Controversial S#!T

Galyn Susman -- the longtime Disney producer who's credited with saving "Toy Story 2" -- just got the boot alongside several other Pixar employees ... and fans are pissed.

The news came down Saturday from Reuters, which reported Susman was one of 75 Pixar workers who recently gotten the axe in mass layoffs. She was one of 3 key Pixar people to be let go ... the others included Michael Agulnek -- Pixar's VP of worldwide publicity -- and 'Lightyear' director Angus MacLane, who was involved in other Pixar flicks too.

The firings are reportedly tied to the bomb that was last year's 'Lightyear' ... a movie based on the "real" Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Chris Evans. It had a budget of about $200 mil, and only made $226 mil at the worldwide box office ... not to mention middling reviews.

While the film didn't do well, many are saying that scapegoating -- and ultimately canning -- the execs/producers tied to its development is cold-blooded ... especially as it pertains to Galyn, who played a very important in preserving what was left of 'TS2' at the time.

It's the stuff of legends -- and this story's been repeated several times by Disney execs over the years. There was some kind of glitch in Disney's computers that literally deleted upwards of 90% of the movie back then as it was about a year out from its imminent release date.

The studio was scrambling to preserve whatever was left, but from the looks of it ... they were going to have to start from scratch -- that is, until Galyn came to the rescue with a backup copy ... which she fortunately had in her possession due to her WFH/maternity leave.

In the end, Disney remade the movie anyway -- creating a different version from what Galyn had saved -- but her extra files undoubtedly saved them a lot of time/work/money.

Gov. Gavin Newsom isn't happy that a SoCal school board banned lessons on the late Harvey Milk for kids ... and it sounds like he's going to do something about it.

California's top governmental dog sounded off Saturday in response to a report about the Temecula Valley School Board recently voting to nix any literature about the former SF politician -- who was openly gay, and who served a member of the Board of Supervisors.

Board president, Dr. Joseph Komrosky, was hearing out a fellow member ... who wanted to ban a biography of Milk -- which was apparently available to 4th graders at a local elementary school as part of their social studies teachings -- which touched on his homosexual lifestyle in the supplemental resources section ... as a footnote.

The board member who raised this issue says he was made aware of the material, finding the information in it to be highly inappropriate for children -- and Komrosky agreed.

In fact, Komrosky shocked many in the audience by calling Milk a "pedophile" ... which several people, including some teachers/faculty/board members, pushed back on by strongly denying that characterization. They explained that he was instrumental in achieving gay rights in the U.S. ... and that that historical fact shouldn't be hidden from grade school kids.

Komrosky held his ground ... arguing that Milk's private life -- and presumably his public life at large -- wasn't relevant and not worthy of being in their curriculum. In the end, the board voted 3-2 to get rid of the Milk literature ... and now, Gov. Newsom is aware of it.

He took to Twitter and wrote, "An offensive statement from an ignorant person. This isn’t Texas or Florida. In the Golden State, our kids have the freedom to learn. Congrats Mr. Komrosky you have our attention. Stay tuned." Newsom didn't elaborate further.

Of course, GN's spoken out against other states trying to limit the scope of education as it pertains to issues like these -- especially in Florida, where Gov. DeSantis has set a tone.

As for the whole "pedophile" claim ... it's unclear why Komrosky referred to HM as that. It's possible he might be referencing Milk's one-time relationship with Jack McKinley, which is believed to have begun while McKinley was a teen ... but that part of history is a little hazy.

Ezra Miller may actually be back as The Flash soon enough, 'cause there's already a script for a would-be sequel ... which will presumably be activated based on how the 1st one does.

Variety reports that 'The Flash 2' is signed, sealed and delivered -- and on standby -- courtesy of "Aquaman" screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick ... noting Warner is inclined to use it if a sequel is greenlit, which we won't know until after "The Flash" debuts.

The outlet also goes on to say that Johnson-McGoldrick's script features continued cameos from Michael Keaton's Batman and Sasha Calle's Supergirl ... who are both in the upcoming flick. The word of mouth for 'Flash,' which is coming out in a couple weeks, is at peak levels right now ... with many hyping it as one of the greatest superhero movies of all time.

As for Ezra ... well, the director of "The Flash," Andy Muschietti, has already gone on the record to say he would recast them if a sequel was in the cards ... praising Ezra's work as Barry Allen as a one-of-a-kind performance that's made for them in any future installments.

The problem -- at least from some fans' POV -- is that Ezra is very problematic ... on account of all the crimes/misdeeds they've been alleged of carrying out over the past few years.

Just to name a few ... alleged assault, alleged grooming, alleged breaking and entering, alleged harassment ... among other things. Several of these incidents have resulted in arrests -- and wild police body cam footage too -- as well as a plea deal for at least one of these.

Of course, Ezra has also apologized for their erratic behavior ... and went on to cite mental health issues, as well as saying they'd seek the professional help they need to get better.

That ended up being good enough for Warner, which opted not to recast Ezra and move forward with the release of "The Flash" as is. Interestingly, Variety also reports that Ezra is going to skip all of the press ahead of the movie ... and will only make a brief appearance at the Los Angeles premiere the week of. Press for this movie, in general, has been virtually non-existent and it seems Warner will continue with that strategy ... opting instead for a bunch of ad buys and other promo, like screenings ... of which there's been several now.

Despite Ezra ducking their head and laying low ahead of "The Flash," the movie is projected to do pretty well at the box office -- at the moment, it's on track for a $75 mil opening.

Some are crying foul over Ezra getting this pass -- not to mention an almost guaranteed sequel -- and feel like they're being afforded an opportunity others who've been accused of wrongdoing, like Jonathan Majors, aren't enjoying. Granted, JM is with a different studio and hasn't lost his Marvel job just yet ... plus, his case is a bit different than Ezra's sitch.

Jemele Hill denies that an alleged demand for Joe Rogan-level money from Spotify is the reason for her exit from the audio giant ... although, it seems clear she is, in fact, leaving.

The longtime sports reporter/media personality is said to be negotiating a split from Spotify, where she's exclusively hosted her all-issues podcast -- "Jemele Hill is Unbothered" -- since 2019. Several outlets are reporting that she's now seeking a new home for her show.

Jemele's 'Unbothered' podcast network -- which features other Black podcasters -- is also shuttering. Reports say Spotify might let her out of her deal early, or simply let it lapse.

Now, for the controversy ... a conservative outlet, Outkick, framed this parting of ways as Jemele getting the boot after "daring the company to pay her or another black host $100 million" ... the same way they'd paid Joe for an exclusive deal (it turned out to be $200M).

If you read the article, you come to find out that the writer is referencing an old quote she gave the NYT last year about Joe's big contract, in which she said ... "What I would like to see is for them to hand $100 million to somebody who is Black." The way Outkick and other right-wing sites are reporting this is ... Jemele asked for that $100 mil, and was told no.

Well, she's pushing back on that ... taking to Twitter to bat down any notion that she gave Spotify an ultimatum, especially one that pit her against Joe. Of course, her quote from 2022 has clearly been taken out of context ... and she's setting the record straight on what's what.

Jemele says, "People: A lot of what’s been reported just isn’t true. My podcast hasn’t been cancelled. I never asked Spotify for $100M. This s*** is truly comical."

She goes on to say her podcast, for now, will continue -- adding ... "Next week’s guest is: Sabrina Elba. In the coming weeks: Blair Underwood, Kasi Lemmons, JR Smith, Kenny Latimore and more." Finally, she says ... "When I have something to say, I’ll say it."

Jemele also clarified further in a back-and-forth on Twitter with someone who was pointing out the quote to her, to which she responded ... "You should probably comprehend better, or maybe read the original piece -- which was about me wanting to see Spotify make that investment in prominent Black podcasters. I never told Spotify or the NYT, that I deserved  $100M. My deal at Spotify is pretty fair. This was about investment and growth."

Kanye West is making peace with Ice Cube ... 7 months after throwing him under the bus by claiming Cube was the one who turned him on to antisemitism.

The 2 rap icons met face-to-face Friday at Cube's home in the L.A. area -- and it definitely looks like they hammered out their differences. They hugged it out as Ye was leaving, and both guys were smiling.

You'll recall, late last year -- after Ye started his antisemitic rants -- he went on "Drink Champs" and claimed Ice Cube's social media posts inspired his dangerous bigotry.

For his part, Cube made it clear he had no idea what Ye was talking about. He tweeted, "I didn't put the batteries in his back. Please leave my name out of all the antisemitic talk. I'm not antisemitic and never have been."

"Drink Champs" eventually deleted the episode ... as it featured Ye making several offensive rants about Jews, Trevor Noah and George Floyd.

Since then Ye has claimed he no longer hates Jewish people, although his explanation for why -- watching Jonah Hill in "21 Jump Street" -- was, at the very least, bizarre ... and, at most, highly offensive.

Ty Dolla $ign wants to put the "Motion" back in everyone's ocean this summer, because he thinks things in the music game have gotten too bleak.

We caught up with Ty$ outside Dash Radio in Hollywood ... fresh off the release of his new vibey dance track, "Motion." It's an upbeat mood-changer, and he tells us that was 100% intentional on his part.

He's following up that single with a full dance EP, and firmly believes it's necessary. Ty$ says the current frequency of the soundscape needs an overhaul from all its negative energy!!!

Hip hop music has been under fire, more than usual, in the past few years ... as dozens of rappers have had their murders play out on social media, and a few others had their lyrics used as evidence in criminal cases.

Devin Haney's shining in both the boxing ring AND the dentist chair these days ... TMZ Sports has learned that after beating Vasiliy Lomachenko last month, the star-fighter copped some crazy diamonds for his teeth!!

We're told the undisputed lightweight champ reached out to famous jeweler JimmyBoi ahead of the May 20 Loma fight to have a grill made for him ... win, lose or draw.

Turns out, Haney was able to beat the Ukrainian fighter -- and then he was happily rewarded with the bling!!

The mouthpiece is fully iced-out ... we're told the set is filled with 17 carats of princess cut flawless clarity D color diamonds -- and also features 18k rose gold.

The 24-year-old was clearly pumped for it all -- showing it off in a recent selfie.

Juvenile isn't taking news of being omitted from this year's Essence Fest lineup well ... and would rather New Orleans residents spend their money at the Donna Fest, where he and Mannie Fresh will be performing!!!

On Friday, Juve ripped the popular summer shindig a new one on Twitter for its tremendous artist lineup being devoid of any of Cash Money's flagship artists, i.e. the Hot Boys.

This year's EF is boasting a 50 Years of Hip Hop celebration with legendary acts such as Missy Elliott, Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, T.I. and Remy Ma -- but none of that matters to Juve, who encouraged fans to go with the less expensive Donna Fest, with tickets starting at just $25.

At the time we're posting ... 3-day EF passes are sold out, and the 1-day tix start around $90.

Rebirth Brass Band and the "400 Degreez" rapper's son, Young Juve, will also be performing. Both events go down during the first weekend of July so the city will be lively, to say the least.

A Premier League soccer referee and his family were mercilessly heckled, and even had a chair thrown at them, by out-of-control AS Roma fans ... and now local police have launched a criminal investigation.

The incident occurred in Budapest ... where 44-year-old ref Anthony Taylor, who is English, was in a cafe with his family, waiting for their flight. Unfortunately, several Roma fans recognized Taylor, and that's when things turned ugly.

Several videos show Taylor, who appears to be with his wife and several other people, getting shouted at by a large group of "fans" as airport authorities attempted to whisk them to safety.

At one point, a fan even threw a chair towards Taylor.

"The Italian citizen involved in the incident was apprehended by the police and criminal proceedings have been initiated on charges of affray," the airport later announced in a statement.

The Roma fans were upset their squad lost to Sevilla by penalty kick after ending regulation tied 1-1 in the Europa League final. Taylor handed out 13 yellow cards during the game.

After the game, but before the airport incident, Roma manager Jose Mourinho was seen confronting the referee in a parking lot, hurling expletives at him.

Mourinho could face a fine and/or suspension for his behavior.

As for the ugly behavior at the airport ... it's drawn widespread rebuke from everyone from the referees union to the Premier League itself who blasted the fans for the way they acted.

"[We're] aware of videos circulating on social media showing Anthony Taylor and his family being harassed and abused at Budapest Airport," the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said.

"We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the UEFA Europa League final."

The Premier League also issued a statement, saying they were "shocked and appalled by the unacceptable abuse" Taylor and his family endured.

The PL added Anthony is one of their most accomplished and experienced officials, saying  "No one should have to suffer the inexcusable behavior they had to endure."

The current leaders of U.S. military forces apparently have no tolerance for drag shows on military bases, but that's a huge departure from days past, because drag shows were embraced by the brass during World War II.

In 1942, the military joined forces with the USO and the American Red Cross to entertain our troops -- both at home and abroad -- with drag shows. Not only that, the soldiers were the ones in drag.

The Army Special Services published a handbook on how to produce these shows. The handbook referred to the productions as "Girly Shows," and even gave tips on how to make the GIs look good for the highly choreographed "Pony Ballet." The Pony Ballet was described as GIs wearing tutus along with army boots.

And get this ... General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces, said at the time, "The USO has given an impressive demonstration of the way people in our country of different creeds, races and economic status can work together when the nation has dedicated itself to an all-out, integrated effort."

This is in stunning contrast to the current landscape ... Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said there's no place for tax-supported drag shows on military bases. A drag show scheduled this month at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada -- to celebrate Pride Month -- was canceled, despite the fact there were 2 previous shows in recent years.

The drag queen who was supposed to headline that show -- "RuPaul's Drag Race" star Coco Montrese -- told us on "TMZ Live" Thursday Secretary Austin was wrong -- these shows were privately funded.

Paul Stanley is firmly on board with Pride celebrations -- which might shock critics of his comments about gender identity and kids -- but he says all folks should be free to embrace who they are ... with one caveat.

We caught up with the KISS frontman in L.A.'s Beverly Glen neighborhood, and when we asked him if had any message for the transgender community on the first day of Pride month ... he offered his view of what everyone should take from Pride.

Paul says, "Everybody has a right to be who they are, and life's too short to be anyone else." As for being proud of who you are, he says absolutely, but adds that has nothing to do with your gender or sexual preference ... it's about being a "good person."

You'll recall, PS came under fire in April after tweeting his thoughts on gender reassignment for children -- namely, that there's a difference between teaching kids acceptance of all people, and encouraging them to question "their sexual identification."

Some folks backed him up, but for the most part, he got a ton of flak from people who took his tweet as being anti-LGBTQ ... and, fairly or not, found it hypocritical because members of KISS were makeup-wearing glam rockers.

Paul told us he didn't feel the need to clarify that statement any further than he already has.

Churchill Downs, the largest and most famous horse racetrack in the world and site of the Kentucky Derby, is instituting a new "safety initiative" after a rash of thoroughbred deaths on the track, effective immediately.

The new protocols were announced on Thursday after a meeting between track officials and horsemen from Churchill Downs and Trackside Training Center Louisville ... all aimed at preventing catastrophic injury on the dirt track.

Horses will now be limited to four starts during a rolling eight-week period ... limiting how often the animals are pushed to the max.

There will also be ramifications for animals that aren't competitive ... "Horses that are beaten by more than 12 lengths in five consecutive starts will be ineligible to race at Churchill Downs" until they're given a clean bill of health by approved vets.

CD will also pause "track-based incentives such as trainer start bonuses" for all who finish races ... instead only paying out the top five finishers.

The new rules come after a rash of on-track incidents at Churchill Downs, leading to the euthanization of 12 horses ... and a lot of outrage among animal lovers.

"Any decision must be made first and foremost with the long-term well-being of the horse in mind," Churchill Downs Equine Medical Director Dr. Will Farmer said on Thursday.

"It is imperative that all available, educated and informed options can be efficiently, confidently and thoroughly relayed to the owners."

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) held an emergency meeting on Tuesday to investigate the wave of deaths and the condition of the track.

"HISA continues to monitor this situation closely and will evaluate any additional next steps as appropriate."

After a major false start, Antonio Brown says he's for sure suiting up for his National Arena League team this month ... guaranteeing he will play for the Albany Empire on June 17.

The Super Bowl champion and new Empire owner confirmed the news in an interview with local Albany station WNYT on Thursday ... saying he will make his big debut at his team's home matchup against the Jacksonville Sharks.

Of course, AB initially said he was going to throw on a helmet and pads when the Empire hosted the Fayetteville Mustangs on May 27 ... but those plans fell through after he claimed his physical paperwork wasn't turned in to the league offices on time.

It was a huge disappointment for the larger-than-usual crowd in attendance ... as the team advertised the game as AB's first return to the field since his bizarre, shirtless exit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January 2022.

AB says the game will also be a celebration for Juneteenth ... and he's planning to make it a "party," including a proper halftime show.

He also acknowledged those who may doubt his words given how things played out last month ... but Brown says it's 100% happening this time around.

Bill Cosby is being sued for another alleged sexual assault ... a woman says he forced himself on her after giving her two pills that made her feel helpless, but Cosby insists there are holes in her account.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, former Playboy model and noted Cosby accuser Victoria Valentino claims he took advantage of her back in 1969, when she was trying to make it in Hollywood.

Valentino says she first met Cosby in his studio trailer after an audition and told him about the recent death of her 6-year-old son. She says Cosby ran into her at a Los Angeles restaurant later that year, offering to pay for a spa treatment for her and her friend after noticing her crying at the dinner table.

In the docs, VV says Cosby told her and a friend he would treat them to dinner after their spa day ... but she says the dinner meeting turned into a nightmare.

She claims Cosby put pills next to their drinks and told the women the pills would make them feel better, pretending to ingest one himself. She says she and her friend took the pills, and it wasn't long before she was struggling to stay awake.

In her suit, Valentino says she told Cosby she wanted to go home and he escorted her and her friend to a car, offering to drive them home. She says she felt nauseated and dizzy in the backseat as Cosby instead drove them to his office, where she claims a sexual assault occurred.

Valentino says her friend passed out on a couch in Cosby's office and she sat down on another couch and closed her eyes ... and when she opened them she saw Cosby sitting next to her friend, staring with a "predatory intensity" and an erection.

In the docs, VV says she tried to turn Cosby's attention away from her friend and he walked over to her. She says she tried to stand up but her legs wobbled and buckled. She says Cosby sat down next to her, unzipped his pants and forced his penis in her mouth. She says he then stood her up, turned her around and forced his penis into her vagina.

Valentino claims she was incapable of consent because she'd been drugged and was physically helpless ... and in her suit, she mentions how Cosby once admitted during a 2005 deposition in another case to using quaaludes on young women with whom he wanted to have sex.

Valentino says she's suffered severe humiliation, mental anguish, embarrassment, anger, emotional distress and loss of earnings ... and she's going after Cosby for money.

Cosby's rep, Andrew Wyatt, gave us this statement ... "Media needs to vet Victoria Valentino cautiously and carefully -- because she has changed her alleged accounts of sexual abuse at the hands of Mr. Cosby over 10 to 15 times."

Damian Lillard agrees with former head coach turned broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy ... halftime's pointless, and the league would be wise to eliminate the 15-minute break!

"I’m w [Van Gundy] on halftime lol… I do not fw it," the 7x All-Star proclaimed on social media, responding to the former Knicks coach's proposed rule change.

It was during a recent interview with The Athletic that Van Gundy suggested several substantial ways to speed up/improve the game.

"This whole idea of what goes on at halftime, I think is so misunderstood," Jeff told the outlet. "It’s a lot of either praising what just happened or correcting. But you could do that in two minutes out by the bench in an elongated timeout."

Bottom line, Jeff feels halftime is too long and drawn out, describing it as "the biggest waste of time," adding players only need time to go to the bathroom and possibly make a few adjustments, which could be done within 5 minutes.

The 61-year-old analyst didn't stop at halftime ... JVG also said the NBA should save free throws for crunch time.

“So my most radical one is to eliminate free throws until the last four minutes,” Van Gundy said. "If you get fouled on a shooting foul, you just get the points. You don’t go to the line. And you don’t go to the line for technical free throws."

While the networks probably won't love Jeff's halftime idea (commercials!) -- likely making it a nonstarter -- Van Gundy is adamant his free throw rule change needs to be adopted.

Kanye West has returned to the rap arena for the first time in 2023 ... as the lone feature for Fivio Foreign's surprise EP, "Without Warning."

On Wednesday, Fivio released his new 8-track collection, led by "Concussion," where he and Ye blurt out lyrical randomness — much like an actual concussion.

Ye opens the track channeling Snoop Dogg's infamous Death Row Records-defending rant from the 1995 Source Awards ... "Y'all ain't got no love for Snoop Dogg?/Y'all ain't got no love for Dr. Dre?/Y'all ain't got no love for Ye???"

Fivio released his new offering strictly for the hip hop internet ... with the tracks only appearing on YouTube and SoundCloud and not the traditional DSPs.

In the accompanying documentary, Fivio explained his decision to keep the rollout from the commercial scene, recognizing he's no longer the flashy new artist in the culture, and this is the time to build a legacy.