Paul Rudd Forever Young ... Or So It Seems, Anyway

Here's another installment of Paul Rudd Is Benjamin Button -- because the older he gets, the younger he looks ... at least that's what a new viral photo of him suggests on its face.

The veteran comedy actor posed for a new snap this weekend that was posted by the owner of an Indian restaurant in London called Darjeeling Express ... a place he's apparently stopped into before, and brought a pal with him this time around -- Mr. Dan Levy.

Paul's filming the new 'Ant-Man' installment there -- Dan appears to just be in town.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Anyway, the restaurant (and its owner, Asma Khan) posted a sweet photo of Paul and Dan breaking bread in their establishment Saturday, and even though they seem to have hosted PR before ... they were still starstruck, writing in their caption ... "When Paul Rudd returns for dinner to the restaurant and this time brings the lovely @instadanjlevy with him! ♥️❤️."

The photo has since gotten Paul and Dan trending -- with the former being compared to an ageless angel ... because he seriously looks young in this specific pic (Paul's 52, BTW).

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

They threw up a second shot of Dan on his own, and said they were glad he dug the grub. Still, it's the duo photo of the two of them at the table that's got people chirping.

As you might imagine, the jokes were flying online ... with folks saying they've aged more in the pandemic than Paul has in the last 5 years -- and that may well be true, 'cause he doesn't seem to have a wrinkle or a crack on his face ... well, at least in lighting like this.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Another photo Darjeeling posted mere weeks ago -- from Paul's initial visit, apparently -- paints a somewhat different picture. It's way more well-lit ... and, yes, Paul certainly looks older here. Still great for his age and all -- but it's almost like he went back in time for this weekend's photo-op ... it feels like 2 different people showed up over the course of 2 weeks.

We kid, of course ... but it's pretty amazing anytime a new Paul Rudd sighting emerges. He truly seems to have found the fountain of youth somewhere. Never change, man ... assuming that's even possible.

Matt damon I recently retired homophobic f-slur Daughter Forced My Hand

Matt Damon says he just recently stopped using the homophobic f-word slur -- this after his own daughter had to put him in check ... with a detailed thesis of sorts on why it's bad.

The actor did a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times that was published Sunday, and among the many topics discussed on how the Hollywood landscape is changing (for the worse, Matt seems to think) ... this one was brought up in the same breath.

He says he put the f-word away for good in recent months, explaining he didn't think of it much as a slur when he was growing up, adding ... "The word that my daughter calls the 'f-slur for a homosexual' was commonly used when I was a kid, with a different application."

He goes on to say that he made a joke using the word in front of one of his 3 daughters, -- who range in age between 10 and 15 -- and they actually protested his usage of it.

Matt says, "She left the table. I said, 'Come on, that's a joke! I say it in the movie Stuck on You!' She went to her room and wrote a very long, beautiful treatise on how that word is dangerous. I said, 'I retire the f-slur!' I understood."

The scene Damon is referring to happens toward the end of the raunchy 2003 comedy -- in which he and Greg Kinnear play bros who are joined at the hip, literally. The word comes up in its shortened form as a musical montage starts to play after they've been separated.

There's a lot more in Damon's ST interview -- including a hot take that anyone, really, with wit could've played Iron Man ... not just RDJ. That's a whole other can of worms, though.

Anyway, Matt says the modern world has taught him to do one thing so much better ... "shut the f*** up more."

Dolly Parton Used Whitney Royalties ... To Invest In Black T.N. Community

Dolly Parton threw down major dough she collected off the success of one of Whitney Houston's biggest hits -- a rendition of Dolly's, no doubt -- into a Black Tennessee community ... something that doesn't appear to have been known, until now.

The singer made the revelation this week during an appearance on 'WWHL' with Andy Cohen, where he asked her ... what was the best thing she'd invested in with the royalties she's collected from Whitney's version of 'I Will Always Love You' ... originally sung by DP.

Dolly gave a pretty incredible answer ... as it appears it's something no one's ever bothered to ask, but she was happy to share. Check out her response for yourself in the clip.

She tells Andy that of the money she'd gotten from the royalties -- a reported $10 million or so, in the '90s -- she ended up investing a decent amount into an office complex/strip mall "off the beaten path" of 16th Avenue in Nashville (a famous street near downtown).

More importantly, Dolly notes it was a part of town where mostly Black folks lived -- and she felt there was no better place to be, as it was among Whitney's people ... and Dolly's people, too, as she points out. It's unclear if Dolly developed more down there over the years ... but in any case, she almost certainly left some sort of economical impact big picture with her outlay.

It's unclear where exactly Dolly's property resides ... but it sounds like she still might be using it all these years later. And, crazier yet -- she never really piped up about this until Andy asked her about it, it seems. As many are pointing out -- that's just Dolly for ya.

One more thing worth mentioning re Whitney and Dolly -- during a Q&A segment from fans, one person asked if there were ever plans for Dolly to perform 'I Will Always' alongside Whitney, like in a duet version or something ... and it just never happened. Very good question, as Andy notes.

Her answer is both stunning, and kinda annoying ... if you're a fan of either artist.

Long story short, Dolly simply says ... no, because NO ONE EVER ASKED HER TO DO IT, even though she adds she would've happily agreed to belt out the tune next to Whitney, assuming anyone approached her about it. Talk about a missed opportunity, huh???

As for how she thinks she would've held up against WH's legendary pipes ... that's telling too. Dolly is as graceful as ever here.

Sharks' Evander Kane I Never Gambled On NHL Games ... My Ex Is Lying!!!

Evander Kane is adamant he NEVER gambled on hockey or threw games ... insisting his estranged wife is straight-up lying after she accused the NHL star of betting on the sport.

"I have NEVER gambled/bet on Hockey, NEVER gambled/bet on a Sharks game, NEVER gambled/bet on any of my games and NEVER thrown a hockey game,'' Kane wrote on Twitter.

Evander later continued ... "I love the game of Hockey and would never do any of what was alleged. I look forward to cooperating fully with the league's investigation, having my name cleared and looking forward to this upcoming season."

The messages were in response to Anna Kane's explosive allegations on Saturday, where she accused her soon-to-be-ex-husband of gambling on hockey games -- a cardinal sin in sports.

She wrote ... "How does the NHL let a compulsive gambling addict still play when he's obviously throwing games to win money? Hmm maybe someone needs to address this."

Soon after Anna posted her message, the NHL announced they were investigating the claim.

"The League was made aware this evening of a post on social media alleging that San Jose Sharks Player Evander Kane bet on NHL games. The integrity of our game is paramount and the League takes these allegations very seriously."

"We intend to conduct a full investigation and will have no further comment at this time."

Evander's team, the Sharks, also commented on the allegation, saying they've been in contact with the league and plan to aid the investigation.

For what it's worth, Kane -- who's midway through a 7-year deal worth $49 million -- allegedly had issues with a casino in the past.

Back in 2019, The Cosmopolitan in Vegas sued the hockey star for $500k -- claiming he had unpaid debts.

That lawsuit was later dropped.

Soap Actor Jay Pickett Dies on Movie Set at 60 ... 'General,' 'Days' & 'Port'

Longtime soap opera actor Jay Pickett has died -- this while he was actually doing his job in front of the camera.

Jay passed Thursday on the set of a new film he was working on called "Treasure Valley" in Idaho -- so says his costar and co-producer for the flick, Jim Heffel, who shared the tragic news on Facebook ... explaining he actually died while they were preparing to shoot a scene.

Waiting for your permission to load the Facebook Post.

He writes, "Jay died sitting on a horse ready to rope a steer in the movie Treasure Valley in Idaho. The way of a true cowboy." Not much more was discussed as to how he ended up toppling over, but it sounds like it was sudden ... and an official cause of death isn't out yet.

Another star from the movie, Travis Mills, took to his own FB page to speculate it appeared to be a heart attack of some sort, while also noting everyone around at the time tried hard to keep him alive ... going on to call it a shocking tragedy.

This is a project that Jay was all in on -- he was writing, producing and starring in it as the lead man. It sounds like a good old-fashioned Western movie ... and was due to be released next year.

Jay certainly has had some movie experience over the length of his long career, but he's definitely more famous for his TV work ... or daytime TV, we should say -- which he got started in the '90s with "Days of Our Lives," on which he played Dr. Chip Lakin.

He was only on 'Days' for about a year, but then moved on to even more legendary soaps ... where he had prolonged roles. Jay was in over 700 episodes of "Port Charles" for several years between the late '90s and early 2000s, playing Frank Scanlon to much fanfare.

After that, Jay went on to star in "General Hospital" for a couple years -- at which point, he was acting in a ton of different stuff ... like "Dexter," "Desperate Housewives," "Hot Line," "Saving Grace" ... and later, "NCIS," "The Mentalist" and other shows and movies up until very recently.

He's survived by his wife, Elena, and their children. Jay was only 60.

RIP

Jonah Hill got myself a new 'body love' tat ... And a Surfer Boy 'Do Too!!!

Jonah Hill has slowly been turning into a surfer bro right before our eyes -- and now, the transformation is complete ... behold!

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The actor just posted a new photo of himself on the 'Gram -- a shirtless one, at that -- and he's showing off some new artwork on his back. Specifically, it's a tattoo that screams surfer vibes ... but it's really nothing compared to what's atop his noggin in the pic.

Check it out ... Jonah's tat reads "Body Love" and it's got a "rock on" hand sign attached (in color, too, BTW). JH seems proud of the new ink -- but he's kinda ignoring the headline ... namely, that his hair is now platinum blonde, beard too for that matter. Looks like he's been baring his blonde locks for a quick minute ... since at least early July, apparently.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Jonah's got a few different photos of him in blonde on his IG page -- and, boy, is it something.

He looks like a wild man of the water, frankly, which is appropriate ... because the dude HAS been shredding the gnar in recent years -- hitting up Malibu and other remote surf spots in and around SoCal to get his wave-riding on. He seems to be getting pretty good too.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Oh, and we know what you're thinking ... is this new look for a movie or something??? That doesn't appear to be the case ... Jonah doesn't have any roles coming up (that we can see) which would require him to rock this sort of 'do/vibe. So, it seems to be all him ... and au naturel.

Surf's up, y'all.

thea ruth white muriel on 'courage the cowardly dog' ... Dead at 81

Thea Ruth White -- the voice of Muriel on "Courage the Cowardly Dog" -- has died.

Her family shared the sad news over the weekend, saying she'd passed Friday following a surgery to remove a cancerous mass from her liver ... which her nephew, Brad Zitzner, says resulted in her catching an infection shortly thereafter.

By all accounts, she fought hard ... but lost her battle to cancer. Right before going in for the procedure -- Thea's brother, John, posted a video of her asking for well-wishes from fans (young and old) which she said would help her in her recovery. She seemed to be talking in the Muriel voice, too, from the famed Cartoon Network show that she's most famous from.

Waiting for your permission to load the Facebook Video.

John posted yet another video on Facebook, which seemed to indicate this is something Thea has been dealing with for a while -- apparently, she'd gone in for an initial surgery just a week ago ... and he has a video up of her talking following that procedure.

Her nephew writes, "Thanks Feefer for your leadership of your family. The role you have taken with my kids and all your family sadly can't be replaced. I can see hundreds of fan tributes already online so your love was shared far and wide."

Brad adds, "You loved life and even know I know the final outcome I love your decision to go for it and to try to win."

Thea hadn't gotten into acting until later in life -- it seems her first major role was on 'CTCD,' on which she starred for four years. She's also lent her talents for shows like "Pecola" and 'Scooby Doo' ... but it looks like she's been faithful to portraying Muriel in a variety of forms.

She was 81.

RIP

Terry Kennedy Skateboarder's Alleged Victim Dead From Injuries in Attack

Famed skateboarder Terry Kennedy will likely be facing homicide charges now -- the man he allegedly attacked in an Illinois motel has died ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office tells us 23-year-old Josiah Kassahun passed away Saturday. TMZ Sports broke the story ... Kennedy was arrested last week after cops say he attacked Josiah in an Oakbrook Terrace motel, leaving him with a fractured skull and a concussion.

Those injuries have proven fatal, and while Kennedy had initially been booked for the assault ... prosecutors will now have to consider adding a manslaughter or murder charge. We've reached out to the DuPage State's Attorney's Office for clarification.

As we first reported, Kennedy was also booked last week for repeatedly threatening to murder the cops who tracked him down and arrested him for the alleged attack on Josiah.

A police spokesperson says Kennedy told cops, "I will kill one of you police. We kill police where I'm from."

It's still unclear what prompted the alleged motel attack, but based on social media postings ... it appears Kassahun and Kennedy were friends at one time.

Kennedy -- a big-name skater who's ridden with Rob Dyrdek and appeared in several skating video games -- is still behind bars. The 36-year-old's bail had been set at $100,000 during a hearing last week.

It will likely be jacked up much higher, now that Josiah has died as a result of the attack.

Kennedy was already facing multiple charges ... including aggravated battery in a public place and threatening a public official.

DaBaby Cut Outta Lollapalooza!!! We're About Love, Inclusivity and He's Not

DaBaby just got the hook -- Lollapalooza organizers are yanking him out of their Sunday night lineup, which he was supposed to headline ... due to his ignorant and homophobic comments.

The legendary festival, going down in Chicago this weekend, announced Sunday morning ... "Lollapalooza was founded on diversity, inclusivity, respect, and love. With that in mind, DaBaby will no longer be performing at Grant Park tonight."

DaBaby was supposed to perform at 9 PM Sunday for more than 150,000 fans, as the final act of the 4-day festival -- instead, he'll be sidelined, and Young Thug has been moved up into that slot.

The 11th-hour change is in response to the rapper's onstage rant last weekend at the Rolling Loud festival in Miami. ICYMI ... DaBaby told the audience to put their phones up, "If you didn't show up today with HIV/AIDS or other STDs that'll make you die in 2-3 weeks" and "Fellas, if you didn't suck a n***a d**k in the parking lot."

7/25/21
THE HOMOPHOBIC COMMENTS
Rolling Loud

He attempted to explain away the vile comments on social media when he posted a video claiming his words weren't directed at his gay fans because they're not "nasty gay n****s" or "junkies" and they take care of themselves.

In other words ... he just made it worse.

As we've reported ... the clothing company, Boohoo, stopped working with DaBaby soon after the heinous comments. Also, Dua Lipa -- who has a huge hit with DaBaby, "Levitating" -- denounced his remarks ... and their song has reportedly been removed from multiple Apple Music playlists.

In addition to Young Thug getting the spotlight Sunday night, Lollapalooza added G Herbo's on an earlier stage to fill the void.

J Lo I Got Ben Wrapped Around My Little Finger ... And My Neck!!!

Jennifer Lopez is always in the presence of her BF, Ben Affleck, even if he's not physically there ... because he always hanging around ... her neck!

J Lo continues on her birthday vacay without Ben in Portofino, Italy. She strolled through the city Saturday ... wearing a necklace with Ben's name front and center.

We're told Ben is actually heading back to U.S. soil, so J Lo's hanging out on the yacht without him.

Now that Ben's gone, J Lo's been on her phone nonstop, texting and FaceTiming to occupy her time.

As for the bling ... it's a custom Foundrae charm necklace that Ben gave Jen for her 52nd birthday.

Seems a shame J Lo's now solo on the yacht ... it runs $1.1 million a week, and has all sorts of toys and amenities. In other words, it's awesome!

Before leaving for the U.S. ... Ben joined Jen at a restaurant in Italy, but food seemed secondary as they were all over each other as diners watched.

This is a birthday you don't want to end ... that is, until you run out of cash.

Hawaiian Airlines Emotional Support Dog Dies on Flight Owner Getting No Answers

UPDATE

12:51 PM PT -- Hawaiian Airlines has responded, saying, "We are deeply sorry about the passing of our customer’s dog. We shared the necropsy results with the animal’s owner earlier in the week, and we are in the process of returning the dog’s remains."

A 2-year-old emotional support dog is dead ... and the owner wants some answers from Hawaiian Airlines.

The dog, a pit bull named Louis, was apparently supposed to travel in the cargo hold from Kona to Honolulu and then on to Seattle, but the dog never made it. The dog's owner says the airline told him the dog died in Honolulu, but there was no explanation as to what happened.

The dog died July 21, and the owner has been waiting for a necropsy report and information on where the dog was when he died, but so far we're told Hawaiian has been radio silent. The owner, Dr. Randall Carpio, says the airline did indeed perform a necropsy but has not handed the report over to him, only telling him over the phone that the necropsy was inconclusive.

Dr. Carpio also says the airline has not given him the dog's remains.

Dr. Carpio had big plans for Louis. The doctor says the dog had an engaging temperament and demeanor and he was being groomed to provide emotional support to children and the elderly. Dr. Carpio says Louis was actually going to become a member of his medical team to provide support for his patients.

The dog owner's attorney Evan Oshan tells TMZ ... “We want to know how Louis died and if it is discovered that there was any animal neglect or cruelty. We call upon governmental officials to investigate and file necessary charges if appropriate. We are weighing all legal options and will take appropriate measures and seek all legal remedies available under the law to obtain justice for Louis"

The lawyer tells us they're considering all legal options.

We reached out to Hawaiian Airlines for comment ... so far, no word back.

Originally Published -- 7:22 AM PT

42 dugg Apologizes for homophobic rant ... To Defend Kissing Son's Neck

UPDATE

9:17 AM PT -- 8/1 42 Dugg took to Instagram to issue an apology for his homophobic rant. The rapper said, "it never be my intentions to offend anybody even when I'm offended so for that I am sorry." He went on to say that he no longer will be sharing his son or family on Instagram.

UPDATE

42 Dugg has responded to a now-viral video of him kissing and licking his son's neck -- and he's firing back with nothing but homophobia.

The rapper addressed a clip he posted late this week in which he's seen being affectionate with his young son -- who just turned 3 -- aboard a plane, which entailed hugging him from behind ... and slobbering all over his neck -- including licking, kissing and sucking.

too far???

You can see the kid kinda squirm a bit, but he eventually giggles as if to escape his dad's canoodling. One could argue this was innocent father-son fun, but others took it differently.

Some folks said it was inappropriate, and in some cases ... many just called it gross and speculated it might be child abuse, invoking Child Protective Services and considerations to call them over this. The interaction itself was up for debate ... but Dugg's fiery retort isn't.

Instead of tackle the crux of the issue -- whether this video is fatherly love gone too far -- Dugg went on a rant that was riddled with homophobic language and sentiments ... not entirely different from what DaBaby spewed. Now, he's catching backlash for this too.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

We won't get into all the nitty-gritty from his post -- you can read the since-deleted IG Story above -- but essentially ... Dugg seems to want to distance himself from any talk of homosexuality as it pertains to his relationship with his kid ... further saying he feels he's having same-sex vibes shoved down his throat by famous people and society at large.

Whatever point Dugg was trying to make gets lost in the clear bigotry and apparent hatred he seems to have when it comes to the LGBT crowd. Not a good look ... all the way around.

Originally Published -- 7/31 1:00 PM PT

Machine Gun Kelly Performs Upside Down Set ... At Packed Lollapalooza

Machine Gun Kelly made a surprise appearance at Lollapalooza Saturday ... mostly upside down.

Fans got an alert on day 3 of the festival ... MGK was there for a special show. Within an hour, he appeared at the Bud Light Seltzer Sessions side stage and performed to ... well, let's just say a more-than-packed audience -- it had 20 times the number of people permitted in the space.

He performed "Kiss Kiss," more hit songs from "Tickets to My Downfall," and a cover of "Misery Business." But there was more ... "My Ex's Best Friend," "Bloody Valentine" and "Drunk Face."

And then, the stunt ... MGK dangled from the rafters -- upside down no less -- as fans repeatedly screamed, "MGK!!!"

The festival has drawn around 100,000 people, and health officials are super worried it will become a super-spreader event with the surge of the Delta variant.

Fingers crossed.

ZZ Top Bassist Dusty Hill Tough Time Performing Weeks Before Death

DUSTY TAKES A SEAT
TMZ.com

Here's the last time ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill performed with the band before his death ... and you can tell something's just not right with him.

TMZ obtained this video from ZZ Top's last concert with Dusty -- July 18 at the Iroquois Amphitheater in Louisville, KY -- and he's clearly having a tough time performing in what would ultimately be his final gig.

As you can see, Dusty is playing bass as he sits down on a large speaker ... and we're told he was sitting like this for the entire show and had to be helped off the stage because he couldn't walk on his own.

A few days after this video, ZZ Top announced Dusty was heading back to Texas due to a hip issue.

A source close to Dusty tells TMZ ... things had gotten so bad recently, he had to stop touring because of a hip injury, so he went home early to recover, and that's when he died.

TMZ broke the story ... Dusty died in his sleep this week at his Texas home at the age of 72.

Coi Leray Rolling Loud Crowd Wasn't Ready For Me ... I'm Too Different!!!

HATE ME CAUSE THEY AIN'T ME
TMZ.com

Coi Leray says it's going to take music fans time to come around to her, like the zombie crowd she encountered at Rolling Loud ... because she's something fresh and new.

We got the rapper outside The Ivy in Los Angeles and our photog asked about her infamous set at Rolling Loud, when the crowd was mostly just standing around and looking on while she performed with gusto.

Coi says the crowd had the deer-in-the-headlights reaction because she's unlike anything they've ever seen ... and she's blaming the music industry for churning out too much of the same thing.

The way Coi sees it ... artists aren't doing anything new to make fans gravitate to them, and when something new comes along -- like her -- it takes time for people to get used to it, and that's what happened down in Miami.

Coi's patiently waiting for folks to get with the program, telling us she's glad people are talking about her whether it's good or bad ... and she's got a message for her haters.

Adam Silver I Talked To LeBron About Play-In Tournament Open To 'Tinkering' In Future

LISTEN TO YOUR LEADERS
TMZSports.com

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says he's smoothed things over with LeBron James about his hatred for the play-in tournament ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Lakers superstar now "understands" the purpose for the extra games.

Remember, LeBron went OFF on the idea of the new tourney back in May ... saying, "Whoever came up with that s*** needs to be fired."

But, the Association went forward with the format for the 2022 season ... making things official earlier this week.

So, when we spoke with Commish out in NYC this week ... he told us he personally spoke with King James about the tourney -- and it sounds like things are allllll good.

"We talked about it," Silver told us. "I think at the end of the day, I understand. Especially if you went deep last year and you have that end, you have that many sort of games on your legs."

"You're not looking forward to more games. But, I think he understands the context of the league."

Silver says despite James' initial gripe, it was the NBA Players' Association that ended up voting in favor ... but he's totally down to collab on a common ground to make both sides as happy as possible.

"At the end of the day, the Players Association speaks for the players, and they've approved this format for next season," he added.

"So, I think we wanted to get one more season under our belt that wasn't a pandemic season, so we could really get a sense of how it works."

"But, I'm more open to tinkering with it if necessary."

There's more ... we also asked about what it's like to have former President Obama as a new coworker with NBA Africa ... and also shelled out some advice for the newest rookie class.

Old news is old news!
Be First!

Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser!