Controversial S#!T

The Backstreet Boys are unified in the midst of the rape allegations against bandmate Nick Carter ... according to fellow bandmate AJ McLean.

AJ was stoic at LAX Thursday, making it clear ... everyone in the group loves Nick and is standing strong with him during his legal battle.

TMZ broke the story ... Shannon Ruth, who is autistic and has cerebral palsy, filed suit last week, claiming Nick forced her to perform a sexual act on him while on his tour bus. She said she was 17 at the time.

Nick denies the alleged incident ever happened, but as we reported ... ABC canceled a Backstreet Boys prime time holiday special that was set to air this week.

'Till' star Jalyn Hall says the film about Emmett Till is more than just art ... it's a form of activism and he's certain justice will be served, no matter how long it takes.

We got the 15-year-old Thursday outside "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and asked about the importance of sharing Emmett's story, whose death shocked so many when he was brutally killed in 1955 and a photo of his badly beaten body was made public.

Jalyn tells us he believes the movie will work as a movement, telling us filmmaker Keith Beauchamp worked on the project for 30 years, gathering missing evidence to create the movie.

If you didn't know, there's been a recent push to have Carolyn Bryant Donham indicted for accusing Emmett of whistling at her in a convenience store in 1955. Her claim led to a group of white men beating, mutilating and shooting Till in the head.

New evidence was recently uncovered -- including a 1955 arrest warrant with Donham's name on it for possibly lying about her encounter with Emmett -- but a grand jury declined to indict her.

Elon Musk is hitting journalists who make a living reporting on the billionaire where he can ... silencing their Twitter accounts.

The new owner of the bird app is suspending Twitter accounts for reporters from major news outlets like The New York Times, Washington Post and CNN ... plus independent journos and folks who report for Mashable and The Intercept.

Among those losing their ability to tweet about Elon ... Donie O'Sullivan from CNN, Drew Harwell from WaPo, Matt Binder from Mashable, Ryan Mac from NYT, Micah Lee from The Intercept, plus Keith Olbermann and Aaron Rupar.

Lots of folks getting the boot have been writing and tweeting critically about Elon ... but the fact is Musk owns Twitter so he can do what he wants with his private company.

Of course, Elon's claimed he's a champion of free speech ... and some folks say that's just not jiving with suspensions for reporters.

Here's what some of those banned reporters are seeing when they try to log in to their Twitter accounts ... a message telling them their account is permanently suspended for violating Twitter rules.

Elon's been changing Twitter terms of service on the fly ... and it's unclear what rules the journalists supposedly violated to earn a suspension.

It appears more accounts are being suspended.

Pop Warner has launched an investigation into a disgusting incident following a tournament game ... in which coaches were allegedly targeted with racial slurs by a man affiliated with the opposing team.

It all went down hours after the Hamden Hurricanes (CT) beat the Highlands Ranch Mountain Lions (CO) in the Div. 2 12U quarterfinals of the Pop Warner National Championships on Dec. 3 ... when coaches on both teams ran into each other at the hotel they were staying at in Orlando.

In the footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, the Hamden coaches are clearly trying to distance themselves from the Highlands Ranch staffers ... with one man explaining they were told by the "higher ups" to avoid any interaction.

Sources tell us the reason behind the tense interaction was due to coaches and fans of Highlands Ranch allegedly yelling racially charged words at Hamden, a team that consists of mostly Black players, throughout the game.

In the video, a Highlands Ranch coach continues to try to talk to adults with Hamden ... but they repeatedly say they aren't interested in talking, as they "have more s*** to lose."

Eventually, Hamden leaves the area ... and that's when a man -- who we're told is affiliated with the Highlands Ranch team -- hurled out the racial slurs, according to sources ... who claim he referred to them as "f***ing n*****s."

Pop Warner released a statement to TMZ Sports ... saying, "The disturbing behavior shown in the video is inconsistent with our code of conduct and the expectations we have of our adult volunteers."

The org. says it will conduct an investigative hearing on the matter next week ... and if the person in the video is, in fact, affiliated with a PW team, they will face discipline -- including suspension.

"One thing is clear: the abhorrent conduct and language exhibited in this video are unacceptable," Pop Warner added. "Our organization is committed to a safe, inclusive, and positive environment for all young people and their families."

"No one should ever encounter this kind of behavior. We will take all measures necessary to address the situation."

There's an online theory circulating that claims Stephen "tWitch" Boss and his family were in bad shape financially at the time of his suicide ... something we're told simply isn't true.

People playing detective on social media are working to figure out what may have led tWitch to take his own life. One popular theory -- based on some of the accounts he followed on Instagram -- was that he had invested heavily and lost big in cryptocurrency.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us that is false -- Stephen was not experiencing any sort of financial hardship in the time leading up to his suicide. What's more -- our law enforcement sources say no one from the family has mentioned any sort of financial issues with Stephen.

As for the social media chatter, a video posted by actor Columbus Short also helped to fuel the fire -- where the actor shared his own theory that tWtich may have had money issues.

Our sources say Stephen knew Columbus through the dance world -- and their personal interactions were always directly associated with working environments.

TMZ broke the story -- tWitch's wife, Allison Holker, told cops Tuesday she became worried about her husband when he left their home without warning a day earlier and wasn't answering his phone.

As we first told you, tWitch had checked into a motel less than a mile from his home Monday carrying a small bag. Hotel employees checked in on his room Tuesday after he missed checkout and discovered him dead in the bathroom from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just dropped some major bombshells, revealing they've been subject to online death threats, nasty infighting with the Royal Family and who they believe was behind their much-publicized miscarriage.

The controversial couple released Volume 2 of their popular Netflix series ... and during the 5th episode Meghan kicked things off by talking about her nightmarish online experiences. She pointed to one horrific message she received ... "Meghan just needs to die. Someone needs to kill her. Maybe it should be me."

In the clip, Meghan responds ... "And I was just like, 'OK.' That's what's actually out in the world because of people creating hate."

The Duchess of Sussex then starts to cry, saying ... "I'm a mom. That's my real life. And that's the piece when you see it and you go, 'You are making people want to kill me. You are making me scared.'"

Meghan adds that she couldn't sleep due to the stress and was frantically looking around the house, worried about the safety of baby Archie and whether the doors were locked in their house.

Turning to Prince Harry ... he discussed a tense meeting he had with the Royal Family over him asking for a "half in, half out" arrangement. Harry made it clear to them that he and Megan no longer wanted full-time palace jobs, but they still wanted to work in support of the Queen. Harry said the Royals quickly dismissed the idea, leading to a HUGE confrontation between him and his brother, Prince William.

"It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that just simply weren't true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and take it all in," Harry said, referencing his father and then-Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II.

In the Netflix episode, Harry also blamed Meghan's 2020 miscarriage on the tabloid media, specifically citing the Daily Mail. The couple took legal action against the outlet for publishing a 2019 private letter from Meghan to her dad, Thomas Markle.

"Now, do we absolutely know that the miscarriage was caused, created by that?" Harry said. "Of course we don't, but bearing in mind the stress that that caused, the lack of sleep and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say from what I saw, that miscarriage was caused by what they were trying to do to her."

James Cameron's pissing off animal welfare activists by promoting his ocean-themed epic, "Avatar: The Way of Water," with a dolphin show many see as, at least ironic, and definitely cruel.

The director sat alongside stars Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and others in Japan to promote the much-anticipated sequel -- he kicked off the press conference by saying, "Welcome to Pandora" ... and then the controversial show began.

The dolphins in a tank performed tricks with the help of trainers ... and as the conference continued, Cameron mentioned how much he loved a dolphin's intelligence and sociability ... before joking, "I'm sure everybody asked their permission to be in the show."

That joke did not land with animal activist groups like PETA -- because its spokesperson told Plant Based News, "Why on Earth didn't [Cameron] pause for just five minutes to consider whether he should have allowed himself to be seen as endorsing the cruelty of marine parks?"

Shockingly, Cameron's been an animal advocate for years ... he says he's been a vegan for a decade, and even produced a documentary alongside the director of the 2009 flick, "The Cove," the Oscar-winning animal rights film that exposed the cruelty of dolphin hunting in Japan, of all places.

Even "The Cove" director, Richard O'Barry, is calling out Cameron for his hypocrisy in using captive dolphins to promote a film whose central plot is about conserving ocean resources.

Elon Musk claims a "crazy stalker" put his son in danger, and now the Twitter honcho's threatening to take legal action against someone who's publicly exposing his location ... which he believes led to the attack.

Elon tweeted Wednesday night that a car carrying his 2-year-old boy, "lil X," was followed by an unknown person ... adding they later blocked the vehicle and climbed onto the hood.

He also posted a clip of the alleged stalker, showing their license plate -- asking "Anyone recognize this person or car?"

In a clearly related move, he says legal action's being taken against programmer Jack Sweeney, the person who started Elon's flight-tracking account in 2020.

This call-out came shortly after Elon dropped a new rule for Twitter -- "Any account doxxing real-time location info of anyone will be suspended, as it is a physical safety violation. This includes posting links to sites with real-time location info."

Elon notes people are allowed to post locations someone's been at on a "slightly delayed basis," saying it isn't a safety problem.

Jack's account has since been suspended, and many online see that move as a sign Elon's free speech pledge is a one-way street -- as soon as the "free speech" harmed him, he shut it down.

Gucci Mane is demanding justice for his artist Pooh Shiesty ... after claiming he was transferred to a prison where he's being subjected to cruel and unusual conditions.

The 1017 Records label boss fired off his accusations Wednesday, tweeting about Pooh only getting one hour out of his cell each day, and getting food trays ... without any food on them.

Gucci's allegation is echoed by Pooh's attorney Bradford Cohen, who claims his client has been in 23-hour lockdown each day ... for about the last 6 months at FCI Pollock in Louisiana.

He also claims prison officials are screwing with Pooh's mail -- holding back letters from family and fans, and blocking mail he sends out to loved ones.

Cohen says it took him 2 to 3 weeks just to set an appointment with Pooh, and claims his family's having an even harder time visiting him.

We're told when Pooh was convicted for firearm possession -- related to a 2020 shootout in southern Florida -- he asked to do his time at a prison about 200 miles from his Tennessee home. Instead, he was sent to Pollock ... which is about 1500 miles away from his kinfolk.

Distance aside, he can't have visitors while in lockdown, anyway -- so Cohen says it's a virtual impossibility for Pooh to see his fam.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the specific allegations -- but said there are several factors that determine where an inmate is placed ... such as the level of supervision needed and/or medical needs.

The collapse of the famed crypto exchange FTX is spurring lots of finger-pointing, but on the issue of whether its celeb spokespeople are partially to blame ... Congress has different opinions.

We got Rep. Al Lawson Wednesday at Reagan National Airport, where we asked what he made of all the famous folks who served as ambassadors for FTX in its heyday -- which undoubtedly influenced normies to invest, and potentially lose buckets of cash amid its bankruptcy.

The Florida congressman makes no bones about it ... telling us accountability has to be shared by all parties involved, including the rich and famous -- whom he says can survive financial loss way better than your average Joe.

He also offers some advice on any future crypto endorsements ... warning celebs (and everyday laypeople) to proceed with caution, 'cause this biz is a high-risk gamble.

On the flip side ... Rep. Ritchie Torres actually defended FTX celebs when we caught up with him on Capitol Hill -- this amid ongoing congressional hearings on the matter, where lawmakers are trying to make big picture decisions about crypto.

Check out his take -- it's the opposite of Rep. Lawson's ... as he thinks this disaster falls into the lap of one person and one person only. Hint: the dude's in the criminal hot seat now.

A woman in AZ just found out the hard way inflatable green companions don't count for the carpool lane ... even during the holiday season.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says the driver was spotted in the HOV lane Tuesday morning with a "Seusspicious-looking 'passenger.'"

The dept. says a trooper stopped the woman and discovered the passenger cruising with her was an inflatable Grinch. What's more -- cops snapped a pic of the infamous Whoville resident as proof the woman tried to pull a fast one.

The department continues, "While we appreciate the festive flair, this is illegal & the driver received a citation for the HOV violation." It then goes on to ensure AZ drivers are educated on traffic laws, especially with an increase in cars on the road during the holidays.

New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker is going OFF on the NFL ... saying officials need to "get on y'alls f***in' jobs" and take care of players who may have suffered head injuries during games.

Parker appeared dazed after getting hit with four minutes left in the first quarter of the Pats' "Monday Night Football" game against the Arizona Cardinals ... and teammate Nelson Agholor had to beg the referees to pause the contest so the veteran wideout could get checked out.

The NFL Players' Association is currently investigating why the league's concussion spotter didn't immediately stop the game ... especially considering the new protocols put in place following the handling of Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa's head injuries earlier this season.

Parker was visibly wobbly after he made the 10-yard catch -- he actually bumped into teammate Cole Strange as he tried to walk.

Parker thanked Agholor for looking out for him ... and it was for good reason -- #1 didn't return to the game after being examined by the medical staff.

The Pats are now dealing with a short receiving core ... as Jakobi Meyers also missed Monday's game due to a concussion.

An NHL fan had his fingertip bitten off during an insane fight at the Coyotes vs. Bruins game on Friday ... this according to cops.

A spokesperson for the ASU Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... the melee happened at around 9:30 PM at Mullett Arena in Tempe -- when several Boston and Arizona fans got into a scrap.

Video shot by a bystander shows roughly half a dozen people -- including men and women -- shoved each other, threw drinks on each other ... and, at times, whaled on each other for roughly a minute.

Cops eventually jumped into the fray to break it all up -- and according to the ASU PD spokesperson, one fan, Nashaknik Allen Shontz, was arrested after he was accused of taking a chunk out of another person's finger during the fracas.

The spokesperson said Shontz was booked on one count of aggravated assault.

According to the spokesperson, five other people involved in the brawl were issued citations. Cops say they don't know what started the fight -- they're still investigating the matter.

It's unclear if the alleged victim was able to reattach the severed digit.

DJ Akademiks and Yung Miami are having an intense war of words over Diddy's surprise baby -- but that's led to Ak threatening a physical showdown with Luka Sabbat ... after the "grown-ish" actor inserted himself into the beef!!!

On Tuesday, Luka tweeted a question, wondering why Ak never went at males with the same energy as his ongoing war with Miami.

Ak had been roasting Miami for being an oblivious "side chick" in Diddy's world. He's also been serving Lil Baby with that "energy" for months following Baby's pair of album disses.

Ak got wind of Luka's tweet in real-time while live streaming on Twitch and erupted like a volcano ... daring Luka to ever confront him in person.

Ak ripped Luka's "model fashion sense" -- although he used more homophobic phrasing -- and then offered to fly Luka to New Jersey for an ass-whooping.

Luka responded to the challenge, saying he was shocked Ak would want to fight him, seeing as how he's just a thespian who spends most of his time overseas. He admits he's not looking for any smoke. So, we're guessing this whole mess dies here.

Robert Griffin III says he's sorry for using an anti-Black slur on the "Monday Night Football" pregame show ... insisting he simply misspoke.

RGIII was breaking down the Eagles' big win over the Giants for ESPN in the lead-up to the network's broadcast of the Cardinals vs. Patriots game on Monday night ... when he tried to heap praise on Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts.

"People said that Jalen Hurts couldn't get it done," the former Washington Commanders star said. "He could not break from the pocket. He's not the quarterback of the future. I think he proved all those j******** wrong."

The use of the word -- which has historically been used to disparage Black people -- was immediately panned on social media ... and hours after he muttered it, Griffin III issued an apology for it.

"Yooooo, Definitely need to clarify this," the former quarterback said. "THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT TO SAY."

The 32-year-old then explained he was trying to use the term "Bug-A-Boos."

"Regardless of my intention," he said, "I understand the historical context of the term that came out of my mouth and I apologize."

The hotel staffers Mark Curry accused of racial profiling have been suspended from their jobs ... TMZ has learned.

As we reported, Mark claimed he was accosted by two employees over the weekend at The Mining Exchange hotel in downtown Colorado Springs ... and he posted video showing two staffers following him around.

Mark claims he left his room to go down to the lobby for some coffee when he was approached and asked if he was a hotel guest ... and in his video, he wonders out loud why other guests in the lobby aren't being asked the same questions.

A rep for The Mining Exchange tells TMZ ... "Employees involved in this matter have been suspended, pending further investigation."

Mark's video also showed him being asked for his ID by an attendant working the front desk.