Exclusive

John Oliver and Elon Musk have been in a little back and forth lately -- and with the ball technically in JO's court ... he's now picking it up and giving his response to us.

We got the comedian Monday at LAX and asked about this new feud he seems to find himself in with the Tesla chief -- who recently labeled him "woke" ... not to mention calling him "weak sauce." Of course, Elon appeared to be responding to John highlighting him on his show last month.

Here's what Elon had to say in response to an article that basically trashed John's 'Last Week Tonight' segment -- which picked Elon apart in great detail. EM wrote, "It is rather tragic to see an otherwise capable comedian like @iamjohnoliver become weak sauce."

He added, "The reason he is not very funny these days is because he is too keen to pander to wokeness, which is fundamentally a lie, whereas great humor requires revealed truth."

Welp, now John's weighing in on Elon's gripe with him -- namely, accusing him of going "woke" ... which is basically EM's favorite word these days. In our walk-and-chat with JO ... he basically shrugged his shoulders on what it is he thinks Elon thinks of him.

The one thing John knows for sure about Elon is that he's thin-skinned as hell -- but as far as what Elon's getting at with his "woke" argument ... John says he can't play psychologist for a dude like Mr. Musk. In fact, he says he's not sure Elon knows what he means!

Our photog asked one big question -- do you think your feud will continue on??? John has a hilarious response ... and to us, it kinda proves Elon wrong in his assessment of humor.

Suge Knight has questioned the legitimacy of losing his Death Row Records ownership since Snoop Dogg acquired it -- but the label's co-owner says that's far from factual ... as they push the mighty DR into the next millennium!!!

Michael “Harry-O” Harris tells us Snoop's purchase of the label is as legit as it gets, and while he admits he's leery of having discussions about Suge ... he still feels the incarcerated ex-mogul is steaming with hot air!!!

Harry-O has been involved with Death Row for some time now, but a beef between Suge and him quickly boiled over ... leaving both men at the helm during times while the other sat in prison.

Harris was pardoned on Donald Trump's last day as President and immediately got to work with Snoop, re-releasing the label's catalog onto streaming services, and dismissing Suge's commentary. As he put it, the loudest in the room isn't always the correct one.

Chris Daughtry is acknowledging aspiring professional singers these days might not need something like "American Idol" to launch their careers ... but he's walking a fine line here.

The 'Idol' alum was at LAX Monday, and our photog chatted him up about the modern landscape of music and television -- which, in the good old days of the aughts, made for the perfect combination of stardom on shows like 'AI' and others.

CD, of course, is a great example of that -- he didn't win the competition, but came out as a hugely popular artist nonetheless ... and he's been incredibly successful in the music biz.

With that in mind, our camera guy asks if he thinks 'Idol' is pretty much obsolete in the era of TikTok -- when up-and-comers can go viral much more easily than back then ... and break into the industry with a little more ease.

Welp, Chris won't go so far as to say 'Idol' is ancient and irrelevant -- you can tell he doesn't wanna straight up trash the show -- but he does note the obvious ... there are other routes.

Basically, Chris says he's just not sure if there are less people going out for 'Idol' in 2024 as there were back in 2004. On the question of whether can churn out megastars the way you used to in its heyday ... there, too, he kinda gives a shrugged-shoulder response.

Like he says ... he's lucky enough to where he doesn't have to think about that -- 'cause he's been there and conquered the mountain. In other words, he caught the good wave!

New York City's rat infestation appears to have taken a turn for the worse ... a reality that's not likely gonna get any better if you ask proud New Yorker Lola Brooke!!!

TMZ Hip Hop recently got the "Don't Play With It" rapper's take on what could be done with the rodent rampage -- last week, city officials were put on alert when the furry pests were spotted seeking warmth underneath a homeless man's blanket.

Kathleen Corradi, the 6-figure salaried specialist hired by NYC Mayor Eric Adams to solve the problem, recently told us there's a 7% decrease in rat complaints ... but Lola thinks that's only because people have just stopped complaining.

Lola's a lifelong Brooklynite -- she tells us she grew up with rats in her home to no fault of her own and says it's basically time for the Rotten Apple to realize it's ... well, rotten.

Blueface is behind bars over a probation violation that he got hauled into court over last week -- and now, we’ve learned he ain't due to get out for a while ... months, in fact.

The rapper was making headlines on Friday after officials say he violated one or more of the terms of his probation in his club beatdown assault case here in L.A. from a few years ago.

On Friday, there was a hearing scheduled in the case citing some type of probation violation ... although it's unclear what exactly he's alleged to have done. BTW, this was just the latest in several probation violation hearings during the case.

Anyway, there was video of him making the rounds online as well ... showing him presumably heading to court. In the clip, Blue said he was just there to handle some business -- although, he did hint at the possibility he might be jailed right on the spot.

As it turns out ... he was. TMZ can confirm Blueface is in custody at the county jail right now -- and according to online records ... he ain't scheduled to be released until the summer.

More specifically, Blueface is not scheduled to be cut loose until July 2, 2024 ... although, with overcrowding in the jail -- it's certainly possible he'll be released sooner than this. No word on which wing of the jail he's being housed in just yet ... it looks like they're still sorting that.

Still ... Blue will likely be out of the public eye for the foreseeable future -- something his mother was decrying on Friday, and also blaming on his baby mamas ... Chrisean and Jaidyn.

She claimed these ladies had brought him nothing but trouble -- a sentiment echoed by Blue's manager, Wack 100, as well. As you well know, he's been very active over the past 12 months on a number of fronts ... and it looks like somewhere along the way, law enforcement saw something they felt violated his probation terms -- and then rang him up for it.

We're still working to figure out what exactly Blue is accused of doing -- and getting clarity on a realistic timeline for his release. Until then, he's locked up.

Ex-NFL star Marcellus Wiley is taking a firm stance on who should take over for the Los Angeles Chargers ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks Bill Belichick should NOT be the next head coach.

The Bolts job is arguably the most attractive opening in the league right now ... and many are speculating they could land a big fish like the former Patriots legend or Michigan's Jim Harbaugh if he chooses to make a return to the pros.

We asked the TV personality about those two names specifically ... and while he considers Belichick the greatest coach of all time, he says Harbaugh is the right guy for the gig.

"It's gonna be tough with the Chargers, obviously," Wiley said at LAX. "We're looking for a coach that we can look into the future with. With Belichick, how far are you going to look into the future? I don't know."

Wiley points out there's still a debate whether Belichick or Tom Brady was more responsible for the Patriots' six Super Bowl wins ... and his style of coaching may not resonate with the locker room.

Harbaugh -- who's fresh off a national championship with the Wolverines -- hasn't announced whether he will be back in Ann Arbor next season ... but Wiley thinks his postgame comments mean he's as good as gone.

As for his former team, Wiley -- who played in San Diego from 2001-2003 -- thinks they're an easy fix under Harbaugh ... making him the perfect guy to replace fired coach Brandon Staley.

"With Justin Herbert, he's top 5 talent," he added. "He just needs everybody else. First, he's gotta stay healthy and then everybody else just kinda stay healthy and stay on page. With Staley, it was fun ... but a little too much gambling. It started to cost us. People stopped believing him, the doubt creeped in, then he just lost his way. That's what happens."

9:59 AM PT -- Hulk Hogan's wife, Sky Daily, just posted about the crash ... writing, "Last night, after we left dinner in Tampa, we saw a car flip in front of us! I truly admire my husband @hulkhogan and our good buddy @jakerask for springing into action, puncturing the girls airbag, and getting her quickly out of the car. By all appearances, she was unscathed, just really rattled, which is an absolute miracle!"

9:07 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained new photos from the scene of the crash ... and in them, you can see Hulk and his friend playing real-life superheroes.

Take a look at these pics ... which show an up-close-and-personal view of the action. From the looks of it, the accident was as dramatic as you can imagine -- with the teen's car completely flipped upside down ... and her actually stepping out from the vehicle.

In fact, you can also see Hulk's buddy, Jake (the marine), running over to help. It's like something straight out of a movie -- and fortunately, nobody was seriously harmed.

7:17 AM PT -- More startling details about this accident -- TMZ Sports has learned that the driver was a minor ... a 17-year-old girl, who, we're told, was completely rattled by the whole thing.

Our sources also tell us that Hulk Hogan's buddy, Jake, who dove right in on this is actually a Marine!

Hulk Hogan sloughed off his WWE heel persona in real life this weekend -- jumping to the rescue of a woman who got into a horrific car accident ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the legendary wrestler, his wife Sky Daily and a friend of theirs were cruising along a highway Sunday evening in Tampa, FL when they witnessed a bad wreck play out right in front of them.

We're told a car erratically swerved across the lanes to catch an exit it was about to miss -- and in the process ... clipped another car, which our sources say flipped over and tumbled.

Hulk and co., our sources explain, pulled over immediately -- with HH and his pal, Jake, rushing over to render aid to the driver ... a woman whom we're told was rattled. Since they were first on the scene, we're told Hulk and Jake actually helped get her out of the car.

Our sources say Jake popped the woman's airbag with some tools that Hulk had on hand -- and they both unbuckled her seatbelt and assisted her in safely leaving the vehicle. We're told paramedics eventually arrived on the scene, and Hulk and his crew looked on.

In the end, our sources say the woman appeared to be okay ... and HH was happy to help.

Pretty terrifying obviously -- and while, thankfully, everyone seemed alright in the end ... you gotta imagine the woman who was saved must've been surprised to see none other than Hulk himself being her personal hero. Again, he's often played the villain in the ring.

Turns out, he's the nicest guy and then some when called upon ... well done, brother!

People really should pump the brakes on all the engagement talk between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce ... 'cause we're told a proposal isn't forthcoming in the near future either.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... there's absolutely no engagement in the works between Taylor and Travis right now -- despite some reports suggesting they're racing to the altar. To the contrary, we're being told TK ain't getting on bended knee anytime soon.

There were rumblings this week people in Taylor's camp had T-Swift and Trav pegged for an early summer engagement, but we're being told that's just not the case. In fact, our sources tell us some folks on the inside of this don't think it'll go the distance.

We're told some members of their inner circles see Taylor and Travis as still being in a honeymoon phase, of sorts -- and they say it's just too early to tell if they'll ever advance past the dating stage.

Hear that ... that's the sound of Swiftie bubbles bursting, and premature wedding bells going silent.

Our sources also point out their about to enter a very challenging stage of their relationship --  Taylor's continuing her international tour starting in February, which will have her overseas for several months.

Of course, once his NFL season is over, Travis could join her at times -- but folks in their orbit are saying let's see how they deal with the really long distance before jumping to engagement talk.

Martin Luther King Jr. planeaba un viaje a la Unión Soviética tras sobrevivir a un intento de asesinato y su carta explicando los motivos de la visita está a la venta.

El famoso líder de los derechos civiles fue a una firma de libros en Harlem solo dos meses después de ser apuñalado, cuando le escribió al Consejo Nacional de Iglesias, explicando sus motivaciones detrás de una visita a la URSS.

La carta de 1958 esboza 6 razones para querer programar una escala en la Unión Soviética en su camino de regreso de la India, incluyendo el deseo de investigar por qué los soviéticos seguían siendo religiosos a pesar del ateísmo patrocinado por el Estado.

El Dr. King también le dijo al Consejo Nacional de Iglesias que quería reunirse con los bautistas en la Unión Soviética y averiguar cómo las políticas soviéticas afectan a las minorías.

Algo que llama la atención, es que el señor King calculó que el viaje le costaría 35 dólares diarios sumando hoteles, trenes, aviones, intérpretes, carros y choferes... lo que hoy en día equivale a unos 370 dólares diarios.

La rara pieza historica se va a la venta a través de Moments In Time por $54.000, después de haber sido conservado durante años por un coleccionista privado.

Martin Luther King Jr. was planning a trip to the Soviet Union after surviving an assassination attempt, and his letter explaining his reasons for the visit is up for grabs.

The famed civil rights leader was only 2 months removed from being stabbed at a book signing in Harlem when he wrote to the National Council of Churches, explaining his motivations behind a visit to the USSR.

MLK's 1958 letter outlines 6 reasons for the stopover, on his way back from India, including a desire to investigate why Soviet citizens were still religious despite state-sponsored atheism.

Dr. King also told the National Council of Churches he wanted to meet with Baptists in the communist nation to figure out how Soviet policies affected minorities.

One really eye-opening part of the letter is the price ... MLK estimated the trip would cost a whopping $35 per day for his hotels, trains, planes, interpreters, cars and chauffeurs. Yeah, different time -- today that would be about $370 per day.

The rare piece of MLK history is going up for sale through Moments In Time for $54,000 ... after being stored for years by a private collector.

La madre del bebé de Soulja Boy, dice que su demanda por difamación contra Blueface está haciendo mella en su salud mental. Sus abogados dicen que está viendo a los médicos y tomando nuevos medicamentos para la ansiedad y el insomnio.

Los abogados de Jackilyn Martínez, Vadim Yeremenko y Tara Licata, le dicen a TMZ que su clienta se siente angustiada por las declaraciones de Blueface sobre su hijo y las amenazas que ella dice que ha recibido de sus fans. Nos dicen que ha estado viendo a un terapeuta y un psiquiatra y que le han prescrito algunos medicamentos.

TMZ publicó la historia, Jackilyn demandó a Blueface después de que él dijo que tuvieron relaciones sexuales el 2022 e insinuó que el hijo que comparte con Soulja podría ser de él.

Blueface hizo más daño más en una serie de mensajes... y como resultado, toda esta situación ha sembrado la discordia entre Soulja y el niño.

También nos informan que Jackilyn y Soulja Boy ahora se comunican muy poco.

Jackilyn parece estar pasando por mucho, su demanda afirmó que recibió amenazas de muerte de los fans de Blueface, y ahora su equipo legal nos dice que desde entonces ha desactivado los mensajes en las redes sociales.

La demanda fue presentada en diciembre y los abogados nos dicen que sirvieron Blueface mientras hacía un meet and greet en Fountain LA en Koreatown, la misma noche que nuestro fotógrafo lo encontró allí con Jaidyn Alexis.

Soulja Boy's baby mama says her defamation lawsuit against Blueface is taking an extreme emotional toll -- her lawyers say she's seeing doctors and taking new medications for anxiety and insomnia.

Jackilyn Martinez's attorneys, Vadim Yeremenko and Tara Licata, tell TMZ ... their client is feeling distressed over Blueface's statements about her child and threats she says she's getting from his fans. We're told she's been seeing a therapist and a psychiatrist, who have prescribed her meds.

TMZ broke the story ... Jackilyn sued Blueface after he said they had sex the day before her and Soulja Boy's baby shower back in 2022 ... and insinuated the son she shares with SB could actually be his.

Blueface took more jabs at Soulja and Jackilyn in a series of social media posts ... and as a result, we're told this whole situation has sowed discord between Soulja and the baby boy.

We're also told Jackilyn and Soulja Boy now have minimal communications themselves.

Jackilyn seems to be going through a lot ... her lawsuit claimed she received death threats from Blueface fans, and now her legal team tells us she's since disabled messages on social media.

The lawsuit was filed in December and lawyers tell us they served Blueface while doing a meet and greet at Fountain LA in Koreatown ... the same night our photog got him there with Jaidyn Alexis.

Lena Waithe is the latest celeb to fall victim to smash-and-grab burglars ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a group of burglars smashed a window to the actress/comedian's Los Angeles-area home last week while she was out of town.

Our sources say the thieves made off with $200k worth of jewelry. One of Lena's staff discovered the break-in after coming to the home the following day and finding the front door unlocked.

Lena, best known as Denise from "Master of None" and creator of "The Chi," isn't alone ... several other stars have fallen victim to similar crimes in the past couple months.

Burglars in ski masks smashed one of Keanu Reeves' windows and entered his home in early December, and "Entourage" star Kevin Connolly's house was given similar treatment on Christmas Eve.

Model Abigail Ratchford might've endured the most terrifying situation of all ... actually being in the upstairs bedroom when someone broke in.

El video musical "J Christ" de Lil Nas X cuenta con el apoyo de una iglesia, aunque no ncesariamente cristiana o católica.

El polémico rapero lanzó un video musical para su canción "J Cristo", enviando ondas de choque a través del mundo religioso. En él, el rapero interpreta a Noé, capitaneando su arca a través de aguas turbulentas, e incluso se muestra como Cristo en la cruz. También le rompe los tobillos al diablo en un partido de baloncesto uno contra uno.

La letra solo aporta a los tintes religiosos de la canción, con líneas como "Volver a salir de la tumba/Perra estoy de vuelta como J Cristo", así que sí, se podría decir que la religión es el tema principal.

Mientras que ciertos raperos cristianos y grupos han expresado su disgusto con la canción y video, a la Iglesia de Satanás le encanta, David Harris le dice a TMZ que le está dando al video un pulgar arriba, llamando a las imágenes "fantásticas".

Harris señala cómo Lil Nas X rapea sobre su capacidad de ser viral, equiparándolo a la creencia de su iglesia de la "magia menor". Básicamente, la capacidad de manipular a la gente para que haga lo que quieras y de paso llenarte los bolsillos.

El magister (algo así como un cardenal para los miembros de la Iglesia de Satán) dice que su iglesia en realidad no adora a Satán y en su lugar promueve ser tu verdadero yo, el logro personal y vivir la vida al máximo, no está obsesionada con la iconografía como otras iglesias. Nunca los verás reaccionar a las representaciones del Diablo con ira.

Harris tiene recibos para respaldar esa afirmación, ya que anteriormente había dado el visto bueno a su video musical "Montero" a pesar de la representación de Satanás (también alabó el momento en que Lil Nas lo mata y le quita la corona).

Magister Harris solo tenía una pequeña crítica para Lil Nas X. "J Christ" no era suficiente para él... ¡Dice que quiere que el rapero diriga un largometraje!

Tom Brady never netted a dollar playing professional baseball ... but a card of him in uniform just made one seller a boatload of cash.

A baseball card of the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback sold for $158,600 online Saturday after a contentious bidding war on the site Goldin.

As we previously reported ... the happy seller is a Minnesota card collector who pulled the one-of-a-kind signed Bowman Tom Brady Montreal Expos Superfractor card ... talk about a lucky draw!

TB12 played catcher for his high school baseball team, and the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) took him in the 18th round, 507th overall ... not high enough to entice Tom away from his University of Michigan scholarship.

The rest is history ... Brady's gone down as the greatest QB of all time, a surefire Hall of Famer -- though it hasn't stopped people from imagining what could've been.

Topps put out a commercial reimagining Brady's life as an MLB player instead ... guy ended up being the G.O.A.T. in a different sport (no surprise there).

Lil Nas X's "J Christ" music video has the support of one church ... though its endorsement is unlikely to make Christians and Catholics feel any better.

ICYMI ... the controversial rapper released a music video for his song "J Christ" -- sending shockwaves through the religious world. In it, LNX plays Noah, captaining his ark through rough waters, and even shows him as Christ on the cross. He also breaks the devil's ankles in a one-on-one basketball game for good measure.

The lyrics only add to the song's religious ties ... featuring lines like "Back up out the gravesite/Bitch I'm back like J Christ" -- so yeah, you could say religion is a main theme.

While certain Christian rappers and groups have expressed disgust with the song and video, the Church of Satan loves it ... magister David Harris tells TMZ he's giving the video a thumbs up, calling the imagery "fantastic."

Harris notes how Lil Nas X raps about his ability to go viral, equating it to his church's belief in "lesser magic" ... basically the ability to manipulate people into doing what you want -- which DH notes is lining Nas' pockets with cash.

The magister (kinda like a cardinal to Church of Satan members) says his church -- which doesn't actually worship Satan and instead touts being your true self, personal achievement and living life to the fullest -- isn't obsessed with iconography like other churches ... you'll never see them react to portrayals of the Devil with anger.

Harris's got receipts to back that claim up ... having previously given a stamp of approval to his "Montero" music vid in spite of the depiction of Satan (he also lauded the moment Lil Nas kills him and takes his crown.)

Magister Harris only had one tiny criticism for Lil Nas X -- "J Christ" wasn't enough for him ... DH says he's so talented he wants the rapper to direct a feature-length film!