Movies

Michael Jackson's family is destroying the media and "vulture tweeters" who buy into the molestation claims put forward in "Leaving Neverland" -- a documentary they consider a "public lynching."

The family says "We are furious that the media, who without a shred of proof or single piece of physical evidence, chose to believe the word of two admitted liars over the word of hundreds of families and friends around the world who spent time with Michael, many at Neverland, and experienced his kindness and global generosity."

In the statement, the family never mentions the men featured in the documentary -- Wade Robson and James Safechuck -- by name, but only refers to them as "the two perjurers." That echoes statements from Jackson's estate which dismissed Robson and Safechuck as "admitted liars."

The family points out Michael's home was raided by cops, and when he went on trial he was "found to be COMPLETELY INNOCENT."

They add ... the documentary is not journalism because the filmmakers had an agenda and "were not interested in the truth."

"The Sopranos" prequel movie's on the way, and fans are stoked James Gandolfini's son will play a young Tony ... but perhaps none more than the show's very own "Big Pussy."

We got actor Vincent Pastore, who played Salvatore Bonpensiero on the series, leaving Papa John's Deli in the Bronx ... and he's over the moon about 19-year-old Michael Gandolfini landing the role his dad made famous in the upcoming film, "The Many Saints of Newark."

Vincent tells us the casting choice is beautiful, and his old pal Jimmy is looking down from heaven and smiling. He points out this isn't a case of Hollywood nepotism ... "little Michael" won the role after an extensive interview process.

Pussy says the timing of the news is perfect too, with 'Sopranos' recently celebrating its 20th anniversary. He's still close with his former castmates and tells us they just got together for a reunion ... and he's clearly happy to add Michael to the family.

As for who might play "Little Pussy" in the prequel, Pastore has a couple ideas. They might not be up for the challenge, though.

Lady Gaga had a surprise guest Saturday night in Vegas ... her co-star and director of "A Star is Born" -- Bradley Cooper, and he did not disappoint.

Gaga was performing her 'ENIGMA' show at the Park Theater at Park MGM when Bradley appeared on stage, and people in the crowd went wild.

They sang a duet of their song "Shallow," after B.C. overcame some difficulty in installing his earpiece.

It's a super smart move ... Bradley and Gaga are best up for Oscars -- Best Actor and Best Actress -- and this type of publicity keeps them and the film front and center.

Every time David Arquette launches off the top rope, his family cringes inside ... 'cause the actor-turned-wrestler's sister tells TMZ Sports his new career scares the hell outta her!!

We spoke with Golden Globe-winner Patricia Arquette about David's new, more bloody career as a pro wrestler ... and she says he's got her full support ... even if she's too scared to watch him perform.

"It scares me a little bit. We're all scared as a family," Patricia says. "But also, I know this is David's life and David is an eccentric, wonderful, incredible person and it's his path."

Patricia says she's most worried about David getting hurt ... and rightfully so. Have you SEEN what he does in the ring?!?

As we've previously reported, Arquette has been on a mission to get respect as a real deal wrestler -- after participating in one of the worst storylines EVER back in the WCW days.

Arquette won the WCW heavyweight title back in April 2000 as part of a promotion for his movie, "Ready 2 Rumble" ... a stunt that's been panned as the lowest moment in pro wrestling history.

But, David has been laser-focused on redemption and even went to Mexico to train with luchadores to prove he can hang with the big boys.

His comeback has been nothing short of impressive -- he's executed crazy aerial maneuvers, bulked up ... and even sacrificed his body in a death match.

The 47-year-old was hospitalized and got stitches -- but returned to the ring a short time later.

We just saw Arquette a few weeks ago and he made it clear he ain't slowing down any time soon.

Retired Navy SEAL Kristin Beck is ready to fire up her acting career ... and she's calling on Hollywood producers to start considering more LGBT actors for LGBT roles.

Kristen, a transgender woman and former SEAL Team Six soldier, says she just signed with acting agency Nine9 ... and she's ready to get to work.

Kristin already has a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart from her military service, but she's ready for a new challenge ... and she is throwing her name in the ring for any projects casting a female Navy SEAL.

You might recognize Kristin as the subject of the documentary, 'Lady Valor' ... or from her bashing of President Trump's ban on transgender soldiers in the military.

Kristin says she knows tons of transgender actors ... and she thinks Hollywood should do a better job of at least giving them a chance to land LGBT roles.

Bobby Beausoleil -- one of Charles Manson's followers who's been in prison for murder for almost 49 years -- is on the verge of getting out, and he might have a Lady Gaga documentary to thank for helping his case.

If you don't know, Beausoleil's not considered part of the Manson "family," but he was an associate and was convicted of first-degree murder in 1970. Despite an initial life sentence, he was recommended for parole by a California parole panel earlier this month ... after being rejected 18 times before.

According to transcripts from his parole hearing, Beausoleil was asked several questions about his music and art in relation to his connection to Manson, and he made it clear ... his art stands alone.

To prove his point ... Beausoleil pointed out the soundtrack he provided for the 1972 short film "Lucifer Rising" was sampled in the 2017 documentary about Lady Gaga, "Gaga: Five Foot Two."

Beausoleil told the parole board ... "The Lady Gaga documentary used a portion of it ... and it has been used in other films." He added ... "It is respected on its own merits as art ... I think it is important to try to see it as something that is not representative of something that is related to Manson."

We looked into it, and his story checks out ... 2 tracks from "Lucifer Rising" were used in the Gaga doc, and Bobby is credited as the writer.

It's unclear if Lady Gaga had any input about the musical selections for the doc -- which was directed by Chris Moukarbel -- but we reached out to her rep ... no word back so far.

A few lucky DMX fans working at a Maryland gas station were among the first people to see the rapper after he got out of prison, and when they asked for a photo he replied ... "X Gon Give it to Ya!"

Folks at the Royal Farms store in Frederick tell TMZ ... DMX and his crew of about 20 pulled in Friday night around 7 PM to gas up and grab some goodies. We're told everyone immediately recognized him and he was super friendly to the staff ... agreeing to snap several pics before they took off.

We broke the story ... DMX became a free man again Friday after he was released from federal prison in West Virginia. He completed a one-year sentence for tax evasion. He was first seen out in public post-prison with his son and fiancee, grabbing breakfast at a local spot.

Jason Momoa not only owns the land beneath the sea ... he owns the ski slopes too!

We got the coolest man at the Sundance Film Festival Friday night leaving Butcher's Chop House in Park City, Utah, and he declared his impending dominance on the slopes. Jason says he's breakin' out the snowboard Saturday and he will be king of the mountain.

He's certainly king of the sea. "Aquaman" has become the highest grossing DC superhero flick, grossing more than a billion bucks.

Jason's at Sundance to host a panel on, "The Creatives Behind Some of YouTube's Buzziest Channels."

1/26 1:00 PM PT -- Michael Jackson's estate has responded to the "Leaving Neverland" premiere by slamming it once more, saying, it "isn't a documentary, it is the kind of tabloid character assassination Michael Jackson endured in life, and now in death."

The estate claims the director intentionally avoided interviewing people who could attest that Jackson treated children with respect and never harmed them "so he could craft a narrative so blatantly one-sided that viewers never get anything close to a balanced portrait."

Jackson's estate refers to Robson and Safechuck as "admitted liars" and accuses them of trying to "achieve notoriety and a payday by smearing" Jackson.

For what it's worth ... Wade and James have claimed they were not paid for "Leaving Neverland."

1/ 25 1:15 PM PT -- Emotional Robson and Safechuck took the stage after the film and were given a standing ovation. They did a brief Q&A, and let the audience know just how important getting everything out was to them.

12:40 PM PT -- We're told there's a lot of emotional testimony from Wade and James in part 2, especially talking about coming to terms with their abuse and revealing it to their families.

At one point, Wade breaks down in tears describing having visions of Michael abusing his own kid. He talks about going to therapy and telling his family the truth. We're told some members of Wade's family has contempt for his mother for allowing the abuse to happen. James' mom also appears on camera and talks about her guilt.

Some of the evidence in the film used to support the allegations against Michael include "love notes" to both boys along with voice messages. We're told despite the upsetting nature of the film, the audience applauded at the end.

12:05 PM PT -- Part 2 heavily focuses on Jackson's case and trial, and how he allegedly treated Wade and James in the process. Both claim Jackson made legal threats, and Wade eventually decided to testify in Jackson's defense because he says he was scared of the repercussions if he told the truth.

James says he refused to testify and Jackson got mad and threatened him, but that was the last time they spoke.

11:30 AM PT -- We're told the second part of the documentary opens with Jackson's allegations surfacing publicly for the first time in the '90s, and later moves on to his 2003 arrest for child molestation.

It also details the lives of both James and Wade after their time with Jackson, and how they dealt with his arrest and their connection to the case.

11:10 AM PT -- Someone watching the preview tells TMZ ... the doc is airing in 2 parts. The first hour of part 1 features Safechuck's testimony, including his story about how Jackson befriended him and his family before the alleged sexual abuse began.

We're told Safechuck gives very graphic details of the abuse and sex acts, which he claims happened at Neverland and Jackson's home in Century City. He says the abuse started when Jackson taught him to masturbate in a hotel room in Paris.

There's also a lot of footage of James and Michael together, and we're told James shows the jewelry MJ allegedly bought him as rewards for sex acts.

The second hour of part 1 features Robson's account of how he won a dance contest to meet Michael, who then convinced him and his mom to move to L.A. to be closer to him.

We're told both James and Wade claim the abuse felt normal to them because Jackson coached them on how to keep a secret. He allegedly had drills with them, and had alarms go off so the boys knew to put clothes on when people would approach at Neverland.

Both men say the abuse got worse as they got older and Jackson introduced them to pornography. They claim that's when he began having anal sex with them.

The mothers of both men are also featured in the doc and talk about how they trusted the pop singer, but were blinded by his fame. We're told there's also mention of Macaulay Culkin -- allegedly, Michael would tell the other boys he was his favorite.

We're told part 2 just began ... opening up with when allegations first started surfacing about Jackson.

The explosive Michael Jackson documentary is about to be unveiled, and the 2 accusers at the center of the doc -- Wade Robson and James Safechuck -- just entered the theater for the premiere of "Leaving Neverland."

Both men say MJ molested them when they were kids. The Michael Jackson Estate has come out swinging, calling both men liars and even excoriating HBO for agreeing to run the documentary.

Police were out in force in Sundance for the premiere, but only a handful of protesters were present.

We got Robson -- who has become a famous choreographer with credits that include directing Britney Spears music videos -- Thursday on his way to Sundance, and he did not necessarily endorse a mute Michael Jackson movement. He said his participation in the movement goes way beyond MJ.

There's a Q&A session after the screening, and it's possible opposing sides may face off. We're there, so stay tuned.

Kevin Hart had a visceral reaction to our photog who asked if there was any equivalency between Michael Jackson and R. Kelly.

We got Kevin Friday night in WeHo leaving The Nice Guy, and we wanted his take on whether people would react to "Leaving Neverland" the same way they did to "Surviving R. Kelly." Kevin seemed to visually show a combo of shock and disdain ... but wouldn't elaborate.

As we reported, the 2 accusers featured in the MJ documentary -- Wade Robson and James Safechuck -- were front and center for the premiere of the MJ doc Friday at the Sundance Film Festival. It was so emotional people in the audience were sobbing.

Joe Rogan rewatched an old comedy classic recently -- "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" -- and pointed out something which seems crazy obvious now ... IT'S SUPER TRANSPHOBIC!!!

The UFC announcer was talking about all sorts of issues with New York Times reporter Bari Weiss on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast this week when he brought up the 1994 Jim Carrey flick.

"I didn't realize how transphobic that f*cking movie is," Rogan said ... "It's off the charts!"

Rogan says he hadn't seen the movie in years, but when he sat down to watch it with 8 and 10-year-old daughters he quickly realized, "It is so insanely transphobic."

If you remember ... the whole point of the flick is for Ace to track down the former Miami Dolphins player who kidnapped the team mascot -- and (spoiler alert) it ends up being the kicker.

But the kicker, Ray Finkle, was no longer living as a man -- he became Lois Einhorn.

When Ace and Dan Marino crack the case and realize Lois used to be Ray -- they cringe in disgust and everyone who had kissed Lois begins puking and washing out their mouths.

Rogan asks the question ... if places like iTunes should remove the movie from its library due to its offensive nature. Bari argued that it's important to NOT erase movies like "Ace" but notes how far society has come since the movie came out.

9:38 AM PT -- We just got the first pic of DMX post-prison out with his son and fiancee. We're told X and family hit up a local spot for breakfast as soon as he was released.

And, the dog is out ... DMX is a free man again after being released from federal prison!

DMX was released Friday morning from Gilmer Federal Correctional Institution in West Virginia after serving a one-year sentence for tax evasion. We're told X's family was expected to pick him up.

As we reported ... DMX is planning on dropping a new album and tackling some new movie projects, including a possible biopic!

With his prison sentence complete, X must now start forking over $2.3 million in restitution to Uncle Sam ... and he also has to start outpatient programs for substance abuse and mental health.

DMX's original release date was supposed to be on Sunday, but it's federal policy to release inmates early if their release date falls on a weekend.

Originally Published -- 7:54 AM PST

R. Kelly's relationship with Joycelyn Savage -- one of his alleged brainwashed sex slaves -- has done way more than raise eyebrows with viewers of "Surviving R. Kelly" ... we're told it's caught the attention of the feds.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Joycelyn's dad, Timothy, has been contacted by an FBI special agent regarding the R&B singer at least 5 TIMES in the past year and a half ... most recently weeks before Lifetime's docuseries began airing on January 3.

We're told Timothy provided the FBI with all the known whereabouts of Kelly and Joycelyn from state to state, starting with where their relationship began, along with text messages or emails.

Our sources say Timothy provided the feds with lots of the same information regarding alleged predatory behavior and physical abuse he gave Lifetime for 'Surviving."

The FBI has jurisdiction when an adult brings a minor across state lines for sexual purposes.

It's unclear if the FBI has launched an official investigation into R. Kelly ... but it's clear the controversy and accusations against him are on the agency's radar. He's already under criminal investigation in Georgia.

As we've reported ... Joycelyn's family believes Kelly is holding her against her will -- something she strongly denies. The 2 were seen shopping together in April 2018, and we caught her out "vacationing" in Beverly Hills back in May without Kelly.

Awkwafina highly recommends the ways of Marie Kondo if you want to be happier and cleaner ... especially if your place is cluttered with clothes and ... old lotions. Seriously.

We got the "Crazy Rich Asians" star at LAX Thursday ... she told us she's jumped on board the organization train, made popular by the Japanese author's new hit Netflix show, "Tidying Up."

Awkwafina's gone through the method -- even talks to all her clothes now -- and said goodbye to things that no longer bring her joy. She says it's done wonders for her place and her mental space.

Brigitte Nielsen -- the OG "Red Sonja" -- isn't calling for director Bryan Singer's head just yet, but says she absolutely will ... IF troubling new pedophilia allegations turn out to be true.

We got Brigitte -- who costarred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the '85 action flick -- leaving Craig's in WeHo, and asked what she made of Singer still directing the reboot ... after The Atlantic published a bombshell report in which 4 men claimed Singer had either molested them years ago when they were minors.

The Danish-born actress wasn't fully aware of the scandal, but invoked the #MeToo movement and told us if Singer turns out to be guilty -- he's gotta get the boot.

Sonja went so far as to say she'd cut him herself, if the studio didn't do it.

Little background: the fictional Sonja character is a victim of sexual assault, a fact that helped fuel the outrage over Singer possibly directing the film.

Singer is denying all the allegations and calls the Atlantic article a "homophobic smear piece." He has not been charged with any crime. For now, Brigitte is willing to reserve judgment until Singer is proven guilty of anything.

Bryan Singer will NOT be removed from his directing role on the remake of "Red Sonja" -- despite a bombshell report that details pedophilia allegations against him.

Avi Lerner of Millennium Media -- a producer for the upcoming film -- released a statement Thursday in support of Singer in the wake of the Atlantic article, in which 4 men claimed Singer had either molested or raped them as minors.

Lerner says, "I continue to be in development for Red Sonja and Bryan Singer continues to be attached." He adds, "The over $800 million Bohemian Rhapsody has grossed, making it the highest grossing drama in film history, is testament to his remarkable vision and acumen. I know the difference between agenda driven fake news and reality, and I am very comfortable with this decision. In America people are innocent until proven otherwise."

Singer denied the allegations and called the article a "homophobic smear piece" which rehashed "claims from bogus lawsuits filed by a disreputable cast of individuals willing to lie for money or attention." He hasn't been charged with a crime related to the allegations.

Lots of folks were outraged that Singer was set to direct a movie about a fictionalized victim of sexual assault. Among the upset groups is GLAAD, which reacted to the Atlantic article by removing "Bohemian Rhapsody" from contention for its Media Awards this year.