Gossip / Rumors

Anthony Mackie is set to take up the mantle as the new Captain America in his own movie, but on speculation over whether Chris Evans might reprise the role ... he says, no chance.

News about Mackie starring in a forthcoming 'Captain America 4' flick surfaced this week, with director Julius Onah reportedly attached to direct. This, of course, comes on the heels of Mackie's Disney+ show -- which ends with him accepting the CA shield.

You'd think that conclusion -- which was made very clear on the show, this after Evans' character, Steve Rogers, had already passed the torch at the end of 'Endgame' -- wouldn't be up for debate ... but apparently, among some fans, it is. And, THR alluded to that in a thread.

In response to uncertainty about Evans' possible involvement with the new movie and the character, CE himself weighed in Saturday ... writing, "Sam Wilson is Captain America."

The reason that's a big deal ... it seems to shut down trolls who, to this day, aren't cool with the idea of Mackie carrying on as the titular superhero -- a controversy that's been brewing since 2019 when he was officially tapped as Chris Evans' successor.

A lot of the pushback over AM has been straight-up racist ... with many saying a Black guy simply shouldn't be allowed to assume the role (even though that happens in the comics).

Now, Chris appears to be confirming he's done with 'Captain America,' and that Mackie will exclusively continue as the character ... without Chris's involvement going forward. Frankly, that makes sense logistically -- Evans is depicted as an old dude in the final 'Avengers' movie ... so to jam him into the plot, beyond just a cameo, feels unlikely/unnecessary.

BTW, Mackie as the new Captain America carries a lot of weight. It's revealed on the show -- based on an earlier comic series, which is canon -- that the fictionalized history behind Captain America is dark, with the U.S. government testing/perfecting the super serum giving him his powers on Black soldiers while Cap was under ice. So, technically, Captain America was built on the backs of Black people ... a metaphor to our own real-life history, some say.

Rumors have spread on social media that Austin Butler and Ezra Miller got into a physical altercation overseas ... but TMZ has learned that's nowhere near the truth.

Sources close to Austin tell TMZ the incident never happened, and Austin never even stepped foot in a pub during his time in Japan as the initial claims suggested.

Not to mention, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department tells TMZ they have no record of the incident.

Austin has been in Tokyo recently to promote his new "Elvis" movie as part of his press tour.

The rumor stated Ezra has been "terrorizing Tokyo" ... walking up to Austin in a bar and yelling at him, causing Austin to punch the 'Flash' star.

Kendall Jenner might not be as single as everyone thinks ... she was just spotted spending some alone time with Devin Booker.

The two were together at Soho House in Malibu Sunday ... seemingly in good spirits as they passed each other some flirty looks.

Rumors have been spreading that they were done for, but these shots seem to paint a different picture -- or, at the very least, someone might be having second thoughts.

Multiple outlets have recently reported KJ and DB split, although the sources remained vague on details.

Kendall posted online over the weekend, showing her tanning naked, amongst other photos from her camera roll ... and Devin dropped a like on the post.

Devin's been with Kendall for a couple of years now ... they even went to Kourtney Kardashian's Italian wedding last month.

Warren Sapp says he was told Colin Kaepernick's tryout with the Raiders last month did not go well at all for the QB ... explaining, "I heard it was a disaster."

"I heard it was one the worst workouts ever," the Hall of Famer added.

Sapp, who played for the Raiders when they were in Oakland from 2004 to 2007, made the claims in a recent interview with VladTV.

The 49-year-old former defensive lineman did not reveal who within Las Vegas' org. made the claims ... but he did say he was surprised footage from the workout never got leaked.

"I'm wondering how the hell this happened," Sapp said, "and the tape didn't get out, right?"

As we reported, Kaepernick tried out for Vegas in late May ... but the Raiders have been tight-lipped about the workout ever since, with head coach Josh McDaniels declining to get into specifics of how it all went.

Kaepernick's agent, Jeff Nalley, denied Sapp's claims in a text message to Pro Football Talk on Sunday ... saying he was told the workout was actually a success.

"I guess Warren didn’t talk to the General Manager or the head coach," Nalley said.

"I spoke to the G.M. [Dave Zieger] several times and he said they all thought Kap was in great shape and threw the ball really well and encouraged any team to call him about the workout and he would tell them the same."

Nalley continued, "I'm surprised Warren would say that, because it's not true and you would think he would want Kap on a team."

Zendaya's shutting down rumors that she and BF Tom Holland are expecting, after viral videos convinced the internet the two have a baby on the way.

The actress took to Instagram Wednesday after some posts took the internet by storm -- ones that claimed she was pregnant with Tom's kid.

She puts in plainly -- "See now, this is why I stay off Twitter..." adding, "Just making stuff up for no reason...weekly."

The now-viral clip shows a faked screenshot from what's supposed to be Zendaya's IG, with an ultrasound on full display. The pic has a caption saying, "I love you. Halfway there," with a tag for the "Spiderman" actor.

The vid then cuts to what's being called "Krissing" -- a clip of Kris Jenner dancing to "Lady Marmalade," saying the whole thing was a prank. Call it a Rick Roll of modern times.

People still fell for it online, and Twitter blew up about the news ... with many still confused while "Zendaya pregnant" is trending.

Migos is still a rap group ... the trio has NOT split up despite a recent removal from an upcoming festival, which only fueled existing rumors of a potential breakup.

A label rep for Migos tells TMZ ... the reason the group is no longer performing at this week's Governors Ball is because Quavo is busy filming a movie, and they couldn't work around the schedule conflict.

While the rumor mill went into overdrive following Tuesday's announcement Migos would no longer be part of the Governors Ball lineup -- instead being replaced by Lil Wayne -- we're told the group is NOT breaking up.

It's the first official comment on the breakup rumors since rumblings began online last month ... when the buzz was Quavo and Offset were on the outs again.

Photogs asked Huncho about the band's future, but he didn't say much and instead talked about his new collab with Takeoff, "Hotel Lobby."

There's also been a rash of social media unfollowings between Quavo, Offset and Cardi B ... with Takeoff remaining neutral. He's still following all of them.

Matthew Morrison is taking a stand against claims he sent "flirty" text messages to a contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance" ... reading the alleged message out loud, and putting an end to speculation it was inappropriate.

Morrison, who was recently released from the show for failing to follow "competition production protocols" is clearly agitated in a video he posted on Instagram, captioned, "Just to clarify .."

He opens it by saying, "It's unfortunate that I have to sit here and defend myself and my family against blatantly untrue statements made anonymously, but I have nothing to hide. So, in the interest of transparency ... I will read to you the one message I wrote to a dancer on the show."

He then reads the message, which we've verified as being sent on April 25 at 12:34 AM and says, "Hey! It's Matthew. If you don't mind, would love to get your number and talk you through some things ..."

Morrison then explains he wanted to connect with the contestant because they share a "mutual respect" for a choreographer, and he wanted to get said choreographer a job on the show.

Our sources say it was the contestant who reported the message to show producers as being potentially problematic.

Sources close to Morrison tell us he was unaware of the no contact rule in his judge's contract. We're told he's worked on dance shows in the U.K. where collabing with contestants was encouraged ... and didn't think it was going to be an issue.

A viral video of a young woman getting beaten up has led the internet to believe it could possibly be Zendaya -- but based on the visual evidence we've seen ... it's likely BS.

This clip made the rounds this weekend ... it's 7 seconds long, and it shows somebody wailing on this poor girl inside of an apparent store somewhere. After they're done punching, they resort to kicking, sending the woman flying back and knocking her head against a wall.

Indeed, it's incredibly brutal -- and there's no context whatsoever, as far as we can see, that points to where or when this happened, who exactly was involved, or why.

What people do believe they see here, however, is someone who appears to resemble Zendaya -- at least from the quick glimpses of this girl's face you can make out in the video. Yes, we'll admit ... it does look a bit like the actress -- especially from her 'Euphoria' scenes.

Again, there's no telling when this might've been from -- or if it's even Zendaya at all, frankly -- but FWIW, Z isn't rocking this length of hair at the moment ... she's got a much shorter 'do right now, as you can see in recent pap shots of her out and about in Massachusetts.

Her shoe-wear is also different than what's in this video -- rainbow-colored Crocs. Zendaya's got sneakers on here ... and has publicly said she'll either rock tennis shoes or heels, not much in between. Zendaya's never been snapped in Crocs from what we could find.

The bottom line is this ... there's no clear evidence this is, in fact, Zendaya -- and yet, Twitter's got her trending right now since they think it could be her. Zendaya or not though -- others have pointed out that those who are mocking this are sending the wrong message.

Even if it's just a doppelganger ... the filming and recirculation of an assault on a woman of color is something many see as a disturbing trend -- with this just being the latest example.

We've reached out to Zendaya's camp for comment. She hasn't spoken up on this quite yet -- but if it isn't her, it might be worth debunking ... 'cause this thing is running rampant.

Britney Spears has made one thing very clear -- she loves being back in Vegas -- but there are no plans to make Sin City her temporary home with a new concert residency ... TMZ has learned.

Britney had fans freaking out last weekend when she posted video and photos of herself at the new Resorts World Las Vegas with her fiancé Sam Asghari and best friend/agent Cade Hudson. It was clear, the hotel had rolled out the red carpet for Britney ... with many speculating it could be the beginning signs of a larger partnership between the two.

We've spoken with several sources close to Britney who tell us while she had a great time, there weren't any talks about a possible residency, and the thought of getting back on stage any time soon just isn't even something Spears is entertaining.

One other thing, it's pretty clear Resorts World would LOVE having Britney as a concert resident, check out the massive billboard they put up in her honor during the trip.

Of course, Britney's "Piece of Me" residency at Planet Hollywood in 2014 and 2015 was incredibly successful. In 2018, Britney announced she'd begin another Vegas residency at Park MGM, but that never happened as things with her conservatorship turned sour.

While we know there aren't yet talks for Britney to return to the Vegas stage, her fans are certainly itching for a performance or new music ... which she's recently teased.

Yung Miami's "twin" mother, Keenya Young AKA "Ms. Yung 305," has Instagram thinking she's trying to get with her daughter's Quality Control labelmate Lil Baby, but she insists it's a case of mistaken emoji motives.

The proud mama, who's known to strongly support her daughter's rap endeavors, swooped in on Baby's latest IG model shoot with a trio of heart emojis ... alerting several social media outlets in the process.

Once blog Onsite! attempted to make the emoji bombs a story, Ms. Yung 305 decided she needed to clear her name by pointing out an Instagram emoji doesn't mean anything but a button push!

Notwithstanding the irony of wearing a Cleveland Indians baseball hat with an anti-racism shirt  ... Lil Baby is one of the most fashionable rappers out, so it's hard to blame Mama Miami for calling it like she saw it!

We're inclined to believe mom on this one -- she is the CEO of a kid's clothing company and beauty line, after all. So, if she really wanted a date, she'd just do what bosses do and pull up!

Kate Moss and Johnny Depp are getting back together after 25 years ... at least, that's what fans hope after she torpedoed Amber Heard.

Twitter people are actually calling for a petition to reunite Johnny and Kate, and although it's just chatter ... it does seem Kate is still very fond of her ex.

As we reported, Amber had testified about an incident where she claimed Johnny was about to attack her sister Whitney on a staircase when she stepped in and swung at him. She said she feared he'd push Whitney down the stairs because she heard a "rumor" Johnny had pushed Kate Moss down a flight of stairs in the 90s when they were dating.

Well, Kate blew up that rumor ... blew it up to smithereens, when she testified via video that she did indeed take a plunge down a flight of stairs, but the culprit was rain. She said she screamed in pain, and Johnny ran to her, scooped her up, took her inside the hotel room where they were staying and got her medical attention. In other words, it was a gallant act on Johnny's part.

Twitter folks called Kate's testimony "true love," while others observed Johnny seemed to light up during her testimony.

And, get this ... one person wrote, "I hope after this is over, Johnny realizes Kate was the one to marry as a life partner. I hope he phones her up and asks her out on a dinner date."

Kate Moss took the stand in Depp vs. Heard Wednesday ... and squarely told a radically different story from the one Amber Heard told the jury.

Kate and Johnny Depp were a couple in the mid-90s, and Amber had said on the stand ... she was on a staircase with Johnny and claimed Johnny swung at her, and she says she immediately thought of a rumored incident between Johnny and Kate so she felt she knew what was coming and swung at him.

Amber was insinuating Johnny had gotten violent with Kate, but today, on rebuttal, Johnny's lawyer called Kate, who testified by video ... she's in the U.K.

Kate recounted an incident when she and Johnny were at a hotel. He left the room first and she followed. Kate said it was raining and she slipped down the stairs, injuring her back. She says she cried in pain and Johnny came rushing back, carried her inside the hotel room and got her medical attention.

Kate testified ... Johnny never got physical with her ... didn't push her or otherwise assault her. Kate says it was an accident and Johnny was there at the ready to help her.

Amber Heard's participation in 'Aquaman 2' -- however minimal it may end up being -- had absolutely nothing to do with Johnny Depp ... so says the guy who heads up DC Films.

Walter Hamada -- WarnerMedia's head honcho for all things DC movies these days -- sat for a deposition that was played in court by Johnny's team Tuesday ... this as a rebuttal witness after AH's squad rested their case, and as closing arguments approach on Friday.

Check out his testimony ... he tells JD's attorney, Ben Chew, that whatever was going on in the outside world between Amber and Johnny these past few years had no bearing on Warner's decision to downplay her role as Mera -- nor did it affect how much they paid her.

As you know ... there's been much speculation and rumors that AH is seriously sidelined in the 'Aquqman' sequel, this after significant screen time in both the OG and 'Justice League.'

Amber's attorneys have trotted out witnesses who've suggested Amber lost not just a big part in the movie, but big money that should've come with it ... in the form of a renegotiation upon the success of its predecessor, which they say is SOP in the movie biz.

WH addressed that head-on -- saying that under his watch, Warner made clear they wanted to reign in all these pay raises -- which can be costly -- and hold people to option agreements in contracts they originally signed with them ... and AH got a taste of that, he says.

She made a mil for the first movie, and since WM exercised her option for the sequel without rejiggering the deal ... they only gave her $2 mil -- something Amber's attorneys have called a blatant sign her career's been damaged by this whole saga.

Christine Quinn has an explanation for why she was on a film set 2 days after missing the "Selling Sunset" reunion due to having COVID ... saying she tested "positive" to go to set.

During a line of questioning from Andy Cohen, Christine told him she tested "positive" the night before and the morning of her poolside shoot with Melissa Gorga ... say what?!?

Christine's clearly flustered by Andy's probing questions as she tries clearing things up, explaining she tested positive to go to set, meaning she tested negative for the virus. This is some serious mental gymnastics.

TMZ broke the story ... Christine was seen filming something with 'RHONJ' star Melissa last month, only 2 days after missing the 'Selling Sunset' reunion, which her reps blamed on a COVID diagnosis.

Christine's co-star, Mary Fitzgerald, told us she thinks the COVID case was BS and was simply a convenient excuse to back out of the reunion show and avoid facing the heat.

But, as Christine told Andy on "What What Happens Live," her contract did not require her to film the reunion show. Still, her COVID timeline doesn't make much sense, even though she says she definitely had the virus.

Tayler Holder is clearing the air ... flat out saying no one has come forward to accuse him of sexual assault, and insists any rumors claiming otherwise are lies.

The TikTok star opened up on the "TMZ Verified" Podcast, following online speculation he might have been involved in unspecified sexual assault allegations. Tayler says he was never publicly confronted with any accusation from any individual, law enforcement, or attorney.

Interestingly, he says his team did have contact with someone they apparently thought was the source of the rumors, and encouraged that person to raise the allegation in a legal setting ... but he says they went silent at that point.

Folks on social media began to speculate Tayler might be in the middle of some legal trouble because some of his close friends and influencers unfollowed him on Instagram.

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time he has talked about allegations -- but, his open letter and previous interview raised more questions when he said there's stuff going on that should be handled offline.

Daniel Craig was reportedly choice #1 to play Mister Fantastic in the new 'Dr. Strange' movie, this over the eventual chosen one in John Krasinski ... also, spoiler alert ahead.

The news comes from Deadline reporter Justin Kroll, who wrote ... "Fun fact, Krasinski wasn't the first choice, the actor originally set to play the role was all set to shoot but when there was an uptick in COVID cases, he backed out as he was living in London and didn't think the quick shoot wasn't worth risk of bringing back COVID to the fam."

He was responding to a story about Elizabeth Olsen saying she'd never met John Krasinski during an interview with Vanity Fair -- a la Keke Palmer's "I Don't Know This Man" moment.

Anyway, Kroll followed up to bat down conspiracy theorists who noted Craig had shot "Knives Out 2" around the same time, questioning why he'd be willing to film one and not the other.

To that Matt says, "For those asking about why he was able to shoot KNIVES, that was months of shooting and if he got COVID, he would be the only one infected. STRANGE was maybe a day of shooting and worry was he could head back home and not know he had it and give to daughter who was 2 at the time."

Of course, some are questioning the legitimacy of this theory -- especially amid other reports that have Craig pegged as another would-be Marvel hero other than Mister Fantastic -- and the reason is ... he looks nothing like Reed Richards, whereas Krasinski is a dead ringer.

Some are claiming, yes, Dan was, in fact, considered for the film -- but that he was going to play Balder the Brave -- Thor's half-brother -- which makes a lot more sense ... i.e. blonde.