Movies

Jane Withers -- one of the most famous child stars in Hollywood's history -- has died.

The legendary actress passed away Saturday in Burbank, CA ... surrounded by loved ones, this according to her daughter, Kendall Errair, who released a statement about her mother's death. A cause of death wasn't addressed.

She writes, "My mother was such a special lady. She lit up a room with her laughter, but she especially radiated joy and thankfulness when talking about the career she so loved and how lucky she was." Kendall also added that Jane's short first name was chosen by her mother with the idea and hope that one day, it'd be able to fit up onto a giant marquee.

Well, it certainly did ... and then some. Jane came through on that dream early and often.

JW got her start in showbiz at a very young age -- around 3 or so -- in Atlanta ... where she learned to tap dance, sing and even had her own radio program in which she interviewed celebs who came to town. From there, she was off to Hollywood, where her career took off.

After a number of uncredited roles in the early to mid-'30s, Jane got her big break starring opposite Shirley Temple in 'Bright Eyes' ... in which she played an older, spoiled girl who was pretty mean to little ST. There's a famous doll-taking scene everyone seems to remember.

From there, Jane started to land lead roles for herself ... including in pictures like "Ginger," "Paddy O'Day," "Little Miss Nobody," "This is the Life," "Rascals," "Checkers," "Wild and Wooly," "My Best Gal" and more. She kinda ran the table as far as kid actors went back in those days ... having a helluva run in the '30s. And, she wasn't done yet.

Jane went on to star in a number of films throughout the '40s as well, but she "retired" from acting at the young age of 21 in the 1947 as her child stardom had started to fade. Later in the '50s, she got back to work and had a memorable role opposite James Dean in 'Giant.'

She went on to act on and off in the decades that followed, and even gave voice acting a go in both radio and some Disney flicks. All-in-all, she has 71 acting credits to her name.

Jane is survived by her children. She was 95.

Pete Davidson and Kaley Cuoco are starring in a new movie together, and it seems they're taking their on-set friendship into the real world ... and the latest stop is a theme park.

The two actors -- who are the starring leads in an upcoming rom-com called "Meet Cute," in which they play a couple -- were spotted Saturday afternoon at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey ... where they were hand in hand as they were about to embark on a ride.

Don't worry ... it's not what you think. They were more comforting each other as buddies rather than anything romantic. Kaley's happily married -- and Pete ... well, he's just Pete.

It's pretty obvious from this video TMZ obtained of them on the Sling Shot that they were simply calming each other's nerves as friends ... and perhaps preparing for some actual scenes for this new flick of theirs -- which is currently in production and filming right now.

It appears Pete and Kaley have hit it off as they prepare to shoot -- they've been goofing off together a lot lately, as seen in Kaley's recent IG Stories where she's filmed them palling around. Talk about getting ready for a role ... that's what we call method acting!!!

Anyway, "Meet Cute" sounds like it'll be a good one. It's about a BF/GF who are somehow able to go back into each other's past to shape their SO into the perfect partner.

Bob Odenkirk has found a silver lining in a major medical scare he suffered last week ... he feels like a real-life Jimmy Stewart character from "It's a Wonderful Life."

Bob is on the mend after collapsing on the New Mexico set of "Better Call Saul." It was extremely serious at first, with a very uncertain outcome. But, Bob's rebounded in a big way, and he's clearly moved by the love and concern from family, friends and fans.

He says he's filled with gratitude from the outpouring of concern and support ... “I am doing great. I’ve had my very own “It’s a wonderful life” week of people insisting I make the world slightly better. Wow! Thank you, I love everyone right now but let’s keep expectations reasonable!”

Lots of stars, including his "Breaking Bad" co-star Bryan Cranston, were super concerned after the July 27 heart attack, and Bob couldn't be more grateful for his recovery.

Joel Kinnaman claims a woman with whom he had sex back in 2018 is now claiming it was not consensual, and he wants a restraining order.

The "Suicide Squad" star claims he met Gabriella Magnusson back in 2017, when she was an aspiring model and actress.  He says they had a "brief romantic relationship" the following year and she "is now using harassment, threats of physical violence by herself and others, and threats to disseminate false information to extort money from [him]."

Kinnaman, who has appeared in "The Killing," "Altered Carbon," "RoboCop" and "House of Cards." says their relationship took a turn in December, 2018, when they had sex and she was bothered that he didn't let her stay over and didn't check to make sure she made it home safe.

He says after that encounter, she sent him sexually explicit videos of herself in 2019 and 2020. He says he did not respond and blocked her. Kinnaman says that made her angry and she tried contacting him using other peoples' phones and became increasingly confrontational.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, she threatened to publicize false information -- specifically, that they had sex against her will in December, 2018, unless he gave in to her financial demands.

Kinnaman says he tried resolving things last month when his manager was meeting with Magnusson and her brother, who was carrying a rifle. He says during that conversation, she admitted the sex wasn't against her will but she was upset with the way he treated her. She mentioned the sex was so rushed she kept her shoes on and was then shown the door.

According to the docs, Kinnaman says Magnusson said she was a member of the Crips and threatened members of the gang would hurt him.

She says she knew people like Chris Brown, LeBron James and Lil Wayne, all of whom were angry at him and were available to harm him on her behalf. Kinnaman says she said, "They will f*** your life, Joel ... everyone will come after you in L.A. ... he will f*** your life so you will not be able to film anymore, Joel."

Kinnaman also says at one point her brother pointed a rifle at his manager.

He says her demands included an apartment for 1 year, a work visa, a Wiki page, a verified Instagram, an introduction to a Hollywood agent and other compensation in exchange for staying silent.

Jim Belushi has filed for divorce after more than 23 years of marriage ... and it's the second time he and his wife have called it quits in the past 3 years.

Jim beelined it to Los Angeles County Superior Court Friday and filed divorce docs, according to online records.

As we reported ... Jim's wife Jennifer filed divorce docs of her own back in March 2018, but the couple reconciled more than a year later, with Jim filing for the divorce to be dismissed and a judge signing off.

It's unclear what led to the split this time around ... but during their earlier split, Jennifer cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their separation.

Jim and Jennifer tied the knot way back in May 1998 and they have two adult children together, a daughter named Jamison and a son named Jared.

Jennifer is Jim's 3rd wife ... he was previously married to Marjorie Bransfield from 1990-92 and to Sandra Davenport from 1980-88.

It will be interesting to see if Jim and Jennifer go all the way through with this divorce, considering their history.

NYPD has a 26-year-old man in custody for allegedly striking actor Lisa Banes with an electric scooter and fleeing the scene ... the incident that ultimately killed her.

According to cops, Brian Boyd was arrested Thursday and is facing 2 charges -- leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and failure to yield to a pedestrian.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops recognized Boyd from a wanted poster that had been circulating, and scooped him up.

As we reported ... Banes -- known for her roles in "Gone Girl" and "Cocktail" -- was hit in a crosswalk on the evening of June 4 in the Upper West Side near the Lincoln Center.

Police say she had the right of way when the scooter passed through a red traffic signal and the collision occurred. Lisa was knocked to the roadway and critically injured while the suspect fled the scene.

Sadly, she died from her injuries 10 days later at the age of 65.

LeBron James is back on the movie scene -- this time, it's behind the camera ... producing a new flick about Native American basketball!!

SpringHill Company -- LBJ and Maverick Carter's production business -- will be teaming up with director Sydney Freeland to make the sports drama for Netflix called 'Rez Ball.'

The movie is about the Chuska Warriors -- a Native American high school basketball team in New Mexico that has to step it up to win a championship after losing their star players, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

FYI, Rez Ball is actually short for Reservation Basketball ... which is a different form of hoops that is played by Native Americans in Arizona, New Mexico and other states.

No word on the casting but the filming will take place in NM and is scheduled to be released in 2022 or early 2023.

Freeland -- who is known for her 2014 film, "Drunktown's Finest" -- is stoked to work on this project ... saying, "basketball on the Rez is like high school football in West Texas."

"What we want to do is bring people into our world, to tell a story about the people and places we know, and what better way to do that than through a sports movie?"

"We are so excited with the team we’ve assembled and can’t wait to bring this to the screen.”

James just finished acting and co-producing 'Space Jam: A New Legacy' that blew up the box office, making $31.7 million opening weekend.

The Weeknd hoped to surprise fans with a really BIG screen showing of his new music video ... but safety concerns for viewers with epilepsy got the project pulled.

Abel's been teasing his new track, "Take My Breath," without an official release date for the last week. Well, sources familiar with the situation tell us it drops THIS Friday. We're told the plan was to premiere the song's video on IMAX screens showing "The Suicide Squad" ... which comes out Thursday night in theaters.

We're told a deal was inked to preview Abel's newest project before IMAX 'Suicide' screenings across the country, which would've been a huge plus for Weeknd -- obviously, that's major eyeballs and a ton of exposure for his latest hit.

Our sources say the honchos over at IMAX just made the decision to pull the video ... on the belief that the light and strobe effects have the potential to be dangerous to those watching with epilepsy and who might be prone to seizures.

Jenna Dewan claims she was "without a partner" after giving birth, but Channing Tatum did everything he could to make sure his wife and baby were fully taken care of and safe -- even when he couldn't be there physically ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the former couple tell us Jenna's recent comments about Channing not being "available" in the weeks after delivering their daughter, Everly, have been misconstrued ... and don't convey what actually went down after she gave birth.

In a recent episode of Dear Media's "Dear Gabby" podcast, Dewan opened up about her postpartum anxiety after giving birth to Everly, her daughter with her now ex-husband, Channing. Jenna says, "I had to travel with her and at the time, Chan wasn't available to be with us for the most part."

She continues, "I was breastfeeding. I was pumping. I was without a partner. I mean, it was just craziness."

Sources close to the former couple tell us they were living in London -- while Channing shot "Jupiter Ascending" -- when Jenna gave birth. Six weeks later, Jenna was needed in Vancouver for a project she booked while she was pregnant.

We're told Channing chartered a private plane for Jenna, Everly and a doula -- and rented out a nice home in the city -- to make sure everyone was safe and comfortable.

Our sources say once "Jupiter Ascending" moved from London to Chicago, he traveled to Vancouver as much as he could, sometimes making less than 24-hour trips just to get in as much time as possible with Jenna and their newborn.

Channing has certainly been a doting dad over the years, even writing a children's book inspired by his daughter. In an interview before she was born, Channing said he went to YouTube to figure out how to braid a girl's hair to make sure he was prepared to be the best dad he could be.

Matt Damon's homophobic f-slur controversy is drawing a firm response from a leading voice in the LGBT community, and its response is simple ... everyone should get the word out of their vocabulary, period.

GLAAD has spoken out on all the chatter this week about how and when Damon ever used it, and whether he's just recently retired it. Damon is now clarifying, saying he did not retire it because he's never hurled it at anyone -- but to the folks at GLAAD the debate is kind of irrelevant, because the end game is the same.

A rep for the non-profit tells TMZ ... "The conversations that have arisen after Matt Damon’s original interview and subsequent remarks today are an important reminder that this word, or any word that aims to disparage and disrespect LGBTQ people, has no place in mainstream media, social media, classrooms, workplaces, and beyond."

They add, "There needs to be accountability at a time when anti-LGBTQ slurs remain rampant today and can fuel discrimination and stereotypes, especially when used by those outside of the community to defame or describe LGBTQ people."

That last part is interesting ... they seem to be suggesting that Matt even uttering the word in a joke is harmful -- even if it wasn't hurled as an epithet at someone. GLAAD's basic point is ... STOP saying it.

Like we mentioned, Matt addressed what most people perceived he was saying in his interview with the Sunday Times ... that he'd nixed the phrase and any variation of it from his lexicon only after one of his daughters called him out. Frankly, that is exactly how it came off from the quote attributed to him.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez popped into a jewelry store during their romantic European getaway -- trying on some serious pieces -- but there's no ring in play, yet.

The shopping trip went down last week at Faraone Mennella jewelry store in Capri, and a store spokesperson tells us J Lo tried on a number of expensive pieces, including necklaces and earrings.

We're told J Lo tried on a $41,000 green tourmaline necklace ... plus a series of colored hoop earrings ranging from $1,800 to $2,850.

One thing we're told the couple did NOT check out, however, was a ring.

The spokesperson tells us Ben and J Lo took a series of photos together inside the jewelry store, where they were flirty and having fun, and J Lo also took a few selfies with the jewelry she tried on before leaving with their entourage.

The couple didn't officially purchase anything, but the rep says most celebs call in later to have items shipped back home.

TMZ broke the story ... Bennifer 2.0 walked hand-in-hand through the quaint alleyways of Capri, shopping and taking a ton of pics.

As we reported, Jen was spotted in Portofino, Italy over the weekend -- after Affleck left -- wearing a necklace with Ben's name on it and there was also a diamond hanging from the chain.

Matt Damon says he didn't need to retire the homophobic f-word after all ... because he says he never used it in the first place.

The actor just tried to dig out from under an interview, where he was quoted as saying he only recently stopped using the f-word after his own daughter checked him hard.

Matt attempted to clear the air Monday, saying the quote from his interview with The Sunday Times was him recalling a discussion he had with his daughter where he tried explaining lots of progress has been made since he was a young kid growing up in Boston and hearing the f-slur used on the street before he knew what it meant.

MD told Variety ... "I have never called anyone 'f****t' in my personal life and this conversation with my daughter was not a personal awakening. I do not use slurs of any kind."

As we reported ... The Sunday Times reported Matt said in an interview his daughter called him out when he used the f-word in a joke -- she explained how the word is dangerous and he told her, 'I retire the f-slur!'

Now, Matt says he told his daughter the slur was uttered "constantly and casually" when he was younger and pointed out it was even used as a joke in his 2003 movie, "Stuck On You" ... adding she was incredulous the word was used so flippantly. He seems to be saying even though he heard it a lot growing up, he never used it himself.

Here's another installment of Paul Rudd Is Benjamin Button -- because the older he gets, the younger he looks ... at least that's what a new viral photo of him suggests on its face.

The veteran comedy actor posed for a new snap this weekend that was posted by the owner of an Indian restaurant in London called Darjeeling Express ... a place he's apparently stopped into before, and brought a pal with him this time around -- Mr. Dan Levy.

Paul's filming the new 'Ant-Man' installment there -- Dan appears to just be in town.

Anyway, the restaurant (and its owner, Asma Khan) posted a sweet photo of Paul and Dan breaking bread in their establishment Saturday, and even though they seem to have hosted PR before ... they were still starstruck, writing in their caption ... "When Paul Rudd returns for dinner to the restaurant and this time brings the lovely @instadanjlevy with him! ♥️❤️."

The photo has since gotten Paul and Dan trending -- with the former being compared to an ageless angel ... because he seriously looks young in this specific pic (Paul's 52, BTW).

They threw up a second shot of Dan on his own, and said they were glad he dug the grub. Still, it's the duo photo of the two of them at the table that's got people chirping.

As you might imagine, the jokes were flying online ... with folks saying they've aged more in the pandemic than Paul has in the last 5 years -- and that may well be true, 'cause he doesn't seem to have a wrinkle or a crack on his face ... well, at least in lighting like this.

Another photo Darjeeling posted mere weeks ago -- from Paul's initial visit, apparently -- paints a somewhat different picture. It's way more well-lit ... and, yes, Paul certainly looks older here. Still great for his age and all -- but it's almost like he went back in time for this weekend's photo-op ... it feels like 2 different people showed up over the course of 2 weeks.

Matt Damon says he just recently stopped using the homophobic f-word slur -- this after his own daughter had to put him in check ... with a detailed thesis of sorts on why it's bad.

The actor did a wide-ranging interview with The Sunday Times that was published Sunday, and among the many topics discussed on how the Hollywood landscape is changing (for the worse, Matt seems to think) ... this one was brought up in the same breath.

He says he put the f-word away for good in recent months, explaining he didn't think of it much as a slur when he was growing up, adding ... "The word that my daughter calls the 'f-slur for a homosexual' was commonly used when I was a kid, with a different application."

He goes on to say that he made a joke using the word in front of one of his 3 daughters, -- who range in age between 10 and 15 -- and they actually protested his usage of it.

Matt says, "She left the table. I said, 'Come on, that's a joke! I say it in the movie Stuck on You!' She went to her room and wrote a very long, beautiful treatise on how that word is dangerous. I said, 'I retire the f-slur!' I understood."

The scene Damon is referring to happens toward the end of the raunchy 2003 comedy -- in which he and Greg Kinnear play bros who are joined at the hip, literally. The word comes up in its shortened form as a musical montage starts to play after they've been separated.

There's a lot more in Damon's ST interview -- including a hot take that anyone, really, with wit could've played Iron Man ... not just RDJ. That's a whole other can of worms, though.

Longtime soap opera actor Jay Pickett has died -- this while he was actually doing his job in front of the camera.

Jay passed Thursday on the set of a new film he was working on called "Treasure Valley" in Idaho -- so says his costar and co-producer for the flick, Jim Heffel, who shared the tragic news on Facebook ... explaining he actually died while they were preparing to shoot a scene.

He writes, "Jay died sitting on a horse ready to rope a steer in the movie Treasure Valley in Idaho. The way of a true cowboy." Not much more was discussed as to how he ended up toppling over, but it sounds like it was sudden ... and an official cause of death isn't out yet.

Another star from the movie, Travis Mills, took to his own FB page to speculate it appeared to be a heart attack of some sort, while also noting everyone around at the time tried hard to keep him alive ... going on to call it a shocking tragedy.

This is a project that Jay was all in on -- he was writing, producing and starring in it as the lead man. It sounds like a good old-fashioned Western movie ... and was due to be released next year.

Jay certainly has had some movie experience over the length of his long career, but he's definitely more famous for his TV work ... or daytime TV, we should say -- which he got started in the '90s with "Days of Our Lives," on which he played Dr. Chip Lakin.

He was only on 'Days' for about a year, but then moved on to even more legendary soaps ... where he had prolonged roles. Jay was in over 700 episodes of "Port Charles" for several years between the late '90s and early 2000s, playing Frank Scanlon to much fanfare.

After that, Jay went on to star in "General Hospital" for a couple years -- at which point, he was acting in a ton of different stuff ... like "Dexter," "Desperate Housewives," "Hot Line," "Saving Grace" ... and later, "NCIS," "The Mentalist" and other shows and movies up until very recently.

He's survived by his wife, Elena, and their children. Jay was only 60.

Jonah Hill has slowly been turning into a surfer bro right before our eyes -- and now, the transformation is complete ... behold!

The actor just posted a new photo of himself on the 'Gram -- a shirtless one, at that -- and he's showing off some new artwork on his back. Specifically, it's a tattoo that screams surfer vibes ... but it's really nothing compared to what's atop his noggin in the pic.

Check it out ... Jonah's tat reads "Body Love" and it's got a "rock on" hand sign attached (in color, too, BTW). JH seems proud of the new ink -- but he's kinda ignoring the headline ... namely, that his hair is now platinum blonde, beard too for that matter. Looks like he's been baring his blonde locks for a quick minute ... since at least early July, apparently.

Jonah's got a few different photos of him in blonde on his IG page -- and, boy, is it something.

He looks like a wild man of the water, frankly, which is appropriate ... because the dude HAS been shredding the gnar in recent years -- hitting up Malibu and other remote surf spots in and around SoCal to get his wave-riding on. He seems to be getting pretty good too.

Oh, and we know what you're thinking ... is this new look for a movie or something??? That doesn't appear to be the case ... Jonah doesn't have any roles coming up (that we can see) which would require him to rock this sort of 'do/vibe. So, it seems to be all him ... and au naturel.