Controversial S#!T

The Chinese spy balloon is down, but questions remain -- like, whether this has happened on another president's watch ... which the Dept. of Defense says it did, pointing to Trump.

Here's the deal ... the DoD issued a lengthy statement Saturday explaining what exactly happened leading up to an F-22 fighter jet of ours safely shooting down the balloon over the Atlantic Ocean, just outside of Surfside Beach, SC. We all remember that, yes?

They reiterated what everyone had already heard at that point ... that the U.S. believes the balloon had been purposely sent here by China, and that it was intended to surveil us.

However, in explaining the balloon posed no serious threat to us -- other than breaching our airspace/pushing the boundaries of our sovereignty -- the DoD goes on to cite an unnamed defense official ... who claims this happened before under DT's administration.

The anonymous official says, "Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration." There's no other details about when exactly this might've happened, or to what degree ... namely, did they do full fly-overs???

In the wake of this Dept. of Defense official getting Trump's name in the mix, a handful of former Trump administration officials have come out of the woodwork to deny this ever happened during his time in office. And we're talking heavy hitters -- guys who'd know.

The former Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, went on FOX News to flat-out refute what the DoD has said publicly ... noting, if this had in fact happened during the Trump years like they claim -- it would've been spotted and certainly reported by the media.

"Saturday Night Live" jumped on the Chinese spy balloon caper ... insinuating we made a way bigger deal of it that it actually was.

Chloe Fineman played MSNBC's Katy Tur, conducting an interview with Bowen Yang, who was dressed as a large spy balloon that was bobbing in the ocean.

"Well, you got me, congrats, you shot a balloon," Yang mockingly said. Fineman's response, "Wow, balloon, I'm sorry you're in the water, but thank you for speaking to us."

Yang continued, “I entertain you people for four days, and then get shot by Biden. I can’t believe that I’m Joe’s Osama!"

Bryan Kohberger -- the man charged with the University of Idaho student massacre -- is already getting the bizarre affection from women obsessed with alleged mass murderers.

Brittney Hislope has written a series of Facebook posts professing her love for the accused murderer of 4 college classmates, gushing that Kohberger is the “perfect man” for her.

In one post, Hislope said, “My love interest … is named Bryan and is accused of murder, and I just wish to connect with him above anyone else.”

She added, “One way to describe my feelings for him over the last week or so … is kind of like being lovesick.”

Hislope started posting her passionate letters to Kohberger January 4 ... just a few days after the former PhD criminology grad student had been arrested at his parent's home in Pennsylvania for the murders.

The single Kentucky mom, who has a 16-year-old son, pointed out she and Kohberger shared some things in common, such as their astrological signs — both are apparently Scorpios. She also claimed they have similar birth charts, making Kohberger her “divine masculine counterpart.”

In another IG post, Hislop referenced the strange love scene between Jason Patric and Jamie Gertz in the 1987 vampire movie, "The Lost Boys." She said, "Although it’s not very explicit, I’d want to be with my love interest Bryan in those ways.”

Preston Hemphill, the white Memphis police officer involved in the Tyre Nichols arrest who is heard on body cam footage wishing Tyre harm, has just been fired.

The Memphis Police Department announced Hemphill's firing in a Friday news dump ... and he has not been criminally charged in connection with Tyre's death.

Hemphill was one of the first officers to confront Tyre during the fateful January. 7 traffic stop ... and he's alleged to have used his Taser on Tyre.

Hemphill's body cam footage shows him chasing Nichols on foot ... and he's twice heard saying, "I hope they stomp his a**."

As you know ... Tyre was later confronted by 5 Black cops, who used pepper spray and beat him so badly he complained of shortness of breath and ended up in a hospital, where 3 days later he died.

The 5 Black officers ... Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith ... were fired before Hemphill, and they've been charged with second-degree murder.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Tyre's family, has been questioning why Hemphill is not being prosecuted.

In a statement, Memphis PD says they conducted a thorough review of Tyre's arrest and determined Hemphill violated multiple department policies, including personal conduct, truthfulness and not using his Taser properly.

Meanwhile, a 7th Memphis PD officer who was involved in the arrest is on administrative leave ... but the officer's identity has not been publicly revealed.

Anderson .Paak wasn't about to let a whole group of people stand still while he DJ'd some of his best music ... jokingly issuing a threat to play some R. Kelly if they didn't start moving.

AP played a barrage of new wave and funk records during Spotify's Best New Artist party Thursday in L.A. The playlist didn't appear to get the reaction .Paak had hoped for, and he repeatedly instructed the crowd to get their groove on ... even after his trusty trumpet player Maurice "Mobetta" Brown arrived on the scene to spruce things up.

At one point, AP singled out a particular stick in the mud who was killing his vibe on the turntables, but eventually powered through and even rocked out on the drums to close his set.

Finally, he threatens the crowd he'd turn on some R. Kelly if they didn't get their act right.

Of course, R. Kelly's music is a point of controversy over the last few years ... he's got decades of prison time ahead of him after his federal sex crimes case. Apparently, AP knew the right buttons to push to get the people going ... cuz they started dancing!

Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby ripped Joey Bosa for complaining about NFL officials after the Chargers' playoff loss, and vowed himself to never act like a "f***ing crybaby".

"A couple of games ago, when f***ing dude had a meltdown and blamed the refs," Crosby said of Bosa on Barstools' Bussin' With The Boys, saying, "I see dudes blaming, oh, f*** it, O-linemen hold all the time. Refs don't call it."

"I'll never be that guy. S*** like that is so weak to me. You're going to get held. I know I get held all the time. You watch the Rams' last drive against us. I was getting literally tackled."

Crosby continued ... "I'm not going to go and double down and look like a little f***ing crybaby," he added. "That's not me."

Of course, Maxx took aim at Bosa after the star pass rusher complained about the refs following his team's 31-30 collapse to the Jaguars in the Wild Card Round.

"I think there just needs to be more accountability," Bosa said after the playoff game. "I mean if I say something to them I get a $40,000 fine, but if they blow a call that ruins an entire team's season, they're probably back in the locker room after the game like, 'Haha got that asshole. Yeah, got him. Fifteen yards, what a loser.'"

"I guarantee that's what their f***ing talking like in the back. Whatever, power trip. I'm sick of those f***ing people."

Former boxing champ Kell Brook said Thursday he "messed up" ... apologizing to his family and fans after a video showed him appearing to snort white powder at a recent party.

The clip, obtained by The Sun and posted last month, seemed to show Kell at a Sheffield residence leaning over a glass coffee table and putting a line of the substance through a straw and up his nose.

In the footage, Brook -- wearing a Joe Louis t-shirt -- can be heard saying "nice" ... before celebrating with some shadow boxing.

Initially, his manager, Terry Thompson, told The Sun it was "a joke" -- but Brook issued a mea culpa over it all on Thursday on his social media pages.

"I messed up," the 36-year-old said. "I hold my hands up and want to apologize to my family, gym, friends, and fans."

"It's no secret that I struggle with mental health and I'm finding retirement hard."

The British boxer, who won the IBF welterweight title in 2014, added, "I'm actively seeking the help I need to get me on the right path. And again apologize for the hurt and disappointment I've caused."

The 40-3 boxer retired in May 2022 -- a few months after knocking out Amir Khan in the 6th round at the AO Arena in Manchester England.

Pamela Anderson has a fresh take on her widely criticized #MeToo comments from years back, clarifying the comments she made on her early view of the casting couch.

The "Baywatch" star sat down to chat with Ronan Farrow for Interview Magazine and, in the piece out Wednesday, she said her mom's advice was way off point.

Pam said, "I could even take it a step further. My mother would tell me -- and I think this is the kind of feminism I grew up with -- it takes two to tango. If someone answers the door in a hotel robe and you’re going for an interview, don’t go in. But if you do go in, get the job."

She admitted to Ronan that was "a horrible thing to say, but that's how I was."

As you may recall ... Pam caught a lot of heat when she told Megyn Kelly on the Today Show in 2017, "You know what you’re getting into if you go to a hotel room alone." Of course, Pam was referring to disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein, who preyed mostly on actresses at hotels. Pam also revealed to Kelly she survived sexual abuse as a child.

Harvey Weinstein was found guilty in December by a Los Angeles jury in his second sexual assault trial. Weinstein is also already serving a 23-year sentence for a rape conviction in New York.

Pam did give some props to the #MeToo movement during her sit down with Ronan. She said, "Thank God for the #MeToo movement because things have changed and people are much more careful and respectful."

Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Josh Sills allegedly forced a woman to perform oral sex on him for "approximately 20 minutes" in his truck back in 2019 ... this according to a new police report, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the Guernsey County Sheriff's Office docs, cops say a woman told them the incident happened in Ohio at around 2 AM on Dec. 5, 2019 ... after Sills had given her and her cousin a ride back to her cousin's home from a local cafe.

Cops say the alleged victim, who was 21 years old at the time, told them as her cousin got out of the car -- Sills grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back in. The woman, according to the docs, said her cousin "did not think anything of it and shut the door and walked into the house."

In the report, authorities say the woman told them Sills then began his sexual assault, attempting to kiss her ... before grabbing her by the neck and throwing her down on the seat. The alleged victim said Sills unbuttoned her pants and began groping her -- all while she told him to stop repeatedly.

Cops say the woman told them Sills eventually sat up, grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her on top of him -- telling her, "she was doing this and was not leaving until she did this."

She claims, according to the report, that Sills then forced her to perform oral sex "until he did his thing." She asked him afterward if she could leave, according to the report, and after he told her "you will talk to me again," she got out of the truck and ran inside the home.

Cops say the woman told them Sills then left.

Police say in the report the woman had bruising in the back of her throat, her inner lip, her right ear and on the back of her left knee following the alleged assault. Cops said they did take photographs of her injuries.

According to the report, the woman had known Sills, who was also 21 years old at the time, for approximately seven or eight years ... and had attended high school with him.

As we reported, police conducted an investigation into it all ... and the NFL player was eventually indicted on one count of felony rape and one count of kidnapping on Wednesday.

He's due in court for a hearing in the case on Feb. 16 -- just four days after his Eagles team takes on the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

It's not clear yet if the 25-year-old rookie reserve lineman will suit up for the game -- the Eagles said in a statement Wednesday afternoon, "The organization is aware of the legal matter involving Josh Sills. We have been in communication with the league office and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time."

Tyre Nichols' life and memory were honored Wednesday at a public funeral held in Memphis after he was brutalized by police officers there ... and a lot of powerful sentiments were shared, including the notion that change needs to come in the form of legislation.

The funeral was held at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, just outside downtown Memphis, where Rev. Al Sharpton eulogized Tyre. His remarks had just about everybody in attendance on their feet by the end of it ... and for good reason.

RAS started by shedding a spotlight on the families of other victims of police brutality, including the Floyds, the Garners, the Taylors and others -- who traveled to make an appearance, and who know what it's like to go through this. He also shouted out the Veep and other elected officials -- both locally and federally -- who showed face for the funeral.

Moving on to Tyre, the reverend made an analogy to the parable of Joseph in the Well -- as told in the Bible -- and said the 5 officers who beat him that night were just like Joseph's brothers ... thinking that throwing him in the pit would solve their problems and quiet him down.

He went on to describe a point of heartbreaking irony about this tragedy happening in the city of Memphis -- where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 during a trip where he worked towards getting Black people the right to join the public sector workforce... including the right to work in sanitation, as well as the police force.

He says the fact these 5 Black cops took the work MLK literally died for, and betrayed it by taking the life of one of their brothers is the ultimate slap in the face, aptly saying ... "How dare you?" He said they were "acting like the folks we had to fight against to get you there."

Sharpton hit the point home by saying Dr. King would be astounded to see how far African Americans have come in this country -- citing VP Kamala Harris' position -- but he would be outraged to see this instance of fellow Black men acting in this way. Finally, the Reverend's speech reached a crescendo when he said he was a mountain climber ... citing what kept him going.

VP Harris also shared words at Tyre's memorial after being introduced by Rev. Al Sharpton. She spoke directly to his parents, nodding to their strength and courage in the face of the tragedy ... a moment that drew a huge standing O.

She also talked about mothers around the world praying to God that their babies remain safe for the rest of their lives ... noting that Tyre's parents' own prayers were broken with the loss of his life. She condemned the police officers involved in his death in the strongest of terms ... saying their violence that night was not in line with the pursuit of public safety.

The Veep then called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act ... saying it was overdue. Her remarks were brief, but powerful -- and her presence there was strong.

Civil rights attorney, Ben Crump, spoke at the podium as well, and he pointed out something interesting -- praising the fact that the officers were fired/charged so quickly ... but noting, that needs to be the norm any time this happens ... regardless of the race of the officers.

Crump went down a list of people who've died at the hand of police, and said swift justice was needed in all of those instances too -- which wasn't always the case, as we know.

Of course, Tyre Nichols' family members gave emotional testimonials -- two of his sisters, two brothers and his parents spoke ... including his mother, who was weeping at the mic.

One sister noted how polite Tyre was, even while being brutalized -- and another sister read a moving poem she wrote about going home. His brothers said they had been robbed of the opportunity to know their sibling better ... but said his memory would live on.

Finally, his stepfather and mom addressed the congregation. His stepdad thanked everyone who had supported them through this time ... while also calling on legislative change so that this doesn't happen again.

Tyre's mother, RowVaughn Wells, hit that home firmly ... specifically saying the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act needs to be passed ASAP -- otherwise, she said, the next person to die in a similar fashion will have died in vain ... and their blood will be on Congress' hands.

The celebration of life comes just weeks after Tyre was pulled over in a traffic stop ... resulting in a foot pursuit and a horrific beating at the hands of 5 police officers. Body cam and surveillance video that was subsequently released shows the merciless treatment of Tyre as he pled for help.

After they were done with him, the officers left Tyre propped up on one of their squad cars and waited for EMTs to arrive ... who delivered slow and less-than-adequate assistance.

Tyre was hospitalized, and died from his injuries days later.

In the aftermath, the 5 cops were fired and then criminally charged by a grand jury -- they all face second-degree murder charges ... as well as a slew of others, including kidnapping. Another two officers who are said to have been involved in the incident have since been suspended ... and some of the medical personnel who responded that night have been fired.

Protests and demonstrations have erupted nationwide after the footage was released, and a conversation about meaningful police reform in the country has been sparked anew.

Kanye West is taking his new wife out on the town -- but he doesn't wanna be seen while he's doing it, which is why he's back in full face covering mode.

Rocking his best cat burglar-chic look, Ye and Bianca Censori hit up Beauty & Essex restaurant Tuesday night in Hollywood ... where the newlyweds seemed to be enjoying date night.

We say seems, because Bianca was on her phone and Ye's entire head and face were concealed, except for the eye holes in his knitted ski mask -- so, they were hardly wearing their emotions on their sleeves.

Ye kept quiet as they got into their vehicle -- a much different interaction with photogs than the one he had last week.

As we reported ... he's been named a suspect in a battery investigation after a heated exchange with paparazzi, which ended up escalating to the point of Ye grabbing and throwing a woman’s phone.

No such drama last night.

Of course, we also saw the couple out recently for a Balenciaga shopping spree in Bev Hills. While Ye chose to flaunt a t-shirt tied to Nazi Germany that night ... he opted for simple black for the dinner date.

Upgrade, to say the least.

TMZ broke the story, Ye and the former Yeezy designer tied the knot during a secret wedding ceremony within the last few months.

The College Board is caving to pressure from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to water down an Advanced Placement high school course on African American studies.

DeSantis dug in his heels, banning the class from all Florida high schools -- and Wednesday, the College Board, which oversees the AP program nationwide, announced several changes to the new course's curriculum ... and it appears concessions were made to DeSantis.

The Governor and others in the GOP, were pissed the course included topics like the Black Lives Matter movement, affirmative action, reparations, critical race theory and queer theory.

The official curriculum, released on the first day of Black History Month, removed those hot button topics ... while content on slavery, abolition, reconstruction, the Civil Rights movement and the Black power movement remains.

Christopher Tinson, the chair of the African American Studies department at Saint Louis University, joined us this week on "TMZ Live," and told us the College Board would be open to compromise, even though it now opens the door for other states to demand specific changes.

DeSantis also made a fuss about several Black authors who were included in the course ... and the College Board's final draft also removed them from the material.

Tiffany Haddish says she's shocked there's a push to get her written out of the long-anticipated "Girls Trip" sequel -- but she's defiant, telling us there's no way she'd miss it ... no matter what Twitter haters think.

Tiff seemed genuinely surprised outside The Ivy Tuesday evening when she was asked what she thought about the instant backlash when it was announced last week "Girls Trip 2" was finally going to be made ... and with the OG cast of Tiffany, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Regina Hall.

Well, she makes it crystal clear that as long as her costars want her to do the movie ... Tiffany WILL be there, regardless of any controversy.

The issue is, some fans think Haddish should not be included this time around, because of the child molestation lawsuit that was filed last year against Tiffany and Aries Spears.

As we reported, the suit was dismissed and the plaintiff even publicly forgave Tiffany ... saying she knows the actress would never harm her or her family.

As for the sequel to the 2017 comedic hit ... Tiffany told us she "can't be concerned with what other people think. I gotta be concerned about how I feel" ... and she says she's feeling really good about herself these days.

BTW, even though it's been announced the film will be set in Ghana, and everyone's on board ... Tiffany seems less than convinced it's actually gonna happen. As she put it, "Y'know every year they say this."

Some of Hollywood's biggest names, plus a skateboarding legend, are pitching in to help Tyre Nichols' mother and stepdad ... with big donations to his memorial fund.

TMZ combed through more than 33,000 donations to Tyre's official GoFundMe and found a ton of celebs who donated money.

"Love Song" singer Sara Bareilles, pro skateboarder Tony Hawk and comedian Lil Rel Howery each pledged $1,000 ... as did "Shea Butter Baby" singer Ari Lennox.

The fundraiser is being organized by Tyre's mom, RowVaughn Wells, who says her and her husband's lives have been turned upside down by Tyre's death, which came after he was brutally beaten by Memphis police.

Lil Rel's been outspoken about the tragedy, saying Tyre was a peaceful person who should still be alive.

Tyre's mom says the donations will help cover the costs for her and her husband's mental health services, plus help them afford to take time off from their 9-5 jobs to focus on "seeking proper justice" for Tyre.

What's more, Tyre's mom says the family wants to build a memorial skate park for Tyre "in honor of his love for skating and sunsets."

Tony, the most famous skateboarder ever, appears all-in on building a skate park in Tyre's honor ... he reposted a video of Tyre skating, along with the caption, "Help Tyre's family (and honor him with a skatepark)."

Other donations pouring in from Hollywood include ... $2,300 from "Watchmen" screenwriter Damon Lindelof, $1,500 from "As Told By Ginger" writer Emily Kapnek and $5,000 from Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary.

Latto nearly had the last laugh on "panty police" haters who accused her of repeatedly wearing one pair of animal print undies, but eBay is deflating her auction dreams!!!

A spokesperson for eBay tells TMZ Hip Hop ... used and worn underwear is a direct violation of their "used clothing policy," and that's why it's yanked Latto's link to auction off her underwear.

The company says it uses multiple layers of AI technology in addition to its professionally trained eBay investigators to sniff out errant sales like Latto's, and ensure they're upholding its health and hygiene standards ... which of pair of panties containing "big energy" ... do not!!!

The Grammy-nominated rapper saw her worn cheetah prints nearly earn her $100K before the eBay takedown. She only started the auction in order to school fans on the fact she does indeed have more than one leopard print thong th-thong thong thong!

Ahead of the auction, Latto actually took time to explain to the trolls that she keeps healthy stashes of undergarments during tour time.

Here's a new one -- a 22-year-old high school basketball coach is out of the job after trying to pass as a 13-year-old player in a junior varsity game earlier this month.

According to local reports, Arlisha Boykins -- an assistant for the Churchland H.S. Truckers in Virginia -- impersonated one of her players who was away from the team for a club basketball tournament on Saturday, Jan. 21.

Instead of playing with one less hooper, Boykins apparently took matters into her own hands and suited up as the student-athlete ... and footage obtained by WAVY10 shows the full-grown adult balling out against the competition -- driving the lane for a layup, getting a block and nailing free throws.

The outlet reports Boykins was fired as a result of the stunt ... and the rest of Churchland's JV players and parents elected to opt out of the remainder of the season.

The 13-year-old's father spoke about the situation ... admitting he was "shocked" the coach would do such a thing.

The school is now investigating the incident ... and the student's family is asking for an apology.