Controversial S#!T

Madonna is slamming a journalist who she claims -- despite faking it as an “intellectual feminist” -- completely botched her Madge profile, and made the icon “feel raped” by the process.

Madonna didn’t pull punches as she went off on the NYT profile that was released Wednesday, calling it “further proof that the N.Y.T is one of the founding fathers of the Patriarchy.” She states that she is sorry she spent even 5 minutes with the author, and that it “makes me feel raped. And yes I’m allowed to use that analogy having been raped at the age of 19.”

She points out how obsessed the author was with her age, even titling the article “Madonna at 60,” and rages at the fact that would never have been a factor if she were a man.

Madge doesn’t stop there, she also explains how she invited the author – Vanessa Grigoriadis – into her inner sanctum for MONTHS to work on the article, only for her to focus the attention on “trivial and superficial matters such as the ethnicity of my stand in or the fabric of my curtains.”

The final point of the social media tirade is that, while it was a female reporter who attempted to profile the music icon, her work – Madge believes -- is a shining example of how the patriarchy is “woven deep into the fabric of society.” She argues she’s a strong, independent woman, and this female reporter just couldn’t handle it.

One point of the article that Madonna didn't take issue with specifically, was the recounting of her experiences in Hollywood, particularly with disgraced studio mogul Harvey Weinstein, whom she said "crossed lines and boundaries" when they worked on her 1991 documentary, "Truth or Dare." Madonna told the magazine Harvey had been "incredibly sexually flirtatious and forward with me when we were working together."

She added, "I was aware that he did the same with a lot of other women that I knew in the business. We were all 'Harvey gets to do that because he's got so much power and he's so successful and his movies do so well and everybody wants to work with him, so you have to put up with it.'"

Chris Jackson -- one of the actors in Ava DuVernay's new series about the Central Park 5 -- says it's up to viewers to decide how accurately they portrayed real people ... but most importantly, he wants viewers to be inspired.

Chris was out in NYC Wednesday when we asked him why he wanted to be a part of "When They See Us," and aside from the obvious -- working with Ava -- he says the story was too important not to tell.

As for the backlash against key figures in the case, specifically Linda Fairstein, he says it can't make up for the 5 boys being falsely convicted -- or the ordeal the Central park jogger, Trisha Meili, had to endure.

Chris played the attorney for Raymond Santana -- one of the 5 -- and says he doesn't believe filmmakers have to be married to ALL the facts when retelling real incidents. He says above all else, they're storytellers -- and viewers should do their own research to get ALL the details.

As we've reported, the Central Park jogger case has been a hot button issue this week due to "When They See Us," and Fairstein's taken the brunt of the backlash.

Many folks, including Santana and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, believe her reckoning is overdue.

Federal marijuana legalization is just around the corner, and the trail to legal weed will be blazed by President Trump ... so says former U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher.

The longtime Republican Congressman from SoCal was on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to talk cannabis, because Rohrabacher -- who's now invested in the weed industry -- says his former cohorts on Capitol Hill are already working on legislation to allow all Americans toke legally.

Rohrabacher told us why 2022 is going to be the magic year for chronic lovers -- and remember, he served 30 years on the Hill ... so, he knows what he's talking about when it comes to the inner workings of Congress.

The ex-Congressman became a marijuana champion during his tenure in D.C. and recently became a board member for BudTrader.com ... an online cannabis distribution platform.

It sounds like both sides of the aisle could come together in the name of ganja ... Rohrabacher predicts Trump will work with Congress to pass pot legislation.

The saying "silence speaks volumes" couldn't be more true for Linda Fairstein and her book publishers, who've signaled where they stand on the uproar against her ... by remaining silent and doing nothing.

Despite a massive amount of backlash and scrutiny that's forced the D.A.'s former lead investigator on the Central Park Five case to resign from boards of directors -- there have been no consequences for her in the publishing world, where she's made a killing.

TMZ has reached out to multiple people at both Penguin Random House and its subsidiary, Dutton -- two publishing companies that have peddled her 14 novels -- but we haven't heard a peep.

An online push to boycott her publishers and distributors erupted when the Netflix series, "When They See Us" -- about the CP5 case -- premiered last Friday.

We've reached out to 6 different people at both PRH and Dutton, including reps from Linda's literary agency, ICM Partners -- but still ... radio silence.

It's interesting ... Fairstein resigned from her leadership positions at nonprofit Safe Horizon as well as from Vassar College after immense outrage over her role in wrongfully prosecuting and securing convictions against the then-teenagers ... which is captured in Netflix's new "When They See Us."

She was even publicly rebuked by Glamour Magazine, which said it was a mistake to give her the Woman of the Year Award in '93 ... adding they wouldn't do it again.

Still, despite all that ... nothing seems to have changed on the book front, which is where the initial outcry began this weekend. You'll recall ... many, many people called for retailers to yank Fairstein's novels from their shelves, which CP5 exoneree Raymond Santana was down with.

Republicans and Democrats have just reached across the aisle to agree on one thing ... STOP STEALING NICKNAMES, TOM BRADY!!!!!

TB12 reportedly filed for a trademark a few days ago for the name, "Tom Terrific" -- the same nickname Tom Seaver made famous back when he was pitching for the Mets in the '60s and '70s.

A bunch of people have blasted the Patriots legend for the move ... and now, both Republican AND Democrat congressmen are ripping the guy too!!!

We got New York reps Peter King [R] and Tom Suozzi [D] out at Reagan Airport this week and they both dumped all over Brady ...

"I feel like Tom Brady, it's bad enough he's deflating footballs, now he's deflating his reputation," King says ... "There's only one 'Tom Terrific' and that's Tom Seaver."

"Brady should stay up in New England."

Added Suozzi, "He's a Republican. I'm a Democrat. And, we both agree there will always only be one 'Tom Terrific' -- Tom Seaver is the man."

10:05 AM PT -- We've now obtained video of the incident in which it's clear to see David is the one jawing at Nathan before he drives off ... you can also see him "flip the bird" during his exit.

Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, rolled up on her ex, Nathan Griffith, to talk some smack after the latest custody hearing -- a move that could trigger a restraining order ... against David.

Jenelle's baby daddies came face-to-face Tuesday in the Columbus County Courthouse parking lot in North Carolina ... right after the troubled couple wrapped up the hearing. Nathan was chatting with our guy when Jenelle and David drove by.

Check out the audio ... you hear our photog notice people in the vehicle recording video, and then realizes it's David and Jenelle. You hear David ask Nathan, "You hanging out with the paparazzi?"

A short exchange ensued before the couple drove off ... but not before David flipped the bird. Nathan said the encounter would prompt him to file a restraining order -- though nothing's been filed yet.

It was just the latest confrontation outside the courthouse after a long day in court. As we first reported ... Jenelle and her mom, Barbara, also had a testy exchange.

Barbara insinuated the only reason Jenelle's being so motherly with her 2-year-old daughter, Ensley, is because cameras were rolling. Jenelle shot back saying Barbara blocked her number.

As we reported ... Nathan showed up with his and Jenelle's 4-year-old son, Kaiser. It's unclear if 9-year-old Jace made it to court. Jenelle and David enrolled in couples therapy in an attempt to get their kids back. David will also undergo a psych evaluation to determine what is at the core of his anger issues.

As you know ... all of Jenelle's kids were removed after a judge decided there were serious issues with the couple that put the kids at risk. Jenelle, however, has remained by David's side.

President Trump wants to make it perfectly clear -- he didn't say Meghan Markle IS nasty ... he said she WAS nasty when she spoke negatively about him.

The Prez was interviewed by Piers Morgan on "Good Morning Britain" Wednesday during his 3-day trip to the UK, and Piers pressed him on his thoughts about the Duchess of Sussex and asked whether he thinks she is, in fact, "nasty."

Trump says no, and explains he didn't know Markle had spoken badly about him in the past ... but he's not surprised. He says when he found out he responded, "Wow, I didn't know she was nasty" ... but meant to essentially say, "I didn't know she was nasty about me."

Got that? Watch the clip ... judge for yourself.

Regardless, the Prez says he hopes Meghan enjoys her life and called her "very nice" before pointing out he doesn't actually know her ... and slamming the media for embellishing the "nasty" controversy.

Then, Piers asked the big question -- was it awkward meeting Prince Harry in the midst of the hullabaloo? Not at all, according to Trump ... but he admits he never addressed the topic with Meghan's royal hubby. He says Harry couldn't have been nicer, though ... and he thinks he's great.

Meanwhile, Trump used his time over the pond to insult Hollywood royalty on Twitter -- Bette Midler. Wonder how it would go if Donald ran into her husband?

Linda Fairstein's presence on a nonprofit's board shocked some members of the org, but long before she resigned ... there were some who wanted her booted because they knew about her history with the Central Park 5 case.

TMZ spoke with a handful of former and current members of Safe Horizon -- the New York-based org that helps victims of abuse and violent crimes -- and they said Linda's position on the board of directors was known to be heavily criticized by many staffers.

We're told the disapproval dates back to at least 2016.

We're told a number of staffers had complained, and even went through proper channels all the way up to the CEO, only to be ignored time and time again.

The main gripe was Fairstein didn't represent Safe Horizon's values -- specifically, assisting abuse victims who are predominantly people of color. They felt her role in the CP5 case could undermine their work and image.

Remember, Fairstein was one of the lead investigators for the prosecution on the 1989 case. She's long been criticized for allegedly coercing false confessions out of the 5 boys ... leading to their convictions. That's a central plot in the Netflix series, "When They See Us."

Although they were exonerated by DNA evidence in 2002 ... Linda, to this day, maintains they did it.

We're told another issue for Safe Horizon staff was Linda's link to the Harvey Weinstein scandal when it broke in 2017. She was one of many high-level attorneys Weinstein met with through the years ... allegedly to influence the Manhattan D.A.'s Office -- where Fairstein used to work -- to drop sexual misconduct cases against him.

Sources close to Weinstein tell us he never retained Fairstein as an attorney and was simply asking his longtime friend for "off the record advice" on how to handle one particular allegation against him.

Again ... we're told their concerns of Safe Horizon employees fell on deaf ears.

5:19 PM PT -- A rep for Safe Horizon tells us, "After careful consideration, Lina Fairstein has made the difficult decision to resign from the Safe Horizon Board of Directors. We thank her for her decades of pioneering work on behalf of victims of sexual assault and abuse. For more than 40 years, Safe Horizon's top priority has been empowering victims and survivors."

The statement continues, "We believe every victim deserves access to safety and support and will continue working toward that reality."

2:37 PM PT -- Fairstein has just resigned from her position on the board with Safe Horizon, but also insists she's the one who's been done wrong by the Netflix series, "When They See Us."

Fairstein sent a letter to Safe Horizon saying the program "depicts me, in a fictionalized version of events, in a grossly and maliciously inaccurate manner."

The NY Post first published details from Fairstein's letter, in which she said she was leaving Safe Horizon's board to avoid becoming a "lightning rod to inflict damage on this organization."

However, she took a parting shot, saying the group's CEO "declined to meet with me to learn the truths behind the inflammatory and false narrative depicted in a movie."

She also described the #CancelLindaFairstein movement as a "mob-mentality reaction."

Linda Fairstein, a key figure in the wrongful prosecution of the Central Park 5, is facing a new backlash -- the nonprofit organization she worked on for nearly 20 years wants her canceled ... TMZ has learned.

Ever since Ava DuVernay's Netflix series, "When They See Us," debuted over the weekend, Fairstein has been feeling the heat. She was head of the Manhattan D.A.'s Sex Crimes Unit in 1989 when the 5 boys were convicted ... and her role in coercing confessions is sparking renewed outrage.

Sources at Safe Horizon -- a nonprofit aiding victims of abuse and violent crime in NYC -- tell us its staffers are incensed the former prosecutor's been allowed to remain on the board for so long, considering her checkered past.

We're told the animosity began when the CEO held a meeting on May 21 where nearly 100 directors were informed about the Netflix drama and Fairstein's connection to it.

We're told some staffers didn't even know Fairstein was on the board of directors, and when they found out tempers quickly flared. Many questioned why she was allowed on the board of an organization that mostly serves minorities.

Felicity Huffman plays Fairstein in "When They See Us" which documents her controversial role in getting the 5 boys -- all black or Hispanic -- to confess, under heavy duress, to the 1989 rape and attack of a Central Park jogger.

We're told Safe Horizon staffers accused Fairstein of racism and demanded her immediate dismissal, but the CEO asked for time to evaluate.

Our sources say a majority of Safe Horizon's directors are fed up, and plan to take legal action this week to get Fairstein 86'd if the CEO won't do it.

As we first reported, Central Park Five exoneree Raymond Santana believes Fairstein -- who became a successful author -- is finally getting what she deserves. That includes the growing boycott of her books and publishers.

As he puts it, "Even if it's 30 years later, she has to pay for her crime."

2:08 PM PT -- Fairstein just resigned from the Board of Trustees at Vassar College in New York.

Linda Fairstein, a central figure in the wrongful prosecution of the Central Park 5, is facing even more fallout ... Glamour magazine says they messed up when they honored her as their woman of the year.

Fairstein was Glamour's Woman of the Year in 1993 ... only a few years after she helped convict the Central Park 5 as head of the Manhattan D.A.'s Sex Crimes Unit.

On Tuesday, Glamour issued a scathing rebuke of their decision to honor Linda ... saying, "Unequivocally, Glamour would not bestow this honor on her today."

Linda is getting crucified on social media in the wake of Netflix's new show about the case and its aftermath ... and some people are now directing their hate toward Glamour, calling the mag out for promoting "When They See Us" ...yet staying silent on Fairstein until finally caving Tuesday to mounting pressure.

TMZ broke the story ... Fairstein is facing huge backlash in the wake of Ava DuVernay's new Netflix show, and a nonprofit organization Fairstein worked with for nearly 2 decades wants to force her out.

As we first told you ... Central Park 5 exoneree Raymond Santana told us he believes karma is finally catching up to Fairstein, who became a successful author of children's books and mysteries -- with people calling for a boycott of her books and publishers.

Fairstein has been silent ... making no comment since "When They See Us" debuted last weekend.

Pete Rose is NOT the best player missing from baseball's Hall of Fame ... so says The Hit King himself, who tells TMZ Sports a Chicago White Sox legend is!!

"Joe Jackson," Rose says.

Pete made the revelation to us out in NYC on Tuesday morning -- surprisingly not saying his own name. So, we had to ask ... why?

"Well," Rose responded ... "Do you know who he is?!"

For those unfamiliar, Shoeless was a stud outfielder back in the early 1900s ... batting a career .356 while helping the Sox win the 1917 World Series.

Of course, Jackson famously was involved in the Black Sox Scandal -- where Chicago players allegedly accepted money to throw the 1919 World Series -- and he's been banned from the Hall ever since.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she's thrilled the Central Park 5 is getting a renewed spotlight, because it's starting a much-needed convo about injustice ... especially for young people of color.

We got the New York congresswoman Tuesday on Capitol Hill, where we asked about the controversial case that played out in her own backyard in 1989, and the fact it's being depicted in Netflix's new show, "When They See Us," all these years later.

AOC -- who, btw, wasn't born until 6 months after the Central Park attack -- said she's ecstatic the wrongfully convicted men are having their story told in a thoughtful and captivating way.

She added it's one of many cases that illustrate how the criminal justice system all too often fails black and brown youths.

She took a swipe at President Trump too, who infamously took out a giant newspaper ad days after Trisha Meili, the Central Park jogger, was attacked. The ad called for the death penalty to be reinstated in New York, and publicly convicted the 5 boys before their trial even began.

1:46 PM PT -- Young Thug has broken his silence about a video that shows his young daughter behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, and he seems to be putting the blame squarely on the adult his kid was with in the clip.

YT writes, "Never would I put my child's life in danger nor anyone else's life,i am out of town that video is clearly in Atlanta." He goes on to say, "I am a very safe man, especially when it come down to my kids. I am very smart, last thing I'm looking for is clout/fame I have both."

He finishes by adding, "Plus she (his daughter, we assume) wouldn't dare even ask me could she drive a car... But it'll be handled 'expeditiously.'"

It's unclear who his child was with during the joy ride, as Young Thug doesn't mention anyone specifically. Presumably, though, the kid was with her mom ... and it sounds like papa's gonna have a convo with someone about pulling stunts like this in the future.

8:50 AM PT -- A source close to Young Thug says his daughter was with her mother and driving just outside her home in Georgia. We're told no one else was in the area and she only drove for a short time ... less than 30 seconds. Young Thug was not aware of the situation.

One of Young Thug's young daughters -- who seems to be under 10 -- drove a car on a public road while an adult sat right next to her, recording the dangerous incident.

The video surfaced on social media, reportedly showing one of YT's children -- this one a little girl -- behind the wheel of the car, and slowly driving down a residential road. The child is IN the driver seat, NOT on someone's lap ... and is struggling to see above the steering wheel.

At one point, an adult hand reaches in to assist with steering, and that person is recording the video. There's no audio.

It's unclear who the adult is, but it appears to be a woman's hand and not Young Thug's.

Several celebs commented on the video after it was posted on The Shade Room. Tyrese said, "I'm almost sure DFCS is gonna see this." Ex-NBA star Matt Barnes chimed in, "Stupid" -- and 'Love & Hip Hop' star Milan Christopher simply said, "Oh he going to jail."

We've reached out to Young Thug's camp for comment on the disturbing video ... but no word back yet.

So, Shaquille O'Neal was on his way to the gym in L.A. ... when all of a sudden he got caught up IN JONAS BROTHERS MADNESS!!!!

It's hilarious ... Shaq starts off asking our guys why hundreds of people are screaming and going crazy across the street -- and when he finds out it's all because of a Jonas Bros. event, he LOVES IT!!

But, we also talked hoops with Shaq ... specifically about Drake, who's been heavily criticized for taunting Golden State Warriors players and going crazy on the sidelines during the NBA Finals.

"Drake is a smart guy," Shaq says ... "He knows what he's doing. It's called marketing, people!!"

Shaq also tells us he thinks the criticism of Drake is a load of crap -- and compares Drake to Clippers' chairman Steve Ballmer, who's famously animated at Clippers games.

"[Drake] is just having fun, having a good time ... as a guy sitting there watching on TV, it's very entertaining."

Shaq also weighs in on the NBA Finals drama between the Warriors and the Toronto Raptors -- and explains why this series is GREAT!!

But again, the best part of the clip is Shaq's unbridled passion for Nick, Joe and Kevin -- even though he only knows one of their names!!!

Abby Lee Miller's spent enough time behind bars to write a celeb prison survival guide -- so Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin might wanna pay close attention here.

Abby was on "TMZ Live" Monday for the first time since she was sentenced to 1 year in prison after her conviction for bankruptcy fraud. She got out in March 2018 after serving 8 months ... so we asked her what Felicity -- who already pled guilty -- should expect on the inside.

Check out the vid ... Abby admits being a celebrity had its benefits for her -- and says inmates ate up her Hollywood stories, and she suspects they'd do the same for Felicity.

The downside of fame while in prison? Abby says it's the corrections officers, and it's a major downside ... based on her experience. Watch, you have to see her vivid description of one particular run-in.

As you know, prosecutors want Felicity -- and also Lori, if she's convicted -- to do hard time for their role in the college admissions scandal. Of course, it's not like either woman would end up in a maximum security prison.

The NFL needs to take a page out of NBA's book when dealing with social issues ... so says "Power" actor Omari Hardwick, who tells TMZ Sports the Association's "leaps and bounds" above other leagues.

As we previously reported ... multiple teams have moved away from using the "owner" title over the past year ... given that the term can feel racially insensitive in a league of mostly black players.

We asked Ghost -- who played college football at Georgia before switching to acting -- what he thought of the idea ... and while he says it's a great move, he's not surprised one bit that NBA teams are taking action ... essentially saying being woke is the NBA's style.

"It's smart ... it only adds to the brand of the NBA," Hardwick says. "The NBA has curated for a while now -- with David Stern and Adam Silver -- a different style of environment."