Controversial S#!T

The body of Stephen Smith -- the 19-year-old whose death was called a hit-and-run for years until information in the Alex Murdaugh case changed everyone's tune -- has been exhumed ... TMZ has confirmed.

Smith was found dead on a dark road in Hampton County, South Carolina back in July, 2015. The deputy coroner who did the autopsy ruled the death a hit and run, but that never made sense. Stephen had a gash in his head from either a bullet or some object, but no injuries below the torso -- something that would make no sense in a car accident. There was no debris from the car on the road, and there are other factors clearly pointing to homicide.

Stephen's mom, Sandy Smith, has waged a campaign for years to reclassify the case, and now she has commissioned a private autopsy to determine what really happened to her son. Authorities have already reclassified the case as a homicide.

Buster Murdaugh went to school with Stephen and rumors swirled around town. Buster has denied any involvement and now there are 2 persons of interest -- not part of the Murdaugh family -- who have captured the interest of police -- this according to Fitsnews.

Many twists and turns in this case, including why Randy Murdaugh was so quick to offer help to the Smiths after Stephen's death, even before his body was officially identified.

No word on when autopsy results will be made public.

Brittney Griner weighed in on Russia's detainment of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, saying she's greatly concerned for his safety and urging President Biden to do everything he can to bring him home.

The Women's National Basketball Association star took to Instagram Saturday night to show her support for Gershkovich, who was taken into custody by Russian authorities last Thursday and accused of spying.

As you know, Griner was convicted by a Russian court for possessing cannabis oil in 2022, and she spent 10 months in a Russian jail before the Biden administration got her released in a prisoner swap.

Griner and her wife, Cherelle, wrote, “Our hearts are filled with great concern for Evan Gershkovich and his family since Evan's detainment in Russia."They continued, “Every American who is taken is ours to fight for and every American returned is a win for us all."

The couple then called on Biden to use every tool at his disposal to bring Gershkovich home, as well as all Americans who have been wrongfully detained abroad. Gershkovich was the first US journalist to be detained in Russia on an espionage charge since the Cold War.

The Wall Street Journal has denied the spying charge and demanded the immediate release of Gershkovich.

President Biden sent a blunt message Friday to Russia to "Let him go," referring to Gershkovich. Vice President Kamala Harris said she's "deeply concerned" about the arrest amid rising tensions with Moscow over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Elon Musk and co. are making a major change to Twitter starting this month -- and it's going affect just about every verified celeb out there ... many of whom aren't happy about it.

Of course, we're talking about the coveted blue checkmarks -- which, for years, have served as the official verification system on the bird app ... to distinguish prominent public figures and other people of note from all the normies. Word is, that's all coming to an end in April.

Going forward, Elon has said he's going to start charging people $8/month for Twitter Blue subscriptions -- giving 'em the option to buy their blue check. Not just that, but he's discontinuing legacy verifications ... that stripping-down is supposed to start today, April 1st.

In other words, all the stars that have enjoyed official verification status are going to be just like the rest of us -- and a good handful are already mourning, Chrissy Teigen included.

She jokingly bid her blue check status farewell with a cheeky response ... indicating she ain't ponying up the cash to stay verified. Ditto for a ton of other celebs, some of whom seem genuinely peeved about this. Jason Alexander says he's outta here if he loses his check.

William Shatner also recently sounded pretty annoyed by the lack of checks and balances in Twitter's new space, writing ... "Hey @elonmusk what’s this about blue checks going away unless we pay Twitter? I’ve been here for 15 years giving my ⏰ & witty thoughts all for bupkis. Now you’re telling me that I have to pay for something you gave me for free? What is this-the Colombia Records & Tape Club?" And Dionne Warwick, too, griped about it.

She writes, "I am not paying for a blue check. That money could (and will) be going towards my extra hot lattes." Ice-T said something similar this week ... vowing to go blue check-less if push comes to shove. As we reported ... LeBron James promised something similar.

A lot of stars seem to be willing to lose their verification if it means they gotta pay, but as of now -- just about everyone still has their checks ... so maybe this is an April Fools' joke?

Probably not. Just a couple days ago, Elon was pointing folks in the direction of Twitter's Verified Organizations system -- which seems geared toward making sure companies, news orgs and other notable entities continue to stay verified on Twitter ... sans impersonation.

Everyone else, though -- including individual journos, etc. -- might have to shell out if they want their blue checks. It's sure to be a s***show for a bit ... we'll see where the chips land.

Gisele Shaw claims WWE HOF'er Rick Steiner hurled transphobic remarks at her during an appearance ... something the event organizers themselves seem to acknowledge happened.

The Impact Wrestling star made the accusation against the famed RS Friday, detailing what she says was an absolute tirade full of hateful language ... targeting her transgender identity. Shaw is a trans woman BTW, and came out as transgender last year at Pride Toronto.

Here's what she had to say about the interaction, which she says happened at WrestleCon Friday ... where Gisele was doing a signing. She writes, "I have been bullied all my life and have never stood up for myself because I’m scared that I would get beat up physically, mentally, or emotionally. The bullies in my life have always silenced me, but that ends today!"

Gisele goes on to say that, while walking to her table, she heard someone shouting, "you’re a man,” “you’re a dude,” “you’re a piece of trash,” “you are filth," and “get the f*** away from here." She didn't know who it was at first, but later says she heard it again -- and saw Steiner.

She says she confronted him about it on the spot -- saying, "Excuse me?" -- but claims he continued to tear her down in front of a lot of people ... including other wrestling talent.

She says other prominent stars were around, but didn't do anything about it. Gisele adds, "I am not writing this because I want sympathy. I am writing this because I am done being bullied to silence. Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility and I am standing up for myself and for other people who go through the exact same situation on a daily basis. I want everyone to know what kind of a deplorable person Rick Steiner is and that this cannot be tolerated. This keeps happening because people let it slide and do not take any action. If you do business with these types of people then I will not do business with you."

The official WrestleCon account apologized for what happened, specifically naming Shaw/the LGBT community -- but not saying Rick's name. They add, "The issue has been addressed and we hope the remainder of the convention can be a positive experience for all."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scheduled to be the next big guest on "60 Minutes" this weekend ... and Twitter sure ain't happy about it.

The controversial Georgia congresswoman was tapped as one of the big interviews on the weekly magazine news program, with none other than Lesley Stahl taking on the challenge of talking to her on camera. The official "60 Minutes" account teased their time together.

Their description of MTG was weirdly flattering ... at least that's how many took it, and it left a lot of folks sour. "60 Minutes" writes of Rep. Greene, "Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, nicknamed MTG, isn’t afraid to share her opinions, no matter how intense and in-your-face they are. She sits down with Lesley Stahl this Sunday on 60 Minutes."

Of course, political pundits and journos on the bird app have been crying foul for the past 24 hours ... openly wondering why CBS would think it's a good idea to sit down with Greene.

The reason they're asking, of course, is because MTG has, at times, apparently shown support for the Jan. 6 insurrection, displayed transphobia, advocated for a new national secession ... and continued to support President Trump, among many other issues.

For her part, Greene actually signaled that the interview went well ... shouting out Stahl for being a trailblazer in journalism, and for giving her fair questions. MTG wrote, "It was an honor to spend a few days with the legendary icon Leslie (sic) Stahl and talented crew @60Minutes. Leslie (sic) is a trailblazer for women in journalism. And while we may disagree on some issues, I respect her greatly. Tune in tomorrow 7 pm ET on CBS."

Bill Maher wants his day ... a day he will share with 100 million Americans -- Atheist's Day.

The 'Real Time' host chose the Easter egg roll up to one of the holiest of religious days to push for a national day where 1/3 of the American population can "recommit ourselves to observable reality."

Bill has always scoffed at religion, calling it a cult, but he's now gone further.  Why, he asks, do we celebrate so many religions with national holidays yet atheists are ignored in a country where inclusion is the goal?

He's incredulous people are made to feel ashamed if they don't believe in God, or even if they're just unsure to the point they won't buy into organized religion.  He points out former President Obama has referred to himself as a "secular humanist" -- sounds like code.

And then he bores in on what he says is the absurdity of it all ... people worship a "mythical daddy figure who judges and condemns you for being the exact person he made you."

Andrew Tate has been released from a Romanian jail ... after spending 3 months locked up for sex trafficking allegations, TMZ has confirmed.

The Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Andrew and his brother Tristan on their latest appeal of a recent 30-day extension for their time behind bars. The two have filed unsuccessful appeals on previous occasions.

A spokesperson for Andrew and Tristan tells TMZ ... "They will be placed under house arrest while the investigation continues," adding their team is ecstatic about the news. We're told both brothers are excited to be reunited with their families once again, and are thanking their supporters for standing by them.

Andrew and his bro posted a cryptic tweet on Wednesday, simply pointing to Friday ... although it's unclear if either were aware of their upcoming release.

As we reported, The 2 were arrested in December -- Andrew was accused of rape and running a human trafficking ring. The noise surrounding his arrest came directly after he got into a Twitter beef with environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

People were also poking fun at Andrew while locked up ... after saying he saw himself with "a full head of hair" in his reflection -- around the same time a shocking image of him with really thin hair started to make the rounds.

50 Cent has no qualms about calling out his ex-flame Vivica A. Fox for what he feels is her encroaching on his "BMF" territory!!!

Vivica is currently promoting the "The First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story" ... an upcoming BET+ biopic, which she's directing.

According to 50's expertise and (close connections), Tonesa was never a part of Detroit's infamous BMF enterprise, and says she's more accurately linked to the Detroit 263 Crew ... which her ex-husband Terry "Southwest T" Flenory commanded.

50 tagged Southwest in his IG post -- perhaps to get a second opinion on the facts -- and also slandered Judge Mathis' inclusion as executive producer. But, Vivica sees the entire ordeal as promotion and happily reposted her former flame's rant!!!

The series was greenlit several weeks ago and begins filming in April in Washington, D.C.

If you remember, Tonesa lashed out against Lala Anthony's "BMF" character "MarKaisha Taylor" and claimed the role depicted her as a pedophile -- so accuracy is definitely her thing.

Kash Doll later defended the role and the show, reminding viewers the show is only loosely based on real life.

Rae Sremmurd previewed their new “Sremm 4 Life” album in West Hollywood last night … and effectively turned up the heat -- maybe a little too much, because smoke alarms were blaring through the party.

TMZ Hip Hop got video inside the SremmLife shindig, which went down at Melrose PL … with both Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi commanding the hosting duties and DJ Carisma on the turntables.

Swae thanked both Eminem and Young Thug for clearing their samples that helped complete the album, which also features Future and Sonny Digital.

Billows of smoke clouded the venue throughout the night, as did the sparklers held by the bottle girls ... but neither ever triggered the smoke alarm!

RS hopped on the mic to take credit for the errant alarm when the air was noticeably clear, with no objection from the crowd, which also included Diplo and Jeremih!!!

The album drops on April 7, which ends a nearly five-year album drought from the platinum-selling brothers.

Gwyneth Paltrow's closing argument came with a healthy dose of cringe -- with Gwyneth's lawyer spinning the ski accident as a tragedy that unraveled his client's desire for a vacation that would bond her blended family ... but before that, the Dr. suing her made an outrageous comparison between Gwyneth and Jeffrey Epstein.

Let's start with Dr. Terry Sanderson. He went off the rails Wednesday on the stand when he started a rant that the jury needed to send a message -- presumably to celebrities -- that they must be held accountable for their actions, suggesting the kind of thing he's accusing Gwyneth of leads to people like Jeffrey Epstein molesting children on a private island.

Yes, he said that, and the judge ordered the jury to ignore it.

As for closing arguments, Gwyneth's lawyer made the argument the skiing accident was a gut punch to her blended family, where she, Brad Falchuk and their kids were there for a bonding experience and the collision ruined their efforts.

Deliberations are currently underway. Cannot wait to hear what the jury has to say about this.

Alabama Crimson Tide star Brandon Miller -- one of the best players in college basketball this season -- is foregoing the rest of his time in Tuscaloosa and entering the NBA Draft.

The 20-year-old freshman was a key part to Bama's success in 2022-23 ... averaging nearly 19 points, eight rebounds and two assists a game. The Tide had an early exit from the NCAA tournament, however ... with Miller scoring just nine points in the Sweet 16 loss to San Diego State.

Miller racked up several honors as a result of his performance in his lone college season ... including SEC Player of the Year and first-team All-American.

Miller's season was marred with controversy, however ... after cops stated he brought ex-teammate Darius Miles his gun the night it was allegedly used to kill Jamea Harris.

Miller was not charged with a crime, but Miles and his friend, 20-year-old Michael Davis -- the one actually accused of pulling the trigger -- are both facing capital murder charges.

The NBA prospect's attorney has adamantly denied any wrongdoing ... claiming Miller never touched the gun, was involved in giving it to Miles, nor did he know anything illegal was going to go down that night.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is amused by Elon Musk and others who think AI technology is a threat to humanity ... he thinks the doomsday bunch are watching too many movies.

We got the famed astrophysicist at LAX Wednesday, and he snickered at Musk, Steve Wozniak and 1,100 others who sounded the alarm in an open letter that AI has become a "dangerous race" that could imperil our very existence ... they want a 6-month moratorium on AI development to assess the risks.

The way Neil sees it ... it's nothing new. We have seen the twists and turns triggered by the technological revolution for more than 100 years. When jobs get replaced by machines, people find new jobs. And here's the big point ... if AI eventually takes over all jobs, we can all go to the beach. After all, going to work is not embedded in our DNA, so society could reimagine how humans live.

The beach vs. work ... so who you rootin' for?

The feds are investigating a large group of swimmers accused of harassing a pod of dolphins in Hawaii ... and the alleged violation is all on video.

Drone footage shows a big group of snorkelers swimming right behind a spinner dolphin pod in Hōnaunau Bay off the Big Island, the humans get super close to the marine mammals.

Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources announced Tuesday they were initiating cases against 33 swimmers, who the feds say "appear to be aggressively pursuing, corralling, and harassing the pod."

The state's DLNR says they alerted the snorkelers to the potential violation while they were still in the water, and then uniformed officers met the snorkelers when they were back on land ... with state and federal forces launching a joint investigation.

In case you didn't know, it's against federal law to swim within 50 yards of spinner dolphins in Hawaii's nearshore waters.

Los Angeles' controversial new "mansion tax" is about to kick in, forcing sellers to pay more money than ever before if their property sells for at least $5 million ... and Barbara Corcoran thinks it's a bad idea.

We got the "Shark Tank" star and real estate mogul Wednesday in NYC day and asked her about measure ULA, which goes into effect Saturday, and she told our photog it's "not good for the country."

The new law, which passed on the ballot back in November, slaps a 4% tax on homes selling for $5 million and up, and places a 5.5% tax on properties selling above $10 mil.

Barbara's prediction is the housing market will slow to a crawl ... with rich people choosing to buy homes in cities and states with friendly tax laws on the books, particularly down south.

The way Barbara sees it ... people, rich or not, hate paying extra taxes for buying or selling a house. She says it makes them feel like the government's taking advantage of them.

Remember, the selling point to voters who supported the tax was the money raised would fund affordable housing construction to alleviate L.A.'s unprecedented homeless crisis. Some predictions say the "mansion tax" will bring in $1 billion annually.

Barbara actually agrees with the sentiment of the tax -- she says the wealthy have an obligation to help people less fortunate -- but she thinks this tax is the wrong way to do it, because ultimately it will reduce L.A.'s tax base.

Plies is taking his ass to Church's ... a declaration arrived at after his latest trip to Chick-fil-A got his blood boiling over what he, obviously, considers ridiculously high prices.

The Florida rapper called out the chicken chain Tuesday right after he ordered three items -- a cobb salad with nuggets, a large fruit cup, and a bottled water ... all of which ran his pockets $18.74.

Plies immediately rethought his decision to hit Chick-fil-A and began to compare its prices to Church's and Applebee's ... and all the value he missed out on.

Chick-fil-A is renowned for its drive-thru speed, but Plies says he's willing to wait a bit if the meal is more reasonably priced.

Jonah Hill was in no chatty mood Tuesday night -- beelining it to his car after dinner ... and ignoring questions about Kanye West.

The actor was in the middle of a brisk walk as he left dinner at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, exiting by himself ... and getting ready to drive away by himself, but photogs were waiting for him outside and ready to flash and talk.

Check it out .... Jonah wasn't having any of it. The dude tells one of the paps to clear the way so he can get to his ride, and then he was asked about Ye.

The photog asked the obvious ... how do you feel about changing KW's POV on Jews -- something the controversial artist said this past weekend on social media. Remember, he insultingly attributed JH's performance in '21 Jump Street' for making him Jew-friendly again.

It would appear Jonah might agree with just about everyone else on the issue ... namely, it's utterly ridiculous -- and not even worthy of a discussion. That's what we can glean, anyway.

We will say this ... Jonah seemed to be somewhat in a good mood -- flashing a big smile as he left Giorgio, which is encouraging. As you may have heard ... the guy's been going through some mental health stuff lately.