Controversial S#!T

A judge in the college admissions scandal says USC's been covering up the fact it gives preference to students tied to influential people, and a new court order seems to be good news for Lori Loughlin and her co-defendants.

The judge is ordering USC to turn over unredacted documents in the college admissions scandal. According to the judge, the University has been misleading the court by blacking out certain information in documents it's produced.

The judge says prosecutors have argued students trying to get into USC do NOT get preferential treatment if influential people advocate for them. However, the judge says she's now seen unredacted USC emails which "directly contradict" that claim from prosecutors.

While the court had previously allowed USC to redact names of applicants and school officials -- it's now changing that because it sees the information is critical to defense attorneys in the case.

Lori and Mossimo Giannulli's attorneys, along with other defendants, have argued USC institutionally gives preference to so-called "side door" applicants -- people with money, power and influence.

The judge seems to be saying there are emails, and other documents, that could support that ... and USC needs to be more forthcoming with admissions info.

Megan Thee Stallion shoulda known what she was getting into when she signed her first contract with a record label, because she put pen to paper herself ... so says Yung Berg.

We got the "Sexy Can I" rapper at LAX Monday and asked about Meg's beef with her record label -- she claims 1501 won't allow her to drop any new tunes, because she wants to tweak her deal -- and Yung Berg says Meg shouldn't have signed the contract if she didn't like what was in it.

Yung Berg's seeing things from the other side now -- he's rebranded himself as a producer called Hitmaka and is the VP of A&R at Atlantic Records -- and explains why it's super important for young artists to pour over the paperwork before signing the dotted line.

As we reported ... MTS says she was about 20 years old when she signed a contract with 1501 and wasn't aware of a lot of clauses in it until she started getting managed by Jay-Z's Roc Nation.

Megan shouldn't be using youth as an excuse, Yung Berg says, because the music industry is big business, and there's no love lost for anyone.

Of course, Taylor Swift would likely argue differently ... you'll remember, she's in a nasty battle with Scooter Braun after he purchased the rights to her first 6 albums thanks to a deal she signed when she was young.

The good news for MTS and her fans ... YB tells us why she won't stay on ice forever.

The public bashing of the Houston Astros is still going strong ... Anthony Rizzo just trolled the hell out of the team during a mic'd up at-bat in a spring training game!!

The Chicago Cubs superstar was talking with ESPN commentators live in an AB against the L.A. Angels on Monday ... when he was asked what pitch he thought was coming next.

"I have no idea," the first baseman said. "I wish I knew. Someone bang for me."

HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Of course, the Astros were busted by the MLB just a few weeks ago after they were found to have relayed illegally stolen signs to batters using banging noises from their dugout.

MLB players have RAILED against the 'Stros for the cheating ... with everyone from Cody Bellinger to Aaron Judge blasting the team for the cheating scheme.

In fact, it seems some players have already taken it upon themselves to punish the 'Stros ... because as of last week -- they had been hit by pitches SEVEN different times already this spring.

Clearly, Rizzo ain't much of a fan of what the Astros did either ... but at least he's down to have some fun with it -- and we're all grateful for it.

Ex-Astros pitcher Ken Giles says he's absolutely devastated by Houston's sign-stealing scandal ... and despite having no idea his teammates were cheating, he's willing to return his World Series ring.

Giles -- now a member of the Toronto Blue Jays -- revealed his feelings over the bombshell scandal, saying he was hurt to find out through the commissioner's report.

"It crushed me to learn about the stuff that went on when I was there," Giles said via the Toronto Sun.

"I had no idea. I had no clue whatsoever. I was blindsided by the commissioner's report. Up until then, I honestly didn't believe it. Just crazy."

Of course, bullpen pitchers rarely make it to the dugout with the other players ... so the findings of the investigation floored Giles.

There have been players and fans calling for the 'Stros to relinquish the 2017 World Series title ... and Giles says he's willing to give up his championship ring.

"Whatever they ask, I would oblige. Because what was going on at the time, was not OK."

District Attorney Jackie Lacey's husband was not a happy camper when protesters showed up on their doorstep -- wielding a gun and threatening to shoot if they didn't scram.

The Los Angeles County D.A.'s hubby was pissed off Monday morning, and aimed what appears to be a handgun at Black Lives Matter organizer Melina Abdullah. He angrily ordered her and whoever else was outside to get off their Granada Hills property ... or he'd fire.

Abdullah kept her cool during the confrontation, asking Lacey's husband, David, if Jackie could come to the door -- or if he could relay the BLM camp was there to see her.

He wasn't having any of that, though, telling her he didn't care who she was or what org. she was with ... once again demanding they scram before slamming the door shut. Apparently, Lacey had agreed to meet with BLM L.A. that morning ... but didn't show up.

It appears BLM went to Lacey's crib to protest in an effort to coax her out. Abdullah says she was simply there to "invite" Lacey, almost as a reminder that she'd agreed to meet with them. That said ... it's unclear what more, if anything, led up to this moment.

Law enforcement sources tell us the LAPD is aware of the video and spoke with the person the gun was aimed at (Abdullah, in this case). We're told she refused to cooperate, and for now ... the department is investigating the circumstances further. No arrests were made.

If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?!

NFL prospect Trey Adams says he wants a "bigger d**k!"

And, why do we know that?! Because the former Washington Huskies lineman said it ON CAMERA at the NFL Combine!!

The 6'8", 327-pound offensive tackle was doing the usual Q&A stuff with Combine staffers (not a specific team) when he got the layup question ... and thought he'd give a jokey answer.

Of course, these Q&A sessions are SUPPOSED to remain private, but someone leaked the footage ... and yeah, it's super-viral now!

Ya gotta wonder if Trey's stupid answer will affect his draft stock -- would you hire a guy who made a penis joke in his job interview?

Not everyone is laughing about the situation ... especially former NFL exec (and current NFL analyst) Gil Brandt who's pretty furious about the fact the footage was leaked in the first place.

"I hope the person who leaked the Trey Adams video is found out and punished to the fullest extent," Brandt said.

"These are supposed to be confidential meetings. Not fair to Adams or the process. Both players and teams rely on this confidentiality to have honest discussions.”

Pete Buttigieg is throwing in the towel in his bid for the presidency -- he's reportedly set to suspend his campaign ahead of Super Tuesday.

According to reports, the former South Bend mayor is dropping out after performing poorly on Saturday during the South Carolina primary ... where he came in at a distant fourth, only racking up about 8% of the vote which was largely made up of African-Americans.

Pete won the Iowa Caucus by a thin margin, but has largely underperformed in the races after that. So far, he's got 26 delegates to his name -- while Biden now has 53 and Bernie Sanders (the proverbial so-called front-runner) has amassed 60 to himself.

Elizabeth Warren has just 8 delegates, and Amy Klobuchar has only 7 -- no signs yet of either of them cutting bait ... it's interesting PB called uncle first, seeing how the big contest was around the corner. On Tuesday, a whopping 1,357 pledged delegates are up for grabs.

The Democratic nominee needs only 1,991 of those pledged delegates to claim victory.

Part of the problem for Pete thus far has been his inability to win over black voters, or voters of color in general. He made lots of efforts to do so, but in the end ... they just weren't with him. Of course, he was also battling homophobia within the party as well.

Pete was the first openly gay major presidential candidate to make a run at the White House. There've been others before him, but he was the first with a legitimate shot. He was also the youngest candidate in the race -- coming in 38 years old, while everyone else remaining is well over 50 and beyond.

Buttigieg was becoming a favorite among moderate voters in the Democratic Party -- being seen as a more stable option than someone like Sanders. Biden fits that bill too though ... it'll be interesting to see if he picks up Pete as a running mate in the weeks to come.

Michael Bloomberg's controversial past with minorities and people of color isn't going away -- that much is clear by the striking protest he received during an event in Selma.

The billionaire media mogul and ex-NYC Mayor was among the many Democratic candidates in Alabama this weekend to commemorate the 55th anniversary of Bloody Sunday -- when hundreds of civil rights marchers were brutally beaten by cops during a demonstration.

At this particular service at the Brown Chapel AME Church -- where Bloomberg and Joe Biden delivered remarks -- a handful of people stood up and turned their backs when Mike stepped to the podium. It was done in silence, and they sat down when he finished.

The pastor who intro'd him, Reverend Leodis Strong, said he thought it was important for MB to show and to speak ... and for people to hear him out on how he's changed. Clearly, not everyone felt that way.

Of course, Bloomberg has come under fire for old comments he made about the policy he adopted when he was in power -- namely, unchecked and blatantly racist implementation of stop-and-frisk by the NYPD. At first, Bloomberg said it was effective to deter crime.

Later, he scaled it back and eventually apologized for his words. Apparently, some folks aren't accepting his apology. It should be noted, more people didn't protest than those who did.

Bloomberg's looking to rake in delegates for the first time on Tuesday -- when several states will hold primaries and offer up a third of the needed share to claim victory.

Vanessa Bryant is heartsick over revelations some L.A. County Sheriff's deputies took photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and other victims at the crash site and wants them punished.

Vanessa's lawyer says on the day of the crash, Vanessa went to the Sheriff's Department and requested the crash site be designated a no-fly zone so photogs would be kept at bay. The attorney says it was of "critical importance" to Vanessa to protect the dignity of all the victims.

The attorney calls it "inexcusable and deplorable" and "an unspeakable violation of human decency."

As we reported, some deputies took photos at the crash site and shared them with various people inside and outside the department. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ a deputy trainee went to a bar several days after the crash and, in an attempt to impress a woman, he showed her the photos of remains. The bartender overheard the conversation and was so indignant he filed an online complaint with the Sheriff's Dept.

The lawyer says, "Mrs. Bryant is grateful to the individual who filed an online complaint exposing these acts of injustice."

The lawyer adds "Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the family's privacy, and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests."

As we reported, days after the crash top brass at the Dept. told deputies who took the photos to come to the substation and delete the photos, and if they did this no action would be taken. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ the Sheriff did not order an internal affairs investigation until the L.A. Times contacted the Dept. and inquired about the photos.

Deputies who responded to Kobe Bryant's helicopter crash site and took pictures of the remains were given a secret way out without repercussion ... TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... in the days after the crash, top brass at the department was aware some of their lower-level deputies had snapped shots of the scene as well as of the remains found, and were showing them to people in and out of the department.

We're told a message was relayed to the Lost Hills substations and possibly others as well ... if you got Kobe pics -- come in, come clean and delete them. Do that, and you won't be punished. That's essentially the directive we're told was handed down by commanding officers.

What's even more concerning is the fact our sources say this attempt to get rid of the damning evidence was all being done on the hush-hush, and it was only when the L.A. Times came around asking about this scandal that the department launched a formal inquiry.

We've learned the Sheriff's Dept. learned that some deputies took pics of remains days after the crash ... this after a sheriff's trainee went to a bar and thought he could impress and pick up a woman by showing her the photos. Sources say a bartender overheard this and was so irate, he contacted the Sheriff's and lodged a formal complaint.

It's clear ... the Sheriff's Dept. kept everything under wraps until it became obvious its cover was about to be blown.

On Friday, the department issued a statement saying, in part, that top dog Alex Villanueva was "deeply disturbed at the thought deputies could allegedly engage in such an insensitive act." They go on to say, "A thorough investigation will be conducted by the department, with the No. 1 priority of protecting the dignity and privacy of the victims and their families."

Billie Jean King says Maria Sharapova's tennis legacy isn't going to be harmed one iota by her doping scandal -- and it's all because of one simple thing she did ... tell the truth.

We got the tennis legend Saturday in NYC and asked for her thoughts on Maria announcing last week that she was stepping away from the sport, which she dominated for several years. According to BJK, MS is going down as an all-time great ... despite the ding for doping.

Check it out ... Billie says the fact Maria came out right away and addressed the situation head on back in 2016 took a lot of guts, and it's clear she owned up to it sincerely.

You'll recall ... Maria tested positive in 2016 for meldonium, which had very recently been added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned substance list. She said she'd been taking it for years due to a medical condition, and didn't know it'd been deemed a doping agent.

After being suspended from playing for at least a year, she returned to tennis in the following years and found varying degrees of success before hanging it up. Her streak prior to that, however, is what Billie Jean seems certain Maria will forever be remembered for.

She also talks about what may lie ahead for Maria post-tennis, and wishes her all the best.

Lori Loughlin and her lawyers are continuing their attack on prosecutors by lambasting them and their star witness for blabbing to the media after the judge ordered them to put a cork in it.

Lori's lawyers filed new legal docs Friday, including a letter to the judge, which notes Hizzoner laid down the law Thursday during a court hearing, ordering all parties not to try the case in the media.

Lori's lawyers point to interviews the attorney for Rick Singer gave to the L.A. Times and the Wall Street Journal, in which the lawyer says the government "never pressured his client to say anything untruthful."

There are several problems with the interviews. First, the judge said not to do them. Second, the statement flies in the face of what Singer wrote in black and white ... at the time he said he was getting pressured by the government to lie in the case.

TMZ broke the story, Singer wrote, "Loud and abrasive calls with agents. They continue to ask me to tell a fib and not restate what I told my clients as to where there [sic] money was going -- to the program, not to the coach and that it was a donation and they want it to be a payment."

In other words, Singer wrote the FBI agents wanted him to lie and say the money the parents paid were bribes and not donations, and when he balked they screamed at him.

Now, Singer's lawyer is giving interviews saying the government never pressured Singer to lie. Thing is ... Singer wrote his notes on the heels of his conversations with the FBI -- and a year later he says something different.

Barry Sanders has entered the great Garth Brooks jersey scandal of 2020 ... hilariously asking the country singer if he wants to team up and run America together!!

Of course, some Garth fans lost their damn minds this week when he wore a Sanders #20 jersey at the Detroit stop on his stadium tour ... thinking the wardrobe choice was in support of Democratic nominee Bernie Sanders and not the Hall of Fame running back.

One fan wrote ... "Good grief. Can’t you just do what you get paid to do ???? Why why why does it have to involve politics !!! 🤢 So sad. We don’t pay good money for anything other than to watch you perform. 😡 Thought you were different."

The confusion is absolutely hilarious ... and it just got even better, 'cause Barry has chimed in with a zinger for the ages.

"Hey @garthbrooks, want to be my VP? #Number20for2020" Sanders tweeted.

The Detroit Lions even got involved too ... making Sanders' first official campaign graphic.

Some L.A. County Sheriff's Deputies shared photos of the scene where Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gigi, and 7 others lost their lives ... and the photos included remains from the gruesome aftermath ... TMZ has confirmed.

It's not clear who took the photos, but it was being talked about by first responders just 2 days after the crash, this according to the L.A. Times.

And, according to the report, at least one L.A. County Sheriff's official had the photos on his cell phone "in a setting that had nothing to do with the investigation."

The report does not say who took the photos and how many deputies and officials at the Sheriff's Dept. saw or shared the photos.

The Sheriff's Dept. contacted families of all of the victims Wednesday ... an official told The Times the reason for contacting them was not because of the allegation but rather because there was a media inquiry over the allegation.

The Sheriff's Department would only say, "The matter is being looked into."

Dana White says he could "give a s**t" if MMA fans bail on UFC over his friendship with President Trump ... telling TMZ Sports, "That's your problem, not mine."

Just last week, the UFC boss flew with POTUS to Colorado for a campaign rally -- where White even took the mic and fired up the crowd before Trump spoke.

When we saw White outside of Mulberry Street pizza in Bev Hills on Thursday, he told us how the whole thing came together.

"I wasn't really campaigning, he called me and asked me if I wanted to go to Colorado," White said ... "he said, 'Wanna go to Colorado?' So, I said, 'Yeah.' So, we flew over to Colorado for the day and then back to Vegas."

So, what did they talk about on Air Force One?

"We were just hanging out and talking fights."

"I can't say it enough. This guy, when I say this guy I'm talking about President Trump ... is such a good friend and such a loyal amazing guy. He's a great guy, been a friend of mine for a long time."

As for backlash from UFC fans upset with White for supporting Trump, Dana made it clear he doesn't care if the friendship rubs people the wrong way.

"I could give a s**t. I don't give a s**t. If you don't like me because I'm friends with this guy, that's your problem, not mine."

There's more ... Dana is also very close friends with Tom Brady -- so we asked White if he knows anything about where TB12 could end up next season?!

The good news ... Dana and Tom spoke just hours before this clip!!