Controversial S#!T

A viral article out of the UK is posing an interesting request -- pleading with the public (and the media) to stop using the word "queer" ... as the author apparently views it as a slur.

The brief opinion piece -- which also seems to be a letter to the editor -- appeared in the Guardian this week ... and the headline simply read, "Please don’t use the Q-word." It's written by a fella named Karl Lockwood, who says he's a gay man of nearly 7 decades.

In the 113-word editorial, Lockwood hones into a Guardian piece written last week, which notes that England and Wales had started to count trans and nonbinary people in their census for the first time ever -- while pointing out only 15,000 ID'd specifically as queer.

He adds, "I suspect that many of the others, like me, consider the term to be insulting and derogatory, and certainly not 'reclaimed'. I am a gay man of 66 years with many friends and acquaintances, and know no one who would refer to themselves as queer. It would seem a small minority of activists has encouraged the media to use the word without considering its offensiveness to many people. You wouldn’t use the N-word, so don’t use the Q-word."

In other words, he's referring to a time when "queer" was used to bully others -- which he feels qualifies it as hate speech ... and thus, warrants its censoring in public discourse.

It's an interesting argument, but most of Twitter seems to strongly disagree with this guy ... with a lot of folks on the bird app calling it cloaked "TERF" talk that only serves to erase queer people from the larger conversation. Some also think it targets transgender folks.

Of course, there's also the issue of comparing the use of "queer" to the n-word, which has people fired up. Many say the juxtaposition is apples to oranges -- and that conflating the two is a huge disservice to Black people, not to mention LGBTQ+ people of color.

Britney Spears caused a scene Friday night at an L.A. restaurant ... the pop star had a bizarre meltdown, prompting her husband to storm out.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ ... Brit and Sam Asghari showed up with a bodyguard at JOEY restaurant in Woodland Hills which was packed with patrons, who immediately recognized her.

From the start ... the dinner was a bust for Britney. Patrons pulled out their cell phones and began shooting footage of her. Britney got pissed and things went south quickly.

Eyewitnesses say Britney became "manic," yelling and talking gibberish -- not another language, just unrecognizable speech. We're told Sam got visibly upset, abruptly stood up and stormed out the door.

Check out the video, obtained by TMZ, showing Brit sitting alone at the table and speaking incoherently.

Two minutes later, witnesses say, Britney got up and left the restaurant with her bodyguard, who soon returned to pay the bill.

Lisa Rinna didn't just dislike her job ... she "f***ing hated" it!

Lisa just made it clear ... she left "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" not just because of personal tragedy -- the death of her mom -- but because she was the victim of an orchestrated smear campaign against her.

Lisa said she just had it after season 12 ... and a lot centers around her feud with Kathy Hilton ... specifically the blowup in Aspen ... so she told Interview Mag.

Lisa said, "The story just didn’t get told as two-sidedly as I would’ve liked. It was unfortunate that there weren’t cameras in Aspen. It was something that happened so spontaneously. In the moment, I didn’t think to turn on my voice memos. When somebody’s having a nuclear breakdown, you don’t think, ‘Oh, I should be filming this.’”

Lisa says Kathy was trash-talking her sister Kyle in between filming ... while alcohol was freely flowing.

Interestingly ... Kathy wasn't the principal villain in Lisa's world -- she reserved that for another housewife, saying at least Kathy was brave enough "for showing up to the reunion, because she could have run like Lisa Vanderpump did."

Former 'Bachelor' Colton Underwood is hoping Chris Harrison's past drama, resulting in an abrupt exit from the show, is water under the bridge ... but admits the former host might be doin' better since he left.

We got Colton at LAX Thursday and he's got nothing but love for the guy ... but check out his response when asked about a possible Chris Harrison comeback tour.

Colton's gunning for everyone involved to be at peace -- and hopes the matter's been dealt with and wrapped up behind the curtain.

For those unaware, Chris unloaded his thoughts about his exit this week on his new podcast, "The Most Dramatic Podcast Ever" ... saying he was heartbroken and gutted over the situation -- adding, “I was embarrassed. I was mad at myself."

As we reported, Chris was pushed out of the show after defending former 'Bachelor' contestant Rachael Kirkconnell for attending a plantation-themed party while in college.

Kanye West isn't just hanging around town with a mystery blonde, he's also married to her -- they recently had a private ceremony to celebrate their love ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the couple tell TMZ the woman is Bianca Censori, she hails from Australia and she's worked as an architectural designer at Yeezy for several years. She's also been a brunette until switching things up to the short blonde look we've recently seen.

Our sources say Ye and Bianca recently had some sort of wedding ceremony -- though we're told it doesn't appear they've filed a marriage certificate to make it legal.

Still, he's treating her like wifey ... Ye was wearing a wedding ring this week when he and Bianca arrived at the Waldorf Astoria in Bev Hills -- and we're told the ring symbolizes his commitment to her following the ceremony.

Just last month Kanye released a new song, titled "Censori Overload" -- another tribute to his new woman.

While the lyrics don't seem to directly tie him to her, there are some possible clues as to why he wanted a quickie wedding ceremony. The line, "And The Bible said, 'I can’t have any more sex til marriage'" seems kinda relevant!

TMZ broke the story, Ye and Bianca were spotted sharing a meal and chatting at the Waldorf earlier this week. We hadn't really seen them together prior to that meeting, but she's also hit some Kanye-adjacent events, including a Balenciaga show in May.

Enes Kanter Freedom -- an outspoken critic of human rights violations worldwide -- has been declared one of Turkey's most wanted terrorists ... with the government issuing a $530K bounty for information leading to the arrest of the former NBA player.

According to the Turkish Minute, Turkey's Interior Ministry issued its “Terrorist Wanted List", which included the 30-year-old longtime NBA player, accused of being a member of a terrorist organization.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the gov. also put up a reward of 10 million Turkish liras -- equivalent to around $532K U.S. dollars -- for anyone who puts Kanter behind bars.

“I’m not the only one. There are so many innocent journalists, academics, athletes, activists and educators on this list. Now their lives are in danger because of the Turkish government,” Enes told TM.

Freedom hasn't been shy when criticizing Erdogan over the years, previously referring to the leader as a "dictator" and the "Hitler of our century."

"Because of my platform, whenever I say something, it goes everywhere, and the Turkish government hates that," Freedom told the NY Post this week. "They’re really sick of it, and they said, ‘Enough is enough,’ and doing whatever they can to shut me up."

Kanter, who legally changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom, spent 13 seasons in the NBA ... playing for the Jazz, Thunder, Knicks, Trailblazers, and, most recently, the Boston Celtics in 2021-22. He became a U.S. citizen in 2021.

Despite the bounty recently being issued, the Turkish government has been trying to silence Kanter for years. Now, however, Enes is concerned for his safety, believing he will now be the target of not just the government.

“That makes it so dangerous,” Kanter said to the Post.

“Before the bounty, Turkish intelligence was after the people on the list, but now everyone is after them because they want the money.”

Andrew Callaghan, the "All Gas No Brakes" host and star of HBO's new documentary "This Place Rules," is responding to sexual misconduct allegations against him ... claiming one of the alleged victims asked him for serious dough before making her accusation public.

A legal rep for the journalist tells TMZ, "Andrew is devastated that he is being accused of any type of physical or mental coercion against anyone. Conversations about pressure and consent are extremely important and Andrew wants to have these conversations, so he can continue to learn and grow."

Adding, "While every dynamic is open to interpretation and proper communication is critical from all those involved, repeated requests for money should not be part of these conversations."

For those unaware, Andrew started getting heat on TikTok after a woman named Caroline Elise recounted an alleged incident between her and Andrew -- claiming he got her consent to sleep together by wearing her down.

A source with direct knowledge tells us Caroline requested money from Andrew, referencing the "fat check" he got from HBO for his documentary. She allegedly asked to be paid just minutes before the doc aired.

We're told Andrew didn't pay up, and Caroline uploaded the TikTok a few days later -- urging others to come forward, which is exactly what happened.

Ray J is coming to the defense of Eddie Murphy -- whether or not he needs it -- by warning Tyrese to shut up about Eddie's Golden Globes joke referencing the Will Smith slap.

An incensed Ray J hit the comment section Thursday on The Jasmine Brand to voice his disapproval of Tyrese's sentiment that everyone, including EM, should stop bringing up Will's infamous slap of Chris Rock at last year's Oscars.

As Ray sees it ... Tyrese is in no position to give Eddie advice, seeing as how his resume doesn't have any classics to measure up to "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Coming to America."

He also seems to think Will isn't above an encore performance, suggesting he might have to unload on Tyrese to get him in line.

It's clear there's bad blood between them, because Ray added, "You know how i feel about you and your antics.!"

We're not sure where Tyrese's sense of humor went -- Eddie all but brought the house down with his joke. It might be a little old, but it was brilliantly delivered.

Foxy Brown is defending her honor -- just like Shawnna -- against Keith Murray's recent rampage, and she's under the impression the Def Squad rapper's had one too many illicit substances.

The veteran Brooklyn-born rapper dragged KM for filth on her IG page late Wednesday night ... calling him all sorts of "crackheads" and "dope fiends" for his remarks.

She noted how KM's attire alone should've tipped viewers off to his erratic behavior.

KM claimed -- during an interview with "The Art Of Dialogue" -- to have received mind-blowing oral sex from Foxy back in the day while she was dating DMX ... and it's this very type of dialogue that has been getting him in constant trouble!!!

Ludacris' former label standout Shawnna also laid into KM with claims of drug abuse following another nonsensical interview where he made claims of sexual conquests where she's concerned.

Odell Beckham Jr. still ain't apologizing for his role in clearing out a plane back in November -- in fact, he's now blasting people who are criticizing him for the way he conducted himself ... even throwing out his famous cheese board diss again!!

OBJ fired off a series of tweets railing on his detractors on Thursday ... just one day after police released video which showed the actions that led up to him being booted off an American Airlines flight in Miami back on Nov. 27.

Odell spoke in vague terms in the social media posts ... but his message to his haters was clear -- get off my back about the incident.

"Can't address everything in this world, it's exhausting," Beckham wrote. "Errbody got an opinion on situations they weren't involved in. All u can do is kno who u truly are. Purell only kills 99.9% of germs…there's always gon be a lil left over."

He continued, "The one thing that no matter how much I've grown is still the hardest thing for me to do. Is let someone play wit my name. Period. For those tht kno me kno me, u kno exactly how I am. I really be koolin. But…..if u press that button and bring a certain energy. Do NOT be surprised when u get that same energy back."

"I kno who I am. Period. All the rest and opinions really don't matter to me."

Odell then capped off his rant by writing, "Have a blessed day and enjoy the [cheese] board!"

Of course, the charcuterie-themed line was the same barb he used on the plane ... when police video showed he got into an argument with a man who had been annoyed that officials were clearing out the ride to get Beckham off of it.

The footage showed Beckham called the guy "fat" -- before telling him, "Enjoy the cheese board on the way home with your ugly ass."

Akademiks says he's genuinely concerned for Blueface's career ... especially after his GF Chrisean Rock's admission she smacked him upside the head with a glass of Hennessy!!!

A viral clip from their reality show "Crazy in Love" showed Chrisean cleaning a gaping, bloody wound from the back of Blueface's head ... the aftermath of yet another domestic violence incident between the couple.

Ak scoured Instagram and found plenty of comments about Chrisean's antics superseding Blueface's musical potential -- a sentiment shared by people in the rapper's camp.

Blueface's manager Wack 100 recently confronted Chrisean on the show ⁠... telling her Blueface hasn't carved out a hit since they've been running amok.

That's harsh, but true -- he hasn't made the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist since 2019!!! 😩

Ak also shared a personal conversation he had with Offset about having a smaller profile than his wife, Cardi B ... and the Migos rapper allegedly told him the pressure helps his own hustle.

TMZ Hip Hop recently learned Cardi and Offset have a McDonald's Super Bowl commercial on the horizon ... indicative of their synergy as a couple and business people.

Quentin Miller says he's utterly disappointed in Big Sean's behavior when it comes time to pass out songwriting credits, because he claims Sean Don went MIA on him.

QM says he and Sean first met through Drake circa 2014 while working on their classic duet, "Blessings." He says Sean was impressed with his input, and recruited Quentin to work on "What You Expect" -- Sean's 2021 joint EP with Hit-Boy.

Things started out smooth ... Quentin says he and Sean got close and frequently bounced ideas off each other. When he noticed "Blessings" had won a BET Award, he figured it spelled prosperity for their future collabs.

But then, 2 weeks before the EP release ... QM says Sean stopped responding to texts, and all future communication went through Sean's management.

To make matters worst, QM claims it took 3 months to get his name on the credits and proper publishing once it was officially released -- without his paperwork being signed.

In hindsight, he says he would’ve asked for cash up-front if he knew it was gonna be a ghostwriter situation, but he thought it was gonna be a legit deal.

Fresh off Georgia's blowout national championship win, the Bulldogs already have a new enemy -- PETA -- 'cause the animal rights org. is calling for the victors to officially retire their live mascot, Uga.

TMZ Sports has learned, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals fired off a letter to University of Georgia president, Jere Morehead this week ... asking the school to replace its iconic English bulldog, Uga X, with a human at sporting events.

The org. claims Uga's presence at games increases demand for breathing-impaired breeds like pugs, bulldogs and boxers ... and they want Georgia to lead by example.

PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman released a statement on the matter ... saying, "As the back-to-back national champion, can’t UGA find it in its heart to honestly examine the impact of its promotion of deformed dogs and call time on its outdated, live-animal mascot program?"

"PETA is calling on Jere Morehead to be a peach and replace poor Uga with a human mascot who can support the team in a winning way."

Of course, Georgia has used live mascots since the 1950s ... starting with Uga I. The current mascot, Uga X, did not make the trip to Los Angeles for Monday's game due to the five plus hour flight.

The mother of one of Jeffrey Dahmer's victims is pissed Evan Peters won a Golden Globe for portraying the serial killer on Netflix ... she says he should've paid tribute to the victims.

Shirley, the mother of Dahmer victim Tony Hughes, tells TMZ ... Evan should have used his acceptance speech to mention the families who are still suffering from Dahmer's crimes, or to say Hollywood should put an end to telling stories about killers and glorifying them.

Evan won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for his work playing Jeffrey Dahmer in the Netflix miniseries "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" ... and in his acceptance speech, he told the audience he hoped something good would come from his win, and the series.

Shirley's scoffed ... saying nothing good will come from Evan's award for the Netflix series. She says it just adds to the grief for the families of the people Dahmer killed, replaying the tragedy over and over.

Tony's mom also had this to say about Evan's big night ... "There's a lot of sick people around the world, and people winning acting roles from playing killers keeps the obsession going and this makes sick people thrive on the fame."

Also in his speech, Evan mentioned how hard it was to do the Dahmer series ... but Shirley's questioning why he took the role in the first place. She says he shouldn't have played the role out of respect for the families still living with heartbreak from losing loved ones.

Bottom line for Shirley ... "It's a shame that people can take our tragedy and make money. The victims never saw a cent. We go through these emotions every day."

Miami Heat center Dewayne Dedmon got the boot from a game on Tuesday night ... and it's all 'cause he launched a massage therapy gun onto the court in a fit of rage.

For real.

The bizarre incident happened in the second quarter of the Heat vs. Thunder tilt at FTX Arena ... when Dedmon threw a bit of a temper tantrum following an impassioned argument with head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Video from the game's broadcast shows as Dedmon was walking away furious over the war of words with Spo, he reached down, grabbed a massage therapy device -- and hurled it over fans' heads and near players who were standing by the 3-point line.

Thankfully, no one was hit by the heavyish object ... but everyone on the hardwood was stunned by the incident nonetheless. Refs immediately ejected the 33-year-old over the act.

It's unclear what prompted the explosion from Dedmon -- Spoelstra only said after the game, "We're all a bunch of gnarly personalities ... That part was unacceptable."

It's expected the NBA will hand down further punishment on Dedmon later this month.

Despite the scene, the shorthanded Heat -- who were missing multiple players even before Dedmon's ejection -- somehow pulled off the win over the Thunder, 112-111.

Odell Beckham Jr. got snippy with a passenger who was annoyed by the NFL star's actions during his infamous plane incident back in November -- calling the person on the airline both "fat" and "ugly."

The interaction was all captured on Nov. 27 on police body camera video, which the Miami-Dade Police Dept. released this week, just moments before the 30-year-old former Rams receiver was booted off the plane.

In the footage, you can see cops approached the American Airlines ride at Miami International Airport and spoke with flight attendants, who told them Beckham was unresponsive despite them instructing him multiple times to put his seatbelt on. They eventually said they wanted him off the ride.

When officers made contact with Beckham, he downplayed the incident to them.

"I've never had this happen to me," Beckham can be heard telling the officers in the video.

Cops eventually told him in the clip, "We're going to have to deplane everybody on this plane, and then you're still going to get off." Beckham responded, "That's fine."

As passengers got off the plane, one of them told the Super Bowl champ to just get off ... and that enraged OBJ.

"You're everything wrong with the world," Beckham can be heard saying in the video. "Looking at me to get off a plane, for you. I would never. Ever in my life get off the plane for you. Specifically you. Maybe everybody else, I would get off the plane."

Beckham continued, "You gon' wait 40 minutes and I'm going to be on a private plane home. Yeah, with your fat ass. Get your ass off the plane for a second."

"Enjoy the cheese board on the way home with your ugly ass."

As we reported, Beckham was eventually escorted off the plane by authorities. His attorney said of the incident that Beckham had simply fallen asleep, and a flight attendant just blew the situation out of proportion.