Controversial S#!T

Anthony Mackie is set to take up the mantle as the new Captain America in his own movie, but on speculation over whether Chris Evans might reprise the role ... he says, no chance.

News about Mackie starring in a forthcoming 'Captain America 4' flick surfaced this week, with director Julius Onah reportedly attached to direct. This, of course, comes on the heels of Mackie's Disney+ show -- which ends with him accepting the CA shield.

You'd think that conclusion -- which was made very clear on the show, this after Evans' character, Steve Rogers, had already passed the torch at the end of 'Endgame' -- wouldn't be up for debate ... but apparently, among some fans, it is. And, THR alluded to that in a thread.

In response to uncertainty about Evans' possible involvement with the new movie and the character, CE himself weighed in Saturday ... writing, "Sam Wilson is Captain America."

The reason that's a big deal ... it seems to shut down trolls who, to this day, aren't cool with the idea of Mackie carrying on as the titular superhero -- a controversy that's been brewing since 2019 when he was officially tapped as Chris Evans' successor.

A lot of the pushback over AM has been straight-up racist ... with many saying a Black guy simply shouldn't be allowed to assume the role (even though that happens in the comics).

Now, Chris appears to be confirming he's done with 'Captain America,' and that Mackie will exclusively continue as the character ... without Chris's involvement going forward. Frankly, that makes sense logistically -- Evans is depicted as an old dude in the final 'Avengers' movie ... so to jam him into the plot, beyond just a cameo, feels unlikely/unnecessary.

BTW, Mackie as the new Captain America carries a lot of weight. It's revealed on the show -- based on an earlier comic series, which is canon -- that the fictionalized history behind Captain America is dark, with the U.S. government testing/perfecting the super serum giving him his powers on Black soldiers while Cap was under ice. So, technically, Captain America was built on the backs of Black people ... a metaphor to our own real-life history, some say.

Britney Spears is again bemoaning the fact that she's been the subject of documentaries and TV specials of late -- saying she considers it grade-A bullying by Corporate America.

The pop star posted lengthy thoughts about this on Saturday, which she's addressed before. She writes, in part ... "I feel like America has done a wonderful job at humiliating me," going on to explain that when she was in the conservatorship ... she'd apparently be forced to walk to her car from the airport, on purpose, so that paps could get a ton of shots of her.

Britney's words here are a bit all over the place, but her gripe seems to be with old paparazzi photos -- some of which she thinks are unflattering -- being resurfaced in docs and specials that have aired in the past couple years ... including on Hulu, Netflix and CNN.

On the issue of so much coverage of her now, she adds ... "I've never felt more bullied in my life in this country it's insane ... and come on seriously is it honestly legal to do that many documentaries about someone without their blessing at all??!"

Then, Britney invokes some celebrity names as examples of people who never get this amount of press and analysis without their permission or participation -- including Will Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry.

She also says the idea these specials are "helping her" are misguided, suggesting that rehashing this ancient history is embarrassing. BS also appears to believe that most of these docs focus on what led to the conservatorship rather than what she went through while actually in it ... the reality of which she says was far worse than what's been depicted.

The weird thing ... the above-mentioned outlets seem to be the only ones with big docs/specials that have been done about Britney, and the last one came out in fall of last year -- so it's unclear why Brit's talking about this now and what might be triggering her.

What Britney also doesn't seem to understand is this ... her story isn't over, as she and her legal team are continuing to go after her dad, Jamie Spears, and seem dead set on holding him accountable for what they say he put her through during the conservatorship.

Plus, she hasn't done a proper sit-down with anyone yet ... so the intrigue isn't going away anytime soon, especially as she continues to make headlines with her personal life.

Of course, Britney might just be biding her time to fully tell her story in her own words ... probably until she can finish her tell-all book, which she reportedly struck a deal to write to the tune of at least $15 million. In light of that, we're sure she'll speak up eventually.

Russell Simmons and Boyz II Men singer Shawn Stockman are not seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to the current state of R&B -- and one thinks the other just has to get on board with the changing times.

We caught up with the OG hip hop mogul in West Hollywood to pick his brain on Shawn’s recent Twitter rant about R&B losing its identity, and blending into the rap world. Well, the Def Jam co-founder says it's not a matter of blaming one genre or another ... it’s simply a cultural shift.

You can hear Russell start to get peeved as he slams the notion of grouping rappers and singers together. He explains there are subgenres of rap and singing that fall underneath the same umbrella for commercial purposes.

Translation: hit records are blending the genres -- that's the culture right now -- but the unique genres of R&B and rap are still out there too.

We didn’t stop there ... Uncle Rush -- who was instrumental in the careers of Jay-Z, DMX, Method Man, Foxy Brown and many more -- also touched on the overnight wealth many rappers are enjoying lately.

Earlier in the week, we spoke to Yo Gotti’s new artist GloRilla after she received a $500K signing bonus for joining the CMG Squad.

At 64, Russ says he’s lived long enough to know shiny trinkets and lavish spending won’t make him whole.

While he advised GloRilla and other young rappers to save their bread, Russ also recognizes Gen Zers have to experience life on their own terms.

Elon Musk isn't going to be taking over Twitter after all, he just notified the company he wants to terminate the potential deal they had for the sale of the company.

CNBC reports Musk's lawyer sent a letter on his behalf Friday, claiming the social media company "has not complied with its contractual obligations.”

According to Elon's side ... Twitter allegedly didn't hand over business information that the Tesla CEO had requested, unclear specifically what he was looking for, but he's spoken in the past about wanting to look into the company's claims about spam accounts before a deal could be reached.

As we reported, Musk announced he was pumping the brakes on his $44 billion deal back in May ... and the stock tanked in pre-market trading -- down 25%.

While he said the pause had to do with the spam accounts, other theories began to circulate -- one idea suggested he wanted to make execs at Twitter sweat and get a better deal, while another theory believed it to be the beginning of the end of his deal with the platform.

Boosie Badazz is willing to die on Pied Piper hill with his firm belief that R. Kelly got screwed by a federal judge -- but the facts don't exactly support that argument.

The Louisiana rap legend's been pissed off ever since the judge hit Kelly with 30 years in federal prison. Remember, the singer was found guilty on a slew of sex crimes -- but Boosie insists none of them warrants such a stiff sentence.

He absolutely flipped out in a VladTV interview, claiming he knows of dozens of cases where killers and rapists were given just 10 years in prison -- and, to Boosie at least, Kelly's crimes amount to little more than manipulation of women.

As he so eloquently put it, "[Kelly] wasn't tying them to the bed. He was masterminding bitches!!! Older n****as do it all the time!"

This seems like a good time to remind Boosie, and others, R. Kelly was convicted of 9 federal sex crimes ... including human trafficking, obstruction of justice and kidnapping. That last count was for holding women against their will.

So, while Boosie thinks Kelly got the book thrown at him because he's Black and rich ... the jury clearly felt there was plenty of actual, and relevant evidence to convict him on ALL counts.

Perhaps the most offensive part of Boosie's rant was his suggestion Kelly should get a lighter sentence so he can return to society, and counsel women on how to avoid "predators."

Lizzette Martinez, one of Kelly's victims, has the total opposite take ... telling us he deserves a life sentence, because she doesn't believe he can be rehabilitated.

Kelly's attorneys have said they plan to appeal the case ... a move we're guessing Boosie fully supports. One thing he didn't discuss is the fact Kelly could be sentenced at least 2 more times when he stands trial in another federal case and a Minnesota state case.

Filmmaker Alex Holder thinks his upcoming Trump documentary paints a clear picture of how former President Donald Trump and his team incited a riot at the Capitol.

Alex joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and says Trump and co. were a hostile bunch as he interviewed them in the months that led up to the January 6th insurrection -- using words like "belligerent" to describe their tone.

His interviews with the former President were filled with anger, and says he spoke to Trump months after Jan 6 at Mar-a-Lago, who still stuck to his story about "smart people" rightfully fighting for what they thought was right.

He says the series, which premieres Sunday on Discovery+, will follow a couple of storylines ... one about how Trump allowed the riots to take place, and another about the dynamic between DT and his kids -- something he finds just as interesting.

Comedian Andrew Schulz refused to bow down and censor his comedy special for Amazon, deciding to release it on his own, and the decision is already paying off to the tune of more than $1 million.

Schulz recently revealed honchos at a streaming service "freaked out" when they watched the material he wanted to include in his upcoming comedy special. We're told jokes in the project ranged from topics like Ted Bundy, abortion and Michael Jackson. Schulz claimed the honchos told him to remove the sensitive stuff, or they couldn't release it to users.

We've spoken to sources close to Schulz who tell us he was shopping the special to Amazon and Netflix -- Amazon bid the highest -- but then backed out after Schulz refused to remove the triggering content.

Now, Schulz has decided to self-release the special for fans through his website at $15 a ticket. We're told in the first day alone, he made $500,000 in sales and has made over $1 million in less than a week.

Our sources say the way tickets are selling, he'll make more than his deal with Amazon was in the first place.

We should note, he's partnered with Moment House to sell his tickets -- the same company behind Justin Bieber and Kygo shows -- and we're told he's already broken sales records.

Derek Chauvin was just sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison for violating George Floyd's civil rights during his murder.

The former Minnesota cop took a plea deal back in December, admitting he kept his knee pinned on Floyd's neck when Floyd became unresponsive, and was sentenced on Thursday ... getting 245 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Chauvin was in the courtroom when the judge read the sentence, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, and waved to his mother and friends in the gallery when he was brought in.

Floyd's brother, Philonise, gave a victim impact statement ... saying George was murdered in broad daylight for the world to see, accusing Chauvin of using excessive force that went against his police training.

George's brother also remarked how George would not be there to see his daughter grow up ... and Philonise said George's life mattered.

Chauvin's mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, also spoke in court ... telling her son she would visit him often in prison and hoping she would still be alive when he's released.

Travis Scott stopping a concert for a rowdy crowd is backfiring -- 'cause the family of one of the Astroworld victims thinks it shows him picking and choosing when he puts fan safety first.

Alex Hilliard, an attorney representing Ezra Blount's family, tells TMZ ... Scott's actions at the July 4 Coney Island show don't prove the rapper is compassionate and willing to keep order. If anything, it depicts the exact opposite ... at least according to the lawyer.

Hillard says, "He knows exactly how to keep his fans safe during a concert, but the problem with that is he didn't just learn about the fact that he has control over the entire crowd."

His implication is Travis has known he wields this power all along, including at Astroworld, but simply refused to exercise it to settle things down. Travis has denied that.

Hillard goes on -- "There are 10 people that would still be alive today, including young Ezra Blount, if Travis realized his responsibility as an artist goes further than just trying to rile up his crowds, and it reemphasizes the rule of 'if you see something say something.'"

In the immediate aftermath of the Coney Island performance, one of Travis's reps came out and said ... "Travis is committed to doing his part to ensure events are as safe as possible so that fans can have fun," adding that he encouraged fans to listen to security so everyone could be safe and enjoy themselves.

It might leave TS feeling like he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't -- but Hillard just isn't buying the compassionate Trav version of events.

He hits back rather fiercely ... telling us, "The problem Mr. Scott has is his when we call him to the stand to swear him in and cross-examine him the judge will not allow his paid spokesperson to sit in the witness chair and answer questions for him."

Fans of R. Kelly's music are torn on how to handle the disgraced singer's catalog of hits, now that he's doing 30 years for sex crimes -- but maybe Kirk Franklin can provide some guidance.

We put the issue to the gospel music pioneer in NYC. Seeing as how he recorded with Kelly back in 1998, and he knows a thing or two about being persecuted in the spotlight ... he's a perfect person to weigh in.

The gospel Grammy magnet is currently promoting his social justice reform-themed album, "Kingdom Book One" w/ Maverick City Music, and didn't deny cancel culture is a slippery slope because we all make mistakes.

Still, he says it can be "difficult to separate an artist from the art," and, therefore, performers have a responsibility to uphold the trust of their fans.

As we reported, Kelly is currently off suicide watch in prison, and if he's at all interested in forgiveness from fans ... it's gonna take a lot of work, according to Kirk.

Jerone Davison, a Republican running for Congress, is embracing assault weapons, saying there's a place for them in America ... especially when it comes to subduing members of the KKK.

It's a bizarre and disturbing political ad ... Davison leans in hard on Democrats with his hypothetical that he would need 30 rounds fired in rapid succession to protect his family.

Davison, a former Oakland Raiders running back who's running in Arizona, suggests Democrats are the ones inside the Klan hoods.

The video shows hooded Klansmen with donkey patches on their robes menacingly approaching a home where Davison is hanging out with an AR-15. He's the only one with a firearm, and when he brandishes the rifle the Klansmen turn and run.

The ad ends with a white hood floating in a pool ... and in a social media post promoting the spot, Davison says, "Make Rifles Great Again 💪🏽."

Baker Mayfield's time in Cleveland is officially over -- the former first overall pick is heading to the Carolina Panthers, according to reports.

27-year-old Mayfield is being shipped to Charlotte in exchange for a 2024 conditional 5th-round pick, per Ian Rapoport.

The trade -- which is pending a physical -- comes after months of speculation ... with Mayfield penning a heartfelt goodbye to Browns fans amid Cleveland's pursuit of quarterback Deshaun Watson.

The Browns will pay $10.5 million of Mayfield's salary this season ... with the Panthers shelling out $5 million.

Mayfield joins a familiar face in the QB room -- fellow 2018 top pick Sam Darnold -- as well as rookie Matt Corral and P.J. Walker.

Mayfield played in 60 games over 4 years for the Browns ... leading the franchise to a playoff win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021.

His most recent season was riddled with injuries ... going 6-8 with 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Despite being undoubtedly the best Browns QB since the franchise's return in 1999, Mayfield previously said he felt disrespected by the organization as they traded for Watson, whose NFL future remains uncertain amid claims of sexual misconduct by multiple massage therapists.

The best part about the trade -- Baker's Panthers will face off against the Browns in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.

Hidden cameras in Airbnbs is a hot-button issue lately, but apparently, they're nothing new -- at least according to two renters, who say they were illegally taped by their host.

A couple is suing the host of an Airbnb rental property in Maine, claiming the guy installed a secret recording device in the main bedroom of an apartment they stayed in back in 2020 ... which they worry was rolling during hanky-panky!

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kayla DeCristofaro and Ian Kelly say they rented a pad from a guy named Peter Madden around mid-September in Westbrook, ME ... only to later learn the guy was later charged with seven counts of violating privacy using an inside device.

The couple claims they had no knowledge of this at the time ... not suspecting anything was amiss and carrying on with their stay like normal -- including getting busy in the bedroom, among other intimate moments in which they were undressed and/or having private convos.

Welp, about a month later ... DeCristofaro and Kelly allege they were contacted by the local police, which they say informed them that Madden had a camera hidden in a clock radio in the bedroom ... with a full view of the bed, and which was apparently filming.

The pair say they were never told about any cameras from either Madden or Airbnb, and insist they had a reasonable expectation to privacy in the home. They're suing Madden for violation of privacy and emotional distress.

Of course, this has echoes of a woman who just last month alleged there were not-so-secret cameras littered throughout a Philly Airbnb rental -- but the company shut her down, saying there was no truth to the matter ... a conclusion they say was reached by the authorities.

Is it Michael or a Michael imposter? That ongoing debate about 3 of Michael Jackson's posthumously released songs is behind the sudden disappearance of the tracks from major streaming services.

The songs -- "Monster," "Keep Your Head Up" and "Breaking News" -- were all on the "Michael" album, released in 2010 ... the year after Jackson's death. But, ever since they came out some fans, and even Michael's family members, have questioned whether they feature legit MJ vocals.

The songs vanished from Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal streaming services last week, which many fans saw as confirmation that's not really MJ singing on them -- however, a rep for the official MJ website says that's not exactly the case.

The rep confirms the songs "are no longer being made available by Sony Music for purchase or streaming but I should point out that the removal of these three songs has nothing to do with their authenticity. The Estate and Sony Music believe the continuing conversation about the tracks is distracting the fan community and casual Michael Jackson listeners from focusing their attention where it should be -- on Michael’s legendary and deep music catalog."

One fan who probably isn't buying that explanation is Vera Serova, who filed a lawsuit in 2014, accusing Sony Music, the Jackson Estate and the producers of the songs of lying to consumers. She lost the case in 2018, but is now appealing to California's Supreme Court.

The Estate tells TMZ ... taking down the songs was "the simplest and best way to move beyond the conversation associated with these tracks once and for all." Instead, the Estate wants fans to focus on the Tony-winning Broadway production, "MJ: The Musical" and other projects celebrating his catalog. The rep added, "Nothing should be read into this action concerning the authenticity of the tracks."

Warren Jeffs, the subject of a popular new Netflix documentary -- "Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey" -- has been closely watched for his own protection for the past decade while locked away, TMZ has learned.

A rep for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice tells TMZ ... Warren has been in protective custody since he arrived at the Louis C. Powledge Unit in Anderson County back in 2011.

The area is designed to provide the ultimate protection for inmates ... he stays in his cell for 22 hours each day ... even his meals are brought to him. He's given some rec time, but isn't allowed to interact with other inmates.

An inmate is placed in protective custody when there's been a serious, direct or proven threat to their safety. The circumstances surrounding his confinement have not been made public.

As we reported, Warren took his new mug shot Thursday ... as his Netflix doc continues to do big numbers. The series examines his controversial church ... where polygamy reigned supreme.

Pope Francis is strongly in support of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, comparing abortion to "hiring a hitman to solve a problem."

The Pope reiterated the position of the Catholic Church ... that life begins at conception.

He spoke from his residence at the Vatican ... "I ask, is it legitimate? Is it right to eliminate a human life to resolve a problem?"

Then the 85-year-old Pontiff was asked about a hot topic in the Church -- whether someone, like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is pro-choice should be allowed to get communion. FYI ... Pelosi was denied communion by the archbishop in San Francisco where she lives, although she received the sacrament at the Vatican last week.