Controversial S#!T

Gabriel Guevara was arrested at the Venice Film Festival this weekend -- but not for anything he allegedly did while there ... it actually stems from something in another country.

The Spanish actor -- famous for a starring role in a new Amazon movie -- got taken into custody by the local authorities Saturday while he was in Venice ... this after an international warrant for his arrest was issued out of France on a sexual assault charge.

The details of the alleged incident have yet to be released -- and the extradition process might take a while too ... as a court of appeals reportedly has to weigh in first.

Guevara was actually set to receive a pretty big award on Sunday -- the day before he was busted -- from the Filming Italy org ... which was going to honor him as the "Best Young Actor." Upon hearing about his arrest, they scrapped that entirely ... and put it on hold.

The Venice Film Festival itself also made sure to distance themselves from the drama, taking to social media to explicitly note he hadn't been accused of any wrongdoing at their event.

James Cromwell was back on the frontlines for animal rights this weekend -- taking the fight to Louis Vuitton in the Big Apple ... and showing them they had blood on their hands.

The actor/activist was one of the notable faces among a massive group of protests Saturday who descended upon the Louis V flagship store in SoHo ... where barricades had been set up, and where folks were loudly chanting through megaphones -- complete with signage.

Check out this video we obtained ... you can see that James went past the barricade and was right up on the sidewalk, facing off with what one can presume would be management.

Somewhat dramatically ... he pours some red liquid onto the sidewalk and points it out to Louis Vuitton -- echoing what the protesters behind are shouting. Earlier, he made an impassioned speech in support of veganism -- and laying out what they were there for.

Of course, this has to do with the use of real fur -- something LVMH has been accused of using to this day. As for James ... he's been in this animal rights world for a long time.

Burning Man has been calamitous this year ... leading to a death.

The Pershing County Sheriff's Office confirms ... they are investigating a death that occurred as rain poured down over the venue. The Sheriff has not gone into detail, but by the description, it might be rain-related.

As we reported, the event -- which was being held in the Nevada desert -- was flooded Saturday, causing cars and campers to become immobilized. It got so bad, concertgoers were told to shelter in place.

Diplo and Chris Rock fled the event on the back of a truck. Diplo said he walked 5 miles to get the hell out.

It's not looking better for Sunday ... they're expecting even bigger storms with heavy rainfall and hail, as well as 40 mph wind gusts.

Unclear if the plug has been totally pulled ... the gates to Black Rock City are locked up tight. No one can drive in the area except emergency vehicles.

Book your tickets to Las Vegas in February, Jets fans ... 'cause your team is going to the Super Bowl there this season!!!

... at least, that's according to New York legend Joe Klecko, who tells TMZ Sports he truly believes, with Aaron Rodgers now under center, his old team will make it to the Big Game this year.

"I do think they will," the newly minted Hall of Famer said out in NYC this week. "Absolutely!"

"With our four-time MVP, how could you not go to the Super Bowl!?"

Of course, while Klecko is biased (he played for the Jets for 11 seasons) -- he didn't always feel Rodgers would be the game-changer for his former squad.

Back in February, he said on The Mike Francesa Podcast that he actually preferred it if the Jets would have gone after Derek Carr instead of Rodgers.

Seems, though, after watching the quarterback completely submerge himself into his new team and city ... Klecko is all in.

Bradley Cooper's portrayal of Leonard Bernstein has drawn a lot of criticism -- but in Italy this weekend ... it drew more applause than outrage, especially from the latter's children.

Netflix's new film, "Maestro," received a standing ovation Saturday at the Venice Film Festival ... where it was screened in front of a select audience, without any of its cast members around to enjoy it. Obviously, that's because of the actors' strike going on right now.

Still, the rest of the crew was on hand to hear all the cheers ... and based on reports, this applause lasted for quite a while -- around 7 minutes or so of people on their feet.

By most accounts ... Bradley's a front-runner for Best Actor after his performance in this.

The other notable part about this reaction here is the fact that the late conductor's adult kids were in the crowd as well -- and they seemed thrilled by what they saw on the screen. Check out what they did ... on top of just clapping for BC, they seemed to cry too.

Jamie, Alexander and Nina were even seen enthusiastically fake-conducting along to Bernstein's music when the credits rolled ... so yeah, they appear to have loved it.

Of course, the backdrop of all this is the controversy this film landed in -- namely, some accusing Brad of "Jewface" ... on account of his extended nose prosthetic in the movie.

LB's children publicly spoke out in support of Brad ... saying they're fine with how he looks on camera, noting their father did indeed have a large nose. Sounds like they might be even more on board after having seen 'Maestro' for themselves.

Mohamed Al-Fayed -- who verbally attacked the Royal Family after his son Dodi was famously killed with Princess Diana in a 1997 car crash -- has died.

The billionaire business magnate passed away Wednesday -- exactly one day before the 26th Anniversary of the fatal accident in London on August 31, 1997. Dodi and Diana were in a Mercedes and being pursued at high speeds by paparazzi when the tragedy occurred. Their bodyguard survived though their driver was also killed.

Al-Fayed's family issued a statement Friday, confirming his death due to old age.

In 2021, Forbes listed his net worth at $1.8 billion, which he amassed from his lucrative businesses, such as Harrods Department Store, Punch Magazine and Kurt Geiger shoes and accessories. He also owned major real estate properties at 75 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan and the Hyde Park Residence apartments in London.

But Al-Fayed was perhaps better known for hurling vitriol at the Royal Family after his son's deadly car wreck. For example, Al-Fayed called the royals a "Dracula family" while attending the 2008 inquest into Diana’s death.

In court, Al-Fayed vowed to find evidence contradicting the official police narrative that Dodi and Diana were killed in a tragic accident, instead of being murdered as some people believed. He also promised to stay the course "until I die," even if it meant losing “everything to find the truth.”

As a result, the British royals dropped Al-Fayed like a bad habit. Their strained relationship was showcased last year in the fifth season of “The Crown."

Al-Fayed was 94.

Artificial intelligence relies on ethnic stereotypes and is completely racist ... that's the majority view on social media after computers imagined what someone from each state looks like.

Here's the deal ... one advanced AI model cranked out 50 images of what it imagined folks from all 50 states would look like, and real people are saying the results reek of racism.

Folks on Elon Musk's app are saying AI is playing into racist tropes when it comes up with images of minorities, and they're ripping the computer model for basically ignoring Black couples in favor of white or mixed couples.

One example getting a lot of attention is Mississippi ... the AI-generated image is a Black man dressed like he's been working in the fields, with tons of dirt covering his clothes.

The AI model had some fun with Florida though ... the person the computer thinks best resembles the Sunshine State has some oddly reptilian features.

So, yeah, this is what these computers are coming up with. Bizarre, right?!?

Lots of folks also have issues with the Alaska image being a "delicate looking white girl" ... and they point out all the white couples seem to be men with much younger-looking wives.

Bad sign for when AI takes over the world?!? 😅

Shawn Stockman is doubling down on his comments about Britney Spears -- this after catching flak from fans -- 'cause he says not all conservatorships are created equal.

We got the Boyz II Men singer at LAX again Monday, and it sounds like there was some backlash from #FreeBritney folks over what he said last week regarding her situation ... namely, he felt getting her back into a conservatorship might be a good idea.

Check out what he has to say about it now ... it's pretty insightful.

Essentially, Shawn explains the apparatus of a conservatorship in and of itself isn't necessarily a bad thing -- despite what some have apparently tried preaching to him.

The reason SS knows that --he has personal experience in this department -- and considering his understanding of how conservatorships work ... the haters might wanna reconsider how they're discussing this issue.

Now, Shawn does say that *if* people in Britney's life were abusing the conservatorship -- which she alleges was the case as it pertains to her father, Jamie -- that's obviously no bueno ... and he condemns that. But on the issue of conservatorships in general -- which have been demonized -- Shawn says they can actually be quite helpful for certain folks.

Shawn also makes the point that even diehard Britney fans truly don't know her or what she needs -- and he suspects, based on behavior she's displaying, that she could use some people in her corner to better guide her through this precarious time.

Maitland Ward is slamming Trace Cyrus for taking swipes at OnlyFans models ... and she's calling on Miley Cyrus to set her brother straight.

We got the former "Boy Meets World" actress-turned-porn star in Los Angeles and our photog asked her about all the flak Trace is catching for dissing women who have OF accounts.

Maitland says Trace is displaying a serious case of toxic masculinity ... and she thinks the musician's just looking for a "trace of fame" while living in his sister's shadow.

As we reported ... Trace says women are destroying their chances of finding the right man by starting an OF page, and he's since doubled down on his stance despite tons of heat coming his way.

Maitland says Trace is sorely mistaken ... pointing out she's been happily married for 16 years while enjoying a career in porn.

While dissing Trace, Maitland's calling on Miley to speak out against her brother ... she says Miley's voice will carry extra weight here because she's a beacon for sexual liberation.

DJ Envy says 50 Cent meant no harm when he threw a microphone at a concert and hit a radio host in the head ... he says it's just another one of 50's wild throws.

We got the "The Breakfast Club" cohost Friday in NYC and he told our photog the microphone-hurling fiasco was an accident, explaining why he doesn't think 50 Cent tried to hit Power 106 host Bryhana Monegain on purpose.

While DJ Envy says the incident is a "terrible situation," he says it's further proof 50 Cent can't throw worth a darn ... referencing the rapper's infamously lousy first pitch at a Mets game.

TMZ broke the story ... 50 is now a suspect in a criminal battery case after the victim filed a police report Wednesday after being hit with the mic at his Los Angeles concert.

DJ Envy sounds convinced 50 Cent will ease the woman's pain, at least financially, and work something out ... and he doesn't agree with folks who are saying the victim is overreacting by pressing charges.

Daniil Medvedev could use a refresher course in tennis etiquette after twice flying off the handle at the US Open Thursday night.

The tennis star first lost his cool after he blew several match points — one by double-faulting —  in the third set of his second-round match against Christopher O’Connell in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

O’Connell went on to win the set, prompting an angry Medvedev to lash out at a camera person filming him during a break.

In the fourth set, Medvedev acted up again, yelling at crowd members chatting and walking back to their seats as he was about to serve. He screamed, “Can you shut up guys? Are you stupid or what?”

The audience booed Medvedev, but he still went on to victory, beating O’Connell 6-2, 6-2, 6-7 6-2.

"Foodgod" Jonathan Cheban's $20 million lawsuit against a Korean BBQ sauce company isn't about getting cash -- according to him, it's about keeping others from ending up in the same scary situation.

We got Jonathan in Beverly Hills, and he detailed the frightening incident that went down nearly 3 years ago ... a glass bottle he'd purchased just a few hours earlier shattered in his hand, leaving with a very serious cut.

Jonathan echoes a big point from his lawsuit, telling us the slice was incredibly close to a major artery in his wrist, which could've killed him.

He says he's still dealing with physical problems to this day, and fills us in on why the suit is so important.

BTW, we ask him his thoughts about folks saying the $20M for which he's suing is a super steep number for a rich dude like him -- but Jonathan tells us why money isn't his goal here.

Trinidad James is sticking to his guns that Gunna is the hottest thing out ... at least as far as male rappers go!!!

We caught Mr. All Gold Everything in Bev Hills this week, and he doubled down on his recent comments that Gunna's the hip hop king of the summer.

Plenty of people accuse Gunna of leaving Young Thug high and dry amid the YSL RICO case ... but not Trinidad, and he's not letting emotion cloud his judgment.

Trinidad says Gunna's recent album, "A Gift & a Curse" displays all the top qualities you'd want in a rapper, and has the numbers to prove it.

He's also frowning on the street politics that have Gunna on the outs with his peers ... and thinks some of Gunna's success is owed to his public haters streaming his music in private.

Gunna’s single "Fukumean" is now his biggest solo hit ... earning him his first No. 1 on Billboard's Hip Hop Songs Chart and going Platinum earlier this month.

Rapper Hi-Rez, who created the now-viral Donald Trump AI rap track, says he had no political agenda while making the former prez's out-of-prison song ... he just wants to put a smile on people's faces.

Hi-Rez joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday, taking us through the process of making "Donald Trump - First Day Out" -- something he put up online for fun after Trump's mug shot made the news. The song has become a hit, charting #2 on iTunes with north of 3 million views.

In case you didn't know, rappers who get out of jail often put out a "first day out" song, talking about where they're at after becoming free once again ... and when his buddy suggested Trump would be a perfect subject, Rez jumped right to the AI tools to start cookin'.

He tells us he wrote the song in half an hour with no political bend -- his mission was actually bringing the warring sides of America together for a laugh.

50 Cent went all Cardi B during his concert in Los Angeles, throwing his broken microphone in frustration into the crowd ... hitting a fan smack dab on the head.

The rapper hit the stage at Crypto.com Arena Wednesday night as part of his "Final Lap" tour 2023 ... and, during the performance, he was handed several mics that didn't work, which was clearly triggering.

Check out the video ... Fitty struts out onstage with a mic in hand to join YG, who is belting out a song. Suddenly, Fitty turns to one side of the stage and hurls the mic, striking a woman in the head.

Sources who were present tell TMZ ... Fitty wasn't targeting the woman, but still, he beaned her good. A source connected to 50 says the woman wasn't supposed to be in the restricted area ... but unlike the mic, that argument doesn't fly.

Photos of the victim surfaced on Instagram, showing a gash in her forehead and bloody towels wrapped around her neck.

We've reached out to Fitty's camp ... so far, no word back.

You may recall ... Cardi B was involved in a similar incident in which she angrily tossed her mic at a fan, who threw a drink at her during a Las Vegas show. The mic ricocheted off something and hit another person standing nearby. That person filed a police report, but Cardi was cleared.

Originally Published -- 6:18 AM PT

Miley Cyrus' brother, Trace, is getting destroyed for harsh comments about women working on OnlyFans -- he thinks they're killing their chances of ending up with a good guy.

The Metro Station guitarist and vocalist launched his anti-OnlyFans rant Wednesday, saying the women who earn cash on the site "have lost their chance of ever settling down with a good guy with morals."

Trace thinks OnlyFans models will call guys with standards "insecure," but will get attention from other men online, "so they think they have options."

It's a long, bizarre and rambling attack ... Trace even calls guys who pay for content on the platform "desperate" losers. Plenty of people in the comments lit him up, though, calling his rant "so embarrassing."

Farrah Abraham even called him out, saying "Balance & Brand is real... forget limited Insecure mindsets."

Trace responded to Farrah with a heavy dose of sarcasm ... "I've been defeated. The most intelligent woman of this generation has put me in check."

BTW, some are pointing out a bit of irony in his discography -- Metro Station's 2007 hit, "Shake It" is all about getting women to do as the title suggests, and having sex with them ...  as long as they're not OnlyFans models, apparently.

For more viral news, tune in to the TMZ Verified Podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.

Originally Published -- 8:47 AM PT