Controversial S#!T

Rep. Matt Gaetz is under investigation for sex trafficking, allegedly with a 17-year-old girl, but Gaetz says he's not only innocent ... he suggests there's foul play afoot.

The U.S. congressman from Florida came on Tucker Carlson's show Tuesday to explain his side after the NYT published a story that Gaetz was being investigated by the DOJ over an alleged sexual relationship he had with a 17-year-old girl, whom he supposedly paid to travel with him a couple years ago. There's a bizarre exchange, where Gaetz tries to remind Carlson of a dinner they had -- Carlson, his wife, Gaetz and an unnamed woman -- almost like it was an alibi. Carlson said he didn't know what Gaetz was talking about.

The Times says the investigation is part of a broader case involving local politician Joel Greenberg, who's pled not guilty to charges of sex trafficking a minor. The outlet says the probe was opened late in Trump's final months at the behest of AG William Barr.

As for Gaetz ... he's flat-out denying any wrongdoing, while also insisting what's happening is actually a lot more sinister behind the scenes. Long story short, Gaetz says a former DOJ official named David McGee is trying to blackmail him and his family ... having allegedly demanded $25 million to make the allegations "go away."

MG even says he and his family went to the FBI to tell them about this, and he claims they set his father up with a wire to help expose the alleged plot. It's all very bizarre.

Britney Spears says the latest documentary about her life is super embarrassing and it's got her in tears.

The singer broke her silence on the 'Framing Britney Spears' doc Tuesday, saying she was "embarrassed by the light they put me in."

Britney says she didn't watch the entire documentary, but she really didn't like the little bit she did see ... she says, "I cried for two weeks."

Brit shared her emotional reaction along with a video of her dancing to Aerosmith's hit song, "Crazy." She says she's dancing to Steven Tyler every night just to keep her sane.

As you know ... 'Framing Britney' has her fans fired up about how the pop star's been treated over the years by the media, Justin Timberlake, her father Jamie Spears and others.

Donald Trump's being sued by 2 U.S. Capitol Police Officers who claim the ex-Prez "inflamed" the insurrectionist mob, which they say nearly led to their deaths on January 6.

James Blassingame, a 17-year veteran, and Sidney Hemby, an 11-year veteran, just filed a lawsuit against Trump claiming they suffered horrific injuries and they're laying the blame squarely at his feet.

In the suit, the cops claim Trump incited the January 6 riot by getting his followers riled up about trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Hemby says the riot resulted in him being "crushed against the doors on the east side" while "trying to hold the insurrectionists back." He claims he suffered cuts and abrasions on his face, hands and body while the mob attacked.

Blassingame claims he was slammed against a stone column, injuring his spine and the back of his head. In addition to the physical attack, he says people were yelling and repeatedly calling him a n****r.

In the suit, Blassingame also says he's "haunted by the memory of being attacked, and of the sensory impacts – the sights, sounds, smells and even tastes of the attack remain close to the surface." He adds that he has survivor's guilt because he was unable to help some of his fellow officers ... some of whom lost their lives due to the insurrection.

As for Trump's responsibility for the attack ... both officers point to his December 19 tweet where he said, "Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there. Will be wild!" They assert that was a battle cry ... "taken by many of [Trump's] supporters as a literal call to arms.”

Quavo and Saweetie's issues appear to run much deeper than alleged infidelity because they had a fight in an elevator -- before they split -- and the altercation was all captured on video.

TMZ obtained surveillance footage of the struggle, which went down at an apartment complex in North Hollywood. It shows both of them standing outside an open elevator, and when the video starts Saweetie is swinging on Quavo.

Quavo dodges the hit, dropping an orange Call of Duty case in the process ... which Saweetie tries to pick up. Quavo grabs it, and as they struggle for the case, he grabs her arm and swings her into the back elevator wall, then they both go down.

As Saweetie lay on the ground -- possibly injured -- Quavo stands there without helping her up. Eventually, the elevator opens with a guy standing outside ... but he doesn't get on and the door shuts again.

Finally, the door opens on another floor and Quavo starts to get off with the case, using it to keep the door open ... and Saweetie picks herself up and limps off.

We spoke with sources on both sides ... and they both say this incident went down in 2020 at an apartment building where Saweetie was renting.

Remember, Saweetie publicly broke it off with him -- alluding to him cheating ... which he denied. There were also rumors he repo'd a car he'd gifted her, but he claimed that wasn't the case.

The kneeling ban for athletes at the U.S. Olympic trials is over.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has decided it will NOT punish athletes who take a knee -- or engage in any other sort of peaceful protest -- at the Olympic trials.

In other words, American athletes hoping to use the platform to shine a spotlight on police brutality and racial injustice are now allowed to follow Colin Kaepernick's lead without fear of sanctions.

The USOPC issued a 9-page explanation -- acknowledging it decided to implement the new policy after conferring with its new Council on Racial and Social Justice.

The org. spells out several forms of peaceful protests that will be allowed at the U.S. Olympic trails -- from kneeling to raised fists to wearing clothing items with statements like "Black Lives Matter" and "justice."

It won't be a free for all -- there are still limits regarding how athletes can demonstrate. For example, athletes are not allowed to do anything that could affect competition -- like forming a human wall that would prevent opponents from completing a race, etc.

Also, hate symbols such as swastikas and nooses are also not allowed.

So, how will the new policy affect the Olympic Games in Tokyo?

That's where things get a little tricky ...

The USOPC says its new policy will extend to the 2020 Games -- but notes this caveat ... it cannot prevent a "third party" from taking action.

USOPC is obviously referring to the International Olympic Committee -- which oversees the 2020 Games.

Just because kneeling is cool with the USOPC doesn't mean the IOC will sign off as well.

A man is wanted for brutally assaulting an Asian woman in New York City in the middle of the day, and what's just as appalling is what didn't happen ... nobody jumped in to lend a hand.

Law enforcement sources say this went down Monday in Midtown Manhattan, where a 65-year-old woman was on her way to church ... when, all of a sudden, a complete stranger kicks her down to the ground and starts stomping her out. Before you know it, he flees the scene like nothing happened, but surveillance video captured the violence.

Cops say the guy made anti-Asian statements like, "F*** you, you don't belong here." The man has yet to be identified or arrested, but cops are on the lookout -- and the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating.

Police did release this close-up shot of who they believe is responsible -- they're asking for the public's help to find him.

As for the woman, we're told she suffered a broken pelvis, as well as injuries to her head and leg ... but she's been released from the hospital.

Like that's not bad enough ... the video appears to show men observing this all from inside the lobby of a nearby building just feet away from the action. Not one of them springs up to help the woman, and one of them seems to close the door after the attacker splits.

Add Jon Jones to the list of athletes who have a major problem with the Lil Nas X "Satan" shoes ... with the UFC superstar calling them absolute "bulls**t."

The quick background ... Lil Nas X collaborated with a company called MSCHF to produce the Satan Shoe, AKA the "blood shoes."

The kicks are essentially customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes -- with each pair featuring the pentagram symbol, a Bible verse that references Satan, and allegedly a drop of blood from one of MSCHF's employees.

There are also only 666 pairs being made -- and came with a $1,018 price tag ... a number which happens to be a not to the Bible verse Luke 10:18, which references Satan's banishment from heaven.

Enter Jon Jones -- a religious man who famously sports a "Philippians 4:13" tattoo on his chest (a bible passage that says "I can do all this through him who gives me strength").

When Jones heard about the shoes Monday evening -- he incorrectly believed Nike was involved with the sale (which it is not) and threatened to set all of his Swoosh apparel on fire as a result.

"Tomorrow morning I’m going to burn all my Nike shoes, you will never catch me in that sh*t again," Jones tweeted.

Don't worry, one of his followers quickly informed the UFC legend Nike isn't involved -- and that the company has already taken legal action to stop the sale of the shoes.

"OK, now I’m seeing there is a lawsuit," Jones added a short time later ... "Glad to know Nike isn’t behind this bulls**t."

The Nike lawsuit might have caught Lil Nas X by surprise, but he had to see this coming -- the Church of Satan is throwing its support behind his new limited edition "Satan Shoes."

David Harris, magister for the Church of Satan, tells TMZ ... the shoes, which feature an inverted cross, bronze pentagram and a drop of human blood, are getting a ton of love from the Church because they embrace the essence of Satanism.

For the uninitiated ... Satanists do not actually worship Satan, nor do they believe in God or the Devil. They are opposed to all spirituality and anything supernatural, and with no belief in the afterlife, Satanists emphasize being your true self, living life to the fullest and personal achievement ... values it says LNX is following with his new kicks.

Harris, who's pretty high up in the Church of Satan (kinda like a cardinal), says Satanists are digging the way Lil Nas X is turning against religion to market his customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes.

The shoe's Monday release came on the heels of Lil Nas X's polarizing "MONTERO" music vid featuring the Prince of Darkness -- a brilliant marketing plan, apparently, because all 666 pairs sold out within minutes, with folks shelling out $1,018 a pop for the limited-edition kicks. BTW, that price tag is an ode to the bible scripture emblazoned on the side, Luke 10:18, which references Satan's banishment from heaven.

Between the shoes and the "breathtaking" music vid, Harris says LNX is clearly extending a middle finger to folks who told him he'd burn in hell for his sexuality. However, the Church of Satan applauds Lil Nas X for living life on his own terms and being his honest self ... which will, no doubt, infuriate his critics even more.

A trained MMA fighter who personally witnessed the death of George Floyd testified that officer Derek Chauvin used a "blood choke" during the arrest ... referring to the move as "torture."

33-year-old Donald Williams is a fighter out of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in Brooklyn Center ... and has a 6-6 record, according to Tapology.

Williams appeared on the stand in a Minnesota courtroom to testify about what he saw on the day Floyd died ... and his explanation was almost identical to the analysis of UFC superstar Jon Jones, who spoke out in the days following the incident.

"One, the neck was diagonal across the throat, which on a blood choke you attack the side of the neck," Williams said.

"To get the choke tighter, you hit different shimmies, which I felt the officer on top was shimmying to actually get the final choke in while he was on top to get the kill choke."

"Because a side choke or a blood choke can ultimately turn into death, which is what we've seen here."

In fact, Williams is shown in body cam footage of Tou Thao -- one of the other officers involved in the incident -- where he begs them to check Floyd's pulse ... and says point-blank Chauvin is using a "blood choke."

As we previously reported, Jones described the move in detail ... saying, "I wouldn't wish the way George Floyd was murdered on my worst enemy. That officer applied just enough pressure to keep him alive for almost six minutes in that chokehold."

"In all my years of fighting, I can honestly say I’ve never experienced anything close to that level of torture."

Addison Rae says she loves and respects all the TikTok dance creators who made up the moves she taught Jimmy Fallon ... and she hopes they can work together following the controversy she and Jimmy have sparked.

We got the TikTok star out in L.A. Monday ... in the midst of her catching flak for her 'Tonight Show' segment Friday ... which has been criticized for stealing from Black entertainers without giving due credit.

ICYMI ... Addison performed 8 popular TikTok dances to teach Jimmy how it's done, but people -- notably The View's Sunny Hostin -- took issue with the fact it appeared the moves were hers, when they were not.

Addison tells us this was definitely not her intention, and that proper attribution was given on the YouTube video ... just not during the show.

Lil Nas X is in the middle of a holy war now -- legally speaking -- because Nike's going after the company making his controversial "Satan Shoes" ... a devilish connection Nike wants no part of.

The shoe giant is suing MSCHF Product Studio ... the company that collaborated with the rapper to produce the Satan Shoe, aka the "blood shoes."

If you haven't heard ... Lil Nas has been hyping the customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes which feature the pentagram symbol, a Bible verse that references Satan, and allegedly a drop of blood from one of MSCHF's employees. There are also only 666 pairs being made, and they're selling for over a grand.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Nike claims the company's tricking consumers into thinking it approved the Satan-themed shoes, but Nike insists it didn't authorize it and "is in no way connected with this project."

Nike claims MSCHF buys the shoes from Nike, then the artists it works with make their own creative modifications before selling them at a higher price.

Nike's suing for trademark infringement because the famous Swoosh logo is still prominently featured on X's shoes. It wants damages, and perhaps more importantly for Nas X ... Nike wants the judge to block all sales of the Satan Shoe.

The Satan Shoe sparked outrage within the sports world ... with stars like Trevor Lawrence and Nick Young voicing their disgust with the product.

"Line has to be drawn somewhere. Smh," the future first-overall pick in the NFL Draft said.

Young added ... "My kids will never play Old Town road again.. I’m still debating about wearing @Nike after this come [on] nike a drop of blood for real."

Young later apologized after finding out the Swoosh did NOT approve of the shoe.

Derek Chauvin's defense in his murder trial -- claiming George Floyd died from a drug overdose -- is similar to the tactic used in Rodney King's trial ... but civil rights attorney Ben Crump says it's a shameful attempt to distract jurors.

Ben joined "TMZ Live" on Monday and sounded not so surprised Derek Chauvin's defense zeroed in on Floyd allegedly being under the influence at the time he was killed ... rather than the ex-cop pressing his knee on Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes.

Ben's adamant, whenever a white police officer kills a Black man in America the default strategy's to try every trick ... including assassinating Floyd's character.

You'll recall during King's federal civil rights case in 1993 ... the defense for the LAPD cops standing trial described King as a "PCP-crazed giant" who practically invited the beatdown. It's hard not to draw the parallel with what Chauvin's defense attorney laid out in court Monday morning.

Ben's hopeful America's grown up since King's senseless beating that sparked the 1992 L.A. riots. He's also hopeful that since Trayvon Martin and Eric Gardner's deaths America's now more conscious and aware of this issue of injustice based on the color of someone's skin.

Cops in New York City are on the hunt for a suspect who beat the hell out of an Asian man on a subway car ... and the brutal incident is all on video.

As you can see, footage appears to show 2 men, one Black and one Asian, trading punches on the subway ... and the Asian man is eventually overpowered as punches rain down on his head.

In the video, the suspect then puts the Asian man in a chokehold, and appears to choke him out until he is unconscious and drops to the floor. The suspect then walks off the subway car.

The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is asking the public for any information on the incident, which is under investigation.

A couple of Maryland cops went overboard to send a message to a little kid who allegedly left school without permission -- a disturbing encounter that's just now seeing the light of day.

This bodycam video from the Montgomery County Police Dept. was just released, capturing an ugly incident that went down January, 2020 ... when they tracked down a 5-year-old boy who was off school grounds, and proceeded to berate him to no end on camera.

It's tough to watch this ... you see a male and female officer scream in the kid's face over and over, as they throw him in the back of a cruiser and escort him back to campus. Both say the kid deserves to be beaten and spanked by his mom.

Eventually, they end up back in an office of some sort at the school ... where the kid's mother is called in to deal with the situation. There, too, they continue to get in the boy's face and lecture him on how "bad" he's being ... the child screams and cries throughout the ordeal.

At one point, his mom shows up ... and the officers proceed to give her advice on parenting. It's a bizarre interaction -- definitely overstepping, to say the least. The icing on the cake is when they put cuffs on the kid ... presumably to "scare him straight."

That's what a lot of people are also saying after seeing this -- there are calls for the officers to be fired, not to mention for these school officials to be disciplined ... as they just stood by and let this unfold. Even some Montgomery County City Council members are decrying this interaction ... as has Montgomery County Public Schools, the district overseeing this place.