Movies

Justin Bieber seems to still have Tom Cruise on his mind, 'cause he unwittingly recreated an iconic movie moment made famous by the actor ... just without as much horse power.

JB was out with his wife, Hailey, Sunday riding around L.A. on what looks like a pretty nifty bicycle, which has a seat attached on the back. Hailey was riding top shotgun, holding on about as tight as Kelly McGillis did on Tom's Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle all those years ago.

Yes, we're referring to 'Top Gun' ... and if you check out the video of Mr. and Mrs. Biebs cruising around Bev Hills, it's reminiscent of Maverick and Charlie's ride through San Diego.

Of course, Justin himself might've had to work a little harder here than TC did in the flick. The bike doesn't look or sound motorized in any way, so he was definitely pedaling his heart out to get the missus off the busy main roads ... with traffic building up behind him.

Who knows if Justin actually knew he was harkening back to the '80s here with this joyride, but we'd like to think so ... assuming he still wants to go toe-to-toe with Tom, that is.

Rip Taylor put a lot of heart into his comedic gags for decades, but ultimately heart troubles did him in ... according to his death certificate.

TMZ's obtained the document, which lists Taylor's immediate cause of death as congestive heart failure. It also lists heart disease as an underlying cause.

As we reported ... Rip passed away last month in Beverly Hills. The certificate says he died at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

We've also learned the famous comedian's ashes were to be scattered at sea off the coast of Honolulu ... no word if any confetti was involved.

Dubbed the "King of Camp and Confetti" and "The Crying Comedian," Rip will be remembered for his flamboyant style and appearance, countless appearances on talk shows and his brief stint hosting "The $1.98 Beauty Show."

He also guest-starred in flicks like "Wayne's World 2," "Indecent Proposal," "Tom & Jerry: The Movie," "Chatterbox!" and "Jackass 3D" ... and was a successful voice actor.

Taylor was 84.

Chanel West Coast says Sharon Stone shouldn't be suing her for thrusting her back into pop culture again with a song that invoked her name ... instead, SS should thank her.

We got the rapper and MTV host Saturday in Sherman Oaks and asked about the lawsuit the iconic actress just filed again CWC this past week, alleging Chanel wrongly used her likeness and exploited her name in the 2018 song and music video, "Sharon Stoned."

Chanel says she's just as shocked by the legal action as most people were when they heard about it -- but her reasoning is a bit different. Basically, she feels totally back-stabbed.

According to Chanel, Sharon was aware of the song and the effort to involve her in the video -- which apparently involved reps and managers going back and forth for a while, according to CWC anyway. Then, on the day of the shoot ... Chanel says Sharon did a full 180.

She claims Sharon's rep called her manager hours before filming was set to begin, allegedly telling them Sharon liked the idea and wanted to be in the video as well. Sometime later -- on the same day, it seems -- Chanel says Sharon suddenly backed out ... no clue as to why.

Now, Chanel's calling BS on the lawsuit -- saying she was simply paying homage to someone she considers a hero ... something tons of hip-hop artists do, as she rightly points out.

Then comes what may or may not be a little shade ... CWC says she made young people aware of who Sharon Stone is, and as a result ... kinda made her relevant once more.

Aleisha Allen was only 14 years old when she was cast as the mischievous and clever daughter, Lindsey Kingston -- who snapped a flash photo that caused a deer to go wild -- in the 2005 family comedy movie, "Are We There Yet?"

Allen starred in this hilarious adventure film alongside Ice Cube, as the determined romantic trying to win over her mother's heart, and makes their journey across the country much more difficult for him than he could have anticipated. After the film's success, Allen continued onto the sequel, "Are We Done Yet?"

Christopher Dennis -- a street performer known for portraying Superman on Hollywood Blvd. for more than 25 years -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Dennis was found dead Saturday in the San Fernando Valley. We're told his body was discovered lying headfirst in a bin that's used for clothing donations.

Investigators believe Christopher -- who was homeless -- was attempting to gather clothes for himself. Our sources say no foul play is suspected.

Dennis' story is both charming and tragic -- after 2 decades of entertaining folks in Hollywood by impersonating The Man of Steel, he was the victim of a vicious assault and robbery that nearly killed him and left him without a way to make money.

He was rendered homeless, but thanks to the help of friends and a Kickstarter campaign, he got a new suit that allowed him to get back on his feet ... and return to the Blvd for the Superman fans.

He also starred in the documentary, "Confessions of a Superhero," and appeared multiple times on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Sadly, it seems he fell on hard times again recently.

Christopher was 52.

RIP

Ben Affleck is trying to get past falling off the wagon by moving forward with work ... even if he looks a little worse for wear.

Ben was spotted Tuesday with a script in hand in New Orleans as he prepared to begin shooting his new film, "Deep Water." Unclear if Ben's disheveled look -- messy hair, scraggly beard, wearing sweats and a stained t-shirt -- was part of his role. It's worth noting ... he's supposed to play Vic Van Allen, an attractive husband.

Anyway ... it's the first time we've seen Ben on the set since he relapsed nearly 2 weeks ago. As we've reported ... Ben was spotted leaving a Halloween party and clearly had trouble walking. He damn near fell before catching himself on an SUV.

Ben later acknowledged he stumbled in his effort to maintain sobriety. After leaving that party ... Ben hit up a casino. And, while he pocketed $1,500 in winnings in just 12 minutes of gambling, Ben could barely stand and nearly fell out of his chair. The next day, he said he vowed to get back on the straight and narrow.

John Witherspoon was a magnetic figure ... so it's no surprise most of Hollywood showed up to bid him one last goodbye.

The late comedian's open-casket celebration of life went down Tuesday in L.A. in front of a huge gathering of friends, family and celebs alike. David Letterman commenced the celebration. He and John went way back ... they honed their craft together at The Comedy Store in Hollywood alongside Richard Pryor, Robin Williams and Jay Leno.

Ice Cube was one of several speakers and he paid a touching tribute ... saying he enjoyed the hell outta John for as long as he could remember.

Some other celebrity guest speakers included Cedric the Entertainer, George Wallace, Angela Gibbs and Bill Bellamy. Regina King couldn't make it but she did send along a video message that was played on the big screen.

Guests at the celebration of life received a colorful program adorned with John's infectious smile. The back-page included one of his most famous lines from "Boomerang" ... "BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!"

As we reported ... John died suddenly last week, at the age of 77, after he went into cardiac arrest at his home in Sherman Oaks, CA.

His career -- which started in stand-up comedy -- spanned more than 5 decades ... and included his unforgettable roles as Ice Cube's father in the "Friday" movies, Granddad on "The Boondocks" and Pops on "The Wayans Bros."

Ben Stiller wants to put you in his show, or send you to lunch with Bryan Cranston ... maybe hand you George Clooney's watch? Pay attention, it's all for a good cause.

Ben and a bunch of his celeb pals are recognizing Veterans Day by supporting Homes For Our Troops and raising funds with a huge online auction. Other items on the block include a guitar signed by Jon Bon Jovi, autographed scrubs from "Grey's Anatomy" and the spacesuit Ryan Reynolds wore in "Life."

The auction opens Thursday and it's being spearheaded by George, CNN's Jake Tapper and Wynonna Judd ... and a bunch of their famous pals are donating movie, music and sports memorabilia. Get in your bids before the November 17th deadline.

Anthony Mackie stayed true to his Marvel character when he flew under the radar in divorce court ... splitting from his wife, but leaving things nice and neat before anyone could notice.

We've learned the actor -- who plays Falcon in the 'Avengers' movies -- and his now ex-wife, Sheletta Chapital, are in fact dunzo ... and have been for a minute. We looked into it -- Anthony filed for divorce in late 2017 and finalized things last year.

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ that the split was amicable. It's unclear why things went south between them, but it's good to hear they left on good terms.

Funny enough, Anthony first married Sheletta -- his reported childhood sweetheart -- at a low-key wedding back in 2014. Looks like he followed the same model on the way out too.

We're told Anthony and Sheletta share 4 kids together -- and they've decided to share joint custody of them. No official word on any spousal or child support though.

BTW, worth noting ... Anthony showed up to the "Avengers: Endgame" premiere earlier this year, and he didn't pose with a significant other on the red carpet. Relevant ... 'cause he and Sheletta have shown up to events together before, shoulder to shoulder.

Don't feel bad for AM either -- the dude is super busy at the moment, and seems to be beaming on the set of his new series, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." He'll be fine.

Jennifer Hudson is ready for her close-up as the Queen of Soul herself -- 'cause she's already in character and filming -- as is her onscreen husband, Marlon Wayans.

The Oscar-winning actress and Grammy-winning singer was spotted on set Sunday in NYC, where she was in costume as a young Aretha Franklin for the upcoming biopic about the music icon called 'Respect.' Marlon plays her first hubby and ex-manager, Ted White.

In this scene -- which is supposedly set in Harlem during the mid-60s -- you can see Marlon talking to a group of prostitutes, before collecting money and roughing one up a bit. Jennifer (as Aretha) looks on from a waiting car, and when Marlon gets back in ... they share a passionate kiss. Gotta say ... the production value seems to be pretty high here.

BTW, Jennifer was reportedly hand-picked by Aretha before her death in 2018. She probably couldn't have chosen a better person to play her in a movie. Jen's got the chops on both ends to pull it off -- and so far, she certainly has the early Aretha look down.

And, while Marlon usually plays the funny guy, he comes off as menacing and serious here. That jives with the real-life Ted, who's remembered as a notorious Detroit pimp ... who allegedly abused Aretha before they finally parted ways in 1969.

Bradley Cooper and Dave Chappelle seem to have kept their onscreen friendship in "A Star is Born" going strong in real life ... with the help of some youngsters to bring 'em even closer.

The actor and comedian were spotted hanging out Saturday in NYC's West Village, where Brad was seen holding his own daughter, Lea, in one arm and the hand of another little girl who was rolling with him, Dave and some other grownups tagging along.

It's unclear if the other kid is Dave's -- we know he's got a 10-year-old daughter of his own, but this girl here looks a bit younger than her. Either way, Brad seemed happy to play chaperone twice over while Dave hung back and looked on with a big grin.

Of course, Brad and Dave starred opposite each other in last year's Oscar fave 'ASIB,' with the two of them playing old pals reuniting at a difficult time in Brad's character's life.

While their chemistry on the big screen might've felt palpable and even lifted from a real-life relationship ... it turns out that BC and DC hadn't known one another all that well prior to filming. Dave said Brad recruited him hard to be in his movie, and Dave finally caved.

Prior to that, the two stars had apparently only met in passing ... but it looks like working together made 'em good pals. Brad was even on hand last week in D.C., where Dave was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and gave a speech on Dave's behalf.

"Spy Kids" star Daryl Sabara has just been hit with 2 misdemeanor charges after allegedly flexing some serious muscle and going to town on somebody's car with his bare hands!!!

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the actor was walking by a parked car near the UCLA campus when he stopped and started ripping off two custom side panels. We're told Daryl booked it after the damage was done.

According to charging documents obtained by TMZ ... Daryl just got slapped with one count of vandalism and one count of tampering with a vehicle. His arraignment is set for later this month in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Our sources say the incident, which went down in March, was captured on surveillance footage at a housing complex. The car's owner doesn't personally know Daryl and is stumped as to why Meghan Trainor's husband allegedly screwed with the whip.

Kevin Hart must enjoy living dangerously, 'cause he's already getting into another muscle car similar to the one that nearly killed him ... seemingly without a safety harness, at that.

The comedian was out at a shopping plaza Saturday in Calabasas with a friend, where it looks like he was sent out to make a food run. He ran into a pap on the way out -- walking on his own two feet, no less, and looking pretty solid -- and gave the guy a health update.

Kevin says he's grateful to be alive, and that he'll be getting back to work slow and steady ... seems he's in no rush to get on the grind again, enjoying time with his fam.

Then comes a pretty eyebrow raising moment ... Kevin walks to his car -- a 1969 Camaro, he tells the photog -- and gets in the driver's seat ... and then pulls away like it's nothing.

Even more troubling ... it doesn't clearly look like he pulls a shoulder harness over himself, at least from the angle we're seeing here -- which is a straight-on shot through the windshield. We looked into it, and shoulder belts were a rarity in the '69 model. Lap belts were there, but not all these old cars had the newly-enforced safety harness all cars have today.

Obviously, this is a big deal for a couple different reasons. The fact that Kevin's driving at all should be a little worrying, but driving another souped-up oldie like this might as well be a death wish, considering what he just went through about a month ago with the crash.

Remember, Kevin's 1970 Plymouth Barracuda also didn't have safety harnesses. Had they been there ... we're told it could've helped alleviate the injuries Kevin and co. endured.

Brian Tarantina has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us that the veteran actor was found dead early Saturday morning in his Manhattan apartment from what we're told appeared to be a fatal drug overdose to the officers and first-responders who came out.

Our sources say Brian's niece went to check in on him at his Hell's Kitchen residence at around 12:30 AM, and discovered her uncle unresponsive on the couch. We're told the niece told cops she'd last talked to him late Tuesday night. Upon finding him, she called 911, and we're told when officers and paramedics arrived ... they found a white powdery substance near his body, believed to be alleged narcotics. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

It's unclear at this point what the white substance might've been. We're told the NYC medical examiner's office will conduct an autopsy to determine an official cause of death.

Brian has been working in the biz for a long time, often playing supporting characters through the '80s and '90s, and even into the 2000s and onward. He's perhaps best known for tough guy roles in flicks like "Jacob's Ladder," "Uncle Buck," "The Jerky Boys," "Summer of Sam," "Knight and Day," "Carlito's Way," "Donnie Brasco," "City By the Sea" and others.

He's got a much more extensive resume than that though. The guy's been in tons of stuff over the years ... shows like "Law & Order," "Miami Vice," "Spin City," "Oz," "NYPD Blue," "ER," "The Sopranos," "Gilmore Girls," "Heroes," "The Black Donnellys," "The Blacklist," "Madame Secretary," "Blue Bloods" and most recently in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" playing Jackie.

He was 60 years old.

RIP

Eddie Murphy is deep into filming "Coming to America 2" and it's gettin' everyone plenty excited.

Eddie was on set in ATL in full Prince Akeem garb. He's proudly wearing a New York Mets bomber jacket, with proclamations of his love of the Big Apple. You see Eddie hold a wad of cash ... presumably from scalping tickets.

Above you can see Arsenio Hall, who plays Semmi, and Paul Bates, who plays Oha, is also on-hand.

The movie is maybe the biggest remake in the works this year. People have been clamoring for the flick for years. It's scheduled to open wide in theaters in December 2020. Lots of people says it's gonna be worth the wait.

Even the guy who scored as sweet a role as Leatherface in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" has roommates -- ahh, the actor's life -- and one of 'em's accusing him of getting violent.

Andrew Bryniarski played the masked mass murderer in the 2003 version of 'Chainsaw' ... alongside Jessica Biel. According to docs, Andrew's currently residing in L.A. with 3 roommates, and in the days leading up to Halloween an argument broke out over the house rules and rent.

Marcus Silver claims Andrew "sucker punched" him during the Oct. 23 confrontation ... putting him down on the ground with a split lip. He says Leatherface bolted from their home the next day but left some threatening voicemails and text messages.

According to the request for a restraining order -- filed by Marcus -- one of Andrew's texts sounds like an outtake from 'Chainsaw.' He allegedly wrote, "Before you open yr mouth again and say dumb s**t to me or about me ... remember from here on. Lessons and repercussions in the form of pain and the loss of basic life functions will come find you swiftly and justly w no delay or restraint no regret. I'm not the one to f**k with."

If that's not scary enough ... Marcus claims there was another text that simply read, "F**k w me and I'll shatter the illusions along w yr facial bones." Method acting at its finest?

According to the docs, Andrew -- who also famously played Lattimer in "The Program" -- returned with police on Oct. 29, attempting to move back in, but his alleged texts had scared his roommates enough that they changed the locks.

Marcus says they're expecting Andrew's return any day now, which is why he filed for, and was granted, a restraining order. The actor now has to stay 100 yards away from Marcus and the other 2 roommates.