Controversial S#!T

LSU superfan James Carville says the Tigahs are gonna bust Bama's ass on Saturday, despite being without their best player ... which Carville says is due to a league conspiracy.

The #3 Tigers and the #1 Crimson Tide play Saturday in the biggest college football game of the year, and when we got Carville in D.C. he was confident his alma mater, LSU, will pull off the upset.

"We're gonna win."

If LSU does prevail, they'll do so with their best player -- LB Devin White -- being suspended for the first half due to a (BOGUS, RIDICULOUS) questionable targeting call during the Mississippi State game last week.

Carville said the call was more than just a referee error, and actually part of a devious and nefarious conspiracy by the entire conference to keep Bama on top.

"I would trust the Saudi government more than I'd trust the SEC. He (White) is our best player we got, no reason he shouldn't be playing."

Here's the penalty below ... you make the call, BS or not? (Of course, it's BS)

The Manhattan D.A. is having more problems with the Harvey Weinstein case ... the latest being prosecutors have decided NOT to call a critical witness to prove Weinstein had an M.O. of rape.

Sources connected to the case tell TMZ, prosecutors wanted to call Melissa Thompson to the stand. She has claimed Weinstein raped her back in 2011 in an NYC hotel room. Thompson has even filed her own lawsuit claiming she was raped.

We've learned the D.A. is now in possession of emails and a text message they believe call Thompson's credibility into question.

An hour after the alleged rape, Thompson sent an email to Weinstein about a proposed business arrangement. We're told the D.A. feels a jury would find the email troublesome.

Then, on November 8, 2011, Thompson sent a text message to Weinstein, pitching herself as an executive producer on a show. The text message read in part, "Harvey if I do this show can i be an EP? I got 2/3 of the cast."

We're told the D.A. also has a writing from Thompson after the alleged rape, bragging about her relationship with Weinstein.

Thompson released this video of an interaction she had with Weinstein hours before the alleged rape.

This is the latest setback in the D.A.'s case against Weinstein. The lead detective is under investigation for witness tampering and withholding evidence favorable to Weinstein.

Ilana Glazer was forced to cancel a political event Thursday night when cops revealed vandals had left anti-Semitic slurs all over the walls of the synagogue where her event was being held.

The "Broad City" star was about to host a panel discussion with 2 NY State Senate candidates when NYPD let her know they'd found the words, "Kill all Jews" scrawled on a wall inside the Brooklyn synagogue. Cops say they found other slurs as well.

Ilana decided to pull the plug out of caution ... especially on the heels of last weekend's horrific mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Audience members had waited for about an hour in Brooklyn, and Ilana herself came out to address the crowd. She seemed unshaken as she promised there would be other events planned soon, and thanked everyone for coming.

The NFL is finally caving to pressure and booking an ATL-based musical act for Super Bowl LIII, but fans hoping to see local culture in the halftime show will still be disappointed ... TMZ has learned.

The R&B act is a group called Final Draft and, while the Super Bowl is a huge score for them ... they'll be more of a side act at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As you know, Maroon 5 is holding court as the halftime headliner -- a decision many fans and even artists, like Waka Flocka, blasted the league for making.

The feeling is the NFL's missing out on showcasing Atlanta's hugely popular and successful hip-hop scene.

We're told Final Draft will perform at the Players Tailgate party, about 3 blocks away from the stadium. No tickets are needed, just show up and enjoy. The group will also perform later at the GameDay Fan Plaza ... which, at least, is inside the stadium.

Prior to this, Final Draft's big break came on season 12 of "America's Got Talent" where they reached the quarterfinals -- and they've also appeared on Wendy Williams' show.

As we first reported, Cardi B was in negotiations to join Maroon 5 for part of the halftime show. As far as we know, that's still in play.

It wasn't the players taking a knee during the national anthem on "Thursday Night Football" -- it was a 49ers cheerleader.

Right before San Francisco took on the Oakland Raiders Thursday night, one of the women from the squad followed Colin Kaepernick's lead ... and took a knee for "The Star-Spangled Banner."

So far, the woman's identity has not been revealed and neither the team nor the cheerleading squad has commented publicly about it.

Guessing that'll change very shortly.

Of course, the kneeling demonstration BEGAN in San Francisco with Kaepernick. Soon, some of his 49ers teammates (like Eric Reid) joined him. It later spread throughout the league.

Now, Colin is out of the league -- and he believes he's being blackballed because of the protest.

The league had threatened to punish players who didn't stand for the anthem -- but later did away with plans to enforce that policy.

President Trump just drew the line in the sand ... if the immigrants who are marching to the U.S. border throw rocks at our troops they will be shot.

Trump said throwing rocks is like shooting firearms. He noted some of the immigrants in the caravan threw rocks at Mexican troops at the Mexican border, and it hurt some of the troops.

Trump says he hopes our troops won't have to shoot, but he made it clear ... if they throw rocks -- to him, that's a deadly weapon and our soldiers can react with firepower.

The marchers are around 900 miles from the U.S. border.

Kawhi Leonard doesn't talk much, let alone sing -- but Tory Lanez doesn't seem to give a crap ... he wants the Raptors superstar on a track ASAP!!!!

Lanez is from Toronto -- and he's got so much love for what Kawhi's been able to do in his first few games in The 6 ... he's ready for a collab.

"That'd be great," Lanez tells TMZ Sports ... "We should do it. Just 'cause we both in Toronto and we both ballin', right?!?!"

Of course ... nobody knows if Leonard even has the capability to sing or rap (remember when he could barely laugh???) -- but Lanez appears to see that as a minor issue.

BTW ... for as much as Tory loves Kawhi these days -- he tells us the forward will NEVER be as good as Vince Carter ... and ya gotta hear why the rapper is convinced that's a fact.

And, if you want more from Tory, he was recently a guest on Van Lathan's 'The Red Pill' podcast where he talked about another hotly debated basketball topic ... his jump shot.

Kanye West and his team are scoffing at claims his latest Yeezy shoe release didn't sell out because of his politics ... because sales were actually super strong.

West dropped his Yeezy Mauve 700 shoe Saturday, and the product didn't sell out instantly like past releases. Some people jumped online and suggested sales were weak, and they blamed it on his politics.

Sources close to Kanye say the shade is ridiculous, because product volume was up nearly 10-fold compared to releases in the past. Short story -- more shoes moved this time than in previous releases.

As for the Yeezy brand, it's still at the top, and our sources say it was recently valued at several billion dollars, with that number expected to grow by year's end.

Ye announced Tuesday he's out of politics, after saying he was used by Candace Owens. A lot of people thought Kim pushed him to exit politics, but we're told it was really his decision to pull the plug.

Kanye's set for another shoe release Nov. 9 ... we're told that will be a big drop too, and another step in the direction of Kanye's goal -- Yeezys for everybody.

9:50 AM PT -- Kim has apologized for using the word, telling us, "I want to apologize for what I said in a recent video post that is inappropriate and insensitive to the special needs community. I try to learn from my mistakes and this is one of those times. Please know that my intention is always pure, and in this case, it was a mistake. I’m sorry."

Another huge star has offended the special needs community -- this time, it's Kim Kardashian West who used the r-word to insult Halloween party guests who couldn't guess her costume.

Kim dressed up as Pam Anderson to attend Kendall Jenner's Halloween bash Wednesday night -- but was jokingly irritated when she quizzed guests about her costume and they couldn't figure it out.

But, in a video Kim posted -- and has since deleted -- on Instagram to her 120 MILLION followers, Kim used the word "r******d" to describe guests who were too dumb to decipher her Halloween character.

Of course, the problem ... tons of special needs groups have spoken out about the dangers of using the r-word because it essentially uses a serious condition as an insult.

In fact, earlier this week, Shaun White issued an apology after dressing as a special needs character from the movie "Tropic Thunder" for a Halloween party.

Bottom line -- special needs people are not punchlines, insults or Halloween costumes and people like Kim and Shaun should be more understanding.

Kim deleted the video off her IG page, but the internet backlash was immediate. Some comments about the clip ...

"@KimKardashian using the R word on her IG story from yesterday is disgusting. And I really liked her. Watched, followed, bought shit, spent like 3 grand on her game. My brother is an ANGEL sent from Heaven and if you use it generally, you use it ALL THE TIME. Done."

"It's 2018, we don't say the r word anymore."

"Ughh @KimKardashian saying the R word in her IG story made me cringe."

Originally published -- 8:03 AM PDT

With multiple once-promising NFL teams down to emergency QBs -- from the 49ers to the Bills -- Colin Kaepernick's phone is still not ringing ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Bills are turning to Nathan Peterman. The 49ers are considering undrafted free agent Nick Mullens. The NY Giants' backup prodigy Kyle Lauletta just got arrested for allegedly almost running over a cop.

And, with Blake Bortles in trouble in Jacksonville, the #2 quarterback for the Jags is Cody Kessler.

There's more ... but you get the point.

Still, sources connected to Kaepernick tell us while journeyman Matt Barkley (8 career TDs, 18 career INTs) got the call from Buffalo, no one has reached out to Colin (72 career TDs, 30 INTs).

When asked why Buffalo didn't kick the tires on Colin, head coach Sean McDermott said, "I know Brandon [Beane] is always looking at all the different options that are available to us, so we’ll leave it at that."

Whatever that means ...

As we previously reported, Kap is still training like a maniac -- working out and throwing every morning at 5 AM with his trainer.

People close to Colin tell us he's staying ready in case that call comes.

File Under: "Shade????"

Seems like Randy Orton threw some John Cena's way before boarding the plane to Saudi Arabia ... 'cause when we asked how he felt about JC pulling out of the trip, Orton replied, "Does he still wrestle?"

Orton continued, "I didn't know he pulled out."

WWE had promoted Cena as one of the major participants at the 'Crown Jewel' pay-per-view event in Riyadh on Friday, but recently announced he'll be replaced by Bobby Lashley.

Cena is reportedly boycotting the trip over Saudi Arabia's alleged role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Orton had previously told us he feels the WWE should push forward with the event to help make a positive change in the region and "make things better everywhere."

But Wednesday, he admitted money is also a factor -- "I've got 5 kids. I gotta go make that dollar. If they want me in Saudi, I'm going to Saudi."

Orton was joined at Washington Dulles International Airport by stars like Sheamus, The Miz and Big Show.

Sheamus told us he's not worried about the political drama -- he's focused on putting smiles on people's faces.

Similar message from The Miz -- who told us traveling all over the world and entertaining people is his dream come true.

Megyn Kelly has told NBC she will not spill whatever beans she has on the network and the people who work there ... but at a hefty price.

Sources familiar with the negotiations tell TMZ ... NBC offered Kelly $38 million, which the network says represents the balance owed on her contract. As we reported, Megyn was pulling in around $25 mil a year and she was one year and some change into the 3-year deal.

We're told NBC attached a pretty standard string ... a confidentiality agreement. Her lawyer said his client would sign on the dotted line ... for an additional $10 million. We're told NBC told the attorney to pound sand.

NBC definitely has cause for concern ... Kelly wrote a book, "Settle for More," in which she targeted Fox News Channel, and she has been critical of the network since her exit.

We're told settlement negotiations are ongoing.

The Daily Mail first reported the $10 million demand.

Piers Morgan says Kanye West distancing himself from politics -- save one really important issue -- is probably a good idea ... 'cause he thinks Ye's become a laughing stock.

We got the Brit Tuesday night leaving Craig's in WeHo where we asked what he made of Kanye saying his eyes were now "wide open" and that he'd been used to spread political messages he didn't believe in. Piers isn't so forgiving ... telling us Kanye's become a joke.

He thinks it's wise for Yeezy to chill on talking politics, 'cause he says the dude can't make up his mind on where he stands. But, Piers does agree with one thing Kanye appears to be advocating for now ... common-sense gun laws.

If you've got love for Marlon and Shawn Wayans going full whiteface, then feel free to do the same on Halloween ... according to their nephew, who is hysterically tiptoeing around the subject of race and costumes.

We got Damien Dante Wayans outside L.A.'s Sunset Plaza and asked him about 2 specific costume ideas -- "White Chicks" and "Black Panther." DW told us he appreciates people paying homage to his uncles' cult classic flick, but you gotta see his reaction when we brought up "Black Panther."

As our photog put it ... the Marvel movie was huge this year, and lots of people -- black, white and otherwise -- are feeling inspired. Well, Damien seems to be giving Panther costumes a thumbs-up too ... verrrry nervously, though.

Just watch. The takeaway -- put whatever on your face today, but do it respectfully.

10/31 -- Candace says she never once said Kanye designed the t-shirts for BLEXIT ... calling it a lie. She added, "This is a lie that seems to have made its way around the world; a lie I would like to again correct for the record. Kanye was completely right to feel used in that regard and as I have done personally, I would like to publicly apologize to him for any undue stress or pain the effort to correct that rumor has caused him, his business relationships, or his family. He simply never designed them."

Candace also said Kanye's tweets were "aimed at me and only me, rightfully, for my personal failings."

4:15 PM PT -- Kanye contacted us to make it clear he did not mention Donald Trump in his tweets, and he's getting out of politics altogether.

As for being "used" ... he says he was specifically referencing Blexit, and that's it.

Kanye West says he's been used by people to spread political messages and he's now done with it.

Kanye just fired off a series of tweets apparently distancing himself from politics. He said, "My eyes are now wide open and now realize I've been used to spread messages I don't believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative."

Kanye all but says the culprit is ultra-conservative Candace Owens. He said, "I introduced Candace to the person who made the logo and they didn't want their name on it so she used mine. I never wanted any association with Blexit. I have nothing to do with it."

Owens had said, "Blexit [black exit from Democratic Party] is a renaissance and I'm blessed to say that this logo, these colors, were created by my dear friend and fellow superhero -- Kanye West."

Ye went on to thank his family and community for "supporting my ACTUAL beliefs and my vision for a better world." He also expressed compassion for people seeking asylum and parents fighting to protect their children from violence and war.

And, he said he supports common-sense gun laws.

Kate Hudson's catching some flak for dressing up as a follower of Bhagwan Rajneesh -- the cult leader in the Netflix docuseries, "Wild Wild Country" -- but one of his former disciples LOVES it.

We talked to Philip Toelkes -- who used to go by Swami Prem Niren when he served as the top attorney for the controversial Rajneeshpuram in the '80s -- and he tells us Kate and her friends were well within their rights to celebrate the group.

Kate faced backlash online after posting the pic, apparently at a Halloween party, because some people felt she was glorifying the "cult."

Let's face it ... Rajneeshees will be a hit Halloween costume this year -- with the popularity of the Netflix series -- and Phil says he's totally on board with that. He also thinks Bhagwan -- aka Osho -- would be too, as long as it's respectful.

Phil also took aim at the haters, who say the Rajneeshees almost ruined a way of life for many Oregonians, saying they never understood their movement.

On the other hand, the mayor of Antelope, OR -- which had been overrun by the Rajneeshees -- tells us, "They plotted to assassinate someone. How friendly would others be if [someone] dressed up as a terrorist for Halloween?"