Controversial S#!T

Tyler Perry has long been dogged over his signature character, Madea, and stereotypes some feel she upholds -- but he's defending himself ... especially against Spike Lee.

The movie studio mogul sat for an interview with Chris Wallace as part of his new program on HBO Max -- "Who's Talking to Chris Wallace" -- which was scrapped from CNN+ ... and repurposed on their main streaming app.

Chris asks Tyler about a criticism that Lee once lobbed against him in describing his Madea movies -- in which he called the character and/or those movies "coonery buffoonery" in '09.

From Spike's POV ... Madea is a caricature of Black people, women in particular, and he thinks it's a cheap, over-the-top impersonation that Tyler has monetized with a lot of success. There are at least 10 movies of his in which the character appears.

While TP was once quoted as saying Spike can "go to hell," he's a bit more nuanced in explaining why he loves the character and the thinking behind her makeup. He says Madea represents women he grew up around, whose stories he wanted to convey in a humorous way ... with truth sprinkled in. In other words, he seems to see it as an homage.

Tyler also invokes Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance to reinforce his point ... noting this convo has been happening way before Spike's salvo.

Now, it should be noted ... this old beef, while still discussed today, seems to be long and buried. Back in 2019, when Tyler opened his movie studio lot in Georgia, Spike was actually among the many famous guests who came to check it out. And TP even named one of the soundstages after him ... telling us at the time that his legacy was bigger than their feud.

Nia Long says she's gonna need all the support she can get after getting blindsided by her fiance, Celtics Coach Ime Udoka ... who we've learned kept her in the dark about his affair, even though the team busted him months ago.

Sources connected to the team and the couple tell TMZ ... Nia had moved to Boston with Kez, her 10-year-old son with Ime, just 2 weeks ago, and the couple was house hunting.

The sad twist for Nia is that when she moved, Ime was already fully aware his affair with a married front office staffer was about to blow up. We're told Ime knew way back in July the team was aware of the affair, and was launching an investigation.

Meanwhile, we're told Nia only found out about it in the last few days ... and only because Ime knew it was about to go public.

Nia tells TMZ, through her rep Shannon Barr ... "The outpouring of love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me. I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events. Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children."

The social media backlash against Ime, and support for Nia, was swift as soon as the Celtics announced on Wednesday they'd be punishing him.

On Thursday night, the Celtics officially suspended him for the entire upcoming 2022-23 season.

The Boston Celtics had known about the allegations against Ime Udoka for a couple months at the most ... team owner Wyc Grousbeck said on Friday.

Grousbeck addressed the situation surrounding his team's head coach publicly for the first time with media members since banning Udoka on Thursday for one full year, and while he declined to get into any specifics of the case, he did say the Celtics were first made aware of the claims at some point this summer.

Grousbeck says the team immediately brought in a law firm to investigate ... and it concluded its probe on Wednesday.

After learning of the firm's findings, Grousbeck said, the Boston owner and other execs within the Celtics org. decided to suspend Udoka for the entirety of the 2022-23 season.

Grousbeck reiterated Friday that the punishment could go on longer than just one year.

Udoka is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer during his one year as Celtics coach. Neither the team nor Udoka has addressed the allegations specifically, though Udoka did issue an apology on Thursday night following the announcement of his ban.

"I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down," Udoka said. "I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team's decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment."

Udoka was hired by the Celtics in June 2021. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said they had no indication that he had been guilty of any misconduct at his previous jobs during his interview process.

"Nothing but glowing remarks," Stevens said.

A Los Angeles TV anchorman just got the boot for going ballistic against management -- on the air -- after his co-anchor was not allowed to say so long to viewers after she resigned.

Mark Mester had been suspended earlier this week, but KTLA decided what he did warranted termination.

Mester was pissed off that co-anchor Lynette Romero, whom Mester called his "best friend," told management she was leaving after 24 years to anchor at another station and management didn't allow her to have an on-air goodbye.

Producers had reportedly written a segment for Mester to read as tribute to Lynette, but he refused, instead, Mester groused, "I want to start off right now by offering up an apology to you [Lynette]. I love you so much, you literally are my best friend. You did not deserve what happened to you."

Mester was not done, calling the move rude, cruel and inappropriate.

He also told viewers a plane was flying over KTLA with a banner that read, "We love you Lynette." The plane was chartered by Mester, according to the L.A. Times.

Apparently, Lynette was willing to stay if she could anchor weeknights instead of weekends, but the station wouldn't budge and that's why she left.

Donald Trump's legal headaches keep piling up and now he has another one ... the special master in his classified documents case just ordered 45 to prove his assertion FBI agents may have planted evidence at Mar-a-Lago.

Court-appointed Special Master Raymond Dearie has requested that DT put his money where his mouth is. In a filing Thursday, Judge Dearie ordered Trump to submit a sworn declaration itemizing “inventory” of materials seized from his Palm Beach, FL estate that were NOT actually recovered during the FBI search. In other words, Dearie is calling DT's bluff about the FBI's alleged shenanigans.

You may recall Trump went ballistic after the feds raided Mar-a-Lago on August 8 and carted off more than 11,000 sensitive government docs the former president had allegedly swiped from the White House.

Trump fired off a message on his social media platform, suggesting FBI agents did something sketchy during their Mar-a-Lago search. "Planting information anyone?," Trump asked. He also went on Sean Hannity's show this week and insinuated the feds had dropped evidence "into those piles" of secret documents taken from his resort. Even his lawyers have gotten into the action by hinting the feds were up to no good that day.

But, not one of them has coughed up a shred of evidence to support their incendiary claims.

Speaking of unsubstantiated claims ... Trump told Hannity that as President he had the ability to declassify the sensitive docs just by thinking about it -- and that's just plain ridiculous.

Donald Trump doesn't have a leg to stand on when it comes to pilfering classified documents from the United States government -- the Special Master has already made that pretty clear -- so he's resorting to an almost unbelievable fallback -- a President can declassify docs just by thinking about it.

Trump was on Sean Hannity's show Wednesday and said, almost unbelievably, "If you're the President of the United States, you can declassify just by saying, 'It's declassified," even by thinking about it." The absurdity continued ... "There doesn't have to be a process, there can be a process, but there doesn't have to be," adding, "You're the President, you make that decision."

As you know, Trump took around 100 classified docs to Mar-a-Lago where they sat in a basement and other unsecured places. The FBI raided the joint in August and seized 11,000 documents.

Trump's been trying to block the Justice Department's criminal investigation and insisted on having a Special Master appointed to determine what is fair game for prosecutors. However, the federal court of appeals has ruled the government can have access to the documents immediately, and will not have to wait for the Special Master to finish his review.

BTW ... the Special Master has already made it clear, Trump's argument over classified documents is ridiculous.

If Trump's last stand is the "I thought to declassify it and that makes it so" ... his case will go down in flames.

It was only after the raid that the former president said he had declassified them.

Adam Levine isn't putting down the mic while he's in hot water over a DM mess -- he's still stepping into the spotlight on stage ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... the singer is still scheduled to perform early next month with his band, Maroon 5, at The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation's annual fundraising gala, "The Event" in Vegas.

The gig is set to go down Oct. 1 at the MGM Grand, and we're told the show will go on -- even now, with Adam's relationship status in the headlines amid a DM scandal. Our sources tell us there will be no red carpet at the event, similar to last year, so Adam won't be grilled by reporters.

Not just that, but our sources tell us Adam is also going to forge ahead with other professional commitments he's already made -- and that would seem to include his M5 world tour, with stops all over Asia through the end of the year, as well as one final NYE show in Palm Springs.

It's interesting, considering the drama has now ballooned even beyond what was originally alleged. It all started with one woman claiming she had an affair with Adam, which he denied. She offered up DMs suggesting he wanted to name his unborn kid after her.

Although Adam denied being physically involved, he did cop to sending flirtatious messages and also expressed regret, while noting he's working it out with his wife, Behati Prinsloo.

More women have come forward with claims he was DM'ing them as well -- including some famous ladies alleging he attempted to DM them.

Adam and Behati were photographed together this week, but it's unclear where things stand between them.

At any rate, AL's plowing ahead with his frontman duties.

Tiffany Haddish says she's without a single job after being accused of molestation -- even though a lawsuit alleging that has been dismissed.

We got the comedian/actress Wednesday at LAX, and talked with her about Jane Doe dropping her claim TH and Aries Spears allegedly roped her and her brother into inappropriate sexual skits as children ... with an about-face statement to boot.

While it could certainly be viewed as Tiffany clearing her name, it doesn't seem she sees it that way -- because she tells our photog she's lost everything in the wake of this.

Another photog asked how she was feeling now that the saga is over ... and she said she was relieved -- noting her main concern here was the actual accuser herself, as well as her brother.

As for Aries ... Tiffany is clearly creating distance, saying she doesn't speak for him -- nor does she affiliate with him anymore.

The photog also asks if she's worried more people might come after her with allegations, and she seems defiant ... telling him if anyone does, whatever they might say is fake.

You'll recall ... Tiffany and Aries were accused of including these kids in filmed sketches -- one in which Tiffany allegedly had the girl imitate fellatio on a sandwich and another in which her brother was allegedly the subject of a pedophile's fantasy, played by Aries.

Looks like Adam Levine and his wife are on the same page when it comes to weathering the storm of cheating allegations -- they're already laughing together, even as more women come forward.

Behati Prinsloo had a big smile on her face as she and Adam were out and about Wednesday in Montecito, CA. At one point, Adam was holding her hand, and there's really no apparent sign of tension between them.

This comes the day after the Maroon 5 frontman admitted he "crossed the line" by communicating online with multiple women. He denies there were any physical affairs with the women -- something at least one of them, Sumner Stroh, disputes.

Adam also said he and Behati would get through this together, and there's plenty of evidence that's exactly what they're doing.

Aside from the PDA, both are still wearing their wedding bands, and her baby bump is just barely visible. Remember, Behati and Adam just announced a couple weeks ago she's pregnant with their third child.

As we first reported, the "Girls Like You" singer now says, "My wife and my family is all I care about in this world."

Robert Sarver will give up both the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury after the NBA found he did use the n-word multiple times during his tenure as an owner in the leagues.

The 60-year-old announced in a lengthy statement on Wednesday morning that he is "beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and the Mercury" following the NBA's findings.

"Words that I deeply regret now overshadow nearly two decades of building organizations that brought people together -- and strengthened the Phoenix area -- through the unifying power of professional men's and women's basketball," Sarver said, before adding, "but in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible -- that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past."

In addition to using the racial epithet on at least five different occasions, the NBA also said Sarver made inappropriate comments towards women, and didn't treat his employees fairly or equally.

Commissioner Adam Silver fined Sarver $10 million and suspended him one year over it all ... and insisted the punishment was strong enough.

But, after fans and multiple star players -- including LeBron James, Chris Paul and Draymond Green -- called for more severe sanctions ... Sarver decided it was best to move on from his roles with the NBA and WNBA teams.

"I do not want to be a distraction to these two teams and the fine people who work so hard to bring the joy and excitement of basketball to fans around the world," Sarver said. "I want what's best for these two organizations, the players, the employees, then fans, the community, my fellow owners, the NBA and the WNBA. This is the best course of action for everyone."

"In the meantime, I will continue to work on becoming a better person, and continuing to support the community in meaningful ways. Thank you for continuing to root for the Suns and the Mercury, embracing the power that sports has to bring us together."

Khloe Kardashian clearly had a tough time dealing with the revelation Tristan Thompson had a baby with another woman at the same time she and Tristan were expecting a child of their own.

Khloe broke down in tears as she described the pain in a promotional video for the show. Kris Jenner followed suit with her own tears.

It's gotta be painful for sure, but it's also content for season 2 of their show, so clearly anything goes.

TMZ broke the story back in July ... Khloe and Tristan were expecting a boy via surrogate ... as stories surfaced Tristan just had a baby with personal trainer Maralee Nichols last December.

Gabby Windey finally addressed her fiance's old blackface photo from high school -- and it sounds like it's not a deal-breaker ... neither are texts he sent suggesting he's a clout chaser.

The lead star for this season's "The Bachelorette" spilled her guts after Tuesday night's finale, which revealed she gave her final rose to Erich Schwer ... who's been embroiled in a scandal behind the scenes as the final few episodes have aired.

Strangely enough, the couple didn't discuss the blackface saga during last night's "After the Final Rose" special -- but she did tell People magazine she was appalled at first, but seems kinda over it too.

Gabby says of Erich's old Jimi Hendrix costume blunder ... "I was incredibly shocked. [I] just really had to process my thoughts and then think about how we can grow as a couple and learn from this."

Erich apologized, and it seems that was good enough for Gabby ... 'cause that's all she really had to say about it. She also addressed messages that had leaked during the broadcast -- which Erich had apparently sent to an ex-girlfriend right before joining the 'Bachelorette' cast, suggesting he was only interested in getting on TV to advance his career.

There, too, Gabby was easy on him ... saying she was expecting them to leak and encouraging Erich to be honest with her. Big picture, she says the behind-the-scenes drama was "a time for us to take a step back and reflect on our relationship and see if we can get through this."

Gabby adds, "You have to really lead on your communication, be really honest with each other while having these tough conversations. We're seeing how we can become better from both."

Lil Baby is feeling it from fans after he was spotted partying in Vegas, hours after canceling a show in Vancouver ... but he certainly didn't wanna talk about it.

Baby hit Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills with some friends Tuesday, and while we asked him several times about the incident from over the weekend, he only tried to deflect the attention elsewhere before eventually hitting an ice cream truck, where he ordered Flamin' Hot Funyons.

As we reported, Baby's fans in Vancouver went ballistic over the weekend, destroying property, when he pulled out of his performance at Breakout Festival. The rapper stated, "I have been going so hard these past few months without any breaks that it finally caught up with me."

However, he was seen just hours later partying in Vegas at Zouk Nightclub for Canelo Alvarez's victory over Gennady Golovkin with the likes of Travis Scott and DJ Drama.

Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears are no longer fighting a child molestation lawsuit against them ... because we've learned the Jane Doe who filed suit has now dismissed it for good.

Per new court docs, obtained by TMZ, the plaintiff asked the judge to dismiss the case with prejudice ... meaning it cannot be refiled again. You'll recall the case involved allegations the 2 comedians groomed and molested 2 children several years ago.

The woman who sued both of them has also issued a statement, saying ... "My family and I have known Tiffany Haddish for many years – and we now know that she would never harm me or my brother or help anyone else do anything that could harm us. We wish Tiffany the best and are glad that we can all put this behind us."

The Jane Doe did not have anything to say about Aries in her remarks -- who was also accused of some pretty heinous stuff in the suit -- but he's also in the clear.

In the lawsuit, the alleged victim claimed both she and her younger brother were used by Tiffany and Aries to film scenes/skits that, when looking back, were wildly inappropriate -- and which Jane Doe suggested was meant to sexualize them.

Jane Doe alleged Tiffany had her film a scene where she simulated oral sex with a sandwich -- and also claimed her brother was used for a skit with Aries in which he was the subject of a pedophile's fantasy.

'RHOBH' Star Diana Jenkins just got a BIG green light in her hunt to find who was behind a racist Instagram attack -- a judge has granted her the ability to subpoena Meta, so she can hopefully identify the user who targeted her costar Garcelle Beauvais' son.

Court docs, obtained by TMZ, reveal the judge is allowing Diana to issue a subpoena to Meta and seek info they have on the accounts that recently sent hateful and threatening social media messages to Garcelle's 14-year-old, Jax.

As we reported, Diana was accused of instigating hate towards Garcelle's kid while the feud between them on the show was raging.

Diana denied any association with the comments, and even filed a lawsuit this month against the anonymous person or people she claims are behind the attack.

She went back to court last week with her legal team, claiming the real culprit created multiple Instagram accounts -- potentially over 20 of them -- to pull off the nasty campaign against Garcelle's son ... and asked the judge for permission to issue the subpoenas to Meta, which is Instagram's parent company.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has been fined $40K for making a homophobic comment, the NBA announced Tuesday morning.

"Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $40,000 for using offensive and derogatory language on social media. Edwards has acknowledged that his actions were inappropriate," Byron Spruell, President of League Operations for the NBA, wrote in a statement.

Edwards got himself into hot water when he posted video of several shirtless men embracing each other, saying ... "Look at these queer ass n****s, man. Look at the world I came to."

AE also captioned the video ... "Dese n****s different." In the background of the video, a woman was heard laughing while Edwards spoke.

There was almost immediate backlash and, as the league noted, the 21-year-old former first overall pick (2020 NBA Draft) seemed to offer a heartfelt apology for his actions, saying sorry on social media.

"What I said was immature, hurtful, and disrespectful, and I’m incredibly sorry. It’s unacceptable for me or anyone to use that language in such a hurtful way, there’s no excuse for it, at all. I was raised better than that!" the NBA star said.

But, the NBA clearly felt a fine was still in order.