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Joel Schumacher -- the famed director behind "Phantom of the Opera" and a series of 'Batman' films -- has died.

Schumacher died Monday morning in New York City after a long cancer battle ... according to a rep.

The American director rose to stardom with "St. Elmo's Fire," "The Lost Boys" and "Flatliners." He also adapted two John Grisham adaptations -- "The Client" in 1994 and "A Time to Kill" in 1996. He also earned critical acclaim for "Falling Down" and "8mm."

A younger audience may know him best when Schumacher signed up in the early '90s to direct a series of 'Batman' films. He directed "Batman Forever" in 1995 and "Batman & Robin" in 1997.

He'd go on to direct "The Phantom of the Opera" in 2004 ... which earned 3 Oscar nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Original Song. The film also earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Musical or Comedy - Motion Picture.

Schumacher initially thought he'd go into fashion ... studying at Parsons The New School for Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. He ultimately realized filmmaking is his passion and moved to L.A. where he worked as a costume designer for Woody Allen before earning an MFA from UCLA. He wrote several screenplays before making his directorial debut in 1981 with "The Incredible Shrinking Woman."

The director was openly gay throughout his career in Hollywood. He was once described by a friend as a "sexual outlaw" and when asked during a 2019 interview with New York Magazine to guestimate how many people he's slept, Schumacher replied, "It would be in the double-digit thousands, but that is not unusual." When the reporter replied, "double-digit thousands, like 2,000 or 3,000?" Schumacher replied, "That's not double digits, that's single digits" before Schumacher confirmed 10,000 to 20,000.

Schumacher famously — and unapologetically — added nipples to Batman’s batsuit in the 1995 flick, “Batman Forever.”

The move was super controversial at the time, but Schumacher defended it for years ... and even joked to us about the decision and lamented that that's all he would ever be famous for.

Schumacher was 80.

RIP

Bubba Wallace -- the only Black driver in NASCAR's top series -- confirms a noose was found in his team's garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday ... and now the racing org is investigating.

The noose was found by a member of Wallace's team -- just hours after someone flew a Confederate flag over the legendary Alabama track to protest NASCAR banning the symbol at all events.

The crew member who found the noose immediately alerted NASCAR, which is now working with law enforcement to find the culprit.

"We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act," NASCAR said.

"We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport."

Wallace called the situation a "despicable act of racism and hatred" -- and says he's "incredibly saddened."

He added, "We will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to spread hate. As my mother told me today, 'They are just trying to scare you.'"

"This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in."

LeBron James offered his support to Wallace -- calling the entire situation "sickening."

"[Bubba Wallace] my brother! Know you don’t stand alone," Bron said ... "I’m right here with you as well as every other athlete."

"I just want to continue to say how proud I am of you for continuing to take a stand for change here in America and sports! NASCAR I salute you as well!"

As for the confederate flag flyover which took place before the Geici 500 race was set to begin -- still unclear who was responsible for that. NASCAR says they're looking into that as well.

That wasn't the only display of the Confederacy either -- not by a long shot. While no Confederate flags were allowed inside the venue, a bunch of truck drivers rolled past the Speedway in what seemed to be a coordinated protest parade, with many flying the flag.

Some folks who wanted to show it off some more even set up camp across the street, and were proudly displaying the Confederate flag, alongside some Trump flags too.

Obviously, some people aren't all too pleased with NASCAR's new policy. But, it doesn't sound like the org gives a damn about them, 'cause one of their top dogs took a swipe at the people acting in defiance ... flatly rejecting their thinking, and calling them names too.

Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's executive VP, addressed the fly-over on Twitter, writing ... "You won’t see a photo of a jackass flying a flag over the track here...but you will see this... Hope EVERYONE enjoys the race today."

WWE superstar Matt Riddle says allegations he sexually assaulted a female wrestler in 2018 are "completely false" ... claiming the accuser is an obsessed, delusional liar.

The woman behind the allegation is Candy Cartwright -- who is a pro wrestler on the indy circuit.

Cartwright levied some heavy claims against 34-year-old Riddle on Twitter this week -- describing an alleged 2018 incident when the two were on the road with other performers.

"During the van ride, when the 3 other wrestlers had fallen asleep, Matt asked me to 'hop on his d***.'"

"When I refused (although we had previously been together I was incredibly uncomfortable in that setting) When I said no, he grabbed me by my throat, choked me and said 'what if I just made you?'"

Cartright says she ultimately performed oral sex on Riddle "to get out of having intercourse with him. It was incredibly humiliating."

She added, "It is never ok to put your hands on a woman, it's also not ok to not listen when she says no."

Unclear if Cartwright ever went to police with the allegations. She says she was inspired to speak out by other "brave women" who have come forward about sexual misconduct claims.

But, Riddle, through his attorney, is calling BS on the whole thing.

"The allegations by this independent female performer are completely false and another attempt to harass and humiliate Mr. and Mrs. Riddle and to try to tarnish their reputation in the community," attorney Daniel Rose says.

Rose says the Riddles believe Cartwright has had an unhealthy obsession with Matt for at least the past 2 years.

WWE has also issued a statement on Riddle saying, "We take any allegation of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter."

The org. added, "Individuals are responsible for their own personal actions. WWE has zero tolerance for matters involving domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault."

"Upon arrest for such misconduct, a WWE talent will be immediately suspended. Upon conviction for such misconduct, a WWE talent will be immediately terminated. WWE’s ability to fine, suspend or terminate a WWE talent will not be, however, limited or compromised in any manner in the event incontrovertible evidence of such illegal misconduct is presented to WWE.”

Aunt Jemima syrup is no more -- 'cause the parent company is retiring the image and name after more than a century, while publicly copping to the fact she's a giant stereotype.

The Quaker Oats Company made the announcement Tuesday, saying they were doing away with Auntie. The company explains, "As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers' expectations."

Aunt Jemima's been a thing for more than 130 years now, and its origins are deeply racist. The character is based on an 1800s "mammy" -- a black servant in a white household.

Specifically, Aunt Jemima is meant to portray a real-life woman named Nancy Green, who Quaker had previously described as a "storyteller, cook and missionary worker" ... but failing to mention she was born into slavery.

There's even more controversy surrounding the brand that's been swept under the rug over the years -- like the name Jemima coming from a minstrel-era song, "Old Aunt Jemima."

For the longest time, the Aunt Jemima brand featured a black woman with a headscarf -- but in the '80s ... Quaker switched up her look to appear more modern, decking her out in earrings and pearls.

In the wake of the civil unrest overtaking the country right now, tons of people were calling for Aunt Jemima to be shelved or re-branded. NBC News was first to report her demise.

BTW, folks are now calling for a handful of other brands to be changed ASAP because of the same issue -- among them are Uncle Ben's Rice and Cream of Wheat. It appears Uncle Ben's has gotten the message.

A rep for the brand said Wednesday, "As we listen to the voices of consumers, especially in the Black community, and to the voices of our Associates worldwide, we recognize that one way we can do this is by evolving the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity.”

It's unclear what the evolution of the brand will look like ... but the rep told HuffPost that all possibilities were on the table.

Every team in the Premier League will wear "Black Lives Matter" threads when the season restarts ... with the powerful message replacing names on the back of players' shirts.

Check out one of the kits posted by Sheffield United on Tuesday ... the unis not only feature "BLM" on the nameplates, they also have a "Black Lives Matter" patch on the sleeve.

Players from all 20 teams came up with the idea to show solidarity with the movement earlier this month ... and will wear the special jerseys for the first 12 games once the season returns from COVID-19 suspension.

The players released a statement on the decision, saying, "We, the Players, stand together with the singular objective of eradicating racial prejudice wherever it exists, to bring about a global society of inclusion, respect, and equal opportunities for All, regardless of their colour or creed."

"This symbol is a sign of unity from all Players, all Staff, all Clubs, all Match Officials and the Premier League #blacklivesmatter #playerstogether."

Seeing live footage of George Floyd's arrest alarmed a 911 dispatcher enough, she called a police supervisor to respond to the scene ... this according to newly released audio.

In phone recordings between the 911 dispatcher and a Minneapolis police supervisor, you hear the dispatcher openly question if the officers needed to use the kind of force she'd seen as she watched live body cam footage from the scene.

The dispatcher says to the supervisor, "You can call me a snitch if you want to but we have the cameras up ... I don't know if they had to use force or not, but they got something out of the back of the squad [car], and all of them sat on this man, so I don't know if they needed you or not, but they haven't said anything to me yet."

The supervisor responds, "Yeah, they haven't said anything yet ... just a takedown, which doesn't count, but I'll find out."

The dispatcher replies, "No problem, we don't get to ever see it so when we see it we're just like, well, that looks a little different, but …" and the conversation ends.

It's unclear if the police supervisor responded to the scene before Floyd was loaded into an ambulance. However, no supervisors were there when Floyd was being killed on camera.

As you know ... the fatal incident started with a 911 call about Floyd allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill, and escalated to accused-murderer Derek Chauvin pinning his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes as he slowly died in front of shocked bystanders recording footage.

The U.S. Open of Surfing -- one of the most famous surf events in the world -- has been canceled over COVID concerns, event officials say.

The USOS -- which reportedly draws hundreds of thousands of people to Huntington Beach, CA every year -- was scheduled to take place between August 1 through August 9.

But now, the plans are off ...

"In light of continued health concerns and current guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Vans US Open of Surfing presented by Swatch has been canceled and will return in 2021," event officials said.

"The decision to cancel was made after careful consideration, with the health and safety of fans, athletes, staff, and the local community remaining the top priority."

Top pro surfers from around the world have competed in USOS events over the years including Kelly Slater, Andy Irons and Sunny Garcia.

The USOS also features skateboarding and BMX events -- it's pretty epic.

The Supreme Court just handed a massive win for the LGBTQ+ community ... after ruling federal law protects gay and transgender people from workplace discrimination.

The Justices announced the landmark ruling Monday morning, and it's really significant. The court ruled the 1964 Civil Rights Act -- which prohibits discrimination, among other things, based on race, sex, national origin -- also applies to sexual orientation and gender discrimination.

What's more ... the vote was 6-3, and Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Trump appointee, wrote the majority opinion.

Gorsuch wrote ... "Today, we must decide whether an employer can fire someone simply for being homosexual or transgender. The answer is clear. An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids."

Translation -- by prohibiting sex discrimination, the law also covers sexual orientation.

The Supreme Court combined 2 cases ... a man in Clayton County, GA who claimed he was fired as a social worker after he became more open about being gay, and a man fired as a skydiving instructor.

The transgender case involved Aimee Stephens, who was fired after telling the owners at the funeral home she worked at about her gender transition. She died in May.

The Trump administration sided with employers, despite the fact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission decided in 2015 gay and transgender individuals were federally protected. This has been a hot-button issue for years because many lower courts have held that sexual orientation discrimination and gender identity discrimination are not included in the protections under the Civil Rights Act.

Now, the justices have ruled that these types of discrimination ARE sex discrimination, so gay and transgender people are protected.

Just last week the Trump administration announced it would erase protections for transgender patients seeking medical care, by narrowing the legal definition of sex discrimination so as not to include transgender people -- a big departure from the Obama administration. Unclear at this point if the SCOTUS ruling would torpedo Trump's effort.

The attorney for George Floyd's family just released a video of the murder, and this clearly shows bystanders begging former-officer Tou Thao to take some action and save the man who was dying before his eyes.

Attorney Ben Crump makes it clear ... "Warning: This is beyond disturbing, even harder to watch than the first video."

The video which Crump says is new -- maybe a slightly wider angle -- and you see more of Thao, who stands impervious to what is going on right in front of his face. Bystanders are imploring him to do something ... to just look at George Floyd lying on the pavement unconscious and realize he's about to die. But, Thao does nothing.

It's an especially powerful video, because it really underscores a basic problem of law enforcement ... that seniority should have no place when the senior officer crosses the line by brutalizing and killing citizens who pose no threat. Until the culture of the police departments fundamentally change -- where NO DEFERENCE is paid to rogue cops, despite their seniority, and de-escalation and proportionality of force becomes engrained -- these murders will not stop.

Bubba Wallace got what he wanted ... NASCAR has officially banned the Confederate flag from all events, starting right now.

"The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry," the org. said in a statement.

"Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sports special."

"The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties."

The announcement comes just days after Bubba -- the only black driver at NASCAR's highest level -- publicly called for a ban, saying there's just no place for them in the sport anymore.

"No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race," Wallace said. "So it starts with confederate flags. Get them out of here."

By the way, Wallace is racing Wednesday night at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia in a car featuring the words, "Black Lives Matter."

Originally Published 1:52 PM PT

Normally idyllic and ritzy Bel-Air looks totally apocalyptic now as a massive brush fire is raging in the hills.

More than 200 L.A. firefighters were on the scene early Wednesday morning near the 405 Freeway as a wildfire scorched at least 50 acres. The brush fire broke out just after midnight in the Sepulveda Pass ... near the famous Getty Center museum.

By 3 AM, L.A. fire officials said they'd made significant progress, although 2 firefighters who helped with the battle were injured and treated at the scene.

There's some relief in sight for firefighters too ... though L.A. temperatures are in the 90s now... they're expected too cool off heading into the weekend.

Still, this Bel-Air blaze is eerily similar to the one that raged out of control back in December 2017. As we reported ... that fire burned just steps away from famous homes and the BILLIONS of dollars worth of art inside the Getty Center.

"Gone With the Wind" is gone no more ... HBO Max is bringing back the 1939 classic but it'll do so by adding historical context and denouncing its racist depictions.

The streaming platform made an about-face mere hours after announcing it would temporarily pull the film from its library. The move came after "12 Years a Slave" screenwriter John Ridley published an op-ed Tuesday in the Los Angeles Times calling for HBO Max to remove a film that puts slavery in a positive light, set in the pre-Civil War South.

HBO Max announced late Tuesday night the original film will be brought back "with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement" of the depictions of slavery.

HBO Max added, "'Gone With The Wind’ is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society." When the movie returns, it'll be "presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed."

It's unclear exactly how the streaming service will add "context."

In his op-ed, Ridley wrote the film "romanticizes the Confederacy in a way that continues to give legitimacy to the notion that the secessionist movement was something more, or better, or more noble than what it was — a bloody insurrection to maintain the 'right' to own, sell and buy human beings."

"Gone With the Wind" won 8 Oscars ... including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Hattie McDaniel would become the first Black winner ... Best Supporting Actress for playing Scarlet's house servant, Mammy.

DeAndre Hopkins is putting serious pressure on his alma mater -- demanding Clemson remove the name of an infamous pro-slavery politician from its honors college ... RIGHT NOW!!!

The NFL star -- who played at Clemson from 2010 to 2012 -- says it's always made him sick to his stomach that his University still honors John C. Calhoun.

FYI, Calhoun was the Vice President of the United States from 1825 to 1832 under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson ... and STRONGLY advocated for slavery.

In fact, Calhoun often described slavery as a "positive good" that helped improve the black race.

Clemson University was built on Calhoun's Fort Hill Plantation -- where the University says he had 70 to 80 slaves.

Well, Hopkins is no fan ... and has joined a movement to wipe Calhoun's name from existence at Clemson.

"Clemson University still honors the name of well known slave owner and pro-slavery politician John C. Calhoun on its buildings, signs, and in the name of its honors program," Hopkins says.

"I felt this oppressive figure during my time at Clemson and purposely do not mention the University’s name before NFL games because of it."

Hopkins is directing people to sign a petition to rename the Calhoun Honors College.

"I urge all Clemson students, football players, and alumni to join us, so the next generation of young Black leaders can be proud of the institution they graduate from."

Clemson’s Honors College was founded in 1962 -- but according to the people behind the petition, Calhoun’s name was not added until 1981.

"To change the name of the college, therefore, is not to 'erase history;' rather, it is to acknowledge that our understanding of history has evolved."

"We demand a more just Clemson. Change the name. Do it now."

Hartley Sawyer just lost his TV job in a flash, after a collection of tweets in which he made racist comments and joked about sexually assaulting women surfaced this past week.

The actor -- who played Ralph Dibny, AKA Elongated Man on "The Flash" for the past 3 seasons -- has been fired by the show over the years-old tweets, which included racist and misogynist language in what appears to a be a poor attempt at humor.

Sawyer's Twitter account has been deleted, but his old tweets began to circulate at the end of May. In one from 2012, Sawyer says ... "The only thing stopping me from doing mildly racist tweets is the knowledge that Al Sharpton would never stop complaining about me."

In another from 2014, he tweets ... "Out at dinner and just exposed myself as a racist, AGAIN."

Many of his former tweets seem to also center around sexual assault and violence toward women, including this in 2012 -- "If I had a wife I would beat the hell out of her tonight lol."

A few more horrific examples, "Ice Breakers: all women should be in sex farms" and "Outside of the 7-11 where I assaulted my ex-girlfriend lol."

This gem, from 2014, had to make his coworkers feel great ... "Enjoyed a secret boob viewing at an audition today."

You get the point ... he HAD to go. The CW and the production companies for the series say they've parted ways with Sawyer for season 7, saying ... "we do not tolerate derogatory remarks that target any race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation. Such remarks are antithetical to our values and polices, which strive and evolve to promote a safe, inclusive and productive environment for our workforce."

Hartley's issued an apology, saying ... "My words, irrelevant of being meant with an intent of humor, were hurtful, and unacceptable. I am ashamed I was capable of these really horrible attempts to get attention at that time. I regret them deeply." He added, "I am incredibly sorry, ashamed and disappointed in myself for my ignorance back then."

NHL superstar Evander Kane is teaming up with fellow pro Akim Aliu to put an end to racism in their sport ... announcing the "Hockey Diversity Alliance" on Monday.

Remember, Aliu -- who has been outspoken about his racist experiences as a black hockey player -- has been leading the charge for change.

Aliu previously called out coach Bill Peters for using the n-word and other top players who physically abused and taunted him due to the color of his skin.

Now, Aliu has formed a team of players to join him in his fight.

"As minorities who play professional hockey, we have come together to create the Hockey Diversity Alliance," the group said in a statement.

Joining Kane and Aliu on the executive committee are Trevor Daley of the Detroit Red Wings, Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild, Wayne Simmonds of the Buffalo Sabres, Chris Stewart of the AFL and recently retired player Joel Ward.

"Our mission is to eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey," the statement says. "We will strive to be a force for positive change not only within the game of hockey, but also within society."

"Although we will be independent of the NHL, we are hopeful that we will work productively with the league to accomplish these important changes. We believe in the importance of accountability in developing inclusivity and diversity for all involved in our sport, including fans and the league office."

The HDA says it will use community outreach and engagement to make the game more accessible to the youth ... as well as teach the hockey community about racism issues in the sport.

"In creating our alliance, we are confident we can inspire a new generation of hockey players and fans."

This is how much the killing of George Floyd has disgusted not just America, but the world ... Black Lives Matter protesters in England destroyed a more than 100-year-old statue honoring a slave trader.

The UK's had a weekend filled with demonstrations, but this one's gotta be the most symbolic. The crowd dismantled a bronze statue of Edward Colston in the shipping town of Bristol ... and taking it down wasn't enough for them.

After using ropes to pull the monument off its base, the protesters dragged it over to the River Avon and tossed into the water ... watching it quickly sink.

The statue had stood in Bristol since 1895 in tribute to Colston, who traded an estimated 84,000 African men, women and children to the Caribbean and North America.

Several petitions have failed to get the statue removed, but the BLM crowd would not be denied and massive cheers went up -- from white people too -- as it sunk to the bottom of the river.