Controversial S#!T

It's business as usual for Kanye West -- despite dropping out of Coachella -- he's apparently still on his work grind ... stopping by a construction site in L.A.

Ye was spotted in Beverly Hills Monday, just hours after we broke the story that he was no longer going to headline the music festival. For the most part, it appears Kanye's got his head buried in his phone ... perhaps reading fan reactions to his cancelation.

What's interesting ... recent reports suggested Kanye was leaving town to get treatment and better himself after his social media outbursts. However, that just doesn't seem to be true.

Coachella organizers have not yet named Ye's replacement ... Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and Swedish House Mafia are all still scheduled to headline.

Martha Stewart's cat, Princess Peony, is dead, and her ninth life ended violently at the paws of Martha's 4 dogs, who mistook her for a rogue threat and killed her.

Martha broke the news Sunday ... revealing Princess Peony died in a case of mistaken identity. Her social media caption read, "Burying the beautiful and unusual Princess Peony. the four dogs mistook her for an interloper and killed her defenseless little self. I will miss her very badly. RIP beauty"

Fans and friends, including Kris Jenner and Ellen Pompeo, commented on the post and wished Martha the best.

She later posted a pic of PP in remembrance ... Martha says her feline pal was a dominant calico Persian who celebrated her 12th birthday last year.

There were warning signs for Martha and Princess -- back in August, Martha talked about her cats being afraid of her dogs, posting ... "My cats feel liberated because the four dogs are away on vacation. Leaving the cats alone in the house to roam, relax, recover !!!"

Still, gotta wonder how her pups mistook a not-so-large house cat -- with which they'd lived for several years -- for a human intruder. 🤔

Martha has always been a lover of animals ... at one point, she had 25 dogs and 20 cats. She also hosted the Puppy Bowl with Snoop Dogg back in February and has spoken out often about her farm, home to a wide variety of animals, including horses, canaries, peacocks, and goats.

LeBron James might soon pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time scorer, but the dude still has a long way to go to be truly great as a role model ... so say KAJ.

The Lakers legend shared his pointed criticism at LBJ Sunday amid his presentation of a new trophy bearing his name ... which he bestowed upon Carmelo Anthony for his social justice work during the 2021-22 season.

It seems that after the ceremony, Kareem stuck around and talked to reporters ... who asked him how he felt about the idea of LeBron overtaking him as the points leader, which is likely to happen sometime next season -- barring any prolonged sitting out on LeBron's part.

Kareem said he had no problem with Bron taking the mantle, but where he (still) has issues is with LeBron's legacy as a whole -- including his off-the-court comments/antics/stances ... some of which Kareem said were "beneath him" in the grand scheme of things.

While he praised LeBron for some philanthropy work he's done -- including sending TONS of kids to college on his dime -- Kareem said there are still some things the King should be embarrassed about.

He's also quoted as saying this ... "Some of the things he's done and said are really beneath him, as far as I can see." Kareem adds, "Some of the great things that he's done, he's standing on both sides of the fence almost, you know? It makes it hard for me to accept that when he's committed himself to a different take on everything. It's hard to figure out where he's standing. You've got to check him out every time."

Now, as for what exactly Kareem may be referring to -- it's no secret if you've been following along. Dude's been openly critical about LeBron's apparent vaccine hesitancy, not to mention his waffling on where he stands with COVID in general, a la that Spider-Man meme.

At the time, Kareem wrote an essay ... saying LeBron's joke was a blow to his legacy, asking he do better -- especially as a leader in the Black community. He's also opined about LeBron celebrating on the court (particularly in dancing), saying that's not G.O.A.T.-worthy.

Channing Crowder thinks there's no way Ciara would leave a guy like Future to get with Russell Wilson -- at least not without some money motives behind the move ... yikes.

The ex-linebacker made the inflammatory comments on a recent episode of his podcast "The Pivot," where they were talking about the Broncos QB and his wife ... whom Crowder apparently feels is in the wrong relationship, invoking her ex of several years now.

We'll let CC speak for himself here, because he says a lot ... and much of it is pretty mean. He calls Russ a "square" and speculates Ciara is only with him for cash.

He also theorizes there's just no way Ciara would ditch someone like Future and get with Russ -- who's seen as his polar opposite -- unless there was something deeper fueling her ... because he thinks all women have a type, and believes Ciara's shown her cards.

On Sunday, Crowder doubled down on his "goofball" jabs -- posting an old photo of Russ at the NFL draft in 2012 next to his then-GF Ashton Meem, whom he mocked in the pod.

Of course, he got strong pushback from his fellow podcasters ... who tell him that women want peace, and that Ciara and Russ are perfectly happy together -- as they've been married since 2016 and have kids together.

Sooo, it seems the proof is in the pudding here ... namely, the fact they've stayed together this long proves Crowder's train of thought isn't actually supported by reality. Russ and Ciara have been couple goals for a very long time now -- and yet, this narrative persists.

Russ, meanwhile, appears to have responded to all the renewed chatter ... albeit cryptically.

He tweeted Sunday, "'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.' Galatians 5:22-23 NIV."

'SNL' showed a different angle of that slap, and it's hilarious!!!

Chris Redd played Will Smith flawlessly, as he jawboned with a fan just before hearing the "G.I. Jane" joke. It's manic, even somewhat believable, but undeniably funny.

We won't give you the blow-by-blow ... watch the video -- it's worth the time.

'SNL' doing the slap was as predictable as the sunrise, and the show delivered several times during the program.

Thing is ... the skit plays off real-life -- Will laughing at Chris Rock's joke, then becoming enraged and later tearfully taking the stage. Manic seems like the proper label.

And, speaking of tearful ... the one thing that got the waterworks going was when "Will" makes a comment about "Red Table Talk."

Smith subsequently addressed the altercation in his Best Actor acceptance speech, in which he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees but not to Rock. Smith followed up with a written apology to Rock on Instagram on Monday. Smith has since resigned from the Academy as he was facing a suspension or expulsion.

Gunna served as the musical guest, performing his hit song "pushin P," while Jerrod Carmichael hosted the episode and had a hilarious monologue where he shared his own jokes on the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars slap.

On "Weekend Update" Michael Che and Colin Jost got in on the action, saying, "Intelligence officials are saying that Vladimir Putin is being misinformed by his advisors about how badly the Russian military is performing in Ukraine, which is kind of like Will Smith's agent telling him, 'You crushed it at the Oscars!'"

Jost wasn't done, saying Will's actions were "disgraceful" ... because it sets "a terrible precedent for having to defend your wife at awards shows."

Che noted that during his acceptance speech after landing the award for Best Actor, the "King Richard" star said, "Love will make you do crazy things."

And, then there's this ... Smith could join others who have been booted by the Academy -- Bill Cosby, Roman Polanski and Harvey Weinstein -- Or as Colin puts it, "Bad Boys For Life."

Camila Cabello is letting her vulnerability show as it relates to her body and the pressure she feels to put on a good show for paps ... who constantly hound her at the beach.

The pop star opened up Saturday about a set of photographs that pap agencies were snapping and shopping -- standard operating procedure for A-listers, and something they've regularly done for years and years now.

The difference here ... Camila clearly has an issue with it ... not just with the photographers themselves -- whom she says go to incredible lengths to capture her in public -- but with the way society then interprets those photos, and the effects it has on her confidence.

She writes, in part ... "I've worn bikinis that were (too) small and paid no mind to how I looked, then saw pictures online and comments and been so upset."

Camila adds, "I reminded myself when it impacted myself esteem that I was thinking the culture's thoughts and not my own. A culture who has gotten so used to an image of what a "healthy" woman's body looks like that is completely not real for a lot of women."

CC goes on to describe the photos you see above -- explaining that she made sure not to eat anything too heavy today, while also sucking in her core nonstop ... knowing it was essentially going to turn into a full-blown photoshoot thanks to the paps on hand.

To Camila, that's a miserable way to live -- and she says she struggles with feeling like she has to portray herself in an image that she thinks is BS ... via beauty standards projected on to her by society.

Bill Maher had a hot take on Chris Rock's hair joke that supposedly triggered Will Smith's slap ... if that's the worst thing she's struggling with, she's a lucky woman.

The "Real Time" host said Friday night, "If you are so lucky in life as to have that be your medical problem, just say, 'thank God.'" He went on to drop some numbers -- 80% of men and 50% of women lose hair as part of the aging process.

He said when he first heard Jada Pinkett Smith had alopecia, he paused and thought maybe Chris Rock really did cross the line ... but then he went to rusty trusty Google and discovered what alopecia was all about, and his opinion radically changed. His conclusion ... no big deal.

Maher then looked at it from another angle, suggesting Chris' joke was actually a compliment, referencing "G.I. Jane" star Demi Moore, whom Bill said never looked hotter with her shaved head.

But, then he went in for the kill ... "And you know, just put on a f***ing wig like everybody else at the Oscars if it bothers you so much."

As we reported, both our Chris Rock and Will Smith sources acknowledge this was simmering beef that goes back to 2016, when Jada went in hard to boycott the Oscars because of a lack of inclusiveness and she and Will wanted Chris to join.

We're told Chris' response was that he was a Black man hosting the Oscars so that said more than a boycott. He took a couple of cracks at both Will and Jada during the show, and they were never the same. Multiple sources say the hair joke was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

Chris Rock's brother, Tony Rock, went in hard over the slap, and not just on Will Smith, saying, "You gonna hit my motherf***ing brother because your bitch gave you a side-eye?"

The Shade Room got video of Tony on stage during his set.

Tony has already made his outrage toward Will clear, but he tripled down at a comedy gig. After taking the stage, he said, "If you think you gonna to walk up on this stage, this ain't the motherf***king Oscars! And if you walk your ass up here, you ain't nominated for s*** but these mother****ing hands! Oh, we going Pac the rest of the year, n****. Every time you see me do a show, Pac!" Referencing late rapper Tupac, who, by the way ... used to date Jada Pinkett Smith.

Chris' baby bro has already said, Will's Insta apology to Chris doesn't cut it. As we reported, Will and Chris have not spoken since the slap and Chris has not publicly or privately accepted Smith's mea culpa.

Chris Rock had another sold-out performance Friday night in Boston, and he left without a trace of emotion, and probably for good reason.

Chris looked stoic as he booked it out of the Wilbur Theater. No way to read his reaction to Will Smith resigning from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As we've been reporting, Chris has largely avoided the post-slap drama, and based on what we know from our Chris sources it's highly likely he didn't even know Will resigned.

Chris is sticking to his routine ... not letting the slap hijack his comedy act. Fans undeniably wanted to hear from him, but Chris says he'll probably address it later and warned it will be serious and funny.

TMZ broke the story ... multiple sources connected to Chris told us Oscar producer, Will Packer, was lying when he said Chris told him he did not want Will Smith booted from the Oscars. Packer made it seem that's what convinced the Academy to allow Will to stay. Our sources say the ONLY thing Chris said was he did not want Will arrested and he just wanted to leave.

Will Smith stole the Oscars spotlight away from "CODA," the Best Picture winner and, in the process, he tarnished a major milestone in the deaf community ... so says the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness.

Dr. Patricia Hughes tells TMZ ... deaf people have been overlooked for so long, and their moment on a huge platform like the Academy Awards came and passed too quickly. Instead of people talking about the historic victory for "CODA," the majority of buzz was about Will slapping Chris Rock.

She thinks we should be focusing on the impactful moment for the hearing-impaired ... especially the heartfelt acceptance speech that gave the filmmakers a unique opportunity to appreciate the hearing-impaired.

Dr. Hughes says both of her children serve as her CODA -- child of deaf adult -- and the movie shows their community as a culture, something that doesn't happen often. The film also serves an educational purpose, teaching how kids can help deaf adults, and how deaf and non-deaf people can coexist.

Dr. Hughes would like to see more discussion in society about those issues moving forward -- something that could have been sparked by the film's big moment at the Oscars ... if not for Will.

Waka Flocka says Kanye West doesn't care about performing at the Grammys in the slightest ... so Ye's ban shouldn't mean much to an artist Waka considers a genius.

The "No Hands" rapper sat down with Raq on the "It's Tricky With Raquel Harper" podcast ... and offered a strong defense of Kanye, and a scathing review of the music awards show.

Waka says musicians shouldn't put much weight into the Grammys, because they're being judged by a few dozen people ... whereas concerts see crowds with 100,000 fans.

As we reported ... Kanye was yanked from the upcoming Grammys lineup because of his online antics.

Waka's read is along the same lines as Damon Dash's ... who told us hip-hop doesn't need the Recording Academy.

Waka says Kanye is "an unapologetic genius" who is being judged too harshly by most folks ... though he admits Ye should be a little wiser with his choice of words given his celebrity.

Will Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after slapping Chris Rock ... TMZ has confirmed.

Will wrote the following to the Academy's disciplinary committee ... "I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable."

He goes on ... "The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken."

And, there's more ... “I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the board deems appropriate."

He concludes by saying ... “Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”

The Academy is expected to hand down its disciplinary decision in a few weeks.

The producer of the Oscars is now saying it was Chris Rock who did not want Will Smith removed from the Dolby Theater after the slap, but according to a well-placed source with direct knowledge ... that's just not true.

Will Packer appeared on "Good Morning America" Friday and gave his blow-by-blow of the evening. He said after the slap he talked to Chris and said the LAPD was present and wanted to know if Chris wanted Will arrested, but Chris made it clear he did not. No one is disputing that happened.

Here's what IS in dispute ... Packer said it was Chris who said he did not want Will removed from the Dolby theater. Sources connected to Chris tell TMZ ... that was NEVER said. As one source put it, "Chris told Packer 'I'm not pressing charges. All I want to do is leave.' He was never asked if he wanted Will removed. This is the Academy covering itself." An Academy source tells TMZ, "Will Packer is not speaking on behalf of the Academy."

Packer's statement more than intimates it was Chris' decision to keep Will in the theater, and our sources simply call that a lie.

Chris Rock's getting rowdy support from fans after the Oscars slap in the form of at least one person cussing at Will Smith, but the comedian isn't having it ... and Thursday night he quickly defused the situation.

Chris had his 2nd show at Boston's Wilbur Theater briefly interrupted when someone in the crowd shouted out, "F*** Will Smith" -- and Chris heard it immediately, repeatedly saying ... "No, no no" until the chant stopped.

Security reportedly tossed hecklers out left and right, whether they were supporting Chris or not. One kicked-out fan told the New York Post, "All we did was interact and respond to the comedian ... They are so afraid that someone is going to say something that they kicked us out before we could."

Chris did eventually crack a joke about the situation -- reacting to one heckler with, "Is that the Oscars security?"

As we reported, Chris kicked off his "Ego Death" comedy tour at the Wilbur Wednesday night, and briefly addressed the Oscars slap from Will Smith, joking "How was your weekend?"

He told the audience he was still processing what happened and wasn't ready to fully address it.

The LAPD was standing by and ready to arrest Will Smith for putting hands on Chris Rock at The Oscars -- but Chris waved them off, saying he was fine -- according to the show's producer.

In a preview clip for his interview with 'GMA,' Oscars' honcho Will Packer says LAPD officers were ready to arrest Will if Chris so wanted, detailing the conversation that happened backstage directly following the slap.

In the clip, Packer tells T.J. Holmes cops were prepared to go and get Will from the crowd and make an arrest for battery ... letting Chris know he could press criminal charges against Will.

At one point, Packer claims Chris was being dismissive of what police were telling him ... and he says he told the comedian to let cops finish their spiel before making a decision.

In the end, Chris decided against pressing charges, and Will was allowed to remain front and center at The Oscars, where he won the award for best actor and gave a tearful speech.

Will's since apologized for the slap and foul language ... but at his show Wednesday night, Chris revealed he's still processing what went down and will talk about it later on his comedy tour.

Bruce Willis is no longer the recipient of this year's "Worst Performance" Razzie -- the org is pulling the title after learning the actor's battling a debilitating condition.

Willis had 8 films from 2021 highlighted within Razzie's "Worst of Hollywood" ceremony over the weekend. However, it was his work on "Cosmic Sin" that earned Bruce "Worst Performance."

Unfortunate timing for the Razzies ... just a few days later Bruce's family announced he'd been diagnosed with aphasia, a disease that hinders a person's ability to communicate and understand language.

On Thursday, Razzie co-founders Mo Murphy and John Wilson said in a statement, "If someone's medical condition is a factor in their decision making and/or their performance, we acknowledge that it is not appropriate to give them a Razzie."

Hence, they're taking back the award.

As we reported, Rumer Willis, broke the sad news, posting, "We wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities." She says her dad has stepped away from acting as a result.