Gossip / Rumors

Al Jazeera is in full panic mode about the Peyton Manning story ... so says Manning's hired gun Ari Fleischer who tells TMZ Sports the news organization appears to be waving the white flag.

Ari tells TMZ Sports, "Their story was not credible to begin with and it’s not credible now," adding, "Al Jazeera is backtracking and retreating."

Fleischer is referring to a "Today" show appearance made by Al Jazeera reporter Deborah Davies Tuesday morning ... where Davies said that the network never asserted Peyton himself ever used HGH.

Peyton's camp believes Al Jazeera is contradicting their story and scrambling to save face.

Manning has been reluctant to say outright whether they'll file suit ... but you have to believe his camp smells blood in the water.

Word on the street is that The Weeknd and Bella Hadid called it quits -- not so.

Our sources who are closely connected to both of them say Bella wasn't with Weeknd over the weekend because she wanted to spend time with her mom Yolanda and sister Gigi.

Fact is ... everyone's telling us the relationship has never been one where they were inseparable. They've always spent a lot of time living their separate lives.

Tom Brady wants Peyton Manning to take a page out of his playbook -- standing strong in the wake of the HGH allegations ... allegations Brady says are total garbage.

Brady went on a morning radio talk show Monday and became a character witness of sorts, saying he's known Peyton over the years and he plays by the book.

Caitlyn Jenner and son Burt got mistaken for boyfriend and girlfriend ... hilarious for sure, but it soon turned ugly.

Caitlyn and 37-year-old Burt Jenner went to lunch Monday in West L.A. when photogs jumped to the conclusion they were hooking up and peppered them with questions.

Check out the video. You see Caitlyn leave and Burt blocked one of the photogs so he couldn't follow her. When the photog gets out of his car -- presumably to confront Burt -- Caitlyn's son goes on the attack.

12:51 PM PT -- No romance here people ... sources close to the couple tell us the two are "just friends" and had a nice platonic dinner last night.

Too bad ... they'd be cute together.

Courteney Cox and Will Arnett broke bread and lobster claws Tuesday night, and there seems to be a little dating smoke.

The famous couple arrived together at The Palm restaurant in Bev Hills and had a long dinner.

At around 11 PM, Courteney left alone and got in her SUV, which took off but stopped 20 yards down the road. Will then surfaced and began walking toward the SUV and then beelined it back inside The Palm.

We're told Will eventually left by Uber.

Ruby Rose may have a new chick ... with a Justin Bieber connection.

Rose and singer Halsey took in a screening of 'Star Wars' Monday afternoon in Hollywood. They haven't confirmed they've hooked up but it sure seems that way.

Halsey sings on Bieber's new song, "The Feeling" and she's one of Scooter Braun's proteges.

They've been spotted out together before ... Halsey posted a pic with Rose a few weeks back ... a nanosecond after Rose and her fiancee broke up.

Selena Gomez didn't pull a Justin Bieber when she posted a pic of a smoking hot dude, 'cause she's not trying to get with him ... she's just promoting her new music video.

We're told the Wilhelmina L.A. model in the pic is Christopher Mason -- Selena slapped him up on her IG Thursday, and fans immediately thought she was either trolling Justin or trying to holla at some random babe.

Truth is, Christopher plays Selena's love interest in her "Hands to Myself" music video which drops next week. We're told there's no hooking up going on -- in fact, Chris is in a relationship. He also has a daughter.

That doesn't mean Selena's blind -- we're told she hand-picked him to be her co-star. Smart chick.

Kourtney Kardashian hit the town for the second time in a week with a much younger fella.

Kourt sat shotgun leaving dinner in Beverly Hills Wednesday night with Diddy's 24-year-old son, Quincy, and a hot gal pal.

Khloe Kardashian says her genitals did NOT curse the Houston Rockets -- insisting her lady junk is powerful, but it definitely can't sink an entire NBA team.

Khloe was doing a live video chat and taking questions from fans when someone asked if it's fair to blame her relationship with James Harden for the Rockets' crappy 12-14 record.

"Someone's trying to give me too much power," Khloe said ... "but my p**sy is f**king powerful bro, let me tell you that."

She went on ... "First, don’t give me that much power AND [James is] the f**king sh*t ... so suck my d**k and my balls."

Richard Simmons has not been seen in public for almost 2 years, and that's exactly the way he wants it because he just doesn't want to be famous anymore.

It's coming up on 2 years since Richard vanished from public view ... abandoning longtime friends, and even turning his back on his famous exercise studio where he was a fixture.

Friends and family were so alarmed they called the police, who did a welfare check in January, but the cops say Richard was lucid and relaxed.

Richard's rep tells TMZ, the exercise guru is "happily living life outside the public eye." Richard's people have never said why he abruptly disappeared ... mostly retreating to the confines of his home.

It's interesting ... although Richard hasn't shown up at his exercise studio for well over a year, when you call the number it sounds like Richard may always return the next day ... but that he just isn't there "today."

The rep says Richard is still committed to helping the "obese and overlooked" and is working "behind the scenes" on charity projects.

Justin Bieber may be juggling sisters, because he partied Tuesday night with Kendall Jenner at the same night club where he hooked up with Kourtney Kardashian over the weekend.

Justin and Kendall arrived separately at The Nice Guy in WeHo at around the same time -- 10 PM.

They left separately, too ... just like Friday night when Justin and Kourtney left Justin's go-to club and headed for his Bev Hills hotel, where she stayed 'till 4 AM.

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani may be the real deal, because not only is sweeps over, the show's done too ... but they're still together.

Blake and Gwen left the after-party for "The Voice" Tuesday at Avalon in Hollywood, and they sure seemed together.

As for how long it will last ... the bets are on.

NBA great Steve Francis says he's 100% DRUG FREE ... and talk that he's using any type of illegal narcotic is baseless and totally out of left field.

TMZ Sports spoke to Francis about the health rumors that reignited last weekend after he showed up at the Lakers-Rockets game looking ... kinda different. Social media comments were brutal and included speculation he might be on drugs.

But Steve said all that drug talk is "so far from the truth. That's why I don't worry about social media." He added he's purely focused on his family, and his community in Houston. "I'm trying to be a positive influence on people."

As for his appearance at the game -- a source close to Steve told us there's no health issue, "He's just old."

Mr. McGregor ... you ready for your close-up?

Mark Wahlberg says the UFC fighter could be a GREAT actor -- if he gets the right role -- and tells TMZ Sports he's already considering Conor for a role in one of his many many MANY projects.

Selena Gomez and One Direction's Niall Horan left the 'X Factor' finale after-party within seconds of each other Sunday night in London -- doing ZERO to help her claim that they're NOT dating.

Selena even hung backstage after 1D performed during the finale. Odd, since just days ago she insisted there's no romance between them and they're just friends.

For some reason, she tried to hide her face from photogs outside -- even though she'd already been seen hanging at the show. Maybe she's just in de-Niall?

Justin Bieber was NOT straddling Kourtney Kardashian when he seemed to taunt Scott Disick.

Check out the pics ... Justin posted the pic above on Instagram Sunday with the caption, "Lord knows." Lots of people thought the chick in the pic was Kourtney.

Turns out ... not at all. The pic below, which was taken around Newport Beach, shows the woman in question ... and it's not Kourtney. In case you have any doubt, check out her shoes.

BTW, as we reported, Justin and Kourtney hung out at his hotel between 1 and 4 AM Saturday, so there's smoke, but the pic he posted is deceptive.