Controversial S#!T

Bill Maher told a great story Friday night about an AAA-list Hollywood shindig where all the beautiful people were railing against cancel culture. They didn't have the balls to follow through, but Bill certainly did -- with the first annual COJONES AWARDS!!!

Bill says a big-time producer invited him to his Brentwood home to moderate a discussion on how to put the brakes on cancel culture. He says it seemed every big actor in Hollywood was there, and they were all charged up. When Bill suggested an awards show to honor those who pushed back, everyone was charged and promised to follow through. They didn't.

Well, on 'Real Time,' Bill did.  He presented awards to folks who, as Bill says, told the eggshell skull-whiners ... "F*** off you over-sensitive little s****."

This year's award recipients include the President of Cornell University, who refused to offer a "trigger warning" to students in lectures that may prove too much for them to handle.

Another recipient -- Trader Joe's, which refused to yank Trader José beer from its shelves.

And Netflix honcho Ted Sarandos snagged a set of balls for refusing to pull Dave Chappelle from the menu.

Savannah Chrisley says she was barred from taking a Southwest Airlines flight after a heated argument with an employee ... and it all stemmed from an unchecked bag.

The "Chrisley Knows Best" star took to Instagram Thursday to detail on video what happened, explaining that she was about to board the plane from New York to Tennessee when the Southwest worker at the gate said she needed to check her bag.

Chrisley responded that she wanted to take her luggage on the flight to see if it would fit in the overhead bin, but the employee said she couldn't.

After she pushed back a bit, Chrisley says the employee labeled her an "unruly passenger" and a pilot -- who was standing nearby -- came over to try to calm the situation.

But the employee turned to the pilot and stated, "Stay out of it … ma’am you’re not flying on this flight,'” meaning Chrisley.

Pissed, Chrisley says she called the worker an asshole, and then tried to reason with him by pointing out that she had to get home to be with her 10-year-old niece Chloe.

But the worker was undeterred, saying, "I don't care," according to Chrisley, who added, “So Southwest, you’re awful but not going to lie … your pilot was kinda hot.”

Chrisley says she finally boarded a late flight and arrived home in Tennessee around 2 am.

Becky G is catching major flak after it was announced she'd be honored with the key to the city of Coachella, but the mayor is coming to her defense with a list of reasons why the singer's well deserving.

Becky's getting the metaphorical keys to the desert kingdom Saturday ... the day after her performance at Coachella's second weekend. While it's a huge honor, some online couldn't help but scratch their heads.

Folks are sounding off in the comments of the city's announcement, calling it the "stupidest thing ever." Another irate citizen said Becky doesn't "do anything for the community plus they are not local" -- and some are even calling for Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez to get the boot.

Despite all that, Mayor Hernandez still thinks it's a fitting move --  he tells TMZ, "Becky has been incredibly supportive of the farm worker community through her work with Celebration Nation who held an event at our Veterans’ Memorial Park yesterday distributing food and other staples to our residents in need."

He goes on to say the Latin-American artist continues to honor her culture and is a big advocate on behalf of women everywhere. He adds he's also stoked to bring a little bit of the music festival to the people of the city by hosting Becky's ceremony.

A school bus driver in Colorado reportedly got stripped from his job after getting caught using his brakes as a cruel way to teach students to stay seated -- and he's apparently now facing a slew of charges as a result.

Douglas County School District bus driver Brian Fitzgerald tried to turn a recent ride home from Castle Rock Elementary into a messed up & teachable moment for the kiddos in his vehicle last month, as the security footage shows.

You can see him ask them to sit down, but it seems to fall on deaf ears ... he then offers a word of warning if they don't behave, then suddenly slams on his brakes -- throwing the kids forward with a loud thud, and resulting in a few kids shouting as it happens.

Fitzgerald makes sure they got the message, before demanding again that they all sit down ... it sounds like one kid asks "Why did he do that?" One child was reportedly bleeding on their cheek after getting brake-checked.

He's reportedly been fired from the district, but now is looking at 30 misdemeanor counts of child abuse, as well as a count of child abuse with bodily injuries. Fitzgerald's scheduled to appear in court next month.

Jim Jones paid a trip to The Breakfast Club Friday to offer clarification behind his super viral Pusha T remarks ... but he didn't bend to social media pressure and switch up his stance.

Jim was a recent guest on Spotify's RapCaviar podcast with TMZ Hip Hop's Trent Clark -- and they both agreed Pusha didn't belong on Billboard's Top 50 list ... with Jim going so far as to suggest Pusha's coke rhymes were essentially fairy tales.

Proud Pusha fan Charlamagne Tha God grilled Jim about his opinion -- and the Dipset rapper reiterated he meant no malice behind his comments but doubled down that Pusha's music never influenced or swayed him.

Jim then quizzed everyone's ability to rap along to either Pusha or his top songs when put on the spot, with the majority siding in Jim's favor. It might have been a skewed case study -- TBC's filmed in NYC, giving Jim a clear home court advantage.

DJ Envy spent considerable time in Virginia for college but openly admitted he hasn't memorized Pusha's tracks all that well, so there's that.

Oprah Winfrey is the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons after a new wall she constructed to save her home from flood water has her neighbors pissed.

Santa Barbara's Noozhawk reports there's been a boulder wall installed along the San Ysidro Creek to help prevent flooding and creek erosion on the billionaire's property.

However, folks in her Montecito neighborhood have reportedly raised concerns about the wall rerouting water onto their own properties during heavy storms.

Reports say a Carpinteria-based company called Jimenez Nursery used the media mogul's address when applying for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build the wall ... but it's still unclear if Oprah signed off on the whole thing at all.

Regardless, the new installation doesn't seem to be sitting right with a ton of folks in the swanky neighborhood ... apparently, there are also concerns about whether or not the wall could withstand the next rain storm.

As we reported ... weather has been a huge issue for the celebs living in the area. You'll recall, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah and other residents were forced to evacuate due to the terrible January storm and mudslides.

Of course, Montecito has a dark history of weather devastation. Remember, 23 people were killed by a mudslide that also destroyed more than 100 homes back in 2018.

Bud Light, and other major liquor brands, understand the impact the LGBTQ community can have on their bottom line, so naysayers -- like Kid Rock -- will just have to get used to it ... according to Sasha Colby.

We got Sasha Thursday at LAX, and as the first transgender woman to win both Miss Continental and "RuPaul's Drag Race," she had a strong opinion about Bud Light's collab with Dylan Mulvaney ... and the backlash that followed.

Sasha sent kudos to Dylan -- who partnered with Bud Light while documenting her transition -- for becoming a face of a corporation as huge as Anheuser-Busch. She says it's a clear sign corporate America really gets the importance of the queer dollar.

She says the folks angry about it are just making noise in an attempt to control corporate decisions. BTW, Sasha says most liquor brands regularly show up and support pride events, so this isn't a new thing.

As we reported, Bud Light got tons of outrage from non-celebs and celebs like Kid ... who posted video of himself firing gunshots into cases of Bud Light cans. Some folks have said they're opposed to the partnership because it's exposing children to the LGBTQIA+ community.

In Sasha's eyes, it's all BS -- she says kids don't drink booze, and suspects these folks actually do like the transgender community, but are projecting hate instead. Sasha's had her own success with a major brand after she teamed up with fashion powerhouse, Alexander Wang, further proving her point.

The youth wrestler who clocked his opponent in the face following a match earlier this month has been cited for assault ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Oak Park Police Dept. tells us the 14-year-old eighth grader was officially issued the citation on Thursday ... after he admitted to officers he punched his counterpart because "he was angry that he had lost the match."

The boy is now facing fines and penalties depending on the outcome of an adjudication hearing in Oak Park, Ill. next month.

As we reported, the incident went down on April 8 at Oak Park River Forest H.S. in Oak Park, Ill. ... after a 14-year-old SPAR Academy wrestler had won a match, 14-2, and had looked to shake hands with his opponent out of a show of sportsmanship.

Cops tells us ... when they arrived on the scene following the altercation, the victim had sustained a bloody nose from the cheap shot, but declined further medical care.

Police say all parties cooperated with the ensuing investigation.

It's unclear if the puncher will face further discipline -- such as a lifetime ban from wrestling -- but MMA legend Chael Sonnen told us this week he was hopeful the boy would avoid any sort of lengthy time away from the mat.

"This was a terrible moment," Sonnen said, "but it could also be a teachable moment."

Ralph Yarl is alive today thanks, in part, to the actions of 2 neighbors who came to his assistance minutes after Andrew Lester shot the 16-year-old boy twice -- and one of those neighbors is tearfully sharing the traumatic experience.

Jodi Rae joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live," and was almost immediately choked up remembering when Ralph banged on her front door, desperately seeking help. She says she couldn't see out her front door, and was uncertain about what was going on outside.

She had not heard the gunshots, but says it was clear Ralph was in dire need of assistance ... so, she decided to call 911. The operator told her there was an active shooter in the area, and advised Jodi not to open her door.

This definitely created a massive dilemma for Jodi ... one that brought her to tears as she told us about it -- she wanted to make sure her own son remained safe in their home, but also wanted to help Ralph, who she could see through her window falling to his knees.

Jodi says once she saw another neighbor walking outside, she figured the danger must have passed ... and immediately ran to Ralph's side. When she saw pools of blood outside her door, she realized the teen had been shot.

The story gets even more gripping and emotional at this point ... Jodi says she and a male neighbor used a towel to apply pressure to Ralph's head wound, held his hand and talked to him about school ... anything to keep his mind off the pain he was clearly suffering.

She fought through tears to tell us what Ralph told them about getting shot. She says she's had very limited contact with the shooter, Lester, since moving to the Kansas City neighborhood last year.

Jodi says she just kept thinking, "That's somebody's son," and knew she had to do something to help him. Sadly, she says there's been some backlash against her and other neighbors ... people who are, incorrectly, assuming the community did nothing to help Ralph.

While that's clearly not what happened, Jodi says she's mostly concerned with Ralph's recovery. She says, "Nothing compares to what that young man is living through every day."

Elon Musk's crusade to remove Twitter's blue checkmarks from legacy verified accounts is going into overdrive ... with a couple notable casualties among the celebrity ranks.

Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian and K-pop supergroup BLACKPINK all had their blue checks stripped Thursday from their official Twitter accounts.

Elon targeted April 20 as the date for removing legacy blue checkmarks, announcing his intentions earlier this month, but lots of folks weren't sure if the bird app would actually follow through ... and now the reckoning is here.

For years, Twitter's blue checks were coveted ... they used to serve as the social media platform's official verification system, distinguishing prominent public figures from all the normies.

But, after buying Twitter for $44 billion, Elon decided to go in a different direction ... he's now charging folks $8 a month for subscriptions that come with blue checkmarks, and getting rid of the legacy checkmarks.

Tons of celebs have railed against Elon's policy ... including LeBron James, who said he wouldn't pay for a blue check, only for him to switch course.

The white geriatric gunman who shot and nearly killed a 16-year-old Black youth in Missouri is a Trump supporter who has been radicalized by racist conservative views in recent years ... at least according to his grandson.

Klint Ludwig was on CNN Thursday, railing on his 84-year-old grandfather, Andrew Lester, who stands accused of shooting Ralph Yarl outside Lester's Kansas City home last week.

Ludwig said he was "disgusted" by Lester's alleged attack on Yarl, calling it a "horrible tragedy." Ludwig also said he was 100 percent in Yarl's corner.

Don Lemon asked Ludwig why he was speaking out against his own grandfather. Ludwig responded, "It was right thing to do," adding, "This country it happens over and over again where people get away with killing unarmed innocent Black people."

He continued, "People need to speak out and not make any excuses for this kind of behavior and violence."

Ludwig went even deeper, accusing his grandfather of being a "stock American Christian male" with "racist tendencies."

Ludwig also stated as Lester got older, he became conspiratorial and would say "weird racist things," which seemed to be the result of watching conservative media outlets, such as FOX News, all day long. Ludwig went on to say Lester is a Trump supporter and, within the last five years or so, he became radicalized with these toxic views.

As we reported, Yarl mistakenly arrived at Lester's home in Kansas City last week while trying to pick up his younger siblings, who were staying at a different address.

After Yarl rang the bell, Lester answered the door while armed with a loaded revolver. Lester then opened fire through a glass door, hitting Yarl in the head and then firing a second time, hitting him in the right arm. At no point did Yarl step foot inside Lester's house.

Yarl was rushed to a hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries, but, miraculously, he survived. In fact, his attorney, Lee Merritt, posted a photo of the two back at Ralph's home Wednesday.

According to court documents, Lester told police he spotted Yarl yanking on an outer door handle and thought the teen was trying to break into his home. That's why, Lester says, he shot Yarl.

But Yarl allegedly gave a different story to investigators, telling them that he never pulled on the door handle and that he was standing patiently waiting for someone to answer the bell he rang.

Johnny Manziel's girlfriend, Kenzie Werner, says the former Heisman Trophy winner did NOT abuse her ... claiming a post on her social media page Tuesday night that said otherwise was the result of hackers -- and nothing more.

The Instagram Story went up on Werner's IG at around midnight ... and it was extremely graphic.

The post showed four pictures of Werner with various injuries on her face and her body. In one, she had bruises on her breast. In another, she had blood near her nose. The others showed markings around her eyes.

The caption on the post read, "this is from johnny manziel." It also featured a link to Manziel's Instagram page. The story remained up for a few minutes ... before it was taken down.

Werner, though, said in a new post on Wednesday afternoon she had nothing to do with it all ... writing, "was hacked last night. just got my account back. please disregard what was posted. it isn't as it seems."

Tyler Terry, a rep for Werner, tells TMZ Sports ... the photos were not related to Manziel or their relationship at all. The rep was emphatic that the former Cleveland Browns quarterback has never abused her.

We're also told the injuries shown in the pics were not related to domestic violence -- they were a result of an accident at work, where a three-liter bottle of champagne fell on her.

Manziel and Werner have been dating since at least early 2022 ... and have appeared to be a strong couple the entire time.

In fact, the two just recently took a vacation to Miami, where they joked about a bird taking a crap on the ex-NFL player's head while they were relaxing on a beach.

Tua Tagovalioa just revealed he considered leaving his NFL career behind due to the numerous concussions he suffered last season ... but ultimately, he couldn't bring himself to retire.

The Dolphins QB -- who missed multiple games last season while battling head injuries -- told reporters Wednesday that the concussion that ended his season in December actually had him thinking about his future.

"I think I considered it for a time," Tua said. "Having sat down with my family and having sat down with my wife and having those conversations. But it would be hard for me to walk away from this game, with how old am I, with my son."

"I always dreamed of growing, playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do. It's my health. It's my body. I feel like this is what's best for me and my family. I love the game of football."

Tagovailoa, 25, suffered what appeared to be his first head injury of the season against the Bills in September -- and then he suffered a devastating concussion just days later against the Bengals.

The scene in Cincinnati was scary ... he lost consciousness after hitting his head on the ground while getting tackled -- and had to be stretchered off the field. He was out of action the following two weeks before returning for the Dolphins' game against the Steelers in Week 7.

Tagovailoa then suffered another concussion against the Packers on Christmas, forcing him to miss the team's final two games. Some head injury experts like Dr. Bennet Omalu strongly urged him to retire.

But Tua was emphatic Wednesday it's just not going to happen now ... saying he's actually taking jiu-jitsu classes to ensure he learns how to fall safely.

R. Kelly has officially filed an appeal in his federal sex crimes case out of New York -- and he's got a laundry list of reasons why he thinks his conviction should be reversed.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the controversial singer -- who was found guilty in 2021 on 9 federal counts that included RICO charges as well as charges pertaining to sex crimes and human trafficking -- says he got a raw deal throughout the lengthy trial.

For starters, R. Kelly's legal team simply argues the government did not meet its burden of proof in court ... despite a jury convicting him on all counts. His lawyers have specific gripes about the jury and some of the evidence prosecutors were allowed to submit during trial.

For the jury, his attorneys say that at least 4 of the jurors selected have since admitted prejudging his guilt before handing down their official verdict -- and he says at least 2 of them had watched the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries, and should never have been seated on the jury.

As for the underage girls he's alleged to have groomed and molested ... Kelly seems to have an explanation for what happened in each case. He says some were, in fact, at least 18 years old when he met and engaged in sexual relationships with them -- despite prosecutors' insistence the alleged grooming started while they were still minors.

In the cases where Kelly is alleged to have met with actual minors ... his team claims he was misled by those girls at the time about their real age.

Now, on the evidence front -- his team claims there was a lot of stuff that was allowed in during the trial that shouldn't have been seen or heard by the jury ... and hurt his ability to get a fair trial.

For instance, he says details about his sex life and/or conduct and behavior with former partners or exes of his -- accounts of which dove into STDs, sexual preferences and behavior in the bedroom -- were not relevant to the crimes being alleged against him, and were simply a way for prosecutors to sway the jury.

He also pushes back on former employees/associates of his that were trotted out on the stand ... saying a lot of them falsely testified to things they had no real knowledge of and weren't privy to in their capacity as staffers.

He's asking the appeals court to reverse his convictions or, at a minimum, order a new trial. Of course, there's a second federal case in which he was also convicted out of Chicago. No appeal for that just yet

Latto seemingly geared up for a rap battle against Nicki Minaj while performing at Coachella, but Akademiks says the "Big Energy" rapper doesn't have the bars to win the war!!!

Ak gave his honest assessment of Latto's potential timeline for engaging Nicki in a rap beef, and thinks Latto would be better suited pushing her career away from this saga.

As the more experienced MC, Ak notes Nicki's bars will come off as more clever and fans will gravitate to everything she says. In other words, disses about ass shots will only fly so far.

He also doubted Latto and Nicki would ever cross paths to exchange words in person ... à la Cardi B and Nicki's near-brawl during 2018 New York Fashion Week.

Ak thinks Latto's only chance to best Nicki is to recruit other female rappers who've had their own personal problems with "The Pinkprint" rapper -- like Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat -- and shame her with low blows about aging and being a big ol' hater!!!

Passengers on a Southwest flight were annoyed by constant screams on board ... but not just from a baby, these were from a grown-ass adult throwing a tantrum over a crying child, swearing up a storm as they were stuck in the air!!!

We've all been a little annoyed with the crying baby thing, but this dude took it to a whole other level -- the freak-out was caught on camera as he loudly groused he paid for a comfortable flight and got this instead.

He says lots of wild stuff in the clip -- screaming at the top of his lungs, asking if the baby paid more for crying privileges. The flight attendants try pointing out he's yelling in the cabin, and the man responds "So is the baby!"

The attendant hits him back with the perfect response ... "You're a man!"

It doesn't end once the flight lands, BTW -- because he was greeted by cops at the airport and seemingly escorted out.

We've reached out to Southwest for comment ... so far, no word back.