Controversial S#!T

Julie Chen's sign-off last week on 'Big Brother' wasn't a one-time stunt -- 'cause she did it again for Wednesday night's episode, and got major love.

Sources at Tuesday night's taping tell TMZ ... Julie opened the show by saying ... "Good evening, I'm Julie Chen Moonves. Welcome to 'Big Brother.'" Her words were met with a thunderous show of support from the audience.

Julie signed off with the Moonves surname during last week's episode -- and now it seems she is taking her husband's name full-time, on the heels of his hasty exit from CBS amid sexual misconduct allegations.

TMZ broke the story ... Julie wants to stay on as the host of 'Big Brother,' and CBS won't ask her to go. Assuming they renew the hit show for another season, she's likely to stay put.

If Josh Gordon wants to be the next Randy Moss in New England ... Vince Wilfork is giving TMZ Sports the blueprint J.G. NEEDS to follow.

FYI ... Vince played 11 seasons under Bill Belichick -- including the three years Moss revived his career in N.E. -- so he's the perfect man for the ex-Browns superstar to listen to.

So ... what's the sage advice the Pats legend is offering Gordon for how to be the next Moss??

"Come there ready to work every day, play your role and do your job!" Wilfork tells us.

OK, not exactly chin-scratching wisdom ... but Vince says it's just simply that easy to succeed with The Hoodie and Tom Brady in Foxborough.

"The No. 1 motto that we always had was, 'Do your job,'" Vince says.

"It sounds so simple, but people make it complicated. All you gotta do is just do your job, and you'll be OK."

By the way ... remember that sweet outfit Wilfork rocked on "Hard Knocks" back in the day??

Samantha Ronson probably wishes Eminem turned his metaphorical gun on himself and not at Machine Gun Kelly ... 'cause she's tearing the rapper to pieces for "Killshot" and thinks the diss track is absolute trash!!!

We got the DJ at LAX, and she wasted no time ripping Eminem a new one, saying his song is misogynistic, homophobic, lazy and something a 4-year-old would write. There was more, and you gotta see just how nuclear she went on Em.

The DJ says Marshall is a "f***ing old man" who has no business dragging Rihanna's name through the mud ... and the 2 rappers should take their feud and ugly hairstyles to the groomers.

What's got Sam so heated? Em opens "Killshot" with the line, "Rihanna just hit me on a text. Last night I left hickeys on her neck."

The line seems oddly out of place. You could ask, what the hell does RiRi have to do with MGK? Sam sees at as straight-up misogyny.

Snoop Dogg ain't panicking about the Steelers' rough start ... but he does have a message for his favorite winless squad -- STOP PLAYIN' AND PAY LE'VEON!!

Of course ... James Conner -- Bell's backup -- was hardly the reason the Steelers couldn't beat the Browns and were mopped by the Chiefs on Sunday.

But, clearly -- Snoop thinks Bell being on jet skis in Miami rather than being on the roster ain't helping matters.

"They need to pay Le'Veon and quit playin', man," Snoop says.

Still ... Snoop ain't ready to hit the eject button on the season yet -- telling TMZ Sports you'll know when that time comes 'cause there will be some classic rants up on his social media.

As for Antonio Brown -- who took to Twitter on Monday and said the team should trade him if they want to find out if he's a product of Ben Roethlisberger's success -- Snoop says A.B. ain't going anywhere.

"We just lost, so we're frustrated," Snoop tells us. "We'll be alright."

LeVar Burton is not down with anyone who is not down with Bert and Ernie coming out as gay.

The iconic "Reading Rainbow" host was at LAX when he weighed in on the big revelation his fellow PBS stars are a couple ... according to "Sesame Street" writer Mark Saltzman, anyway.

LeVar says it's hardly news to him -- and millions of others -- but still thinks it's a powerful step for society. And, for anyone bitching about the news, LeVar's got some advice for ya. Our photog also wonders if it's time for Bert and Ernie to ditch the twin beds and, y'know ... come together? Watch LeVar do some 'splaining.

For the record ... Sesame Workshop's official stance is B&E are not gay because "they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation."

Ben Stein thinks it's total BS Brett Kavanaugh has to go through a Senate hearing over something that allegedly happened when he was in high school -- even if it's true ... and he passionately believes it's not.

We got the 'Ferris Bueller' actor at LAX Tuesday, and our cameraman went head-to-head with him over the allegations made against the Supreme Court Justice nominee by Christine Blasey Ford ... that he sexually assaulted her at a party 36 years ago.

Stein calls it a "f***ing disgrace" and says he's not buying Ford's story ... and questions her motives. When our photog Charlie pushes back, saying it's important to hear them both out to get to the bottom of things ... Stein begs to differ.

It's interesting -- Stein clearly supports Kavanaugh and thinks the claims against him are lies, but when Charlie asks what if it can be proven they're factual ... Stein seems to say it still shouldn't matter.

Chargers star DL Corey Liuget claims his former trainer injected him with PEDs without his consent and cost him over $15 MILLION ... and now he's suing to get that cash back.

The NFL stud -- who's been with the Chargers since '11 -- was suspended for the first 4 games of this season after testing positive for a banned substance.

Now, Liuget's filed a lawsuit ... pointing the finger at his longtime trainer -- Ian Danney.

Liuget claims he went to get treatment for broken foot bones in November 2017 ... when Danney injected him with what he said was a "strong dose of an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory."

He says 2 days later he gave a urine sample ... and it came back dirty.

Liuget says he then confronted his trainer ... who admitted to giving him prescription medication -- but denied giving him a banned substance.

But, Liuget is still pissed ... and says it's cost him a fortune in salary and endorsements -- not to mention the public humiliation he says he's endured.

Liuget's asking for more than $15 MILLION in damages.

Julie Chen just formally announced she's leaving "The Talk" and her departing message thanked both her fans and costars.

The longtime talk show host and CBS anchor appeared in a pre-recorded video Tuesday at the bottom of the show, where she said, in part, that she was leaving "The Talk" to spend more time with her husband, Les Moonves, and their young son.

Julie, who eventually became teary-eyed during her remarks, thanked all the hosts of "The Talk," singling out each one and quickly reminiscing on their friendship. She ended with "I love you all, and I know this show and the sisterhood it stands for will live on for many, many, many more years to come. You ladies got this, and I cannot be more proud to call you my friends. I love you."

The camera eventually cut back to the main set where all the ladies were in tears. Sara Gilbert quickly thanked Julie for her contributions to "The Talk" and the program ended from there without further discussion.

As we reported ... Julie was slated to make the announcement that she would be off of "The Talk" effective immediately. No word on whether she's leaving her "Big Brother" hosting gig just yet, but it appears she'll be sticking it out for the short term. She's hosting again this week.

Julie returned to "Big Brother" last week without mentioning the sexual assault allegations against her husband, Les Moonves. She also didn't talk about his forced resignation from CBS in the wake of several women coming forward to accuse him of past sexual misconduct.

She did, however, sign off on Thursday's episode as Julie Chen Moonves ... clearly showing her support for her husband.

11:40 AM PT -- A spokesperson for Sesame Workshop has countered Saltzman, telling TMZ ... "As we have always said, Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves."

They continue, "Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets™ do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation."

Frank Oz -- longtime puppeteer for the show and hands behind some of the beloved characters, including Bert -- also denounced Saltzman, saying, "It seems Mr. Mark Saltzman was asked if Bert & Ernie are gay. It's fine that he feels they are. They're not, of course. But why that question? Does it really matter? Why the need to define people as only gay? There's much more to a human being than just straightness or gayness."

Bert and Ernie are finally out ... a "Sesame Street" writer is confirming the iconic characters are a gay couple.

Bert and Ernie have been on the show since it started in 1969, and there's always been speculation about the true nature of their relationship. Mark Saltzman, who joined the "Sesame Street" crew in 1984, cleared it all up by telling Queerty he wrote Bert and Ernie as a gay couple.

He says the 'Sesame' duo is a reflection of his own same-sex relationship and not about pushing an agenda.

Mark says he based Bert and Ernie on his relationship with film editor Arnold Glassman -- Mark was Ernie and Arnold was Bert.

Of course, Bert and Ernie have shared a basement apartment at 123 Sesame Street for the last 49 years ... although they've always slept in separate beds. Still, their chemistry -- while playfully arguing and bickering -- was always palpable.

Mark's revelation might be more of a formality -- the fact is, Bert and Ernie are longtime gay icons for many in the LGBT community.

2:22 PM PT -- LeSean just replied to the docs, saying, "The allegations made against me today regarding my relationship with my son are provably false, outrageously inaccurate and offensive. I have a loving and close knit relationship with my son."

He continues, "The young boy is my whole life. With a custody case coming in November, I can see why these false allegations are surfacing."

LeSean McCoy's baby mama claims the NFL star used their son as a pawn in order to vouch for his character, so she would shoot down rumors he was involved in a home invasion that left another one of McCoy's baby mamas brutally beaten.

You'll recall, McCoy's home was hit in a home invasion back in July that left ex-GF Delicia Cordon almost unrecognizable because she was so badly beaten. Cordon and others insinuated McCoy may have orchestrated the attack because he allegedly wanted Cordon out of the house. Cordon has since filed a lawsuit against LeSean.

On Tuesday, McCoy's baby mama -- Stephanie Maisonet -- filed new docs in the Cordon lawsuit.

Maisonet claims the day before the home invasion, she overheard LeSean on the phone saying, "I need to get this bitch out of my house."

Maisonet says after the attack on Cordon, LeSean called her -- something he didn't often do -- and offered her a deal. Maisonet claims McCoy told her if she'd publicly support his character and insinuate he wasn't behind the attack, he'd roll over in their custody case with their 6-year-old son ... and let her enroll the child in school in Miami.

Maisonet says she allowed a friend of McCoy's to access her Instagram account and post a positive message about the NFLer.

In the docs -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- Maisonet says she believes LeSean has abused their son on multiple occasions ... even making a report with child services. She concludes, "I regret ever agreeing to help LeSean McCoy in this case ... I feel like I am sending our son to a monster every two weeks."

She also included a photo of their son, showing alleged bruises from LeSean on his face.

If The Weeknd's huge hit, "Starboy," had a familiar sound, it's not because Daft Punk produced it ... it's because the song is a rip-off ... or so another artist claims in a lawsuit.

A self-described poet, singer and songwriter named Yasminah is suing The Weeknd and his mega-producers, claiming her song "Hooyo" is the blueprint for "Starboy."

In the lawsuit, she says she co-wrote and released "Hooyo" in 2009. "Starboy" was released in Nov. 2016. According to Yasminah, the similarities are obvious to the ear -- same hook, same key, similar tempo and both songs feature prominent claps on beats 2 and 4. Translation: they both have great rhythm.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, blog posts have been written describing the similarities between the songs ... and there are thousands of comments on those posts agreeing with Yasminah's ear.

Yasminah says 2 of her producers already threatened lawsuits over the song, which never went to court ... they settled -- which kinda makes sense when you listen to both songs. Yasminah says the problem is, she never got a cut of those settlements.

Cecil Shorts says the Jaguars can EASILY follow the 2000 Ravens' blueprint all the way to the Super Bowl ... telling TMZ Sports Blake Bortles' win over Tom Brady on Sunday only helps prove that.

Of course, Cecil's a little biased -- dude did play four of his six NFL seasons with the Jags -- but the ex-wideout is confident Jacksonville has that '00 Ray Lewis-type D to win it all this season.

"You've seen defenses of this caliber win Super Bowls," Shorts tells us.

"With the Ravens when they had [Trent Dilfer] and you can go back further with other teams."

Remember ... the '00 Ravens are considered the second-best defense of all-time, only behind the '85 Bears ... so it's high praise from Cecil.

But ... if Bortles plays like he did against the Pats -- Shorts is confident that won't seem like a farfetched comparison by the end of the year.

Claudia Jordan is trying her best to talk her way into "The Talk" ... with no apologies to Julie Chen ... who Claudia thinks shouldn't be stepping down anyway.

We got Claudia in L.A. leaving Avenue nightclub Monday night, and she was not shy about angling to replace Julie as a co-host on the CBS daytime talk show. As we reported, Julie announced Monday she's leaving "The Talk" ... effective immediately.

Julie Chen will be leaving her daytime gig at "The Talk" ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Tuesday's show will include a videotape of Julie saying she's leaving the show immediately.

It seemed inevitable Julie would take a final bow from the show, where discussions frequently involve issues like sexual misdeeds. Although her husband, Les Moonves, has denied any improper conduct, the fact that 12 women have come forward and that he was forced out ... it would put Julie in a tough spot.

Julie did appear on "Big Brother" last week and it seems she'll stick that one out ... at least in the short term. She made it clear she's standing by her husband at the end of last week's show, when she signed off as "Julie Chen Moonves."

No word on who will replace Julie.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he's a big fan of David Beckham's plan to bring Lionel Messi to MLS -- telling TMZ Sports the Argentinian superstar should "absolutely" come to the U.S. in 2020.

Beckham is reportedly targeting Messi to lead Inter Miami for the team's inaugural season in 2020 -- and there's talk Becks is willing to write a MASSIVE check to get the deal done.

Of course, Messi is in the middle of a deal with Barcelona -- which doesn't end until the end of the 2020-21 season ... but hell, anything's possible if the price is right.

Enter Zlatan ... who left Manchester United to play for the L.A. Galaxy earlier this season -- and seems to be loving it.

So, when we saw Zlat leaving Avra in Beverly Hills on Monday -- We asked what he thought about Messi possibly following his lead.

He likes it.

Meanwhile, you see the insane goal Zlatan scored this weekend? The 500th goal of his career??

Insane.

The 2018 Emmys kicked off with an overly long and overly topical monologue from hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che that tried hard to be funny ... but ended up being cringeworthy.

The 'SNL' vets came out standing shoulder-to-shoulder Monday night and threw zinger after zinger after zinger at the board -- most of which were so on the nose and didn't really stick.

Some of the worst attempts at humor came in jokes about the #MeToo movement, with Che saying it was great being there with everyone who hadn't been caught yet. Jost also quipped that Roseanne Barr had canceled herself, but got picked up by white nationalists.

Another eyebrow-raising line from Che ... 'The Handmaid's Tale' is like the white women's version of 'Roots' ... since the characters are forced to have babies and work against their will.

They also took shots at Trump by saying they hoped the Obamas' Netflix production deal would churn out a new 'Apprentice' that got huge ratings ... something DT would clearly hate.