Controversial S#!T

Dustin Johnson's days of playing on the PGA Tour are over -- at least for right now -- the golf superstar just announced he's resigning his membership in order to play full-time in the Saudi-backed LIV league.

DJ broke the news during a meeting with media members at Centurion Club near London on Tuesday ... just days before he's set to tee it up for the first time at a LIV Golf Invitational Series event.

"For right now," Johnson said, "I resign my membership from the Tour. I'm going to play here for now, and that's the plan."

The new league -- which is backed by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia -- has been controversial, due to the country's past record of human rights violations.

Golfers who have defected to the league have been accused of taking loads of cash to play and effectively help the country "sports wash" that track record.

In addition, the PGA Tour has not been friendly about the rival league ... threatening suspensions and bans for golfers who accept the invite to play in it.

Johnson -- who reportedly received around $125 million to golf in the new league -- said the decision to leave the Tour ultimately came down to "what's best for me and my family."

Now ineligible for the Ryder Cup, Johnson said he was unsure if he'd be allowed to participate in golf's major events from here.

Other golf superstars, meanwhile, have joined in Johnson's decision to play in the league -- most notably, Phil Mickelson revealed on Monday he, too, has accepted the invite. He has not, however, formally resigned from the Tour yet.

Top golfers Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na and Sergio Garcia have joined as well. Tiger Woods, however, reportedly turned down a "nine-digit" offer to play.

If Ryan Clark's goal for Monday was to stir things up, mission accomplished ... the former NFL star just kicked a hornet's nest by saying Chris Brown is "more talented" than the legendary Michael Jackson!

Oh, he was immediately ripped for it ... the ex-safety received all sorts of mean comments from Twitter users after he tweeted the controversial statement.

"Chris Brown is more talented than Michael Jackson," Clark said, "there I said it! Have a great week."

"I do not care!! You out CB and MJ in the talent Olympics Chris Brown wins."

The responses RC got were hilarious -- from GIFs to some fans asking Clark if he was drunk or high ... 'cause they couldn't believe a sober mind could come up with such an analogy.

"Drinking early this morning??" one fan said while another said, "Whatever you're sippin on, I need it for later 😂 😂"

Another fan thought Ryan needed a Snickers candy bar ... saying, "I trust you and highly respect you but maybe you are hangry or something! Stay happy!"

Clark -- who currently works for ESPN -- even got ripped by his colleagues ... Marcus Spears hit him with the classic 'how?' GIF. Cowboys writer Clarence Hill Jr. even got in on the fun, responding, "get your boy man".

😬😬😬😬😬

Bradley Cooper is living life through the late Leonard Bernstein's eyes while he shoots a movie about the guy's life -- which translated to a kissing scene with Matt Bomer this week.

The two actors locked lips on set Monday in NYC, where they're shooting this new Netflix biopic about the legendary conductor -- titled "Maestro" -- and it seems the smooching went well ... 'cause BC was all smiles during the scene, as was Matt.

Of course, Bernstein was openly gay -- so it's no surprise/NBD the lead star is making out with a dude for the flick -- if anything, it was 100% expected. Bomer just happened to be the lucky man to land the role of romantic interest ... and fun fact, Matt's gay in real life.

What's been getting way more buzz as it pertains to the film is how unrecognizable Brad looks as Lenny ... it seems he'll be playing the Maestro at different life stages, including in old age, and some of the shots of Brad in costume and makeup have gotten double-takes.

There's also been some controversy ... it's been noted that Brad's using a prosthetic to make his nose look longer than it really is, which many have called anti-Semitic -- as they see this as clear "Jew face," as it's been dubbed by some.

Now we know why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were so conspicuously missing from the end of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations -- they were at 30,000 feet several hours beforehand.

Harry looked pensive and exhausted in Santa Barbara Sunday morning after the Sussexes and their 2 children flew private from London -- passing on the final Jubilee events, including the People's Pageant, and a surprise appearance by Queen Elizabeth herself.

QE2 kept it brief, but she did come out on her Buckingham Palace balcony to do some royal waving to her subjects gathered for the pageant. It was her first public appearance since the Jubilee began on Thursday, because she'd been feeling under the weather. Once again, she was joined by Prince Charles and Camilla, Prince William and Kate and their 3 kids.

Even if Meghan and Harry had stayed for the finale, it's doubtful they'd have been on the balcony. They'd been banished to a separate room for the Jubilee kickoff, and they sat as far as possible from Kate and William during a church service.

Their early retreat back to their home in Montecito is just one more confirmation of what's painfully obvious -- the U.K. trip was for the Queen's sake, and NOT because things are any better between Harry and his brother and his father. The 3 of them were never photographed together all weekend.

The woman who claims Alaska Airlines gave her the boot because she was too fat has drastically slimmed down ... going under the knife to shed hundreds of pounds.

Ray Lin Howard tells TMZ … she weighed 420 pounds when she was removed from an Alaska flight back in September, and she's since lost 181 pounds following a surgical procedure and changes to her diet and exercise routine.

Ray Lin says she's down to 239 pounds and credits the gastric sleeve surgery performed by Dr. Samuel Kashani ... combined with healthier eating habits and daily walks.

Remember ... RLH claims she got kicked off her flight for being too fat for her sports bra, alleging harassment and discrimination and saying it was the worst case of "fatphobia" in her life.

But, she used the incident as a turning point, telling us she decided to make a change in her lifestyle following all the headlines.

TMZ broke the story ... Dr. Kashani reached out to Ray Lin after he saw her airline story, with the Bev Hills surgeon offering to perform the gastric sleeve surgery for free -- a sweet deal because it normally goes for $42,000.

Ray Lin says she's happy she went through with the procedure, and while she still loves her curves ... she does want to remove some excess skin after the weight loss.

One more big change for her -- she separated from her husband when she returned home from the surgery.

Deshaun Watson seems to be shooting himself in the foot ... courtesy of his own lawyer, who is now trying to clarify comments he made about massages and "happy endings." 😣

The Browns QB -- who's been cleared in a criminal probe, but still faces a mountain of civil suits about alleged sexual misconduct from multiple women -- is in damage control this week ... this after his lead attorney, Rusty Hardin, made some wild remarks on the air.

The dude was doing an interview with SportsRadio 610 (based out of Houston, DW's previous home in the NFL) when he said it isn't technically illegal for men to get a little something extra at the end of a session ... so long as nobody is forced or coerced into it.

Yeah ... he literally said that. And yes, it left a lot of people with their mouths open, because they couldn't believe Hardin had said it ... seemingly in connection to Deshaun's sitch.

You can listen to what he said for yourself and decide whether he's talking about Deshaun or not -- especially in light of Hardin's clarifying comments thereafter, in which he said he was talking "hypothetically," and that his remarks in no way, shape or form explicitly reflected what Deshaun had or hadn't done pertaining to all these masseuses accusing him.

BTW, the number of lawsuits he's facing is now in the dozens (24 to be exact) and the NFL's apparently on the verge of announcing their decision on what to do about DW this season.

Of course, Deshaun was signed to a monster contract during this offseason ... getting a five-year $230 million deal from the Browns, with all the dough guaranteed. And it's not even clear if he'll even play in 2022!

Kathy Griffin is taking low-blow shots at Johnny Depp -- beyond believing Amber Heard ... she thinks he's far from the dreamboat he once was, focusing on his looks.

The comedian went on the offensive this week -- shortly after the pro-Depp verdict came down in Virginia -- during an appearance on "Just Ask The Question with Brian Karem" ... where she hurled a lot of insults at JD and his legion of fanboys (and girls).

Specifically, she made fun of his appearance ... likening him to Trump, and saying he resembled a "bloated booze bag" these days -- despite what his supporters might think.

KG also commented on his voice and manner of speaking ... saying it was such a phony act, and that she's shocked anyone is buying it -- even invoking Kanye West during his wire days. The host agrees, saying he sounds sorta British ... even though he's from Kentucky.

Kathy wasn't done there though ... she went on to express direct support for Amber, saying she 100% bought her story of alleged abuse -- despite a jury saying otherwise -- and even followed in Amber's footsteps by dredging up supposed old rumors about Johnny.

She mentions Kate Moss (who denied any abuse at the hands of JD) ... and even Winona Ryder. Her theory -- which sounds totally speculative -- is that ... these other ladies are, perhaps, afraid of being "Amber Heard'd" and therefore won't speak out against him.

We'll let Kathy speak for herself here ... but let's just say she's certainly catching backlash because of this, from both Depp "stans" and beyond.

Boosie is a happy man this weekend -- he looks like someone who just found out they weren't the father on "Maury" ... except, he's celebrating vicariously through his own seed.

The rapper posted a wild video showing himself screaming in pure joy from within his car ... touting the idea that his 18-year-old, Tootie Raww, was supposedly cleared by a DNA test as NOT being the father to a baby that his GF/would-be baby mama allegedly claimed was his.

Check it out ... his victory lap is hilariously on-brand for Boosie. He's shouting from the top of his lungs and praising Jesus that the baby isn't his ... son's.

Boosie claims Tootie's SO brought somebody else's kid down to his high school graduation recently and sprung it on him like he was the father -- and Boosie thinks it was all BS ... even going on to call it a "conspiracy." Unclear if he's joking or not ... seems to be though.

Tootie appears to have taken ownership ... he was posing for photos with the child. But, his dad was skeptical from the beginning -- saying he didn't think this was Tootie's baby.

Boosie has also posted a ton of alleged receipts that he believes clear this up even further, throwing up photos of the supposed "real" mom and dad ... saying it's further evidence.

Lisa Bloom says her clients are already feeling the impact of the Depp-Heard trial by being silenced -- but she's being labeled a hypocrite ... because of Harvey Weinstein.

The famed women's rights attorney -- who has made a career following in the footsteps of her mother, Gloria Allred, by repping women with claims against high-profile men -- shared some insight into how the verdict against Amber is taking a toll on other alleged victims.

She writes, "I had to advise two women today that if they speak out about their sexual assaults, they can be sued. Even if they don't name their abuser. Even if they don't identify him by job or relationship. One wept at being silenced. The fallout from (Depp vs. Heard)."

Lisa also addressed a caveat proposed by some who say truthful accusers are A-OK ... "Some of you said they need not worry if they are telling the truth. If only. Defamation case = years of anguish in pretrial proceedings + 2-5 years to get to trial + a half mil to a million $ in attorneys fees (not to me). Few have the emotional strength and wealth for that."

It's a fair point ... women, in general, might second guess going public with allegations now, especially knowing they could be sued and lose. But, the flip side of that argument is ... Amber was literally one woman making claims against Johnny, while no other woman did.

Comparing JD to the likes of Weinstein or other notorious #MeToo men with a sea of accusers isn't fair -- you could say this was a unique one-off that won't have a chilling effect ... especially if you believe Amber lied, which a vast majority of folks (including the jury) do.

Speaking of Weinstein, Lisa's history with the guy is resurfacing in the wake of these comments of hers. Many are pointing out what they see as her being sanctimonious ... seeing how she was advising HW at the beginning of his own scandal in 2017.

As we reported, Lisa was doing extensive investigative work for Weinstein in the summer of 2017 ... looking into Rose McGowan and other accusers who were going public.

While that was true at the time, so too is the fact that Lisa has repped scores of women over the years, specifically alleged victims. So whether it's her or someone else, the argument has been and will continue to be made ... this verdict was mega.

The Indianapolis Children's Museum is in hot water after serving up a racially insensitive dish ... specifically to commemorate Juneteenth.

Yes, that pic shows the watermelon salad being sold in the museum cafeteria, and they're not even subtle about the racism, as the label reads ... "Juneteenth Watermelon Salad."

One ticked-off patron's reaction to the shocking menu item was, "No joke!!!"

A rep for the museum is defending the salad, saying its food service partners "planned a Juneteenth menu as a way for us to raise awareness of the holiday's meaning, and commemorate their own family traditions."

While that makes it sound like the food service company is Black-owned, we haven't been able to confirm that yet.

The rep also says "Red foods have historically been served by some to remember the blood that was shed along the way to freedom." We've never heard that one before, but okay.

They did offer a mea culpa though, saying, "The museum apologizes and acknowledges the negative impact that stereotypes have on communities of color. We have removed the salad from our menu. We value our relationships with all of our visitors and communities. We have learned from this experience."

The museum -- which is throwing a "Juneteenth Jamboree" -- correctly states on its website that Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., and is also called Emancipation Day or Juneteenth Independence Day.

Young Thug and Gunna will be locked up at least until January 2023, but attorney Drew Findling is calling BS on the entire Georgia RICO case that put them behind bars in the first place.

Findling, known as the "Billion Dollar Lawyer" for his work with several industry heavyweights, was in ATL when he ripped the entire operation to take down YSL as racist.

Drew says he firmly believes the justice system routinely violates rappers' 1st Amendment rights by targeting their lyrics -- something he says law enforcement ignores when it comes to other art forms ... such as big-screen violence from filmmakers, like Quentin Tarantino, for example.

His point was on display Thursday during Young Thug's latest hearing ... when prosecutors noted the lyrics "Smith & Wesson 45, put a hole in his heart/Better not play with me, killers, they stay with me" from Thug and Juice WRLD's collab, “Bad Boy.”

Drew knows a thing or two about rappers' legal drama, having successfully repped Gucci Mane, Offset and DaBaby in the past.

He also reps YFN Lucci, who was part of the reason Thug was denied bond.

The Fulton County D.A. has classified Thug's YSL as a deep-rooted murderous gang and cited the attempt on Lucci's life in prison as a prime example.

Longtime MLB announcer Jim Kaat has found himself embroiled in controversy yet again ... this time, it's because he referred to New York Yankees star Nestor Cortes as "Nestor the Molester" during a broadcast.

83-year-old Kaat was providing color commentary for the Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins game on Thursday afternoon ... when he tried to offer some on-air praise to Cortes, who was pitching against the L.A. Angels in a game in New York at the same time.

Kaat made a reference to Twins pitcher Devin Smeltzer and said, "That favorite pitcher, being kind of like Devin Smeltzer, 'Nestor the Molester!'"

"Nestor Cortes," Kaat added. "Man, he is fun to watch."

The comment was immediately hit with raised eyebrows on social media ... and while Kaat didn't address it again on-air, a Twins official told the Associated Press the team did speak with the Hall of Famer about the matter following the game.

"Obviously, we take these matters seriously and, like in all cases, will handle this internally and privately," Twins vice president of communications and content Dustin Morse said, before adding, "Jim meant no ill will."

Cortes, meanwhile, was also asked about the comment ... but he told the AP he was not offended.

"I'm sure, you know, he didn't really mean it," the left-handed pitcher said, "and people make mistakes, but it didn't offend me at all."

This is the second time in less than a year Kaat has faced backlash for an on-air remark ... back in October, he was forced to apologize for making a slavery reference during a Yoan Moncada at-bat in an Astros vs. White Sox playoff game.

Kaat -- a former Twins pitcher who was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame last year -- has been broadcasting games for decades.

Lil Nas X unloaded on BET over his 2022 BET Award nom snubs earlier this week ... and he's got at least one royal supporter in Queen Latifah.

We caught up with the legendary rap star promoting her new flick "Hustle" outside "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and while she feels LNX's talent is literally "amazing," it doesn't appear she agrees with his complaints his sexuality caused the snub.

The "Industry Baby" was a couple dynamite sticks short of nuclear on Wednesday when he accused the network of sharing into the world's problems — by excluding Black gay artists from top recognition.

His complaints were only amplified when it was discovered Jack Harlow, (yep, the White guy) was nominated for Best Male Hip Hop Artist alongside Drake, Future, Kanye and more ... causing fans on Twitter to have a field day.

It's not like LNX hasn't been on the BET Awards' radar. In 2020, he earned a Best New Artist Award and last year, went viral by kissing his ex-boyfriend Yai Ariza during his performance on live TV.

In an unexpected turn of events, play was temporarily halted during a French Open men's semi-final match on Friday after a protester ran onto the court and tied herself to the net.

The woman, who was wearing a shirt that had "We have 1028 days left" printed on the front, interrupted the match between Marin Cilic and Casper Ruud at Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris.

Unclear what exactly the woman's motive was for interfering during the contest, but security officials moved quickly to ensure she caused no harm to the players.

Ruud was astonished at the site of the woman on the court ... and he actually had to stop serving for several moments as guards worked to get her off the net.

Security ultimately carried the woman, whose identity remains a mystery at this time, off the clay so the match could finally resume.

Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen a demonstrator try to have their voice heard by causing a disruption at a live sporting event.

Johnny Depp still knows how to make his fans laugh ... cracking a joke about his disfigured hand -- the one with that missing chunk -- following his big win in court.

Johnny was signing a bunch of autographs Thursday night in Newcastle, England when he leaned down to one of the kids in the crowd, pointed at their hand, and had a laugh comparing the number of fingers they have.

"You have five, I have four and seven-eighths. Mad."

Of course, he's joking about his own claim, and trial testimony, that Amber Heard sliced off a good chunk of his finger with a vodka bottle while fighting in Australia.

As you know, Johnny's been spending time overseas with pal Jeff Beck as the verdict rolled in, and the support for Johnny has been overwhelming -- with a wall of fans straining Thursday night against barricades, trying to get to Depp.

The Instagram model who says she got booted from an airplane because of her massive breasts doesn't have the facts straight ... so say sources at the airline.

Mary Magdalene -- as she calls herself on social media -- claims American Airlines removed her from a flight because of a revealing tank top she wore on a flight from Canada to the U.S.

However, sources at AA tell us that wasn't the case, instead they say flight attendants noticed Mary sitting in several different seats before takeoff ... seats that weren't her ticketed one.

We're told airline employees believed the woman appeared to be intoxicated and she seemed unstable, so flight attendants and the captain asked her to leave -- she left without incident, and cops did not have to get involved.

We've also obtained video of Mary walking around the airport holding a massive cup ... although we can't tell what she was drinking.

Of course, this story is very different from Mary's take on the situation -- the IG model claims she got tossed for being "too explicit" in a tank top that barely covered her 22 lbs. of boobs.