Controversial S#!T

Britney Spears has addressed her shocking airplane behavior from Thursday ... and she just doesn't seem to think her actions were, well ... 'toxic.'

The Princess of Pop took to Instagram Friday night to share her side of the story after TMZ broke the news she had a talking to by police after she acted "difficult" and tried smoking on her chartered jet from Mexico ... calling the whole ordeal "incredibly funny."

She claims she thought she could smoke in the JSX jet because the drink holders were located on the outside of the seat. She adds ..."My friend put it in my mouth and lit 🔥 it up for me so I was like OH SO THIS IS A PLANE WHERE YOU CAN SMOKE !!!"

Kanye West's fully embraced antisemitism over the last few years ... even proclaiming himself a Nazi in early 2025 -- and, we've put together a timeline of his most controversial moments.

The rapper drew a ton of eyes after he went on a rant about slavery being a choice during a 2018 interview right here at TMZ's offices ... the beginning of a slew of controversial statements.

Ye kicked it up a notch in fall 2022 ... claiming he planned to go "death con 3" on Jewish people -- and praising Adolf Hitler in a series of posts.

Britney Spears caused a big commotion on a charter jet Thursday ... so much so, authorities met her after she got off the plane and gave her a warning.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney was flying with her security from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to LAX when she started drinking -- then pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and started smoking.

The flight attendants were alarmed and ordered her to put out the cig, which she did. We're told she was "difficult" ... and when the plane landed, our sources say she was met by authorities and warned about her conduct. She was then free to leave.

Jussie Smollett is speaking out after striking a pretty sweet deal with the Windy City to close his hate crime hoax situation there ... and he's ready to put this behind him, while getting a few parting shots in.

The "Empire" star says ... "What I have to do now is move forward. I will continue creating my art, fighting passionately for causes I hold dear and defending my integrity and family with the name of truth."

TMZ broke the story ... Jussie donated $50,000 to charity to settle a civil lawsuit the City of Chicago filed against him seeking restitution for the expense of investigating his 2019 hate crime hoax.

Lamar Odom found himself on Thursday night in the crosshairs of a couple dozen protestors ... who were so furious with the former NBA star for attending a Donald Trump-hosted gala, they actually booed the hell out of him right in the middle of a street.

Odom -- along with around 200 other crypto enthusiasts -- flocked to Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, to dine with POTUS and hear about his bitcoin plans ... but as the ex-hooper made his way to the event space, he wasn't greeted warmly.

Video from the scene shows people heckled him non-stop as he headed to the property's gates ... with some screaming, "Shame on you, Lamar!"

Hollywood is speaking out after the L.A. Zoo snuck out its two remaining Asian elephants Tina and Billy overnight on Tuesday -- avoiding any potential protesters amid fierce pressure to move them to a proper sanctuary rather than the Tulsa Zoo.

Priscilla Presley and Kim Basinger both tell TMZ they believe the overnight transfer was "cowardly," with the former adding she is "devastated and outraged" by the "cruel" treatment of the beloved elephants.

Priscilla -- who has advocated for animal rights via Last Chance for Animals for nearly a decade -- says Billy and Tina "deserved freedom, space to roam, and the peace of a true sanctuary."

SZA's Los Angeles stint for her "Grand National" tour is off to a depressing start ... the R&B star claims she persuaded a child to forfeit their fruity whippet at an In-N-Out parking lot!!!

The "Kill Bill" singer didn't specify how old she thought the young fan was, but says she convinced them to hand over a can of SuperWhip strawberry-banana-flavored nitrous oxide, in exchange for a photo/video for their IG ... where are the parents?!?

SZA says she'll do everything in her power to help change the scenario, but ripped America for making drugs so marketable and alluring to children.

A supporting actor in the upcoming "Madden" film quit on Friday -- just two weeks into production -- allegedly over the use of the N-word and full frontal nudity ... but sources close to Amazon Studios tell us the allegations are being twisted.

Here's the deal ... TMZ spoke with five members of the cast and crew for the upcoming film starring Nicolas Cage as the NFL legend, and Christian Bale as Raiders owner Al Davis ... and they independently leveled some serious claims about the film's director, David O. Russell.

Crew and cast members told us that on Friday, Russell was working with the unnamed actor on an impromptu monologue when the director allegedly said the N-word ... and that upset the actor, along with others, who allegedly walked off set before they broke for lunch, and subsequently wrapped for the day.

9:11 AM PT -- The L.A. Zoo has confirmed Billy and Tina the elephants have been "safely" transferred to the Tulsa Zoo despite fierce backlash over the move.

Contradictory to what critics argue, the zoo says in a statement Billy and Tina "will receive the same love and expert individualized care that they have had at the Los Angeles Zoo."

They also confirm Mayor Karen Bass inquired about having the elephants relocated to a sanctuary ... but after a "comprehensive evaluation" the decision to transfer the elephants to the Tulsa Zoo was "made with the health and well-being of the individual elephants as the top priority" -- plus a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and its Elephant Species Survival Plan.

Cher is gonna be pissed! The beloved L.A. Zoo elephants she went to bat for -- Billy and Tina -- were secreted outta the zoo under the cover of darkness last night ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the L.A. Zoo tell us Billy and Tina were removed around 1:30 AM Tuesday and, presumably, loaded up to be shipped to Tulsa Zoo -- a controversial move that prompted protests, a lawsuit and an angry letter to L.A. Mayor Karen Bass ... which Cher and several other celebs signed.

We're told the elephant exhibit at L.A. Zoo was empty Tuesday morning -- no elephants, no keepers and the electric perimeter fence was off ... clear indications the animals were on their way to Oklahoma.

Rudy Gobert wants to make it abundantly clear he's not abandoning his son after splitting from his pregnant partner, Julia Bonilla ... sharing a picture of them spending time together to get his point across.

The 32-year-old Minnesota Timberwolves center posted the snap of him lying shirtless in the grass with one-year-old Romeo and included the caption, "Great day" ... an apparent break from preparations for the Western Conference Finals this week.

The timing is interesting -- Gobert's currently going through a split amid the NBA playoffs ... and sources told TMZ Sports last week he instructed Bonilla to move out of his home and take their kid with her.

Drake's hoping to garner some support for his pal Tory Lanez's release ... sharing a petition calling on California Governor Gavin Newsom to pardon him.

The rapper took to Instagram Friday night to share a change.org link with the caption "@torylanez come home soon" ... and, the link led to a petition calling on the governor to "Correct a Deep Injustice" and pardon Tory.

According to the petition, Tory's conviction wasn't supported by enough physical evidence ... and, they feel the justice system straight up railroaded the guy and landed him a 10-year sentence.

Bianca Censori knows how to cool off a hot day ... grabbing ice cream with her man Kanye West -- and wearing her skimpiest clothes out.

The two stars were spotted in Mallorca with Bianca's sister, Angelina ... stopping off for a sweet treat in a crowded marketplace -- and Bianca's back in her summer ensembles, leaving nothing to the imagination.

BC wore a mesh top out with no bra underneath -- so, everyone around them got to see everything she's packing up top.

Audio from former President Joe Biden's interview in a damning special counsel report about his memory struggles is now out in the ether ... and it further shows Biden's memory lapses.

Axios just released a portion of Biden's interview with former special counsel Robert Hur ... the clip is from a since-shuttered investigation into BIden's handling of classified documents, in which Hur concluded Biden was a "well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory."

Biden was president at the time of the interview ... and he had trouble recalling dates and other important events ... namely, the year his son Beau died.

James Comey shared some controversial digits on social media ... and now federal officials are calling for a criminal investigation, claiming it's a call to assassinate President Trump.

The former director of the FBI took to Instagram Thursday to share a post with the number '8647' written out on a sandy shore in seashells ... later deleting it after some accused Comey of making a threat on Trump's life.

If ya don't know ... to "86" someone is hospitality shorthand for throwing them out of somewhere -- usually a bar or restaurant. But 86 could also be taking someone out in a more violent way ... depending on how the numbers are used.

Haley Joel Osment's trying not to draw too much attention these days ... stepping out in an incognito ensemble in his first appearance since he used a slur while being arrested in Mammoth.

The actor took his dogs for a walk around the block Wednesday ... dark sunglasses covering his eyes and a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap pulled low over his eyes.

He added a maroon polo, a gray jacket and black pants ... looking like any other normie out for a stroll instead of one of the biggest child stars of all time.

JoJo Siwa’s "Celebrity Big Brother" stint came with its fair share of controversy -- courtesy of some offensive remarks from Mickey Rourke -- and she hasn't heard from him since the show wrapped.

Photogs caught up with the "Dance Moms" alum in NYC, where she joked that Mickey had probably forgotten who she is by now.

The actor agreed to leave 'CBB' over his inappropriate behavior and language on the show, including homophobic remarks directed at JoJo.