Controversial S#!T

"Vanderpump Rules" producers saw the writing on the wall for Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni when their racist tweets first resurfaced, and immediately started phasing them out ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to 'VP' production tell us ... season 8 was already shot, in the can and about to premiere in January when rookie cast members Max and Brett's old tweets were exposed. So, behind the scenes, producers started re-editing episodes in order to reduce their precious airtime.

We're told portions of their footage were switched up or even left on the cutting room floor. Ditto for their confessional interviews.

Our sources say because of the 2011 and 2012 tweets -- in which Brett and Max both used the n-word -- 'VP' producers knew they wouldn't be back for a second season. We're told production found the tweets "inexcusable."

As we reported ... Bravo recently fired the guys, along with 'Pump' OGs Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute, for their past racist behavior.

Lisa Vanderpump took some heat for allowing Max and Brett to continue on her staff long after learning of their tweets, but said she forgave them for their actions years ago. Plus, she had to wait for Bravo to make the final call.

Dave Chappelle unloaded on Laura Ingraham -- calling her a "white bitch" for telling LeBron James to "shut up and dribble."

The comedian brought up Ingraham on his new Netflix special, "8:46"-- which took its name after the time George Floyd suffered in police custody before his death.

Roughly 15:30 into the set, Chappelle brings up his friend LeBron James and the way the Fox News host told him to "shut up and dribble" after he spoke out against Trump in 2018.

"LeBron James once said something about racism and Laura Ingraham, which I will say publicly anywhere anytime is a c*** told one of Ohio's greatest residents ever to 'Shut up and dribble.'"

Chappelle continued, "This bitch told my friend to shut up and dribble."

"My friend is the best at something. And this bitch is not the best at anything. Just a regular-ass white bitch with a platform. And I use the word 'bitch' all the time because [it's a black thing]."

Ingraham recently addressed criticism she's been getting for the different way she criticized Drew Brees when he spoke out against.  NFL kneelers.

"Every American has the God-given right to speak his mind on any issue," Ingraham said.

"I think in order to heal and shed light on gross injustices, our country needs more dialogue, not less. And we need more respect, less retribution."

Ex-Astros bench coach Alex Cora is breaking his silence on the 2017 sign-stealing scandal ... saying the ENTIRE team was responsible for cheating, and he shouldn't be the only one taking the blame.

Of course, Cora received a season-long suspension and lost his gig as manager of the Boston Red Sox after the MLB's investigation determined he and player Carlos Beltran played major roles in the Astros' complex sign-stealing scheme.

Although Astros manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow lost their jobs as well ... Cora wants to make it clear he and Beltran were NOT acting alone -- and the whole team was in on it.

"If there is one thing I am absolutely sure of, it is that it was not a two-man show," Cora told ESPN. "We all did it. And let me be very clear that I am not denying my responsibility, because we were all responsible."

Cora says he fully deserved his suspension ... but hints he's not happy with the lack of more punishment being handed down.

"We made a mistake as a group, the entire [Astros] team. What happened was something that, if you ask anyone involved, no one is proud of it. We're all at fault. Everybody. We're all responsible."

"Everyone who was part of the team from around mid-May until the end of the season, we are all responsible."

As for those who claim the Astros 2017 World Series title is tainted ... Cora doesn't disagree.

"I understand why people think that our championship is not valid, and it's our fault that they think that. I am being honest and I apologize for what happened and for the mistakes we made as a group."

"I understand why people are disappointed. I am disappointed in myself. At the time, one doesn't think about the consequences. It was something that kept growing and growing, and in the end, it was wrong."

Donald Trump's return to campaign rallies is already controversial for the date and location, and now his supporters have to promise not to sue him if they get COVID-19 while attending.

Here's the deal ... the President's 2020 reelection campaign just announced details behind his highly-controversial move to host a rally next Friday in Tulsa -- and it includes a disclaimer: By registering to attend you are automatically agreeing NOT to sue if you contract the coronavirus. Always read the fine print.

The rally is going down June 19 at the BOK Center ... an arena that holds more than 19,000 people. Not the best idea in the middle of the pandemic -- as cases and hospitalizations are spiking in many places, including Oklahoma.

The Trump campaign website has a legal notice for anyone thinking about registering to attend, and it reads ... "By clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present."

The notice continues ... "By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.; BOK Center; ASM Global; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers liable for any illness or injury."

Trump's rally was already under heavy criticism for the fact it's being held on Juneteenth -- the holiday commemorating the end of slavery -- Tulsa was the site of a 1921 massacre of America's wealthiest Black community.

White mobs killed an estimated 300 people that day -- which is why Trump critics have called his rally an absolute "slap in the face" to Black America.

The country music superstars in Lady Antebellum say they've had their eyes opened to the "injustices, inequality and biases" black people have faced, and they're responding by changing their name.

The band is dropping Antebellum and will go by Lady A moving forward, which they say is their nickname with fans anyway. The country trio says they are "deeply sorry" for the pain their name has caused and for "anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or undervalued."

If you aren't aware, the word antebellum means occurring before the war, but is commonly linked to the period of history before the Civil War ... which, obviously, includes slavery.

The band says they originally chose the name after taking their first group photos at an Antebellum-style home, and because the name reminded them of Southern-style music.

They say the choice of name demonstrates a major blind spot, and they're "regretful and embarrassed" they didn't take it into account.

As for what took them so long ... Lady A is making no excuse, saying all they can do now is fix it and take action going forward.

NASCAR truck series driver Ray Ciccarelli -- who has 0 career wins in the series -- is QUITTING over the organization's new Confederate flag ban ... saying it's all a bunch of "political BS."

The 50-year-old -- who joined NASCAR's Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series in 2017 -- teed off on the ban on his Facebook page Wednesday night ... announcing his plan to leave over the matter.

"Well its been a fun ride and dream come true but if this is the direction NASCAR is headed we will not participate after 2020 season is over," Ciccarelli's post read.

"I don't believe in kneeling during Anthem nor taken ppl right to fly what ever flag they love."

Ciccarelli insists he "could care less" about the Confederate flag, but claims he's standing up for the people who take pride in it. Ciccarelli believes love of the flag alone doesn't make someone racist.

"All you are doing is f***ing one group to cater to another and i ain't spend the money we are to participate in any political BS!!"

"So everything is for SALE!!"

Of course, NASCAR banned the confederate flag Wednesday -- after Bubba Wallace spoke out about the issue.

Wallace -- the only black driver at NASCAR's highest level -- pointed out the Confederate flag is offensive to black people and shouldn't be welcomed at NASCAR.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka -- the highest-paid female athlete this past year -- is blasting the NFL ... taking aim at Roger Goodell and demanding Colin Kaepernick get his job back.

The 22-year-old broke it all down in an email to Reuters this week ... saying how she couldn't believe it took THIS much for The Shield to finally admit it bungled its handling of kneeling protests.

"Colin has been putting this message out since 2016," Osaka said. "It took a pandemic, an economic crisis and a torturous murder on camera, all at the same time, for people to really hear him."

"It shouldn't have been that way. If the NFL wants to show that they really care the first thing they should do is take a knee together and give Colin his job back."

As we previously reported ... Al Sharpton relayed a similar message at George Floyd's funeral earlier this week, saying if the NFL truly is sorry, it needs to give Colin his job back ASAP.

"We don’t want an apology," Sharpton said. "We want him repaired!"

As for Osaka, she's held no punches when it comes to her outspoken role in the fight for social justice ... and even in the face of hundreds of trolls online, Osaka says she ain't stoppin' anytime soon.

"I'm vocal because I believe in the movement and want to try to use my platform to facilitate change," Osaka said.

Patrick Mahomes says he knows Drew Brees ain't a racist ... telling reporters Wednesday the Saints QB will show the world he's truly "a good person" in the wake of backlash over his anti-kneeling comments.

"Obviously, his statement missed the point and missed what was going on in the world today," Mahomes said, "and took away attention from the movement that was going on and the peaceful protesting that was going on."

"But I think you see with his actions afterward, and I believe with his actions moving forward, you will see the true person that he is."

The Chiefs superstar says he's had a longstanding relationship with Drew, given their Texas roots ... and Mahomes claims he's never had a bad experience with the future Hall of Famer.

In fact, Pat even said, "he’s always showed me the utmost respect."

So, after Drew apologized for his insensitive national anthem comments last week ... Pat says it wasn't hard to forgive the guy.

"I've known Drew for a pretty long time just being from Texas," Mahomes said, "and I know that he’s a good person and he has a good heart."

Brees has issued three separate statements since he was publicly grilled for his comments ... vowing to help in the fight for racial justice in America.

Drew's wife also issued a statement of her own, saying, "To all of our friends and anyone we hurt we will do better ... We are sorry."

By the way, Mahomes also spoke about his role in that powerful video with other NFL stars that ultimately led to Roger Goodell's famous statement ... saying he felt it was his duty to participate in the clip.

"I’m blessed to have this platform, why not use it?" Mahomes said.

Confederacy President Jefferson Davis just suffered his second biggest defeat ... a statue honoring him in the former Confederate capital is no longer standing.

A crowd cheered as the Davis statue was toppled late Wednesday night, and left it in the middle of an intersection -- continuing a trend that started last weekend of protesters taking matters into their own hands when it comes to problematic historical figures.

The Davis statue -- which stood in the former Confederate capital since 1907 -- was eventually picked up by a flatbed tow truck as protesters chanted "F**k that statue!"

Even that was a classier send off than Christopher Columbus got. As we reported, 2 of his monuments were beheaded this week -- one of which got dumped in a lake -- and in the UK, slave trader Edward Colton's statue was tossed into a river. All of this is the result of worldwide protests of the killing of George Floyd.

Ol' Prez Davis could be the first domino to fall in Richmond which also has statues honoring Generals Robert E. Lee and "Stonewall" Jackson.

Fun Fact: tennis great Arthur Ashe also has a statue on Richmond's Monument Avenue. Pretty sure that one will be alright.

Karina Rodriguez isn't ready to forgive the Phoenix "Karen" who made racist comments about her, because she says the woman has yet to take responsibility for her actions ... and Karina doesn't buy her excuse either.

Rodriguez tells TMZ ... she's not going to consider accepting an apology over the gas station incident in which she slapped back at "Karen" -- whose real name is Tamara Harrian -- until she hears the words "I'm sorry" out of Tamara's mouth.

So far Karina's only received a tearful apology from Tamara's husband Bob, who claims his wife acted the way she did because she's been battling mental illness after a break-in incident more than a year ago.

That doesn't cut if for Karina, though ... and she explains why.

She tells us she doesn't believe being racist and being mentally ill have anything to do with each other, and she's willing to bet Tamara's racism dates back earlier than whatever she's been dealing with recently.

Karina advises "Karen" to immediately start working toward bettering herself if she wants a shot at redemption, but she's not holding her breath.

Jussie Smollett isn't out of the metaphorical woods regarding his alleged hoax "attack" in Chicago, but he's heading into actual woods for a hike with an old friend.

The ex-"Empire" star ventured out Wednesday morning in L.A. with Taraji P. Henson and his sister, Jurnee Smollett. It was kinda hard for the trio to keep a low profile with Taraji's bright red hair. She's been rockin' that 'do recently.

Anyway, all three looked pretty chummy as they walked the hiking path, and kept things Fauci-friendly during the trek with their face coverings.

If you're doing a double-take at seeing Taraji with Jussie -- who was written out of the show in 2019 -- you shouldn't be. TPH has been very vocal in her continued support for him ... even after show execs gave him the heave-ho.

Sure, he's still fighting the City of Chicago in a civil case, as well as Cook County in another criminal case after a special prosecutor re-charged him. But, Jussie's got himself a ride or die in Taraji, who played his TV mom.

Faith Stowers -- the former black cast member on 'Vanderpump Rules,' who set into motion the mass firings handed down by Bravo this week -- tells us while she's glad Lisa spoke up on the issue of racism ... there's another person in the 'VR' world she has even more respect for.

First off, Faith tells us that even though Bravo did the right thing by firing Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens, and Brett Caprioni ... she notes nobody from the network hit her up personally to get more details about her story, which sorta kicked this whole thing off.

That's pretty telling in and of itself -- but moving on ... Faith goes on to say she gives Lisa props for speaking out on the problem among her staff so eloquently, even though she didn't mention Faith by name.

Someone who did remember to reach out to Faith ... one Lala Kent, whom Faith says made the big gesture despite some bad blood between them in the past. Watch -- sounds like it's all water under a bridge now.

Lisa Vanderpump is giving her two cents on the 4 cast members from her show that were given the boot over past racist remarks and behavior, and her message is ... our company is better than that, lemme show ya.

The restaurateur and TV personality released a statement over the goings-on at Bravo these past couple days -- including the firing of Stassi Shroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni -- and she reflects disappointment, but also hopes for better.

Lisa says, "As we’ve seen such devastating sadness that has played out globally, we all have a part to play to create a kinder, more just society. My hope is for this generation to treat each other with respect and humanity, and realize that actions have; and should have, consequences." She prefaced that by saying she couldn't have spoken more on this issue until final decisions were made, which they obviously were on Tuesday.

She adds, "I love and adore our employees and I am deeply saddened by some of the lack of judgment that has been displayed. As many of you know, after watching me for 10 years, I have always been an equal rights activist and ally - my family, my businesses and I condemn all forms of cruelty, racism, homophobia, bigotry and unequal treatment. We’ve never tolerated it in the workplace or our lives." She also says the show only shows off a small fraction of her workforce, which she says is way more diverse ... and something she plans to show off in future seasons.

Lisa ends by saying, "The world needs to move forward with a kinder generation. Everybody deserves to feel safe, heard and appreciated in their communities."

Lisa Vanderpump's signature L.A. eatery is boarded up and now covered in spray painting that seems perfectly timed ... now that Bravo's fired 4 "Vanderpump Rules" cast members over racist behavior.

Check out these photos of Lisa's PUMP restaurant in West Hollywood -- where a lot of her fellow cast members work and mingle on her reality show. As you can see, it's been heavily tagged with Black Lives Matter.

It's some of the best-timed graffiti ... considering Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni were just canned by Bravo this week over resurfaced comments and acts that reeked of racism.

It appears the tagging, and boarding up, happened before the news came down Tuesday about the 4 cast members getting fired. BLM graffiti's been popping up all over L.A. during the George Floyd protests.

Of course, LV did NOT fire Max or Brett after learning of their old, bad tweets -- some of which used the n-word multiple times. During last week's reunion show, she basically forgave them, saying everyone's made mistakes ... and that if she fired everyone who'd screwed up, no one would be working.

A few days later, Bravo stepped in and yanked the 4 cast members, anyway.

Officer Tito Ortiz?!

Maybe ... because the MMA legend tells TMZ Sports he's not kidding around about making a career switch to law enforcement.

"I plan on it," Ortiz says ... "It just depends on what ranking I want to do. Do I want to be a sheriff or do I want to be a police officer? I haven't made my decision yet."

The 45-year-old UFC Hall of Famer says he's been doing a lot of research -- and actually set up a police ride-along in the coming days to help guide his decision.

So, why?

Tito says with his MMA career winding down, he wants a job that won't just keep him excited but also wants to serve the community.

"I'll be fighting one more time this year. I want to hang 'em up. But, I want to do something else that will not just keep that excitement going but just do what's right for the country. Do what's right for the city, for my city."

Tito says he was always told cops are the "bad guys" -- but as a grown-ass man, "I came to realize that the cops are the good guys."

Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella has done a complete 180 on his stance against national anthem protests ... saying he now finally understands why players would choose to protest.

Remember, Tort was one of the most outspoken sports figures against any sort of anthem protest in 2016 ... telling ESPN, "If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game."

Now, the CBJ coach says he's had some time to listen to the reasons behind kneeling or sitting ... and he hopes it creates a conversation among his players.

"When I stand for the flag and the national anthem, my reflection is solely on the men and women who have given their lives defending our country and constitution and freedom, along with those who are serving today," Tortorella told The Athletic.

"I have learned over the years, listening and watching, that men and women who choose to kneel during this time mean no disrespect toward the flag."

Tortorella -- whose son, Nick, is an army ranger -- says he will no longer punish players for protesting ... and even suggests adding a moment before games so those in attendance can put a focus on racial injustice.

"I do believe in our right to peaceful protest," Tort continued. "Why do we have to choose sides during this time? Can we not share a moment of unity and reflection prior to the national anthem dedicated to protesting the racial injustice in our world?"

The statue of Jerry Richardson -- ex-NFL owner and alleged workplace scumbag -- at Bank of America Stadium is officially coming down ... and reports say it might be forever.

The 13-foot sculpture -- which was gifted to 83-year-old Richardson back in 2016 -- is feared to be a target for vandals in wake of national protests ... so the Carolina Panthers are having it removed.

While excavation is expected to be described as temporary by the team ... reports say it could be permanent, given the past allegations of sexual harassment and racist language against Richardson.

As we previously reported, the former Panthers honcho was fined $2.75 MILLION after NFL investigators claimed he was, indeed, a terrible person at work.

In the NFL probe, officials say they found evidence to support Richardson did, in fact, sexually harass female staffers and use the n-word while running the team.

The investigation was ultimately a big part of why Richardson is no longer an NFL owner ... as he gave up the Panthers in a sale to David Tepper back in 2018.

As for why the statue hasn't been removed since ... Tepper claimed in a press conference after buying the team he was "contractually obligated" to keep the piece up.

We've reached out to the Panthers for comment ... but so far, no word back yet.

A top cop in the Tulsa Police Department brazenly says his boys in blue aren't firing on African-Americans as much as they should ... something he says he's basing on crime data.

Major Travis Yates made the shocking statement during a podcast he was on, discussing George Floyd police brutality protests. Leading up to his controversial statement, he was talking about how black people -- at least in his jurisdiction -- appear to commit more crimes, so their run-ins with law enforcement increase.

Yates' interpretation of those numbers is, "All of the research says we’re shooting African-Americans about 24 percent less than we probably ought to be, based on the crimes being committed."

Yes, he knew this was being recorded and aired.

During the Monday podcast, Yates also claimed studies from Harvard economist Roland Fryer and research from the National Academy of Sciences will back him up.

He went on to say that the protests and riots that have followed the death of George Floyd were not achieving the justice they claim to be after, saying ... "Justice at this point has been done. Well, then it turned into systematic racism, systematic police brutality."

Now, obviously the guy is getting tons of criticism for the remarks -- but he defended himself by saying the notion cops should be shooting black people more than they're already doing is outrageous and not at all what he meant. He claims his words are being taken out of context.