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George Takei thinks his good "Star Trek" buddy, William Shatner, is just an old-timer who played lab rat for Jeff Bezos' latest jaunt to space ... but Captain Kirk's not having it.

Bill fired back over a reported comment Takei made this week, following his costar's ascent above the Karman Line ... where he hung out in zero gravity for a few minutes before coming back down in Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket ship.

WS wrote Friday, "Don't hate George. The only time he gets press is when he talks bad about me. He claims 50+ years ago I took away a camera angle that denied him 30 more seconds of prime time TV. I'm giving it back to him now by letting him spew his hatred for the world to see! Bill the (pig emoji)."

ICYMI ... George had some harsh words about the voyage just a couple days prior, shortly after Will had touched down safely and shared some tears and words with Bezos.

GT said Bill was "boldly going where other people have gone before," while going on to call him a 90-year-old "guinea pig" who was going to help Bezos and co. find out "what happens" as it relates to how space travel affects a body with a lot of "wear and tear."

He also took a shot at Bill's weight, saying he wasn't really the healthiest "specimen" for the job ... going on to call him "unfit." You can probably tell ... these guys don't like each other.

There's a long-standing feud between them over their time on "Stark Trek" and subsequent films and spinoffs ... and it's going strong to this day.

Jonathan Goodwin's horrific car stunt gone wrong was every bit as shocking as it sounded -- which you can now see here in video of the accident that's gut-wrenching to watch.

TMZ has obtained footage of the moment the stunt got underway Thursday during an 'AGT: Extreme' rehearsal, and the moment Goodwin got sandwiched between two cars ... resulting in a massive fireball to explode, and Goodwin being rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Check out the clip -- you see the professional daredevil hanging mid-air in a straight jacket ... with the two vehicles also suspended on each side of him. When they release the cars -- which then start to swing toward Goodwin -- they unhook his harness as well.

Goodwin was supposed to fall underneath the cars before they collided, but the timing was off ... and he was crushed between them as they came together. After that, he fell to the ground and hit his head -- but this video, fortunately, doesn't show any of that gnarly aftermath.

As we reported ... Goodwin was unresponsive at first, and folks on the set of the production thought he'd been killed. He did eventually come to, however, while being airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he underwent surgery. We know he was taken to a trauma unit, but his condition remains unclear at this point.

Jussie Smollett is going to have to face the music after claiming he was attacked by racist, homophobic MAGA supporters -- and the City of Chicago's claim he made it all up.

The former "Empire" actor is heading to trial next month -- this after a Cook County judge shot down JS's final attempt to have the criminal case against him tossed ... setting the stage for Jussie to face a jury of his peers over the 2019 incident.

Smollett's attorney tried convincing the court that his client's rights were being violated, seeing how the guy had already forfeited his $10,000 bond and done community service ... which served as the terms he struck with Cook County prosecutors to have the charges dismissed.

Per reports, the attorney noted Smollett had held up his end of the bargain, saying ... "A deal is a deal. That's ancient principle." Not so, according to the judge -- who noted a new set of circumstances arose when a special prosecutor reopened the case ... and charged Jussie anew.

Because of that, the judge said he wouldn't tamper with the new case. As you know, Jussie faces charges of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying in the police reports about what happened to him.

As we've reported ... Jussie claimed he was jumped by two white males wearing red MAGA hats, who hurled racist and homophobic epithets at him ... poured bleach on him ... and then threw a noose around his neck. Jussie kept that noose on until cops arrived and got his story -- an interaction that their body cameras captured upon entering his Chicago apartment.

As the initial investigation unfolded, police say they found that his so-called attackers weren't white at all -- they were two Black men, the Osundairo brothers, whom knew Jussie well from working on "Empire" ... and who confessed to staging the whole thing at Jussie's behest.

There's footage of the guys buying the supplies they used that night ... and even walking past Jussie at one point on the streets. The brothers claim Jussie paid them to set up the entire attack ... something he's denied entirely at every turn, defiant to prove his innocence.

Bow Wow did his best David Ruffin impression right before showtime in Atlanta -- throwing a fit about not getting more stage time amid the 'Millennium Tour' ... and threatening to quit.

The rapper -- who's one of several artists performing alongside Omarion, Soulja Boy, Ashanti and many others as they tour the country -- went on an epic rant early Saturday morning ... just mere hours before he and the rest of the crew were due to perform.

As to what he was mad about ... well, it sounds like some internal drama backstage.

BW wrote, "Too much bitching and complaining on this tour! Im bussn cats asses EVERY NIGHT! Every night they try and complain and take something away from me!" He went on to add that tonight (Saturday) might be his last show as a result of this frustration.

Of course, his gripes come off as kinda vague ... so he clarified even further, and sure enough -- it all boils down to his setlist and how long he's allowed to do his thing in front of fans.

Bow Wow groused, "Heres the truth! I do 15 min EVERY NIGHT! I can't even do my full songs. AND I STILL BE BUSTING FOLKS ASS! think the fans don't complain about my set being 15 mins? Only way I show up tonight if I do my full set! Straight up!"

He wasn't done venting just yet ... Bow Wow then took to IG Live to rave some more -- claiming he was the brains behind the whole 'Millennium Tour' concept ... adding that Omarion and everyone else are really opening up for him. See Ruffin telling Otis the same thing here.

In the end, it sounds O got a hold of Shad and they talked it out ... because, before long, Bow Wow had changed his tune, promising ticketholders that he was gonna give them the show of his life, and seemed to indicate he'd be performing well past 15 minutes.

Michael Caine ain't hanging it up just yet in the acting department -- this despite the fact that he strongly suggested he would be ... doing a 180, which has fans sighing with relief.

The legendary British actor clarified what his future professional plans were Saturday ... saying he is NOT retiring, while his rep also tells Variety that he's actually reading two scripts right now for potential projects down the road.

MC tweeted, "I haven't retired and not a lot of people know that." He also issued a more formal statement saying he's been waking up at 6 AM for 50 years to make movies, and he has no intention of chucking his alarm clock now.

The about-face stance comes about 24 hours after he caused a firestorm of sadness among movie lovers, telling a couple BBC radio hosts on "Kermode and Mayo's Film Review" that he hadn't worked in 2 years, and that he wasn't able to walk very well because of his health.

When asked directly if this upcoming feature of his, "Best Sellers," would be his last role ... the dude said yeah, probably. He noted he hadn't gotten any good offers for roles of late, and pointed out that he's 88 ... acknowledging there aren't too many films with 88-year-old leads.

Seems he's had a complete change of heart overnight, because he's totally backtracking now and saying he's gonna keep at it ... which, we're sure, fans of his are overjoyed to hear.

Vince Neil was on his game Friday night during a concert ... UNTIL he tumbled off the stage and ended up in an ambulance.

Vince was performing at the Monster on the Mountain festival in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, with his band -- not Mötley Crüe, which he hasn't performed with since 2015.

He was a few songs into his set when he stepped to the edge of the stage, and then suddenly tumbled 4 feet onto the cement. Turns out there was a small gap between the speaker and the stage that Vince didn't see and he fell through the crevice onto the floor.

He was clearly in pain ... his crew thought he had broken some ribs. His roadie and a security guy helped him get to his feet, and Vince limped away.

The 60-year-old was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Doctors took X-rays, but we don't know the results. The good news -- he's alert and should be ok.

BTW ... in classic rock fashion, the band kept playing after the fall, with guitarist, Jeff Blando, taking over lead vocal duties.

We're told Vince, who has battled with alcohol addiction, had not been drinking. It was just an accident.

He's struggled on stage in recent years ... in May he pulled the plug on a show after his voice gave out. He's also been criticized for underwhelming solo performances, but he was doing well Friday night until the accident.

A high school football game abruptly ended Friday night after gunfire erupted and 4 people were shot.

Players from Williamson High School were on the field against rival Vigor High School at the Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, when gunfire rang through the stadium, just before 10 PM.

Two of the 4 people shot were minors ... one person is in critical condition.

It's unclear where the shots came from, but it appears the shooter was not on the field or in the stands. As you see from the video, the players dropped to the ground and people in the stands fled ... leaving the stadium in a panic.

The shooter was not apprehended and it's unclear if police have any leads. A witness told cops 2 people and possibly more fled the stadium in a white sedan after the shooting, but it's unclear if they had anything to do with the shooting.

It's been nearly 6 months since Armie Hammer checked himself into a treatment center -- and the actor remains there -- committed to spending as long as it takes to get better.

Sources close to Hammer tell us he's "thriving" in the Florida facility, those around him feel he's changed (for the better) from when he arrived and you can hear the difference in his voice.

Not only that, we're told Armie has kept in constant contact with his kids and loved ones -- FaceTiming with them regularly and sharing his progress.

Our sources say there's still no exact timeline for when he'll complete treatment, but he's willing to do whatever it takes. We're told the "Call Me By Your Name" star understands he was in an incredibly dangerous place before treatment and doesn't want to backslide.

As for a report that he was recently "replaced" by Noah Reid in Broadway's "The Minutes" ... we're told Armie was never officially signed on for that gig. Sources with direct knowledge tell us Armie had verbal talks for the role pre-pandemic, but they were only talks.

It was back in May when Armie checked into rehab for drug, alcohol and sex addiction treatment. The move came after several months of women leveling sexual abuse allegations against the actor.

He and his wife, Elizabeth Chambers, announced they were splitting in July 2020, but their divorce has not yet been finalized.

Gabby Petito's grieving parents paid a visit to a place their daughter visited shortly before she was murdered.

Joseph Petito posted a photo of Jenny Lake in Wyoming. The scenery is stunning ... with snowcapped mountains lining the area around a beautiful lake in Grand Teton National Park.

"I now know why you came here," Joseph wrote on Twitter. "#gabbypetito has a beautiful view from now on. Love you, and miss you."

The lake is near where Gabby's body was found. As we reported, the Teton County Coroner concluded Gabby died from manual strangulation sometime around the end of August.

Gabby's parents made the trip to recover her remains, which have been cremated. They're coming back to New York this weekend with the urn.

Brian Laundrie has still not been named a suspect in Gabby's death, although that seems to be more for strategic reasons. He is wanted for fraud, which would allow authorities to arrest him.  He's not been seen for a month, and the area authorities have been searching has not produced a single shred of evidence.

Sean Penn's actress wife just waved the white flag on their union ... because she filed for divorce after just over one year of marriage.

Sean's wife, Australian actress Leila George, filed divorce docs Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court ... according to online records.

Sean and Leila, the daughter of actor Vincent D'Onofrio, tied the knot in July 2020 during the height of the pandemic ... getting hitched in a lowkey family wedding at their home.

They started dating way back in 2016 and did not have any children together.

It's unclear what led to the split.

Cardi B has a surprising ally in her corner ... it's the GOP, which is encouraging her NOT to be intimidated by cancel culture and continue talking politics.

Paris Dennard, a National GOP spokesman, tells TMZ ... the "I Like It" rapper should continue talking politics because if she stops, young people will see this and also become scared to express themselves for fear of backlash from democrats and republicans alike.

It's surprising ... Dennard says Cardi shouldn't be fazed by sharing opinions about politics/social issues that line up with democrats ... or the people she's standing up for.

ICYMI ... Cardi tweeted Thursday she'd refrain from sharing her political views because she was "tired of getting bullied by the republicans and also getting bashed by the same people I was standing up for."

Dennard makes it crystal clear ... with Cardi having a massive platform, any political statement could trigger backlash from both sides. He insists ... any of that shouldn't silence her because having an influencer like herself sets an example for others, particularly with young people.

He says it's important for Cardi -- who interviewed President Joe Biden and trash-talked former prez Donald Trump with Sen. Bernie Sanders -- to be a free thinker. What's more ... Dennard says having polarizing views doesn't necessarily mean getting canceled.

He points out some prime examples like Kanye West and Lil Wayne ... just some of the rappers who supported Trump. Dennard also points to Nicki Minaj ... whose COVID-19 vaccine claims riled up social media, but she came away mostly unscathed.

Netflix used to be a company everyone rallied around, but Chappelle's latest special put a quick end to that, and what's the deal with Prince William shading Shatner's space ride? So, we gotta ask ...

Andre Rison is going to bat for Jon Gruden ... telling TMZ Sports he knows the former NFL head coach is definitely "not a racist."

Rison -- who played for Gruden and the Raiders in the 2000 NFL season -- said despite the vile, racist, homophobic and misogynistic words Jon wrote in emails from 2011 to 2018 ... he still believes the guy is a good man.

"We all say some things behind closed doors that we regret or we wouldn't say in public," said Rison, who's remained close to Gruden even after the '00 season ended. "We've all made mistakes."

"I believe who he said and what he said and who he intended it for, it was intended for that person and nobody else."

Rison did admit Gruden did mean what he said in his messages to a Washington Football Team exec and others ... and offered to apologize on the coach's behalf.

But, Rison added in all the years he's been around the 58-year-old, he's never seen anything that would suggest Gruden is a bad person.

Rison also told us he believes if this is the end of Gruden's time in the NFL, the former Raiders head man should hold his head high.

"You've already given this game some of the best tutelage and best leadership that you could possibly give," Rison said in a message to Gruden. "So if you don't ever touch the game again, don't feel any type of way."

Jen Shah is trying to pack in all the fun -- and paychecks -- during what could be her last few months of freedom ...  'cause she's hosting an event at Larry Flynt's strip joint.

"The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star's set to make a pretty penny on October 22 at Flynt's Hustler Club NYC, just days after her heavily-publicized telemarketing fraud trial was supposed to begin ... though it's now been pushed to March 2022.

We're told Shah will be doing meet-and-greets and signing autographs at the popular strip club, and will also get an onstage shout-out with Alexis Monroe ... an adult actress who's celebrating her bday that night.

According to a Hustler Club rep ... Jen was all about hosting the event, and she's "receiving a large sum (of money) in exchange for her appearance, most likely enough to put a dent in her legal bills." Sources with direct knowledge tell us it's tens of thousands.

As you know ... Shah was arrested in March for allegedly targeting and scamming people -- "vulnerable, often elderly, working-class people" -- out of their money, and the feds have recently accused her of "greater culpability" in the scheme.

She claims total innocence and pled not guilty. She was released on strict conditions. In fact, Jen has to get permission to travel, so we've reached to her to confirm that's what she did for this gig. Court records show she hasn't yet requested a travel accommodation.

Her legal issues have been airing on the current season of 'RHOSLC,' with a recent ep showing her arrest on the federal fraud charges that could land her up to 30 years in prison.

Celebrity dermatologist Dr. Alex Khadavi just got slapped with a restraining order in the latest fallout from his homophobic rant caught on video ... he's gotta stay away from the people who accused him of making death threats.

According to new legal docs ... the gay married couple who claim they were on the receiving end of Khadavi's threatening rant is getting court-ordered protection.

The docs, obtained by TMZ, show that Khadavi is banned from harassing, intimidating, attacking, striking, stalking, threatening, assaulting, hitting, abusing, destroying personal property or disturbing the peace of the couple, who live in his building.

Khadavi, whose celeb clients have included Lance Bass and Scott Disick, has also been ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from them anywhere outside of the West Hollywood condo building where they all live.

TMZ broke the story ... Khadavi's rant on July 7 was captured on video, which appears to show him approaching the front desk concierge in a hostile manner, talking smack about people who live in the building, referring to them with the homophobic f-word, and threatening to "blow their f***ing heads off."

The restraining order will be in place for the next 3 years, ending in October 2024.

Don't let these two almost identical images of Drake get your head out of the game! Take a real close look at these back-to-back photos and see if you can score any of the sneaky switches!

The rapper was cheering on the Toronto Raptors during their preseason game against the Houston Rockets in Canada last week ... and we have made a few changes to the original pic! Take this one straight to the hoop and see if you have what it takes to slam dunk the differences between these two super similar snaps!