Fired

Mayim Bialik stepping away from "Jeopardy!" in solidarity with striking writers showed Sony executives they didn't need 2 hosts for the quiz show, and that's why they moved on ... TMZ has learned.

Sony Studios sources tell TMZ ... bosses at Sony weren't mad when Mayim refused to work during this year's strike, but her absence opened execs' eyes about their dual host system -- Mayim and Ken Jennings shared the gig.

Our sources say Mayim stepping away gave Ken an opportunity ... and he took it and ran with it, improving his hosting skills while she was away.

We're also told Sony worked incredibly hard juggling schedules to accommodate Mayim during her time on the show, and she didn't always agree with production decisions ... including the hiring of executive producer Michael Davies, and other staff changes.

Mayim stepped away in May at the height of the writers' strike, and our sources say she eventually fell so far out of touch, Sony execs simply decided to press on without her.

As we reported ... Mayim announced Friday she was no longer hosting "Jeopardy!"

Our sources say Sony is still open to having Mayim host "Jeopardy!" primetime specials, because they feel she's talented and works well with the celebrity contestants ... but we're told Mayim made it clear it was all or nothing. As a result, we're told Sony brass declined and Mayim released her statement Friday without consulting Sony.

Regardless, our sources say the ball is still in Mayim's court ... we're told Sony execs want her for primetime specials, if she accepts the offer.

Mayim Bialik alejándose de "Jeopardy!" en solidaridad con los escritores en huelga, le mostró a los ejecutivos de Sony que no necesitan dos anfitriones para el concurso y decidieron seguir adelante.

Fuentes de Sony Studios le dicen a TMZ que los jefes de Sony no estaban enojados cuando Mayim se negó a trabajar durante la huelga de este año, pero su ausencia ayudó a que los ejecutivos se dieran cuenta de que el programa funcionó muy bien con Ken Jennings como el único anfitrión.

Nuestras fuentes dicen que el hecho de que Mayim se alejara le dio a Ken una oportunidad y él la tomó.

También nos dicen que Sony trabajó increíblemente duro, haciendo malabares con los horarios para darle cabida a Mayim durante años, tomando difíciles decisiones de producción, incluyendo la contratación del productor ejecutivo Michael Davies, además de otros cambios de personal.

Mayim se alejó en mayo en el apogeo de la huelga de guionistas y nuestras fuentes dicen que estuvo tan alejada de los ejecutivos de Sony que simplemente decidieron seguir adelante sin ella.

Como informamos, Mayim anunció el viernes que ya no era la anfitriona de "Jeopardy!"

Nuestras fuentes dicen que Sony todavía está abierto a tener a Mayim en los especiales de horario estelar, ya que sienten que tiene talento y trabaja bien con los concursantes de celebridades, pero nos dicen Mayim dejó claro que era todo o nada. Como resultado, nos dicen que Sony brass declinó y Mayim lanzó su declaración el viernes sin consultar a Sony.

A pesar de todo, nuestras fuentes dicen que la pelota está todavía en el campo de Mayim, y nos dicen que los ejecutivos de Sony la quieren para los especiales de horario estelar, si ella acepta la oferta.

Jonathan Majors is out of a job at Disney, 'cause Marvel is dropping him from all projects in the MCU, and cutting ties in the wake of his guilty verdict ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the comic book movie studio -- one of the Mouse House's largest imprints -- will not be moving forward with the embattled actor, period. What that means ... he's losing out on his key role as Marvel's big villain, Kang the Conqueror.

That's a huge blow, seeing how he's already portrayed the character in one big Marvel movie -- 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' -- as well as 2 seasons of the Disney+ show 'Loki.' The 2nd 'Loki' season heavily featured Kang and his variants -- other versions of the big bad, also played by JM -- as did the aforementioned film.

By all accounts, Jonathan was going to play Kang for at least two more Marvel films ... and the studio was said to be treating him/Kang as the next Thanos, of sorts, in their franchise.

Now, though, that's all out the window ... and the two new 'Avengers' flicks that are currently in development and pre-production -- both of which he was attached to as Kang -- will go in a totally new direction without him. There'd been rumblings Marvel was already exploring their options even before the trial ... and it sounds like they're ready to pivot.

No word on whether Kang will be recast, or if they'll just tap a new bad guy -- but either way ... Majors was just fired by his biggest employer, and is losing out on millions of dollars.

Of course, the decision was swift ... coming down no more than a couple hours after he was found guilty on two of four counts in his criminal trial -- where he was facing assault and harassment charges after being accused of roughing up his ex-girlfriend in March.

He was convicted of reckless assault and harassment, and acquitted of intentional assault and aggravated harassment. In layman's terms -- the jury appears to have dinged him for what may have happened outside the car, and not necessarily what went on inside.

Jonathan Majors perdió su trabajo en Disney, porque Marvel lo está desvinculando de todos los proyectos del MCU, cortando los lazos a raíz de su veredicto de culpabilidad, TMZ ha confirmado.

Fuentes directas nos dicen que el estudio de películas de cómics —uno de los mayores sellos de la Casa del Ratón— no va a seguir adelante con el actor asediado y punto. Lo que significa que está perdiendo su papel clave como el gran villano de Marvel, Kang el Conquistador.

Eso es un gran golpe, viendo cómo ya ha retratado al personaje en una gran película de Marvel  —"Ant-Man y la Avispa: Quantumania"— así como en dos temporadas de la serie de Disney+ "Loki". La segunda temporada de "Loki" incluía a Kang y sus variantes —otras versiones del gran villano, también interpretadas por Majors—, al igual que la película antes mencionada.

Según todos los indicios, Jonathan iba a interpretar a Kang durante al menos dos películas más de Marvel y se decía que el estudio lo estaba tratando a él y a Kang como la próxima especie de Thanos en su franquicia.

Ahora, sin embargo, todo se fue por la ventana y las dos nuevas películas de "Vengadores" que están actualmente en desarrollo y pre-producción —ambos de los cuales se adjuntaba como Kang— irán en una dirección totalmente nueva sin él. Había rumores de que Marvel ya estaba explorando sus opciones incluso antes del juicio y parece que están listos para pivotar.

No se sabe si Kang será reelegido o si simplemente cambiarán de villano, pero en cualquier caso, Majors acaba de ser despedido por su mayor empleador y está perdiendo millones de dólares.

Por supuesto, la decisión fue rápida, solo un par de horas después de haber sido declarado culpable de dos de los cuatro cargos en su juicio penal, donde enfrentaba cargos de agresión y acoso después de haber sido acusado de maltratar a su ex-novia en marzo.

Fue condenado por agresión imprudente y acoso y absuelto de agresión intencionada y acoso con agravantes. En términos sencillos, el jurado parece que le dingged por lo que puede haber sucedido fuera del coche y no necesariamente lo que pasó dentro.

If Shawne Merriman was in Dean Spanos' shoes, he would NOT hire Bill Belichick or Jim Harbaugh to replace Brandon Staley ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks his former team needs to go younger with its next hire.

Of course, both coaching veterans have been rumored to be on the Bolts' radar following Staley's firing on Friday ... but Merriman made it clear, he would prefer it if L.A. looked elsewhere.

"The game has gotten much younger," the ex-Chargers pass rusher said. "If you look around, a lot of these head coaches are younger. They relate well to the players."

Belichick is 71 years old, while Harbaugh is 59 ... ages that Merriman obviously thinks just won't cut it when it comes to directing guys like 25-year-old Justin Herbert or 27-year-old Derwin James on the field.

But, don't get it twisted, he still loves both guys and their résumés -- he just said, "I don't know if that's the proper move in this situation."

"I really don't."

Merriman didn't have any names that he would rather hire -- though he did say he wants no part of being considered for the role ... as he's a bit preoccupied with his MMA promotion, Lights Out, which has a big event coming up on January 6.

Susan Sarandon's antisemitic rant has now cost her a role in a project -- just the latest hit to her career after she bashed Jews.

The actress has been dropped from a short film she was set to star in called "Slipping Away" -- this according to the co-founder of the production company that was putting it together.

David Barroso of PTO Films tells Page Six ... "As a company, PTO Films would like to make it clear that Susan Sarandon’s views do not reflect the opinions of our organization. We were considering her for a short film, but due to her recent statements, we have decided to pursue other options."

"Slipping Away" had been listed as an upcoming title on Sarandon's IMDb page, but it's gone now. There are 4 other future productions she's attached to -- three of them are in post-production and one is still in pre-production. Unclear if her roles in those are affected yet.

Remember ... Sarandon caught heat for speaking up at a pro-Palestine rally in NYC recently, but what she said specifically ended up costing her. The antisemitic comment in question was ... "There are a lot of people afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country."

El discurso antisemita de Susan Sarandon le ha costado un papel en un proyecto y es solo el último golpe a su carrera después de que atacara a los judíos.

La actriz ha sido retirada de un cortometraje que iba a protagonizar llamado "Slipping Away", según el cofundador de la productora que lo estaba organizando.

David Barroso de PTO Films le dijo a Page Six: "Como empresa, a PTO Films le gustaría dejar claro que las opiniones de Susan Sarandon no reflejan las opiniones de nuestra organización. Estábamos considerándola para un cortometraje, pero debido a sus recientes declaraciones, hemos decidido buscar otras opciones".

"Slipping Away" figuraba como próximo título en la página IMDb de Sarandon, pero ya no está. Hay otras cuatro próximas producciones con las que está vinculada, tres de ellas en fase de postproducción y una aún en fase de preproducción. No está claro si sus papeles en esos proyectos se verán afectados todavía.

Recuerden, Sarandon recibió críticas en las redes tras hablar en una manifestación pro-Palestina en Nueva York recientemente. Lo que dijo específicamente terminó costándole caro. El comentario antisemita en cuestión fue: "Hay mucha gente que tiene miedo de ser judía en este momento y están saboreando lo que se siente ser musulmán en este país".

George Santos is saying a big "f*** you" to everyone at HBO ... vowing to go after the channel/streaming platform for developing a new movie about his controversial political career.

The recently-booted congressman sounded off to TMZ after HBO optioned the rights to Mark Chiusano's new book "The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos" ... blasting it as defamatory and misappropriating his name and likeness.

Santos says he has zero involvement in the "fictitious story" the movie plans to sell to the American people ... and is vexed about the filmmakers and book's author not speaking to him or getting authorization to write about him.

However, he says he's not concerned about how he'll be represented in the doc ... because he's working on a project that best fits his narrative. As for HBO, Santos vented, "F*** them and their chicken s*** deal with no inside information or reality of facts."

We're not sure how he'll navigate any potential comeback trail following his expulsion from Congress last week ... but ya gotta applaud the hustle.

The decision came following a controversial time in office, which included multiple felony charges.

For now, he's been busy advising his fans to "let the haters hate" on Cameo for $200 a vid.

BTW, we talked to the guy whose book this HBO film is based on ... and he tells us he tried his best to get GS to get involved in the story, to no avail though.

George Santos le está diciendo un gran "váyanse a la m***" a todos en HBO, prometiendo que irá tras el canal y la plataforma de streaming luego de que anunciaran el desarrollo de una nueva película sobre su controvertida carrera política.

El recientemente destituido congresista habló con TMZ después de que HBO adquiriera los derechos del nuevo libro de Mark Chiusano "The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos", tachándolo de difamatorio y de apropiación indebida de su nombre y de su imagen.

Santos dice que no tiene ninguna participación en la "ficticia historia" que la película planea venderle al pueblo estadounidense y está molesto con los cineastas y el autor del libro por no haber hablado con él ni haberle pedido autorización para escribir sobre su vida.

Sin embargo, dice que no le preocupa cómo será representado en el documental porque está trabajando en un proyecto que se ajusta mejor a su narrativa. En cuanto a HBO, Santos se desahogó: "Que se jod*** por no contar con la realidad de los hechos".

No estamos seguros cómo Santos navegará cualquier camino de regreso posible después de su expulsión del Congreso la semana pasada, pero hay que aplaudir el ajetreo.

La decisión se produjo después de un controvertido tiempo en el cargo, que incluyó múltiples cargos por delitos graves.

George Santos says getting fired from a job is no big deal -- because it's all down to what you make of the experience ... something he's now telling his Cameo legion.

That's just one questionable piece of advice he's already dished out after joining the personalized video message platform ... less than a week after he was booted from Congress.

The disgraced politician proudly introduces himself as the "Expelled member of Congress from New York City" and "Former congressional "Icon"!💅🏼" on the site ... where for $200, you can nab yourself a customized message from the man himself.

Santos has already been hard at work doling out responses to some requests ... leveraging his recent experiences to inspire and motivate one person in his new career.

This comes hot on the heels of the House's vote to expel him earlier this month -- a decision spurred by a controversial time in office, which includes multiple felony charges.

Back in May, Santos was arrested on a variety of felony charges, including lying, wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements to the House of Representatives.

Los Chargers están en último lugar de la tabla y prácticamente todo el mundo cree que es inevitable que el entrenador Brandon Staley pierda su trabajo y de acuerdo con Antonio Gates, uno de los mejores jugadores en la historia de la franquicia, eso sería un error.

TMZ Sports se encontró con el jugador a principios de esta semana en Los Ángeles, quien pasó sus 16 temporadas en los Bolts, y le preguntamos si era hora de que Staley de un paso al costado después de otra temporada decepcionante en el sur de California.

"Yo personalmente no creo que [el entrenador deba ser despedido]", nos dijo Antonio Gates.

El candidato al Salón de la Fama explicó su razonamiento: "Solo por la relación que tiene con los jugadores. ¿Puedes conseguir que los chicos jueguen para ti? Siento que Staley tiene una buena relación con los jugadores, y creo eso porque he estado en ese vestuario".

Staley ha sido el entrenador desde la temporada 2021 y aunque el equipo está lleno de talentos, incluyendo la estrella Justin Herbert, el equipo ha tenido dificultades para conseguir éxitos en la post temporada. La temporada pasada, los Chargers, con 10 victorias, perdieron ante los Jaguares de Jacksonville en la ronda de Wild Card, y este año ha sido un desastre.

Las cosas han ido tan mal para el equipo 4-7, que la conversación sobre quién podría sustituir a Staley es casi constante después de su casi garantizada desaparición y Bill Belichick está a menudo en la parte superior de la lista.

Las cosas no van precisamente bien para el entrenador ganador de 6 Super Bowl (8 en total) en la otra costa. Según los informes, Bill y el propietario Robert Kraft han tenido tensiones y no es una locura pensar que Belichick se alejará o incluso será despedido después de la temporada 2023.

Le preguntamos a Gates si cree que Belichick encajaría bien en Los Ángeles.

"Creo que Belichick es un ganador histórico y probado. ¿Por qué no sería bueno para cualquier equipo? No sé cómo sería ahora la transición de los entrenadores de la vieja escuela. Yo vengo de esa mentalidad de la vieja escuela, pero no sé si estos chicos pueden comprometerse con ese estilo de juego. No estoy seguro. No lo sé".

"Pero lo que sí sabemos es que es un ganador probado. Simplemente, no sé si su estilo de juego todavía se considera valioso en la Liga Nacional de Fútbol".

A los Chargers les quedan 6 partidos, incluyendo un enfrentamiento con los Pats este domingo.

The Chargers are in last place and virtually everyone believes it's a foregone conclusion head coach Brandon Staley will lose his job ... and that'd be a mistake, according to Antonio Gates, one of the greatest players in franchise history.

TMZ Sports ran into the 8x Pro Bowler earlier this week in L.A., who spent all of his 16 seasons as a pro with the Bolts, and asked him whether it was time Staley got the ol' heave-ho after another disappointing season in SoCal.

"Ya know, I don't personally think [the coach should be fired]," AG told us.

The Hall of Fame candidate explained his reasoning ... "Just because of the relationship he has with the players. I'm big on, 'Can you get the guys to play for you?' I feel like Staley has a rapport with the players, and I believe in that particularly because I've been in that locker room."

Staley's been the HC since the 2021 season ... and while the squad is chock full of talent, including star QB Justin Herbert, the team has struggled to find any postseason success. Last season the 10-win Chargers lost to the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round, and this year has been a disaster.

Things have been so bad for the 4-7 squad, there's near-constant talk about who could replace Staley after his all-but-guaranteed demise ... and Bill Belichick is often at the top of the list.

Things aren't exactly going smoothly for the 6x Super Bowl-winning head coach (8 total) on the other coast, either. Bill and owner Robert Kraft have reportedly had tension, and it's not crazy to think Belichick walks away or even gets fired after the 2023 season.

We asked Gates if he believed Belichick would be a good fit in Los Angeles.

"I think Belichick is a proven, historical winner. Why wouldn't he be good for any team? I don't know how the old-school coaching would transition now. I come from that old-school mentality, but I don't know if these guys can commit to that style of play. I'm not sure. I don't know.

"But we do know what we know is that he's a proven winner. I just don't know if his style of play is still considered valuable in the National Football League."

The Chargers have 6 games remaining … including a matchup with the Pats this Sunday.

Rep. George Santos just got booted from Congress ... after the House voted to expel him following a controversial time in office, which includes multiple felony charges.

Santos is the first member of Congress not convicted of a felony to be expelled since the Civil War. Only 6 members have been expelled in U.S. history.

The vote to expel Santos was 311 - 114. Among those voting to expel ... 105 Republicans.

A defiant Santos refused to resign Thursday before Friday's vote ... but he's out of Congress now nonetheless.

Remember ... Santos was arrested back in May on a variety of felony charges, including lying, wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives.

Santos had escaped two previous votes to expel him from Congress, but the third time was not a charm for him.

The difference this time ... a recent House Ethics Committee report claiming evidence of Santos' alleged federal law violations. Among the report's juicy claims -- Santos allegedly used campaign funds for OnlyFans and Botox.

During his time in office, Santos was surrounded by controversy and accusations of lying his way to Congress ... he made a few friends, but even more enemies ... often sparring with media and, most recently, some anti-Israel protestors.

El representante George Santos acaba de ser expulsado del Congreso. Esto, después de que la Cámara votara a favor de su expulsión tras un controvertido tiempo en el cargo, el que incluye múltiples cargos por graves delitos.

Santos es el primer miembro del Congreso no condenado por un delito grave en ser expulsado desde la Guerra Civil. Solo seis miembros han sido expulsados en la historia de Estados Unidos.

La votación fue 311 a 114 y entre los votos a favor hubo 105 de republicanos.

Un desafiante Santos se negó a dimitir el jueves antes de la votación del viernes, pero ahora está fuera del Congreso.

Recuerden, Santos fue detenido en mayo por una variedad de cargos por delitos graves, incluyendo la mentira, fraude electrónico, lavado de dinero, robo de fondos públicos y hacer declaraciones falsas a la Cámara de Representantes.

Santos había escapado de dos votaciones anteriores para ser expulsado del Congreso.

La diferencia, esta vez, la hizo un reciente informe del Comité de Ética de la Cámara de Representantes que afirma tener pruebas de las supuestas violaciones de las leyes federales por parte de Santos. Entre las jugosas afirmaciones del informe está que supuestamente este utilizó fondos de campaña para OnlyFans y Botox.

Durante su tiempo en el cargo, Santos estuvo rodeado de controversias y acusaciones de mentir para llegar al Congreso. Hizo algunos amigos, pero aún más enemigos y a menudo estuvo en conflicto con los medios de comunicación y, más recientemente, con algunos manifestantes anti-Israel.

Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson addressed the wild rumors surrounding Corey Perry shortly after he was kicked off the team ... saying the winger's contract termination had nothing to do with superstar Connor Bedard's mother.

Perry was placed on unconditional waivers following an internal investigation on Tuesday ... in which the team determined he "engaged in conduct that is unacceptable" and violated the terms of his contract and the Blackhawks' internal policies.

The move came on the heels of speculation Perry was involved in a personal relationship with Bedard's mom, Melanie ... and while the talk didn't hold much weight, many ran with it on social media.

Davidson cleared the air after the team washed its hands of Perry ... and even though he did not mention Bedard by name, it's clear that's what he was addressing.

"This does not involve any players or their families and anything that suggests otherwise or anyone that suggests otherwise is wildly inaccurate and, frankly, it's disgusting," Davidson said.

"This has been a tough situation and I understand you wanted answers. It was important that we took all the necessary steps before sharing more. I hope you understand that I may not be able to answer everything today, but I am going to be as open and honest as I can be given the situation and out of respect for those involved."

Davidson referred to the nature of Perry's violation as a "workplace matter."

David lost his Tepper ... and now Frank Reich is out of a job.

The Panthers head coach, who was just hired by the billionaire hedge fund manager in January, has been relieved of his coaching duties after another loss ... this time to the Titans in Tennessee.

The team, which has lost 4 straight, has the worst record in football at 1-10.

"I met with Coach Reich this morning and informed him that he will not continue as head coach of the Carolina Panthers. I want to thank Frank for his dedication and service, and we wish him well," a statement released by Tepper said.

Adding to the bleak outlook in Carolina is the quarterback situation. The team selected Bryce Young with the first overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, opting to pass up other signal callers, including C.J. Stroud.

Stroud, who has the Texans in playoff contention, has played out of his mind ... and is even in the MVP conversation.

Meanwhile, Young hasn't been good.

Reich, regarded as a solid coach around the league, was fired mid-season last year by the Colts before being hired by Tepper.