after taking a serious fall.

The change reminds us of what Bale did to play former Veep Dick Cheney.

Ailes is a hot commodity in Hollywood. There's also a feature film about him in production which stars Charlize Theron as Ailes' nemesis, Megyn Kelly.

John Lithgow is playing Ailes in that movie, but we haven't seen him in full makeup yet.

As soon as we do, though, get ready for the who wore it better showdown!

'Ray Donovan' Star Pooch Hall Pleads Not Guilty to DUI, Child Abuse ... Enters Rehab Program

LEAVING COURT
TMZ.com

"Ray Donovan" star Marion "Pooch" Hall had a brief day in court, and pled not guilty in his drunken car crash case.

Hall was present, with his attorney, in L.A. County Superior Court Thursday morning and entered his pleas to felony child abuse and DUI. TMZ broke the story ... Hall was charged earlier Wednesday. As we first reported, witnesses saw Hall driving with his toddler in his lap, holding the steering wheel, when he crashed into a parked car.

He blew a .25, more than 3 times the legal limit and, miraculously, nobody was injured.

In court, Hall revealed he's entered a 60-day residential rehab program. The judge told him to continue and when that's done, ordered him to attend 2 AA classes per week and get outpatient treatment ... as a condition of his bail.

If convicted, Hall faces a maximum of 6 years and 6 months in prison.

'Ray Donovan' Star Pooch Hall DUI Arrest Triggers DCFS Investigation

"Ray Donovan" actor Marion "Pooch" Hall's wild DUI arrest this week -- during which he was allegedly so wasted he let his 2-year-old steer his car -- immediately caught the attention of children's services ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services has opened an investigation into Hall's case. We broke the story ... Hall was arrested Wednesday night after cops say he was driving with a .25 blood alcohol level with his son on his lap and his son's hands on the wheel, and it ended when his car crashed into a parked vehicle.

Hall was arrested for DUI and felony child endangerment and the toddler was released to his mother.

As for what the investigation could entail ... we're told DCFS workers will want to interview the Hall family and run Hall's record to see if this alleged behavior is common, or just a one-time thing.

If it is an isolated incident, our sources say DCFS might be inclined to let the court handle any sort of punishment. It's further complicated by the fact there's no reason -- at least so far -- to remove the child from his mother's custody, and it appears Hall and the mother live together.

Hall plays Daryll Donovan -- Liev Schreiber's character's half-brother on the show. Season 6 is set to air later this month.

Xan From 'Shameless' Can't Wait To Play With My Dough ... Child Actress Making Bank After Successful Debut

Most kids are looking forward to a weekly allowance, but Amirah Johnson, who plays Xan on "Shameless," is getting close to some huge paydays ... 'cause her immediate future is filled with stacks of cash.

According to Amirah's minors contract -- obtained by TMZ -- the 11-year-old will earn $10,000 per episode in season 10 ... and she's guaranteed pay for at least 7 eps.

Do the math ... that's upwards of $70k for Season 10 alone!

Amirah joined Showtime's hit series in season 9 ... and, if her role continues past season 10, she gets 4 percent raises and guarantees of at least 7 episodes each season. If she's still on the show for season 16, Amirah will be raking in $12,653 per episode!

We're guessing there's a good chance Xan sticks in the storyline ... 'cause on paper, it looks like Showtime is investing in a fresh face as it navigates Emmy Rossum's impending departure.

Congrats, Amirah, don't spend it all in one place.

Liev Schreiber Told Ya I Didn't Hit That Photog ... Harassment Case Tossed

Liev Schreiber can sleep a little easier tonight -- a judge just dismissed a harassment charge stemming from an alleged run-in with a photographer.

According to new legal docs ... the "Ray Donovan" actor's actions in June -- when he allegedly told a guy snapping pics to "get the f*** out of here" and pushed his camera away -- didn't rise to the level of harassment.

Schreiber's happy with the outcome, telling TMZ ... "All too often, cases like mine are tried and lost in the court of public opinion long before a judge has even heard the motions. That’s why I am particularly pleased and grateful for the swift and decisive dismissal handed down by the Judge in mine.”

The June 7 incident went down in Nyack, NY while Liev was in the street shooting his hit Showtime show. The photographer claimed he was attacked by Schreiber while trying to snap a shot, but Liev denied making any bodily contact.

The judge agreed.

Roy Moore Sues Sacha Baron Cohen for $95M

Roy Moore followed through on his threat -- he's suing Sacha Baron Cohen for portraying him as a pedophile on national TV ... and he's gunning for tens of millions of dollars.

Moore and his wife, Kayla, filed suit against Sacha, Showtime and CBS for duping him into appearing on Cohen's "Who Is America?" In the episode Sacha, disguised as an ex-Israeli intelligence officer, waved a wand that could supposedly detect enzymes secreted by pedophiles.

Of course, the device went off like crazy when he used it on Moore. Viewers might have laughed, but Roy isn't.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the entire interview was set up under false pretenses. The Moores say they never would've agreed to meet with Sacha or sign his release form had they known it was all a sham.

More importantly, they say Sacha's gag -- which aired last month -- made Roy look like a sex offender, and seriously tarnished his reputation, caused emotional distress and financial damage. They insist Roy is not a sex offender, and Sacha's prank amounts to defamation. They're suing for at least $95 million.

The former U.S. Senate hopeful faced multiple allegations that he'd preyed on minors decades ago ... accusations that surfaced while he was running for Senate in Alabama last year. He vehemently denied the claims, and has never been charged with a crime.

Emmy Rossum Leaving 'Shameless' ... After 9 Seasons

Emmy Rossum -- arguably the leading star of the TV show "Shameless"-- just announced her departure after nine seasons ... but didn't give any clear reason why.

The actress -- who plays William H. Macy's daughter, Fiona Gallagher, on the Showtime hit series -- posted a lengthy statement on Facebook Thursday, saying she was leaving her role after season 9 ... which begins airing next month. She's been on since it first aired in 2011.

Emmy says being part of the crew gave her a sense of family and continuity that she hadn't experienced as a working actor beforehand, and expresses gratitude for the opportunity to play such a well-known character ... adding "the last eight years have been the best of my life."

Still, she doesn't offer a clear explanation of why she's leaving the show -- but does say not to think of her as gone ... but "just think of me as moving down the block."

There was a big controversy a couple years back when Emmy demanded equal pay to Macy -- which eventually got resolved privately. She reportedly held up production for the next season before coming to terms with Warner Bros. Television on a new deal.

Unclear if this sudden exit has anything to do with that, but one thing's for sure ... Fiona's gonna have to get written out somehow if they want the Gallaghers to keep on living in dysfunction.

Sacha Baron Cohen Roy Moore Threatens to Sue After This Pedophile Prank

Roy Moore played right into Sacha Baron Cohen's hands as the comedian pulled off a prank that seemed to label Moore a pedophile ... and the whole mess could be headed for court.

The skit aired on Sunday night's episode of "Who Is America?" -- Moore was interviewed by Cohen, who was disguised as an ex-Israeli intelligence officer. Cohen's character told Moore Israel had developed technology to detect an enzyme that pedophiles secrete.

Watch Moore's reaction when Cohen busts out the device -- which, of course, alarmed like crazy around Moore. It's pretty clear the failed Senate-candidate thinks something is up, but still he sits through the bit.

It's really odd ... especially because Moore was so beset by multiple allegations he'd sexually assaulted minors many years ago. He's never been charged with a crime.

Moore said even before it aired, he would consider suing Showtime if it "airs a defamatory attack on my character." He also dismissed Cohen's comedy as "trickery, deception, and dishonesty."

Sacha Baron Cohen Kingman, AZ Mayor Pissed ... Racist Mosque Skit Full of Holes!

THAT'S NOT US!
TMZ.com

Sacha Baron Cohen is unfairly making the citizens of Kingman, Arizona look like a bunch of backwater racists ... according to the city's mayor.

Mayor Monica Gates tells us last week's episode of "Who Is America?" is total BS because she doesn't think it was even shot in her city. She says she doesn't recognize the venue or any of the people in the room.

The segment was supremely unflattering to Kingman -- a disguised Sacha told the roomful of citizens the world's largest mosque outside of the Middle East was going to be built there. The reaction ranged from hilarious to scarily racist ... not only against Muslims.

As for the people in the room NOT being legit Kingman residents? Some of the people who got duped sounded off afterward, and we checked the names that were public -- they DO live there.

Check out why Mayor Gates says there's no need for a new mosque in her city, anyway. It's not what you think.

Sacha Baron Cohen Sends Surprise Crappy Gift To Duped Art Dealer

Sacha Baron Cohen doesn't dupe and ditch when it comes to the art dealer he made look foolish on his show, "Who Is America?" -- instead he sent her some real sh***y art.

Christy Cones is the art expert at Laguna Beach's Coast Gallery who met with Cohen's ex-con character, Rick Sherman, in the premiere episode. She tells us, Cohen sent the now infamous portrait of her, sketched out of feces. He also included a letter from "Rick."

In the letter, he explains what happened to the fecal (not really, we hope) art piece, and includes a pretty funny update on his life.

"Catharsis on Christy" is now back in her possession, and Coast Gallery's slapped a $1 million price tag on it, so if you're in the market ... this should deuce.

Cones says, since her appearance on Cohen's show, the gallery's had a big uptick in visitors, and a much-less-desired increase in people sending pubic hair.

If you don't know why ... check out Christy's appearance on the premiere episode.

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