Controversial S#!T

Nick Saban is clearing the air on his decision to retire ... adamantly denying he is walking away from his legendary career due to the NIL era.

It's no secret -- the seven-time national championship winner was a huge critic of allowing student-athletes to cash in on their popularity ever since it was introduced in 2021 ... and now that it's resulted in massive checks for some of the top stars in the country, he felt it was just a fancy way of saying "pay for play," which could lead to tampering through the transfer protocol.

Deion Sanders' farewell post about Saban even seemingly hinted at the 72-year-old not being able to keep up with the NIL and transfer facet of his job ... saying, "The game has change so much that it chased the GOAT away."

But, Saban is shooting down that notion in an interview with ESPN on Thursday ... explaining that's not what led him to retirement.

"Don't make it about that. It's not about that," Saban said of the speculation. "To me, if you choose to coach, you don't need to be complaining about all that stuff. You need to adjust to it and adapt to it and do the best you can under the circumstances and not complain about it."

Saban feels like he's not alone in thinking the NCAA has a big issue on its hands ... adding, "I think everybody is frustrated about it."

He also pointed out Bama continued to find success in the NIL era ... but at the end of the day, it was time to move on and hand over the reins to someone else.

Saban did, however, open up on the challenges he faced this past season ... saying he didn't experience any major health issues, but seemingly suggested his age was finally catching up to him.

The good news for Bama?? Saban said he'll stick around and help with the transition ... which was made clear when he arrived on campus Thursday morning.

Aaron Rodgers está de vuelta en el programa de Pat McAfee, solo 24 horas después de que Pat anunciara que el 4x MVP de la NFL había terminado su participación por la temporada, ¡pues el jugador de los Jets hizo una aparición inesperada en las ondas de ESPN!

Pero los chicos se ciñeron a los deportes. Solo discutieron las salidas de Bill Belichick y Nick Saban de los New England y Alabama. No se habló nada de Jeffrey Epstein, Jimmy Kimmel, Anthony Fauci, COVID-19, o cualquier otro tema candente.

La visita, de unos 5 minutos probablemente, ni siquiera sería noticia si no fuera por el anuncio que McAfee hizo en el programa de ayer, donde dijo: "Los martes de Aaron Rodgers, la temporada 4, se acabó".

Pat continuó explicando que estaba aliviado de que Aaron no volviera más al programa, al menos, durante unos meses.

"Habrá un montón de gente que estará feliz con esto, yo incluido, para ser honestos con ustedes. La forma en que terminó, se puso muy ruidoso. Estoy contento de que no vaya a estar en mis menciones en el futuro, lo cual es una gran noticia".

El anuncio fue recibido con enfado por algunos aficionados, quienes percibieron que McAfee le estaba dando la espalda a Rodgers. La aparición del jueves parece poner fin a cualquier especulación de que Aaron y Pat tengan alguna disputa.

De hecho, Pat abordó algunas de las reacciones (dijo que estaba siendo "absolutamente aplastado") y aparentemente aclaró que Rodgers no iba a unirse los martes porque su temporada de fútbol había terminado y quería disfrutar de su tiempo libre.

Cuando Aaron se desconectó, Pat comentó su vínculo con Rodgers antes de seguir con su programa.

Aaron Rodgers is back on the Pat McAfee show ... just about 24 hours after Pat announced the 4x NFL MVP was done for the season, the Jets signal caller made an unannounced appearance on the ESPN airwaves!

But, the guys stuck to sports ... only discussing Bill Belichick and Nick Saban's departures in New England and Alabama. There was no talk of Jeffrey Epstein, Jimmy Kimmel, Anthony Fauci, COVID-19, or any other hot-button issues.

The 5-ish minute visit would likely not even be newsworthy if not for the announcement that McAfee made on yesterday's show, saying, "Aaron Rodgers' Tuesday, season 4, is done."

Pat went on to explain that he was relieved Aaron wouldn't be back on the show ... for a few months, at least.

“There will be a lot of people who are happy with that, myself included, to be honest with you. The way it ended, it got real loud. I am happy that he’s not going to be in my mentions going forward, which is great news.”

The announcement was met with anger by some fans who perceived McAfee as turning his back on Rodgers. Thursday's appearance would seem to put any speculation to bed that Aaron and Pat have any beef.

In fact, Pat addressed some of the reaction (he said he was getting "absolutely crushed"), seemingly clarifying that Rodgers wasn't going to join on Tuesdays because his football season's over, and he wants to enjoy his time off.

When Aaron logged off, Pat commented on his bond with AR before moving on with his show.

FKA Twigs recently did a Calvin Klein campaign where she showed a little skin -- which was apparently too risque for the United Kingdom ... but she's calling it BS, and outright unfair.

Here's the deal ... the singer is one of the newest faces for the famed fashion line, and one of the shots that was released as part of her campaign has actually gotten censored in the UK -- all thanks to a government agency known as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

According to them, this specific ad featuring FKA violates one of its provisions in that it could "present her as a stereotypical sexual object" ... this because the pic places "viewers' focus on the model's body rather than on the clothing being advertised." They go on to say that this image is likely to cause serious offense ... so they're completely yanking it in public.

The photo in question shows Twigs butt naked -- but covered up with a denim shirt of some kind, which is draped over her ... and some side-boob showing, as well as some butt/thigh.

It's not the raciest shot in the world, and yet ... it seems to have been too much for the Brits. FKA came out and slammed the decision, saying she sees herself as a strong woman of color in this photo -- while going on to suggest there are double standards at play here.

She might have a point ... there's another recent Calvin Klein ad with Kendall Jenner -- where she too is somewhat topless -- that's been running in the UK without issue.

Of course, there's also the Jeremy Allen White campaign that dropped last week -- and we're sure that's getting a ton of play across the pond. Unclear if FKA thinks this enforcement on her pertains to race, sex or both ... but in any case, she feels she's getting a raw deal.

She writes, "i am proud of my physicality and hold the art i create with my vessel to the standards of women like josephine baker, eartha kitt and grace jones who broke down barriers of what it looks like to be empowered and harness a unique embodied sensuality."

FKA Twigs hizo una campaña para Calvin Klein recientemente donde mostró un poco de piel, lo que al parecer fue demasiado para el Reino Unido, aunque ella está diciendo que todo es una estupidez y algo abiertamente injusto.

Esta es la cuestión, la cantante es uno de los nuevos rostros de la famosa marca de moda, y una de las fotos que se publicó como parte de su campaña ha sido censurada en el Reino Unido por una agencia gubernamental conocida como Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Según ellos, este anuncio específico de FKA viola una de sus disposiciones, pues podría "presentarla como un objeto sexual estereotipado" al poner "el foco de los espectadores en el cuerpo de la modelo en lugar de la ropa que se anuncia."

Continúan diciendo que es probable que esta imagen cause una ofensa grave, por lo que han decidido retirarla completamente del público.

La foto en cuestión muestra el culo desnudo de Twigs, pero cubierto con una camisa de mezclilla de algún tipo sobre ella y un poco de su pecho, así como algunas nalgas y muslos.

No es la foto más sexual del mundo y, sin embargo, parece ser demasiado para los británicos. FKA salió a criticar la decisión, diciendo que se ve a sí misma como una mujer de color fuerte en esa foto. Además, sugirió que hay un doble estándar.

Ella podría tener un punto. Otros anuncios recientes de Calvin Klein con Kendall Jenner algo en topless, han estado funcionando en el Reino Unido sin problemas.

Por supuesto, también está la campaña de Jeremy Allen White que se lanzó la semana pasada, y estamos seguros de que está recibiendo un montón de atención al otro lado del charco. No está claro si FKA piensa que esta decisión sobre ella se refiere a la raza, el sexo o ambos, pero en cualquier caso, siente que está recibiendo un trato injusto.

Ella escribió: "Estoy orgullosa de mi físico y sostengo el arte que creo con mi recipiente (...) como Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt y Grace Jones, quienes rompieron las barreras de lo que parece estar empoderado y encarnaron una sensualidad única".

El casting de Marisa Abela como Amy Winehouse ha estado cabreando a la gente durante un año y las cosas siguen igual después de que el trailer salió a la luz.

Por lo que podemos ver, Marisa no es idéntica a la fallecida cantante, pero se acerca lo suficiente, pasando de ser una londinense común y corriente a una poderosa mujer con tatuajes en el primer tráiler de la película —"Back to Black"—, que muestra su ascenso en la industria músical.

Algunos se niegan a dar el brazo a torcer y un montón de haters ya se han hecho escuchar en X. El enojo es más que nada el casting de Marisa y también han pronosticado que la película se hundirá en taquilla. Resumiendo: muchos usuarios creen que no es creíble como la difunta Amy, tanto por su aspecto como por su voz.

Sin embargo, no todo es sombrío, otros admiten que están gratamente sorprendidos por el tráiler —lo suficiente como para ir al cine— añadiendo que se ve muy emocional.

El tráiler definitivamente despertó algo de conmoción. Se oye a la Winehouse de Abela decir que no escribe canciones para ser famosa y que solo lo hace porque no sabe qué otra cosa haría si no lo hiciera.

Ella también espera que la gente se olvide de los prejuicios cuando escuchen su voz. Amy tocó millones antes de su trágico fallecimiento a los 27 años de intoxicación accidental por alcohol en 2011.

La reacción mixta a la película biográfica dirigida por Sam Taylor-Johnson no es una sorpresa, ya que los fans de Amy se han estado quejando durante un tiempo de que Marisa no se parecía en nada a la estrella - también criticando la necesidad de una película biográfica en el primer lugar.

Sin embargo, el propio padre de Amy —Mitch— está totalmente de acuerdo con la película biográfica, diciendole a TMZ a principios del año pasado que Marisa es una gran elección para el papel, incluso si ella no se ve exactamente como Amy.

Jack O'Connell interpreta al marido de Amy, Blake Fielder-Civil, y Juliet Cowan y Eddie Marsan interpretan a su madre y su padre, Janis y Mitch Winehouse.

Marisa Abela's casting as Amy Winehouse has been pissing people off for about a year -- and loads are STILL fuming after the trailer for the biopic dropped ... can't win 'em all.

As far as we can see, Marisa's not a dead ringer for the late icon ... but she's close enough -- going from an average everyday Londoner to a beehive-wearing, heavily-tatted powerhouse in the first international teaser trailer for "Back to Black," showing her rise in the biz.

Some refuse to cut her slack, with a crap ton of haters hitting X with their fuming takes on Marisa's casting & also predicting the movie will tank at the box office. Long story short -- a lot of users feel she's just not believable as the late, great AW ... both in look, and in voice.

It ain't all bleak, though -- others admit they're pleasantly surprised at the trailer ... enough for them to make a theatre trip -- adding that it looks super emotional.

The trailer definitely stirs up some poignancy ... Abela's Winehouse is heard saying she doesn't pen songs to be famous ... only doing it cause she doesn't know what else she'd do if she didn't.

She also hopes people forget their troubles when listening to her voice -- which arguably they did as Amy's music touched millions before her tragic passing at 27 from accidental alcohol poisoning in 2011.

The mixed reaction to the Sam Taylor-Johnson-directed biopic doesn't come as a surprise as Amy fans have been venting for a while over Marisa looking nothing like the star -- also slamming the need for a biopic in the first place.

Though, Amy's own dad Mitch is totally cool with the biopic ... telling TMZ early last year Marisa's a great choice for the role -- even if she doesn't look exactly like Amy.

Jack O'Connell plays Amy's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, and Juliet Cowan & Eddie Marsan play her mom and dad, Janis and Mitch Winehouse.

The late, great George Carlin has a new comedy special out -- thanks to the use of AI technology ... but one person who is up in arms about it is his daughter, Kelly.

The producer/screenwriter dished her thoughts on this new AI special, "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead," that's making the rounds right now ... in which a fake George Carlin -- recreated through an AI program -- cranked out new jokes ... in the vein of the real McCoy.

It sure sounds like GC, and the delivery is the same too -- as are the topics he famously touched on -- like religion, and some new material on Elon Musk, streaming, and more.

Kelly responded, laying it all out there in a statement, saying, "My dad spent a lifetime perfecting his craft from his very human life, brain and imagination. No machine will ever replace his genius."

She says artificial intelligence products are "clever attempts at trying to recreate a mind that will never exist again" -- adding the whole thing "stepped over a line."

Kelly urges folks to let the artist's work speak for itself ... reminding fans that the real George Carlin has 14 specials that are available everywhere -- if ya wanna listen to the actual material.

The bizarre standup set was made as part of the Podcast, Dudesy -- hosted by Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen -- and folks online have been siding with Kelly, thinking the whole thing is just weird.

And we'll say ... however close AI will get to the real thing, it'll never top the perfection that George brought to the stage for decades. Kelly has a point -- this is close, but no cigar.

Una madre de Ohio está tras las rejas después de ser acusada de mentir sobre el cáncer de su hija y utilizarlo para recaudar dinero en un caso que recuerda inquietantemente a la terrible experiencia de Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

Pamela Reed fue detenida el lunes después de que las autoridades dijeran que la mujer le dijo a sus amigos y familiares que su hija, identificada como AR y hoy de 7 años, tenía cáncer, específicamente leucemia mieloide y que sufría convulsiones y era ciega de un ojo.

Las autoridades dicen que Pamela incluso rapó la cabeza de AR para reforzar sus afirmaciones y que habría recaudado alrededor de $8,000 para pagar los gastos de tratamiento del cáncer de AR.

Pero, de acuerdo con la declaración jurada del arresto, todo llegó a su fin cuando la enfermera de la escuela de AR descubrió que no estaba ciega de su ojo derecho, y tras llamar al médico de la niña, se enteró de que no tenía cáncer.

La policía dice que Reed confesó la verdad más tarde a la escuela y le dijo a la policía que reenvasaba recetas para hacer parecer que eran para el tratamiento del cáncer.

Los funcionarios también afirman que le dio medicamentos para las convulsiones a AR que no necesitaba.

Cuando los policías la interrogaron, Reed admitió haber seguido adelante con la mentira durante mucho tiempo porque disfrutaba del apoyo financiero.

Según los policías, Reed ha estado publicando sobre los problemas de salud de su hija desde que tenía 20 meses de edad.

An Ohio mother is behind bars after being accused of lying about her daughter's cancer, and using it to raise money in a case eerily reminiscent of Gypsy Rose Blanchard's ordeal.

Pamela Reed was arrested Monday after authorities say she told friends and family for years her 7-year-old daughter, identified as AR, had cancer -- specifically myeloid leukemia -- suffered from seizures and was blind in her right eye.

Law enforcement says Pamela even shaved AR's head to bolster her claims, and had raised about $8,000 ... which was given to help aid AR's cancer treatment expenses.

But, according to the arrest affidavit, it all came to an end when AR's school nurse discovered she wasn't blind in her right eye, and after calling the girl's doctor, learned she did not have cancer.

Cops say Reed later confessed to doctoring AR's paperwork for the school and told cops she repackaged prescriptions to make it seem like they were for cancer treatment.

Officials also claim she gave AR seizure medication she didn't need.

When cops grilled her, Reed admitted carrying on the big lie for so long, because she enjoyed all the financial support.

According to cops, Reed has been posting about her daughter's health concerns since she was 20 months old.

Joseline Hernandez is gearing up for an unforgettable ride this year with her new reality show, "The Dancing Freakz" -- and it's all about turning up the heat with male strippers.

TMZ's scored this teaser, and you can expect a lot -- or very little, if you're talking clothing -- with a male dancer busting out his best strip skills on a female audience member.

These moves are provocative enough to make the dudes over at "Magic Mike" blush!

The show's out in July -- so for now, you gotta be satisfied with just the clip ... of a dancer rockin' a thin piece of cloth over his manhood with a whip in hand, showing a female customer a good ol' time.

The 'Love & Hip Hop' alum is hot under the collar herself ... wide-eyed and fanning herself during his performance, so we can only imagine how NSFW the content will be for viewers.

We're told 50 men are competing to be on Joseline's upcoming tour.

Each dancer is tasked with bringing up a woman from the 150-strong crowd, and sources close to the production tell us Joseline's not judging by sexiness or best body ... instead, it's based on who shows the ladies the craziest time.

Basically, it's a racier version of Chippendales, and she'll narrow it down to 15 dancers to join her on tour -- where she's made it clear the guys will go full Monty. That's your warning, front row customers!

Joseline Hernandez se prepara para un viaje inolvidable este año con su nuevo reality show "The Dancing Freakz" y se trata de subir la temperatura con stripers masculinos.

¡Vimos el teaser y podemos decir que hay mucho que ver! Un bailarín le muestra sus mejores habilidades a una mujer del público y los movimientos son tan provocativos que podemos apostar a que los chicos de "Magic Mike" se sonrojarían.

El espectáculo se estrena en julio, así que por ahora habrá que conformarse con el clip de un bailarín en una fina pieza de tela que cubre su virilidad y un látigo en la mano.

La estrella de "Joseline Cabaret" se muestra con los ojos muy abiertos y abanicándose hacia abajo... podemos imaginar que el show dará de que hablar.

Nos dicen que 50 hombres están compitiendo para estar en la próxima gira de la ex alumna de "Love & Hip Hop".

A cada bailarín se le asigna la tarea de sacar a relucir a una mujer de entre las 150 asistentes, y fuentes cercanas a la producción nos dicen que Josephine no juzgará al más sexy o al que tenga el mejor cuerpo, sino a quien las haga pasar mejor.

Finalmente va a sumar a 15 hombres a su gira y dejó claro que los chicos estarán completamente desnudos.

Sen. Chuck Schumer is one of a handful of lawmakers signaling a major shift in the U.S. government's approach to UFO reports -- further evidence people in power believe the truth needs to be uncovered.

The third part of the docuseries event, "TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution" examines who's leading the charge in Washington, DC, why they're doing it ... and what it means to the public.

Schumer and Sen. Mike Rounds introduced bipartisan legislation last year -- the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) -- to increase the government's transparency on reports of UAP activity, and it was passed last month.

Another critical voice in the fight for disclosure is Stanford Professor Dr. Garry Nolan, and he says the very public involvement of prominent lawmakers, particularly Schumer, proves UAP (or UFOs) are no longer a fringe issue.

As Garry puts it in episode 3, available now on Tubi, Schumer wouldn't sponsor the NDAA and risk reputation -- especially in a presidential election year -- if he didn't believe there's something behind it.

Schumer was also a close friend of the late Sen. Harry Reid -- one of the trailblazers of the UFO movement -- and that's another reason he's pushing for transparency.

Filmmaker and journalist Jeremy Corbell, who's been leading our investigation, says getting DC "pit bulls" on board could potentially take this search for answers to places he never before thought possible.

Un editor de Hollywood está recibiendo malas noticias profesionalmente, debido a su reciente detención por poner en peligro a unos niños. A pesar de la especulación que va a seguir trabajando en un gran espectáculo de Amazon Prime... TMZ puede confirmar que está fuera.

Christopher Charkowski —de 39 años— fue detenido en el condado de Los Ángeles la semana pasada por un cargo de delito grave de crueldad intencional a un niño causando posibles lesiones o la muerte, y un video está circulando en línea que supuestamente lo muestra abusando del niño dentro de una casa.

Fuentes policiales nos dicen que este video de vigilancia que ha estado haciendo rondando por las redes sociales, se le ha presentado a las autoridades como parte de su investigación del caso. Los registros judiciales indican que el presunto delito se cometió en junio de 2022.

El caso fue archivado en noviembre, pero Charkowski no fue detenido y fichado por la policía hasta el 4 de enero. Lo que se muestra en este video es inquietante, por decir lo menos, y podría ser una pieza clave de las pruebas a medida que avanza este caso.

En el video se ve a un hombre perdiendo la cabeza y yendo a por lo que parece ser un niño pequeño. Se le ve poner las manos encima del niño, estrangularlo y posiblemente incluso darle algún puñetazo.

No está claro cuál es la relación entre el adulto y el niño, pero los oficiales tienen motivos suficientes para creer que es Charkowski quien aparece en el video.

Por cierto, ha sido puesto en libertad bajo fianza y las fechas para la corte están programadas.

Ahora, en cuanto a quién es Charkowski en el mundo del espectáculo, ha trabajado en post-producción para un montón de grandes programas de televisión. Más recientemente, editó el video de "Jury Duty", que dio de que hablar de la ciudad el año pasado, e incluso fue nominado en los Globos de Oro del pasado fin de semana.

Charkowski aparece como parte del departamento editorial de esa serie, y luego de que este video saliera a la luz, la gente ha estado clamando para que Amazon lo deje caer lo antes posible. Una fuente directa le dice a TMZ que Charkowski ya no está afiliado con el estudio.

Nos dicen que su papel en "Jury Duty" —que se extendió por 8 episodios— vino y se fue una vez que terminó la producción hace casi un año. Nuestras fuentes dicen que era un contratista externo al show, no un empleado permanente de Amazon/Freevee.

Desde entonces, nuestras fuentes dicen que no ha sido empleado de Amazon en absoluto y es seguro decir que no va a volver.

Otro espectáculo en el que ha trabajado durante mucho tiempo es Bravo "Below Deck Mediterranean", pero una fuente señala que no ha estado con ellos desde hace unos dos años.

A prominent Hollywood editor is getting the cold shoulder, professionally, due to his recent arrest for child endangerment -- and despite speculation he'll continue working on a big-time Amazon Prime show ... TMZ can confirm he's out.

Thirty-nine-year-old Christopher Charkowski was arrested in L.A. County last week on a felony charge of willful cruelty to a child causing possible possible injury or death -- and a video is circulating online allegedly showing him brutalizing a kid inside of a house.

Law enforcement sources tell us this clip -- home surveillance footage that's been making the rounds on social media -- has been submitted to authorities as part of their investigation of the case. Court records list the date of the alleged offense as June 2022.

The case was filed back in November, but Charkowski wasn't hauled in and booked by law enforcement until Jan. 4. What's depicted in this video is disturbing, to say the least, and could be a key piece of evidence as this case proceeds.

In the clip, you see a man losing his mind and going after what appears to be a little boy. You can see him putting his hands on the kid, throttling him and possibly even throwing some punches.

It's unclear what the relation might be between the adult and child here, but on its face, it appears law enforcement had enough reason to believe it's Charkowski in the video.

BTW, he's been released on bail -- and future court dates are scheduled.

Now, as far as who Charkowski is in showbiz ... he's worked in post-production for a lot of big TV shows. Most recently, he edited video for "Jury Duty," which was the talk of the town last year, and was even nominated at last weekend's Golden Globes.

Charkowski is listed as part of the editorial department for that series -- and after this video got out, people have been clamoring for Amazon to drop him ASAP. Welp, a source with direct knowledge tells TMZ that Charkowski is no longer affiliated with the studio.

We're told his role on "Jury Duty" -- which spanned 8 episodes -- came and went once they wrapped production nearly a year ago, and our sources say he was an outside contractor on the show, not a permanent employee of Amazon/Freevee.

Since then, our sources say he hasn't been employed at Amazon whatsoever -- and safe to say ... he won't be back.

Another show he's worked on for a long time is Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean," but a production source points out to TMZ .... he hasn't been with them for about 2 years now.

Lil Nas X's claim of being accepted to a Christian college was a fib of biblical proportions -- at least according to the higher ed institution itself ... who says they've never heard of him.

A spokesperson for Liberty University tells TMZ Hip Hop, "We can confirm that Liberty University did not issue the Montero Hill 'acceptance letter' posted yesterday to social media, and we have no record of Montero Hill applying to the University. Liberty University exists to glorify God by equipping men and women in higher education in fidelity to the Christian faith expressed through the Holy Scriptures."

"We continue to pray for America and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be proclaimed across this land. We welcome all to apply and join us at Liberty University."

LNX posted the phony placard as part of his new song rollout that's hellbent on convincing fans he's not the devil-worshipping dandy that Dave Chappelle made him out to be in his newest Netflix special.

Many people noted the letter he posted was edited/old ... 'cause the ex-Prez whose John Hancock is on there died a long time ago -- so it was easy to spot the fake. Still, now we got LU officially shutting it down ... and sending prayers Nas X's way too to boot.

Of course, this stunt is just the latest LNX has pulled over the past few weeks to plug this new single of his -- 'J Christ' -- which is very much the opposite of his devil song from a few years ago ... "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)." Now, he's trying to seem holier than thou.

Speaking of this new track ... Lil Nas X dropped a teaser of the music video for it on Wednesday -- and there's a bunch of celebrity lookalikes heading up to the pearly gates.

Funny enough, we saw photos of these same actors a couple months ago doing a shoot -- and while we didn't know what this was for at the time ... we certainly do now. You can take a peek and check out the photos yourself to see what was happening behind the scenes.

Montero may not be a holy roller on campus next semester but he's still pumped to take his fans on a divine journey ... judging from his upcoming "J Christ" music video that spoofs several celebrities walking up the stairways to heaven.

We got a hold of some pics from the shoot ... doppelgängers of everyone from Taylor Swift to Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson, Kanye West -- even Queen Elizabeth can be seen Nasing it up!!!