Controversial S#!T

Online shoppers hoping to score some Jeffrey Dahmer-inspired gear for Halloween are now officially out of luck ... because eBay has pulled the plug on costume pieces paying homage to the serial killer.

A spokesperson for eBay tells TMZ ... the company has policies that prohibit listings glorifying hate, violence and criminal activities -- and the Dahmer sales clearly fit the bill.

The official policy, listed on their site, says there's no space for "items closely associated with or that benefit violent felons, their acts, or crime scenes within the past 100 years."

We're told eBay is constantly sweeping the site ... looking for similar listings that also violate policies.

As we reported, tons of costumes inspired by Dahmer were up for sale on the website as the Nexflix series gained popularity -- everything from his distinct glasses, a blonde wig and a shirt similar to one worn by Evan Peters on the show.

Floyd family attorney Lee Merritt joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to further explain the potential lawsuit that might be filed against Kanye West -- and it sounds like intentional infliction of emotional distress might be the route they pursue.

He says George's brother, Philonise Floyd, is dead set on bringing some type of legal action against Ye -- with LM explaining he was irate Sunday when he heard the "Drink Champs" comments. Specifically, Lee says the notion died from an overdose and not Chauvin's knee on his neck is misinformation that's been debunked in court ... and agreed upon by a jury.

Finally, Lee tells us that the fact it was Kanye going after GF made this all the more personal and hurtful. Remember, he set up a college fund for George's daughter in 2020.

George Floyd's family is openly considering a potential lawsuit against Kanye West and Candace Owens -- a case that could be similar to the blockbuster one against Alex Jones, but also different in some key ways.

Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who's repping the fam, tells TMZ ... he's exploring all possible legal avenues to bring a potential lawsuit over what Kanye said about George on the new "Drink Champs" episode -- and he's also looking into what Candace put out in her new documentary.

Lee's already noted a defamation lawsuit isn't possible because George is deceased, but he is looking into other possible ways the Floyd estate, the George Floyd foundation or the family members themselves could bring claims -- and one path could be emotional distress.

The Sandy Hook families were able to successfully sue Alex Jones for defamation because he called the parents actors.

Kanye didn't say anything about George's family members, but his statements -- and allegedly the Owens documentary -- could still have a negative impact on them, which is why Merritt is pursuing grounds for a lawsuit against them.

The bigger point here, though, is that Lee wants Kanye and Candace to understand statements like the ones they're putting out in the world -- namely that George died from a fentanyl OD and pre-existing conditions, but not Derek Chauvin's knee -- are false and hurtful.

Lee tells us that type of rhetoric undermines the Floyd family's efforts to pass legislation, like the George Floyd Policing Act, and their work at large. He also says it deflects blame from the officers who've been convicted in connection to his murder, especially Chauvin.

There's still a lot of groundwork to do before anything's filed -- we're told Lee and the family have to go through Candace's doc, "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold," to see what exactly she said and if there's any basis to bring legal action.

Lee says he believes he'll have a more specific outline of his potential causes of action later this week. He says the family hasn't discussed a dollar amount for which they'd try to sue, but it's a good bet they'd try to get punitive damages -- and given Kanye's worth, those damages would have to be several million to truly punish him.

It appears the Kanye "Drink Champs" interview has been pulled from Revolt TV's YouTube.

N.O.R.E. called "The Breakfast Club" on Monday morning to apologize multiple times for the comments Kanye West made about George Floyd on the latest episode of "Drink Champs" his team put out over the weekend.

The "Drink Champs" host was in full damage control mode -- claiming he didn't know Ye's statements were going to be extremely hurtful to listeners.

N.O.R.E. says he later checked Kanye for the GF and "White Lives Matter" remarks later in the interview ... but says he was too drunk to make an impactful moment. He also claimed to have uploaded the wrong edit without combing through it ... an error he says the team will correct in the future.

The veteran rapper shamelessly admitted he didn't want Ye to walk out of the interview if he was silenced ... à la "The Breakfast Club's" infamous Birdman interview where he cursed them out and demanded "Respek."

BC further grilled N.O.R.E. on why he conducted the interview to start ... citing Tucker Carlson and HBO's 'The Shop's recent debacles.

N.O.R.E. defended his show's position, noting the show isn't named "Think Champs" to stage political theater ... but says his relationship with Ye is solid and wanted to give him the courtesy to speak.

He also noted that Loud Records founder Steve Rifkind and several other Jewish associates of his were in the room and used them as gauge meters for Ye's anti-Semitic rants.

N.O.R.E. says he previously spoke to Kanye that he would go on record to denounce Ye's comments and apologized to Stephen Jackson ... who may have cooked him anonymously on Instagram while slamming Ye.

Charlamagne seized an opportunity to hit him with a "told-you-so" zinger ... to which N.O.R.E. copped to, admitting he failed as a journalist.

The Tennessee Volunteers football team is seeking help to replace the goalpost fans tore down after their upset win over Alabama on Saturday ... by starting a fundraiser for the cause.

They're serious, too -- the Vols shared a link to their campaign via Twitter ... one day after Tennessee fans threw the goalpost into the river to celebrate the victory.

"Y'all remember how we tore the goalposts down, hauled em out of Neyland and dumped em in the Tennessee River? Yeah that was awesome," the team said.

"Anywho, turns out that in order to play next week's game, we need goalposts on our field. Could y'all help us out?"

FYI, Tennessee will need that goalpost to play their Oct. 22 home game against UT Martin.

The team even found a way to troll the Crimson Tide on the donation page -- including using the final score as a dollar amount.

"Give $52.49. Final score of the breathtaking game."

There's also a $16 option -- the number of seasons since Tennessee beat 'Bama -- and a $1,019.15 choice ... which is the number of fans who sold out the Vol's stadium.

Of course, many ripped the team for the launch ... one person saying, "Is this real? You have a $130,000,000 budget. Get a new set. Problem solved. Good win."

As of Monday morning, the fundraiser has already received over $75k -- half of what they need -- from over 1,911 donors.

Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford are definitely a thing -- 'cause they pretty much recreated the classic "Lady and the Tramp" date scene ... loving gazes and spaghetti included.

The two singers were out for dinner Thursday night at a vegan joint in L.A. called Crossroads Kitchen -- and they had a booth all to themselves for the lengthy meal ... as you can see in these new photos, obtained by TMZ.

Eyewitnesses tell us Billie and Jesse were there for at least three hours, if not longer -- leaving the place a bit before midnight and apparently arriving before 8:30 PM. Unclear what Jess was eating, but it looks like BE went with pasta ... slurping up some of the noodles.

We're told there was some PDA between Billie and Jesse as well -- including some smooches in between bites. Obviously, they kept that lovefest going into Friday, where they were seen at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights.

As we reported ... a viral video showed Jesse and Billie walking out of a haunted house together, and grab hands as they strolled away. Her brother, Finneas, was with them too.

While it was somewhat unclear if they were actually romantically involved from that clip alone, this all but confirms they're an item ... something Twitter doesn't seem too keen on, based on the many reactions online.

Ulta Beauty tried promoting inclusivity by posting a clip of a transgender woman discussing femininity -- but the internet doesn't seem to be having it ... now calling for a boycott.

The company promoted a new digital campaign they're running called the "The Beauty Of ..." -- their latest entry being about girlhood, hosted by influencer Dylan Mulvaney -- who's trans -- and gender-fluid celeb hairstylist David Lopez, sitting down podcast-style for the chat.

In the promo clip from Thursday, Dylan is briefly heard discussing things she feels are still accessible to her as a trans woman -- including being able to find love, still being a performer and having a family/being a mother ... all of which she believes she can totally do.

It's part of a longer video that's up on their YouTube page, in which Dylan goes into detail about her recent transition and roots ... apparently growing up in a super conservative family and detailing how she came to find her inner beauty and the guts to show it off publicly.

The problem ... some say Dylan, and Ulta by extension, is appropriating womanhood and simply wearing it as a costume -- which is pissing off a good amount of folks who are up in arms about this and swearing to never buy Ulta products again.

Several people are bashing Ulta and Dylan, saying things like "she's actually a man" and other hurtful remarks -- to which Ulta is asking for dignity and empathy. A line they're repeating in the comments is ... "At Ulta Beauty, we believe that beauty is for everyone—and we kindly request that everyone be treated with respect on our channels."

Ulta is also saying they believe beauty has no boundaries, but it seems some of the comments are, in fact, crossing the line ... because there are several hidden replies.

Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt just said the Floyd family is considering suing Kanye for his statements on his death -- saying it's slap in the face. He calls Kanye's remarks false -- but also notes, they can't technically be defamatory since GF has passed.

Kanye West is talking again, and this time he's saying A LOT ... with very pointed thoughts on George Floyd in particular, which is catching tons of backlash right now.

The guy sat down with N.O.R.E. for a new interview on "Drink Champs" -- and during the 43-minute chat, Ye got a lot off his chest ... including the fact that he's buying what Candace Owens is selling in her new doc 'The Greatest Lie Ever Sold,' which is about BLM.

Namely, Kanye repeats a point Candace makes ... which is that, from her POV, George Floyd actually died as a result of a drug overdose and other preexisting conditions like heart disease -- as opposed to Derek Chauvin pinning him down for upwards of 9 minutes.

It's something Chauvin's defense attorney argued in court as well, despite expert witnesses testifying and refuting that ... which the jury ultimately believed through their verdict. BTW, this new take is ironic -- seeing how Kanye paid to cover George's daughter's college tuition.

At any rate, Ye's getting ripped on Twitter for this ... but it's far from the only controversial thing he talked about on 'DC.' He also went on to name-drop Pete Davidson, Trevor Noah, Diddy, Meek Mill, Jay-Z and his ex, Kim Kardashian ... hurling many, many accusations.

He also references Jews several times, again perpetuating antisemitic tropes that they "run the media" and are out to paint him as an abuser ... something he resents. Ye also called PD a "heroin addict" and decried the recent fireplace tidbit played up on "The Kardashians."

KW went after some of his own peers in the rap game as well ... Puff and Meek, specifically. He called them fake hard, and seemed to suggest one or both of them were a "fed."

Lastly, Kanye suggested that Drake has banged Kris Jenner at one point or another ... seemingly confirming it when he mentioned her current BF's name, Corey Gamble. He also called Drake the greatest rapper ever -- and even said he got his address on Google.

There's so much more -- including his gripes about JP Morgan Chase, MAGA, the Clintons, vaccines, White Lives Matter, etc. The full episode drops on Revolt TV Sunday.

Jeffrey Dahmer-inspired Halloween costumes have already gotten a ton of backlash, but more than anything they're evil and exploit families ... so says one victim's mom, who is urging folks to stay clear of them.

Tony Hughes was a deaf, non-vocal victim among the 17 young men murdered by Dahmer. His mom, Shirley, tells TMZ … it's already super triggering to see a hit Netflix series about the serial killer, much less folks dressing like the killer.

Most big retail stores have opted out of selling JD costumes given all the outrage, but many folks have flocked to online stores, such as eBay, to sell Jeffrey Dahmer costume props ... including blonde wigs, retro-style tops and even the wire-rimmed glasses.

Shirley says it hurts for Netflix and all the online stores to profit off her son's death, while none of the victims' families have seen a dime. She feels all the eBay ads should be taken down ... or at the very least, give the profits to the families.

While folks are able to dress like Dahmer for fun, the pain never goes away for Shirley. She says, if Netflix hadn't streamed the show, none of the families would be re-victimized ... and then there'd be no Dahmer costumes this year.

Dahmer was sentenced to life in prison in 1992 ... he was beaten to death in prison in 1994.

Former President Barack Obama railed on members of his own party over cancel culture, calling out some Dems as "buzzkills."

BO jumped on the "Pod Save America" podcast Friday and laid it out, Bill Maher style ... "My family, my kids, work that gives me satisfaction, having fun," Obama said. "Hell, not being a buzzkill. And sometimes Democrats are."

He went on ... "Sometimes people just want to not feel as if they are walking on eggshells, and they want some acknowledgment that life is messy and that all of us, at any given moment, can say things the wrong way, make mistakes."

Obama says he knows why cancel culture has gained traction, and clearly thinks it needs to stop if Dems want to win elections ... "I think where we get into trouble sometimes is where we try to suggest that some groups are more – because they historically have been victimized more – that somehow they have a status that’s different than other people and we’re going around scolding folks if they don’t use exactly the right phrase. Or that identity politics becomes the principle lens through which we view our various political challenges."

He also thinks his party and he himself has gotten mired in what he calls "policy gobbledygook." ... "That’s not how people think about these issues. They think about them in terms of the life I’m leading day to day. How does politics, how is it even relevant to the things that I care the most deeply about?"

Obama will be stumping for Democratic candidates in Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Billie Eilish might very well be dating The Neighbourhood's Jesse Rutherford -- and Twitter is in a tizzy over it ... calling out the big age difference as wildly inappropriate.

A video surfaced online this weekend that appears to show Billie and Jesse leaving a haunted maze at Halloween Horror Nights in L.A. Friday night ... and as they're exiting, you see the two of them hold hands and walk off with a group that's trailing them.

While you can't quite make out Jesse or Billie's faces too clearly in the video, there's no question this is them ... you see, the internet has already retraced their steps, and they were both out and about last night in the exact same clothes.

Based on pics that JR and Billie posted on their respective socials -- they're all wearing the outfits seen in the clip, as were the guys that Jesse was rolling with (Finneas included).

There are also photos of Billie hanging out with Jesse from back in August of this year, so it's possible they may have been romantic since then.

Whether it was then or now, though, the cat's kind of out of the bag at this point. And fans sure have a lot to say about it -- mostly bad things, BTW.

The reason this is picking up steam is because Billie's 20 years old and Jesse is 11 years her senior ... at 31. While that might not normally be a huge deal on its own, Twitter truthers are noting Billie and Jesse have actually known each other for a good long while now -- which, to them, makes this would-be relationship all the more problematic.

Additional photos of Billie and Jesse posing together at what looks like a Halloween party date back to at least 2017 ... when Billie was around 15 years old.

Point being ... a lot of people are cringing at the fact that Jesse knew Billie when she was underage, only to seemingly hook up with her in adulthood. Many are saying it's gross and creepy, but the reality is ... they're both adults now, and can do what they want.

Billie has been linked to a small handful of guys since blowing up and becoming famous -- but has never really embraced anyone super publicly. She has said she likes to keep her personal affairs -- including SOs -- private because of the frenzy that fires up when the world gets a taste of her love life.

Elon Musk is begrudgingly agreeing to keep his satellite internet service up and running in Ukraine ... while complaining about how much money is going down the drain to do it.

The Tesla chief aired out his frustration on Twitter Saturday over a decision to potentially yank Starlink access out of Eastern Europe, apparently because it's too damn expensive ... and costing him and his company, SpaceX, a fortune to keep operating free of charge.

CNN says SpaceX honchos recently wrote D.C. to tell them they'd soon ask the Pentagon to start picking up the tab on Starlink as it pertains to Ukraine -- this after already burning through $80 million on their own dime ... with a projection of $100 mil by December.

Despite this report, EM himself is doing an about-face some 48 hours later. Now, he's saying 'screw it' ... we'll take the L and keep up the handouts, even if it puts us in the red.

He tweeted, "The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free." In response to someone saying no good deed goes unpunished, he said good deeds should still be done.

It's unclear if Elon's being sarcastic here, but on its face -- it sounds like he and SpaceX are gonna bite the bullet on this and keep their satellites afloat as the war with Russia rages on. That's surprising, because lately ... Elon has been accused of being a Putin sympathizer.

A few weeks ago, he offered a would-be solution to the conflict ... and there were some concessions he suggested for Russia, which a lot of people weren't happy about -- including Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who fired back at Elon publicly for seemingly changing his tune.

The president posed his own poll, simply asking ... "Which @elonmusk do you like more?" The options being ... "One who supports Ukraine" and "One who supports Russia." The overwhelming favorite was the former.

Ant Anstead might be picking up and moving -- but it's not gonna be across the street where his girlfriend, Renee Zellweger, lives ... despite it looking like he's doing exactly that.

The TV personality recently put his Laguna Beach cottage on the market for $3.3 million -- interesting because he'd called it his dream home after his split with Christina Haack ... but even more so because Renee, his current SO, has recently set up shop across the street.

As their relationship has continued to get more and more serious, there was speculation Ant might be finally shacking up with RZ after months of dating -- especially after some photos surfaced this week showing him carrying quite a few personal items over to her crib.

Sadly for RenAnt stans, that's not what's happening. Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... he's just storing some stuff at her house -- her garage, specifically -- for the time being as he prepares to stage his current LB cottage in the search for a new owner.

In other words, they're not moving in together ... but are still together. Our sources say Ant is still looking for his own new pad -- the reason being ... we're told he simply wants something new. He's been there a year-plus now after snapping it up for $2.8 million.

As for the house itself, well ... it's nice. The home comes with its own wraparound deck, vaulted ceilings, an original brick fireplace and a sunroom that can be turned into a studio.

Major controversy in the video game world -- the lady who's voiced 'Bayonetta' for years says she was offered chump change for part 3 ... and now wants the new entry boycotted.

Actress Hellena Taylor posted a series of videos Saturday, in which she accuses the honchos of "Bayonetta 3" of grossly lowballing her to reprise her character ... in an alleged amount of only $4,000, which she considered incredibly low and something to turn down in the end.

She ticks off her professional credentials -- not to mention her storied legacy as voicing Bayonetta since its inception in '09 -- as reasons why she thinks her talents are worth more.

According to HT, though, the companies behind 'B3' didn't think her services for the entire game deserved anything above a few thousand bucks ... which she says is insulting, and reason enough to stand up and speak out -- despite an apparent NDA she's breaking.

Taylor claims she even wrote the game's creator/ED, Hideki Kamiya, to explain why she thought it'd be a huge disservice to write her off and go with someone else ... and goes on to say he wrote her back with an empathetic message, and the final offer of $4k.

In the end, PlatinumGames/Nintendo -- which are behind the uber-popular 'Bayonetta' franchise -- tapped legendary voice actress Jennifer Hale ... a veteran in the gaming world, who almost certainly got paid more than just $4,000 -- that's what Twitter thinks, anyway.

Taylor says her beef isn't with Taylor -- whom she wishes the best -- but also notes ... this woman has no right to claim herself as Bayonetta, as the character as been helmed by herself since the beginning. She also slams the video gaming industry at large for what she says is a systematic practice of screwing over talent and keeping all the profits for execs.

PG and Nintendo have remained silent on the allegations so far, but Kamiya has fired back online with a somewhat ominous message ... "Sad and deplorable about the attitude of untruth. That's what all I can tell now. By the way, BEWARE OF MY RULES."

Jeffrey Dahmer costumes seem to be all the rage for this year's Halloween season, but people are up in arms over the tone-deaf outfit choice ... so we're taking a look at some of the most controversial costumes worn by celebs.

Chris Brown took the terrorist route for an outfit on Halloween ... complete with a beard and a turban.

Shaun White caught some flack when he once dressed up as Simple Jack from the film, "Tropic Thunder" ... a character mentally disabled in the flick.

Several celebs thought showin' up in blackface would be alright ... like Colton Haynes as Kanye or Canadian PM Justin Trudeau -- but none might've taken the controversial cake quite like Julianne Hough, who got a ton of backlash for portraying Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren from "OITNB."

Kirk Gibson says he knows firsthand how special Barry Bonds was during his playing days ... and he tells TMZ Sports the guy should be recognized for all his accomplishments -- even if it's not the popular opinion.

We spoke with the MLB great at LAX this week ... and asked about Aaron Judge's 62-home run season and whether he's the REAL single-season king, considering every player above him on the record list is allegedly tied to PEDs.

Gibson heaped a ton of praise on Judge ... but as for whether guys like Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire should lose recognition due to their alleged ties to steroids, he's against the notion.

"People go down different roads in different ways," the Dodgers legend said. "I've played with Barry. You gonna tell me the guy didn't accomplish anything?" Gibson asked.

Gibson and Bonds were teammates on the Pirates in 1992 -- and he said that 20 years from now, it might be popular to say Barry didn't accomplish anything.

"It's the thought of the day, 'Barry's was no good, he did this, that and McGwire did this and Sosa did this.'"

"How do you know what anybody does?" Gibson said.

We asked Gibson, a former Silver Slugger Award winner, if this 2022 Dodgers team that won 111 games during the regular season is the best in the franchise's rich history.

"They're pretty incredible," said Gibson, who hit the iconic walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. "They've had one heck of a run. This is maybe the best team to win."

Gibson won two World Series titles during his 17-year career ... and has always had a vested interest in the team's success.

So we had to talk about Craig Kimbrel, who was left off the Dodgers' NLDS roster ... and he tells us the flame-throwing righty will be fine once his confidence is restored.

"How many times has he succeeded?" Gibson asked. "Has he failed more than he's succeeded? That's why he's the closer."

"He's succeeded so much. He has to instill that feeling within himself. He'll be ready."

Finally, Kirk tells us about a man with one leg who will run a 26.2-mile marathon on two crutches to support his Kirk Gibson Foundation, which helps people with Parkinson's disease.

Phillies fans lived up to their ruthless reputation on Friday ... chanting "DUI" at Braves star outfielder Marcell Ozuna during Philadelphia's playoff game against Atlanta.

It all went down in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philly -- Ozuna was up for his first at-bat of the afternoon ... when the fans trolled him over his August arrest.

"DUI! DUI! DUI!" the Philly faithful chanted in unison as 31-year-old Ozuna swung at an 81 MPH slider from Phillies' right-hander Aaron Nola.

Ozuna -- a 10-year MLB veteran -- was arrested for DUI after police in Georgia pulled him over for speeding and failing to maintain his lane while on the road.

Ozuna -- in his third season with the Braves -- told police on the scene that he was heading to a party at a nearby nightclub to celebrate his team's win over the Mets earlier.

Ozuna ultimately took responsibility for his actions ... telling the media that he was "disappointed" about the incident and expressing remorse to his teammates and family.