Fights & Feuds

No TACO this time from President Trump ... as promised, he's filed a defamation lawsuit over the Wall Street Journal story claiming he wrote a racy 50th birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump filed Friday in federal court in Florida -- just about 24 hours after the WSJ story dropped. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, he says the Journal falsely passed off as fact he'd drawn the image of a naked woman, and signed his name "Donald" to mimic pubic hair.

He claims the outlet had access to information showing their story was false ... although, he does not say what that information is.

The suit insists there is "no authentic letter or drawing," and the Journal concocted the story "to malign President Trump's character and integrity and deceptively portray him in a false light."

LiAngelo Ball's debut album is here ... and the baller-turned-rapper used the project to clap back at his ex for calling him a "deadbeat daddy."

Gelo's full-length LP, "League of My Own," features 13 tracks, including his hit "Tweaker" ... and in one of the songs, he talks about an unnamed person calling him a bad father.

The lyrics go ... "They kick me when I'm down, so can you pick me up? Say I'm a deadbeat daddy who don't give no f***s. Say I'm an ugly soul who just up and run."

Denise Richards' estranged husband is firing off about the alleged abuse of which she's accusing him ... denying all wrongdoing in an emphatic response.

Aaron Phypers released a statement to TMZ on Thursday ... claiming he never physically or emotionally abused Denise, or anyone else for that matter. He calls the accusations against him "false and deeply hurtful."

While Phypers admits he and Richards had their share of challenges, he says it never involved abuse ... and, he always approached his marriage with "love, patience, and respect."

Ashley Moore, from the hit Netflix show "Temptation Island," is finally addressing where her friendship with costar Tayler Byrd stands after their heated online fallout ... and she tells us there's zero chance of a reconciliation

We caught up with Ashley on Tuesday, and she tells TMZ the drama with Tayler and others who "hopped on that bandwagon" didn't come out of nowhere -- it all boiled down to different expectations when it comes to loyalty and friendship.

Moore's reality TV ex-boyfriend Grant Larsen had also hopped on the hate train to paint her as a bad friend ... and Ashley says there's a lot she could spill, but she's choosing to take the high road.

Nicki Minaj woke up Wednesday and continued her onslaught against SZA and Roc Nation ... screw breakfast, bring on the beef!!!

ICYMI, Nicki erupted like a volcano and spewed lava at both SZA and her manager, Top Dawg Entertainment President Terrence "Punch" Henderson -- and she's denying his "Broken Barbies" track had anything to do with her fury and heavy speculation yesterday!!!

Nicki claims Punch has been harassing her for years -- something he denies, but that's her story and she's sticking to her gunz!!!

Caitlin Clark's frustrations with recent officiating boiled over on Tuesday -- the WNBA superstar went off on a referee during the Fever vs. Sun game, forcing a coach to step in and pull her away.

It happened in the third quarter of the contest at TD Garden in Boston ... when Clark and referee Michael Price were going back and forth on the court.

It's unclear what Price said to Clark, but whatever it was struck a nerve ... turning a calm exchange into a heated one.

7/16 -- 7:42 AM PT -- SZA's manager, Terrence "Punch" Henderson, told The Breakfast Club on Thursday that Nicki Minaj and SZA failed to connect on a song in 2020 ... but doesn't know how things went so nuclear yesterday.

Nicki Minaj was conducting her daily Roc Nation roast -- and somehow SZA got looped up in the social media posts, and 🆘 ... a new beef has been born!!!

SZA rattled off her first post of the day on X Tuesday, posting, "Mercury retrograde .. don’t take the bait lol silly goose" -- which Nicki interpreted as a direct shot at her amid her blasting Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez.

The thing is ... SZA's in a COMPLETELY different time zone, currently on her joint "GNX" tour with Kendrick Lamar, and had just finished her show at Paris La Défense Arena shortly before midnight European time.

Columbus Short and his wife Aida are hurtling towards a divorce after they separately filed legal docs accusing the other of domestic violence ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us Columbus is telling people close to him that he's going to be filing for divorce ... because he feels there's no going back after the latest batch of alarming allegations.

We broke the stories ... Columbus secured a temporary restraining order against Aida last week after claiming she kicked and threw a 10-week-old puppy, before busting his eye open and drawing blood, leading to her arrest. Aida then filed for her own TRO, claiming Columbus choked her ... and she included alleged injury photos in her filing.

Gavin Newsom has made it clear he cannot stand President Trump -- DT hates him back just as much, of course -- but the California governor just took his disdain for 47 to a whole new level.

Newsom was a recent guest on the "Shawn Ryan Show" podcast ... and he laid into the "son of a b*tch" Trump for calling in the military to crack down on L.A. after some protests against ICE raids turned destructive ... the direct result of the president's huge push for mass immigrant deportations.

When Newsom called in the California National Guard to help with the devastating wildfires that tore through SoCal in January, they were celebrated by locals as heroes. But Newsom tells Shawn ... they're now feared -- forced to hide their faces and torment communities.

Justin Timberlake got animated during a heated exchange with some crew members at a recent concert plagued by audio issues ... and it's all on video.

The singer was performing at the Lytham Festival in England when he was seen dressing down a couple crew members onstage ... gesturing and looking very ticked off.

Justin was reportedly about to perform his classic hit "Cry Me a River" when the sound suddenly cut out ... and that's when this video, now making the rounds online, picks up.

Hailey Bieber may have just taken a subtle jab at Scooter Braun after his gushing post about Justin Bieber’s new album.

The Rhode founder took to Instagram Stories on Saturday with a cheeky, exaggerated selfie -- eyes and lips comically distorted -- and soundtracked it with Mariah Carey’s "Obsessed." The timing? Not long after Braun sang Justin’s praises on his own IG.

Braun, Justin’s longtime and former manager, had nothing but glowing words for the pop star’s latest project, calling Swag "beautiful, raw, and truly him." Braun said he was "proud, impressed, and genuinely enjoying the music," calling out "Daisies" as a standout track.

Justin Bieber's chugging a giant pint of irony -- after raging out at paparazzi, he's now paying them to create content for new album, "SWAG" ... TMZ has learned.

It's a pretty stunning plot twist ... the singer-songwriter made a deal with a photo agency to use the audio from a video shot last month, where he lashed out at the paparazzi for shooting him as he left a restaurant.

We're told Bieber's camp made the photo agency sign an NDA ... so, their representatives aren't allowed to discuss terms of the deal, such as how much JB paid.

An airplane passenger used every bit of her law training to defend herself when several others started chirping at her onboard ... all 'cause she apparently charged toward the exit.

The video's making the rounds on social media ... capturing a woman standing in the plane aisle on the way out -- getting some groans and a few smart remarks from people still sitting in their seats.

The angry passenger tells everyone they're "all whining for no reason" ... adding everyone can get up when they want to -- before a man says she's clearly a "Karen."

Round II between Adrian Peterson and his poker rival looks like it will, in fact, go down inside a ring ... as TMZ Sports has learned the NFL legend's adversary has signed a contract with Celebrity Boxing.

The promotion's founder, Damon Feldman, tells us ... Joe "Baby Joe" Castaneda agreed to a scrap with Peterson this week -- and formally put pen to a pact on Tuesday.

Peterson's yet to ink his deal ... but Feldman tells us he's expecting that to happen soon.

TikTok star Bryce Hall is making the move into the Hollywood big leagues with his first theatrical film release ... a moment he says 50 Cent tried to hold hostage -- to no avail!!!

We caught up with Bryce outside Sweet Butter Kitchen in L.A. on Monday, and he was stoked for the release this week of horror flick "Skillhouse" ... staking his claim as "First TikToker With a Feature Film."

Watch the clip -- Bryce says he hopes to see A-list movie stars "doing the dances on the red carpet" at his premiere, after he's gone to a bunch of theirs in the past.

The Liver King isn't letting a little restraining order stop him from apparently making Joe Rogan an offer he hopes won't be refused -- a high-priced offer to squash their feud once and for all.

Brian Johnson, AKA The Liver King, posted a video Wednesday talking about a "bully" who has a podcast in Austin. He never said Rogan's name, but the hints were pretty freakin' clear ... as he pleaded with the "bully" to invite him on the podcast, and asks for viewers' help getting attention for the event.

Oh, and their chat has to be live or posted on July 4 -- and in return, Liver King says he'll let the beef go, and he will make a massive -- if somewhat unbelievable -- donation to a charity.