Controversial S#!T

Bill Maher ventures into dicey areas all the time, and he did not disappoint Friday night when he argued ... gender reassignment with kids has gone too far.

The "Real Time" host began his weekly editorial with some interesting stats ... before 1946, only .08% of the population identified as LGBTQ. That number shot up to 2.6% among Baby Boomers. It shot up again to 4.2% with Gen X, 10.5% among Millennials and 20.8% with Gen Z.

Maher says much of the rise in percentages is a good thing ... that people feel comfortable enough to say who they are to a pollster, but his take is that some of the rise is attributed to trendiness ... i.e., it's now trendy to be LGBTQ.

Bill's argument is laced with humor, but at its core, he's saying especially when it comes to kids, their feelings are not always innate ... he says they often react to trends, to friends, to social media and parents should not reflexively take their children down a path of gender reassignment until the child's self-identity is certain. He zeroes in on hormone blockers on young kids, the consequences of which he thinks have been glossed over.

WWE Superstars Sasha Banks and Naomi have been "suspended indefinitely" and stripped of their tag team title after walking out of 'Monday Night Raw' earlier this week ... the company just announced during Friday Night Smackdown.

Ringside announcer Michael Cole dropped the bombshell during the telecast ... saying the now-former women's tag team champions won't be wrestling until further notice while they serve the suspension.

In addition to the suspension, Cole stated there will be a future tournament to crown new WWE women's tag team champions.

As we previously reported, Sasha and Naomi were slated to take part in a six-pack challenge to determine the number one contender for Bianca Belair, the women's champ.

However, Banks, a former women's champ herself, reportedly got frustrated with Vince McMahon and management's vision for the show ... resulting in her and Naomi blowing off the show and leaving the arena.

Master P says no one should be behind bars for low-level marijuana offenses, and he's not just blowing smoke ... he's actively trying to get people freed from prisons across the U.S.

The music icon joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us about his upcoming benefit concert for Friday's "Cannabis Freedom Day" ... and why more states need to change their drug laws.

Master P says there are way too many people locked up for possession of as little as $5 to $100 worth of pot -- in his home state of Louisiana and elsewhere -- and he says it's unfair and is wreaking havoc on entire communities.

To bring awareness to "Cannabis Freedom Day," Master P's No Limit Reunion Tour is performing in Norfolk, VA ... where he's taking the stage along with Mystikal, Silkk, Mia X, Fiend, Mr. Serv-on, Choppa Style, Mercedes and Juvenile.

Master P says he wants to put more pressure on states, like Louisiana, to follow California's lead and release people incarcerated for cannabis convictions while changing laws in the process. There have been over 60,000 people released in Cali, and with weed becoming decriminalized in 34 states, Master P wants to see more offenders get a second chance.

Robert Griffin III is firing back at the racist haters attacking LeBron James' son, Bronny, for taking a white classmate to prom ... saying, "LEAVE THESE KIDS ALONE!!!"

That's right -- grown ass people are mad about who a 17-year-old kid took to a dance.

Here's the deal -- LeBron's wife, Savannah, shared shots of Bronny's big day to social media on Wednesday ... showing the junior hooper and his date, a senior student at Sierra Canyon, all dressed up for the event.

Bronny was decked out in a flashy blue and black suit ... and his transportation of choice was a custom-print Mercedes with a sporty spoiler, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Pretty awesome, right??

Well, some disgusting haters took issue with Bronny's date not being black ... commenting some awful responses under Savannah's post -- even accusing the girl of being a gold digger.

Enter RG3, who defended the teenagers in a passionate tweet this week.

"LEAVE THESE KIDS ALONE!" Griffin -- who is married to Estonian athlete Grete Sadeiko -- said on Wednesday.

"People clowning Bronny for his prom date are just miserable. Let them enjoy their day."

RG3 followed up with a passionate video ... saying the hate is giving off creepy energy.

Griffin has previously shut down his own criticism for not marrying a black woman ... saying, "It is not anti-black to love someone outside your race."

Tensions are running high among mothers needing baby formula in the United States ... and that's even more apparent in a new video making the rounds on social media.

Unclear where the clip was recorded, but you can see empty shelves -- where formula should be -- and one woman confronting another, accusing her of taking the remaining formula to sell at a higher price.

After the heated exchange, one walks away with all the formula, leaving the other high and dry. The woman's brother posted the clip to social media, sharing the video along with her frustrations. She wrote, "People like this cause the shortages, not enough formula for kids but hey let's ban abortions."

Reports say the country has seen about a 40% drop in formula availability from last month, with some blaming supply chain issues caused by COVID as well as a formula product recall.

It's maybe the most incredible gaffe of the year -- and that's saying something -- former President George W. Bush tried to take aim at Vladimir Putin, and it boomeranged right back on him.

W. was speaking at SMU's George W. Bush Institute when he groused about Putin's invasion of Ukraine ... he was trying to say the war was the brainchild of a tyrant who brazenly invaded a neighboring country without any justification. But, here's how it came out ... "Political opponents are imprisoned or otherwise eliminated from participating in the electoral process. The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq."

Well, he quickly corrected himself, saying "I mean of Ukraine," and then just shrugged.

As you know, Bush launched a U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 on the pretext Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction ... there were no such weapons but lots of destruction in the wake of U.S. aggression.

Now check this out ... if you listen closely, after Bush corrects himself, he says, "Iraq too." That's an incredible statement, because that puts him in the seat of the aggressor without justification.

And then, he gets a laugh by saying, "75" -- his age.

Deion Sanders is going after Nick Saban ... calling the Alabama coach a liar for claiming Jackson State University -- where Prime is the head coach -- paid one of its top players $1 million to sign with their program ... then bragged about it!

Sanders was pissed after a clip made rounds on social media, where Saban accused the up-and-coming program of signing good players by paying them off ... and then boasting about it to the media.

"You best believe I will address that LIE Coach SABAN told tomorrow," Sanders wrote on Twitter. "I was & awakened by my son @ShedeurSanders that sent me the article stating that WE PAYED @TravisHunterJr a Million to play at @GoJSUTigersFB!"

"We as a PEOPLE don’t have to pay our PEOPLE to play with our PEOPLE," he added.

Of course, coach Prime is referring to Saban's claim that JSU signed one of its marquee players, Travis Hunter, by giving him $1 million to commit to the HBCU.

"We have a rule right now that says you cannot use name, image, and likeness to entice a player to come to your school," Saban said. "Hell, read about it in the paper."

"I mean Jackson State paid a guy a million dollars last year that was a really good Division 1 player to come to school -- it was in the paper, and then bragged about it. Nobody did anything about it."

Saban didn't stop at JSU, though ... the legendary coach also went after Texas A&M University, accusing the school of "buying every player on their team," thanks to NIL deals.

"I mean, we were second in recruiting last year," Saban told an audience at an Alabama booster event. "A&M was first. A&M bought every player on their team -- made a deal for name, image, likeness. We didn't buy one player, all right?"

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is assisting the WNBA in its efforts to get Brittney Griner home -- revealing on Tuesday he's working with the White House and even hostage negotiators to get her out of custody in Russia.

Silver said before the NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago that he's "working side-by-side" with WNBA commish Cathy Engelbert, who's made bringing Griner back to the U.S. a top priority.

"The league -- and by that, both the WNBA and its brother league, the NBA -- we have a huge responsibility to Brittney Griner as one of our players," Silver said.

"Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner of the WNBA, is on this issue every single day. I'm working side-by-side with her."

Silver says both leagues have gone above and beyond for the Phoenix Mercury star ... getting "in touch with the White House, the State Department, hostage negotiators -- at every level of government and also through the private sector as well."

"Our No. 1 priority is her health and safety and making sure that she gets out of Russia," Silver added.

Griner has been in custody in Russia since February after she was allegedly found with hash oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

The 31-year-old was denied house arrest by a judge last week and will be forced to stay in jail for at least another 30 days.

New York Yankees star Nestor Cortes has shut down his Twitter page and is issuing a mea culpa ... after some of his old tweets containing racial slurs were exposed this weekend.

While the Yanks were playing the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, more than a dozen old tweets from Cortes' account resurfaced ... showing the pitcher using the n-word several times in posts between 2012 and 2013.

Cortes was 17 or 18 years old when he wrote the tweets. One of the tweets seemed to be lyrics from French Montana's song, "Ain't Worried About Nothin."

The now-27-year-old baseball player apologized vehemently for it all on Monday ... and deactivated his account.

"It's unacceptable," Cortes told the New York Post prior to the Yankees' game against the Orioles on Monday. "I could have managed myself better and said stuff differently."

He added, "Those aren't the messages I want to send out. I deleted my Twitter to clean stuff up. Hopefully, I can make a better impact in the world for the people that look up to me to give a better example."

Cortes vowed to eventually return to Twitter "in the next few days" and keep his messages and interactions with fans positive.

The man responsible for slaughtering 10 people at a Buffalo grocery store left no question ... his attack was racially motivated, as evidenced by the hateful messaging emblazoned on his gun.

18-year-old Payton Gendron descended on the Tops store with a black Bushmaster XM-15 assault rifle littered with  racist language -- "N****" on its' barrel, "Here's your reparations," "Dylan Roof," "John Earnest" and "SYGAOWN."

"SYGAOWN" is an acronym for "Stop Your Genocide Against Our White Nations." As you probably know, Dylan Roof is the man who killed 9 black worshipers at a South Carolina Church. Earnest killed one woman and shot 3 others in 2019 at a synagogue in San Diego.

Starbucks in jumping into the Roe v. Wade fray by telling its employees the company will pay travel expenses for any staffer who has to travel more than 100 miles from home to get an abortion.

A Starbucks exec put it this way ... "Like many of you, I'm deeply concerned by the draft Supreme Court opinion related to the constitutional right to abortion that was first established by Roe v. Wade."

She went on ... "I know this is weighing on many of you, so let me be clear up front — regardless of what the Supreme Court ends up deciding, we will always ensure our partners have access to quality healthcare. And when actions impact your access to healthcare, we will work on a way to make sure you feel supported."

The coffee company pledged to its 240,000 employees it will cover all travel-related expenses "when accessing abortion or gender-affirming procedures."

Sasha Banks and Naomi -- WWE women's tag team champions -- reportedly walked out of "Monday Night Raw" last night after an argument with management about the creative direction of the show.

WWE issued a statement to TMZ Sports about the impromptu exit, saying, "During the broadcast, they walked into WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis's office with their suitcases in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk and walked out."

Officials from the promotion say when Banks and Naomi arrived at the arena they were made aware of their participation in the main event of 'Raw,' but allege both superstars claimed they were "uncomfortable" with who they were scheduled to wrestle.

It's unclear if the incident is part of an internal storyline. Though, WWE's statement makes it seem it was not part of the show, even writing, "Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract."

Sasha and Naomi were slated to be a part of a six-pack challenge match, where the winner would face Raw women's champion, Bianca Belair, in a match for the title. But, after they left the building, WWE was forced to pivot.

WWE quickly ran a segment backstage with Becky Lynch, former women's champion, where she said she witnessed Naomi and Sasha leave the arena. She then pleaded with on-screen official Adam Pearce for a title opportunity.

Becky Lynch fought Asuka in a singles match -- the new main event -- where she defeated her after spraying green mist in her face, and delivering a roundhouse kick.

As for Sasha and Naomi, PWInsider reports prior to leaving the arena, they met with Vince McMahon. Once it became clear WWE wasn't going to make the changes they wanted, they decided to skip the show.

Elon Musk says President Biden is a regular Ron Burgundy -- namely, the guy relies way too much on teleprompters ... so much so, in fact, that Elon thinks whoever runs it is in charge.

The Tesla chief and Twitter-owner-hopeful took a shot at JB this week on the 'All-In Podcast,' where he fielded a number of questions ranging from his attempt to buy the bird app, how he manages his keystone companies ... and also, what he thinks of politics in terms of red/blue.

On the latter issue, Elon made some cracks at 46's expense ... saying, "The real president is whoever controls the teleprompter. The path to power is the path to the teleprompter."

He wasn't done there ... Elon invoked the Will Ferrell flick, adding, "I do feel like if somebody were to accidentally lean on the teleprompter, it's going to be like 'Anchorman.'"

A few more parting shots at Biden and co. ... EM says that the current administration doesn't seem to get a lot done compared to the Trump days. That's not to say he's a fan of DT, per se, but apparently admired the people working behind the scenes on efficiency.

A Lyft driver wasn't about to allow a racist couple into his vehicle -- getting in a nasty back and forth with the two -- before ultimately giving them the boot.

According to the driver, the whole thing went down outside a bar called Fossils Last Stand in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania. He says the ride was for a woman named "Jackie" who allegedly owns the bar.

The video is intense, you first see "Jackie" enter the vehicle, shocking the driver when she says, "You're like a white guy. You're like a normal guy, you speak English." The driver then let her know he was canceling the ride, telling her how inappropriate the comment was.

That's when the woman's male friend enters the picture, escalating things, and telling the driver he should punch him in the face.

The driver calls the couple racist, and in turn, the man calls the driver a "n*****-lover."

Patrick Beverley is getting blasted by current and former NBA hoopers after criticizing Chris Paul on TV this morning ... with Damian Lillard and Matt Barnes going in on the NBA vet.

Pat Bev ripped Paul -- aka the "Point God" -- on 'First Take' on Monday for his abysmal performance in Game 7 against the Mavericks, saying head coach Monty Williams should've benched the future HOF'er.

FYI, Paul scored 10 points in 30 minutes. The Suns got their doors blown off, losing 123-90 ... at home.

The criticism didn't sit well with Dame, who hit social media and wrote ... "Bra on TV acting like his word law. Speaking on private convos and praying on mfs downfall. This weird behavior smh 🤷🏽‍♂️ … I ain’t got a horse in the race."

Beverley, who was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, said he knew the Mavs would win yesterday because "aint nobody afraid of anybody over there in Phoenix, man."

"Everybody in the league knows that," he continued.

And, Dame wasn't the only person Bev rubbed the wrong way (today) ... Matt Barnes went in on PB on ESPN's 'NBA Today.'

"I feel like what Pat Beverley did today to Chris Paul was completely disrespectful and out of the line," Barnes said. "Pat Bev is talking like he's that guy. You're not that guy."

He continued ... "Chris Paul played terrible this year and his numbers are still better than your career numbers have ever been," Matt said, adding, "The disrespect needs to be checked."

Barnes was clearly not here for Pat Bev coming after CP3, a future NBA Hall of Famer, and feels next time he needs to be put in his place for coming at Paul -- a star in the league.

As for Pat Bev and CP3, this is just the latest drama in their long-standing rivalry. Remember, Beverley pushed Paul in the back during the Western Conference Finals last season.

Beverley served a one-game suspension for his actions, but ultimately seemed to squash the beef with Paul on social media, wishing CP3 good luck during the 2021 NBA Finals.

The black family targeted by a young white boy who showed up at their front door with a whip are afraid it could happen again ... telling us the cops never seized the weapon.

Dee and Carissa Nash -- who captured the shocking incident on their home surveillance -- joined "TMZ Live" Monday. They tell us the 9-year-old boy had been aggressive toward other kids recently, but had for the most part, not directly gone after their daughter.

Obviously, that changed ... when the boy showed up on their front doorstep with a whip, smacking the door and allegedly doing damage to their car.

The Nash family -- who lives just outside Dallas -- called the cops, but tell us officers never confiscated the whip, and wouldn't talk to the young boy directly without his dad present. When Dee decided to take matters into his own hands, and talk to the boy's dad, the man pulled a gun and fired a shot, leading to his arrest.