Controversial S#!T

Elon Musk might've just become the brand's largest shareholder, but he's turned down an opportunity to join Twitter's board ... according to the CEO.

Parag Agrawal made the announcement Sunday night, saying the company had several discussions with Elon about joining the board as early as Saturday ... an offer that was eventually turned down by Musk.

While the reason is unclear, Parag says the decision was still "for the best," adding they'll always remain open to Elon's input. He tells his staff that distractions will come up but they should "tune out the noise."

Elon's already been offering up suggestions for the company, writing online about turning Twitter's San Francisco headquarters into a homeless shelter ... adding "since no one shows up anyway."

Amazon's Jeff Bezos chimed in, offering advice with a hint of "been there, done that" ... pointing out his Seattle HQ utilized a portion of their space into a shelter -- something that seems to be helping the community.

Elon hasn't been Twitter's biggest fan in recent months, sparking debate at the end of March about free speech and how he believes the platform is limiting user's ability to speak out.

Sam Elliott is backing down from his harsh take on the Oscar-winning movie "The Power of the Dog" -- words many considered homophobic ... something that isn't lost on the guy.

The actor -- who's often cast as a cowboy type, and who apparently has some ties to the rancher community -- apologized for what he said about the flick back in February during an appearance on the 'WTF Podcast with Marc Maron,' where he went on the attack.

On Sunday, however, Sam was given a chance to clarify -- because, frankly, his train of thought was all over the place and hard to piece together. And yes, the guy issued a full mea culpa ... saying he didn't mean to hurt people, including those in the LGBT community.

While making an appearance at Deadline's Contenders TV event, where he was plugging his new show '1883,' Sam said he meant no harm ... and got pretty emotional as he recounted how many friends he has that were apparently offended by his remarks.

ICYMI ... Sam slammed 'POTD' for what he considered as a warped depiction of the American West -- bringing up the fact a lot of farmhands in the movie are portrayed shirtless like Chippendales dancers and seemingly taking issue with allusions to homosexuality.

He also didn't appreciate the fact director Jane Campion shot the film down in her native New Zealand and tried to pass it off as Montana ... so his diatribe was aimed all over.

Benedict Cumberbatch reacted to Sam's comments at the time, saying he found 'em to be "odd" -- which Sam made sure to acknowledge in his apology ... specifically saying sorry to the brilliant cast, but especially to Benedict -- who plays a closeted gay man in the film.

As we analyze how offensive Chris Rock's joke about Jada Pinkett Smith was -- one woman who's been a long alopecia advocate says ... it's more flattering than anything.

Swedish-born actress Jannica Olin -- who first started losing her hair to alopecia in 2013 -- dished her thoughts about the awkward Oscars moment to THR ... and she makes it clear, the 'G.I. Jane' dig wasn't nearly as big a deal in her eyes as it apparently was for Jada.

JO says as she watched back clips of the exchange after the fact, she was waiting for the hurtful part to come about -- but for her, it never really did.

Jannica adds, "I didn’t see what was offensive about it ... And I’m very aware we all have different experiences, and we’re all in different places. To me, personally, that ... joke was not offensive. I think that’s cool."

She goes on to explain that the 'G.I. Jane' character -- Jordan O'Neill, played by Demi Moore in the '90s -- is portrayed as a tough-as-nails badass, and a symbol of female empowerment ... and that to her, she would've taken Rock's joke as praise rather than a mean-spirited barb.

Jannica says, "I would have loved to have that said to me. But that’s me, right? I can’t speak for anyone else."

While Jannica acknowledges alopecia might affect people differently -- including Jada and by default, Will too -- she says he still should've restrained himself ... even if he was pissed off. She says, "We're all human. We're all going to get triggered by things. But you have to be an adult and sit with something and maybe not react that way, no matter what."

This has been a raging debate since the beginning -- namely, was Will's reaction simply a result of the hair crack itself, or was it deeper. Most seem to agree ... there might've been a lot of factors going into the smack, but that perhaps the bald joke was the last straw.

It's also unclear how offended Jada herself actually was in the moment -- yes, she did roll her eyes and show disapproval ... but just days before the Oscars, she telegraphed confidence about her alopecia and baldness. So, seemingly mixed signals on that front.

Of course, there's a race element to this as well ... many in the African-American community have argued that hair is particularly important and meaningful to Black women -- so some might not accept Jannica's take here at face value, seeing how she's white.

There's a lot of actors these days who take their craft very, VERY seriously -- refusing to break character while on set ... a technique Mads Mikkelsen is calling absolutely absurd.

The Danish actor -- who most recently replaced Johnny Depp in 'Fantastic Beasts,' and who has a crap ton of other credits over the years -- let his honest opinions on method acting fly in an interview with GQ UK ... saying getting that into character for a role is "bull****."

In his sit-down with the mag, they say he was made aware of Lady Gaga reportedly continuing to act as Patrizia Reggiani in 'House of Gucci,' even when cameras weren't rolling. Ditto for 'Succession' star Jeremy Strong -- who's been reported to have taken things to uncomfortable extremes on different productions of his.

All the same ... Mads says he isn't impressed with the so-called commitment. While he does acknowledge he appropriately prepares for roles -- including learning a skill he might need to exhibit on camera -- he notes ... "But preparation, you can take into insanity."

He adds, "What if it’s a s*** film -- what do you think you achieved? Am I impressed that you didn’t drop character? You should have dropped it from the beginning! How do you prepare for a serial killer? You gonna spend two years checking it out?"

Mads essentially makes this distinction ... you're either a great actor, or you aren't -- and he believes that while Daniel Day-Lewis (the king of method) has, perhaps, pretentiously taken things too far in the past ... he also thinks the dude's just inherently fantastic at what he does, which is why it works. Not so much for the actual deep devotion to a role itself.

Of course, more and more actors are all in on method lately -- especially Jared Leto, who infamously stayed in character for a number of roles ... including when he starred as the Joker in 'Suicide Squad,' for which he reportedly caught flak from castmates and crew.

Even as recently as his shoot on 'Morbius' -- a character depicted as a disabled doctor-turned-superhero who can't walk properly -- Leto is reported to have stayed in character by using crutches everywhere on set. But when time was of the essence and he had to whizz ... the guy apparently hopped into a wheelchair and rolled himself to the John.

Indeed, it seems Mads' point here is ... you can do all the character-y stuff you want -- but a good actor, perhaps, doesn't necessarily have endure what their character does to churn out a good performance.

Chris Rock has shed a smidge of light on how he feels about Will Smith slapping him at the Oscars -- but says he won't reveal more until he receives one thing ... cold, hard cash.

The comedian told a live audience Friday that he would not be talking about the Oscars until he was compensated, presumably meaning somebody ponying up for his exclusive account ... this according to a report from the Palm Springs Desert Sun, which detailed his set in Indio, CA and the material referenced as Chris continues his national comedy tour.

Here's what Chris reportedly said in full ... "I'm OK, I have a whole show, and I'm not talking about that until I get paid. Life is good. I got my hearing back."

The strange thing ... if Chris means he's waiting on a network of some sort to pay him for a sit-down, ya gotta imagine he and his team have already been approached by every broadcast company in the game at this point. Maybe they just haven't offered enough???

Of course, another, slightly more sinister way to interpret his remarks ... perhaps he's talking about a civil lawsuit against Will himself, where he could potentially get paid that way too.

Or, he might just be joshing altogether ... it's unclear how serious this comment is, but considering the context -- Chris seems to be in good spirits and carrying on well. In any case, the Desert Sun has more deets about what's in Chris' set -- and it's interesting.

They say he took a lot of shots at celebs and politicians, including Hillary Clinton, the Kardashians, Meghan Markle and others. He also reportedly made fun of corporations and their diversity initiatives -- while also invoking his family life, being single and cancel culture ... as it relates to offending people these days. The DS says he got a standing O in the end.

It does seem Chris is opening up more and more as his tour rolls on -- remember, in his initial shows out in the East Coast ... all he said was he's still processing the smack.

Now, it appears he's finding some humor in the whole thing -- that, or just masking how he really feels with his comedy chops. Time will tell if/when Chris speaks on this officially.

Will Smith won't be able to attend the Oscars for 10 years -- and while some think that's mega, David Spade is here to say, whoop-de-doo ... suggesting it's not a big deal at all.

We got the comedy legend -- and good pal of Chris Rock -- Friday at Avra in Bev Hills ... and of course, we had to get his take on Will's decade-long ban, which had just been handed down by the Academy hours earlier.

Check it out ... David actually seems to be okay with the punishment -- saying the movie honchos had to do something, and this seems fitting. But, when we pressed on whether it was too harsh ... he scoffed.

In Dave's eyes ... not being able to attend the ceremony or vote for future flicks doesn't really come off as a major consequence -- and he says himself, "Who cares?"

DS also reveals if he's spoken to Chris yet ... and indeed, he certainly has. He refuses to dish on what his buddy thinks, though, respecting the guy's confidence and privacy. As for what he thinks the Academy can do to make it up to CR -- he's got a hilarious response.

BTW, just to give you a sense of how close David is with Chris ... check out this podcast appearance the latter made on Spade's "Fly on the Wall" back in January, which he hosts with Dana Carvey. Chris told an interesting story about being bullied in childhood.

There've been other reactions to the 10-year ban as well ... including from 'Dodgeball' star Chris Williams, who says it's a stiff sentence -- but one that makes sense considering the conduct.

Just like David, CW also thinks Will is going to land on his feet in the long run ... and that he can get past this with some time and healing -- and the forgetfulness of society as the next big thing captures our attention.

We also asked if Williams thinks Smith's got another Oscar in him amid this 10-year ban -- and the guy says, hell yeah ... predicting he may actually win one after his final year.

As pop culture continues to clash with our political landscape, so too has rock and roll -- leaving Kid Rock and Dee Snider on opposite ends of the line drawn in the sand.

First, KR ... who's made it known, in no uncertain terms, he's a conservative -- and a big supporter of Donald Trump. No surprise on that front ... but what is surprising is the fact Rock was able to snag a cameo from 45 in a pre-show message -- which is ... interesting.

The Kid's on tour right now ... and a new viral video shows that he's apparently opening his concerts with a pre-recorded message from DT himself -- and the guy's audience loves it.

Trump starts out with, "Hello, everyone ... I love you all. I know you're having a great time at the Kid Rock concert tonight. Quite frankly, he's amazing. All of you in attendance are the great backbone of our country -- hard-working, God-fearing, rock and roll patriots."

Trump also pokes fun at Kid's golf game, but says he's a great entertainer ... and then says "Let's Make America Rock Again," with a MAGA hat. KR took the stage right after that and performed. As you know, they're tight ... but the Trump plug's still sorta impressive.

Then comes Dee Snider ... whom some in the GOP might've *thought* was a bastion of conservatism -- but were proven wrong this weekend by the guy himself, hilariously so.

A republican named Jerrod Sessler -- who's running for Congress -- tweeted he was bummed to learn Dee was behind some liberal policies ... despite the fact that his Twisted Sister song, "We're Not Gonna Take It," made him think he was all about traditional American values.

Unclear why this dude might've believed the TW tune was in any way a theme song for conservatism, but Dee fired back ... "You think i wrote a song in support of 'traditional American values'? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! You funny."

Dee followed up by pointing out some telling lyrics in the song itself, saying ... "The first line of my song is WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE! Can I count you amongst us pro-choice people? Now that's a Republican I can support!"

Sessler responded, kinda getting holier than thou ... "Do you think the folks that wrote the Bible knew that God was writing through them? I doubt it. I believe God can even use @deesnider and his hair for good! BTW - nice flag"

Courtney Tailor -- the model who was covered in blood after her boyfriend was brutally killed -- got a temperature check on how the public feels about her ... and it ain't good.

A video has surfaced that shows someone filming a blonde woman in the lobby area of Miami's Grand Beach Hotel Friday night -- with the camera person saying she will NOT stop recording and arguing this woman (whom she believes is Tailor) has no business being there ... especially since her BF, Christian Tobechukwu Obumseli, was slain just days ago.

The person filming also makes clear their opinion on the matter -- namely, that she believes Tailor may have been the one who did the stabbing ... something CT has yet to be accused of by cops or law enforcement officials at this point in the investigation.

Their IG caption is also telling ... "@mpdpolice does this look like a mentally unstable person to you, as she claims?" She's referring to the fact Tailor was placed in a psychiatric hold after threatening suicide when she was brought in for questioning. Clearly, she's been released from that hold from nearly a full week ago ... and is out and about, not in custody.

Courtney's attorney, Frank Prieto, confirms to TMZ ... yes, this is, in fact, his client -- but he defends her being there, and says this is just an example of people running with theories without knowing the full facts.

He says, in part ... Courtney was there that night with her father, who simply wanted to pop in and have a drink in private -- which was disrupted by this woman who started filming.

Prieto also says this ... "It is unfortunate that a member of the public, knowing absolutely nothing about circumstances and events surrounding the death Mr. Obumseli, would take the opportunity to harass the Clenney family during a time that they are trying to be supportive for Courtney."

He also drops a bombshell allegation, telling us he believes Courtney is the victim of "physical, emotional, and mental abuse at the hands of Mr. Obumseli," while also suggesting she may even have been a "victim of human trafficking," without elaborating much further.

Prieto also makes this clear -- he believes his client was fighting for her life during the domestic disturbance that got cops sent out that fateful day. He claims, "At the time of the incident, Mr. Obumseli was committing a forcible felony. He had gained access to Courtney’s apartment without permission on several occasions in the days leading up to this incident."

He adds, "Courtney acted in self-defense; the investigation by both the City of Miami Police Department and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office will conclude such. With that said, we would ask for the public’s understanding about observing the family’s privacy at this time."

We've reached out to attorney Lee Merritt, who is working with Christian's family, for comment on Prieto's allegations about DV and self-defense ... so far, no word back.

Will Smith's 10-year ban from the Oscars has left many in the Academy with mixed feelings -- some think too harsh, others think too lenient ... and some think it's just right.

THR published several reactions from a handful of members -- none of whom are on the Board of Governors -- with many going on the record with how they feel about the decision doled out this week ... namely, making WS persona non grata at the ceremony for a decade.

A good amount of these folks actually stuck up for Will, saying the punishment doesn't fit the crime -- including Stephen Potter of the Sound branch, Harry Shearer of the Actors branch and Beverly Walker of the Marketing/PR branch ... who all felt this was punitive.

Harry (famous from "The Simpsons") says, in part ... "If Will Smith, or any other A-list actor, had run on stage and simply pulled down his pants and defecated, I seriously doubt he'd/she'd be back on that stage in 10 years, or ever ... A decade-long ban seems oddly parental, as in, he'll have outgrown his slappin' phase by then."

Beverly was firmly in Will's corner, or rather ... very much so NOT in Chris's -- or any other comedian the Academy might hire as a host/presenter to roast the crowd.

She takes issue with "the Academy's longstanding habit of hiring comedian/hosts to march out and insult or make fun of the very people being celebrated," adding, "there have undoubtedly been some who would've liked to make some sort of protest" ... and finishing by saying, "What Rock said was egregious and he had to know it would not be appreciated."

Others took aim at Academy leadership itself -- especially Prez David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson ... whom many felt had screwed the pooch by failing to respond in the moment.

Mitchell Block -- a doc-maker -- put it well ... "The board of governors should have reviewed why David Rubin and/or Dawn Hudson failed to have Will Smith immediately removed from the theater after he physically attacked one of the hosts." He adds, "Their poor judgment demonstrated an inability to lead and be proactive under pressure and respond to this behavior. I am deeply disappointed that the governors did not censure them."

And yet, even more came out swinging ... saying Will deserved more severe consequences, like criminal charges and maybe outright disqualification from all things Oscars, forever.

Steven Scott summed it up like this ... "I also am disappointed that Chris Rock and The Academy decided not to press charges for Will's attack. What message are we sending -- that when we're assaulted, it's best to just keep our 'composure' and not complain?"

He also addressed the whataboutism that has bubbled up -- with many drawing comparisons over what happened to Will with others who they feel have perhaps done worse.

To that, Scott says ... "Before someone tells me that other Hollywood A-listers have done awful things, yet kept their Oscars, none of them did their crimes live, on air, from the Academy home stage on our special night, in front of all the world to see."

He adds, "There is no precedent for Will's horrific physical and verbal assault, and the punishment should have been unprecedented as well. I am disgusted by my Academy's appallingly weak, amoral, kowtowing-to-an-A-lister response."

As you know ... Will is OK with the Academy's decision. And, while he can't attend Academy Awards ceremonies or official events for 10 years -- he can still be nominated for Oscars and even win Oscars ... they'll just have to mail him any would-be statuettes if that occurs.

He also gets to keep his Oscar -- so all things considered, really not all that bad.

Bill Maher is angry -- really, really angry -- because people seem to care more these days about hurting someone's sensibilities way more than free speech, so he has developed a lecture to drive home his point -- Explaining Jokes to Idiots!

The "Real Time" host used a blackboard and a pointer to demonstrate how free speech is not just on the chopping block -- it's already been chopped, as evidenced by the reaction and debate over Chris Rock's joke that triggered the slap.

Bill has made his position clear ... the joke at its core was about Jada Pinkett Smith looking like another beautiful woman -- Demi Moore, and NOT about alopecia. As BM put it, "It wasn't an alopecia joke any more than the chicken crossing the road is about bird flu."

He points out Will Smith's initial, genuine reaction to the joke -- laughter, but then he realized he had to "conform" to what someone else was feeling, and he did a 180 to blind rage.

Now the broader point ... "Comedians have been under attack for some time. So I must defend my tribe. This war on jokes must end."

As Bill explained to the humor-challenged community -- which is ever larger -- many jokes -- arguably the funniest -- have an offensive element. We used to laugh at that, but now the comedians who dare to tell these jokes are derailed and canceled.

He points to a Vice study that certain colleges now screen prospective comedians they might bring on campus to make sure they aren't telling offensive jokes. As Bill put it, colleges used to be a place to lose your virginity. Now it's a place to lose your sense of humor.

Bill is making a bigger point ... the walls are closing in on free speech, the essence of which requires you to allow people to make comments that you find offensive or even abhorrent.

Will Smith finally got his punishment for slapping Chris Rock at The Oscars -- the Academy of Motion Pictures has made him persona non grata for a decade for that slap.

The Academy's Board of Governors met Friday and after the vote, the Academy President and CEO said, "The Board [of Governors] has decided, for a period of 10 years, from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards."

He continues with an Academy mea culpa  ... "During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers, and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short -- unprepared for the unprecedented."

The Prez went on to thank Chris Rock ... "We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances."

A statement allegedly from Smith after the announcement read, "I accept and respect the Academy's decision."

TMZ broke the story ... our sources told us the Academy lied about asking Will to leave the Dolby Theater after the slap. Turns out it was the exact opposite ... as the show's producer Will Packer told Will he could stay.

The Academy was slammed for getting caught in a lie, so this disciplinary hearing also served as its best way to make good for an, at best, fumbled response.

Will had also been dealing with the fallout -- a bunch of his projects are now on ice and he already resigned from the Academy.

The Instagram model covered in blood after her boyfriend's stabbing death proudly talked about needing to be in control of her relationships and only dating "rich Black men" just weeks before he was killed.

Courtney Tailor went on the "We In Miami Podcast" we're told just 2 weeks before Christian Tobechukwu Obumseli's death. A newly surfaced clip from the interview makes her taste in men pretty clear -- "Let me clarify, I only date rich Black guys."

As the interview goes on, she reveals she doesn't like being controlled in her life ... saying she never wants to be told what to do.

As we reported, cops responded to a domestic violence incident Sunday ... they found 27-year-old Christian with an apparent stab wound. Christian was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The footage, obtained by TMZ, shows Courtney handcuffed in her luxury apartment in Miami with her clothes are covered in blood after the event.

Police have yet to announce Courtney as the woman in the video, but Lee Merritt, an attorney working with Christian's family, says she's the one.

Khloe Kardashian is in no mood for criticism on how she cares for her daughter, and she's now telling critics to worry about their own kids ... not hers.

Khloe was front and center at the premiere of the Kardashian's Hulu series Thursday, and she brought 3-year-old True along for the ride. Khloe was holding her kid for a time, and, of course, the Twitter mob dragged her because they felt the kid was too old to be held.

Khloe just responded ... "For the people who comment that I hold True too much… number 1 I'm gonna hold my baby until I can't hold her anymore."

She went on to say she had good reason to hold her daughter ... there was a flood of flashbulbs, lots of screaming and a crush of people all around her.

Khloe ended with a fair shot ... "Worry about your own children. We good over here".

British Cycling is now banning transgender athletes from participating in their races ... just a week after trans cyclist Emily Bridges was disqualified from the women's championship.

It's a bit surprising because British Cycling has a Transgender and Non-binary Participation Policy that seemingly allows trans cyclists to compete.

But, since the incident with Bridges -- when the Union Cycliste Internationale banned her from the April 2 race because she was registered as a male cyclist -- the board voted this week to suspend the policy.

"As a result of this, on Wednesday 6 April the British Cycling Board of Directors voted in favor of an immediate suspension of the current policy, pending a full review, which will be initiated in the coming weeks," BC said in a statement.

British Cycling says its initial policy is "unfair on all women riders and poses a challenge to the integrity of racing."

Bridges' mother was not happy when she received the ruling via email ... saying on Twitter, "Dumped by email."

"We've just received this in our inbox. We will be making a statement at some point during the next 24 hrs."

British Cycling says they will work "tirelessly" to make sure their new policy remains "free of hate, discrimination and abuse in all forms, and that we prioritize the welfare of riders, volunteers, event organizers, commissaries and others that our sport can’t continue without."

"As an organization, we remain committed to ensuring that transgender and non-binary people are welcomed, supported and celebrated in the cycling community, and the inclusion of these groups within non-competitive activities remains unaffected by the suspension."

Fat Joe says Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars has serious consequences for all POCs when it comes to demanding respect ... especially because it was Will who got violent in public.

We got Joey Crack Thursday in New York City, and asked for his take on the fallout from Will's actions, and the impact on minorities.

You can tell it pains him to say it, but Joe says Will being the culprit makes it much worse for the culture than, for instance, Fat Joe and 50 Cent beefing.

Watch the clip, he really did take that shot at himself -- but his point is people expect more from Will, because as he put it ... the Oscar winner is "the best we got."

What's more, Joe says the slap looks bad from the outside because it comes at a time when Black and brown people are demanding more respect in society.

The junior tennis player who slapped his opponent in the face following a match earlier this week has issued an apology ... saying his actions were "wrong and completely out of line."

Just three days after 15-year-old Michael Kouame smacked 16-year-old Raphael Nii Ankrah following a loss at an ITF juniors tournament in Ghana ... he said he was very sorry.

Kouame -- who posted the mea culpa on his social media page -- said he acted out and slapped Ankrah after hearing heckling from the crowd during the match.

"I was repeatedly verbally abused by a large number of individuals in the crowd, including insults to my mother in particular," Kouame said. "However, that does not excuse my behavior."

Kouame directly apologized to Ankrah ... and said he'd take any punishment that officials inevitably hand down.

"[I] will use this time to reflect on how I can better manage challenging situations like these in the future in a manner that accurately reflects my character," Kouame said.