MELISSA BARRERA REUNITES With JENNA ORTEGA ... Amid 'Scream' Cast Crisis

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Melissa Barrera's been screaming her support of Palestine from the rooftops -- which led to her getting 86'd from the 'Scream' franchise -- but it looks like her former cast members still have her back.

The actress reunited with her former costars Sunday night at the Motion Picture and Television Fund's 17th Annual Evening Before Gala ... and Jenna Ortega was standing right by her, literally and figuratively.

Remember, Melissa was fired back in November from the 7th installment of the horror franchise over her Israel-Palestine posts.

Jenna appeared to like a post on Melissa doubling down on her pro-Palestine stance at the time of her firing ... and she too dropped out of the new 'Scream' movie -- though it was apparently due to a schedule clash with Netflix's "Wednesday" and not cause of MB's firing.

But Jenna's support was loud and clear in the new IG snaps shared by Melissa ... where she was also joined by her other  'Scream' costars Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Liana Liberato, Tony Revolori, Skeet Ulrich, and Jack Quaid -- who all appeared to have her back, too.

As we reported ... Melissa doubled down on her pro-Palestine stance over Xmas while the 'Scream' Empire collapsed with director Christopher Landon also walking away from the new movie.

While Spyglass lost their 2 big leads and their director ... Neve Campbell recently teased a possible return to the franchise as Sidney Prescott -- only for the right amount of money, though.

She initially left the franchise due to pay disagreements, so that doesn't come as a shock -- but she ain't biting the hand that feeds her ... saying at Saturday's BAFTA Tea Party in L.A. she was sad the higher-ups at 'Scream' were struggling.

Neve said for the hope of OG "Scream" director Wes Craven and the new cast and crew she really hopes it doesn't fall apart.

Ariana DeBose at CCA Actor Who *Thinks* She Can Sing ... 'I Didn't Find It Funny'

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SHOOTING DAGGERS

Ariana DeBose got lumped in with actors who became songbirds in their movies this past year -- a joke cracked at the Critics Choice Awards ... which she didn't appreciate one bit.

The Oscar winner was on hand Sunday night at the latest award show in Santa Monica -- where she was up for a statuette in the Best Song category for her tune in Disney's "Wish" ... alongside others in films like "Barbie," "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and "Rustin."

Before they announced the winners, presenters Bella Ramsey and Anthony Ramos made a crack about some of the stars in the group ... labeling them "actors who think that they're singers," name-dropping Ryan Gosling, Jack Black and, surprisingly, Ariana herself.

The camera cut to her face right at that moment, and she looked fairly confused/insulted.

Welp, as it turns out ... that's exactly how she felt inside -- 'cause she later took to IG to express the sentiment that we all saw on her face ... writing, "I Didn't Find It Funny Lol."

While you could argue the crack was in good fun, fans jumped to her defense to point out it was technically inaccurate -- 'cause ADB most certainly *can* sing ... and does so flawlessly. Not only has she received accolades for her musical performances on camera, but she's a star on Broadway as well -- so to compare to the likes of JB and Gosling does seem off.

Sounds like one of the CCA script writers just might not like her ... that's the vibe anyway.

Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce No Engagement In The Works, For Now

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People really should pump the brakes on all the engagement talk between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce ... 'cause we're told a proposal isn't forthcoming in the near future either.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... there's absolutely no engagement in the works between Taylor and Travis right now -- despite some reports suggesting they're racing to the altar. To the contrary, we're being told TK ain't getting on bended knee anytime soon.

There were rumblings this week people in Taylor's camp had T-Swift and Trav pegged for an early summer engagement, but we're being told that's just not the case. In fact, our sources tell us some folks on the inside of this don't think it'll go the distance.

We're told some members of their inner circles see Taylor and Travis as still being in a honeymoon phase, of sorts -- and they say it's just too early to tell if they'll ever advance past the dating stage.

Hear that ... that's the sound of Swiftie bubbles bursting, and premature wedding bells going silent.

Our sources also point out their about to enter a very challenging stage of their relationship --  Taylor's continuing her international tour starting in February, which will have her overseas for several months.

Of course, once his NFL season is over, Travis could join her at times -- but folks in their orbit are saying let's see how they deal with the really long distance before jumping to engagement talk.

Neither Taylor nor Travis has been engaged before, and it sounds like that won't change any time soon.

HARRISON FORD HONORED W/ CAREER ACHIEVEMENT ... Chokes Up at Critics Choice

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GIVING FORD HIS FLOWERS

Harrison Ford is feeling grateful, lucky and more than a little emotional about his storied career, but he's still able to poke fun at himself as he accepts an award for his entire catalog of work ... from "Star Wars" to "Indiana Jones."

The Hollywood icon choked up a bit while onstage Sunday night at the Critics Choice Award, where "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" director James Mangold presented Harrison with the Career Achievement Award.

He thanked all the directors, writers, and filmmakers he's worked with over the years ... and also had a special shoutout for his wife Calista Flockhart.

The 81-year-old legend got a good laugh out of the crowd as he gave Calista props for supporting him ... adding, "I need a lot of support."

HF also expressed he was happy to see Hollywood giving opportunities to talented people who wouldn't have gotten them back in the 60s when he was starting out in acting.

Pretty solid vote in favor of DEI on Harrison's part.

Harrison added he was enormously lucky for his career ... having his final outing as Indy Jones last year.

With his career achievement in hand, Harrison's still going strong ... he'll be in 2 films "Thunderbolts" and "Captain America: Brave New World" in 2025.

Robert Downey Jr. Reads His Own Worst Reviews ... During CCA Speech

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LOOK AT ME NOW, CRITICS!!!

Robert Downey Jr. won big at the Critics Choice Awards this weekend -- and to pay back the favor ... he rattled off some of the worst reviews he's received throughout his career.

The superstar went onstage Sunday to receive his statuette for Best Supporting Actor -- honoring his work in "Oppenheimer" -- and while he was going through his thank-you's ... he ended up acknowledging the group that was voting on that night's winners ... critics!

RDJ said he had a soft spot for this noble profession -- while also pointing out he'd received not-so-nice reviews from said critics over the years ... some of which he wanted to read.

It was hilarious ... Rob pulled out a list from his coat and started going through what he considers the nastiest and/or most humorous feedback he's gotten for his on-camera work since he's been in the biz. He didn't name any names, but the words spoke for themselves.

Just a few of the reviews that left a mark ... including a haiku of sorts that read "Sloppy, messy and lazy." The next one was more metaphoric, as he puts it ... "Like Pee-wee Herman emerging from a coma." Finally, one that stayed with him ... "Amusing as a bed-locked fart."

Again, Downey Jr. didn't elaborate on when these reviews were dished or for what movies/performances of his -- but we're sure a simple Google search can track 'em down.

Rob's had a long career of highs and lows ... now, he's an awards darling. Take that, haters!

2024 Critics Choice Awards Say Cheese ... Smiles and Selfies Galore Behind the Scenes!!!

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The Critics Choice Awards kicked off a couple hours ago, and we've got all the best shots from inside the venue for your viewing pleasure.

Check out every smile and selfie from inside the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport where the biggest names in movies and TV came together to celebrate the past year in film.

Just a few of the stars we caught grinning and taking pics ... Margot Robbie, Nicholas Braun, Charlotte Stoudt, Mimi Leder, Jennifer Aniston, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Kristin Hahn, Tom Holland, Billie Eilish, Oprah, Charles Melton, Julianne Moore and Jesse Plemmons.

Steven Yeun gets his own shout-out here because he went beyond smiling straight to howling with laughter while Bill Hader smiled alongside him. Bill's lady love Ali Wong was at the event as well.

"Abbott Elementary" stars Quinta Brunson and Janelle James looked happy to be at the event too ... not surprising since they're each up for individual acting awards for the show, the second year in a row they've received nods. Good luck, ladies!

In any case, all of the stars seem to be happy to be inside ... probably excited to get off the chilly red carpet they walked after arriving -- hey, it might be L.A. but it's still winter!

Chelsea Handler Takes A Dig At Ex-BF Jo Koy ... For Lackluster Golden Globes Performance

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MY WRITERS WROTE IT

Chelsea Handler couldn't resist taking a dig at her ex-boyfriend Jo Koy during Sunday's Critics Choice Awards in L.A. for his much-criticized Golden Globes performance.

Chelsea was hosting the CCA event onstage at the Santa Monica Airport's Barker Hangar last evening when she gave Jo a shot as she served up jokes during her opening monologue.

The comedian set it up like this ... "Unfortunately, Martin Scorsese isn’t here tonight, but that’s not going to stop me from letting everyone in this room know that I would toss him around like a little Italian meatball." The crowd chuckled.

Then Chelsea hit the punch line ... "Thank you for laughing at that. My writers wrote it."

Ouch, Jo! That must have hurt, especially from an ex! Jo, as you know, got roasted in the press and on social media after his jokes fell flat as host of the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month.

Jo's wisecracks about the film, "Barbie," were met with groans and, when he poked fun at Taylor Swift, she shot him an icy look.

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IF LOOKS COULD KILL

Sensing he was going down in flames, Jo tried to blame his writers for his bad jokes, telling the GG audience, “Some [jokes] I wrote, some other people wrote. Yes, I got the gig 10 days ago! You want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up. You’re kidding me, right?”

He added, “Slow down, I wrote some of these and they are the ones you are laughing at.”

Last week, Jo tried to clean up his remarks during an LA Times interview, admitting it was a "rookie move" to fault his writers.

Now we'll have to see if Jo responds to Chelsea's jab.

Stay tuned.

Ryan Gosling Left Stunned at CCA ... 'I'm Just Ken' Actually Won?!?

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Ryan Gosling was left speechless during the Critics Choice Awards after his "Barbie" song won a huge award -- and we mean that literally ... 'cause he didn't go up to accept.

The actor's reaction to winning the Best Song category Sunday is going viral -- and for good reason ... homeboy was absolutely flabbergasted to the point that he apparently couldn't even bring himself to hit the stage to collect his hardware for belting out "I'm Just Ken."

Instead, RG just stayed put at his table and clapped -- looking awfully confused/bewildered ... this while songwriters/composers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt got up there.

They ended up shouting him out, obviously, and said the song only ended up being great because of the passion he put into the performance ... but the whole thing was just so bizarre, because you can tell it had been planned for Ryan himself to be at the mic.

Looks like he might not have been ready to deliver a speech, and pulled an audible on the fly ... and while it was a little off-script, it ended up being funny as hell and meme-worthy.

He better get his ass ready for the Oscars ... everybody suspects they'll tap him to perform this thing in front of everybody -- can't chicken out there on Hollywood's biggest night!

Martin Luther King Jr. Letter Details of Soviet Trip Up For Sale ... Planned After 1958 Stabbing

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Martin Luther King Jr. was planning a trip to the Soviet Union after surviving an assassination attempt, and his letter explaining his reasons for the visit is up for grabs.

The famed civil rights leader was only 2 months removed from being stabbed at a book signing in Harlem when he wrote to the National Council of Churches, explaining his motivations behind a visit to the USSR.

MLK's 1958 letter outlines 6 reasons for the stopover, on his way back from India, including a desire to investigate why Soviet citizens were still religious despite state-sponsored atheism.

Dr. King also told the National Council of Churches he wanted to meet with Baptists in the communist nation to figure out how Soviet policies affected minorities.

One really eye-opening part of the letter is the price ... MLK estimated the trip would cost a whopping $35 per day for his hotels, trains, planes, interpreters, cars and chauffeurs. Yeah, different time -- today that would be about $370 per day.

The rare piece of MLK history is going up for sale through Moments In Time for $54,000 ... after being stored for years by a private collector.

By the way, MLK ended up scrapping the trip a few months later, for fear the Soviet visit would be seen as political.

Corey Dillon Belichick's Gonna Win At His Next Stop ... 'Got A Lot Left In The Tank!!!'

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Bill Belichick's run in New England might be over, but his time as a winner certainly ain't done yet ... at least, that's according to his ex-running back Corey Dillon, who tells TMZ Sports The Hoodie's going to find success at his next stop.

The Pats and Belichick mutually agreed to part ways on Thursday ... and some have wondered if the 71-year-old might be done coaching for good.

But, when we spoke with Dillon just hours after the decision became final in New England ... he assured us his former boss won't be quitting winning in the NFL any time soon.

"I think he's still got a lot left in the tank," Dillon said.

The former tailback -- who spent three seasons playing for Belichick and won one Super Bowl -- said he has no idea where Belichick will coach next, but he's sure he'll find a new gig and record more wins shortly ... something that will make Dillon emotional.

"Am I sad as hell to see him coaching for another team?" Dillon said. "Absolutely, man. That's going to be the worst."

As for Bill's legacy in New England, Dillon tells us there should be no debate over whether Tom Brady was responsible for all of his big wins ... explaining, "It was all of us, man. We all made that thing work."

"I couldn't get it done without Tom Brady," he said. "Tom Brady couldn't get it done without Bill. Bill couldn't get it done without us. [Robert] Kraft couldn't get it done without everybody."

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KEEP THE CORE TOGETHER

Dillon also shared some thoughts about his other former team -- the Cincinnati Bengals -- offering up some high praise for Jake Browning ... while imploring others to take less money to keep the core together moving forward.

Soulja Boy's Baby Mama Fallout From Blueface Defamation Suit ... Doctor Visits, Anxiety Meds

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Soulja Boy's baby mama says her defamation lawsuit against Blueface is taking an extreme emotional toll -- her lawyers say she's seeing doctors and taking new medications for anxiety and insomnia.

Jackilyn Martinez's attorneys, Vadim Yeremenko and Tara Licata, tell TMZ ... their client is feeling distressed over Blueface's statements about her child and threats she says she's getting from his fans. We're told she's been seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist, who have prescribed her meds.

TMZ broke the story ... Jackilyn sued Blueface after he said they had sex the day before her and Soulja Boy's baby shower back in 2022 ... and insinuated the son she shares with SB could actually be his.

Blueface took more jabs at Soulja and Jackilyn in a series of social media posts ... and as a result, we're told this whole situation has sowed discord between Soulja and the baby boy.

We're also told Jackilyn and Soulja Boy now have minimal communications themselves.

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THE BABY SHOWER

Jackilyn seems to be going through a lot ... her lawsuit claimed she received death threats from Blueface fans, and now her legal team tells us she's since disabled messages on social media.

The lawsuit was filed in December and lawyers tell us they served Blueface while doing a meet and greet at Fountain LA in Koreatown ... the same night our photog got him there with Jaidyn Alexis.

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GETTIN' THIS MONEY

Drama on top of drama.

'Fight Song' Singer Rachel Platten 'Memba Her?!

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American singer-songwriter Rachel Platten was 33 years old when her hit song "Fight Song" blasted to the top of the charts -- peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, as well as landing at top spots in the UK and worldwide back in 2015.

Her song was such a hit, she performed "Fight Song" as a duet with Taylor Swift during The 1989 World Tour and was asked to perform on hit shows like "Good Morning America", "American Idol", "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "The X-Factor".

"This is my fight song, take back my life song!"

Guess what she looks like now!

Sarah Snook 'Succession' Star Belittled Early In Career

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Sarah Snook is flying high these days as an awards darling — but she’s had to take some slings and arrows along by the way … according to the woman herself.

The actress -- who just won her second GG as Siobhan Roy in "Succession" --revealed in a new interview with The Times a couple times where she was berated for her appearance ... by other powerful industry pros.

As SS tells it, she landed a role early in her career ... an exciting moment for a struggling young actress that quickly took a turn when a casting director said straight to her face they didn't want to hire her because she was a "nobody."

The casting director explained she only got the job because the writer and director liked her, and she needed to change nearly everything about her appearance ... from whitening her teeth and darkening her hair to losing weight.

A terrible moment that didn't exist in a vacuum ... Snook says after she took the part, agreeing to intense demands regarding appearance she decided to have "the tiniest bit of chocolate cake" -- and all hell broke loose.

A producer started telling her off in front of the cast and crew, she explains, "And all the while I am dying inside. The infantilizing of women, to not be able to make their own decisions, why would we do that to women?”

These sorts of comments and criticisms have been hurled at actors for years ... in 2017 Carey Mulligan talked about feeling "belittled" on film sets while Rose McGowan said she was told she'd only get parts if men found her attractive the following year.

Bottom line ... this sort of bullying isn't new to Hollywood by any means -- and it just makes Snook's recent Golden Globes win even that more impressive.

Now, if a producer or casting director criticizes Sarah's appearance again ... she can always point them to her trophy case 🏆.

2024 Critics Choice Awards Nothing To Criticize Here ... Our Outfits Are 🔥

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Awards season keeps rolling on, and tonight the stars are out at the Santa Monica Airport ... home of the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards!

Hollywood finest just started hitting the carpet moments ago, but it's already proving to be a HOT night if these ensembles are any indication.

Everyone's favorite "Internet Daddy" Pedro Pascal, Oscar hopefuls Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy and breakout star of "The Last Of Us" Bella Ramsey have all hit the red carpet ... and they're not the only ones.

Billie Eilish, Angela Bassett, Will Ferrell, Tom Hiddleston, David Duchovny, Brie Larson, Sandra Oh, Jodie Foster, Emma Stone, Taraji P. Henson, Keri Russell, Reese Witherspoon, Awkwafina, Nicholas Braun, Justin Theroux and Robert Downey Jr., Tracee Ellis Ross, Jon Cryer, Kieran Culkin, Harrison Ford and America Ferrara make up just some of the A-listers who've arrived on the scene.

Winner of the wildest outfit we've seen so far has got to go to Danielle Brooks ... who took the classic petticoat to the next level with a glamorous use of tulle.

Awards season started last week with The Golden Globes and will keep on rolling tomorrow when the Primetime Emmys kick off at 5 PM PT.

Lena Waithe Latest Celeb Burglary Victim ... Thieves Take $200k in Jewelry

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Lena Waithe is the latest celeb to fall victim to smash-and-grab burglars ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a group of burglars smashed a window to the actress/comedian's Los Angeles-area home last week while she was out of town.

Our sources say the thieves made off with $200k worth of jewelry. One of Lena's staff discovered the break-in after coming to the home the following day and finding the front door unlocked.

Lena, best known as Denise from "Master of None" and creator of "The Chi," isn't alone ... several other stars have fallen victim to similar crimes in the past couple months.

Burglars in ski masks smashed one of Keanu Reeves' windows and entered his home in early December, and "Entourage" star Kevin Connolly's house was given similar treatment on Christmas Eve.

Model Abigail Ratchford might've endured the most terrifying situation of all ... actually being in the upstairs bedroom when someone broke in.

Scary time to be a celeb in L.A.

Tom Brady Baseball Card Sells For Big $$$ ... Never Played An Inning

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Tom Brady never netted a dollar playing professional baseball ... but a card of him in uniform just made one seller a boatload of cash.

A baseball card of the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback sold for $158,600 online Saturday after a contentious bidding war on the site Goldin.

As we previously reported ... the happy seller is a Minnesota card collector who pulled the one-of-a-kind signed Bowman Tom Brady Montreal Expos Superfractor card ... talk about a lucky draw!

TB12 played catcher for his high school baseball team, and the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) took him in the 18th round, 507th overall ... not high enough to entice Tom away from his University of Michigan scholarship.

The rest is history ... Brady's gone down as the greatest QB of all time, a surefire Hall of Famer -- though it hasn't stopped people from imagining what could've been.

Topps put out a commercial reimagining Brady's life as an MLB player instead ... guy ended up being the G.O.A.T. in a different sport (no surprise there).

Six figures for a guy who never played an out of pro baseball ... who knew the road not taken could pay so well?