Kanye West to David Letterman Mental Illness is Like a 'Sprained Brain' ... And People Do Everything to Make it Worse

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Kanye West described in vivid detail what it's like to have a bipolar episode, and he grouses people just don't get it ... and actually made it way worse for him.

Ye opened up about his mental health struggles to David Letterman for his Netflix show, 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction' -- and we got hold of the footage where he tries to get people to imagine a sprained ankle and then transfer that concept to a sprained brain.

Listen to Kanye ... it's a revelation when you think of a people bearing down on a sprained ankle, causing pain and exacerbating the injury. Now, think of doctors and society doing the same sort of thing to a cerebrum.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye had what seemed like a nervous breakdown back in 2016, which turned out to be a bipolar episode. He was handcuffed to a hospital bed and left alone, which -- as he explains in this clip -- only made things worse.

He says he's opening up about all this to start a conversation about the way we treat bipolar disorder ... and has been applauded for his efforts in speaking about it so candidly.

The entire season -- which also includes interviews with Ellen DeGeneres and Melinda Gates -- drops Friday on Netflix and we're told through it all, Kanye is for the most part very cogent and clear.

'Kimmy Schmidt' Star Netflix Bosses Nailed it ... We Gotta Pressure GA on Abortion Law

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"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" star Tituss Burgess is passionately supporting Netflix for speaking out against Georgia's abortion bill and says his stance ain't about toeing the company line.

We got the actor leaving LAX and asked what he made of Netflix saying it will seriously consider moving its productions out of GA if that state's controversial "heartbeat" law takes effect next year.

It's the first major studio to speak out so strongly, and Tituss -- who reminded us he's a Georgia native -- is fully on board with the honchos.

He says folks back home, especially the "bunch of old white men" in the legislature, need to know they can't take control of women's bodies ... and he thinks Hollywood can apply financial pressure.

The legislation, which the governor already signed into law, would ban abortion after six weeks -- and is set to go into effect on Jan. 1.

Tons of production companies shoot in GA and get huge tax breaks for it. So far, Netflix and Disney are the only major studios to threaten to pull out in 2020.

Tituss has some thoughts on that too. Pulling out, that is.

Ellen DeGeneres I was Sexually Assaulted as a Teen ... By My Stepfather

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Ellen DeGeneres revealed she's a victim of sexual assault ... and hopes her story helps other victims who are afraid to come forward.

The famed talk show host opened up on season 2 of David Letterman's Netflix show, 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction' ... about her mother, Betty DeGeneres, marrying a "very bad man" who took advantage of Ellen when she a teenager.

She claims her stepfather waited until her mom was out of town and told her he needed to feel her breasts because he'd found a lump in her mom's breast and needed to check hers.

Ellen says she was 15 or 16 when it happened, and she's still angry at herself because she was too weak to stand up to him. She says ... "It's a really horrible, horrible story and the only reason I'm actually going to go into detail about it is because I want other girls to not ever let someone do that."

Ellen adds ... "We [women] just don't feel like we're worthy, or we're scared to have a voice, and we're scared to say no ... That's the only reason I think it's important to talk about it because there's so many young girls and it doesn't matter how old you are."

She says she's angered when victims do come forward and aren't believed, because women don't just make stuff up ... but feels it's time for women to have a voice, and have power.

Netflix's 'Jailbirds' Megan 'Monster' Hawkins Arrested ... Back in Sac County Jail

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One of the female inmates featured in Netflix's new docuseries about life on the inside is right back where she started on the show ... behind bars in good old Sacramento.

Megan Hawkins -- known as "Monster" on the series -- was arrested in Elk Grove, CA Friday after she allegedly tried opening a bank account with an ID with someone else's name on it. Cops say that one of the bank employees recognized her from the show and called it in.

According to Elk Grove PD ... Megan was gone by the time officers arrived, but she hadn't gotten far. Police say they found her parked nearby in a vehicle that'd been reported stolen ... with tons of credit cards that didn't belong to her and a controlled substance.

She was arrested and booked for five felonies -- ranging from identity theft to forging or altering checks, just to name a couple. She's being held on a $10,000 bond in Sacramento County Jail -- the same place where she's featured for Netflix's new hit.

Megan is one of the most recognizable characters on the docuseries -- her tongue is split right down the middle ... hence the whole "monster" thing.

This photo is fitting for the nickname too -- it's one heck of a beast-y mug shot, if you ask us. Stay classy, Sac.

'Last Chance U' Star Coach Jason Brown I'm Writing a Book!!!

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The expletive-spewin', hot tubbin', Caddy drivin' former head football coach featured in "Last Chance U" is putting down the cigar and picking up a pen ... 'cause he's writing a book!!!

Jason Brown -- who recently resigned from his gig at Independence CC in Kansas for telling a German-born player he's his "new Hitler" -- starred in season 3 and 4 of the super-popular Netflix show ... and now he's ready to put his thoughts in writing.

"I have partnered up and signed a book publishing contract with SBPRA, to write a book. I will send the details once the book is printed," Brown tweeted on Thursday.

"Much love for all the support!"

Brown became a massive hit with the show ... thanks to his IDGAF attitude and unorthodox coaching style ... so we're assuming this thing is gonna be entertaining as hell.

Brown resigned from ICC in February ... and by the looks of his social media, he's been chilling at his California beach house in the meantime.

'Stranger Things' Plagiarism Lawsuit Dropped ... Days Before Trial

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The guy who was suing the Duffer Bros. for allegedly stealing the idea for "Stranger Things" from him is doing a complete 180 and yanking his lawsuit ... right before their trial was set to begin.

Charles Kessler reportedly withdrew his suit against Matt and Ross Duffer Sunday, issuing a statement as well that completely recanted any and all claims of plagiarism he'd made against them over the past year.

His reasoning is a bit odd, as it seems he just realized he had no case against them. Kessler wrote, "After hearing the deposition testimony this week of the legal expert I hired, it is now apparent to me that, whatever I may have believed in the past, my work had nothing to do with the creation of Stranger Things."

He added, "Documents from 2010 and 2013 prove that the Duffers independently created their show. As a result, I have withdrawn my claim and I will be making no further comment on this matter."

TMZ broke the story ... Kessler sued the Duffers back in April of last year, alleging that he'd met with them in 2014 to pitch an idea similar to "Stranger Things" but never heard back -- only to see a show incredibly similar to his idea get greenlit by Netflix courtesy of the bros.

He claimed that his 2012 short film "Montauk" was the inspiration for the show, but he never got any credit ... or cash. The Duffers, meanwhile, fired back saying they had documented evidence that they'd been working on "Stranger Things" since at least 2010.

We reviewed some of those documents -- emails that the Duffers were sending back and forth -- and sure enough, it appeared to prove they were, in fact, developing a "Montauk"-like series well before Kessler came into the picture.

Netflix chimed in on the news as well Sunday, saying ... "We are glad to be able to put this baseless lawsuit behind us. As we have said all along, Stranger Things is a ground-breaking original creation by The Duffer Brothers."

The studio continued, "We are proud of this show and of our friends Matt and Ross, whose artistic vision gave life to Stranger Things, and whose passion, imagination and relentless hard work alongside our talented cast and crew made it a wildly successful, award-winning series beloved by viewers around the world."

What's strange here is the timing. The anticipated 5-day trial between Kessler and the Duffer Bros. was supposed to start on Tuesday in L.A. Hmm ... interesting.

Ted Bundy Survivor Zac Efron Movie Didn't Need Gore It's Not a Horror Flick!!!

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Zac Efron's movie about Ted Bundy is pissing off a lot of people who were expecting tons of bloodshed and violence -- but one survivor of Bundy's killing spree says the lack of gore is a good thing.

Kathy Kleiner Rubin -- who was brutalized by Bundy and left for dead at Florida State University's Chi Omega house way back in 1978 -- tells us she thinks the Netflix adaption works better without massive amounts of blood, because it's not supposed to be a horror flick.

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WELL DONE & VERY RESPECTFUL

Sorry, bloodthirsty millennials ... Kathy says it's better to use your imagination, or just take the time to read up on Bundy's brutal murders.

Check out our clip ... Kathy gets super emotional as she talks about Bundy's long list of female victims, telling us Netflix did a great job portraying them even though it's difficult to tell their full stories in one movie.

Kathy says Netflix made up for any shortcomings in telling the victims' stories by including the names of all 36 women in memoriam at the end of the movie.

Netflix 'Our Planet' Animal Lovers, You've Been Warned Skip These Graphic Scenes

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Netflix is deeming its new series, "Our Planet," too graphic for some animal lovers, and warning them to shield their eyes during some disturbing scenes.

Netflix issued a dire warning Wednesday, alerting folks to several scenes it feels might be too much for the faint of heart ... because seeing animals eat, prey, or die, is too much for some people.

Netflix's warning involves scenes in 5 segments of the multi-episode docuseries, which covers the effects of climate change on wildlife around the planet. Netflix only gave time codes for the scenes to skip, but we did the leg work and figured out what the hell they're actually talking about.

Hit the fast forward button if these images will make you cringe:

- Baby flamingo's legs encased in solidified salt ("One Planet")

- Killer whales eating a penguin, polar bear making a meal of a baby seal, walrus falling off a cliff ("Frozen World")

- Jaguar killing an alligator ("Fresh Water")

-Cheetahs killing a wildebeest ("Deserts and Grassland")

Not all of the potentially disturbing scenes are gory. One of the red-flagged time codes corresponds to a scene showing ... fish getting caught in fishing nets!!!

Oh, the humanity.

Netflix Defends Graphic Walrus Scene in 'Our Planet'

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The new Netflix series "Our Planet" is pissing off some viewers distraught about graphic images of walruses falling to their deaths -- but the studio is standing behind the filmmakers and the disturbing scene.

In case you haven't heard, Netflix dropped the multi-episode series Friday. It documents the effects of climate change on wildlife around the globe. One episode focuses on Russian walruses that are dying off due to receding ice levels.

In covering the epidemic, filmmakers recorded several walruses scaling rocky cliffs near the ocean, and some of them fell over the ledge ... leaving them seriously injured or even dead from the impact.

The scene left tons of viewers traumatized.

Some critics accuse the producers of emotional manipulation and twisting facts ... and that includes some zoologists and prominent environmentalists, who claim the walrus scene is out of context.

For instance, Dr. Susan Crockford went public this week saying the walruses filmed for this scene were falling off the cliff to escape polar bears ... not because climate change is reducing their natural icy habitat. Patrick Moore, the co-founder of Greenpeace, backed that up too.

Worth noting the clip doesn't show any polar bears, and you also don't see any of the walruses attempting to flee a predator.

Netflix is standing firm behind what they say is a documented fact -- that walruses are being forced to gather on land because there's less ice available ... which leaves them in unfamiliar, dangerous territory.

Additionally, Netflix tells us the "Our Planet" team worked with a seasoned Russian biologist who's worked on that stretch of coastline -- and with those walruses -- for 35 years.

Bottom line ... the walruses stay in the picture.

Chrishell Hartley 'Selling Sunset' Agents Not Just Hot, We Sell for Real!!!

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"Selling Sunset" star Chrishell Hartley knows there are haters who doubt she and her castmates are legit in the real estate game, and now she's punching back ... with a velvet glove.

If you haven't seen it (what the hell ya waiting for?), the new Netflix hit series follows the super hot female agents of The Oppenheim Group real estate brokerage. Chrishell joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and we asked her point-blank -- hardcore real estate agents or just pretty faces? What's the deal?

Chrishell says she understands why viewers might have doubts. We mentioned all 6 women on the show are super gorgeous, right?

But, she insists they don't just talk a big real estate game, they can all back it up in more ways than one. Even though she's low man on the totem pole, Chrishell -- whose husband is "This is Us" star Justin Hartley -- says she's quickly making a name for herself.

BTW, she also broke down the show's most cringe-worthy moment so far -- one of her co-workers getting hit on by a client who took things way too far.

Bob Saget, John Stamos We Love Lori Loughlin ... But It's Complicated

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A couple of Lori Loughlin's "Fuller House" costars are hesitant to talk about her legal situation, but the looks on their faces make it pretty clear ... they've got lots of love for her.

Bob Saget and John Stamos were leaving Avra restaurant in Beverly Hills Thursday when we asked if they're still supporting Lori ... or if they're upset with her in any way for her alleged part in the college admissions bribery scandal.

Bob had a little more to say, telling us you love who you love and stick with them ... echoing the message of another "Fuller House" star, Candace Cameron Bure, at the Kids' Choice Awards.

Saget was quick to add ... "Life's complicated."

That's a sentiment with which Stamos agrees, but other than that he's tight-lipped.

As we reported ... Loughlin's not coming back to "Fuller House" for its fifth season, and also lost her Hallmark gig in the wake of her arrest for allegedly paying bribes to get her kids into USC.

Her husband was also indicted, along with Felicity Huffman and several other parents with children in prestigious schools like Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown and UCLA.

Motley Crue & Netflix Sued I Got Electrocuted on Set of 'The Dirt'

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The crew member who was electrocuted on the set of Netflix's new Motley Crue movie is suing the band.

Louis DiVincenti just filed suit against the Crue and Netflix in Louisiana -- where filming for "The Dirt" took place, and where he suffered the electrocution. According to the suit, he says he was handing down metal pipes to other crew members, and one of the pipes made contact with a power line ... sending an electric current that "entered his body and blew out through his right foot."

DiVincenti says the March incident left him with third-degree burns on 50 percent of his body, and required a partial amputation on his foot ... as well as multiple surgeries and skin grafts.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, DiVincenti says Netflix and the producers -- which includes Tommy Lee and the rest of the band -- are on the hook for failing to address electrical hazards on set, and should be forced to pay for his suffering.

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AFTER THE INCIDENT

We broke the story ... DiVincenti had to be carried off in a stretcher at the time of the incident.

He's suing to get Netflix and Motley Crue to pay for the medical bills he's racked up, and for at least $1.8 million in damages.

'Orange Is the New Black' Star Adrien Broner's An A**hole ... Condemns 'Hate Speech'

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THAT'S ILLEGAL

Adrien Broner is a homophobic "a**hole" -- and should be charged with a crime for threatening to shoot gay people ... this according to "Orange Is the New Black" star Lea DeLaria.

Lea -- who famously plays Big Boo on the show -- was leaving the Rolling Stone: Women Shaping the World event in NYC ... when we asked for her reaction to Broner's vile video.

And, since Lea is openly gay ... the issue of violent homophobia seemed deeply personal.

"How do I feel about someone using those kind of slurs? I have a bigger issue with anybody who's threatening gay people with violence simply for being themselves."

"F*ck all the slurs. I'll use any f*cking slur I want. What I'm talking about is that a**hole is talking about hurting gay people."

Of course, Broner made the hate-filled video during a spat with Andrew Caldwell -- a viral video star who claims the boxer had made passes at him.

During his rant (which he posted to social media) Broner said ... "If any f*g, punk-ass n**ga come run up on me, trying to touch me on all that gay sh*t, I'm letting you know right now if I ain't got my gun on me, I'm knocking you the f*ck out."

Lea says Broner's language should be considered "hate speech and should be a crime."

"Freedom of speech comes with responsibility," Lea added ... "You should not be allowed to incite people to violence against other people."

Kevin Spacey Spotted in L.A. ... Back in the Biz?

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Kevin Spacey's back in Hollywood after spending a lot of time -- and facing a criminal charge -- on the east coast, so it begs the question ... is he getting back to work?

The disgraced actor was seen leaving the Sunset Tower Hotel in WeHo Wednesday night, although it looks like he's still trying to keep a low profile.

As we've reported ... Spacey's mostly been hanging out on the other side of the country amid facing a felony charge for allegedly fondling a teenage boy's genitals in Massachusetts back in 2016. He appeared in a Nantucket court in early January to face the charge of indecent assault.

It's unclear if Kevin's returned to Tinseltown to get back into show business or other business, but ever since misconduct allegations began to dog him in 2017 ... he's only lost acting gigs.

Spacey was replaced in the film "All the Money in the World" and got fired from his "House of Cards" job after various stories of sexual misconduct surfaced.

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DON'T RUSH TO JUDGMENT

In fact, the only real acting he's done recently came around Christmas time, when he posted a bizarre video defending himself ... in the character of President Frank Underwood.

Spacey is also the subject of investigations overseas, but despite all this ... it doesn't seem like he's content with hiding out.

Kiefer Sutherland We Have Obama Ties on 'Designated' ... No Need for the Real Deal

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Kiefer Sutherland plays POTUS on his TV show, but says he doesn't need an actual President -- like say, Barack Obama -- to consult on it ... he already has the next best thing.

"Designated Survivor" -- which stars Kiefer as the Prez -- just jumped from ABC to Netflix, and you know Obama already has a production deal with the streaming service. So, we asked Kiefer at LAX if there's any chance they'd hook up.

Believe it or not, he took a hard pass, but only because 44's already had a huge impact on 2 seasons of 'Designated.' Turns out, one of Kiefer's costars worked for the Obama administration. Check out the clip if you don't know which one.

As for how season 3 on Netflix will be different -- he gives one hint: they aim to please.

Farrah Abraham I'm with Penthouse Magazine Now ... Tackling Feminist Authors!!!

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Farrah Abraham's got a new side hustle for Penthouse that has her taking on some amazing women ... including Presidential hopeful, Sen. Kamala Harris.

Take a breath. Farrah's new gig is a fully-clothed one -- she's the new book critic for Penthouse magazine and specifically, she'll be tackling feminist literature. We're told the former 'Teen Mom'/porn star was brought on board 'cause the racy mag wants to see if traditional heroes of female empowerment connect with the "average all-American girl."

Yes, someone's referring to Farrah as the average girl back next door.

BTW, she's already got one review under her belt -- Joan Didion's 1968 book, "Slouching Towards Bethlehem." If you're not in the know ... Didion's an iconic American writer and journalist. She even has her own Netflix documentary.

Anyway, Farrah's got quite a hot take on Joan's breakthrough book -- a collection of essays about her adventures in Cali -- which got rave reviews back in the '60s.

We got some excerpts of Farrah's review and she goes IN, calling it ... "a great book for people who abuse substances every day." She adds, "Without ever feeling the need to grow up, these baby boomers drink their way through life. They only think about drinking and drugs."

Guess Farrah's never heard of the '60s -- but it's clear she's not afraid to speak her mind. She summed up Joan's work like this ... "Was Didion even trying when she wrote this junk?"

Penthouse digs her, anyway ... calling Farrah, "bravely brazen." Oh, and we're told her next review will be one of Senator Harris' books.

Happy Women's History Month!!!