Controversial S#!T

Bill Maher was more subtle than usual Friday night ... tipping his hat to evolutionary social change and asking everyone to chill if things aren't perfect RIGHT NOW.

The "Real Time" host used Oscars weekend to make his point -- that even in liberal Hollywood there's a learning curve on the scales of social justice.

He points to 1973, when Marlon Brando snagged the Oscar for "The Godfather" and sent a surrogate in his place to accept -- Sacheen Littlefeather, who got up onstage to talk about injustices against Native Americans. She was met with boos and even tomahawk chops from people in the audience.

Today, BM says, she'd clearly be met with cheers, not jeers ... and that, he says, is progress.

Bill then broadens out his point ... Reagan was late on AIDS, but he came around. Obama was late with gay marriage, but he too came around. And, Bill wishes, Biden or his successor will step up and advocate the legalization of weed.

Being late doesn't make people bad, Bill says. Progress tends to be evolutionary, but it happens.

Check out what he says about a very famous movie that was shot just a few years back -- populated by diehard liberals in Hollywood. If that movie were made today, they'd be skewered.

N.O.R.E.'s attempt to squash the beef between Fat Joe and ex-Terror Squad rapper Cuban Link resulted in Remy Ma laughing so hard, they had to scrub the entire scene from a "Drink Champs" episode!!!

The DC crew huddled up on a recent interview to discuss their decisions not to interview Cuban, Jae Hood and Reek Da Villain due to their long-running conflicts with Joe, The LOX and Busta Rhymes, respectively ... and Remy, being the 1st Lady of TS herself, confirmed that the beef was forever up!!!

In 2021, Cuban Link falsely accused Joe of snitching, which reignited their beef that's been festering since the mid-'00s, causing N.O.R.E. to speak out and admit he had no intentions of interviewing any artist who's against his friends.

N.O.R.E. also addressed his former Def Jam labelmate Keith Murray's recent claims that he was snubbed in person at the last Rock The Bells Festival.

According to N.O.R.E.'s recollection, he was running about 30 deep (thanks to Capone and Tragedy Khadafi's entourages) and didn't want to add to any confusion.

A Black couple's hoping their recent settlement of a lawsuit becomes a game changer in real estate -- one that forces appraisers to quit lowballing home values for Black and brown homeowners.

Paul Austin and Tenisha Tate-Austin made headlines a few years ago when an appraisal firm valued their Northern California at $995K. Feeling like that number was too low, they asked a white friend to pretend they lived in the house ... and suddenly, the appraisal came in at $1.48 million.

That $500k difference prompted the Austins to sue the appraisal firm for discrimination.

The couple joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to discuss their settlement in the case, for an undisclosed amount, and said their goal was always to hold folks accountable for what they saw as clear racial bias.

Paul and Tenisha pointed out POC have been cheated out of real estate wealth for generations ... largely due to systemic racism -- be it conscious or unconscious -- despite the fair housing law being passed in the '60s.

Going forward, they hope to be a cautionary tale for home appraisers -- letting the industry know there could be consequences for perpetuating these historical biases.

Little People of America is demanding an apology from Bill Walton after he said the m-word twice on air on Thursday night ... calling his use of the term both "deplorable and inexcusable."

The org. -- regarded as the largest dwarfism support group in the world -- blasted the college basketball commentator in a statement to TMZ Sports on Friday ... less than 24 hours after Walton said the derogatory term while broadcasting the USC vs. Arizona State game.

Walton said at halftime while trying to praise the arena's in-game host, "He does not need a little chair because he is a giant in a world full of shriveling m*****s."

He used the word again when turning his attention toward his broadcast partner, Dave Pasch -- who awkwardly laughed off the whole situation.

The org. says Walton should have known better -- saying "ignorance at this point is simply not an excuse" -- and now, they want him to say he's sorry.

"Those who use the term m***** or any terminology that further stigmatizes people born with dwarfism are asked to educate themselves to eradicate this word," LPA officials said.

"Little People of America is asking Bill Walton to issue an apology and vow to use appropriate terminology rooted in respect and dignity going forward."

LPA also took aim at Pasch -- saying he should have denounced Walton's use of the term live on air.

"We hope that in the future Dave Pasch will speak up against disparaging language in solidarity with our organization fighting for disability equity and justice."

Bill Walton may be the king of out-of-the-box analysis, but he crossed the line while calling a college hoops game on Thursday ... dropping a derogatory word for little people -- twice.

The Hall of Famer and broadcaster used the m-word when calling the Arizona State vs. USC matchup ... when he was attempting to show praise for the Pac-12 Tournament's in-game host.

"He does not need a little chair because he is a giant in a world full of shriveling m*****s," Walton said during halftime.

Walton then turned to his broadcast partner, Dave Pasch, and cracked a joke ... saying, "Speaking of shriveling m*****s, what is your name again?"

Pasch responded by asking, "What is wrong with you?" He then did his best to move on from the awkward interaction to talk about the game -- but Walton interrupted.

"I'm guilty of having fun in Las Vegas, fun with a purpose," the 6'11" former center said ... before finally getting back to talking about the contest.

Pasch is heard chuckling as Walton goes through his analysis ... and fires off a zinger of his own as the focus gets back to the game.

"I don't know what you consumed at halftime."

If you're unfamiliar, the m-word has been deemed a derogatory slur by the Little People of America, which has urged people to stop using the term.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones found himself in hot water as well recently ... after using the term on the first day of his team's training camp last year.

The LPA fired off a response to Jones at the time ... calling on the NFL legend to apologize. He later issued a statement saying he was sorry.

As for the tourney matchup -- ASU beat USC, 77-72.

Ja Morant was investigated by cops for assault after allegedly clashing with a high school student back in September ... TMZ Sports has learned -- but the NBA star was never charged over the incident.

According to a Germantown Police Dept. report, the interaction between the teenager and the Memphis Grizzlies point guard happened at Houston H.S. in Tennessee on Sept. 22 at around 7:10 PM.

In the docs, police say at an after-school volleyball game, Morant's sister -- who attends Houston H.S. -- got into a verbal argument with another student.

Witnesses on the scene, according to the docs, told officers both parties had called each other "bitch" -- prompting Ja's sister to contact Ja about it all.

A short time later, cops say Ja, Ja's mom and dad, Ja's baby daughter and "a group of" adult males all came into the gym together. According to the documents, most of the group -- excluding Ja's father -- went to confront the student in the stands at the game who had been quarreling with Ja's sister.

"Which one of ya'll called her a bitch?" Jamie Morant, Ja's mother, allegedly said.

Cops say in the docs they told Jamie she "can not come upstairs and confront the students and they did not need to make a scene at the school." But, officers say while they were talking, one of the men with Ja moved past police and walked toward students.

According to the report, witnesses on the scene said the man slapped a phone out of a student's hand who had been attempting to take a picture of Ja in the stands ... and then said, "I don't care about none of that, I will beat y'alls ass."

A witness later said that man "was about to pull a gun" -- though cops on the scene said in the documents they never observed a firearm during the incident.

Police say everyone eventually left the gym without further problems.

The next day, cops say the mother of the student who had been in the spat with Ja's sister wanted to press charges against all parties, including Ja, for intimidation and harassment. Cops say Jamie Morant also wanted to press charges against the student who had been in the tiff with her daughter for threats and intimidation.

Cops investigated Ja for simple assault, intimidation -- no physical contact, but no charges were ever filed.

The mother of the student, meanwhile, tells TMZ Sports her son was also investigated, but did not end up being charged either.

According to the police report, the Grizzlies' head of security -- ID'ed as Kevin Helms in the report -- came to the school to discuss the incident with authorities. Cops say Helms "was asked to give a verbal trespass warning to all parties per the request of the Principal."

We've reached out to the Grizzlies for comment on the situation, but so far, no word back yet.

The situation was one of at least three times in the last calendar year that Ja has been investigated by cops. In the summer, police probed into allegations that he roughed up a teenager during a pickup basketball game at his home. Earlier this week, cops looked into video he posted where he brandished a gun at a Denver-area nightclub. He was not charged in either incident.

Ja -- a 23-year-old, two-time All-Star who's considered one of the best young players in the NBA -- is currently away from the Grizzlies in wake of the gun video.

Kanye West appears to be out and about, searching for inspiration ... because while he was out shopping with his wife, he was joined by a famous fashion designer.

Kanye and Bianca Censori went shopping Thursday on Melrose Place, with 424 designer Guillermo Andrade serving as the third wheel.

Ye hanging out with a fashion designer is interesting -- as you know, he's been dropped from Balenciaga, Adidas and Gap -- and it hints at a potential fashion collab down the line.

Kanye was back in a brown jacket, similar to the one we last saw him in a few weeks ago when he and Bianca stopped at a gas station ... another departure from his typical all-black look.

Meanwhile, Bianca was in black spandex and black boots ... with a beanie over her signature bleach-blonde short hair.

The shopping excursion seemed fruitless as the stars came up empty-handed ... aside from Bianca grabbing a bite from a food truck.

It will be interesting to see if anything comes out of this ... at least fashion-wise.

Colin Kaepernick says that his adoptive mother, Teresa Kaepernick, told him in high school his cornrow hairstyle was "not professional" and made him "look like a little thug."

Kaepernick -- who wore cornrows as a teenager like his hero Allen Iverson -- detailed the rocky relationship with his adopted parents in his new novel, "Change the Game," admitting the situation was tough to navigate.

"I know my parents loved me, but there were still very problematic things that I went through," Kaepernick told CBS. "I think it was important to show, 'No, this can happen in your own home.' And how do we move forward collectively while addressing the racism that is being perpetuated."

The 35-year-old -- who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in his second season in the league -- recalls he and his parents getting into a fight over his hair, and his mom saying, "He's getting what rolls?"

Colin, who is biracial, said the trials and tribulations he endured as a teenager at the hands of his parents played a big role in why he sported cornrows as an adult.

Kaepernick hasn't played in the NFL since 2016 ... but he let it be known (again) that he's actively working out and staying in shape in case an opportunity presents itself.

TikTok users worried the U.S. government is gearing up to ban the platform might have good reason to feel that way ... according to the U.S. Senator spearheading those efforts.

We got Sen. Mark Warner Thursday as he was leaving FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and asked what if any advice he had for the millions of influencers making a good living on the app. His answer is, Charli D'Amelio and co. need to be as concerned as politicians are about who's collecting their information.

ICYMI ... Warner and Sen. John Thune introduced a bipartisan bill this week that would give President Biden wide-ranging power to restrict TikTok use, or flat-out ban it, if there's reason to believe China is gathering U.S. citizens' data from TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

The White House has already said it supports the legislation -- which applies to all foreign technologies, not just TikTok -- but Congress has yet to put it to a vote.

Sen. Warner acknowledges there's "a lot of great things happening on TikTok," but says Congress can't be concerned with that ... not if national security hangs in the balance.

IF there's a ban -- as was threatened years ago under the Trump administration -- Warner says TikTok users shouldn't be too concerned, because he's certain a new app would quickly spring up to host the hot new dance challenge.

Shannon Sharpe is a man of many words ... but the NFL legend dropped one you definitely can't say while on live television on Thursday -- accidentally muttering the F-word!!!

Sharpe used the TV no-no on "Undisputed" while in a heated convo with his cohost, Skip Bayless ... as the two were discussing the Clippers and Russell Westbrook.

Sharpe tried to make an analogy ... when, suddenly, an F-bomb flew outta his mouth.

"If I'm making fried chicken and somebody says, 'I got some chocolate for you,'" Sharpe said. "What the hell? Yeah, I like chocolate but what the f*** that have to?"

The FS1 commentator immediately caught himself ... and said, "Oops, sorry!"

He then joked, "You got me up here cursing, Skip," before finishing his thought, "Why would I need chocolate to go with fried chicken?"

Sharpe eventually continued making his point to Bayless ... and both men agreed the Clippers were better off before they added Russ to their team.

Of course, this isn't the first time the guys have used some PG-13 language on the show ... Skip recently accused Mavericks star Luka Dončić of "bitching" about foul calls.

Logic's recent cover of Ice Cube's iconic track, "It Was A Good Day," was universally panned, and Joe Budden feels it's a sign 'o the times ... for Logic to officially join him in permanent rap retirement!!!

Budden went in on the Maryland-born rapper on a recent episode of his podcast "The Joe Budden Podcast" ... urging him to never promise his fans another record because his music is now "really, really bad!!!"

JB admitted he enjoyed ribbing Logic from time to time in the past, but admits he's soured on him since his 2017 suicide awareness track "1-800-273-8255" -- but, he says turning Cube's classic into a folk song is an unforgivable hip hop infraction.

Budden also accused Logic of pandering to the Black community for years due to his own identity crisis. That being said, it can all be forgotten ... as long as Logic tosses his mic!!! 😭

Country singer Clay Walker is in hot water after getting caught on audio berating his bus driver ... but Clay tells us it went down a year ago, and it's all water under the bridge.

Clay starts by saying he could easily whup the driver's ass. The singer also claims the driver didn't show on time ... and Clay is PISSED.

It's pretty harsh ... and just when it sounds like all is said and done, Clay finds another reason to call him out.

While this is clearly an intense one-sided convo, Clay tells TMZ ... "This happened over a year ago, and it came at the end of a long, tough weekend. The bus driver and I reconciled immediately, and we are friends and stay in touch.”

FYI -- Clay's been in the country game since his debut record in the early '90s ... first topping the charts with his single, "What's It to You."

Who's the greatest MMA fighter ever??

Demetrious Johnson, who's absolutely in the conversation, says it's an impossible question to answer because "we've all done amazing things in this sport of mixed martial arts." But, forced to answer, Mighty Mouse says it's the newly crowned heavyweight champ Jon Jones ... following his dismantling of Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.

"I've had the longest consecutive title defense, and I've also had 14 world title fight wins. I believe he's at 15 [straight] now. You look at GSP. I think he took four years off and he fought in 2013 against Johny Hendricks. Then he came back in 2017 and beat Michael Bisping, who was a champion. You look at Anderson Silva, we've all done amazing things in mixed martial arts."

The former longtime UFC champ turned ONE Championship champ told us he "always felt" Jon was the G.O.A.T., and actually believes he could've beaten 247 lb. Gane without gaining any weight.

"Jon Jones, what he did to Gane Saturday night, I mean, he took him down and choked him out. I truly believe he could've done that at 205 [lbs.]"

"The one thing that separates those guys from me, those guys have gone up and competed and won a world championship in a different weight class, where I haven't.

"Henry Cejudo's done it, Jon's done it, Randy Couture's done it, the list just goes on and on of all the guys who have done it, and that's one thing I haven't done."

Fighters like Couture, Georges St-Pierre, and Khabib have all retired, so they're done adding to their resumes. But, Mighty Mouse isn't. He's still very much fighting with ONE, and he's got a big fight coming up.

DJ's fighting Adriano Moraes on May 5 ... one of the best ONE matchups. The guys have fought twice previously, with each man winning once.

Michael Irvin's attorney says he's finally seen the video of the interaction the NFL Hall of Famer had with his misconduct accuser last month ... and he claims the footage shows his client did nothing inappropriate with the woman whatsoever.

Levi McCathern told reporters at a press conference in Dallas on Wednesday afternoon he was able to view the Marriott footage this week after a court ordered the hotel giant to turn it over in a ruling earlier this month.

He says Marriott representatives wouldn't provide him with a copy of the vid -- nor would they allow him to record it. But, he said the clip -- which was captured on Feb. 5 at the Arizona establishment -- showed an innocuous meetup between the hotel worker and Irvin regardless.

McCathern claims you can see Irvin and the woman initially meet up behind a pole in the hotel's lobby -- before they come into clear view of the camera.

McCathern says Irvin can be seen only touching the woman four times -- once with an initial handshake, twice on the elbow, and once more with a handshake to say goodbye.

"She never acts upset," McCathern said of the woman's demeanor on the video. "She doesn't act like there's any problems at all."

McCathern then brought out two witnesses on Zoom who said they were in the lobby when the meeting went down. Both told the room of reporters they didn't see anything inappropriate between Irvin and his accuser.

Irvin, meanwhile, was present at the press conference -- and he did speak to media members ... calling the whole ordeal "sickening."

"This takes me back to a time where a white woman would accuse a Black man of something and they would take a bunch of guys that were above the law, run in the barn, put a rope around his foot and drag him through the mud and hang him by the tree," he said.

Irvin -- who later broke down in tears while the witnesses recounted their memories of the evening -- added that he has still yet to see the video of his encounter with his accuser.

The Justice Department has released its findings related to the death of Breonna Taylor ... saying the Louisville PD has a pattern of civil rights abuses in the years leading up to her death.

The results of the department's federal investigation were released Wednesday -- saying the  Louisville Metro Police Department has a history of alleged civil rights abuses and excessive force misconduct ... starting years before Taylor's 2020 killing.

The report, obtained by TMZ, says police committed a slew of other violations over the years ... including violating the rights of those engaging in free speech, conducting searches without proper warrants, and most notably unlawfully executing search warrants without knocking.

It states the Louisville PD has "practiced an aggressive style of policing that it deploys selectively, especially against Black people, but also against vulnerable people throughout the city." It also says police leaders have often brought up ways to improve, but nothing's ever been done.

As you know, Taylor was shot dead nearly 3 years ago by police officers attempting to perform a search at her apartment. Her death sparked nationwide outrage, with many claiming the cops didn't announce their presence properly before bursting in.

Tony Yayo isn't vibing with Lil Uzi Vert's recent performance where he chanted he "made a City Girl" believe in Satan -- in fact, Tony doesn't even wanna touch the topic with a 10-foot pole!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught the G-Unit rap star Tuesday in NYC, and he thinks Uzi took things too far during his Rolling Loud California set ... and really didn't have advice for Uzi's girlfriend, JT of City Girls, about whether she should run for the hills.

Yayo tells us he grew up in the church, so he's allergic to all things Satanic ... a stark contrast to the strong critique R&B superstar Summer Walker leveled at Uzi.

Summer questioned whether he's actually the devil's advocate, or just following the trend in rap that pumps up "demons" at every turn.