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Nick Cannon's firing back at ViacomCBS after it dropped him for making anti-Semitic comments -- and he's now claiming it's the media giant that's being divisive, not him ... and he has a list of demands.

"The Masked Singer" host responded to Viacom's decision Wednesday morning, saying, he's "deeply saddened" the company "misused an important moment for us to all grow closer together and learn more about one another" and, instead ... he claims it's trying to "make an example of an outspoken black man."

Cannon vows to not be bullied or silenced, and says Viacom "does not understand or respect the power of the black community."

As we reported, Viacom cut bait with Nick over his comments on his podcast "Cannon's Class" ... where he openly espoused Anti-Jewish, and clearly divisive, rhetoric from Minister Farrakhan. He got a ton of backlash online, and then Viacom dropped the hammer, but Nick alleges the pot's calling the kettle black.

Cannon says ... "I honestly can’t believe that Viacom has such poor council that would allow them to make such a divisive decision in the midst of protests and civil uprising within our current pandemic. Truly an unwise decision."

He goes on to say he hoped his comments could lead to reconciliation and he could "use this moment to show healing and acceptance" ... but claims Viacom has no interest. He also accuses the media giant of banning all advertising that supported George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

Nick acknowledges he's had an incredibly successful past with Viacom -- including his Nickelodeon days and the creation of 'Wild 'N Out,' but says the company is "now on the wrong side of history."

He did apologize "if I have furthered the hate speech" ... but also makes it clear he's gonna fight for "full ownership of my billion-dollar 'Wild ‘N Out' brand that I created, and they will continue to misuse and destroy without my leadership! I demand that the hate and back door bullying cease and while we are at it, now that the truth is out, I demand the Apology!"

Judge Judy is stepping away from her longtime television show and calling it quits with CBS -- and TMZ has learned a big reason has to do with a war with the network.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... Judy and CBS have been feuding for quite some time, and it largely has to do with the former head honcho of the network, Les Moonves, no longer working there. A new regime has taken over ... and we're told they and Judy just haven't been seeing eye-to-eye on a lot of things she and Les were square on.

Specifically, we're told Judy was being shut down left and right on possible new shows she developed ... something we're told was she'd be able to do under her latest contract with them, but hasn't been realized after Moonves was ousted in 2018.

Remember, Judy had just struck a monumental deal with them the previous year -- selling her "Judge Judy" library for a reported $95 million, with an end date of 2020-2021. She was already producing the show "Hot Bench," and was said to be developing other projects as well under CBS, like the court drama "Her Honor" which woulda been based on her life.

It's unclear if that show ever took off -- there've been no new developments on it since 2016 when it was reported to be in the works. Probably just one example of why we're hearing Judy was fed up with CBS and the relationship just fell apart.

As such, she's hanging it up and CBS and will ride out this last season, which marks 25 years on the air. She's already working on another show, "Judy Justice," which will NOT air on CBS.

While Judy's been gracious in public about the split -- including a pleasant appearance on 'Ellen' -- we're told there's no love lost between her and the network. You could probably tell us as much with the statement she issued upon the news breaking.

Judy said, "I am looking forward to a banner 25th anniversary season. CBS has been a fine partner for 20 plus years. They have decided to monetize their 'Judge Judy' library of reruns." Then came the parting shot ... "I wish them good luck with their experiment."

Tony Romo's staying put at CBS ... and the network's rewarding him handsomely by making him the highest-paid NFL analyst in TV HISTORY!!!

The former Dallas Cowboys QB is reportedly set to earn a whopping $17 million per season. The two sides struck a deal Friday ... before ESPN got its chance to lure Romo, who is regarded as the NFL's best analyst, perhaps ever.

The New York Post was first to report the figure. The outlet's also reporting the deal's for "significantly more than five years," which could mean the entire deal may be worth more than $100 MILLION. The Sports Business Journal says CBS Sports confirmed locking Romo to a new deal but would not comment on terms.

Romo, who was in his final year of a 3-year deal, reportedly made $4 million last season. Over at FOX ... its lead NFL analyst, Troy Aikman, reportedly makes around $7.5 million per season. John Madden was previously the highest-paid analyst with a deal that paid him $8 million per year. And if you factor in an adjustment for inflation, that would still only put Madden's number at $14 million per year.

For a little more perspective ... Romo's highest single-season earnings in the NFL came in 2013 when he made $26.5 million, which included his signing bonus. He made over $127 million in 14 seasons with the Cowboys.

Snoop Dogg is issuing a public apology to CBS anchor Gayle King after ripping her for the Kobe Bryant interview ... and he wants to hash things out in private.

Snoop just issued his mea culpa to Gayle, saying the way he came at her with a profanity-laced social media rant was out of line.

As you know ... Snoop went nuclear on Gayle last week, heavily criticizing her for an interview she did with WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, which included a question and follow up about Kobe's 2003 sexual assault case.

Now, Snoop admits he was wrong for lashing out at Gayle -- who says she's getting death threats for the Kobe question -- and he says he overreacted because he was rife with emotions and angry at her line of questioning.

Snoop says he was just trying to defend Kobe because Mamba can't defend himself, but he regrets the way he expressed his feelings.

As for why the change of heart ... Snoop says his mom gave him some sage advice. He added ... "2 wrongs don't make it right."

In his initial rant, Snoop called Gayle a "funky dog head bitch" and asked her, "How dare you try to tarnish my motherf***in' home boy's reputation, punk motherf***er? Respect the family and back off, bitch. Before we come get you."

Snoop Dogg says he was NOT threatening CBS anchor Gayle King over her Kobe Bryant interview -- but the record shows he did make a somewhat threatening comment.

The rapper took to IG Saturday to clarify a video he posted a few days ago criticizing Gayle for an interview she did with WNBA player Lisa Leslie. Snoop made what many perceived as threats against her, but now ... he claims he didn't and means her no harm.

Snoop says he's a non-violent person and was raised better than that. He insists he was only speaking on behalf of people who felt disrespected by Gayle's interview and was only going from the heart. Snoop says all he wanted to do was point out she was out of line.

What's interesting is that he claims he never threatened her -- and only told her Kobe's fans were "watching" her -- but his own words seem to contradict him here.

What Snoop said verbatim ... "Funky dog head bitch. How dare you try to tarnish my motherf***in' home boy's reputation, punk motherf***er. Respect the family and back off, bitch. Before we come get you." This came after a tirade against Gayle coming after black men, but not being as enthusiastic to grill people about Harvey Weinstein (in Snoop's eyes).

Maybe he was speaking figuratively, but the fact is ... "come get you" can be seen as a threat, even if it isn't meant seriously. Regardless, the criticism appears to have opened the floodgates for others who've allegedly made death threats against Gayle.

Gayle herself came out and said the clip was taken out of context from a much longer and wide-ranging interview, and that she felt CBS had screwed her by releasing a clip showing just that part where she pressed Lisa about the rape claim against Kobe.

While Gayle feels the clip was unfairly represented, it doesn't take away from the fact she did push Lisa about that topic -- and felt it was, in fact, appropriate to do so in the moment.

Gayle King doesn't seem surprised in the least that R. Kelly's ex-girlfriend is now confessing she lied to the CBS anchor, but more importantly ... she wishes her well in her recovery.

We got the longtime news personality Saturday night in Miami and asked about Azriel Clary recently giving a tell-all interview to The Sun ... in which she completely flips on R. Kelly and says she lied to Gayle back in March of 2019 while characterizing their relationship.

GK says it's not a bombshell to learn about the confession -- sounds like she didn't believe her at the time, even though Azriel was very forceful in denying any misconduct.

Check it out ... Gayle tells us what she wants for Azriel going forward, and it looks like Azriel's well on her way to getting to a good place as she reunites with her fam.

Ariel Winter's 10-year-old niece can't stop, won't stop ... following in her aunt's footsteps, 'cause TMZ's learned she's landed another Hollywood gig that pays her BIG time.

Skylar Gray landed the role of Lila in CBS's new show, "Evil" ... but her contract is anything but that. According to her minor's contract. obtained by TMZ, Skylar had her network test back in March ... which she clearly nailed, because she's getting $17,500 per episode!!!

Remember, she's only TEN years old. Screw lemonade stands, right?

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri told Gayle King the app does NOT eavesdrop on private conversations ... but she called BS to his face.

Mosseri told King Tuesday on "CBS This Morning" it's straight-up dumb luck when an ad for something a user had just discussed in a private conversation uncannily shows up on their Instagram feed. Mosseri said IG doesn't look at users' messages or listen to their microphone.

But, check out the clip ... Gayle blasts Mosseri. And, when she asked if the same thing happens to him, Mosseri ... well, check it out -- it's super awkward.

There's paranoia among users that Instagram -- which is owned by Facebook -- spies on users to gather ad-targeting information. The suspicions come just over a year after Facebook suffered a massive blow in consumer confidence following the Cambridge Analytica scandal ... when it was revealed Facebook allowed the third-party service to collect user data without consent.

The man they call the "Serbian Michael Jordan" has essentially been BLOCKED by the International Basketball Federation from playing the BIG3 -- and Ice Cube is FURIOUS!

In fact, Cube is calling officials "chicken sh*t" for standing in the way of the player's American dream.

The man at the center of the controversy is Dusan Bulut -- AKA Mr. Bullutproof -- the top-ranked 3-on-3 basketball player in the world. He's an absolute stud. He's even got his own signature move, the Shammgod Nutmeg.

Bulut is from Serbia -- but he's currently under contract with a team in Abu Dhabi in a league that's overseen by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

Despite the fact Bulut WANTS to play in the BIG3 -- and was DRAFTED this year -- FIBA officials told him if he breaks his contract with the Abu Dhabi team, he'll face a 24-month ban from international competition, which would prevent him from competing for Serbia in the 2020 Olympics.

Earlier today, Bulut withdrew from the BIG3 because of the threat -- and Ice Cube ain't happy about it.

"We want him to play, but FIBA is threatening that he won't be able to be eligible for the Olympics," Cube told us ... "I think they're scared."

Cube says the league is considering its legal options -- but notes, "We want to do whatever Bulut wants to do. We want to get him in the BIG3, but we don't want to mess up his chances to be in the Olympics."

He summed it up this way ... "I think FIBA is being chicken sh*t."

Meanwhile, Cube and the BIG3 are pushing forward with the 2019 season, which kicks off June 22 at the Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit, live on CBS.

Tim Tebow has it all -- pro baseball career, 2 TV gigs AND an upcoming marriage -- but tells us what fulfills him the most has nothing to do with sports or being in front of a camera.

We had Tim on Friday's "TMZ Live" to talk about "Million Dollar Mile" ... his new competition show on CBS. He was just walking off the field from a spring training game with his NY Mets squad -- which got us wondering about which of his many, many jobs he finds more satisfying.

His answer was pure Tebow. You gotta see what he said about his Foundation and the work he's doing to change lives. Even if you weren't a fan from his NFL and U. of Florida days -- ya gotta admire him when ya see this.

Don't get it twisted, though, Tim's ALL IN for "Million Dollar Mile" too. The show, which premieres next week, is executive produced by none other than LeBron James -- and Tebow's not only the host ... sounds like he's head cheerleader. He explained why he needed some extra care during taping.

Gotta hand it to the guy -- he's juggling a lot professionally, and don't forget ... he also has to find time to plan a wedding with fiancée Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters.

R. Kelly has a bizarre reason for going on national TV to address the sexual abuse allegations against him ... his "spirit" wanted him to speak his truth.

Sources close to the singer tell TMZ ... R. Kelly sat down with Gayle King because he is in constant touch with his "spirit" and tends to listen to it more than the people around him. He also said he felt he owed it to himself and his fans to break his silence and tell his side.

Of course, Kelly quickly went off the rails in the CBS interview -- his first public comments since being arrested on 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse -- shouting in Gayle's face, exploding at the cameras, calling his accusers liars and wearing his emotions on his sleeve.

We're guessing his spirit didn't tell him to do all that.

After the interview aired last week, many viewers thought it was all an act, some felt he was having a mental breakdown and others used the emotional soundbites to make fun of Kelly on social media.

But, we're told R. Kelly gives "zero f***s" about how he's being portrayed, and he can't be bothered by the public's reaction ... that's not, however, apparent from the CBS interview.

A famous stuntman working on CBS' "MacGyver" reboot had a motorcycle jump on set go horribly wrong ... and land him in the hospital.

Regis Harrington pulled the jump Wednesday while shooting a scene in Atlanta ... but a source on set tells us he lost control upon landing. We're told he was immediately rushed to Atlanta Medical Center, where he was under observation in the ICU for a back injury.

The good news is, Regis -- a seasoned vet who's performed stunts for movies like "Logan," "Jurassic World," and "Captain America: Civil War" -- tells us he's gonna be okay.

We got ahold of him on Thursday and there was no bitterness over the stunt gone wrong.

In fact, Regis says he made a mistake while riding ... and he gave the "MacGyver" crew full props for handling the accident with care and professionalism.

CBS confirmed a stunt performer felt pain in his back after a motorcycle stunt and was "transported to a hospital for diagnostic testing."

Regis told us he'd already been released.

3/6 9:20 AM PT -- We got Gayle Wednesday leaving CBS Studios in NYC just hours after the network released her explosive one-on-one interview with R. Kelly. Our photog asks her point blank if she feels like R. Kelly was telling her the truth, and more importantly ... whether she thought she was in danger when he stood up and started shouting.

Check out her answer -- she says she thinks R. Kelly has "selective amnesia." And, it sounds like there's a reason why she was able to remain so poised when R. Kelly lost his s***.

3/6 8:35 AM PT -- We spoke with Joycelyn Savage's father, Tim Savage, in Atlanta who says after watching the interview, he fears for his daughter's life. He also says the behaviors exhibited by Kelly during his sit-down with Gayle are clear signs of an abuser.

The Savage family also spoke with Joycelyn after their presser and they all crowded around the phone to speak with her. Joycelyn, however, insisted she is exactly where she wants to be, and does not consider herself a victim.

3/6 6:08 AM PT -- CBS just aired the part of the interview where Kelly gets up and shouts ... he yells he's fighting not only for his own rights, but to have a relationship with his kids too. There were also claims Kelly was abused as a child, and that's why this has all happened ... Kelly denies it.

Attorney Michael Avenatti ain't buying Kelly's emotional interview. Remember, Avenatti uncovered the new sex tapes which led to prosecutors charging Kelly last month -- and Tuesday night he told us the singer's only crying crocodile tears now ... 'cause he's going to prison.

R. Kelly was distraught talking about the recent allegations against him and pleading for people to believe he's innocent ... shouting, "I'm fighting for my f***ing life!"

Kelly sat down with Gayle King Tuesday in his first interview since he was arrested on 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse. King presses Kelly on the recent allegations, and clearly hits a soft spot when asked if Kelly has ever held women against their will.

The singer explodes, looking directly into the camera and urging viewers to believe it's all lies. Kelly points to his past -- cases in which he's been accused of inappropriate sexual acts -- as proof he'd never commit a crime again, knowing all eyes were on him.

At one point, Kelly begins to sob, saying, "I'm fighting for my f***ing life!"

As we reported ... Kelly was taken into custody February 22 in Chicago and spent several days behind bars before coming up with his $100,000 bail. Upon his release, the singer hit up a local McDonald's. He's also still on the hook for nearly $200,000 in child support.

The full interview will air Wednesday morning on "CBS This Morning."

Lolo Jones is unloading on Ryan Lochte -- fellow Team USA Olympian and 'Big Brother' housemate -- blasting him as an Olympic disgrace ... for no real apparent reason.

Lolo just wrapped up her stint on "Celebrity Big Brother" -- where she and Lochte seemed to get along for the most part. Lolo finished in 3rd place. Lochte was 10th.

But, when a couple of people on Twitter criticized her being a "sore loser" while praising Lochte, Jones fired back by ripping the swimmer and his arrest scandal in Brazil during the 2016 Games.

Here's how the exchange went.

Fan #1: "Who would’ve thought that Ryan Lochte would finish #CBB looking like the most mature and gracious Olympian on the show? I used to like Lolo as an athlete, but now I can’t stand #locoLolo"

Fan #2: "Maybe the difference is Ryan actually wins medals at the olympics while LoLo loses at the games. She needs anger management and to stop being a sore loser."

Lolo: "I also don’t get escorted out of the Olympic games either or lie about a whole country."

Boom.

Question is ... why? After Lochte was eliminated early in the show, she griped to other houseguests that Olympians should stick together. So, why turn on Lochte now?

Donald Trump -- the man who complained the NFL was eliminating too many big hits -- admits tackle football is "a dangerous sport" and he'd have a "hard time" allowing his son to play.

POTUS sat down with CBS News' Margaret Brennan who asked Trump if he would allow 12-year-old Barron play football if he wanted to.

"It’s very, it’s a very tough question," Trump said ... "It’s a very good question. If he wanted to? Yes. Would I steer him that way? No, I wouldn’t."

When asked to elaborate, Trump said, "I just don’t like the reports that I see coming out having to do with football -- I mean, it’s a dangerous sport and I think it’s really tough."

He added, "I thought the equipment would get better, and it has. The helmets have gotten far better, but it hasn’t solved the problem."

"So, you know I hate to say it because I love to watch football. I think the NFL is a great product, but I really think that as far as my son -- well I’ve heard NFL players saying they wouldn’t let their sons play football. So ... it’s not totally unique, but I would have a hard time with it."

Back in 2017, Trump complained that the NFL "ruining the game," by calling too many penalties on big hits.

Leave it to Anthony Scaramucci to leave the 'Big Brother' house in a surprise twist ... just like his shocking exit from President Trump's White House.

The Mooch wasn't really a house guest, because he bounced from "Celebrity Big Brother" after less than a week ... and, as it turns out, Scaramucci was actually part of a bigger plot twist.

Scaramucci revealed his true purpose Friday, surprising the rest of his celeb pals when he revealed he was never a real contender for the $250,000 grand prize.

With all the celebs gathered in the living room, Scaramucci appeared on TV -- rocking a suit in front of an American flag backdrop -- and delivered the shocking news.

The Mooch said he was leaving his mark on 'Big Brother' ... just as he did at the White House. As you know, Scaramucci was ousted as White House Communications Director after an infamous 11 days on the job.

While Scaramucci's exit was a shock to the 'Big Brother' house guests, everyone else knew it was coming ... because he made a surprise appearance Wednesday in Switzerland, where he talked about his experience on the reality show.