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Kumail Nanjiani says that movie critics were so harsh on his Marvel movie from a few years ago that he thought it'd be best to get on the couch and see a shrink about it ... yep.

The actor -- who played one of the leads in 2021's "Eternals" -- told the tale on the "Inside of You" podcast with Michael Rosenbaum ... where he explained that the work he put into it didn't match the reaction, at least in his eyes.

KN said the reviews were terrible, and he was a little too aware of it -- going on to explain that he was reading each think piece about his movie, which apparently bothered him a lot.

He also notes that it was affecting his home life, adding ... "It was really hard, and that was when I thought it was unfair to me and unfair to [my wife] Emily, and I can’t approach my work this way anymore. Some s*** has to change, so I started counseling. I still talk to my therapist about that."

Even now, Kumail thinks he's still suffering from the experience -- saying ... "Emily says that I do have trauma from it. We actually just got dinner with somebody else from that movie and we were like, 'That was tough, wasn’t it?’ and he’s like ‘Yeah, that was really tough.'

Taylor Swift tribute artist and "RuPaul's Drag Race" contestant Jade Jolie is calling all Swifties ... for a meet and greet and Swiftie look-alike contest ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.

Jade is hosting the contest at the Cat's Meow in Downtown Vegas the day before Taylor's beau Travis Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.

There are 3 prizes for Swifties who can pull off Taylor's iconic look -- first place gets a Cat's Meow Party Package valued at $1,500 ... it's 4 hours of karaoke and a premium open bar for up to 20 people.

Second place gets $500 toward a bar tab and third place wins free admission for life to the Cat's Meow ... a famous karaoke joint on Fremont Street.

Jade, a damn good Taylor look-alike, will also host a meet-and-greet with fans.

The event is going down Saturday night from 9 PM to 1 AM ... which should be around the time Taylor is potentially touching down in Vegas after wrapping up her concert in Japan, hopping on her jet and zooming east to catch Travis and the Chiefs play.

Taylor and Jade have crossed paths in the past ... Jade was in her music video for 'You Need To Calm Down' and attended the 2019 VMA's with Tay. It doesn't sound like Taylor's gonna be on hand for this event ... so we're gonna have to settle for a bunch of look-alikes.

Start making those friendship bracelets!!!

A baby delivered at a hospital last year was somehow decapitated during birth -- something officials are now calling a homicide.

The mother in this tragic case -- 20-year-old Jessica Ross -- says she was rushed to Southern Regional Medical Center in Clayton County, GA, back in July after her water broke ... after which, she went into a lengthy labor.

Ross says her baby boy, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr., became stuck 10 hours into her attempts to push him out -- and she has since claimed the doctor working on her tried to pull the baby out of her birth canal, allegedly using so much force his head detached from his body.

The mother claims the bones in her baby's skull, head and neck were broken by the doctor manipulating the infant's body way too hard ... which literally left the infant separated at the head and torso. When they did a C-section, the family claims the medical staff was able to pull the body out of the mother's stomach ... the head was still lodged in the birth canal.

The family has also alleged that the mother then had to deliver the baby's head vaginally -- just an absolutely awful thing as described in a lawsuit they subsequently filed. What's more, the family alleges the hospital tried to cover up the baby's decapitation ... allegedly wrapping their dead child in a blanket so as not to show his severed head.

On Tuesday, the Clayton County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a homicide and said the baby died from "fracture-dislocation" in his spinal cord and upper cervical spine.

The family is now going after the hospital, doctors and nurses involved in the delivery ... suing for wrongful death and medical negligence.

Meanwhile, the Clayton County Police Department says it's launching a criminal investigation.

In a statement, the hospital says the baby died "in utero prior to the delivery and decapitation."

Kanye West says he can't book arena shows to perform his new music ... and he's seemingly saying his antisemitic rants are to blame.

Ye just posted a video on his Instagram story complaining about being told by multiple venues there's no availability for him.

Kanye's reasoning ... "And you know why that is."

Reading between the lines here, it seems Kanye says people who run the arenas and stadiums have a problem with him ... likely because of his hateful rants.

There's one arena Kanye says is open to his schtick ... the United Center in Chicago.

Kanye says his hometown arena is the only one he's had access to in the past year ... and it's where he's hosting a listening party Thursday night with Ty Dolla $ign for their new album, "Vultures."

Ye claims he sold out the United Center in seven minutes ... so he's saying he's in high demand but is being blacklisted.

At least, that's the takeaway from this video where he speaks with a lisp due to his new titanium dentures.

Doubling down on his point, Kanye also posted an all-caps note on his IG saying ... "I HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED TO PERFORM IN A YEAR FEELS LIKE THE ELVIS PRESLEY MOVIE."

Selena Quintanilla's killer, Yolanda Saldívar, is telling her side of the story from behind bars in  a new docuseries, but nearly 3 decades later ... it's still a slap in the face to the late icon's family.

Selena's dad, Abraham Quintanilla, is blasting Oxygen's "Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them" to TMZ ... making it clear he and the rest of Selena's family are not involved or supportive of the project in any way, shape, or form.

He tells us, in particular, he wants absolutely nothing to do with Yolanda herself ... cause everything she says is nothing but lies, and no one's gonna believe what she has to say anyway.

In fact, Abraham wonders what more she has to say that she hasn't already ... reiterating that everyone knows there's zero truth to anything that comes out of her mouth.

In the 2-part doc, Yolanda will chronicle her version of events leading up to killing Selena. She'll discuss her working and personal relationship with the singer, and even her family members get involved with never-seen-before docs and recordings that allude to there being more to the whole situation than meets the eye.

"I knew her secrets," Saldívar chillingly adds in the trailer. "And I think the people deserved to know the truth." The first part of the docuseries drops on February 17, and the second part the next day.

Saldívar fatally shot Selena in 1995 after the Tejano star learned Saldívar had been embezzling funds from her clothing boutique.

It's hump day at TMZ, and we are rolling on the TV front -- where the topics ranged from a tragic death to an uphill legal battle in Chicago ... and just about everything in between.

'TMZ Live' was rife with opinions -- particularly on the topic of Jussie Smollett, who is now trying to have his criminal case appeal heard by the Illinois State Supreme Court ... arguing he ought not have to serve any more jail time after being convicted for the alleged hoax.

While people might be rolling their eyes at the notion he's continuing to fight this, Harvey says Jussie might actually have a point and get his conviction tossed ... time will tell.

Over at 'TMZ on TV,' we honored and remembered the great Toby Keith -- who just passed away after a battle with stomach cancer, which he ultimately succumbed to.

The staff shared kind words about the legendary country star.

Finally, we land on 'TMZ Sports' where Babcock and the team broke down Patrick Mahomes' response to his father's arrest during a Super Bowl presser.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Before this blue-eyed gal with her blonde bowl cut was on the big screen, she was just celebrating her dog's birthday, landing the lead roles in the school plays and growing up in Huntington Woods, Michigan.

You know you want to build a snowman with this cute patootie! Heading off to New York University in the late 90s ... it wasn't long before hittin' the Broadway stage -- starring in shows like "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer".

From "From Veronica Mars" to other iconic roles ... you definitely won't forget THIS Sarah Marshall.

One of Toby Keith's final concerts before his death was a special one ... with his mom Carolyn making a hilarious appearance on-stage, much to the surprise of delighted fans.

TMZ has obtained footage showing the late country icon in great spirits during a Sin City show on December 12 at the Park MGM Las Vegas ... which sadly ended up being one of his last. His last concert ended up being a couple days later at the same exact venue.

In the video, you can see him bring his mom, Carolyn, onstage -- joking around with her and encouraging her to tell audience members to "go to hell" -- which she did, no questions asked. Everyone got a big laugh out of it, and it certainly served as a sweet moment.

Carolyn was waving and rolling with the punches while sharing the spotlight with her son ... with the bond between them evidently strong. No doubt, it must've been a cherished memory for Toby ... who did, in fact, look a little frail in the clip ... but, for the most part, delivered an epic show with his signature vocals. His fans must have loved this too.

As we've reported ... Toby passed away Monday night while surrounded by his family, according to a statement posted to his Facebook page.

He'd been battling stomach cancer ... which he was diagnosed with in 2021. Toby announced the diagnosis in June 2022 ... adding at the time he was receiving chemo and radiation therapy, and had also undergone surgery.

Toby's passing has been a massive loss for the country music world ... during his 3-decade career, he released 24 studio and compilation albums and 2 Christmas records, generating $40 mil in worldwide music sales.

Last September, he also won the Country Music Icon Award at the People's Choice Country Awards 2023 -- a major feat for any country artist.

Toby was just 62.

Brad Pitt was a young and restless actor on the set of "Legends of the Fall" way back in the '90s -- so claims the director of that film ... who's painting BP as passionate to a fault.

Edward Zwick -- who helmed the famed romance epic -- which launched Brad into orbit as a heartthrob hunk and a mainstream A-list actor -- has this new book coming out called "Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood."

Vanity Fair obtained some excerpts from the forthcoming memoir ... and there's a fair amount of writing about Brad, who was the lead star of the movie as one of the Ludlow brothers, the free-spirited and wild-hearted Tristan.

As it turns out ... the character and the man playing him might've not been so different -- at least according to Zwick, who says Brad could be "volatile when riled" while they were shooting. Even from the jump EZ claims Brad wanted to quit after just the first table read.

Once they were able to get Brad to stay on, they would often clash when it came to getting the best takes out of Brad -- not to mention what each of them wanted from the character ... especially when it came to showing different sides of himself as an actor.

He writes that Brad would "get edgy whenever he was about to shoot a scene that required him to display deep emotion." Zwick says he wanted Brad to express himself more in portraying Tristan -- but he says Brad would challenge him and push back.

Zwick then says he once gave an acting instruction to Brad in front of the crew, and that they got into a heated argument ... which Zwick describes this way, "I don’t know who yelled first, who swore, or who threw the first chair. Me, maybe? But when we looked up, the crew had disappeared. And this wasn’t the last time it happened. Eventually, the crew grew accustomed to our dustups and would walk away and let us have it out."

In the end, they were able to work past their creative issues and finish the film -- with Zwick ending on a positive note about Brad ... calling him "forthright, straightforward" and "capable of great joy." Frankly, that's exactly what Tristan Ludlow himself was like!

It's also pretty funny that Zwick feels like Brad wasn't emoting enough on camera -- fact is, if you've seen this movie, you know Brad goes balls to the wall as a thespian ... and there are a lot of tears shed by his character.

The way Zwick characterizes things now -- makes you wonder if we only saw the raw emotion Brad showed on the big screen because the director truly pushed him to let it out.

Jonathan Majors was supposed to learn his fate today -- but the matter got kicked down the road ... because his team is asking a judge to vacate the conviction entirely.

The actor's sentencing hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, but instead of him showing up to hear what sort of punishment he'd be facing after being found guilty of assault and harassment ... the judge in his case continued sentencing for a whole 2 months.

Jon's next hearing is scheduled for April 8 -- and the reason is because his legal team filed some last-minute motions that they want heard and considered first before then.

The motion in question ... we're told his team is asking to set aside the verdict that came down in December, when a jury found him guilty of two counts, but not the other 2 -- which were far more serious. Remember, he was convicted of reckless assault in the 3rd degree and harassment.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Jonathan's lawyers feel like they have several grounds for their motion to be granted -- including insufficient evidence presented at trial, inconsistent charges, and the idea that prosecutors pursuing a "reckless" theory was BS.

Long story short ... we're told JM's team believes prosecutors argued that the assault was intentional throughout the trial ... but then they ended up giving the jury instructions about convicting him for a "reckless" assault -- offering up a separate option for a potential conviction on something they weren't really arguing throughout the course of the trial.

That's why his lawyers believe presenting the "reckless" assault to the jury wasn't justified, and should've never been on the table at all. Bottom line ... Jon's team doesn't feel like he got a fair shake, and because of that -- they're asking the judge here to throw out the verdict.

Taylor Swift's NFL critics have had bad blood over her presence on the football scene ... but Vegas is more than willing to let her dominate their Super Bowl festivities -- take a look!

As a tribute to the pop star tirelessly coming out to cheer on her boo Travis Kelce, a Vegas venue will be going ahead with a Taylor-themed event for the SB weekend -- serving up a cocktail inspired by her signature makeup look to cheers to the winning football team.

Chéri Rooftop, nestled under the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, will be serving up the "Red Lip Classic" cocktail -- which, of course, also references the lyrics to her tune, "Style."

Combining Malibu, Baileys Strawberry Cream and Disaronno, the drink is price-tagged at $20 and will be available throughout Big Game week.

For those hoping for a bit of a T-Swift break ... there'll be plenty of other places to keep you entertained -- including Sin City hot spot HaSalon who's be hosting "The Big Game Soiree" for SB Sunday.

The venue will transform into a plush living room-style setting with TVs dotted throughout for you to kick back and watch the game in peace without having to deal with the crowds at the Allegiant Stadium -- while also chowing down on some fun game day staples.

Swiftie or not, the Super Bowl weekend is a chance for everyone to come together and celebrate -- though, it's been hard to ignore how much of an impact Taylor Swift has had on the game this year.

The music icon's been responsible for more people than ever tuning into the game thanks to her romance with Travis practically playing out on the field. So, it's only fair to celebrate the woman herself this weekend ... that's how these places feel about it anyway.

Daring rescue in the middle of a historic storm dumping tons of rain on Los Angeles ... firefighters used a helicopter to save a man who jumped in a raging river to grab his dog.

The emergency situation played out Monday afternoon in the middle of the flooding L.A. River ... with LAFD crews bringing in a chopper to pull out a man who was stranded in the flowing water.

The guy was trying to bit somewhat of a hero himself ... he was attempting to save his dog, who had been swept away in the rapids during a flash flood.

As you can see, a helicopter hovered over the river and lowered a firefighter who grabbed the guy and pulled him to safety.

The poor pooch was saved too ... with the dog swimming to dry land on its own.

LAFD says both man and dog suffered minor injuries ... the guy was transported to a local hospital and the pup was taken to an animal shelter.

Firefighters are happy to report the dog is "alive and eager to reunite with his human."

As we reported ... the big storm, a Pineapple Express, is wreaking havoc in Southern California ... causing flash flooding, catastrophic landslides, and damage from debris and downed trees.

Danielle Bregoli -- AKA Bhad Bhabie -- got a jump on Valentine's Day for good reason … she and her boyfriend threw a baby shower for their little girl, who'll be here in due time.

On Monday, the rapper and her man, Le Vaughn, shared photos and videos from the lavish party -- which they dubbed "A Kali Love Story," named after their first child together ... and Bhabie's first kid period.

As you can see ... Danielle is just about ready to pop. She's definitely at least in the second trimester now, and based on how big she is -- ya gotta figure she'll give birth very soon.

The platinum-selling MC -- who got her start on Dr. Phil's show way back when -- showed off her baby bump in a silky gown laced with red rose petals and the event space, curated by The Bella Xperience, decorated the scenery with pink and white colors for V-Day.

Several of their friends and family members were also seen indulging in the fun ... and everyone seemed to be having a ball.

BB and Le Vaugh made their reveal last year in similar grandiose fashion, a trend that’s likely to continue after the baby arrives. The couple -- who've been together since 2021 -- first announced they were expecting back in December.

If it feels like time has flown by watching this young lady grow up -- well, join the club ... we've covered her since pretty much the beginning, and now -- she's a Mama Bear to be.

Comedian Shane Gillis is back under the microscope -- with 'SNL' announcing he's hosting, it reminds some people of the racial epithets he used in his podcasting days.

Shane's known for his edgy stand-up comedy -- he's very popular on YouTube and Netflix -- and while he hasn't shied away from his past controversial humor, it's jarring to hear him dropping slurs in the middle of anecdotal jokes.

Lorne Michaels and 'SNL' hired Shane in 2019, but fired him before he ever appeared on the show due to backlash over anti-Asian jokes he'd made on a different podcast.

The offensive content here comes from a podcast called "A Fair One," and Shane delivers some controversial jokes -- or at least the language was controversial ... as he unloaded the n-word, the homophobic f-word, and a particular Jewish slur, too.

Based on Shane's history with 'SNL' ya gotta believe producers know some of this material is floating out there on the internet.

When he got canned back in 2019, he apologized, saying ... "I'm a comedian who pushes boundaries. I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, you're going to find a lot of bad misses."

He also said he'd apologize to "anyone who's actually offended by anything I've said."

It's fair to assume, 'SNL' feels he's made amends, or evolved as a comedian ... because they've brought him back to host.

If you're familiar with Shane's standup specials, you know he tells plenty of racial and LGBTQ+ jokes -- but the podcast stuff feels even edgier. Definitely not the kinda language you'd expect in his 'SNL' monologue.

Sure, it's late-night programming, but NBC's censors are still up and watching!

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will be in Vegas this weekend -- and with love in the air and their romance at an all-time high ... one venue's offering to make them man and wife for free!

With visitors flocking to Sin City for the Super Bowl this weekend, you'd figure there's no better time than Saturday/Sunday to say "I do" ... which is exactly what the Little White Wedding Chapel is thinking, and why they're extending an invite to Tay Tay and TK.

The wedding venue tells TMZ they're offering Taylor and Travis a comped marital service if they're feeling like tying the knot at some point this weekend ... and their doors are open for business, even though they'll completely cover the cost.

LWWC says, "Taylor and Travis – you two have enough on your plate so let us take care of you! Taylor just bring your lucky, and Fabulous Grammys gown and we can handle the rest! We have our florist on standby for the bouquet of your dreams, our ministers and Elvis are ready too. Whatever you want, our chapel is ready to take care of you!!

BTW, their offer here doesn't just extend to T-Swift and Travis -- it actually applies to all the football players and their significant others who might be in town in the next few days.

We're told Little White will cover the costs for any of the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs team members, including coaches -- anyone affiliated has the chance to get married there ... for free. From the aisle to the pitch ... that'll be one tight turnaround!

A complimentary confetti canon will be incorporated into the celebration for members of the winning team. Talk about scoring big on and off the field. Both SB teams will get specially created bouquets for the occasion, which will make it an even playing field for everyone.

LWWC also notes that while wedding days are traditionally all about the bride ... they wanna show some love to the SB men, 'cause the sporting event is one of the most exciting and important things happening in Vegas now. So yeah, they wanna show the dudes love!

They also tell us they hope the offer can serve as an added promo for the venue ... with football fans coming to the chapel to get married in a spur of the moment kinda deal after the game. Don't expect them to cover those weddings though -- just SB heads, y'all.

Not that the chapel really needs it ... with the likes of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Jason Alexander, and more celebs exchanging vows there -- with an Elvis impersonator as a witness, of course.

Gina Carano is suing Disney over her firing from "The Mandalorian" -- claiming she was punished for not toeing the political party line ... and Elon Musk's backing her.

The actress -- who got canned by the Mouse House in 2021, right in the thick of COVID -- just filed suit against her former employer ... alleging she was wrongfully terminated from her job over posting her political views on social media ... something she claims didn't happen to her male co-workers who made similar posts.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Carano claims she was fired for not conforming to "progressive orthodoxy" that was being espoused at the company and in the general public, especially as pertained to COVID policies at the time.

Specifically, Gina says a message she reposted that referenced persecution of Jews during the Holocaust -- comparing that scenario to what was going on with folks who spoke out about COVID and other conservative-leaning positions -- was what pissed Disney off.

While the company came out at the time to slam her for what they said was "denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities" ... GC says her social media post wasn't meant that way whatsoever, and that the context of what she was getting at got lost.

More importantly, Gina claims Disney didn't fire her over performance -- but simply for expressing political views that were considered unpopular and antithetical to Disney's ... and Gina says that was a legal no-no.

What's more, Gina says other male costars of hers also made politically inflammatory comments online at the time -- including when Mark Hamill was accused of liking a transphobic tweet -- but Disney accepted their explanations and moved on.

Bottom line ... Carano says her career was negatively impacted, and that she lost out on boatloads of cash considering her work was going swimmingly before things took a political turn. She's suing for unspecified damages ... but we're guessing it'll be a lot.