Movies

Welp, it's finally over for Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez -- they will not be buying the NY Mets.

The couple was in a serious battle with hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen to buy the team from the Wilpon family, but they officially dropped out of the running Friday night.

"Alex and I are so disappointed," Lopez said in a statement.

"We worked so hard the past 6 months with the dream of becoming the first minority couple and the first woman owner to buy her father’s favorite Major League Baseball team with her own hard-earned money. We still haven’t given up!!"

J Lo and A-Rod had put together an ownership group which included sports drink billionaire Mike Repole and NFL stars Travis Kelce and DeMarco Murray.

The group issued a statement saying, "The consortium led by Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez has informed the Mets that they are no longer pursuing the acquisition of the team."

"The consortium said that they are disappointed to not be part of the revitalization of New York City and provide an exhilarating experience for the fans and wish the Wilpon family and the entire Mets organization well."

J-Rod had just toured Citi Field earlier this month -- and just this week, Jennifer went on Barstool Sports' "The Corp" podcast and talked about how special it would be to have a woman as an MLB owner.

Steve Cohen has now reportedly entered "exclusive negotiations" to buy the team and should have it all wrapped up in the next few days.

The final price is expected to be somewhere north of $2.6 billion.

Bradley Cooper's shaggy hair and garb sure give him that '70s Hollywood hotshot look ... and that's great 'cause it's the vibe he's going for.

The "A Star is Born" director looked like a spitting image of the hairdresser-turned-movie mogul Jon Peters on the set of director Paul Thomas Anderson's new flick. He looked every bit the part .... thanks to a spot-on wig, beard, flowing white shirt and bellbottoms. Gotta admire the seashell necklace too.

Anderson's new film -- working title, "Soggy Bottom" -- is set in the '70s when Peters dated one Barbra Streisand. There's an old pic of Peters and Streisand, and it's a mirror image of Bradley's getup.

Peters, of course, is a big deal ... producer of "A Star is Born" ... both the 1976 and 2018 versions. He's also produced "Flashdance," "The Color Purple," "Rain Man" and "Tango & Cash," to name just a few. BTW, Peters not long ago married Pamela Anderson. Never mind they split up 12 days later.

Anyway ... production did one helluva job transforming Bradley into Peters, that's for sure. Also, gotta give them props for adhering to strict COVID-19 guidelines.

Oh, one last thing ... an eagle-eyed photog snapped away when model/actress Brigitte Nielsen happened to be riding her bike with her pooch not far behind sitting in a wagon as Bradley took a break at a gas station. Her Jon Peters connection? Brigitte's ex, Sylvester Stallone, starred in "Tango & Cash." Full circle, baby.

David Arquette's professional wrestling career has been both mocked and admired, but above all else, it's been bloody hard work ... and he says it's coming to an end soon.

The actor's journey as a pro wrestler began way back in 2000, but as he points out on "TMZ Live" ... he didn't have a clue then about what it actually took to be successful.

Fast forward a couple decades, and a battle-worn David is flying higher above the wrestling ring than ever before -- even at 48 -- thanks to a commitment to various types of training and a devotion to the sport he's loved for a long time.

David says he's still an actor, though, and despite his remarkable comeback -- which is the subject of his new documentary -- he claims he's calling it quits soon.

That's probably a good thing, because as you may recall ... David was badly injured in a bloody match in 2018, and damn near died in 2019 after continuing to dish out and take beatings in the ring.

Arquette's daughter Coco wasn't too pleased with all of this, but he tells us she's come to accept and understand it more after seeing the documentary ... which he calls a "love letter to wrestling."

Brad Pitt is flying private on a trip to the south of France ... and he's got quite the new companion on what is shaping up to be a super romantic getaway.

The "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" star made a low key arrival at France's Le Bourget airport Wednesday, accompanied by stunning German model Nicole Poturalski.

Brad and his rumored new flame wore face coverings and dressed casually as they boarded a private plane to the South of France.

Some folks think Nicole bears a striking resemblance to Brad's estranged wife, Angelina Jolie.

As we reported ... the Oscar winner wasn't focused on the dating scene back in March, shooting down rumors he was seeing Alia Shawkat or getting back together with Jennifer Aniston after a warm embrace at the SAG Awards. Not the case.

Jim Belushi says cannabis is a better way for all people to manage and heal from our internal traumas ... but he really thinks legal weed will greatly impact our homeless folks, especially veterans.

The actor joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us all about his legal marijuana farm in Oregon, the subject of his new Discovery Channel show "Growing Belushi," and what he's doing to help people who are struggling on the streets.

Jim says he encounters lots of homeless vets with psychological problems on the streets of Portland, plus other desperate people dealing with all sorts of problems, and he's convinced cannabis is a better way for them to treat their issues -- certainly better than alcohol or prescription pills.

Just listen as he describes the epiphany he had while observing a homeless woman.

Jim's lucky ... he can skinny dip or use cannabis to take a load off, but he understands not everyone has access to CBD and its healing effects ... so he's planning to open a pop-up dispensary in Portland offering free cannabis to homeless and low-income people.

It's a pretty interesting conversation ... and Jim also tells us how an Iraq war veteran changed his whole perception on the benefits of cannabis.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister is using his bullying powers for the greater good ... spreading the word in this new tv spot to help grieving families looking for a baller tombstone.

The "Friday" star got in front of the camera for Cemetery Tim -- he's the guy behind the extravagant tombstones for Eazy-E and Nate Dogg, among others. Those tombstones instantly went viral when their images circulated online ... and now Cemetery Tim and Deebo have teamed up to let your average family know they too can get the Hollywood treatment.

Check out the commercial ... it's both hilarious and informative. Deebo and Cemetery Tim inform families Tim's company -- The Headstone Whisperer in Yakima, WA -- accepts layaway for families who want to send off relatives in style but need help with payments.

We're told Deebo not only filmed the commercial last weekend but also hung around to meet around 700 people who showed up for a meet-and-greet. Deebo really went all out ... signing autographs and recording personalized messages for people who waited in the long line. The commercial begins airing locally on TV in about a week.

It's been a busy year for Deebo. As we first reported ... he teamed up with "Pineapple Express" to deliver medical and recreational weed in L.A.

No word if Deebo rode his bike up to Yakima.

Allan Rich -- a longtime character actor in Hollywood, who bounced back from being blacklisted -- has died.

The thespian passed away in New Jersey over the weekend due to complications from progressive dementia ... this according to his family. He was residing at an assisted-living facility called the Lillian Booth Actors Home, which houses people who were in the biz.

Allan hardly played the leading man in his filmography, but he did a helluva job with smaller roles in a number of huge hit films and shows dating back to the '60s and '70s. Perhaps most notably, he starred in flicks like "Serpico," "The Gambler" and "The Happy Hooker."

He also acted in TV series like "Hawaii Five-O," "All in the Family," "Kojak," "Little House on the Prairie," "Baretta," "Happy Days," "CHiPS," "The Incredible Hulk," "Alice," "Magnum PI," "Hill Street Blue" and countless others staples throughout the decades.

His acting career saw a nice steady rise in the '90s, with notable appearances in films like "Disclosure," "Amistad," "Quiz Show," "Jack," and many others. He often played a judge or a lawman of some sort -- Allan had a deep, authoritative voice ... and fit the part well.

What's crazy is that back in the '40s and '50 -- when he was doing more traditional acting in theater -- he was branded as a communist and blacklisted in Hollywood for a while as a result. He later said he got put on the "Red Channels" list because he tried helping free a Black man who had been wrongly convicted of rape.

Fortunately, he overcame that hard time in his life and went on to rack up well over 100 acting credits. He's survived by his children, step-children and grandchildren.

Allan was 94.

Beyonce is back with another visually striking music video ... and Queen Bey says it's got a very important message in these seemingly impossible times.

Beyonce just dropped the music vid for her song, "Brown Skin Girl," and it's not your typical eye-candy experience. The video's really artsy and features appearances from her daughter, Blue Ivy, plus former Destiny's Child bandmate Kelly Rowland, Naomi Campbell and Lupita Nyong'o.

Bey says she and director Jenn Nkiru wanted to represent "all different shades of brown" ... explaining to "Good Morning America" why they wanted every woman to be filmed "in a regal light."

Mission accomplished, Beyonce and Jenn ... the beautiful backdrops and fancy outfits definitely give off a regal vibe.

The song is from Beyonce's album, "Black Is King," but don't let the title fool you ... Bey says it's important folks remember we're all in this together and there's good reason to celebrate one another.

Check out the video ... it's pretty much the polar opposite to "WAP."

The Oscar-winning writer behind "12 Years a Slave" is coming back with a new project that'll see Batman's cowl donned by a Black man ... and fans already think they know who it is.

John Ridley is heading up a 4-issue, limited series comic for DC, in which the Dark Knight will NOT be Bruce Wayne, but a different character entirely ... one who will likely be African-American. The news was announced this weekend during the online Fandome event.

Ridley teased the fact Batman wouldn't be white, saying, "I think it's a pretty safe bet that if I'm writing Batman, it's probably a little better than a 47 percent chance he's going to be a person of color." Batman being Black, though, was confirmed when John said the story would likely focus on the character Lucius Fox and his family ... whom folks know all too well.

Lucius is the head of Wayne Enterprises in the comics, and was played by Morgan Freeman in Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy. He's a bit too old to rock the cape himself -- but his son, Luke, is known in some iterations at Batwing ... one of Batsy's sidekicks.

Karen is going Hollywood ... with an upcoming suspense thriller starring Taryn Manning!!!

The "Orange Is The New Black" star just signed on to play a "Karen" on the big screen ... in a story about a racist, entitled white woman in the South who terrorizes her new African-American neighbors. Sound familiar?

The movie, from writer and director Coke Daniels, seems like a mixture of all the "Karens" who have become Internet famous. Taryn's playing a Karen who believes people should stick to their own kind. Yeah, that's a Karen hallmark.

Taryn's character, Karen White, makes it her mission to oust the new kids on her block, a black family, by any means necessary. It's a very 2020 movie -- the neighbors are staunch Black Lives Matter supporters.

Taryn makes a lotta sense for the title character ... if you've seen her work in 'OITNB' you know she was Karen-ing way before it, unfortunately, became so prevalent in real life, it's a bonafide part of pop culture.

Jason Mitchell's next big role is incredibly timely -- he's portraying the life of a Black man shot and killed by cops just hours before his wedding ... one of the most controversial police-involved shootings in recent history.

Jason, who's previously played Eazy-E in "Straight Outta Compton," has landed the role of Sean Bell in the film aptly titled "50 Shots" ... a reference to the 50 bullets cops fired in 2006, killing Sean in Jamaica, Queens.

Bell was only 23 and had just finished celebrating his bachelor party with his dad and 2 friends when cops opened fire on their car. Undercover cops investigating a nearby strip club believed the men were armed -- but they were not.

Four years later ... the city settled with Bell's family for $7 million, but 3 of the cops who opened fire were fully acquitted. It's one helluva story ... one Jason couldn't pass up when he read the script.

Jason will be an executive producer along with Tru of TruVision Films, as was first reported by Urban Hollywood 411. Jason initially read for the part of one of the undercover cops. But, as he read the script he immediately asked to instead play Sean's role because he wanted to help tell his story. Tru was all for it.

Stacey Dash and her husband both want their marriage off the books like it never happened ... and the mister's claiming he only said "I do" while in a spiritual trance.

Stacey's estranged lawyer hubby, Jeffrey Marty, filed new court docs in response to Stacey's divorce petition ... and he's asking a judge to annul the marriage, something Stacey herself doesn't appear to oppose.

Jeff claims he only took his vows after Stacey's pastor put some serious religious pressure on him. He says they got hitched on April 6, 2018 -- but that's only because 10 days prior, he claims her pastor "unexpectedly and suddenly proclaimed that it was God's will" they get hitched.

Anyway, Jeff says that his ability to consent to the marriage was hijacked by the use of "hypnotic prayer techniques." Jeff doesn't describe the techniques or how he was programmed to marry Stacey. He also says there was pressure from other clergies to tie the knot.

Now, for Stacey's part ... she and her attorneys don't fully admit to what Jeff claims here about the hypnotism and all ... they say he didn't show any unusual signs about his mental state at the time. But, she's not fighting him and she too is asking the judge to annul the marriage ASAP.

Will Smith's been brushing up on his Chinese during the pandemic ... welcoming folks back to movie theaters in China with a safety PSA in their language!!!

Here's the deal ... theaters are beginning to reopen over in China -- yes, other countries are way ahead of the curve -- and Will's sharing coronavirus safety tips so the Chinese can finally get a look at him and Martin Lawrence on the big screen in "Bad Boys For Life."

Will checks all the usual boxes for theater etiquette in the age of COVID-19 ... face coverings, social distancing, assigned seating, temperature checks, no eating, drinking or talking ... but he does it in a super fun way, and ya gotta watch him speak Chinese!!!

Norman's Rare Guitars is in trouble ... and Slash and Post Malone are among the celebs holding out hope the legendary guitar shop avoids its swan song.

Here's the deal ... Norman Harris' famed guitar shop in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley is in serious jeopardy of closing its doors forever due to the pandemic, and celebs are trying to raise awareness in a new documentary, with personal tales of how Norman and his store impacted their careers.

The shop's served as a mecca for guitar enthusiasts and music icons ever since it opened its doors way back in 1975, but the coronavirus could be the final nail in its coffin -- unless MGK, Post and other famous rockers can pull off a miracle -- and get people to buy product.

Norman's daughter, Sarah Edwards, says her dad's store isn't in dire straits financially, but Norman could be forced to keep the store shuttered because he's a 71-year-old type I diabetic who can't interact with customers like usual anymore.

Norman's Rare Guitars closed its doors back in March, and Sarah says her dad can only go in on Tuesdays and Fridays for a couple hours to pack and ship internet orders and film content for the store's social media.

Gone are the days when Norman would shake hands and take pictures with customers, and lend his guitars to rockers for epic jam sessions. Sad.

Slash, Jeff Daniels, The Goo Goo Dolls, Melissa Etheridge and Jeff Garlin are among the celebs lamenting the possible loss of another music landmark in the upcoming documentary directed by Devin J. Dilmore and produced by Norm's daughter and Kiefer Sutherland.

TMZ Sports obtained audio of the farewell speech LeBron James gave to the "Space Jam" cast and crew on his last day of shooting ... and it's emotional stuff.

The NBA superstar addressed the cast and crew in Summer 2019 (before the COVID pandemic) ... and explained why it was so important for him to take the role in the first place.

"I'm gonna be honest completely with you guys -- when I found out about the project, I was like it's 'Space Jam'! It’s a movie that I grew up watching. People in the movie that I idolize. I was like absolutely, I gotta do it. There’s no way I can turn down 'Space Jam'!"

Bron joked that he had second thoughts when he realized the production schedule was so demanding, but ultimately decided it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

"I’m just a small kid from Akron, Ohio -- a very small town outside of Cleveland. From a single-parent household, I’m the only child, my mother had absolutely nothing. She was walking around high school when she was 16 years old and she was pregnant with me as a high school sophomore. So, I’m really not supposed to be here."

"Growing up in the inner city, as an African-American kid, there’s no way you’re supposed to f*cking make it out. And, the fact that I’m who I am as an African-American adult now with 3 kids of my own, and I made it out of the situations that I was in. This sh*t is like extra credit for me man."

Bron proceeded to thank everyone involved with the movie -- saying, "Y'all say you appreciate me, but I’m sh*t without y'all."

As we previously reported, James invited some of his NBA pals and teammates to participate in the movie -- including  Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis.