Religion/ Spirituality

Jonathan Lipnicki is putting his MMA skills to good use ... trying to prevent more anti-Semitic attacks from happening in the L.A. area by escorting Orthodox Jews to temple.

We got the "Jerry Maguire" star in the Fairfax District near The Grove Friday, where he and fellow actor/martial artist Remi Franklin were on the ready to help worshipers safely enter and leave temple.

Jonathan and Remi organized after an attack last May ... where a group of pro-Palestinian men attacked Jewish diners outside Sushi Fumi.

The man in charge of directing Friday's Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has just been fired hours before the start of the event ... after it was discovered he made a Holocaust joke in 1998.

Kentaro Kobayashi was canned Thursday after video surfaced of him making the wildly gross and inappropriate comment during a comedy act over two decades ago.

In the old clip, Kobayashi reportedly can be heard bringing up the Holocaust and saying, "Let's play the genocide of Jews."

Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said Thursday when the footage was brought to his attention ... he and other officials acted swiftly, removing Kobayashi from his high-ranking role.

"We found out that Mr. Kobayashi, in his own performance, has used a phrase ridiculing a historical tragedy," Hashimoto said.

"We deeply apologize for causing such a development the day before the opening ceremony and for causing troubles and concerns to many involved parties as well as the people in Tokyo and the rest of the country."

48-year-old Kobayashi later released an apology in a statement ... saying, "Entertainment should not make people feel uncomfortable. I understand that my stupid choice of words at that time was wrong, and I regret it."

The troubling news comes just days after one of the composers for the opening ceremony, Keigo Oyamada, pulled out of the event after he admitted to bullying a disabled classmate in the 1990s.

Hashimoto, though, insisted the opening ceremony will go on as planned despite it all ... saying Thursday, "we are going to open the Games tomorrow under this difficult situation."

As we previously reported, spectators will NOT be allowed at the ceremony ... as officials hope empty stadiums will help keep coronavirus from spreading.

Kirk Franklin's not down with ranking the greatest gospel artists of all time, because he says there's only one name that matters ... and no, it's not Kanye West!!!

The iconic choir director and gospel singer wasn't throwing any shade at Kanye -- quite the opposite -- but making a bigger point about the genre of Christian music ... telling us anybody can do it because it's for all of God's children.

With that mindset, Kirk says there shouldn't be a Mount Rushmore of gospel music -- notwithstanding he's considered to be a candidate -- because it's all about glorifying the man upstairs.

As for Kanye ... Kirk says he's tight with his "brother" and heaps praise on his musical talent ... calling him one of the greatest artists of all time.

Kim Kardashian knows how to steal the show -- even when she's visiting the home of the Pope -- and an eye-catching lace dress will do the job. Every time.

Kim did the opposite of blend in as a tourist Monday as she checked out Vatican City with Kate Moss and her daughter, Lila Grace. Kim was dressed in a striking off-the-shoulder white lace dress ... sure to make a nun or 2 blush.

Sources close to Kim tell TMZ she's in Italy for business meetings this week along with her biz partner Tracy Romulus, makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic and hairstylist Chris Appleton ... so it's no wonder she looks fab.

There are no exceptions to the strict dress code in the Sistine Chapel though, so we're told KK fully covered up her dress with a leather jacket when she went inside Pope Francis' residence.

And, we know what you're wondering, but no ... she did not have an audience with His Holiness, Pope Francis.

Along with the Sistine Chapel, Kim also took in a tour of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican and visited the Colosseum in Rome on Sunday.

Pope Francis may be a superhero in the Catholic church, but he came face-to-face with a guy who's a hero to children everywhere ... including kids in hospitals he visits to cheer them up.

The Pope met with an amazing young man dressed in a full Spider-Man suit Wednesday in Vatican City. The costumed character was seated in the VIP section of the audience in the Vatican's San Damaso Courtyard.

That's because Spidey -- who's really 27-year-old Mattia Villardita from northern Italy -- was being honored for the work he does dressing up as superheroes and visiting sick children at hospitals to raise their spirits.

Villardita did his best to blend in while sitting in the crowd, but c'mon ... this is a sighting that definitely makes front page of the Daily Bugle.

After His Holiness finished with the general audience event, Spider-Man got an audience with him -- they shook hands, and the webbed wonder handed the Pontiff a mask of his own. He didn't put it on. Not immediately, anyway.

Powerful moment from NBA player Meyers Leonard ... who choked backed tears while addressing a group of Jewish kids at a temple in Florida, as he explained his regret for using an anti-Semitic slur back in March.

The 29-year-old took the mic at Boca Raton Synagogue over the weekend ... and began by saying, "I owe everybody, truly, a sincere apology."

As we previously reported, the former Miami Heat player was playing "Call of Duty" on March 9 when he hurled the K-word at an opposing player. The session was being live-streamed on Twitch at the time.

Twitch immediately blocked Leonard from the platform -- and the NBA hit Meyers with a $50k fine and a 1-week suspension.

Leonard apologized and vowed to educate himself about why the slur is dangerous and offensive ... and it's pretty obvious he's been putting in the work.

At least, according to Rabbi Efrem Goldberg ... who spoke glowingly about Meyers at Sunday's event -- praising him as a good dude and a "great friend of the Jewish community."

Rabbi Goldberg told the crowd, "Over the last 3 months, I’ve gotten to know Meyers off camera and off the court … I've gotten to know what's in his heart and who he is."

"Meyers has learned a lot about the Jewish community ... meeting with Holocaust survivors and reading books about Jewish history."

Leonard also opened up about life after the incident -- saying, "I've had a lot of really good moments and some pretty dark emotional moments but I just like to say, again, I'm so, so thankful for the people in the Jewish community whether it's a little kid, a teenager, a high schooler or a rabbi."

Joe Lara -- the star of "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures" -- has died after a small plane he, his wife and a few others were on crashed into a lake this weekend.

The private jet -- said to be a Cessna 501 -- took off Saturday from Smyrna Airport, just outside of Nashville, and was reportedly headed toward Palm Beach, FL ... but somehow plunged into Percy Priest Lake not too long after takeoff.

Fire and other rescue crews were dispatched to the scene -- but, after an all-night operation -- authorities say the passengers were found to be deceased ... and their families were notified. An investigation is underway to determine what might've caused the crash.

Lara was one of seven people who were killed. The others are his spouse -- Christian diet guru Gwen Lara -- Jennifer J. Martin, David L. Martin, Jessica Walters, Jonathan Walters, and Brandon Hannah, all of whom are locals and reported to be part of the same church.

JL is famous from his TV days, when he played the king of the jungle between 1996 and 2000 ... starring as Tarzan for a total of 22 episodes, including a TV movie that came out years prior called "Tarzan in Manhattan" -- which catapulted him into the role.

He'd been in other action/fantasy projects over the years -- including "Steel Frontier," "Sunset Heat," "Gunsmoke: The Last Apache," "American Cyborg: Steel Warrior" "The Magnificent Seven," "Baywatch" and "Tropical Heat," among several others. Lara had 28 acting credits to his name.

Lara married Gwen Shamblin in 2018 -- who's famous for founding the Remnant Fellowship Church as well as the Weigh Down Workshop ... a weight loss program that was big in the '80s and '90s among churchgoers and others.

Gwen and Joe leave behind three children. He was 58 and she was 66.

Danny Masterson claims Leah Remini was pushing the LAPD to get him prosecuted in his rape case ... and threatened to put them on blast if they dropped the ball.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Masterson claims Leah's meddling in his case was so outrageous she had an LAPD detective named Becker, who allegedly moonlighted as her bodyguard, making calls about his rape case.

In docs, Masterson claims this police officer/bodyguard "had a history of trying to influence LAPD investigations" at Leah's direction. Masterson claims when the cop contacted Austin PD in 2016 about Jane Doe 3's police report, the Austin PD detective was so taken aback by it she wrote in her report "Becker has no professional investigative interest in this report, as he does not investigate sexual assault cases. It is later revealed he is Leah Remini’s close friend.'"

Masterson claims Leah personally made phone calls to the lead investigator on the case and that the LAPD actively encouraged her to participate in the investigation. And, get this ... Masterson claims a detective on the case went as far as telling her she's "vital to the investigation."

Masterson also claims Leah discussed telling the Jane Doe stories on her TV show, "Scientology and the Aftermath." He claims she had spoken to the girls and had intentions of putting them on her series.

The collusion runs so deep, Masterson claims, Leah wanted to attend the DA's interviews of the women, and he alleges the Deputy DA played ball for a while ... before things went south between Leah and prosecutors.

In the docs, Masterson claims Leah threatened the prosecution with a negative PR campaign, saying, "I told [Det.] Reyes from the beginning, ‘I’m telling you, if you screw this up I’m putting you and the whole LAPD on Blast. Not because I want to, but because they deserve to be heard.’ And you can’t keep being in business with the Church of Scientology because you have no balls.”

As we reported, Masterson claimed Leah's anti-Scientology campaign is the driving force behind the accusations in his rape case.

Bella Hadid took to the streets over the conflict in the Middle East, marching in support of the Palestinians.

The march, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, drew thousands of people who showed their support. Bella, whose father Mohamed Hadid is from Palestine, wore a Keffiyeh, a traditional dress, as she waved a Palestinian flag.

The march fell on Nakba Day, marking the 1948 conflict which resulted in Israel declaring its independence and many Palestinians being displaced.

Both Bella and her sister, Gigi, have been active in speaking out about the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Bella posted photos of the march, saying, "The way my heart feels.. To be around this many beautiful, smart, respectful, loving , kind and generous Palestinians all in one place... it feels whole ! We are a rare breed!!"

DJ Khaled is getting dragged online for posting videos of women in bikinis twerking on a yacht ... and it's all because it coincided with the most holy month for Muslims.

Khaled, who was raised Muslim, posted some behind-the-scenes footage of what looks like a music video shoot for his song, "Body in Motion," featuring Lil Baby -- and yes, it features lots of scantily-clad hotties shaking their assets. The issue is he posted it Wednesday, the last day of Ramadan.

During Ramadan -- a holy month of fasting and prayer for Muslims -- both men and women are recommended to dress conservatively ... nothing tight or revealing, like the bikinis the women are wearing around Khaled in the video.

As you can see, Khaled is getting ripped for his post ... with some saying he's being disrespectful, especially in light of the situation in Palestine.

Danny Masterson claims Leah Remini's well-known anti-Scientology campaign is a driving force behind the accusations in his rape case, and now he's asking for more time to prepare a defense.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the "That '70s Show" star claims Remini -- who famously left the Church of Scientology -- has been influencing the prosecution and LAPD detectives to work against him ever since he called her out for "religious bigotry" in 2016.

Masterson claims Remini began urging 3 women -- all Jane Does -- to make reports to the LAPD accusing him of sexual assault. He says Jane Doe 1 had made baseless allegations against him 12 years prior, but Jane Does 2 and 3 -- women he claims to have been romantically involved with years ago -- didn't come out with their allegations until after his spat with Remini.

According to the docs ... Masterson says Remini guided the Jane Does as they spoke with prosecutors and even engaged in "correcting" their statements by piping in during the interviews.

He also accuses the prosecution of being "starstruck" by Remini due to her high-profile crusade against Scientology and her TV career, and claims she's chummy with LAPD detectives ... even using them as her personal security.

All in all ... Masterson's alleging there is an anti-Scientology bias against him in the investigation, so he's asking the court for more time to combat it, gather more info, and prepare his defense.

Hank Azaria feels awful about his years-long portrayal of Apu -- but there's still a way he can get right with the Indian community which he, and others, feel has been harmed by the character.

Shereen Bhalla -- a rep for the Hindu American Foundation -- tells TMZ ... Hank doesn't have to torment himself for his work on "The Simpsons," or at least he doesn't have to do it alone. Bhalla says she and the staff at HAF would love to have a sit-down with him.

She tells us coming to the table with them would help Hank do a lot of the learning he seems very open to at this point. Shereen says they can expose him to Indian people's lived experiences, and have a dialogue about his lingering guilt.

It's clear from Hank's comments on Dax Shephard's podcast that he does, indeed, have a lot of remorse about Apu ... even going so far as to say he feels the need apologize to every Indian person.

If Hank's concerned about "cancel culture" ... HAF does not want to see that happen to the veteran actor. We're told the group doesn't feel Hank needs to be excommunicated, and believes he's genuinely sorry and willing to educate himself ... which HAF would love to help him do.

As for how to proceed, there are a few options. For one, HAF is offering Hank a third-party facilitated dialogue with Indians across the nation, on or off the record ... his choice. Also, HAF has a podcast called "That's So Hindu" and would be more than happy to have him as a guest.

DMX's family's going to hold a prayer vigil at the New York hospital where he's still clinging to life.

The rapper's family announced the gathering will take place Monday at 5 PM ET outside of the White Plains Hospital, where on Sunday night ... staff members held a small vigil of their own.

As we reported ... DMX's fiancee and mother have both been allowed to visit him in the ICU, where he remains on life support following the heart attack he suffered during an overdose Friday night.

We're told some of his kids are also flying in to see him, and family members are holding out hope that he's going to pull through despite our sources saying he has limited brain function and it does not look good.

For now though, everyone close to DMX is simply asking for prayers.

A Canadian pastor quite literally exorcised the local police from his building after they apparently tried breaking up his church service over COVID rules ... and the video is wild.

Check out this clip that Artur Pawlowski posted Sunday, live from a church in Calgary ... where he seemed to be holding a service in observance of Passover, which ends the same day as Easter this year. His video picks up with him confronting several cops, along with what appears to be a municipal worker accompanying them ... and things get heated fast.

He calls them "Nazis" and part of the "Gestapo" repeatedly, telling them they're not welcome there and that if they wanna try shutting something down, to come back with a warrant.

The police and the worker appear to pushback at first, trying to explain the situation -- looks like someone might've called in to complain about the number of people inside -- but Pawlowski was having none of it ... screaming at them in a rage and giving 'em the boot.

Eventually, Calgary PD caved ... and they left the premises as Pawlowski followed them out, with his congregation in tow. He said he couldn't believe the cops would come and make a stink on the holiest of days for his religion, which appears to be some form of Christianity.

Now, some are praising Pawlowski for standing up to them ... calling him a "hero." However, others point out that if he was, indeed, breaking regulations by hosting too many people ... that's not cool. Calgary has a 15% in-person capacity limit right now for worship.

The show Justin Bieber put on for a group of SoCal inmates was less about song and dance, and more about sitting and listening ... as photos of his recent prison visit reveal.

TMZ's obtained pics showing the Biebs surrounded by a big group of prisoners in the yard at the California State Prison of L.A. County. Justin and his pastor took a field trip to the correctional facility last week, but this is our first look at what went down.

In one shot you see Justin listening intently while seated outside, and in another, he appears to be praying. We're told Bieber specifically visited inmates taking part in the prison's Urban Ministry Institute ... a seminary program run by Prison Fellowship.

And, get this, JB also visited the Paws for Life K9 Rescue program, which is the first dog rehab program in a men's maximum-security prison. Inmates actually train them to become service dogs to military vets. Pretty awesome.

As we first reported ... Justin's RV was seen pulling into the prison last week where he was spreading the good word.

Add Jon Jones to the list of athletes who have a major problem with the Lil Nas X "Satan" shoes ... with the UFC superstar calling them absolute "bulls**t."

The quick background ... Lil Nas X collaborated with a company called MSCHF to produce the Satan Shoe, AKA the "blood shoes."

The kicks are essentially customized Nike Air Max 97 shoes -- with each pair featuring the pentagram symbol, a Bible verse that references Satan, and allegedly a drop of blood from one of MSCHF's employees.

There are also only 666 pairs being made -- and came with a $1,018 price tag ... a number which happens to be a not to the Bible verse Luke 10:18, which references Satan's banishment from heaven.

Enter Jon Jones -- a religious man who famously sports a "Philippians 4:13" tattoo on his chest (a bible passage that says "I can do all this through him who gives me strength").

When Jones heard about the shoes Monday evening -- he incorrectly believed Nike was involved with the sale (which it is not) and threatened to set all of his Swoosh apparel on fire as a result.

"Tomorrow morning I’m going to burn all my Nike shoes, you will never catch me in that sh*t again," Jones tweeted.

Don't worry, one of his followers quickly informed the UFC legend Nike isn't involved -- and that the company has already taken legal action to stop the sale of the shoes.

"OK, now I’m seeing there is a lawsuit," Jones added a short time later ... "Glad to know Nike isn’t behind this bulls**t."