Controversial S#!T

Detective Melissa Mercado -- the NYPD detective who went viral for appearing as a stripper in a raunchy music video -- has been taken off active sex crimes cases pending the results of a police review.

Law enforcement sources confirm to TMZ ... Melissa -- who is known as a good investigator -- isn't catching active cases in the Special Victims Unit, which looks into alleged sex crimes, while under review.

We're told police officials have to determine if she submitted off-duty paperwork ... documents every NYPD officer must file if they're working another job off the clock.

James Kennedy is apologizing after receiving social media backlash over a photo he posted with controversial internet personalities Andrew and Tristan Tate.

The “Vanderpump Rules” alum took to Instagram on Saturday in which he said he “regrets” posting a since deleted photo with the controversial brothers on Friday night at LIV nightclub in Las Vegas. He explained … “I was unfamiliar with their content and the allegations against them.”

JK went on to say that he “only knew them as podcasters that had posted a viral clip about Vanderpump. I have since educated myself and condemn their beliefs. I am sorry to all that I offended.”

Bill Belichick's proving he can be a sweet boyfriend ... showering his love Jordon Hudson in delicious desserts -- though he may be a little late on the celebration.

The legendary head coach's girlfriend shared a picture from their anniversary dinner Friday night ... featuring a chocolate cake with "Happy Anniversary" written in white frosting.

The plate's got a candle and a few other goodies on it ... and, Jordon added her own twist by writing in brown script text on the photo "better late than never" with a matching heart after it.

Dana White's catching some flak online after warmly greeting Andrew and Tristan Tate at a Power Slap event ... welcoming them back to the United States.

The president of the UFC was out Power Slap 12 in Las Vegas Friday night ... and, video of him dapping up the controversial brothers is circulating online.

Watch the clip for yourself ... Dana pulls the brothers in for a quick hug before yelling out "Welcome to the States, boys."

S-Quire and Picture Perfect, the rapper and director behind the week's hottest rap music video, aren't celebrating the viral moment their video vixen turned out to be an NYPD detective ... she was such a pro, they hired her from a legit casting agency!!!

TMZ Hip Hop spoke to both artists about their "Doin That" video, now infamous for Detective Melissa Mercado's thong-twerking and pole-dancing moves inside a strip club rented out for the video.

S-Quire says having the "cop rap video" is not a tag he wants on his jacket and reveals the onscreen chemistry he and Mercado shared was simply showmanship ... which you can see in the BTS footage below.

Getting R. Kelly on the phone from prison put podcasters April Smith and Patricia Dillard in a serious dilemma ... one where they risked backlash from the public, and even their own families.

As we reported, April and Patricia made the decision to post their interview with the convicted felon, which they did for their "Inmate Tea with A&P" podcast -- and during their chat Patricia, in particular, was feeling it when Kelly started singing.

The duo told us scoring the Kelly interview happened totally by accident ... they were interviewing a different inmate who mentioned Kelly was in the same prison, and he managed to get him on the line.

Nadya Suleman -- AKA "Octomom" -- is opening up about the public scrutiny she faced after gaining international notoriety for becoming the first woman to deliver 8 healthy octuplets in 2009.

The mother of 14 kids in total says all the attention was unwanted, since she never wanted to be famous in the first place. In a 'GMA' interview Thursday, Nadya acknowledged that not being married, and struggling to support her huge brood, were the main reasons she faced death threats, condemnation, and misplaced hate.

Nadya also got real about what she says is the huge misconception she was fame-hungry. She revealed that, in reality, she was painfully shy and had always dreamed of getting her Ph.D. in psychology. But, with everything blowing up, it all became overwhelming and eventually landed her in rehab.

Casey Anthony is only embarking on her new career as a legal advocate for two reasons -- money and fame ... so says the judge from her notorious 2011 murder trial.

Retired Judge Belvin Perry Jr., who presided over Casey's child-murder trial, tells TMZ ... Casey, for starters, is craving attention after being out of the spotlight for a while.

Perry also says Casey wants to make some cold hard cash ... that's why she's asking her fans to pay $10 a month or $100 a year to subscribe to her Substack, which offers to help people with legal issues.

Conan O'Brien's well-landed joke halfway through Sunday night's Oscars -- about Kendrick Lamar calling Drake a pedophile -- was nearly left in comedy purgatory, sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Hip Hop.

Last night, Conan used a commercial break return to poke fun at the halftime cue for Kendrick to shade Drake, in a nod to rap's biggest moment last year, and last month's Super Bowl show (see below) ... but we're hearing both the Academy and ABC had strong reservations about getting the joke in, and pushed back in fear of how the crowd would react.

One particular producer made the case and fought the powers, because they firmly believed in the joke. Whether good or bad, the gag was bound to have a big, audible reception!!!

Michelle Trachtenberg was left out of the in memoriam segment of the Academy Awards just days after her shocking death -- and, fans aren't happy about it.

The in memoriam segment -- which kicked off with a touching tribute from Morgan Freeman to the recently deceased Gene Hackman -- paid tribute to many people who did pass away last year ... including Maggie Smith, James Earl Jones and David Lynch.

However, Michelle wasn't included among their ranks ... and, social media users are outraged by the snub.

Diane Warren has just joined an exclusive club she probably never wanted to be in ... 'cause she just tied the record for most Oscars losses without a win -- with a catch.

The singer-songwriter -- who was given an Honorary Academy Award back in 2022 -- was up for Best Original Song for her track "The Journey" from "The Six Triple Eight" ... but, she lost to "El Mal" from "Emilia Pérez."

The loss marked the 16th of Warren's career ... which ties her with sound engineer Greg P. Russell for most official nominations lost without ever winning a golden statue.

Conan O'Brien's confusing the Academy Awards with the Super Bowl ... 'cause he says the show's halfway done -- so, it's time for someone to quote Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us."

The show just came back from break ... and, Conan let everyone know the Oscars are at the midway point -- which means it's "time to call Drake a pedophile."

Conan's referencing Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime show performance last month ... when he rapped the song which calls Drake a predator. During that show, he did censor himself and didn't rap the word.

Conan O'Brien's clearly not afraid of ruffling some feathers at the Academy Awards ... 'cause he took a shot at Karla Sofía Gascón during his monologue -- reminding everyone about her controversial tweets.

The famous talk show host took the stage Sunday night and delivered a speech full of jokes about some of Hollywood's biggest players ... including a shot at Timothée Chalamet's bright yellow suit and a spoof of "The Substance" where he climbed out of Demi Moore's skin.

In the middle of all that, Conan joked that "Anora" features the f-word and variations of it 479 times ... which is just three more than the number Gascón's publicist used after she found out about Karla's tweets.

FBI Director Kash Patel wants UFC fighters to train his Agents ... and well there's one that is totally down! 🙋🏽 Justin Gaethje.

TMZ Sports spoke to 36-year-old Gaethje, who at the moment is a little tied up preparing for his co-main event scrap with Rafael Fiziev, who was plugged in for an injured Dan Hooker this week.

After the March 8 scrap in Las Vegas, the lightweight contender is down to help the country's top law enforcement agency in any way he can ... training personnel, or just kickin' the ass himself.

Elon Musk ain't apologizing for his controversial hand motion after Donald Trump was inaugurated ... instead, he's doubling down with a series of Nazi jokes that almost certainly won't tone down the criticism of the mogul.

The Trump ally and tech entrepreneur stopped by "The Joe Rogan Experience" for an episode published Friday ... and, during the chat he opened up about liberals and others claiming he was giving a Nazi salute at Trump's inauguration in January.

Remember, Musk drew ugly comparisons when he pointed his right hand in the air -- much like a Heil Hitler salute ... though he claims he was just saying his heart goes out to the audience. Now, he says he did "not see" the backlash coming.

If you thought Kanye West couldn’t shock us anymore with his Nazi-loving opinions, think again -- he was spotted wearing one of the swastika T-shirts he was selling on his site before it went dark.

Check out the video -- the rapper was dressed in the shirt while out in L.A. Thursday, chatting with a group of guys. He then noticed the camera and made sure to stroll farther into the frame, ensuring a full, uninterrupted view of him in the shirt.

It’s a disturbing sight -- Kanye standing there alone in the shirt, staring at the camera and scanning his surroundings like he’s completely oblivious to the weight of what he’s doing.