Controversial S#!T

Kanye West says Jesus has freed him from the clutches of the Democratic Party, which he claims has brainwashed the black community into aborting children.

The rapper made the controversial remark during an interview with radio personality Big Boy about politics, his new album and black culture. While Kanye's already been widely accused of abandoning the culture -- due to his support for President Trump -- he doubled down by telling Big Boy ... African-Americans don't really have their own culture.

He said it's adopted from a mishmash of consumerism, pushed by Dems to keep black folks trapped -- as opposed to encouraging entrepreneurship and self-ownership ... a traditionally GOP philosophy.

Then came the really inflammatory comment about Dems. Ye said on Friday ... the political party has brainwashed his people to do unholy things, like Plan B birth control and encouraging the abortion of babies. He followed up by saying, "Thou shall not kill."

He also says Democrats have backed policies for decades that have hurt the black community, and he simply isn't falling in line anymore ... backlash be damned.

Jason Garrett says he expects Michael Bennett to stand for the national anthem like the rest of the Dallas Cowboys ... telling reporters, "We anticipate him doing what all of our players do."

The Cowboys just traded for Bennett last week -- pulling the DE out of New England for a draft pick -- but many have wondered how Bennett will handle pregame anthems in Dallas.

Remember, MB has sat for the song in the past as a protest of racial injustices in America ... and during his time with the Patriots this year, he's just stayed in the locker room for the ceremony.

But, under Jerry Jones' watch, he's been adamant that Dallas players stand for the anthem -- regardless of their personal beliefs.

Star Cowboys players like QB Dak Prescott have supported the team's position in the past -- with Dak saying in 2018, "I never protest during the anthem and I don’t think that’s the time or venue to do so."

When Garrett was asked about all of that on Tuesday, he said, "We don't anticipate that being an issue."

Jones also said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday that he believes the same thing, saying, "I'm satisfied that, in Michael, we’ve got a player who knows how we do it here with the Cowboys."

The Dallas Morning News reports that Bennett and the Cowboys reached an agreement before the trade went through that he would stand on the sideline for the anthem in Dallas.

Bennett has yet to address the media regarding the issue ... but he's expected to speak with reporters sometime this week.

Kevin O'Leary arrived in L.A. Monday night, and he has reason to breathe a sigh of relief, because prosecutors have backed off their claim his wife could be jailed over their fatal boat crash.

Kevin arrived at LAX and didn't want to talk about the case much -- where his boat slammed into another boat on a Canadian lake in total darkness. Two people in the other boat were killed. Prosecutors filed a charge against the driver of the other boat for not having its navigation lights on. Kevin's wife, Linda, was also cited for driving too fast.

Prosecutors have now admitted they were flat-out wrong when they told us Linda faced a maximum of 18 months in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted. We contacted prosecutors and said our reading of the law was different and clear ... that she only faced a $10,000 fine and no jail time. Now they've admitted, they were wrong -- the max is indeed a $10k fine.

Linda's in court Thursday. We're told she plans to fight the charge, claiming she was not going too fast.

President Trump is back to taking shots at Jussie Smollett and Chicago prosecutors who dropped criminal charges against him ... calling the "attack" a sham and comparing it to the impeachment inquiry.

Trump riled up his base Monday during a fundraiser at his Chicago hotel ... bringing up the Jussie case in front of a room filled with cops and also bashing police chief Eddie Johnson.

The Prez went after Jussie for bringing "MAGA country" into it and said the actor actually beat up himself. TMZ broke the story ... Jussie claimed his attackers yelled, "MAGA country" as they fled, dousing him with bleach and putting a rope around his neck.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was elected after Jussie's alleged attack, ripped Trump's speech on social media ... saying it's no surprise Trump brought his "insulting, ignorant buffoonery" to her city.

It's not the first time Trump has lashed out at Jussie -- it's at least the fourth occasion.

Trump's used Smollett as a rallying cry in Wisconsin and Michigan, and tweeted about the case a few times -- insinuating the real hate crime was against "MAGA country" and calling the dropping of the charges and "embarrassment" to the nation.

Ex-MLB star Jim Edmonds is adamant he did NOT cheat on his reality star wife with their nanny ... saying rumors are "disgusting and irresponsible."

The St. Louis Cardinals legend is reportedly splitting from 'Real Housewives of Orange County' star Meghan King Edmonds after 5 years of marriage ... and there are rumblings it's all over Jim's alleged infidelity.

And, when a fan referenced the alleged nanny-banging on social media over the weekend, Meghan commented with a thumbs-up emoji, adding fuel to the fire.

Now, 49-year-old Jim is breaking his silence ... coming out swinging hard against the allegations and seemingly taking veiled shots at Meghan as well.

"It’s one thing to be accused of something. It’s another thing to be so negligent and so careless, and ruin the lives of innocent young people," Jim said on Instagram.

"I did not sleep with our nanny."

"She’s not just a nanny, she is someone that we brought into our house and promised to protect and look after while she was in our home. We have been treating and raising this young girl like she is our own child! For someone to accuse me of sleeping with her is not only wrong, it’s disgusting and irresponsible."

Edmonds continued ... "Just because I am an athlete and I was portrayed as a bad person on bravo TV. Doesn’t mean I dont have a clue what life is all about."

"We made a promise to that young girls mom, that We would take care of her and make sure that she was safe while she was in our hands. I will not sit here and take this bulls**t without fighting back."

Here's where it seems Jim goes after Meghan -- who reportedly filed for divorce last week -- though he never mentions her by name.

"Just because you’re extremely whitty and intelligent, and know how to play the Instagram game. Doesn’t give you the right to use that platform to wrongfully accuse."

"Not only is it irresponsible. It is dangerous and puts my family in harms way."

Future is firing back at the woman alleging he fathered his SEVENTH child with her ... claiming she's nothing but a fraud.

The rapper's filed legal docs asking a judge in Broward County, Florida to toss a paternity case against him because he says the alleged baby mama, Eliza Seraphin, is purely coming after his money.

In docs, Future says Eliza has said in docs she needs child support from Future because she has no bank account, no income and no car. But, Future's calling BS ... because for starters, he says, a simple glance at Eliza's Instagram reveals she has several jobs -- including as a brand ambassador.

Future also says Eliza's shown on IG she has multiple cars and alleges to know she currently has a lease for a 2018 Range Rover. What's more ... Future claims Eliza in the past filed a financial affidavit admitting to having multiple checking accounts.

In short ... Future's calling her a fraud because "the petitioner is lying about financial matters at the onset of case which is solely based on her attempt to extort money from" Future.

He doesn't specifically address whether he's the child's father. Eliza claims he refuses to take a paternity test.

As we first reported ... Eliza filed docs claiming Future knocked her up and then ghosted her after she gave birth to a baby girl back in April. She claimed to have sold her car just to meet ends meet.

Gospel legend Fred Hammond says Kanye West's support of Donald Trump is not an issue for him as a Christian ... and they never discussed politics when working on Ye's new album.

Fred, who is featured on Kanye's new album, "Jesus Is King," tells TMZ ... it's way better for business to leave politics outside the studio. He says Trump never came up once in his dealings with Kanye, and if he cut off everyone who supports the President, he'd have a lot fewer friends.

Hammond's true to his word ... he's brushing off the flak he's getting for working with Kanye, just like he did when he collaborated with Snoop Dogg, an ardent Trump critic.

Fred tells us he made the decision to work with Kanye right off the bat when Ye approached him at Chance The Rapper's wedding. Their track together is called "Hands On."

Dave East is off the hook for misdemeanor battery stemming from his Vegas three-way gone wrong ... and it's all because he told the judge he sustained a concussion during the fight.

Dave's attorney, Stacey Richman, tells TMZ ... she submitted medical documentation showing Dave suffered a concussion during the altercation, and as a result, the criminal case against the rapper was dropped. Richman says that injury shows Dave did not instigate the incident, and "he attempted to responsibly quell the situation."

Court records confirm the criminal case has been dismissed.

We broke the story ... Dave was cited for misdemeanor battery in Vegas last month after cops said bottles and punches were thrown in the middle of his 3-way sexual encounter at the Delano hotel.

As we reported ... Dave told cops one of the ladies started hurling champagne bottles at him from across the room, and he claimed two made contact. Richman said Dave went for a CAT scan after the incident ... and apparently the results showed he sustained a concussion.

Freshman Congresswoman Katie Hill just threw in the towel ... announcing her resignation amid a scandal that she's now blaming on her husband and dirty politics.

Rep. Hill -- a Democrat --  issued a letter Sunday, saying she was stepping down from her elected post in the House of Representatives after winning the seat in last year's election. She repped California's 25th congressional district, covering parts of Northern Los Angeles.

In the document, she makes some damning allegations against her estranged husband, Kenny Heslep ... whom she's in the middle of divorcing right now, and it just got nastier.

Hill writes, "This is what needs to happen so that the good people who supported me will no longer be subjected to the pain inflicted by my abusive husband and the brutality of hateful political operatives who seem to happily provide a platform to a monster who is driving a smear campaign built around cyber exploitation."

She goes on to say, "Having private photos of personal moments weaponized against me has been an appalling invasion of my privacy. It's also illegal, and we are currently pursuing all of our available legal options." The implication is that Heslep facilitated the leak.

If you hadn't heard ... nude photos of Hill surfaced last week, as did news of extramarital relationships she allegedly had with 2 different people -- a congressional staffer of hers, and a former campaign aide. She admitted to the aide fling, but denied a staffer affair.

Hill finishes her letter by saying that she's stepping down to avoid further pain and embarrassment being thrust onto her and others, while also apologizing for her mistakes.

She writes, "Thank you for allowing me to turn my focus on this particular battle right now, and know that I stand with you as we continue to fight for the many important issues that brought me to Congress in the first place."

Former congressman Rep. John Conyers has died.

Conyers passed away in his sleep Sunday, per his son, John Conyers III. A longtime representative of Detroit and the longest-serving member of the House prior to stepping down in 2017, Conyers was instrumental in establishing the Congressional Black Caucus.

He was elected into office in the '60s and continued to serve in his capacity for decades to come ... working tirelessly toward civil rights for African-Americans and minorities along the way, helping to boost voter registration in the community while also securing legal representation for countless people who were wrongly arrested.

He co-sponsored the original Voting Rights Act of 1965, and shortly after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 ... Conyers introduced a bill that would honor Dr. King with a federal holiday, which President Reagan signed into law years later.

He earned a seat on the House Judiciary Committee in 1965, and eventually went on to chair the committee in 2007 -- becoming the first black man in American history to do it. Conyers was also famously on President Nixon's "enemies" list during the Watergate scandal.

Rep. Conyers became embroiled in a scandal himself in 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced in the wake of #MeToo. He denied the accusations but resigned nonetheless. His son, Conyers III, had shown interest in running for his open seat, but Rep. Rashida Tlaib ultimately ran and ended up winning it in the 2018 election.

Conyers' death comes a little more than a week after his congressional colleague and fellow civil rights activist, Rep. Elijah Cummings, passed away himself.

Wanna join the Ohio University club rugby team?!? Great, here's whatcha (allegedly) gotta do.

Slam a "mad dog" handle, run around naked, chug a beer and then "tag a car" with your genitals!!! Still want in?!?

It's all part of an alleged hazing incident at OU, according to newly released documents stemming from a University-wide investigation into several clubs, fraternities, sororities and even the marching band!!!

In short, the school believes it has a problem with aggressive hazing after receiving a ton of complaints, according to student outlet The Post.

TMZ Sports obtained the report that was submitted in October about the OU Men's Rugby Organization:

"A friend contacted me after being forced to drink a 'mad dog' handle, which is liquor then forced to run around naked then chug a beer and tag a car with his genitals.

"This is not the first time I’ve heard of forced drinking within the Rugby team. Or coerced drinking I should say."

The school has taken swift action against the rugby team -- ordering them to "cease and desist" from all organizational activities. In other words, they're suspended from operating.

The allegations against the fraternities are pretty bad too ... one complaint said a fraternity made blindfolded pledges sit in a basement while listening to the same song on repeat for hours.

Another allegation says Delta Tau Delta members forced pledges to carry pieces of fruit on their bodies at all times and if an active member saw them, they could smack the fruit out of their possession.

If they successfully knocked the fruit away, the pledge had to replace the piece with a larger fruit item the next day, progressing up to the size of a watermelon.

As for the marching band ... they allegedly forced new members to muddy up their band jackets and then wear them!!! Some people complained new members were pressured to drink alcohol. The allegations against the band are definitely not the worst.

Still, the Marching 110 was also ordered to cease and desist.

University officials have issued a statement saying the school is "committed to a safe and respectful campus environment that aligns with our institutional values of citizenship, civility, character, community, and commitment."

Canelo Alvarez is distancing himself from the sexual assault allegations levied against his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya ... saying, "I don't want to get involved in his business."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... a woman is suing Oscar claiming he violently sexually assaulted her at his Pasadena home in 2017. Oscar vehemently denies the allegation.

And, since Canelo is a client of Oscar's Golden Boy Promotions, he was asked by Univision how he feels about the serious allegations against the boxing legend as he gears up for his big Nov. 2 fight against Sergey Kovalev.

"Listen, everyone has their own issues," Alvarez said (translated from Spanish) ... "He's got his problems, I have mine, and we each take care of our own stuff."

"He knows how to navigate them, and I don't want to get involved in his business."

Alvarez was asked if Oscar's issues affect him as an athlete, to which Canelo replied -- "No. For me, I do things the way I have to do them. It doesn't affect me at all."

Canelo was also asked if he had beef with Oscar over the allegations.

Harvey Weinstein got an earful from a woman who railed on him during an event Wednesday night before being escorted out.

Weinstein was at the Downtime Bar in the Lower East Side for an event called
Actors Hour, which employs artists to "create an open space for creatives to share what they love."

Zoe Stuckless was on hand, as she watched a comedian onstage asking the crowd to address "the elephant in the room." The comic was met with boos, which enraged Stuckless.

She says she watched as Weinstein was laughing, clapping, drinking and flirting while no one said a word.

She then took matters into her own hand, screaming "Nobody's gonna say anything?" She repeated the question, walked up to Weinstein and said ... "I'm gonna stand 4 feet from a f***ing rapist and no one's gonna say anything?"

Weinstein did not react to her, but event organizers escorted her out, she claims, with the help of Weinstein's bodyguard.

Weinstein's spokesperson tells TMZ, "Harvey Weinstein was out with friends enjoying the music and trying to find some solace in his life that has been turned upside down. This scene was uncalled for, downright rude and an example of how due process today is being squashed by the public, trying to take it away in the courtroom too."

Weinstein has pled not guilty to all charges and is currently awaiting trial.

The Houston Astros just fired their assistant GM Brandon Taubman -- saying an investigation revealed he did, in fact, direct inappropriate comments toward female reporters during a locker room celebration.

As we previously reported, several journalists claimed Taubman screamed, "I’m so f*cking glad we got Osuna!'" at a group of women in what was interpreted as a verbal taunt.

The backstory ... the Astros traded for Osuna after he was accused of domestic violence while he was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Houston had received backlash for acquiring the all-star closer ... and after he helped the 'Stros earn a trip to the World Series last week -- Taubman's comments were interpreted as a middle finger to his critics.

But, the reporters didn't find the comments appropriate at all ... and despite initially defending Taubman, the Astros say a probe revealed their top-ranking exec was in the wrong.

"Our initial investigation led us to believe that Brandon Taubman's inappropriate comments were not directed toward any reporter. We were wrong," the team said in a statement.

"We sincerely apologize to Stephanie Apstein, Sports Illustrated and to all individuals who witnessed this incident or were offended by the inappropriate conduct. The Astros in no way intended to minimize the issues related to domestic violence."

The team added, "Our initial belief was based on witness statements about the incident. Subsequent interviews have revealed that Taubman's inappropriate comments were, in fact, directed toward one or more reporters."

"Accordingly we have terminated Brandon Taubman's employment with the Houston Astros. His conduct does not reflect the values of our organization and we believe this is the most appropriate course of action."

Lori Loughlin's husband practically admitted to paying big bucks to get their daughter into USC ... according to prosecutors.

In the indictment that brought a new charge upon Lori and Mossimo Giannulli, he's accused of emailing their accountant admitting to working the system to get their daughter admitted.

According to the docs ... Mossimo forwarded a $200,000 invoice he got from Rick Singer to his accountant for payment in April 2017 and wrote, "Good news my daughter...is in [U]SC... bad is I had to work the system."

Prosecutors claim on or about the same day, the daughter received a formal acceptance letter from USC and Mossimo wired the money.

As we reported ... the U.S. Attorney out of Boston filed a new charge of Federal Program Bribery against the couple Tuesday. The 2 allegedly paid $500,000 to the mastermind, Singer, to get their daughters into USC ... and this $200k is allegedly part of that total.

The new charge carries a maximum 5-year prison sentence. They've already charged Lori and Mossimo with various other crimes that could land them in prison for 40 years.

NY Congressman Peter King says MLB ump Rob Drake was WRONG to tweet about buying an AR-15 and threatening a civil war ... telling TMZ Sports free speech goes out the window when you start inciting violence.

Drake tweeted and deleted the controversial message Tuesday, saying "I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020”

The MLB has launched an investigation into the matter ... and Drake has since gone radio silent.

We spoke with Rep. King about the issue on Thursday ... and while he says he fully supports free speech, King thinks Drake crossed a line.

"I think people should have a very wide range of what they can say. There is free speech," King told us while pointing out he fully supports Rockets GM Daryl Morey and Shaquille O'Neal speaking out in support of the Hong Kong protests

"But, I think if you're talking about anything that comes close to inciting violence, that's where I draw the line. Nobody should be talking about AR-15s. Not in a democracy."

While the MLB investigates, the MLB Umpires Union released a statement on Drake's tweet, saying "He chose the wrong way to convey his opinion about our great country. His posting does not represent the view of the MLBUA or reflect those of the umpires we represent."