Movies

Steven Spielberg's daughter was arrested in Tennessee this weekend after an altercation with her boyfriend -- and it all started because he said something rude to her ... so say cops.

Mikaela Spielberg got busted Saturday night in Nashville, after returning home with her BF from a bar. Cops were called after an apparent argument erupted between them after the dude said something "rude" to her, which allegedly resulted in Mikaela hurling objects at him ... one of which struck him in the hand and left damage.

The responding officers saw a visible injury on the BF which looked fresh -- they say there was dry blood on his hand and that his wrist looked swollen. The police say both parties admitted to a physical dispute but determined Mikaela was the aggressor.

One of the reasons they ended up booking her on domestic assault charges is because cops say her story on what exactly happened constantly changed, while cops say the BF's story remained consistent. They make a point to say the guy didn't want Mikaela prosecuted, but the officers say their department is still moving forward.

Mikaela was booked and held on $1,000 bond, and has since been released.

Of course, the arrest comes shortly after news broke that Mikaela's forging a solo career in porn.

Marilyn Monroe's time behind-the-scenes of the 1953 film, "Niagara," was captured by a photographer, and his huge set of photographic negatives is up for grabs ... but it won't come cheap.

The pics -- 227 total, 198 of which depict Marilyn -- were snapped by Canadian journalist and photog Jock Carroll in 1952, while she was preparing for her first top billing as Rose Loomis in the noir thriller.

The set of photos is mostly comprised of black-and-white negatives but includes some color positive transparencies. And, along with shots of Monroe, there are several of the sets, scenery and of course ... Niagara Falls.

The negatives could become much more than just a collector's item too ... because they include the copyright to the images. Carroll signed the rights over to his son before he died, and the son will grant them to the buyer.

This means the highest bidder at the auction will have the right to print and even sell copies from the negatives, which could lead to big bucks. Commercial use requires permission from Monroe's estate, however.

Tyler Perry's family now has almost complete certainty his nephew took his own life, and was not murdered in prison.

Tyler tells TMZ ... they got the autopsy results back from Dr. Michael Baden -- the world-renowned pathologist he hired to look into 26-year-old Gavin Porter's death in a Louisiana prison. We're told Baden says he's 98 percent sure there was no foul play in Porter's death.

That seems to confirm what prison officials told the Perry family ... that Tyler's nephew hanged himself using bedsheets while in solitary confinement. The family wasn't convinced, which is why Tyler hired Baden to conduct an independent 2nd autopsy.

Tyler says, "The answers don't take away grief, but it surely gives room for grieving to take its course."

Porter was doing 20 years for manslaughter after killing his father -- in front of his mother, who is Tyler's sister. He'd been placed in solitary after getting into a fight last weekend. He was found dead Tuesday night.

Will Smith's gotta share the spotlight now with Serena and Venus Williams -- or at least the young actors who are costarring with him as the tennis phenoms.

Will's been digging into the role of Richard Williams in "King Richard" all week in L.A., but on Thursday we got our first look at his onscreen daughters. Saniyya Sidney is playing Venus and Demi Singleton is Serena in the biopic.

Demi and Saniyya are playing young Serena and Venus -- in their teens, it seems -- but we still don't know who will be playing them as adults ... when they really dominated tennis.

The film, about how the Williams sisters' father raised and coached them to become superstar athletes, is slated to come out in November ... so, ya know the studio behind it is thinking it's gonna be Oscar worthy.

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Adam Driver are dialing things way back -- to the 1300s, that is -- for their next film.

The trio are on the set of Ridley Scott's next period drama, "The Last Duel," in Sarlat, France. The film -- set in Medieval times -- stars Matt and Adam playing real-life knights and best friends, Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris. You 'memba them, right?

The revenge thriller has a pretty insane storyline ... after Jean returns from the war, he accuses Jacques of raping his wife. Jean turns to King Charles VI to do something about it and he orders a duel to the death. It's a double whammy for Jean because if he loses, not only is he a goner but his wife will also be burned to death.

Ben, rocking a blonde 'do, plays a supporting role in the film, which is expected to come out in late 2020 or early 2021. He was initially set to play the role of Jacques before Adam joined the cast.

This is also the first time Ben and Matt are working together on a film since 2004's "Jersey Girl." If that's less than encouraging ... the BFFs co-wrote this script -- along with Nicole Holofcener. It's their first time doing that since their 1998 Oscar winner, "Good Will Hunting."

Ethan Suplee knows what it's like to have a diet forced on him, so he thinks President Trump's never gonna fall for covert cauliflower ... until he's onboard to change his diet.

We got the "Remember the Titans" star Tuesday at LAX, and his own incredible body transformation was apparent ... so we asked him about Trump's former physician saying they tried to improve his health by "putting cauliflower into the mashed potatoes."

Ethan tells us back when he was overweight, his family tried to put him on all kinds of diets but it never worked ... it just made him sneak unhealthy foods. He believes the same will happen with POTUS -- he'll seek out Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A later.

According to Ethan ... the only way a diet or exercise regimen will work for the Prez, or anyone else, is if they really want it, and it can't be forced.

Case in point, the actor tells us chef Andre Rush -- a guest on Ethan's "American Glutton" podcast -- has said Trump can have any healthy meal he wants 24/7, but tends to fall back on his fast-food habit.

When and IF Trump decides to change on his own, Ethan Suplee believes he won't regret it.

The famed author Clive Cussler -- whose 1992 adventure novel "Sahara" was adapted into a film and starred Matthew McConaughey -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Cussler died Monday, according to his son. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Cussler wrote more than 2 dozen novels, including "Raise the Titanic," in his series of Dirk Pitt novels. It became a movie in 1980. By the way ... Dirk is also his son's name, and Cussler's last 3 books were co-authored by Dirk.

"Sahara" was the highest-grossing movie that was adapted from his novels. It grossed $122 million.

In all, Cussler sold more than 100 million books, and he's been published in more than 40 languages.

Cussler was internationally recognized as an expert in shipwrecks. He founded the National Underwater and Marine Agency ... an homage to naval history. One of his books, "The Sea Hunters," was so deep in knowledge, the Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State of New York, gave Cussler a doctorate and did not require a thesis -- the book was enough.

Clive Cussler was married nearly 50 years. His wife died in 2003. Cussler leaves behind 3 children. He later got remarried to Janet Horvath.

Cussler was 88.

Jamie Foxx says "Just Mercy" -- the movie he stars in with Michael B. Jordan -- is more than just a movie ... because it's inspiring some real-world change for the better.

We got the actor -- who plays wrongly condemned death row inmate Walter McMillian in the film -- outside Mr Chow Monday night in Bev Hills. He tells us since the movie -- which is based on a true story -- came out, 100 lawyers have gone to Alabama to work pro bono to save people from death row.

Jamie says it's no coincidence, they're following in the footsteps of the film's hero, Bryan Stevenson -- a lawyer and social justice activist, played by MBJ in "Just Mercy." Foxx says the role speaks volumes about Jordan's commitment to elevating black culture.

As Jamie puts it ... Michael B. Jordan can do any movie he wants, but he chooses ones that speak to his people and shine a light on important issues.

Foxx says there's still a lot of work to be done and, despite criticism, it's still important to do "the slave movie." Watch and let him explain.

The Weekend and Kendrick Lamar might want people to say some prayers for them ... they're being sued for allegedly jacking music for their hit song, "Pray for Me."

A Brooklyn-based rock band called Yeasayer claims the duo lifted material from its 2007 song, "Sunrise," slightly altered it ... and inserted it into their 'Pray' single, which was featured on the "Black Panther" soundtrack.

According to the legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the part allegedly stolen from "Sunrise" is a "distinctive choral performance" the band recorded using their own voices. Yeasayer describes it as "comprised of male voices singing in their highest registers, with animated, pulsing vibrato."

The band claims Weeknd and Kendrick slightly modified a recording of its song with "intent to conceal the infringement" ... and used it in "Pray for Me" up to 8 different times throughout the track.

Yeasayer claims the allegedly stolen material is "immediately recognizable" as theirs. The band is asking for all the "Pray for Me" profits and damages. It also wants an injunction blocking further sales and airplay of 'Pray.'

Harvey Weinstein is guilty of 2 of the 5 charges he faced in his NYC criminal trial -- but he was found not guilty on the charges that could have put him in prison for life.

The jury found Weinstein guilty of 1st-degree criminal sexual act and 3rd-degree rape. He could get up to 25 years in prison just for the criminal sexual act. However, the jury found him not guilty on 2 counts of predatory sexual assault charges. Those carried a possible life sentence. He was also acquitted of 1st-degree rape.

A jury of 12 people -- 7 men and 5 women -- finally reached their verdict after 5 days and about 22 hours of deliberations. This comes after an interesting turn on Friday ... when the jurors sent a note to the judge asking if they could be hung on 2 counts of predatory sexual assault and unanimous on the others.

The judge told them to go back deliberations, and they worked it out by Monday morning.

As we reported ... Weinstein pled not guilty to 5 felony charges relating to sexual misconduct. The charges were based on the accounts of 2 women ... Miriam Haley, a TV and film production assistant who worked on "Project Runway," and former actress Jessica Mann.

The prosecution rested its case 2 weeks ago after 12 days of witness testimony. In total, 6 women testified against Weinstein, including Haley and Mann. Last Tuesday marked the start of jury deliberations.

As we reported ... Mann testified under oath that Weinstein began manipulating her as soon as he met her, allegedly forcing himself on her multiple times and raping her at a hotel in Manhattan.

Weinstein's defense argued he had a consensual relationship with Mann lasting for years after the alleged sexual assault. He maintained all sexual conduct was consensual.

During closing arguments, Weinstein's lawyer, Donna Rotunno, ripped into the prosecution, saying prosecutors, "created a universe that strips adult women of common sense, autonomy and responsibility," arguing Weinstein's accusers acquiesced to sex because they thought it would advance their careers.

However, Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon countered in her closing argument, saying Weinstein's accusers “were merely ants that he could step on without consequences.”

The disgraced Hollywood mogul felt he couldn't get a fair trial in New York, claiming the jury pool was tainted ... but the case proceeded.

Katherine Johnson -- the mathematician portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in the Oscar-nominated film "Hidden Figures" -- has died.

NASA announced the pioneering figure died Monday. It was her groundbreaking math work that helped calculate the trajectories for Alan Shepard's history-making journey in space. She was also the one who gave the go-ahead for John Glenn's mission into orbit.

Johnson, who was initially rejected by NASA when she first applied, was tasked by Glenn to check the computer's work by redoing all the math done by a computer that had been programmed with the orbital equations that would control the trajectory of the capsule in Glenn's Friendship 7 mission.

And, as part of the pre-flight checklist, Glenn asked engineers to "get the girl" to run the same numbers through the same equations that had been programmed into the computer ... by hand. Glenn famously said, "If she says they're good then I'm ready to go." The mission went on without a hitch.

"Hidden Figures" was released in 2016 to much acclaim. It earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Octavia Spencer was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Johnson was honored at the 2017 Oscars.

Johnson, who retired in 1986 from NASA, authored or co-authored 26 research projects. She recalled her greatest contribution to space exploration the calculations that helped with Project Apollo's Lunar Lander -- the moon-orbiting Command Service Module.

She was born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. She was famous before even her NASA days ... she was one of 3 black students handpicked to integrate West Virginia's graduate school. Johnson graduated from West Virginia State College in 1937 ... earning degrees in mathematics and French.

Johnson arrived at NASA before it was known by those letters. She started at NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) in 1953. It became NASA five years later.

In 2015 and at 97 years of age, President Barack Obama awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

She was 101.

RIP

"The Batman" isn't all work and no play -- as you can see he takes a load off whenever possible, and lets Hollywood magic do the rest. Case in point ... cool-guy stuntman A.

Matt Reeves' upcoming superhero epic about the early years of The Dark Knight is in the middle of filming right now out in Scotland -- and on Saturday ... the crew got some shots of Batsy riding around on his motorcycle. Well, sorta ... they got a close-up of his arm.

Check it out ... you see the stuntman -- doesn't really look like Robert Pattinson under there -- sitting next to the Batbike which is on top of a moving platform being pulled by a truck. The dude's got the Batsuit on, but he's not rockin' the cowl, 'cause there's no need.

Looks like this shot is just of the hero's arm gripping the handlebars, so the stunt double's chilling with a beanie on and a pair of shades as they run through it a couple times.

This mild shoot day isn't nearly as involved or complete as the one from a few days ago when what appeared to be another stuntman was doing a complete motorcycle ride through a graveyard, complete with a mask and some falls off the bike. Bat-mode, initiated!

Of course, this all comes about a week or so after Matt showed off what Pattinson's gonna look like in a sneak peek test shot (more or less), which already had fans squawking.

As for this latest look ... we're getting Caped Ski Bum vibes.

Quentin Tarantino just became a dad for the first time at age 56 -- because his wife, Daniella Pick, has finally given birth ... TMZ has confirmed.

A rep for the acclaimed director tells us ... "Daniella and Quentin Tarantino are happy to announce the birth of their first child. A baby boy born February 22, 2020."

According to reports, the child was actually born in Tel-Aviv, and thus ... he's half Israeli by birthright. Daniella -- a singer and model -- is from Israel, so it looks like they went back to the homeland for the delivery.

This would be Quentin's first kid -- same for Daniella actually, who's 20 years his junior. They got hitched in 2018 after first reportedly meeting in 2009 during production of 'Inglourious Basterds.' They first announced they were expecting back in August of 2019.