Controversial S#!T

3:20 PM PT -- Kavanaugh has reportedly been sworn in as the 114th Supreme Court justice in a private ceremony at court.

1:45 PM PT -- Trump congratulated the Senate on "confirming our GREAT NOMINEE" ... and says he will sign Kavanaugh's Commission of Appointment and swear him in later today.

There were no last minute surprises or curveballs -- Brett Kavanaugh got the votes he needed to be confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States ... but just barely.

President Trump's pick to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy was confirmed by the Senate Saturday with a tally of 50 to 48 ... including crucial "aye" votes from Senators Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Joe Manchin.

Republican Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski was set to vote 'no' on Kavanaugh, but as a favor to Montana Senator Steve Daines ... she voted 'present' to offset his 'yes' vote so he could attend his daughter's wedding. It really didn't matter anyway.

The confirmation comes after weeks of drama and controversy stemming from allegations made by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party in the early '80s when they were both in high school.

Ford's claims led to a Senate hearing where both she and the judge testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee ... and a brief follow-up FBI investigation authorized by the Prez.

But, when it was all said and done, a majority of the Senate -- all but one Republican plus Manchin -- determined Ford's allegations were not corroborated and Kavanaugh was deserving of a spot on the highest court in the land.

If recent history with Neil Gorsuch is any indication, now that Kavanaugh's been confirmed ... he could be sworn in as early as Monday.

Before the Senate vote, Kavanaugh wrote a letter admitting he was overly emotional and said some things he shouldn't have during his testimony. However, he insists he'll be a "pro-law judge" who won't let partisan politics or public pressure influence his decisions.

Many people -- including Amy Schumer -- aren't buying it ... and have been consistently protesting Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court in D.C. this week.

Killer Mike says he can forgive Bette Midler for her racially insensitive and offensive tweet about women, but if she really wants to make up for it ... she needs to do more than talk.

We got the Atlanta rapper and activist at LAX and asked him -- despite Midler's very poor choice of words -- if there's truth to what she said about the struggles of women.

Mike says yes, Bette makes a solid point backed by history ... but he emphasizes that no group of people are treated worse than black women. He thinks if she really considers herself on their side like she says ... it's time for her to step up and do more.

As he puts it -- Midler needs to be a co-conspirator with black women, not just an ally.

Mike gives some suggestions on how she can get started too ... and even gives an example of how he learned to be an advocate for the cause from Jane Elliott, a white woman.

Remember in January, when Hawaii residents received a terrifying text about an inbound ballistic missile with instructions to seek shelter immediately, but it turned out to be a false alarm?

Well, don't worry -- that's not going to happen with President Trump's new nationwide presidential alert texts ... it's a FEMA guarantee.

A spokesperson for the Homeland Security agency tells TMZ ... it has an infallible multi-step process in place to ensure the text system does not result in a major warning fail like what happened in Hawaii.

We're told for sending national alerts, the process begins with a special authentication procedure to make sure the person requesting to send it has the proper authority.

After verified approval, a 2-person "integrity check" procedure kicks in to ensure the alert contains the appropriate message and the info is properly formatted.

Finally, we're told the alert is only sent when BOTH of these alert operators have validated the content and format and hit the send button.

WWE legend Jerry "The King" Lawler says he was inundated with hate mail after attending a Donald Trump rally in Mississippi on Tuesday ... but tells TMZ Sports his haters got it all wrong!

The 68-year-old WWE Hall of Famer was sitting right behind Trump as he went on a pro-Brett Kavanaugh speech on Oct. 2 ... the same event where he mocked Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford.

When we spoke with Lawler at Comic-Con in New York, The King explained that he wasn't necessarily at the rally to support Trump in a political capacity ... but as a friend and former colleague.

"We were asked by some people to go to the rally, and I went and unbelievably received from some social media some actual hate mail just for going to the rally of Donald Trump."

"But, I want to tell everybody ... I wasn't going there to see the President, I was going to see a fellow WWE Hall of Famer ... that's all."

LeBron James clearly wants Colin Kaepernick to know he's got his back ...

Check out the shirt Bron wore to the Lakers preseason game at Staples Center on Thursday -- featuring the name "Kaepernick" on the upper back -- a pretty huge statement from the most famous athlete on the planet.

The shirt is made by Nike -- the company that just featured Colin as the face of its "Just Do It" campaign.

LeBron also has a deal with Nike and praised the company for having the balls to do business with Kap despite some pretty powerful critics ... including the President of the United States.

"I wore a Kaepernick shirt tonight, one, because it's Nike and I'm a Nike guy. And then, two, I support Kap. I've always supported Kap and what he stands for and what he believes in."

It's not the first time LBJ's publicly stepped forward to join Kap's fight ... after Colin received massive blowback for his new Nike deal last month -- Bron stepped up to say he stands "for anybody that believes in a positive attitude and a positive matter."

LeBron also posted pics of the shirt with the caption, "KAEP Drip #MoreThanAnAthlete," on social media late Thursday night.

10/5 5:45 AM PT -- Bette deleted the tweet and apologized, saying, "The too brief investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh infuriated me. Angrily I tweeted w/o thinking my choice of words would be enraging to black women who doubly suffer, both by being women and by being black."

She finished by saying, "I am an ally and stand with you; always have. And I apologize."

Bette Midler chose to make a point about women in a very provocative way ... and people are PISSED about it.

Bette tweeted Thursday -- in the midst of protests in D.C. by women who strongly oppose the Supreme Court confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh -- "Women, are the n-word of the world."

She added to her point by saying women are ... "Raped, beaten, enslaved, married off, worked like dumb animals; denied education and inheritance; enduring the pain and danger of childbirth and life IN SILENCE for THOUSANDS of years."

Midler ends her tweet by saying women "are the most disrespected creatures on earth."

In 2 hours, her tweet has elicited almost 7 thousand replies, many of which are blasting her for minimizing racism while at the same time hurting the feminist movement.

Others are pissed that Midler, a rich white woman, is comparing the plight of women to the history of mistreatment of black people.

And, there are some just demanding she delete the tweet immediately. She hasn't ... yet

Dean Cain says his mom and sister were once victims of sexual assault but he's adamant those cases vastly differ from the accusations Brett Kavanaugh's facing ... and that's why he still supports Kavanaugh's SCOTUS nom.

We got Dean Thursday at the Javits Center for NY Comic Con and he thinks Kavanaugh will end up getting confirmed to the Supreme Court. Why? The TV Superman thinks Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was was silent for way too long.

Brett Kavanaugh seems to be walking back his emotional outbursts at last week's Senate hearing over the allegations made against him by Dr. Christine Ford ... and he really wants you to believe he'll be a fair Supreme Court Justice.

President Trump's SCOTUS nominee penned a letter for The Wall Street Journal Thursday, in which he insists he's a "pro-law judge" who will not be influenced by partisan politics or public pressure ... and will "always strive to be a team player" with the other Justices.

He also admits he got "very emotional" during his testimony -- more than he's ever been -- but insists it's not who he is. He explains his behavior by saying it was the result of "my overwhelming frustration at being wrongly accused" and "my deep distress at the unfairness of how this allegation has been handled."

Kavanaugh adds ... "I might have been too emotional at times. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said. I hope everyone can understand that I was there as a son, husband and dad."

It seems like Trump's pick is trying to soften the blow with people who strongly oppose him being confirmed to the highest court in the U.S., which could happen this weekend.

Marco Rubio had a hard time getting his message out about Brett Kavanaugh while a mob of protesters gave him, and every other Senator, an earful.

We got the Florida Senator at the Capitol Building Thursday where thousands of protesters were giving Republicans hell for, as they see it ... brushing aside the FBI's new report, and hurtling toward a full Senate vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation.

It's clear Rubio's on board with Kavanaugh -- he told us the FBI report shows there's no corroboration to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's allegation the judge sexually assaulted her at a party 36 years ago. However, he admitted he hasn't gone through the entire report yet.

Rubio says he makes decisions based on information. The extremely loud protesters behind him during this clip claim the Senators are NOT getting all the info because the FBI was handcuffed by the White House.

Steven Seagal was quick to shut down an interview after a reporter brought up a rape allegation made against the actor.

Seagal appeared on BBC's Newsnight Thursday and host Kirsty Wark brought up the #MeToo movement. Wark then says, "You've been very much caught up in all the allegations of sexual harassment, you had a rape allegation against you and I wonder how you deal with all that?"

Just as Wark wrapped her question, Seagal ripped out his earpiece, stood up and walked out of camera view.

Seagal was accused in March of raping a woman back in the 90's ... another woman claimed he had sexually assaulted her in 2002. Portia de Rossi claimed Seagal sat her down on a couch during a casting for one of his films and unzipped his pants, so she fled the room.

Seagal adamantly denied all claims.

6:30 PM PT -- We got video of Amy while she was being detained, and she got a police escort ... to take a pee. She also says she's remaining hopeful about stopping Kavanaugh's confirmation, and isn't going to stop the fight.

Amy Schumer talks the talk and walks the walk when it comes to denouncing Brett Kavanaugh -- 'cause she just got arrested in D.C. with a bunch of other people protesting the imminent vote on his confirmation.

Amy and other protesters were shepherded by D.C. police Thursday inside the Senate office building on Capitol Hill, where an officer asked if she wanted to be arrested. Amy didn't hesitate ... she said yes while holding a "We Believe Anita Hill" sign.

She also had a green shirt on that seemed like it might be a play on Melania Trump's tone-deaf "I Really Don't Care" jacket.

Amy was later seen in a lineup against a wall, where she and others, including Emily Ratajkowski, were being detained. We don't know yet what she's been arrested for ... possibly disturbing the peace or trespassing.

The mass protests in D.C. are in reaction to the FBI concluding its investigation, launched after Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified last week about her sexual misconduct allegation against Kavanaugh.

It appears what the FBI came back with hasn't swayed the vote of key Senators -- which means Kavanaugh is likely to be confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Louis C.K. couldn't look more relaxed and chill than he did Thursday in New York City as he laughed it up with a friend.

Louis and his friend were strolling when our photog asked him about his recent comeback gig at the famed Comedy Cellar in NY's Greenwich Village. Something about the question made him LOL on the spot.

We didn't exactly get an answer, but it's obvious he's in a great mood. As we reported, a few people in the audience were upset when Louis made his surprise appearance -- but, for the most part, he got a rousing applause.

This is the first time we've gotten him out and about since last year's sexual misconduct scandal, for which he apologized.

Ben Stein doubled down his support for Brett Kavanaugh ... saying the FBI's sexual assault investigation against him came up empty and it's time to drop it.

We got the 'Ferris Bueller' actor at LAX Thursday and he sang his fellow Yale alumnus' praises amid a new FBI report that reportedly concludes there is no corroboration to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's allegation Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party 36 years ago.

Remember ... Stein told us last month Ford's allegations are a "f***ing disgrace" and wasn't buying Ford's story. So, it's no surprise he's swinging hard for Kavanaugh with this weekend's Senate confirmation vote looming.

But, watch as our guy again goes head-to-head with Ben and tells him the FBI's investigation is incomplete because, among other things, it failed to interview Ford, Kavanaugh and several key former classmates.

The NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office have launched a new investigation in the Harvey Weinstein case ... and the target is the lead police investigator ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us, the investigation centers around the case of Lucia Evans, who claims Weinstein forced her to engage in oral sex. The complaint against Weinstein alleges he grabbed the back of Evans' head and forced her mouth on his penis.

Our law enforcement sources say the witness -- a casting director -- says Evans told her she performed oral sex on Weinstein in order to get an acting role. Our sources say the lead investigator interviewed the witness who gave him a statement, but the investigator allegedly failed to disclose it to prosecutors.

Witness tampering generally requires some affirmative act to influence or pressure a witness ... but our law enforcement sources would not be more specific.

NYPD spokesperson Phil Walzak tells us, "The NYPD working with its partner DANY remains fully confident in the overall case it has pursued against Mr. Weinstein. The evidence shows that the criminal case against him is strong." The statement goes on ... "The NYPD will continue to assist the prosecution any way it can to ensure justice is achieved for these brave survivors."

Martellus Bennett wants Kanye West to keep Colin Kaepernick's name out of his mouth -- saying, "Why you trying to drag everybody else down into your sh*t hole?"

The ex-NFL star was at LAX rocking some Yeezy combat boots -- so, we had to ask if it was a show of support for the rapper who's been getting criticism for his support of Donald Trump.

Turns out, Marty B is anti-Kanye -- but he ain't about to light his shoes on fire.

Instead, Bennett says he simply won't buy another pair.

As for Kaepernick, we asked MB if he thinks Colin should take Ye up on his offer to meet with President Trump to hash out their differences.

Again, Marty was against the idea -- telling Kanye, "Don't try to drag other people in to make yourself feel like you're correct."

"Don't try to bring public figures who fight for black rights to help you and the foolishness that you're doing."

But, what about the spirit of reaching across the aisle?

"You wanna reach across the aisle to grab a bear? Or should you reach across the aisle to grab some greatness?"

Kevin Sorbo thinks the #MeToo movement is a double-edged sword -- it's helpful to women but unfair to the accused -- and that's why President Trump went after Dr. Christine Ford so hard during his rally.

We got TV's Hercules Wednesday at LAX and asked him about Trump mocking Ford, and whether it was appropriate to so publicly pick a side during the FBI probe into her sexual assault claim.

Sorbo sidestepped a direct response, but said it was "sad" and "scary" that anyone can be accused of anything these days and they're no longer innocent 'til proven guilty. To that point, he said he's witnessed "hypocritical" women in showbiz who are using the #MeToo movement as a shield to make false allegations.

Kevin admitted many women really have been abused and he found that pathetic, but he wanted there to be a way to support both accusers and the accused.