Movies

Marvel's newest action hero actor, Simu Liu, allegedly once compared being a pedophile to being gay -- which he likened to a genetic mutation and an illness ... and something he was sympathetic toward.

The lead star of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is in the crosshairs of Twitter right now, as people have resurfaced old Reddit posts from an account that's being attributed to him ... and which even appears to have ID'd itself as belonging to Simu at various points.

The account has since been deleted, and a lot of those posts are scrubbed, but content lives forever on the internet ... and many of the posts in question -- including the pedophilia ones -- have been screen-grabbed and cataloged ... and the dude's catching major heat for it now.

The pedophilia posts are the most outrage-inducing ... as the account literally says pedophilia is no different from being gay, from a biological standpoint. It goes on to dissect research that the owner of the account says they'd done for a role of theirs in which they played a pedo.

We won't get into the nitty-gritty -- you can read their full take above -- but let's just say ... the user here suggests pedophiles need help -- but NOT conversion therapy, something that's been used (controversially so) among certain groups to "treat" gay people's sexual orientation.

The user also makes it clear that taking advantage of minors is wrong -- but the whole argument is weird and convoluted ... and gets into dicey territory. Of course, this person roping in LGBT folks to get their point across makes it all the more inflammatory.

Simu himself seems to have responded to this controversy -- linking back to a 2019 tweet of his in which he says he's only advocated for positivity in his life, and to direct any anger at him to "the system that did this to ALL of us."

He also replied to that with this new thought, "Twitter is a slanderous place sometimes, and it feels good to shut down trolls and bad faith actors who want to drag your name through the mud." Unclear what that might mean exactly, or if it's an admission of ownership of the posts.

Jennifer Lopez shared something pretty shocking that at first blush seems ridiculous but when you think about it, you get it -- she says she feels like an outsider in Hollywood.

J Lo's featured in a new video on her J Lo Beauty Instagram page. As she hyped her products for Sephora, she opened up about her time in Tinseltown, confessing she often feels she doesn't belong in Hollywood.

On the surface, that seems absurd ... she's got 30 movies in the can, yet she said she feels like "an outsider."

Ben's GF said, "I think for me, I know it is important for all of us to feel like we belong, um, and like most people there's so many times in your life when you feel like an outsider, I feel like that in Hollywood sometimes."

Now she could be unloading her feelings because she wasn't nominated for "Hustlers," which was a little surprising giving some serious Oscar buzz. Tyler Perry went off on the Oscars, saying she richly deserved a nom.

There are plenty of folks who are big stars who don't get embraced by center Hollywood ... and some of it's clearly jealousy and ego. In J Lo's case, she gets more publicity than just about anyone for things she does offset and people she dates, and that probably annoys other actors who don't get the shine she does.

Jamie Foxx gave a street eulogy for Michael K. Williams, and it was emotional, stirring and clearly heartfelt.

Jamie was leaving Caffe Roma Friday in Bev Hills, and our photog asked if Williams, who died earlier this month of an apparent drug overdose, should finally win an Emmy. That opened the door to a flood of emotions.

Jamie says MKW was better than the rest ... that he was in the league of Joe Morton and Samuel L. Jackson.

It was clearly hard for Jamie to process Williams' death ... he says they broke bread and talked about life just a few weeks back.

Jamie waxed poetic, saying Michael lived an artistic life and should be honored with the elusive award.

Michael is nominated for best supporting actor for his work on "Lovecraft Country." Fact is ... he was considered the shoo-in even before he died.

If he wins, his nephew, Dominic Dupont, will accept the award in Michael's honor. Jamie has some simple advice for Dominic on what to say and how to say it.

Bobby Brown's heard the rumors about the possible remake in the words of Whitney Houston's "Bodyguard" ... and he's not feeling it at all.

We got Bobby out Thursday at LAX, and our camera guy asked him point-blank if he thinks remaking such a classic is a bad move, Bobby didn't hesitate ... saying, "Yeah" without a second thought.

Tony-nominated playwright Matthew Lopez has reportedly been tapped to write a reimagining of the iconic 1992 romantic drama starring Whitney and Kevin Costner -- and much like Bobby, many fans' reaction to the news was essentially, "That's a no for me dawg."

The film was not only a monumental success at the box office with more than $400 million grossed worldwide ... but the soundtrack is the bestselling movie soundtrack of all time, featuring classic Whitney hits like, "I Will Always Love You."

Now, Bobby had a much better reaction to some other musical news -- the fact Rolling Stone named Aretha Franklin's "Respect" the No. 1 song of all time. Bobby gives it 👍🏽.

As for that 'Bodyguard' remake -- no word yet on a possible cast, but that's just fine with fans who are already destroying the concept.

Peter Dante -- you've seen him play goofy roles in just about every Adam Sandler film -- is in serious trouble after cops say he threatened to kill his neighbor over construction noise.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops showed up at Peter's L.A. area home Wednesday morning after he allegedly went berserk on a neighbor. Cops say Peter was upset about loud noise from construction work at a neighbor's house.

Apparently, it set Peter off ... cops say the actor ended up confronting his neighbor in a big way. Officers say they were told the confrontation escalated to the point Peter threatened to kill the neighbor and harm his wife and their kids.

Our sources say after talking to everyone involved ... cops arrested Peter for making felony criminal threats. He was taken into custody but posted bail and was released.

It's not the first time Peter's been accused of making threats. As we reported ... he was arrested back in 2013 and thrown out of an L.A. hotel after allegedly making violent threats and using racial slurs.

Jason London is harkening back to his most popular movie role, but in the worst way possible -- cops say he was so drunk he swerved off a road and crashed his car ... multiple times.

According to a police report, obtained by TMZ, the "Dazed and Confused" star was arrested late Tuesday around 11:30 PM in Ocean Springs, Mississippi when cops found him behind the wheel of a 2010 Nissan Maxima that was on fire and stuck in a ditch.

Cops say London's passenger was standing near the car -- which had sustained heavy damage on the passenger side -- and London claimed someone had sideswiped them and run them off the road.

According to cops, London -- who played football star Randall "Pink" Floyd in the 1993 Matthew McConaughey film -- reeked of booze, could barely keep his balance and had slurred speech.

Cops investigated the scene and believe he swerved off the road, mowed down a sign, got back on the road, and then hit a concrete object before driving into a ditch.

London was booked for public intoxication and leaving the scene of an accident. When they got him to jail in Jackson County, cops say he was so drunk and out of it they couldn't fingerprint him.

Bam Margera's tough times aren't getting any better ... his wife's asking for custody of their 3-year-old son, but hasn't pulled the trigger on ending the couple's marriage.

According to court records ... Nicole Boyd filed docs Wednesday in Los Angeles seeking full custody of their child, Phoenix Wolf. She's willing to give Bam visitation, but only with a monitor -- whom he can select -- but she must approve.

It's interesting ... you usually see child custody issues attached to a divorce, but Nicole made custody a stand-alone. She did not file a divorce petition to end their 8-year marriage.

As you know ... the "Jackass" star has had an incredibly turbulent past couple years, which recently culminated with him suing Johnny Knoxville and several other members of the "Jackass" team for alleged "inhumane treatment."

This came well after Bam got booted from the fourth installment of the film franchise for failing to stay clear of drugs and alcohol, escalating attacks on the "Jackass" crew and rants about suicide. Things got so bad, director Jeff Tremaine got a restraining order against him.

Actor Eddie Deezen's restaurant problems have escalated, because he just got arrested for assault after cops say he refused to leave one -- and unloaded on officers on his way out.

According to a police report, Eddie -- best known for playing nerdy Eugene Felsnic in the original 'Grease' movies -- was causing a scene at a restaurant in LaVale, Maryland around lunchtime Thursday and refusing to leave, so cops were called.

Law enforcement says when deputies arrived, Eddie ran to hide behind a woman in a booth and refused multiple orders from cops to exit, so he had to be forcibly removed.

According to the report, Deezen threw numerous items at deputies during the incident -- including plates, bowls and food and actually struck one of the deputies.

Eddie was eventually removed -- shirtless, as you can see -- and hauled off to jail, where he's been charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and trespassing.

You may recall ... Deezen was involved in a bizarre situation earlier this year where a Maryland waitress accused him of being a creep and harassing her, but then he went on social media and accused her of cyberbullying.

Octavia Spencer is saying sorry to Britney Spears and Sam Asghari ... she acknowledges her prenup comment on their engagement announcement wasn't funny.

The Oscar-winning actress says she was just trying to make a joke when she left a comment on Britney's social media post saying, "Make him sign a prenup" ... and she says she's since privately apologized to both Britney and Sam.

Octavia says her "intention was to make them laugh not cause pain" ... and now she hopes to "restore just a smidge of happiness they were robbed of."

The actress wasn't alone in telling Britney to get a prenup ... and as we reported, Sam told fans almost right away he would sign a prenup alright ... joking the prenup would be designed to protect his Jeep and shoe collection.

Octavia's singing a different tune in the wake of her apology ... she says she's thrilled for Britney and thinks the singer has found happiness after going through a lot of pain.

But, here's the real story ... Britney IS getting a prenup, because our sources say literally a day after she got engaged her team was on the case.

No word if Octavia's getting a wedding invite.

Nebraska native Leslie Easterbrook was in her 30s when she landed the role as the sexy blonde Sergeant Callahan -- whose buxom bod is only matched by her serious school attitude towards the incoming cadets -- in the classic cop comedy "Police Academy" ... and the decade worth of sequels to follow!

The iconic funny films were also home to some other notable actors including Bubba Smith as the hilarious Hightower, David Graf as the gun-totting, Tackleberry ... and of course Steve Guttenberg as the troublemaking, Mahoney.

In the '80s Easterbrook could also be spotted on some big-name TV shows including "Laverne & Shirley" and "Ryan's Hope."

Norm Macdonald -- a veteran comedian, actor, writer and producer famous for 'SNL' and more -- has died.

According to his team, Macdonald passed away Tuesday after a multi-year, private battle with cancer that he kept hidden from the public, fighting the disease behind the scenes for nine years.

His longtime producing partner, Lori Jo Hoekstra, says ... "He was most proud of his comedy. He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him. Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly."

The revelation is absolutely stunning ... as Macdonald was a household name in comedy, and has been for decades. He's perhaps most famous for being one of the OG 'Weekend Update' co-hosts on 'Saturday Night Live' -- among many other TV shows and movies over the years.

He starred on 'SNL' from '93 to '98 ... what many consider the glory years of the sketch comedy series. Like many other comedians, 'Saturday' gave Norm his jumpstart -- and his career only skyrocketed from there.

Norm went on to star in (and make a number of memorable cameos) in famous flicks like 'Billy Madison,' 'Dirty Work,' 'Dr. Doolittle,' 'Screwed,' 'Deuce Bigalow,' 'Man on the Moon' ... and several other Sandler flicks. He also had his own sitcom, "Norm" ... plus his own talk show at varying points. Speaking of late-night, Norm was a regular guest for David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Larry King, Jay Leno, Howard Stern ... and many other iconic hosts.

His TV resume is just as impressive -- he starred in (and wrote for) 'Roseanne,' 'My Name is Earl,' 'The Drew Carey Show,' 'Family Guy,' 'The Fairly Odd Parents,' 'The Orville,' 'The Middle,' 'Sunnyside,' 'A Minute with Stan Hooper,' and many, many others.

Norm was infamous for his edgy humor -- which, of late, was clashing with modern-day sentiments ... including PC/cancel culture. In fact, the last time we saw him -- just a few years ago -- he was telling us that he couldn't really be funny anymore because of political correctness.

Keep in mind, Norm famously claimed NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer got him yanked him off 'Weekend Update' in 1997 because he kept slamming Ohlmeyer's pal O.J. Simpson with jokes about the double murders.

The guy was still hitting stages even in the past year ... he was doing standup at the Improv, talking coronavirus -- and despite him battling cancer right then and there, he still looked sharp ... maintaining the same witty humor he'd always had.

Norm is survived by his son, Dylan. He was just 61.

A crew member working on the set of an upcoming Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg Netflix film suffered a horrific fall, with injuries so serious, paramedics were forced to use a defibrillator to get a heartbeat back.

LAFD sources tell TMZ, paramedics got a call for a "long fall" at Sunset Gower Studios just after 7 AM. A fire dept. source told us, a 38-year-old male fell from a catwalk about 60-80 feet in the air and did not appear to have been wearing a safety device ... he had fractures to his legs and arms. A production source says the fall was around 30 feet.

Our fire dept. sources say when paramedics arrived, the man didn't have a pulse and on-set medical workers were performing CPR. LAFD first responders used a defibrillator multiple times to get a heartbeat. A fire dept. official tells TMZ, when they arrived his condition was "grave" but after they got a heartbeat it was upgraded to "critical."

The patient was rushed to a nearby hospital, and a production source tells us at the time of this post, the person is being treated. We do not know his current condition.

The circumstances leading up to the accident are unclear. We do know the crew member was working on the production of the movie, "Me Time."

We've reached out to Sunset Gower Studios for comment ... so far, no word back.

The Met Gala's the time of the year when celebrities dress up like royalty and whisk past their subjects to party the night together in elite fashion ... and this year did not disappoint.

Kim Kardashian showed up to the Balenciaga bash in a superhero-looking outfit Monday night at Cathedrale Restaurant in NYC. It's a Balenciaga getup that seems inspired by Kanye. We got her stepping out of her SUV looking like the lead in Marvel's next blockbuster.

Justin and Hailey Bieber followed. The Biebs is the poster boy for Balenciaga, so it kinda makes sense he hosted the party.

Machine Gun Kelly showed up in a black jacket with roses on his shoulders, and GF Megan Fox looked her typical amazing self in a red dress.

Amanda Bynes isn't walking the same path as Britney Spears ... a judge just signed off on her conservatorship remaining in place for at least another year and change.

The former child star had a status hearing in her conservatorship case this week -- and the judge scheduled the next status hearing for March 8, 2023 ... so it looks like Amanda's case will continue until at least then, unless something changes.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the conservatorship must file its next update by January 2023. Amanda's mother serves as her conservator.

Amanda was placed under the conservatorship in 2013 after a string of bizarre episodes -- including a disturbing store surveillance video -- that revealed her mental health struggles.

Since then, she's been relatively low-key ... staying out of the spotlight and pursuing other things outside of acting, like a design career via the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She's also gotten engaged and dabbled in rap music too.

The Met Gala is back after a year off due to COVID, and it looks like the stars were chomping at the bit to put on their best suits and dresses in a return to normalcy.

This year's hosts include Keke Palmer, Billie Eilish, Amanda Gorman, Timothee Chalamet and Naomi Osaka -- and they've already arrived in with their own getups ... which were eye-popping and extravagant.

Some of the stars expected to show include Rihanna, J Lo, Kim K, Emily Ratajkowski, Camila Cabello, Lupita N'yongo, Beyonce, Addison Rae and more. This year's theme is "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" -- so we'll see wears to rep that.

We know what you're thinking ... what about the Delta variant? There are strict protocols in place to help mitigate that -- including requirements for proof of vaccination prior to showing up, not to mention a negative COVID test as well. Masks indoors are also required.

Remember -- last year's Met Gala got scrapped altogether due to the pandemic ... so, it's been a year-plus since folks have been able to flex their fashion muscles anew.

Kate Hudson is engaged for the third time in her life -- saying yes to marrying her longtime boyfriend and baby daddy, Danny Fujikawa ... and she did it with a great view too.

The actress announced her engagement Monday with a post showing Danny and her smooching on a cliff overlooking a beach. She's flashing the ring in the pic (no middle finger, a la Britney though), and they're both all smiles as DF snaps the shot.

Kate captioned it, "Let's go!" while adding a bunch of wedding-themed emojis for good measure.

The couple has been together for nearly 5 years now -- first linking in December 2016, and then going on to have a kid together ... their daughter, Rani, who's turning 3 this year.

Kate and Danny had known each other for years before they got involved romantically. He's the stepbrother of her best friend, and Kate knew his family well too. Dan's an actor, musician and the co-owner of his own record label, Lightwave.

This appears to be his first go at fiancedom -- but it's Kate's third time with a rock on her finger. She was engaged (and eventually married) to Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson in the early 2000s, and then got engaged to Muse frontman Matt Bellamy ... but called things off before ever walking down the aisle. She has kids with both of those guys too.