Controversial S#!T

The new Netflix series "Our Planet" is pissing off some viewers distraught about graphic images of walruses falling to their deaths -- but the studio is standing behind the filmmakers and the disturbing scene.

In case you haven't heard, Netflix dropped the multi-episode series Friday. It documents the effects of climate change on wildlife around the globe. One episode focuses on Russian walruses that are dying off due to receding ice levels.

In covering the epidemic, filmmakers recorded several walruses scaling rocky cliffs near the ocean, and some of them fell over the ledge ... leaving them seriously injured or even dead from the impact.

The scene left tons of viewers traumatized.

Some critics accuse the producers of emotional manipulation and twisting facts ... and that includes some zoologists and prominent environmentalists, who claim the walrus scene is out of context.

For instance, Dr. Susan Crockford went public this week saying the walruses filmed for this scene were falling off the cliff to escape polar bears ... not because climate change is reducing their natural icy habitat. Patrick Moore, the co-founder of Greenpeace, backed that up too.

Worth noting the clip doesn't show any polar bears, and you also don't see any of the walruses attempting to flee a predator.

Netflix is standing firm behind what they say is a documented fact -- that walruses are being forced to gather on land because there's less ice available ... which leaves them in unfamiliar, dangerous territory.

Additionally, Netflix tells us the "Our Planet" team worked with a seasoned Russian biologist who's worked on that stretch of coastline -- and with those walruses -- for 35 years.

10:35 AM PT -- Well, prosecutors did exactly what we reported early Tuesday morning. Since Lori did not cop a plea, the U.S. Attorney went to a Federal Grand Jury to get an indictment, adding charges of money laundering. This now DRASTICALLY increases the amount of time Lori and her husband would get as a minimum recommended sentence.

Specifically, the U.S. Attorney says, Lori, her husband and 14 others will now be charged with the additional crime of "conspiring to launder the bribes and other payment in furtherance of the fraud by funneling them through [Rick] Singer's purported charity and his for-profit corporation."

The money laundering charge alone carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

This means if Lori and her husband now want to plea bargain their cases, instead of a minimum range of 2 to 2 and a half years in prison ... prosecutors would recommend to the judge a MINIMUM RANGE OF 4 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS UP TO 5 YEARS AND 11 MONTHS.

There's also a very technical rub. Theoretically by charging CONSPIRACY to money launder, the minimum sentence could go even higher -- way higher.

Short story ... prosecutors are out for blood.

Lori Loughlin and her husband are in a way worse position than Felicity Huffman ... because the huge amount they allegedly paid in bribes to get their daughters into USC could land them in prison for 2 YEARS MINIMUM ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the case tell us ... all of the parents in the college cheating scandal have been offered plea deals, but prosecutors will only accept pleas with prison time attached.

As we reported, Felicity copped a plea Monday, along with 12 other parents. The remaining 37 individuals charged -- including Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli -- have been offered plea deals, with varying recommendations for prison sentences, largely determined by the amount they paid in bribes and whether they accept responsibility for what they did.

Felicity's plea would enable her to serve as little as 4 months in prison. The problem for Lori and Mossimo is that they paid $500,000 to allegedly bribe the crew coach, and the amount raises the MINIMUM PRISON SENTENCE IN A PLEA DEAL TO A RANGE OF 2 TO 2 1/2 YEARS.

Our sources say prosecutors have given all defendants an ultimatum ... reach a plea deal QUICKLY or else they will go to a Federal Grand Jury and add charges, including money laundering, which significantly raises the low end of prison time.

Lenny Dykstra has taken his war with ex-Mets teammate, Ron Darling, to court -- suing the former pitcher for painting him as a foul-mouthed racist in his new book.

Darling recently published "108 Stitches: Loose Threads, Ripping Yarns and the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game" ... which features stories from his playing days.

But, Dykstra says a story about him mercilessly taunting Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd -- a black pitcher -- during the 1986 World Series is pure BS.

In the book, Darling says Dykstra got in the on-deck circle and unleashed a racist tirade at Boyd in an effort to rattle him.

Darling describes the incident as "the worst collection of taunts and insults I'd ever head -- worse, I'm betting, than anything Jackie Robinson might have heard his first couple times around the league."

Dykstra claims the story is not true -- and says several black teammates including Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden and Kevin Mitchell have all vouched for him.

Also, Dykstra says Boyd himself has publicly denied knowing anything about Dykstra shouting racial taunts at him.

In his suit, filed in New York state court by attorney Matthew Blit, Dykstra is demanding damages for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Dykstra says the false allegations in the book "forever diminish Mr. Dykstra, stalk him, and preclude him from unknowable professional and personal relationships and benefits."

Dykstra is also asking the judge to issue an injunction -- which would in essence block sales of the book.

Comedian Luenell is absolutely furious at Chris Darden and going nuclear on him ... saying he's worse than an "Uncle Tom" for defending Nipsey Hussle's alleged killer.

We got Luenell outside Katsuya Monday night in Hollywood, and took her temperature on Darden putting himself in the center of another high-profile case in the African-American community. She makes it crystal clear ... "most of the people in my community, we're appalled" Darden has signed on to rep Eric Holder in the murder case.

Check out the vid ... Luenell doesn't mince words, calling the former O.J. Simpson prosecutor everything from a Judas to a race traitor to a bitch -- to name just a few of the gems she dropped.

It's clear Luenell's still heated over Darden's role in O.J.'s murder trial. On top of that, Darden is NOT getting her vote for Daddy of the Year -- she's livid Darden's daughter is getting harassed as a result of his decision to take Holder's case.

MLB legend Joe Torre is joining the protest against the Sultan of Brunei -- yanking his big charity dinner from the Sultan's Hotel Bel-Air over disgusting anti-gay laws in the tiny Asian country.

Brunei has enacted horrific new laws in which gay sex is punishable by stoning to death. Several huge stars and companies are now boycotting businesses owned by the Sultan of Brunei, which include the Hotel Bel-Air.

Torre's annual Safe at Home Foundation L.A. Dinner event had been scheduled to take place on April 25 at the Hotel Bel-Air, which has hosted the event for years.

But, that streak is over ... TMZ Sports has learned Torre's foundation has already moved the event to the Sunset Tower Hotel because they do not want to do business with Hotel Bel-Air until the laws in Brunei change.

The move comes after 2 other big foundations -- The Special Needs Network and The John Wayne Cancer Institute -- moved previously scheduled galas out of the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is also owned by Brunei's ruler, Hassanal Bolkiah.

As for Torre's dinner -- the event raises money for Joe's charity which supports children who have witnessed or experienced violence in their homes. It's a good cause.

Kodak Black is getting the boot from T.I.'s music museum in Atlanta ... fallout from Kodak's disgusting comments about Lauren London.

As you can see, the Trap Music Museum is removing its Kodak Black art installation ... cutting ties with the rapper only days after he showed extreme disrespect to Nipsey Hussle's grieving girlfriend.

As we reported ... Kodak pissed off a ton of people when he said he would give Lauren a whole year of "crying and s***" before shooting his shot. Kodak's horrible comments didn't sit well with anyone, and T.I. was one of the first celebs to rush to her side.

T.I. and Lauren go way back ... they starred together in the 2006 movie "ATL." Lauren played Tip's love interest in the film.

T.I. opened the museum back in September, and it shines a light on Atlanta's music culture and the artists who helped shape trap music into its own sub-genre, including artists like 21 Savage, Rick Ross, Gucci Mane, Shawty Lo and Future.

Rep. Ilhan Omar isn't retreating after receiving a death threat from a Donald Trump supporter or even continued attacks from the Prez himself ... who, by the way, she's praying for.

We got the Minnesota congresswoman at Reagan National Airport Monday after a tumultuous weekend, during which a man was criminally charged for threatening to kill her, and the President himself put her on blast again at an event in front of Jewish Americans.

Our photog asked how she's holding up, and Rep. Omar seems to be keeping it together ... telling us she sees more importance in showing up to work than ever.

She also drops an interesting tidbit about how she's dealing with Trump's renewed accusations of anti-Semitism. Rep. Omar's appealing to a higher power -- something she alluded to on Twitter ... but hits home here with us.

As we reported ... Rep. Omar has come under fire these past few months for comments that many people labeled as anti-Semitic. The increased scrutiny has required extra security at events she's attended lately.

Chris Darden repping Nipsey Hussle's alleged murderer is having repercussions he might not have seen coming, so says the guy's daughter ... who's now getting harassed.

Jenee Darden -- one of Chris' adult children -- posted a statement on IG Sunday, saying she's been receiving "vile" comments and messages ever since the news broke last week that her dad was serving as Eric Holder's defense attorney.

Darden pled not guilty on behalf of Holder after he was charged with murder, but his mere presence in the courtroom took many people aback ... as he'd previously served as one of the prosecutors on the O.J. Simpson case, which he lost.

Jenee says there's been tons of backlash aimed at her because of Chris' recent decision to rep Holder, which she says is unwarranted ... because her father is a grown man and picks the cases he wants to take on. She says she has no say on any of that.

She also says she found about Chris' involvement in the case like everyone else ... scrolling through social media.

More interestingly, Jenee appears to be siding with Nipsey and his grieving family over her own father ... saying she grew up in a community similar to Nipsey's and understands why it's hit so hard for so many people to lose a mighty figure like him to a senseless murder.

Jenee goes on to say that the folks who are attacking her online should channel their energy toward continuing Nipsey's legacy by strengthening communities and continuing to uplift one another.

10:22 AM PT -- Big Boy from 92.3 the REAL just came down hard on Kodak Black, saying he won't tolerate disrespect like this toward royalty in Nipsey Hussle and Lauren London. BB says hip-hop culture has a tendency to look the other way on moments like this, but he argues that has to change ... and that people from the community have to hold one another accountable, including Kodak. It doesn't sound like Big Boy is committing to not playing Kodak's music on the airwaves like Justin Credible did, but he does say he hopes this helps change minds going forward about ya say about who.

Check out his full statement above.

Kodak Black apologized for something he clearly should not have done in the first place ... disrespected Lauren London, the grieving girlfriend of Nipsey Hussle.

Kodak went on IG Live Saturday with his mea culpa, though somewhat half-hearted. He said he was sorry for disrespecting her, "even though I didn't."

As you know ... on Saturday a video circulated of Kodak calling Lauren "that baby" and "whole widow out here." He went on to say he was willing to give her a year of "crying and s***" before making a move on her.

Justin Credible from Power 106 in L.A. tweeted the station was "appalled by the disrespectful and poor comments" and they would no longer play his music.

Former welterweight championship boxer Andre Berto told us Saturday in Bev Hills, what Kodak did was super disrespectful, because Nipsey Hussle's murder was so fresh, and Kodak would serve himself well by staying out of L.A.

In Kodak's "apology," he did say Nipsey inspired him to do more in his community.

As we reported, there will be a huge memorial service for Nipsey -- who was murdered a week ago Sunday -- at L.A.'s Staples Center.

Jussie Smollett is trying to return to normalcy as best he can after a whirlwind saga in Chicago ... and that includes mundane tasks like taking trips to the post office.

We got photos of Jussie hitting up a post office in Van Nuys this week ... and you can see just how average his life is becoming.

Folks who were there tell us Jussie was determined to keep a low profile ... he had a woman stand in the passport line for him for over an hour, saving his spot before it was his turn at the counter. Then it was time to sit down with a postal employee.

It's interesting ... when he was arrested February 21 and charged with 16 felonies, he was required to surrender his passport.

It's one of the first times we've seen Jussie in public since the embattled "Empire" actor landed at LAX ahead of the NAACP Awards, where he was the butt of a ton of Chris Rock jokes even though he didn't show. He popped up in the San Fernando Valley this week too, but was quiet as a mouse.

Even though Jussie is trying to get back to normal, he's about to get sued by the city of Chicago for the cost of investigating the "attack."

George Clooney's call for a boycott of hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei is gaining traction ... because the Beverly Hills Hotel just lost 2 big gigs as a result of the protest.

The Special Needs Network and The John Wayne Cancer Institute are both pulling out of previously scheduled galas at the Beverly Hills Hotel ... and it's all because the hotel owner supports killing gay people by stoning.

SNN's signature spring event -- the 11th Annual "a pink pump affair // a Celebration of Women" -- was scheduled for May 19 at the swanky hotel ... but they're moving the fundraiser to the Beverly Hilton. Tons of celebs and politicians attend every year.

Meanwhile, the JWCI is moving its 34th Annual Odyssey Ball -- scheduled for May 4 -- to the Montage Beverly Hills.

These are huge blows for the hotel, and big wins for Clooney's boycott, which covers the 9 hotels owned by Brunei's autocratic ruler, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The Asian nation recently implemented capital punishment on proven gay citizens.

R. Kelly is trying to get some cash in the bank, but before what seems to be one of his first paid events in a while ... he's already getting ahead of potentially bad optics.

The embattled R&B singer took to Instagram Saturday to record a video of himself in front of what appears to be his Trump Tower residence in Chicago. He says he's gonna be at an event tonight in Springfield, IL ... one that's gonna line his pockets, apparently.

R. Kelly asks the media for a big favor -- to "take it easy" on him, as this is one of the few ways he can make money at the moment. In the clip, he says if and when the media sees him in the club with a couple drinks in his hand -- which presumably means photos or video of this will be leaked at some point -- just know he's only there to collect a check.

It sounds like R. Kelly was anticipating his appearance getting out to the public, and wanted to get ahead of a bad look of him partying in the middle of a serious criminal case. It's unclear where exactly he'll be Saturday night ... he didn't mention the venue by name.

As we've reported ... R. Kelly's been stuck between a rock and a hard place financially these past couple months, with people having to put up major dough not once but TWICE to get him out of jail. He's partially blamed his ex-wife for hindering his ability to make a living.

Kodak Black doesn't seem to care that Lauren London just lost Nipsey Hussle to a brutal murder, 'cause he's already contemplating when and how to holler at her.

The Florida rapper posted a video to his IG Live, which began getting circulated Saturday -- and it shows KB hanging out with some buddies of his and openly talking about Lauren like a piece of meat that he wants for himself in the wake of Nipsey's death.

Check out the clip -- he calls Lauren "that baby" and a "whole widow out here," while also musing that he'll be the best man he can be to nab her next. He says he's even willing to give her a whole year of "crying and s***" before he makes any potential moves on her.

One of his friends asks if Kodak's shooting his shot, but he says he isn't ... he insists he's just being friendly, and wouldn't mind being a shoulder for her to lean on. Kodak also says she "can call my line."

Keep in mind ... it's been less than a week since Lauren's long-term partner and father to her child was gunned down in his own neighborhood. She said she's lost at the moment without him.

Michael Avenatti has roped Zion Williamson into his Nike bribery allegations -- suggesting the shoe company paid the basketball star's mom to get him to go to Duke.

Avenatti tweeted out the accusation Friday night, writing ... "@DukeMBB - About this denial by Coach K the other day relating to payments by Nike...Can you please ask Zion Williamson's mother - Sharonda Sampson - whether she was paid by @nike for bogus 'consulting services' in 2016/2017 as part of a Nike bribe to get Zion to go to Duke? Thx."

The celeb attorney elaborated on his insinuation by saying in a follow-up tweet, "I almost forgot - long day - @DukeMBB can you also have your close friends at @Nike check their Nike Vendor Portal for payments to “Sharonda Sampson Consulting”. Just search 2016 to the present. Appreciate it." He didn't specify how much Nike allegedly paid her.

Avenatti went on to release a document dump of bank statements and memos on Saturday that he claims outlines Nike's alleged payments to high school basketball stars. Interestingly enough, alleged payments to Zion's mom are not included in the attachment.

Nonetheless, Duke Basketball is clearly taking the allegation seriously, as they issued a statement Saturday saying they were aware of Avenatti's claim and were "looking into it" while also adding, "Duke is fully committed to compliance with all NCAA rules and regulations."

It's interesting ... Zion has rocked Nike a lot since getting on the Duke squad, even after one of his PG 2.5 PE kicks blew out in a huge game against North Carolina earlier this year. ZW went on to wear Kyrie Irving's signature Nike shoe upon returning from injury.

Avenatti has implicated multiple basketball stars in his recent bribery claims, including Deandre Ayton and Bol Bol. Of course, Avenatti was indicted by the feds for allegedly attempting to extort Nike to keep all this info under wraps ... something Avenatti denies.

Dwyane Wade hasn't responded to Paul Pierce's bold claim that he had a better career than the Heat vet -- but he might not need to ... 'cause Gabrielle Union's got it handled.

Wade's wifey took to Twitter Saturday to put the retired Boston Celtic-turned broadcaster in check after he went on national TV Friday night to say he had a stronger run in the NBA than the Flash of Miami -- while also going on to speculate he'd have more championships under his belt if he had the help Dwayne had through the years, like LeBron and Shaq.

Paul got obliterated on social media, 'cause the fact is ... D-Wade has, for the most part, a better resume all-around than PP -- more All-NBA Teams, First Teams, All-Defensive Teams, more PPG and on and on. Plus, Dwyane has more ships ... period.

Gabrielle chimed in with her own two cents as well, saying Paul was obviously wrong for so many reasons but went on to point to what she saw as a larger issue ... hatin' just to shine.

Mrs. Wade-Union wrote, "[W]hat I find most troublesome is this idea of a man trying to diminish another man that looks like him, was raised like him, in order to shine a tad brighter. Sh*t isnt entertaining, it's sad."

Jussie Smollett was a man of no words as he left an office building Friday in the San Fernando Valley.

Jussie was leaving the Warner Center in Woodland Hills in the PM when he was asked about the civil lawsuit the City of Chicago intends to file against him to recover the $130k cost of investigating the alleged attack.

The Empire actor's lawyer, Mark Geragos, went on and on how the City was maliciously defaming his client, suggesting they would file a lawsuit of their own, but Jussie was mum.

Jussie's in a box on this one ... he has been so strong proclaiming his innocence, settling with the City for ANY amount would be off script, despite the fact a settlement is often made to minimize the enormous costs of trial.