Movies

DJ Mustard says R. Kelly is a "monster" and a "pig" ... but he's reserving judgment on Michael Jackson. YG says he's done with both of 'em ... but also has some condemning words for white people.

We got the hip-hop stars outside Poppy nightclub in L.A. Friday night, engaging in a lively discussion about the sordid allegations and controversy currently surrounding the disgraced musicians.

Mustard tells us he doesn't mess with Kelly because he believes the accusers -- and because he has daughters -- but isn't so certain about MJ. He admits he's been swayed by the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries ... but he's yet to see "Leaving Neverland."

YG adds some entertainment throughout by challenging Mustard for rebuking one but not the other, but then takes the convo in a different direction ... with claims that racism's behind everything -- including Bill Cosby going to prison.

Jussie Smollett's career is just like an awesome script ... complete with a major plot twist, then a climax and now the aftermath -- and it ain't pretty.

Sources familiar with Jussie's current situation tell TMZ ... he was living a pretty good Hollywood life before claiming he was viciously attacked in Chicago. He was getting entertainment biz offers every other week, if not weekly.

We're told Smollett's star actually skyrocketed right after the alleged attack was initially reported. Our sources say he was getting hit up nonstop for movies, TV gigs, commercials and, of course, interviews and appearances.

When his story went off the rails and he was arrested and charged with a felony for filing a false police report ... the well ran dry. We're told Smollett's getting zero calls for new work, and is being treated like a pariah.

Makes sense. Hollywood's waiting to see how his case plays out, but the 16-count indictment the grand jury handed up Friday can't help.

As we reported ... "Empire" also removed Jussie's character from the final 2 episodes of the season in order to keep peace on the set ... where some of his co-stars are butting heads over whether to support him.

On the bright side -- if there is one -- Chicago PD launched an internal investigation out of concerns the force was leaking information, and some of the claims by the Police Superintendent have been called into question.

That might help him in court, but it won't do jack to help him land any roles.

Trump campaign manager-turned federal con Paul Manafort's incredibly light prison sentence isn't as outrageous as many think ... at least according to Jordan Belfort, who knows plenty about prison.

We got the real-life "Wolf of Wall Street" Friday at LAX and he weighed in on a couple of big crime and punishment stories. Jordan, who himself was sentenced to almost 4 years, says it's pretty clear Manafort caught a break because he's an old man.

As Belfort put it ... 3 years and 11 months makes sense because "how many years does he have left?"

Manafort is 69, BTW ... and could get more years tacked on next week when he's sentenced in his conspiracy case.

The 'Wolf' also has an opinion on Jussie Smollett, who just got indicted for a staggering 16 counts in Chicago. He says what the "Empire" star allegedly did is awful, but check out what kinda sentenced he'd give him.

The outpouring love for Luke Perry proves he's a strong candidate to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- and yet, it's gonna take at least 5 years before he can be immortalized.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce tells TMZ ... they would be very happy to consider Luke for a star on the Walk of Fame, but because it didn't happen before his death ... the process is a bit more complicated.

Typically, a celeb can be nominated by anyone, but the application must include a written statement from the celeb that he or she wants the star and will attend the ceremony if approved.

In the case of a deceased celeb ... the family has to give its permission for the process to move forward -- only one deceased nominee is approved each year.

We broke the story -- Luke died March 4 after suffering a massive stroke -- which means March 4, 2024 is the earliest he can be considered. Mark your calendars, 'cause it's gonna happen.

Luke's nomination is a slam dunk ... he enjoyed a prolific acting career on TV and in movies -- rising to fame on "Beverly Hills, 90210" and most recently starring as Archie's dad on CW's hit show, "Riverdale."

He also filmed a part in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming Charles Manson movie, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," and had prominent roles on TV shows like "Oz," "Another World," "John From Cincinnati," "Jeremiah," "Body of Proof," and "Windfall."

Start the countdown.

"Captain Marvel" is the badass we've all been waiting for, because on International Women's Day ... who else ya gonna call on to save the universe ... according to famed film critic Leonard Maltin.

We got Leonard Friday at LAX and our photog asked what kind of message Marvel Studios is sending with its perfectly timed release date? He says Hollywood's finally starting to get the point ... with another movie celebrating female empowerment.

As Leonard explains, Brie Larson playing Carol Danvers reminds the audience -- especially young women -- there's a little superhero magic in all of us. Guys too, but let's be honest ... not nearly as much as the women.

Jan-Michael Vincent -- the '80s heartthrob best known for his role on TV's "Airwolf" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Jan-Michael actually died back on February 10 after suffering cardiac arrest while a patient at a North Carolina hospital ... according to the death certificate. We're told no autopsy was performed and he was later cremated.

Jan-Michael was most recently in the 2002 movie, "White Boy" ... but he had a long, successful career in TV and film.

His CBS hit, "Airwolf," made him into a huge star. At the time, he was reportedly the highest-paid actor at $200k per episode. Jan-Michael played helicopter pilot Stringfellow Hawke on the show, but the series lasted only a couple seasons largely in part to the star's cocaine abuse. His acting career would ultimately suffer from it.

Jan-Michael nearly died in 2012 from an infection that required his right leg to be amputated.

Jan-Michael also starred opposite Burt Reynolds in the 1978 film, "Hooper" -- and co-starred with Kim Basinger in the 1981 film, "Hard Country." He was a steady working actor in Hollywood for 3 decades, and appeared in tons of the old classics like, "Lassie," "Bonanza," and "Gunsmoke."

Jan-Michael was 73. RIP.

3/8 -- It's a little clearer now why Bam canceled that 7 PM show, and why he was agitated when he showed up.

Bam posted a video blasting his wife, Nikki, for bolting in their car with his credit cards. He said he couldn't check in to his hotel prior to the show because of his "street ho" wife. His words.

No word yet if Nikki and Bam ever reconnected Thursday night.

Bam Margera is unloading on his manager in shocking new footage obtained by TMZ ... screaming obscenities and threatening violence at a comedy club in New York.

Folks at the West Side Comedy Club tell TMZ ... Bam's team asked the venue to cancel the 7 PM set, but were still hopeful about the 10 PM gig. But when Bam showed up at 8 PM and the place was empty the former "Jackass" star started ripping his manager a new one.

Ya gotta see the video ... Bam is PISSED, and he calls his manager a "f***ing p***y" before threatening to smash his face.

We're told Bam appeared intoxicated upon arrival, and even though they tried to explain that the audience wouldn't start showing up until 9 for a 10 PM show, he was seething.

After beefing with his manager, we're told Bam stormed out of the venue and flipped off the parking attendants as he climbed into a waiting car.

As you know ... Bam's been in and out of rehab for alcohol abuse.

The comedy club scrapped both of Bam's sets, which are part of his tour through New York and Connecticut.

A famous stuntman working on CBS' "MacGyver" reboot had a motorcycle jump on set go horribly wrong ... and land him in the hospital.

Regis Harrington pulled the jump Wednesday while shooting a scene in Atlanta ... but a source on set tells us he lost control upon landing. We're told he was immediately rushed to Atlanta Medical Center, where he was under observation in the ICU for a back injury.

The good news is, Regis -- a seasoned vet who's performed stunts for movies like "Logan," "Jurassic World," and "Captain America: Civil War" -- tells us he's gonna be okay.

We got ahold of him on Thursday and there was no bitterness over the stunt gone wrong.

In fact, Regis says he made a mistake while riding ... and he gave the "MacGyver" crew full props for handling the accident with care and professionalism.

CBS confirmed a stunt performer felt pain in his back after a motorcycle stunt and was "transported to a hospital for diagnostic testing."

Regis told us he'd already been released.

7:45 AM PT-- Kelly directly addressed his failure to pay child support during his CBS interview ... and is blaming his ex-wife, Drea. He claims her "lies" about his abuse are the very reason he can't make money to pay her.

R. Kelly's lying through his teeth when he says he's trying to have a relationship with his children, because he's had a chance to for years and ignored it.

Sources close to the situation are calling BS on some of Kelly's antics with CBS News ... particularly the part of about "trying to have a relationship with my kids." We're told the singer hasn't even tried to reach out to his 3 children with his ex-wife, Drea Kelly, since 2017.

As we reported ... the singer went ballistic during his interview with Gayle King, and at one point screamed he was only trying to repair ties with his kids and didn't care about his career.

Our sources say that's all for show -- after all, we're told he changed his number and never gave it to Drea.

Speaking of Drea ... she maintains she's open to Kelly reconnecting with their children, who are adults now -- which is somewhat surprising, considering how she ripped into him in the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries.

Kelly's daughter, Buku Abi, also says she and her siblings have been estranged from their father for years. Although, she called him a "monster" ... Kelly, ironically, chalks that up to brainwashing from Drea.

Either way, Kelly has definitely come up short with his kids when it comes to child support ... which is why he was arrested again Wednesday. As we reported, he'll need to fork over more than $161k to Drea to be released.

What Michael Jackson couldn't get from Joe Jackson, he got from one of his bodyguards instead ... according to a letter written by the King of Pop.

Michael's handwritten note, from around 1992, was addressed to his personal security guard, Bill Bray ... and filled with references to his traumatic childhood. For instance, he wrote ... "Joseph never ever had time for me, he only saw me as a way for him to make money."

The point Jackson wanted to make was that Bill had been the father figure he never had.

RR Auction is putting the letter up on the block Thursday, and we're told it's expected to fetch more than $18,000!!!

It'll be interesting to see if the letter's value is affected by the renewed controversy generated by the "Leaving Neverland" documentary.

In the letter, Michael tells Bill he loves him and admits, "I don't know what would have happened to me if you were not around." He straight-up thanks his bodyguard for "being a father" to him.

According to RR, Bill started working security for the Jackson 5 in the 1970s ... and kept working with Michael -- as a bodyguard and close confidant -- until retiring in the mid-1990s.

Jason Momoa is the king of the seas, but he's not yet mastered the skies ... because his private jet made an emergency landing after nearly catching fire!!!

The "Aquaman" star survived the scare of a lifetime Wednesday morning ... we're told Jason's private plane safely landed in Palm Springs after the aircraft reported an engine fire.

The Palm Springs Fire Department says the engine fire turned out to be a false alarm ... and a firefighter snapped a pic with Jason on the tarmac.

Jason's reps say he was flying from Los Angeles to Phoenix for a business meeting, and about halfway through the flight, the plane started malfunctioning ... leading to an emergency landing.

In a truly baller move, Jason and his crew got another private jet to take them to their destination.

Skin color controversy be damned, Steve Harvey thinks Will Smith would be the PERFECT guy to play Serena Williams' dad on the big screen.

There's a new movie being shopped around about Richard Williams -- Serena and Venus' father -- and it appears Will Smith is the #1 choice to play the #1 dad.

But, there's been a major backlash from people who say Will's complexion is too LIGHT to match the real Richard ... and critics are already calling for potential producers to find a more dark-skinned actor.

Steve Harvey doesn't see it that way ... telling TMZ Sports the beloved entertainer can do no wrong.

"Hell yeah, Will Smith is a good choice for everything."

Smith hasn't officially signed on to the project or even commented about it publicly. The project is only in the "spec script" stage.

However, there's been a push on social media for other actors to get the lead role -- suggested names have included Don Cheadle, Forest Whitaker and even Usher.

We asked what Harvey thought about the latter ... and it's safe to say he ain't buyin' it.

"Come on, man."

As for the biopic ... Deadline reports its working title is "King Richard" and will tell the story of how the world's most famous tennis parent raised the 2 sisters from the streets of Compton to international tennis superstardom, despite Richard having no real tennis experience of his own.

Paris Jackson isn't swayed by the allegations levied against her father in "Leaving Neverland" -- and firmly believes Michael Jackson was not a child molester.

Sources close to Paris tell TMZ ... she hasn't seen the explosive new documentary, and contrary to reports, she was not offered the chance to see it before it premiered at Sundance.

We're also told she's not the least bit torn or conflicted about its content -- Wade Robson and James Safechuck's graphic description of their alleged molestation at Jackson's hands.

Reaction to the project has been intense and passionate -- on both sides -- with even the almost universally beloved Oprah catching flak for her interview with the accusers.

The Jackson family as a whole has been outspoken about their anger over the documentary -- and Tito's son, Taj Jackson, told us he thinks Robson's making it all up for revenge.

Interestingly, Paris' mom, Debbie Rowe, is also avoiding it. Our sources say she doesn't see a point in watching 'Neverland' because Michael's been dead for years.

Fair to say, Michael's family is taking a united stance.

Sorry to be the spoiler, but that awesome video of Mike Tyson teaching some guys how to throw a ferocious punch combination at a bar ain't new.

In fact, it was shot YEARS ago -- and it was all for a movie that's already been released.

Several major media outlets ran with the video as brand new footage of a 52-year-old Tyson looking like a beast. He does look great, but he sure as hell wasn't 52 when this was shot.

Look, it's still amazing footage -- but a rep for Tyson tells us Mike was only throwing those combos as part of his role in the 2017 action flick "China Salesman" ... which also stars Steven Seagal.

Mike's rep doesn't recall the exact date the footage was shot but production wrapped up in August 2016 -- so, it was obviously before that date.

The big clue ... in the clip, Mike is wearing his costume from the movie.

Plus, 52-year-old Tyson recently appeared on the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast and said that he's stopped weightlifting and fight training altogether -- and hasn't in years -- because it "reactivates my ego" and makes him feel violent.

Instead, we're told Tyson ONLY focuses on cardio training -- with the goal to stay healthy (not dangerous) for his new podcast, "Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson" ... a weed-inspired show.

"School of Rock" star Joey Gaydos Jr.'s alleged crime spree hit close to home, quite literally, because cops say he even stole from his father.

TMZ broke the story, Joey -- who played lead guitarist Zack in Jack Black's classic flick -- was busted 4 times in the last 5 weeks for stealing guitars and amplifiers, and he's facing felonies for larceny and grand theft.

But, we've now learned 2 amps he allegedly jacked belonged to his pops. According to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office ... Joey's father called the police to report them missing and named his son as the perp.

Cops say Joey's father told them his kid had stolen from him in the past. He never reported it until now because he thinks Joey's now stealing to support an addiction to heroin.

According to cops ... Joey fessed up to stealing and pawning the amps worth $2,100 -- and also told them he wanted to make amends and get treatment.

Remember the guy who landed a date with a smokin' hot tennis star all 'cause the Patriots won the Super Bowl???

The incredibly unlikely story of Genie Bouchard's popular fling with a 20-year-old fan is heading to the silver screen with a movie adaptation ... the Canadian pro confirmed Tuesday.

It all went down after the self-proclaimed Bouchard fan, John Goehrke, tweeted at Genie during Super Bowl 51 when the Patriots were trailing the Falcons by 25 points in the 3rd quarter.

Dude basically hit the lotto ... 'cause the Pats pulled off the insane upset, and John got his date.

And, then another date.

And, then another.

Now ... Goehrke is getting a freakin' movie made about how he shot his shot with one of the most attractive female athletes of his time. Unreal.

Bouchard will act as executive producer on the Jonathan Abrams flick ... which will focus on "dating and love in the modern digital age, asking if a relationship born on social media can survive the glare of the public eye," according to Deadline.