Controversial S#!T

No matter how much of a train wreck this Lakers season has been, resting LeBron James just simply ain't an option ... so says Caron Butler, who tells TMZ Sports "that's a sucker way out."

The debate kicked off when Jay Williams went on ESPN's "Get Up!" to say Magic Johnson needs to wave the white flag with the Lakers so far out of the playoff race -- starting with benching the King.

FYI -- making the playoffs would pretty much be a miracle at this point. The Lakers are 30-34 and have little momentum leading into the final handful of games.

Butler says it doesn't matter if the Lakers are 5 games out of the playoff or 50 games -- the Lakers CANNOT rest Bron.

"Absolutely not, no. He's still gon' play," Tuff Juice says, "Think about the years with Kobe Bryant and those guys weren't playing well. Kobe still was out there he still was hoopin', he was balling."

It's true ... Kobe didn't make the playoffs for the final 4 years of his career and everyone survived. Caron says he's got an alternative that could satisfy both sides.

"(You'd be) cheating the fans, maybe give him limited minutes ... but you can't just say I'm shutting him down because we didn't exceed expectations."

Butler goes as far as to say trading ANYONE -- including LEBRON JAMES -- is on the table when the team's losing.

And since LBJ has said there's no way he will sit out games (unless he's injured) ... chances are he'll pass Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list if he scores 13 points tonight.

We asked Caron -- who just so happens to be calling the game -- about the milestone ... and whether it'll finally put him above the G.O.A.T.

Joycelyn Savage will finally be reunited with her family, and R. Kelly's team is actually making it happen.

The Savages' family attorney, Gerald Griggs, tells TMZ ... a new member of R. Kelly's team, who the family had not spoken to previously, agreed to arrange for Joycelyn to meet with her family members face-to-face sometime early next week.

Griggs says the agreement is tentative for now, because they haven't locked down a specific date, time or location ... but we're told they're looking at Monday or Tuesday. Griggs also tells us the Savages made it clear they wanted to meet in a neutral city outside of Chicago.

If the meeting does take place -- and the Savages believe it will -- we're told they plan to bring a psychologist along to evaluate Joycelyn.

Joycelyn's parents and siblings had a conference call with her Wednesday, just hours before R. Kelly was arrested for failing to pay back child support. A lot of people are saying Joycelyn sounded like she was reading from a script during the conversation. However, she maintains that she's fine, happy and exactly where she wants to be.

The potential meetup is HUGE news, considering the Savages have been trying to move mountains to get some face time with their daughter after years without direct contact.

Joycelyn is alleged to be one of R. Kelly's "sex slaves," and we're told the change of heart might have something to do with the fact that R. Kelly's legal sitch isn't looking good.

Kylie Jenner's not ready to take Khloe Kardashian's lead and open the door to forgiveness for her ex-bestie, Jordyn Woods ... at least, not yet.

Sources close to both women tell TMZ ... their relationship is far from being repaired because they've barely communicated with each other since Tristan Thompson cheated by kissing Jordyn.

We're told Jordyn still hasn't picked up all her stuff from Kylie's guest house or made arrangements to do so -- partly because of the silent treatment, but also because Kylie's been dealing with her own issues with Travis Scott.

Our sources say Kylie has been hanging with other friends at her pad -- many of whom joined her for that roller skating party with KJ's sisters. No, Jordyn didn't get an invite.

For those holding out hope for a reconciliation, there's some encouraging news. We're told the ex-BFFs have texted a bit, and as we reported ... Khloe slightly extended an olive branch Saturday, tweeting that Tristan was to blame -- not Jordyn.

Woods did take some blame for her role in the scandal last week on her "Red Table Talk" interview ... but denied outright cheating with Tristan.

It might have helped mend the fences with the Kardashians a little bit, but for now ... Kylie needs more convincing.

Roseanne Barr's struggling to find the right words to clarify her controversial comments about the #MeToo movement, but what she told us about victims probably won't help smooth things over.

We got Roseanne at LAX Tuesday night ... she tells us she didn't mean to imply ALL women who claim they've been sexually assaulted are hos, but added ... there are some who aren't describing reality in their allegations.

Roseanne says rational thinkers get it, but she believes she's being targeted and taken out of context. Then she drops this -- "I think there's a lot of women that shouldn't be going to their boss's hotel room at 3 AM for career advice, and if your daughters don't know that much you better educate them. That's not what you do."

She also asserts that sexual assault victims should go to police immediately -- not 15 years later -- but says this doesn't apply to kids ... and there are different rules for Hollywood women. Watch the clip and decipher.

As we reported ... Roseanne stirred up the controversy this weekend on Candace Owens' podcast when she suggested women who don't run out of the room when powerful men try to take advantage of them are doing sexual favors for Hollywood gigs, and "ain't nothing but a ho."

BTW -- Roseanne also tells us she misses her TV show and wants it back, and believes she'll get justice someday. In the meantime ... she says nobody's going to shut her up.

Paris Jackson isn't swayed by the allegations levied against her father in "Leaving Neverland" -- and firmly believes Michael Jackson was not a child molester.

Sources close to Paris tell TMZ ... she hasn't seen the explosive new documentary, and contrary to reports, she was not offered the chance to see it before it premiered at Sundance.

We're also told she's not the least bit torn or conflicted about its content -- Wade Robson and James Safechuck's graphic description of their alleged molestation at Jackson's hands.

Reaction to the project has been intense and passionate -- on both sides -- with even the almost universally beloved Oprah catching flak for her interview with the accusers.

The Jackson family as a whole has been outspoken about their anger over the documentary -- and Tito's son, Taj Jackson, told us he thinks Robson's making it all up for revenge.

Interestingly, Paris' mom, Debbie Rowe, is also avoiding it. Our sources say she doesn't see a point in watching 'Neverland' because Michael's been dead for years.

Fair to say, Michael's family is taking a united stance.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib is doubling down on supporting Rep. Ilhan Omar, saying she isn't anti-Semitic ... and raising an eyebrow at how their party's handling such accusations.

We got the Michigan Congresswoman leaving Reagan National Airport Tuesday, one day ahead of Nancy Pelosi's expected introduction of a resolution denouncing anti-Semitism.

Tlaib calls the Speaker's move "unprecedented" -- suggesting the resolution is exactly what many have called it ... a very public rebuke of Rep. Omar for her comments about Israel and Palestine.

Omar has been very vocal in her defense of Palestine. She suggested Jewish-American politicians have dual loyalties when discussing the topic -- and saying debate and criticism of Israel is often dismissed with accusations of anti-Semitism.

Rep. Tlaib tells us it's obvious "we all very much oppose all forms of hate." Her point seems to be there's NO other reason for Pelosi's resolution than chastising Rep. Omar ... even though Pelosi's measure makes no mention of Omar's name.

Tlaib urged all Americans to watch Rep. Omar's remarks and judge for themselves.

"Leaving Neverland" is pissing off Michael Jackson fans and detractors so much ... cops are now paying extra close attention to the singer's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the heated controversy surrounding 'Neverland' isn't lost on officers in Hollywood. We're told LAPD is doing extra patrols in the area -- just as they did when Donald Trump and Bill Cosby's were at their height.

In addition to the extra cops, we're told there are surveillance cameras monitoring MJ's section of the Walk of Fame at all times.

As you know ... the doc debuted on HBO this week, and its graphic molestation allegations against MJ are causing a huge stir.

So far, we're told there have been no issues with MJ's star, and cops don't have any specific intel suggesting anyone's planning to vandalize the plaque.

The bottom line here is cops want to make it clear they're watching, so if you're even thinking about making a statement at Michael's star ... think again.

Fabolous just struck a plea deal in his domestic violence case ... and he'll avoid jail time.

According to the Bergen County, NJ Court ... the rapper will enter a pretrial intervention program. This is generally offered to first-time offenders. Fab's attorney, Brian Neary, tells TMZ ... the charges will be dismissed as long as he completes the program and keeps his nose clean for a year.

Neary says Fab must give the court a status update once a month. He also doesn't need to take part in any therapy or anger management courses.

Huge ... considering Fab faced up to 20 years behind bars.

TMZ broke the story ... a grand jury indicted Fabolous back in October 2018 on 1 count of domestic violence with significant bodily injury, 2 counts of threatening to kill and 1 count of possession of a weapon ... a pair of scissors.

The indictment stemmed from a physical altercation -- captured on video -- between Fabolous and Emily B, the mother of his 2 kids. That Fabolous scored a deal's not surprising ... considering Emily's father -- whom Fabolous also allegedly threatened -- patched things up a day after the incident.

Michael Jackson's music really is a powerful thing, and you can tell from the look on Fat Joe's face when he even thinks about watching "Leaving Neverland."

We got Joe outside Spago in Bev Hills Monday night, and while he expressed his love for MJ, who he calls "the greatest ever" ... he admitted he hadn't seen the HBO documentary yet. But, he IS going to watch, and it's obvious he's going in with mixed emotions.

He agrees there should probably be another documentary telling Jackson's side. As for whether the King of Pop's music goes the way of R. Kelly -- Joe, at least, highly doubts it ... even after the disturbing allegations.

We also got Stevie Wonder at LAX, and he suggests it's time to leave Michael alone. For now, he's choosing to focus on MJ's music and his "legacy of inspiration."

D.L. Hughley's takeaway from the Michael Jackson documentary is that WE as a society need to take a hard look at what we let incredibly talented celebrities get away with ... often in plain sight.

We got the comedian outside Guastavino's in NYC Monday night, and instead of questioning how "Leaving Neverland" affects Jackson's legacy -- he went off on people who allowed him to do what's alleged in the doc.

D.L. says no matter what side you're on, MJ's behavior with young boys was disturbing and wouldn't have been tolerated if he was Joe Schmoe ... with no talent or wealth.

If this sounds familiar ... it's because D.L. hasn't hesitated in the past to put MJ in the same box as R. Kelly.

8:58 AM PT -- Travis has reactivated his Instagram account.

Ain't a damn thing going down in Travis Scott's DMs -- he deleted his Instagram purely to prove his devotion to Kylie Jenner after she found some suspect messages.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Kylie found a number of what she deemed "overly friendly" DMs between him and several women with whom he'd been chatting. We're told KJ saw the messages as "evidence" to accuse him of cheating.

We're told Travis maintains the DMs didn't amount to anything more than innocent flirting, and he didn't act on anything. However, he decided the best way to prove his commitment to Kylie and Stormi ... was to just get rid of IG.

That strategy seems to have staved off a full breakup, for now, as Kylie hasn't pulled the plug on their relationship -- despite being incredibly pissed when she first found the DMs last week.

Travis has clearly been trying to make amends with his baby mama, going so far as to shout her out in concert as his "wifey." We're told he's been working behind-the-scenes, as well, to make things right, and is begging for forgiveness. He doesn't want this to torpedo their love.

Our sources tell us he is flying back home more often now, even while he continues to tour.

Kylie's been keeping her distance, though, preoccupying her time with girlfriends and retail therapy ... so only time will tell if she fully takes him back and can get past this.

As for his Instagram -- don't worry, Insta-fiends -- we're told La Flame will reactivate his account once things are patched up with Kylie, which he's hoping will happen sooner than later.

Originally Published -- 12:50 AM PT

Bebe Rexha's fully reconciled with her pops after a father-daughter dinner -- that was cute as hell -- but she admits the peace treaty could be tentative.

The Brooklyn-born singer was hand-in-hand with Dad, Flamur Rexha, Monday night as they walked into Trattoria Trecolori in Midtown Manhattan. We asked 'em if this was a peace-brokering meal, and Bebe assured us it was. Papa Rexha cosigned.

Remember ... Bebe high-tailed it back home to NYC last week to have a chat with her dad after he freaked out over the sexy imagery in her new "Last Hurrah" music vid. She posted a screen grab of a text he'd sent her ... and her fans went HAM on Dad for his criticism.

Bebe then stood up for him, firing off warning shots to her followers, telling one of our photogs ... "Don't talk s**t about my dad!"

Unclear if they got the message or not, but it looks like Mr. Rexha talked it out with his kid, and now they're all good. Yay!!!

As for how he feels about the video that pissed him off in the first place -- Bebe tells us Dad's all good, at least until the next one.

And, if ya think he's edgy about her music videos, you've gotta see Bebe tell us how he feels about her dating. Pay attention, fellas ... Papa bear don't take no mess!

Snoop Dogg meant no disrespect to African-Americans when he said the struggling Lakers oughta go away on a "slave ship" -- but he did mean to vent about ALL of his favorite teams sucking.

Sources close to the D-O-Double-Gizzle tell TMZ ... the rapper's trash talking -- taken by many as racist -- was totally a heat of the moment thing. We're told the rapper turned on his phone, and impulsively unloaded about his Lakers' embarrassing loss to the last-place Suns.

As we reported ... Snoop went all scorched Earth, saying, "Ship all them n***as out. Get a slave ship, and ship all them sorry mother f**kers the f**k outta here!"

Despite much of the public reaction to Snoop's rant -- our sources were clear ... the rapper doesn't have a single racist bone in his body, especially against his own race.

We're told the die-hard Lakers fan was -- like most fans -- pissed about possibly missing the playoffs, even with LeBron James. It's also a little insult to injury for Snoop ... he's also a Steelers fan and they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

It appears ICE has chosen the wrong dude to mess with, because 21 Savage is making it clear -- he's got nothing to lose.

21 was spotted leaving a meeting Monday in L.A. and his hoodie read, "nothing to lose." Unclear if the message speaks to his current legal situation -- the rapper is facing deportation -- or if he just liked the look.

What's more ... the hoodie is from Topman -- a UK based company -- where we recently learned 21 was born.

As we reported ... 21 Savage is in the clear on a previous felony warrant but is dealing with much bigger problems on his plate, like battling Trump's administration and its immigration policies.

Savage is free on bail pending a deportation hearing. And, it looks like the man means business. But, we knew that already.

Michael Jackson's nephew is bashing Wade Robson -- one of MJ's accusers in "Leaving Neverland" -- claiming he's only changing his story for revenge over a job ... one he didn't get.

Taj Jackson came on "TMZ Live" Monday, and he started slamming the MJ accuser over his molestation allegations in the HBO documentary. According to Taj, Robson wanted a gig with the Cirque du Soleil show, "Michael Jackson One."

As you know ... Wade claims MJ molested him when he was a young boy, and he goes into graphic detail in the new doc. But, Tito Jackson's son says Wade's only coming forward now because he didn't get the Cirque job.

Taj adds ... Wade's changed his story several times, and he suspects money is motivating him to say the things he says in 'Neverland.'

Oprah Winfrey is getting inundated with hate-filled messages from Michael Jackson fans ahead of her big interview with his accusers from "Leaving Neverland."

Oprah's interview with Jackson accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck is set to air Monday night on HBO after Part 2 of "Leaving Neverland." Excerpts have already been released ... and, clearly, the content is pissing off MJ's most passionate followers.

In a clip from the interview taped Wednesday, Oprah says "Leaving Neverland" transcends Michael ... and speaks to a larger societal issue regarding sexual abuse. She doesn't say whether she believes Robson and Safechuck -- both of whom have previously testified MJ never molested them.

The interview alone has still been enough to trigger this kind of Internet hate.

One user posted, "If karma is real after @Oprah is laid to rest, which I hope is many years from now, ppl will come out of the woodwork to lie on, betray and besmirch her name the way it is being done to Michael Jackson. And ppl she once let into her inner circle will lead the way."

Another tweet reads, "@Oprah you're disgusting... a cheap mercenary.. karma will punish you.. #MJInnocent @michaeljackson we will fight for you."