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Julianne Hough's blackface scandal is resurfacing ... some 8 years later as she faces new criticism over her role on a new CBS reality show that has her judging real activists.

The dancer and actress addressed the backlash Tuesday, saying many people are just now becoming aware she wore blackface in 2013 when she dressed up as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren from "Orange is the New Black" for Halloween.

She said, "Wearing black face was a poor choice based on my own white privilege and my own white body bias that hurt people and is something I regret doing to this day."

The renewed backlash stems from Julianne's role -- alongside Usher and Priyanka Chopra Jonas -- for a new reality competition series, "The Activist" premiering next month, where she judges 6 activists competing to bring attention to their causes.

The show was slammed as tone-deaf ... and Julianne addressed the concerns head on. She said, "I heard you say that the show was performative, promoted pseudo-activism over real activism, felt tone-deaf, like Black Mirror, The Hunger Games, and that the hosts weren’t qualified to assess activism because we are celebrities and not activists."

Julianne said that with some people only now finding out about her blackface scandal ... it "only further added insult to injury."

Calvin Johnson still has big beef with the Detroit Lions ... saying things will remain icey with his former team until they give him back $1.6 MILLION.

The Hall of Famer broke down his feud with his ex-squad while speaking with Graham Bensinger recently ... explaining he's still furious with the Lions over the way they took back some of his signing bonus following his abrupt 2016 retirement.

"I put it like this," Johnson said on "In Depth With Graham Bensinger." "Imagine you had a friend -- well, maybe not even a friend, just somebody. They gave you something and then they take it back. And, then are y'all gonna still really hang out?"

"Are y'all still cool?" Calvin added. "And, imagine you did a whole bunch of work for it, too. It's the principle. It's the principle of it. Like, no, you cannot have me back unless you put that money back in my pocket."

The Lions reportedly recently made an attempt to give Johnson back the cash -- offering him, according to the Detroit Free Press, $500K a year for three years of work with the team, plus a $100K charity donation.

But, Johnson told Bensinger he declined that deal ... calling the offer a "joke."

"I'm not saying they got to repay me the $1.6 all up-front, but they need to figure out a way to do it, and not have me work for it," Johnson said. "Because I already did the work for it."

Fat Joe and Ja Rule went head-to-head at their highly anticipated "Verzuz," but the women they brought on stage might have come out on top of what turned out to be more of a love-in than a battle.

The 2 rappers squared off for 20 rounds at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night, playing almost all of their major hits, but at one point Joe stopped the show to present gifts to a couple of their special guests -- Ashanti and Remy Ma.

The ladies guested on both of the guys' tracks, and are credited with elevating the show beyond the back-and-forth barbs and posturing ... and Joe rewarded them with Hermes handbags.

Other big names who joined in on the "Verzuz" fun included Nelly, Lil Mo, Vita, and Dre from Cool & Dre ... but, there was also one notable absence -- 50 Cent.

As you know ... Ja and Fiddy have had beef for decades, so fans were hoping for a surprise showdown, but it didn't happen -- much like Ja Rule suggested it wouldn't.

Michael Che made a bad call when he did a "homegrrl" sketch on his HBO Max show, because he jacked it from a TikToker's "HomeGirl Hotline" bit ... or so she claims in a new lawsuit.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... Kelly Manno says she's a popular TikTok creator who came up with the fictional idea of a service where "people unable to cope with certain social situations can call a hotline and order a 'home girl'" to help 'em out.

Manno says she created and posted a video of her bit in August 2020, and it racked up a couple hundred thousand views on TikTok ... while a second one in September 2020 got more than half a million views.

Fast-forward to April 2021 and the release of "That Damn Michael Che" on HBO Max ... Manno claims the sixth episode of the comedy series included 4 segments about a fictional service where people order a "homegrrl" to show up where they are and help them out of uncomfortable situations.

According to the suit ... Manno says each segment ended with a character saying a variation of "Thank you, homegrrl" ... which she claims infringes on her copyright that includes the phrase "Thank you, HomeGirl Hotline!"

Manno alleges this is willful copyright infringement, and she wants maximum damages and an order blocking Che and HBO Max from using it.

Kid Cudi boldly went where no man has gone before at the 2021 Met Gala ... with damn near a couple million in bling hanging from his neck!!!

The "Man On the Moon" artist was decked out in a vibrant Louis Vitton getup for the event, but the centerpiece of the look was his not-so-little man on the moon ... an opulent, one-of-a-kind piece designed by Ben Baller and KAWS.

We're told the chain and pendant -- museum quality diamond work titled "SPACE" -- is a whopping $1,600,000 piece ... featuring more than 24,000 clarity E color diamonds, and more than a kilo in 18k rose gold.

The celeb jeweler says, "This is the most detailed and intricate piece of jewelry I’ve ever created in my entire career," adding that he had to shut down his entire factory for 3 months to focus on completing it.

The piece is a miniature take on Kaws' famous "Holiday Space" astronaut figure, and Baller says the pendant's backpack has a secret compartment where Cudi can keep weed -- or other small stuff -- in it.

Britney Spears won't be walking down the aisle anytime soon -- but in the meantime, her giant diamond ring is all the rage for others looking to say "I do."

A rep for Forever Diamonds NY -- where Brit's fiance, Sam Asghari, had this puppy commissioned -- tells TMZ ... they received 500 inquiries Sunday following news of the proposal, with 95% of those inquiries being from people looking to purchase a version of the "Britney Ring."

You'll recall ... Forever Diamonds NY said they'd be naming this ring setting after the pop star herself, commemorating the thought they say Sam put in while making the purchase.

Despite everyone clamoring for a Britney ring of their own ... Forever Diamonds says no one will get the exact one she's got on her finger right now -- because that one was specially made for her, and they won't replicate it precisely.

That said, the jeweler tells us they're considering a version of the ring on display at a store they're opening soon -- so customers can see it up close. The fanfare makes sense ... Sam himself just spilled the beans on how unique it actually is, and what he had to do to keep it under wraps for so long.

As for the nuptials... sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... BS and SA are in no rush to get hitched. We're told they're going to take their time and enjoy the engagement, and they're not even throwing around the word "wedding" among friends.

Amanda Bynes isn't walking the same path as Britney Spears ... a judge just signed off on her conservatorship remaining in place for at least another year and change.

The former child star had a status hearing in her conservatorship case this week -- and the judge scheduled the next status hearing for March 8, 2023 ... so it looks like Amanda's case will continue until at least then, unless something changes.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the conservatorship must file its next update by January 2023. Amanda's mother serves as her conservator.

Amanda was placed under the conservatorship in 2013 after a string of bizarre episodes -- including a disturbing store surveillance video -- that revealed her mental health struggles.

Since then, she's been relatively low-key ... staying out of the spotlight and pursuing other things outside of acting, like a design career via the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She's also gotten engaged and dabbled in rap music too.

Britney Spears has already taken steps to get a prenup drafted ... just a day after she and Sam announced their engagement ... sources tell TMZ.

Sources with direct knowledge who are close to Britney tell TMZ ... her camp is already mobilizing to get a prenup drafted. Britney's net worth reportedly hovers at around $60 million ... this money is hers, but although she's not making nearly what she raked in when she was performing, she's still making considerable coin.

Sam joked HE was the one who wanted a prenup, to protect his jeep and his shoes, but the reality is ... a prenup is not only in the cards -- it's necessary.

As we reported, Britney had a prenup with Kevin Federline, and that was before the conservatorship. It may be even more important now ... not because it's an omen -- it's just smart.

Britney announced the engagement Sunday, but did not say when they were getting married. This would be her third marriage, and it's unclear when they would tie the knot. But, her team isn't wasting any time getting the document signed, sealed and delivered ahead of the nuptials.

Tonight's the night ... WWE Superstar Big E is cashin' in, using his coveted 'Money In The Bank' briefcase for a title shot against Bobby Lashley -- or Randy Orton on tonight's Raw.

TMZ Sports talked to E ... and the 35-year-old SmackDown star, holding the 'MITB' case, made the announcement.

"I'm a big proponent of setting your intentions, and I woke up this morning and I said, let me set my intentions to be a world champion here tonight in Boston," Big E tells us.

Of course, Big E won the 'Money in the Bank' ladder match in July ... entitling him to a title shot against either the Raw (Lashley) or SmackDown (Roman Reigns) champ at any moment.

Bobby is set to face Orton tonight ... so, E could wrestle either of the men.

Lashley's the current champ ... so we asked him if he had a message for the Raw champ.

"First and foremost, Bobby needs to worry about a certain 14x world champion in Randy Orton, who's trying to become a 15x champion tonight. so he's got that to worry about. so my message to bobby is worry about that apex predator first. Just know, I'm here. I'm in the building."

Why tonight on Raw from Boston??? We asked E.

"Why tonight? Why not tonight? Boston. Heckuva town. Kofi's from here. The fact that Kofi and Woods are both present. My sister lives here. I have extended family that lives here."

So, fam's here, Kofi and Xavier, but can he win the belt?!?

Stay tuned ...

Britney Spears' newly-minted fiance, Sam Asghari, says he and Britney will sign a prenup, alright ... a prenup designed to protect HIM.

Sam was responding to fans who urged Britney to get a prenup ... his response -- yep, they'll sign an "iron clad prenup," adding, "to protect my jeep and shoe collection in case she dumps me one day."

Now, Sam added a few crying laughing emojis, but it's actually a real issue.

As we reported, she broke the news on Instagram, posting a video of her showing off the huge rock on her finger, with the caption ... "I can't f***ing believe it 💍💍💍💍💍💍❣️!!!!!!"

It's worth noting ... Britney signed a prenup with Kevin Federline, so it's something she's clearly inclined to do ... at least in the past. Although these stories on net worth are often wildly inaccurate, Brit's reported estimate worth hovers at around $60 million. So, Sam's clearly joking about a prenup that protects him, but that doesn't mean a prenup is not in their future.

BTW ... since the judge in Brit's conservatorship case already said she's capable of hiring a lawyer, it seems the coast is clear for her to hire another lawyer to handle prenup business. Here's the wild card -- the conservator of her estate -- as long as the conservatorship exists -- could demand a prenup be signed to protect her assets, and right now that person is Jamie Spears.

Mark Davis is having no trouble adjusting to his new home in Vegas ... 'cause the Raiders owner just made a chunk of change at the slot machines earlier this week -- and TMZ Sports has the pic!!!

We're told the son of legendary owner Al Davis hit up the Virgin Hotels in Sin City on Tuesday night to test his luck ahead of the 2021 season ... posting up at the Wheel of Fortune slots around 11 PM.

As it turns out, the man worth reportedly $500 million seemingly got a bit richer ... raking in about $1,800 on one turn!

Of course, things haven't always been fine and dandy for Davis -- as we previously reported, he got in a bit of a fender bender with his Mini Cooper in a shopping center parking lot right off the Strip back in June.

We're sure Davis is gonna hope this luck continues as the Raiders take their home field at Allegiant Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.

Scooter Braun is moving on with his life after filing for divorce ... he just snagged a ridiculous mansion for which he paid a king's ransom.

Scooter, who manages Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Carly Rae Jepsen and David Guetta to name a few, just closed on a $65 estate in Brentwood CA.

TMZ broke the story ... Scooter filed for divorce from Yael Cohen. They were married for 7 years and have 3 kids.

The mansion is 19,000 square feet with 6 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a gym, theatre and more ... with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and the lights of L.A.

The house sits on 4 acres, which is massive for Brentwood. It's new construction ... completed this year. It was listed for $70 mil in June, so the seller got fairly close to asking.

Diddy is snatching up more property on Miami's exclusive Star Island -- TMZ has learned he's the mystery buyer who dropped a huge sum on Gloria and Emilio Estefan's mansion.

According to sources and property records ... Diddy threw down a cool $35 million for the former Estefan estate on Star Island, which the couple bought way back in 1993 for only $1,840,000. How 'bout that return on investment?!?

TMZ broke the story ... Gloria and Emilio unloaded the mansion back in July and got top dollar on their investment, but we didn't know who the new owner was.

Diddy now has plenty of room to shake his body and do that "Conga" -- the property is nearly 8,000 square feet with 6 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, and it sits on a corner lot with waterfront views of the downtown Miami skyline.

Oh and there's also a 2-story guest house with 3 bedrooms, a spacious living room and its own killer views.

Diddy's kinda playing Miami Monopoly here ... we're told he also owns the property next door, which he purchased in 2003. It's unclear if he plans to combine both properties.

Boxing legend Shane Mosley wagered $1,000,000 on himself, betting he'd BEAT Canelo Alvarez in 2012 ... but unfortunately for Sugar, he not only lost the fight, he netted a NEGATIVE $400K in the process!!

The 50-year-old, former multiple-weight class world champion sat down with Mario Lopez for Triller's "OK Bet" show ... and made the stunning admission.

"They were gonna pay me $600,000 [for the Alvarez fight], but I made a bet for a million dollars that I was gonna beat Canelo, and if I would've won I’d have $6 million," Shane recounts.

"I was thinking this snot nose kid is not gonna beat me, you know at 154 (lbs)."

Sadly for Shane's bank account, he was wrong ... and instead of making millions like he would've with a win, he actually LOST hundreds of thousands of George Washington's after paying off his debt.

"I bet a million dollars and I lost so I ended up having to pay back 400,000 dollars. For getting my butt kicked I had to pay $400,000."

If you don't remember the May 2012 fight ... then-40-year-old Mosley took on a 21-year-old Canelo at the MGM in Las Vegas.

Alvarez was 40-0-1 at the time ... and held the lightweight title. But, Mosley, who'd won just 2 of his last 6 fights, and was nearing the end of his great career, believed he still had enough left in the tank to get the W.

After 12 rounds, Mosley ended up losing a 1-sided decision to the future top pound-for-pound fighter in the world ... with 2 judges scoring the bout 119-109, and the other, 118-110.

Shane retired 5 fights later in 2016. Since, the legendary pugilist has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

The woman who claimed she got kicked off an Alaska Airlines flight because she was too fat has been doing some self-reflection... and now she's going under the knife to slim down.

Manager of Ray Lin Howard, Gina Rodriguez,  tells TMZ … ever since last week's incident, Ray Lin's felt uncomfortable and judged every time she gets dressed and goes out in public, and now she's making a change.

We're told she's traveling to Beverly Hills next week to get gastric sleeve surgery to remove the majority of her stomach ... and her goal is to go from 350 lbs. to about 160.

As we reported ... Ray Lin claims she got kicked off an Alaska Airlines flight for wearing a revealing outfit, and says she was also harassed and discriminated against because of her weight. She described the incident as the worst example of "fatphobia" she's ever encountered.

Rayshard Brooks' widow wants someone to pay for his shooting death ... so she's suing the City of Atlanta and the 2 police officers involved in the incident that killed him.

Tomika Miller just filed a lawsuit on behalf of Rayshard's estate ... claiming her late husband's shooting death in a Wendy's parking lot on June 12, 2020, was "senseless and unjustified."

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Tomika claims Rayshard remained "calm, polite, cordial and cooperative" with cops during a 41-minute interaction until officer Garrett Rolfe began handcuffing Brooks to arrest him and threw him to the ground.

In the suit, Tomika claims the other cop, Devin Brosnan, then threatened Rayshard with a Taser while he was on the ground ... even though she claims Brosnan had not completed the police department's mandatory Taser certification course.

Tomika claims Rayshard stood up while being threatened and gained control of Brosnan's Taser ... and that's when Rolfe grabbed his own Taser and shot Rayshard with the Taser darts.

In the docs, Tomika claims Rayshard turned his back on the cops and started running away after being tased, with Rolfe chasing after him and firing 3 bullets from his gun, 2 of which struck Brooks in the back and caused him to crumple to the ground.

Tomika claims the cops didn't give Rayshard medical aid after shooting him, and instead, Rolfe went over and kicked Brooks.

In her suit, Tomika claims Rolfe acted with actual malice and an intent to injure Rayshard by using deadly and excessive force.

Rayshard's widow claims the officers acted with deliberate indifference by not rendering medical aid after shooting him.