Controversial S#!T

"Celebrity Jeopardy!" may want to rethink some of its answers, because lots of fans are pissed off the show used killer Brian Laundrie as part of the game.

Actors John Michael Higgins and Wil Wheaton squared off against comedian Joel Kim Booster during Sunday's semifinal round when all the drama went down concerning Brian Laundrie. Laundrie, as you may recall, killed Gabby Petito in Wyoming in 2021 while the couple was on a cross-country road trip. His remains were later found in a Florida nature preserve after he committed suicide.

"Jeopardy!" host Mayim Bialik read the clue from "The A List" category in which all answers included the letter "A."

Bialik said, "In 2021 Fugitive Brian Laundrie Ended His Days Fla.'s Myakkahatchee Creek Area, Home to These Long & Toothy Critters."

Booster correctly responded, "What are alligators?"

Bialik then went on to the next topic as if nothing was wrong. But, fans of the show saw A LOT wrong and took to Twitter to voice their fury.

One person wrote, "This is the most tasteless and insensitive answer I've ever seen on any Jeopardy! What the hell were they thinking? Making light of that tragic situation is repugnant. Damn."

Another roared, "THIS, this is beyond offensive. It's appalling & completely insensitive, not to mention totally unnecessary. Shame on, @Jeopardy."

A third observer asked, "What in the hell is wrong with you? Have you no soul? I can't believe this question got past your lawyers."

A fourth angrily stated, "That Jeopardy! question mentioning Brian Laundrie and the answer was alligators?? What the actual hell, that was so … out of line. Not necessary! There was no reason to mention him at all!"

Barnes & Noble has pulled the controversial book "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake up Black America" off its shelves ... while Kyrie Irving continues to face backlash for promoting it.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), commended B&N Tuesday morning ... saying the bookseller's decision to yank the book should set a precedent.

Greenblatt then turned his attention to Amazon, revealing he wrote to the company over a week ago, looking to have a conversation about the book/films presence on the giant retailer's website. The ADL CEO says he'd like a disclaimer added to the book and film, at the least.

Greenblatt added the book and film "will lead directly to the harm of Jews," adding Amazon needs to follow B&N's lead before it's too late.

Of course, Kyrie landed in hot water after tweeting a link to the controversial film.

The Nets eventually suspended Irving for an indefinite amount of time. He hasn't played since  November 1 ... and it's unclear when he will return.

Amazon is carrying the book and movie on its website.

Tim Hardaway was forced to issue an apology on Monday night ... after he disturbingly compared a player's rough defense to rape during the middle of a Warriors game.

The former Golden State superstar was in the TV booth for the team's special "Run TMC" broadcast -- which featured Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond instead of the Warriors' regular announcers -- and a little more than halfway into the game, Tim put his foot squarely in his mouth.

While trying to talk about how he felt a player crossed the line on defense during the Warriors' matchup with the San Antonio Spurs, he shockingly said, "See, ya'll thought that was great D, I thought that was just raping him."

He added, "I think he should have called the police on that."

The other members of the broadcast booth quickly tried to move on ... but viewers were so outraged and appalled by the remarks, Hardaway had to issue a mea culpa just a few minutes later.

"Hey everybody," he said as the game headed into the fourth quarter. "I used a poor choice of words earlier in the broadcast. I want to apologize for that. And, you know, let's get back to the game. And, let's finish this game off with a 30-point win and go home happy."

No word yet from the Warriors if there will be any punishment coming for Hardaway.

Of course, this is not the first time the 56-year-old former basketball player has offended with his words -- back in 2007, during a talk on "The Dan Le Batard Show," he infamously said, "I hate gay people."

Hardaway eventually apologized for those comments.

If you thought competing in a marathon was tough, imagine running 26.2 miles while filling your lungs with smoke ... 'cause one Chinese man did exactly that during a race -- and he finished with a great time!!

The chain-smokin' athlete is a 50-year-old who goes by the name "Uncle Chen" ... and the Guangzhou man accomplished the feat at the Xin’anjiang Marathon in Jiande, China on Nov. 6.

Photos of Chen smoking during the competition went viral on Weibo -- a Chinese social media app -- and event organizers celebrated him by sharing his finishing certificate.

Chen -- who crossed the finish line with an impressive 3:28 time -- finished 574th overall out of nearly 1500 runners who competed ... despite taking heaters to the face throughout the race.

Chen has become a sensation for smoking during races -- in 2018, he blasted cigs during the Guangzhou Marathon, where he finished with a 3:36 time.

Adding to his legend ... Chen followed up his jaw-dropping performance in 2018 with another strong outing in 2019, finishing the Xiamen Marathon in 3:32, according to Canadian Running.

However, the outlet reports that not everyone was fond of Chen's smoking sesh ... with critics saying the stunt is hurtful to the other runners.

Nas and Hit-Boy just released their new "King's Disease III" album ... but to hear 21 Savage tell it, it's all just a formality.

During a heated Clubhouse debate about rappers' longevity, 21 questioned Nas' relevancy as a whole ... in addition to why fans still dissected hip hop music like it was anatomy class.

The Slaughter Gang rapper was also accused of "ageism" AKA hating on older MCs ... similar to DJ Akademiks' recent controversy.

21 virtually shot down every example of Nas' relevancy during the argument -- including his 2020 Grammy Award win, and doesn't think having ride-or-die fans who date back to his classic 1994 debut album "Illmatic" counts for current-day relevance.

The discussion tossed around several hip hop heavyweights such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Scarface, Too Short and Fat Joe as candidates for relevant "old rappers" ... while Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane also caught slander for a nonexistent joint album.

Mike Pence says Donald Trump's characterization of him as a coward on January 6th was reckless and made him angry ... and he got emotional talking about it.

The former Veep talked about that dark time with ABC's David Muir, and when Muir read back the ex-Prez's tweet as the insurrection was unfolding ... you can see MP get visibly upset, seemingly searching for the right words.

Eventually, he found them ... saying Trump's suggestion that he lacked the courage to do what was necessary to avoid a "steal" couldn't be more off the mark. Pence told his daughter, who was also at the Capitol, it takes more courage to uphold the law than to break it, which is what DT wanted him to do.

As Pence speaks, you see him incessantly tapping his foot ... itself a show of emotion.

Remember, Pence was overseeing the certification of the 2020 election on Jan. 6 ... when at some point in the day, in the middle of their session, hundreds of rioters came barreling through Capitol doors and windows, causing lawmakers to hide in fear.

For some reason, Muir pressed Pence about what he thought Trump could've possibly been doing at the White House that whole time -- Pence had no idea because he wasn't there. Pence told Muir he'd have to take that one up with Trump himself.

There's not much ambiguity here ... Pence has not only broken ties with Trump, he has contempt for him. It's especially stunning because during Trump's presidency Pence was his #1 cheerleader.

Donald Trump is becoming public enemy #1 in the Republican Party after being blamed for the midterm election results -- but Jon Voight's sticking by him ... for whatever that's worth.

The actor posted a new video Sunday addressed to the American people ... and it's pretty ominous. He decries the wins Democrats secured and suggests there's malfeasance afoot -- echoing false election denial claims propagated by the ex-Prez and his staunch supporters.

JV is one of those diehards, it seems, because he says DT is the only one who can restore truth and justice in this country again ... and he says that'll happen when he's back in office.

FWIW, Trump hasn't officially announced he's running for President again in 2024 -- but has stopped short of saying it for well over a year now. He's also got some big announcement on Tuesday ... which may, in fact, be him throwing his hat in the ring once more.

It's a little weird to see just how down the rabbit hole Jon finds himself -- he talks about a looming third world war, linking it to our domestic politics. His whole speech here is strange.

Regardless of what Trump and his holdout cronies might say ... the voters are making their voices heard at the ballot box. Thus far, Dems will retain control of the Senate -- and even though the House might go to Republicans, it'll probably be a slim majority.

Dua Lipa won't be performing at the World Cup after all ... according to Dua Lipa.

The singer shot down rumors Sunday that she'd hit the stage in a couple weeks for the opening ceremony in Qatar, which is usually a pretty big gig that tends to draw international stars. Shakira's done it before, so has J Lo, Pitbull, Black Eyed Peas and others.

A lot of people thought DL was up next -- among other artists who've been speculated on -- but she's saying it ain't happening ... all because of human rights, apparently.

Dua says, "There is a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar. I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform." She adds ... "I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup."

If you're unfamiliar, Qatar is notorious for mistreating its women and LGBT people ... often via punishment under the law. The country has made promises in the past to investigate certain matters and to improve its record, but many feel its fallen short time and again.

As for how this notion of Dua performing even got started ... we tracked down the source. A Twitter account called World Music Awards announced it recently, adding a bunch of other names that they claimed would be performing at the opening ceremony as well. While they seemed pretty sure of themselves, no reputable mainstream outlet picked up the news.

They asserted Shakira and BEP would be returning, not to mention J Balvin, BTS and Bollywood star Nora Fatehi. Nora is a performer, but not kicking things off. BTS's Jung Kook confirmed Friday he'd do the opening ceremony ... and thus far, he's the only official act.

Flavor Flav will tell you Spirit Airlines is like 9-1-1 ... a total joke, except he's not laughing after narrowly missing a flight in Las Vegas and losing his cool.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained footage of Flav trying not to pop his top Thursday night at a Spirit gate inside Harry Reid International Airport. Sources tell us it was around 11:30 PM, and the iconic Public Enemy rapper was sitting near the gate waiting to catch a flight to Detroit.

We're told he was working on his laptop and chatting on the phone -- basically, preoccupied -- when he noticed the gate agent shutting the jetway door. He ran up, but she wouldn't reopen it for him ... so he missed the flight.

You can see he was super annoyed, and argued back and forth with the Spirit employee -- another man even stepped in to plead Flav's case.

Flav was fired up and hurled some obscenities at the employee, who threatened to call security -- but thankfully for Flav, in the end, she didn't and he did not become public enemy #1 at the Vegas airport.

Sources close to Flav tell us he commonly waits to board after everyone else because people want to take pictures with him ... and he doesn't want to hold up the boarding process. Those sources also claim Spirit actually did reopen the door to let other passengers in -- before this video starts -- but closed it again on Flav and 2 other people.

Flav tells TMZ ... "Spirit Airlines shut the door on me while I was in line to board. I was upset and said some harsh words to the gate agent. I apologize to those who witnessed me acting out of character. I do not apologize to Spirit Airlines or the gate agent."

Vanilla Ice also had a similar meltdown after missing a flight a few years ago, and as we reported ... Gillie Da Kid just had an intense showdown with a TSA agent.

Jamie Foxx apparently misses the 2000s, when things were simpler and when he was rolling in the good times ... a stark contrast to what he says is the overall climate right now.

We got the A-lister Friday as he was leaving lunch in Bev Hills, and asked about Takeoff's murder -- over which he sent condolences ... but it also launched him into a train of thought about what he considers a massive cloud of negativity that's hovering above Hollywood.

Jamie suggests there's a general heaviness among his celebrity pals these days -- especially rappers, it seems -- that's leading to some dark moments and tragedies ... which he says could be avoided if everyone just went back to having fun again like they used to.

He talks about making records and partying it up ... implying that camaraderie and light-heartedness are long gone in 2022 among his music industry peers. Instead, we're seeing more killings than ever ... not to mention more controversies than ever, a la Kanye West.

JF tells us he'll never speak ill of his brothers -- Kanye included, with whom he's made a handful of hits over the years -- but does say he thinks the solution to all the rancor and handwringing that seems to consume everyone lately is a little more focus on positivity and less attention on the ugly side of things ... particularly when it comes to the media.

While Jamie is right about the world changing since the aughts, his desire to roll back the clock is probably a pipe dream. With the advent of social media/tech, Trump-fueled politics and huge societal shifts in attitude about what's acceptable and not ... something tells us we're never going back. With that said, his sentiment is certainly appealing and nostalgic.

In the meantime, he's a throwback to those peak Jamie Foxx days. If only, if only ...

The new 'Black Panther' is mostly being hailed as a triumph/a great tribute to Chadwick Boseman -- but there are still some who aren't happy with how the page was turned.

Indeed ... the #RecastTChalla crowd is out in full force right now on Twitter -- this after 'Wakanda Forever' hit theaters this weekend -- and they're voicing their ongoing grievances about Marvel/Disney choosing not to find a new lead hero in the wake of CB's real-life death.

They've been on this for a while now, with their main argument being that the character is bigger than just Chadwick alone ... something Kevin Feige and co. firmly disagreed with.

Now that the sequel is out, the #Recast crew feels like their argument is even stronger than ever ... pointing out what they see as holes and flaws in the new flick that they think a simple recast would've fixed. At this point, we're getting into ***SPOILERS AHEAD***

You can hop into the trend yourself to see all the points, but basically ... super fans just aren't happy with how T'Challa's death is addressed, probably because they never quite explain what killed him -- other than to mention some vague disease he succumbed to.

There is certainly a lot of onscreen mourning, and Chadwicks' shadow looms large as the backdrop -- but you never hear his voice in the film ... only silent flashbacks/montages. Some say there should've been more of a creative effort to actually have him reappear/speak on camera somehow -- like Carrie Fisher did in 'Rise of Skywalker' -- but it never happens.

There's also the issue of Letitia Wright/Shuri -- who, in fact, becomes the new Black Panther ... but literally just for the last 30 minutes or so, and only has one big fight sequence before she loses the suit. It's badass, but super brief -- and a fair amount of people feel like there simply wasn't enough Black Panther in 'BP' ... so they're complaining about this too.

Last but not least -- and this one is a *HUGE SPOILER* -- there's a new "T'Challa," of sorts, that's introduced at the very, very end in the post-credits scene ... T'Challa's son, Toussaint.

Essentially, they tease the notion that the kid will one day become the new king of Wakanda/assume the Black Panther mantle ... which effectively means more movies, etc.

Shannon Sharpe says it's time to get past the latest Kyrie Irving controversy ... telling TMZ Sports that the Nets star's mea culpa is enough for him to be ready "move on" from it all.

Sharpe explained his stance on the matter to us out at LAX on Friday ... saying now that Irving's apologized -- and both NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Brooklyn owner Joe Tsai have deemed him to be not antisemitic -- he's down to put the whole saga in the past.

"He's done what they asked him to do," the Hall of Famer said. "He's apologized."

Sharpe did acknowledge that Irving's apology may not have been as prompt as some people would have liked -- but he went on to say it's still enough in his eyes.

"Hopefully, he meets with some of the people that were offended by the link he posted," Sharpe said, "and then, yeah, I agree, I'm ready to move on."

As we reported, after Irving tweeted out a link to the antisemitic film "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" and then refused to apologize for it ... he was hit with an indefinite suspension by the Nets.

But, since that time, Irving has said he's sorry ... and apparently had productive meetings and conversations with both Silver and Tsai about it all this week.

Clearly, Sharpe -- who has been critical of Irving on FS1's "Undisputed" in the past -- believes that's all enough.

Fat Joe's about to drop his memoir, which is filled with lessons many young rappers could use -- but it's actually an old-school rapper, one Kanye West, who recently sought out Joe's counsel.

The legendary Bronx MC joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and revealed he, almost literally, ran into Ye while walking out of his L.A. hotel room. Joe says Ye asked him for advice on how to handle all the backlash for his bigoted and antisemitic remarks.

He says he told Ye the truth, as he sees it, reminding him he's got pals from all walks of life and all religions. FJ advised Ye to keep God in mind, and stop using hurtful words.

Joe's got a lot more gems to drop -- especially for hip hop's up-and-comers -- in 'The Book of Jose.' His memoir will be available Tuesday, and reveals his days as a street hustler and his rise to rap superstar. He told us he knew exactly when his life had changed, and he needed to stop hanging with his old crew from the block.

It comes down to 2 words: RICO laws! You gotta see Joe explain the light bulb moment.

BTW, after his Ye run-in ... Joe also had an encounter with Will Smith, who's been laying low since that Oscars slap.

Bobby Shmurda is handing out zero stars in Atlanta after seeking out his beloved oxtail dish, but commenters like Rich Homie Quan are telling the "Shmoney" rapper he just needs a better tour guide.

A disgusted Bobby took to Instagram to blast his oxtail, rice and peas meal from the Peach Cobbler Café ... claiming he was served runny rice that was oozing a creamy white substance.

He also compared the food to the crap he got in jail while doing 6 years at Rikers. 😬

Bobby also wasn't feeling the mondo-sized chicken wings and proclaimed New York City to be the mecca of Jamaican-American food ... much to the disapproval of Atlanta's very own Rich Homie Quan.

RHQ doesn't think Bobby got a proper Atlanta eatery experience and advised him to check in with locals in the know.

Other commenters agreed, telling Bobby to check the reviews of the spots he visits beforehand.

Bobby just cooked up a new album in "SHMURDAGOTCASH" and has plenty of spot concert dates remaining for the rest of the year.

Former Cleveland Browns star Joe Thomas just went scorched earth on Jim Irsay ... blasting the Colts owner for hiring "drinking buddy" Jeff Saturday as Indy's next head coach.

Thomas, who played 11 years in the league, didn't hold back a thing while appearing on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football" on Friday ... calling the Saturday hire "the most egregious thing I can ever remember happening in the NFL."

"It is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever seen in my entire life," the ex-offensive lineman said.

Thomas' main issue is Saturday's experience. The former Colts center never coached at the NFL or collegiate level -- and had been working as an ESPN analyst at the time of the hiring.

Thomas called it a complete slap to the face of all of the other coaches in the league who have worked tirelessly at their crafts for years.

Thomas then said Saturday's introductory press conference earlier this week -- one in which Irsay said he was actually glad Jeff didn't have prior head coaching experience -- was also disrespectful to those around the NFL.

"I was in France with my kids earlier in the week, but when I saw this, I thought it was a joke," he said. "I thought maybe I had a little Google translate and all the sudden I'm in the wrong calendar and it's April 1st or something going on."

Thomas threw some shade Saturday's way too ... seemingly implying the 47-year-old should have simply rejected Irsay's job offer.

Pete Rose is making a last-ditch effort in hopes of getting his Baseball Hall of Fame ban lifted ... sending an incredibly emotional letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred this week to plead his case.

Charlie Hustle has been public enemy #1 in Cooperstown ever since his infamous betting scandal came to light ... and hasn't been able to even sniff the voter's ballot as a result.

But, now that he's 81 years old, Rose is pulling out all the stops in hopes of someday knowing what it feels like to be called a "Hall of Famer."

TMZ Sports has obtained a copy of the Hit King's message (which was sent to MLB offices on Monday) ... and it's powerful stuff.

"I am writing today for three reasons," Rose said in the letter. "First, because at my age I want to be 100% sure that you understand how much I mean it when I say that I'm sorry. Second, to ask for your forgiveness. And third, because I still think every day about what it would mean to be considered for the Hall of Fame."

Rose acknowledges the hurt he caused the people he loves and respects, as well as Cincinnati Reds fans ... saying it's one of his biggest regrets.

"Besides spending time with my kids and my partner, there's nothing that made me happier than playing baseball in front of fans. That I let them down and brought shame to the sport we all love is something I think about every single day."

Of course, if it weren't for the betting scandal, Rose would be a shoo-in for the Hall -- he has the most hits in MLB history and has three World Series wins, three MVPs and 17 All-Star selections.

In his letter, Rose even apologized to the athletes he played alongside during his incredible career ... admitting it hurts to watch them grow old without having to deal with any sort of controversy.

"You can't imagine how painful it is when I see my teammates from all the great teams I played on and players I played against go about their lives in ways I wanted to. I want to be a part of that too and I know I probably never will. I am so grateful for the time I shared with them on and off the field. Nothing replaces it."

"I am asking for your forgiveness," Rose concluded. "Despite my many mistakes, I am so proud of what I accomplished as a baseball player -- I Am the Hit King and it is my dream to be considered for the Hall of Fame. Like all of us, I believe in accountability.  I am 81 years old and know that I have been held accountable and that I hold myself accountable. I write now to ask for another chance."

We're told Rose has not heard back from commish or the league yet.