Controversial S#!T

Antonio Gates LOVES his former team's Super Bowl chances -- telling TMZ Sports he thinks the Chargers have a real shot to take home the Lombardi Trophy this year!!!

But, when it comes to Aaron Rodgers' Jets ... the future Hall of Famer says he ain't feeling it quite as much.

The ex-Bolts tight end talked ball with us for several minutes at LAX this week ... and he made it clear, he loves the way Los Angeles maneuvered around the draft last month.

In fact, he said he believes the Chargers' pickups -- which included TCU star receiver Quentin Johnston, USC edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu and Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley -- set them up nicely for a potential championship run this year.

"When you think about a Super Bowl-contending team, you think about your stars at the quarterback position. And we've got one of the best in the league," Gates said of Justin Herbert. "And then you talk about upgrading that defense ... to me, those are recipes to winning a Super Bowl, man."

As for one of the teams the Chargers would have to get through in the AFC to make it to the Big Game, Gates doesn't seem to be buying the hype in New York -- despite the Jets' recent acquisition of Rodgers.

The 42-year-old told us they have a talented roster ... but he'd be concerned if he were a Jets fan about chemistry and continuity.

"You can have the right players -- from a talent standpoint, you can have the best talent in the league," Gates said. "But if you ain't got the continuity or the chemistry, man, it don't make a difference."

Richard Dreyfuss says the new rules mandating inclusivity for future Oscar nominations make him wanna barf -- and we mean that literally ... 'cause the dude says so himself.

The legendary actor, who's an Academy Award winner himself, made some eye-opening comments in a recent interview on PBS's 'Fine Line with Margaret Hoover' -- where she asked him what he made of these new rules that are going into effect next year.

Those new guidelines state that any Best Picture nominees must hire a certain percentage of talent (either onscreen or in the crew) from underrepresented minority groups in order to be considered eligible, among other criteria to achieve more representation at the Oscars.

Welp, RD didn't bite his tongue ... he says that whole idea makes him sick -- and when asked why ... he goes on this somewhat incoherent rant about artistry and sparing feelings.

He then goes on to talk about the role of Othello, and he says the last white actor to play the Shakespearean character was Laurence Olivier -- who did it in blackface ... something he seems to lament being over and done with. Dreyfuss says LO portrayed Othello brilliantly.

As Jonathan Majors continues to fight his DV case, it appears the internet has already settled on a possible replacement in the MCU ... another bad guy in a new superhero movie.

We're talking about Chukwudi Iwuji -- who made a splash this weekend in the third 'Guardians of the Galaxy' flick as the big bad, the High Evolutionary ... and who left audiences and comic book fans more than impressed with his epic performance.

While HE meets his grisly demise in the end (spoiler) ... a lot of folks on the bird app are nominating Iwuji as the next would-be Kang the Conqueror if things go south for JM.

There's chatter about how Iwuji's take on his supervillain is how Kang should've been portrayed in the 'Ant-Man' film that recently featured him ... namely, over the top and downright ruthless -- which is certainly how Iwuji's High Evolutionary comes across.

As the comparisons continue to fly ... a good handful of Twitter users are also straight-up saying Iwuji should be considered to step in as Kang if Disney decides to ultimately drop Majors -- which they have not done yet, and which may be premature at this point.

This "what if" speculation seems to be a mix of praise for Iwuji and jumping the gun on Majors' MCU future. Frankly, ever since he was arrested -- a lot of names have been floated as possible stand-ins ... but now, it would seem Iwuji's at the front of the line in fans' eyes.

Again ... there's been no indication from Disney that they're considering cutting Majors loose just yet -- despite the fact that he's been dropped from other projects and organizations.

As we've reported ... his team has repeatedly denied he did anything wrong from the beginning and has even suggested he was the victim here -- while also claiming to have evidence that they say will exonerate him. We've seen surveillance footage of the woman in question out partying after the alleged incident ... and she appears to be fine/uninjured.

Of course, he'll have his day in court soon enough. The guy's scheduled to appear before a judge on Tuesday -- where his team will undoubtedly push for the charges to be dropped.

Like everyone else, we're sure Disney will be monitoring ... as Majors is a key figure in their Marvel plans, with scheduled appearances in several more films and TV shows as Kang.

Usher's squabble with Chris Brown isn't going to affect his performance later tonight in Las Vegas -- because the guy's taking the stage regardless ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Usher -- who's currently scheduled as the headliner for Saturday's "Lover & Friends" music festival -- will take the stage as planned ... meaning, the show will, in fact, go on despite what happened earlier this morning with CB and co.

We're told that Usher was, indeed, injured during the brouhaha at the skating rink ... and that his nose and face are kinda jacked up right now. And yet -- our sources assure us he's going to power through and put on a good show. He may, however, be covering up a bit.

In other words ... be on the lookout for him wearing sunglasses of some sort tonight, and perhaps rocking some fresh battle scars that might pop out through any stage makeup.

As for Chris -- who was also in the lineup as one of the big acts slated to perform -- we're told it's unclear if he'll do his set tonight. Chris hasn't said anything publicly as of Saturday.

There's more ... TMZ can confirm reporting by B. Scott, who said the drama appears to have stemmed from Chris' scrapped AMAs performance last year -- when he was set to do an MJ tribute, only to claim he got the rug pulled out from under him last minute.

Our sources say that is, indeed, true -- and the reason he went after Teyana here is because we're told she was actually involved in the planning of that performance ... but something went awry before the day of. This makes sense, as it's been widely reported of late that TT has stepped into the role of a creative director lately for a number of artists/their shows.

Anyway, Chris clearly felt some type of way, and was confronting her -- which only escalated when she snubbed him. Not just that, but we're told Chris actually demanded Usher make her leave ... in addition to asking her to get out himself, seeing how it was his bday party.

We're told Usher refused, and the rest is history ... some of which you can see on video.

Time will tell, we suppose, if Chris will come out himself, or if he'll address this further. BTW, it looks like Teyana -- who was once a fierce CB defender -- has unfollowed him on IG.

We'll also keep our eyes peeled for anything Usher might have to say later today. Something tells us he just may talk about it.

Machine Gun Kelly has entered the chat for the "second greatest white rapper" debate after Jack Harlow declared himself heir apparent behind Eminem ... and he might have a claim.

MGK -- who's been much more about rock and roll lately than he has about rap -- just dipped his toe back into the genre where he cut his teeth ... dropping a new freestyle in which he's spittin' pretty ferociously, and where he also takes an explicit shot at Jack.

Check it out for yourself ... Kelly is rapping over Jay-Z's "Renegade" beat, which also features Em -- something that surely wasn't lost on MGK when he was picking an instrumental.

As for the bars themselves ... we gotta say, they're pretty damn good. Solid flow and rhyme scheme -- and the references he's making are a cut above your average mumble rap verse these days. Of course, he eventually called out Jack by name with a telling few lines.

Kelly raps, "Make sure there's no confusion // I'm a great white, I can eat these barracudas." Then, he goes for the jugular ... "I see why they call you Jackman // You jack man's whole swag // Give Drake his flow back man." Indeed, it's pretty vicious, and there's no ambiguity.

This is clearly in response to what Jack said on one of his tracks from his new album -- in which JH rapped ... "The hardest white boy since the one who rapped about vomit and sweaters // And hold the comments 'cause I promise you I'm honestly better // Than whoever came to your head right then." That claim caused a firestorm on Twitter.

Other names got thrown around as possibly being better than Jack ... including the underrated Action Bronson, Lil Dicky, Mac Miller and, yes, Machine Gun Kelly too.

King Charles and Queen Camilla celebrated their coronation with the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, but one person was an obvious no-show at the festivities: Prince Harry.

In fact, Harry was seen driving away from Windsor Castle after the coronation so he could reportedly catch a flight back to the U.S. to ring in his son Prince Archie's fourth birthday with wife, Meghan Markle.

Even if Harry had stayed behind, he reportedly would not have been allowed on the balcony since he and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family in 2020, putting aside their monarchal duties.

Instead, the newly crowned king and queen of the United Kingdom were surrounded by other Royal Family members, including Prince William, his princess wife, Kate, and their kiddos, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Harry's early exit might also be tied to his experience at the coronation. It didn't exactly go great for Harry, who was relegated to the third row during the ceremony while William got front-row seats with Kate.

Harry also arrived solo to the event, leaving Meghan at home in Montecito with Archie and their daughter Princess Lilibet. While at the coronation, Harry seemed to be in an awkward space as he interacted with family, putting on fake smiles and forcing himself to laugh.

An Oakland A's announcer copped to a mistake he says he made during a pregame segment ahead of Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals -- in which he used the n-word.

Glen Kuiper, a veteran, was on camera before the match kicked off, and he was describing what he and the A's broadcasting team had gotten into earlier in the day ... including visiting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and hitting up a barbecue hot spot there in town.

The problem ... instead of saying "Negro" he said "n*****" -- which came across very clearly over the airwaves, without any bleeping or censoring whatsoever. It came and went, while Glen and his in-booth partner didn't seem to acknowledge it or even really notice it.

This wasn't addressed until much later on in the game, right around the 6th inning ... when Glen came back on the air and issued an apology as soon as they came back from a break. He said he said something earlier in the day that didn't come out the way he intended.

At first, nobody knew what exactly he was talking about ... 'cause he wasn't specific.

Eventually, though, somebody tracked down the video ... and now, the A's say they're looking into this and considering next steps. A rep for the team announced his use of the slur was "unacceptable," adding ... "The Oakland Athletics do not condone such language. We are working to address the situation." Kuiper's in his 20th season of calling A's games.

History has just been made, as King Charles has been given his crown at his monumental coronation -- taking the reins in a centuries-long tradition following last year's death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

Charles made things official Saturday morning at Westminster Abbey in London ... where people came in droves to watch the ceremony unfold, including Prince Harry, Prince William, Kate Middleton and other members of the royal family -- not to mention the millions/billions of others watching across the globe.

Charles gave the traditional coronation oath before signing a pledge to serve his people. He was later given St. Edward's Crown -- something that's been a part of the lineage for over 400 years!

William pledged allegiance following his father's crowning, while little Prince George served as one of the service's 4 Pages. The procession is now underway, taking Charles and Queen Camilla back to Buckingham Palace through the streets of London.

The coronation was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby -- leading these coronations has been a task for Archbishops since the first one went down way back in 1066 for William I the Conqueror.

Don't forget, today's festivities took a lot of preparation -- as we reported, Buckingham Palace was recently transformed in order for those involved to go over the layout on a more private scale.

This week, we've seen the likes of Prince William, Kate, and their kids heading to Westminster for some rehearsals ahead of the real deal.

And just days before the coronation, swarms of fans camped outside to show their support -- donning some pretty spectacular outfits, too.

You'll recall, Charles was thrust into power following the death of QE 2 in September ... news that rocked the entire world for weeks on end. Her funeral procession had all eyes on it, too.

Remember, her coffin was even rushed by someone as people waited up to 28 hours to pay respects -- but he was rapidly tackled by cops and arrested.

There was a ton of drama following her death, specifically between the royal fam and Prince Harry & Meghan Markle ... after the couple's Netflix series blasted what they saw as toxicity within the palace walls. Harry was even reportedly written out of Saturday's big event as a result of his book, "Spare."

PH and MM did eventually get an invite to the coronation, but only Harry attended, with Meghan and the kiddos staying across the pond.

Prince Harry wasn't treated like much of a prince at Saturday's coronation ... 'cause he was relegated to the cheap seats while his brother, William, sat center stage.

Harry got the less-than-royal treatment as he and the world watched the coronation of his father King Charles III at Westminster Abbey church in London.

The Duke of Sussex flew solo to the much-anticipated event, leaving his wife, Meghan Markle, at their home in Montecito amid continuing tensions between them and the Royal Family.

Harry was grinning awkwardly while seated among many onlookers three rows back from where his father was getting crowned King. By contrast, his brother, Prince William, was sitting front and center and enjoying the festivities with his wife, Kate, at his side.

Clad in a black suit with medals attached, Harry was also seen mingling with relatives after arriving at the church with Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and their husbands. His interactions with family reportedly seemed off with his fake smiles and laughter.

Screenwriter Jim Herzfeld, famous for his work on "Meet the Fockers" and "Meet the Parents," doesn't think a computer can replace him in Hollywood ... he says AI jokes suck.

We got Jim in the picket line outside Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, CA asked him how artificial intelligence is affecting the writers' strike.

Jim, one of the most prolific writers on strike, sounds pretty confident he's not about to be replaced by ChatGPT ... but he still wants to see guardrails in place so none of the more than 11,000 film and TV writers on strike have their livelihoods negatively impacted by the emerging technology.

As a veteran writer, Jim remembers the last strike in 2007-08, when the internet was a huge issue, and he sees parallels between the way studios approached yesterday's tech and today's AI.

Jim says AI doesn't have the heart or soul of a human, therefore computers can't tell stories the way Hollywood writers can ... so listen for his "Meet The Fockers" joke, because it's a prime example of the limits he sees with AI.

The family of the NYC subway rider who was choked to death wants prosecutors to go after the marine vet who put Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold ... and they wonder why he hasn't even been arrested yet.

Lennon Edwards, one of the attorneys representing Jordan's family, joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and we asked what justice looks like for the Neelys.

Lennon says Jordan's family is outraged and feels like the justice system isn't working on their behalf -- he says it took too long for the medical examiner to rule Jordan's death a homicide, and now the family wants the marine, Daniel Penny, to face criminal charges.

Jordan's family is also taking issue with how some are framing the incident. The NYPD says Neely appeared to be having a mental health episode, with some witnesses telling cops Jordan's behavior made them fearful.

Lennon insists that feeling alone doesn't justify putting someone in a chokehold for 15 minutes ... arguing Penny, and not Neely, is who subway riders should have feared.

What's more, Lennon says Jordan clearly showed he was unarmed when he took off his jacket to reveal a short-sleeve shirt ... and he says Penny appears to have attacked from behind.

Bottom line: the Neely fam thinks Penny should be in an NYPD jail cell right now.

Protests are erupting in the Big Apple and politicians are bickering over the way the incident is being discussed  ... and Lennon says the marine's actions seem like they have less to do with Jordan specifically, and more to do with his general feelings toward homeless people.

Donald Trump's infamous "Access Hollywood" quote isn't just locker room talk, apparently -- he repeated it while under oath for a deposition in the E. Jean Carroll case ... and added a pretty shocking clarification.

During Trump's depo -- recorded on video last October -- Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, is grilling him about his treatment of women, generally, and raises the hot mic remarks he made during the 2005 interview with Billy Bush: "And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, grab them by the p****. You can do anything."

The attorney asks, "That's what you said, correct?" ... and without blinking he responds, "Well, historically, that's true with stars. If you look over the last million years, I guess that's been largely true."

He then, stunningly, added ... "Unfortunately or fortunately."

Trump was being deposed because Carroll is suing him for battery and defamation, and the trial is ongoing right now in NYC. Carroll claimed Trump raped her in the '90s, and he responded by calling her story a "hoax," and declaring she's not his type.

During the depo, he also called her a "nut job" and a "whack job."

Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde are firing back at their former nanny -- the same woman who has allegedly been going after them for a while -- ripping her for airing dirty laundry in the media and seeking to have her lawsuit against them moved to a private arbitrator.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Jason and Olivia say Ericka Genaro's civil suit never should have been filed in a California court. If she wanted to sue them, they say she should have taken up her beef in a private arbitration in New York.

Jason and Olivia tell TMZ ... "It is unfortunate that this private matter continues to play out in the press. Our focus has been and will continue to be to steadfastly protect our family in the face of harassment of any kind. We are confident that the evidence brought forward will affirm our position to summarily dismiss this case and bring our family peace."

TMZ broke the story ... the nanny took the ex-couple to court back in February, claiming they drove her to her wit's end and then some.

Genaro says she worked for Jason and Olivia from 2018 to 2021, claiming she had a ton of extra duties dumped on her plate when Olivia started dating Harry Styles.

Jason and Olivia say the issues only started after Genaro wanted her salary doubled again and to be paid tax-free.

In her suit, the nanny also claimed Jason would vent to her about Olivia and Harry, adding to an already stressful job. Genaro says medical professionals told her to take a break from working because of stress and anxiety, and she claims when she told Jason she was going to step away, he fired her on the spot. She claims she was wrongfully terminated and says Jason and Olivia violated other California labor laws.

But, Jason and Olivia say not so fast.

In their filing, JS and OW claim Genaro was generously paid, even had her salary doubled at the end of 2020, was regularly given raises and was well taken care of by the family.

What's more, Jason and Olivia say Genaro broke her contract by blabbing to the media, claiming she threatened their family by saying she "can be ruthless" and advertising her willingness to "dish" about her time as their nanny.

Jason and Olivia say Genaro resigned and wasn't fired ... and they say they paid for her and her dog to stay for weeks at the Rosewood Hotel in London even after she resigned, footing the bill for over $22,000 worth of in-room food and alcohol charges.

They say she was also reimbursed for $17,000 worth of charges for travel arrangements from London to the U.S.

Cassidy is scoffing at people who are upset at R. Kelly for his sex crimes, but don't hold the same anger toward the average Joe who they observe doing the exact same thing.

The battle-tested Philly rapper spoke his mind on a recent episode of the Street Starz podcast and expressed his belief that people have a right to be upset over R. Kelly ... but should keep the same energy when it comes to seeing people in their neighborhood scoop up younger girls!

According to Cassidy's recollection, he observed plenty of middle and high-school-age girls dating older guys his entire life and feels all hoods have similar scenarios. He also didn't say anything about reporting anyone so he may be just as culpable if true 🤷🏽‍♂️.

Cassidy and Swizz Beatz scored a Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 hit back in 2003 with assistance from Robert Sylvester several years before the sexual abuse allegations poured in.

Kanye West is full steam ahead on his presidential campaign, bringing his former collaborator Milo Yiannopoulos back into the mix, and their first order of business ... firing Ye's controversial right-hand man, Nick Fuentes.

TMZ obtained emails sent from Milo -- now officially YE2024's Director of Political Operations -- to Nick, and in one he says, "Your services on Ye’s exploratory team are terminated ... and will not be required for any possible future campaign."

You'll recall, Nick is the white nationalist who accompanied West during his trip to see Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last fall.

Milo also fired off an exit email to Ali Alexander, another one of Ye's political advisors, who was recently forced to apologize after being accused of asking teenage boys for sexual pictures.

We reached out to Milo, and he confirmed the details in the e-mails. He also says he's been in L.A. for the past week, talking to Ye about his presidential aspirations.

You'll recall, Milo was reportedly removed from the campaign team last year after Ye's controversial interview with Alex Jones ... and he reportedly blamed Nick and Ali for his firing.

Now that Milo's back in the saddle, it would seem his next mission is finding out just how serious Ye is about running for the White House -- and, after that, addressing the antisemitism West spewed for months.

New York City is a powder keg ... on the heels of a subway rider getting choked to his death, pissed-off protesters are going toe-to-toe with NYPD officers, and it's starting to get violent.

Demonstrations are going down on subway platforms and in the streets ... where cops attempted to detain one protester while several others rushed at the handful of officers who had to form a circle to fend off attacks.

The violence is simmering over the death of Jordan Neely ... a 30-year-old homeless man who was riding a subway train Monday afternoon when a Marine vet placed him in a chokehold for 15 minutes. The Medical Examiner has deemed Neely's death a homicide.

NYPD has said Neely appeared to be having a mental health episode, and had been pacing and shouting on the train. Cell phone footage shows the 24-year-old veteran wrestling Neely to the ground and applying the chokehold. He eventually went unconscious, and although paramedics transported him to a hospital, they could not resuscitate Neely.

Along with the protests, there's now a war of words between NYC Mayor Eric Adams and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

AOC is ripping Adams for not calling the incident a murder. The Mayor issued a statement purely focused on Neely's mental health without mentioning the actions of the Marine which led to Neely's death. The medical examiner has already ruled it a homicide.