TikTok

Natalie Portman is seeing declining popularity of film with young people ... and it seems like she's got mixed feelings about it -- pointing out the double-edged sword of its downfall.

The actress sat down with Vanity Fair earlier this week for an interview, and she opened up about the increased influence of social media stars on kids when compared to traditional movie stars, like herself.

Portman says film feels "much more niche" these days -- and notes if you ask someone in her kids' generation -- she's got a 12-year-old and a 7-year-old -- they tend to know way more YouTubers and viral people as opposed to actors.

Now, Natalie's not saying this is necessarily a bad thing ... she points out the freedom in making movies in an era when commerce isn't the chief concern, while also walking the fine line of not making projects that are too elitist -- saying ya gotta keep the audience in mind.

Plus, Natalie says it's cool kids in more remote small towns now have access to great art anywhere, which has led to traditional gatekeepers being demoted -- making H'wood more inclusive.

This liberation Natalie's referring to in the entertainment industry isn't sitting well with everyone however ... remember, Billie Eilish got caught talking some smack about influencers being invited to the People's Choice Awards this past weekend.

ICYMI ... Eilish was talking to Kylie Minogue and -- despite trying to whisper -- she could clearly be heard complaining about the number of TikTokers at the event. She seemed none too happy at their involvement.

On this episode of The TMZ podcast ...

The controversial college student who was tracking Taylor Swift's private jet posted a lengthy letter to social media that his lawyers sent to her, claiming he's done "nothing unlawful."

Travis Kelce is reportedly eager to get involved in more avenues of entertainment, as the NFL star met with some top-level Hollywood executives about some potential projects in the reality scene.

Bryce Hall is clapping back at Billie Eilish after she was heard shading the TikTokers in attendance at the People's Choice Awards.

Plus, actor Frankie Muniz wrecked out in his first Daytona 500 race Monday night.

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Bryce Hall is clapping back at Billie Eilish after she was heard wondering why a bunch of TikTok stars were at the People's Choice Awards ... sarcastically apologizing for her disgust.

The internet superstar responded to Billie on, where else, TikTok ... jokingly saying he was sorry for not acknowledging her greatness or bowing down to her at the award show they both attended.

As we reported ... Billie was filmed chatting with fellow singer Kylie Minogue at Sunday's People's Choice Awards when cameras caught her pointing out that there was a bunch of TikTokers in the house.

Billie was clearly not a fan of the TikTok contingent ... which included Bryce, Tana Mongeau, Chris Olsen, Gigi Gorgeous, Alix Earle and James Charles ... among others.

Bryce says he and the rest of his TikTok pals were invited ... so Billie should direct her anger at the folks running the PCAs instead of the TikTok generation.

The response is dripping with sarcasm ... he also wipes away a fake tear and bows to Billie.

What's more, Bryce says he was a huge Billie supporter ... but now the incident has him rethinking his fandom, and he says he's not going to be posting TikToks with her music anymore.

Billie Eilish parecía decir la verdad en los People's Choice Awards este fin de semana, preguntándose abiertamente por qué un montón de "estrellas" de redes sociales se estaban mezclando entre las verdaderas estrellas.

La cantante fue filmada charlando con Kylie Minogue tras bambalinas en la entrega de premios en Los Ángeles el domingo, y se le pudo escuchar señalando que había una tonelada de TikTokers en el edificio... algo que parecía no gustarle demasiado.

Billie estaba sentada junto a Kylie cuando hizo la observación, y una vez que se dio cuenta de que estaba siendo filmada, trató de ocultar cómo se sentía al respecto, sin éxito.

Se pudo escuchar a Billie señalando que había algunos TikTokers "por allí"... luego hace una mueca, sacude la cabeza y dice algo así como "no lo necesito". Ahora, en terminos de a quién se podría estar refiriendo Billie, solo hay un puñado de sospechosos.

Realmente no había una gran cantidad de personalidades de TikTok en el show, más bien parecía haber más gente de Hollywood (actores y músicos convencionales) que la gente viral.Tana Mongeau, Chris Olsen, Gigi Gorgeous, Alix Earle y James Charles fueron parte de las celebridades de redes sociales que se presentaron.

Eso es lo que hace que sus comentarios sean tan llamativos. Un pequeño puñado de TikTokers fue suficiente para molestar a Billie.

Billie Eilish seemed to speak some truth at the People's Choice Awards this weekend -- namely, openly wondering why a bunch of social media "stars" were among real A-listers.

The singer was filmed chatting with Kylie Minogue behind the scenes at the award show in L.A. Sunday -- and she could be heard pointing out that there was a crap-ton of TikTokers in the building ... something she didn't look to be a huge fan of.

Watch ... BE was sitting next to KM when she made the observation -- and once she realized she was being filmed, she tried to cover up how she felt about it, unsuccessfully.

Billie could be heard noting there were some TikTok heads "over there" ... she then grimaces, shakes her head and says something to the effect of "I don't need it." Now, in terms of who exactly Billie might've been referring to, there's only a handful of suspects.

There really weren't a lot of TikTok/social media personalities on hand at the show -- and they did seem to be more filled with actual Hollywood types (mainstream actors/musicians) than viral people. But, among those who have a huge following ... Tana Mongeau, Chris Olsen, Gigi Gorgeous, Alix Earle, James Charles and maybe a couple more here and there.

That's what makes her remarks so funny ... even with the small handful of TikTokers, it was still enough to rub Billie the wrong way -- and we gotta admit, she ain't really wrong here!

Oneya Johnson -- better known as the influencer behind the "Angry Reactions" social media account -- has been arrested for an alleged domestic violence incident ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the 25-year-old viral star -- famous for his "angry reactions" -- was arrested on the evening of Monday, February 12 in Burbank, California after a woman called from a hotel to report an altercation.

Cops say Johnson and the woman got into a verbal argument that turned physical at one point. It's unclear exactly what may have happened between them -- but it was enough to land him in jail.

We're told the woman did not need medical attention, but Oneya was still booked on a felony domestic violence charge. He posted $50,000 bail and was released.

Oneya's risen to fame on social media in the past few years because of clips where he reacts angrily to other videos.

For example, Johnson will film himself watching people cook or perform other weird trends on social media -- for instance, in one clip a man eats a whole corn cob -- and he'll launch into intense rants or simply stare ahead with an angry expression.

It's all in good fun -- in these videos anyway -- and he's incredibly popular ... with Johnson having amassed more than 27 million followers on TikTok since first posting back in 2020.

Teresa Smith -- AKA, Queenzzielocthevoice, on TikTok -- has died after a tough battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

Teresa's daughter Yolundria Rooks, tells us the viral star -- famous covering Billie Eilish's 'What Was I Made For?' -- that her mom passed away at home Wednesday in Stockton, CA ... where we're told she was surrounded by family and loved ones.

We're told Teresa had been dealing with ovarian cancer of late, and it had recently spread to her lungs. Yolundria says her mother didn't tell her family she had cancer till November 2023 when she was sick in the hospital ... adding she had been in considerable pain since.

She adds ... the coroner came to the home to get her mother's body ... and her family now wants to have Teresa's remains flown back to Macon, GA, to be buried next to her son Josiah -- which Yolundria is now raising money to cover the costs for on GoFundMe.

Yolundria writes, "It is with a heavy heart to announce that my mother The Icon, The Diva, Miss Teresa Smith also known as 'Queenzzielocthevoice' has suddenly passed away."

She adds ... "As the eldest child I will now be taking on full responsibility of all my younger siblings so anything that is donated beyond the funeral cost and expenses will be invested in them, their needs, and their future," she continued. "As I have to prepare and get ready to send my Queen home, I just want to thank all those who loved my mom!"

Teresa enjoyed TikTok success after going viral for her cover of Billie's 'Barbie' song. She was also known for her catchphrase, "Be who you are for pride," and her bright-colored hair.

She was 48.

RIP

Taylor Swift no solo se fue de fiesta con Travis Kelce y compañía después del Super Bowl, también llevó a sus padres, algo que captó en video y está compartiendo en las redes.

La estrella del pop compartió algunas imágenes el lunes por la noche de lo que fue la fiesta tras la gran victoria de los Chiefs en Las Vegas, cuando Tay Tay y el equipo completo se tomaron la ciudad y la tiñeron de rojo con las after-parties.

Resulta que Taylor llevó a su mamá y a su papá Scott y Andrea al menos a una parte de las celebraciones, algo que ella puso en exhibición en un impresionante video de TikTok.

Es una publicación extraña de T-Swift (hablaremos sobre esto más adelante), en donde aparece sentada en una sección privada de lo que parece ser Zouk en Resorts World detrás de la cabina del DJ, mientras se desplaza a su izquierda y graba a sus padres sentados en el sofá junto a ella, tomando sorbos de las bebidas y pasándolo bien.

También grabó a Travis que se cruzó justo por delante e hizo una cara bobalicona.

Taylor escribió: "Dijeron que era una fiesta de familiares y amigos". Añadió: "ir de fiesta accidentalmente con tus padres es algo que todos deberían probar al menos una vez en su vida". Hasta ahora, su video tiene más de 18 millones de visitas, con un montón de likes.

Esto es interesante por un par de razones. Para empezar, parece ser la primera vez que Taylor publica algo de Travis en sus redes sociales oficiales, por lo que está reclamándolo 100% como su novio.

Más importante aún, este es un cambio importante para Taylor, ya que normalmente no publica mucho de su vida privada. Hasta ahora, casi nunca comparte algo como esto.

Taylor Swift not only hit the club with Travis Kelce and co. after the Super Bowl -- but she was there with her parents too ... something she caught on camera and posted online.

The pop star threw up some behind-the-scenes footage Monday night showing off what she had gotten up to the night prior, this after the Chiefs' big win in Vegas ... after which Tay Tay and the team hit the town and painted the town red at after-parties.

As it turns out ... Taylor brought along her mom and dad -- Scott and Andrea -- for at least part of the festivities, something she put on display in an awesome TikTok video.

It's a rare upload for T-Swift (more on this later) and it shows her sitting in a private section of what looks to be Zouk at Resorts World behind the DJ booth ... as she pans to her left and records her parents sitting on the couch next to her, sippin' drinks and taking it all in.

She also recorded Travis who crossed right in front of her ... and he made a goofy face.

Taylor wrote ... "It's a friends and family party they said." She captioned her TikTok further by adding ... "accidentally going clubbing with your parents is something everyone should try at least once in their life." So far, her video has over 18 million views, with lots of likes.

It's interesting for a couple reasons -- for starters, this appears to be the first time Taylor has posted Travis on her official social accounts, so she's 100% claiming him now as the BF.

More importantly, though, this is a major change for Taylor ... as she normally doesn't give much of a peek into her private life. Until now, she'd hardly ever shared something like this.

Just goes to show ... she seems to be a whole new person with Mr. Kelce by her side.

Bobbi Althoff estaba completamente absorta en su conversación mientras caminaba por Los Ángeles, apenas un día después de que se supiera sobre la separación de su marido Cory.

La famosa TikToker se veía muy casual en un suéter rosa y pantalones negros de Nike mientras disfrutaba de una hermosa mañana de Los Ángeles. Incluso la vimos con una pequeña sonrisa mientras charlaba con alguien por teléfono.

No ha sido la semana más fácil para Bobbi, con la noticia de su divorcio ayer. Sin embargo, parece que ella está poniendo su mejor cara para el resto del mundo.

Como informamos, Bobbi está a punto de convertirse en una mujer soltera después de que su marido de cuatro años, Cory, solicitara el divorcio citando "diferencias irreconciliables."

La noticia sobre su matrimonio no parece ser exactamente un shock para Bobbi. Cory aludió como fecha de separación entre ellos el 4 de julio de 2023, y ella escribió sobre su ruptura en un elocuente post de Instagram ayer mismo.

Ella señaló que está pasando por un momento muy difícil, por lo que es agradable verla con una sonrisa en el rostro, incluso si solo es momentánea.

Por cierto, Cory está pidiendo la custodia física y legal conjunta de sus dos hijas, Isla, de 1 año, y Luca, de 3 años, aunque también marcó la casilla para bloquear la capacidad del tribunal de conceder la manutención del cónyuge a cualquiera de las partes.

Por supuesto, Bobbi ha dominado TikTok en el último año con su humor de estilo inexpresivo y entrevistas con grandes celebridades. Cory, en tanto, tampoco se queda atrás profesionalmente, con una posición ejecutiva en una importante empresa de tecnología.

Bobbi Althoff appeared deep in conversation while walking around L.A. ... engrossed in a phone call less than a day after news of her split from her husband Cory broke.

The famed TikToker looked casual in a pink sweater and black Nike sweats while enjoying a beautiful Los Angeles morning ... and even cracking a small smile while chatting up someone on the phone.

It hasn't been the easiest week for Bobbi -- with news of her divorce breaking yesterday -- but it seems she's putting her bravest face on for the rest of the world.

As we previously reported ... Bobbi's about to become a single woman after her husband of four years Cory filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences."

Their marriage ending doesn't exactly seem like a shock to BA ... since Cory listed the date of separation as July 4, 2023 -- and she wrote about her marriage's end in an eloquent caption she posted to IG yesterday.

She noted she's going through quite a difficult time in the post ... so it's nice to see Bobbi with a smile on her face, even if it's only in the moment here.

BTW ... Cory's asking for joint physical and legal custody of their two daughters, 1-year-old Isla and 3-year-old Luca while also checking the box to block the court's ability to award spousal support to either party.

Of course, Bobbi's dominated TikTok over the past year with her deadpan-style humor and interviews with major celebs ... and Cory's no slouch professionally as well with an executive position for a major tech company.

Universal Music Group wiping their songs from TikTok is going to hurt the label's smaller artists the most ... so says a musician who saw the app elevate his own artistic brand.

Mareux had his 2015 cover of The Cure's "The Perfect Girl" go viral in 2021 and it vaulted him to a Coachella performance ... an astronomical leap he feels will go away amid the UMG/TikTok dispute.

Mareux tells TMZ ... UMG saying they're pulling songs from TikTok to help artists financially is shady ... he says if UMG really cared about their artists they would beef up their contracts, not destroy their limitless opportunities on TikTok.

The way Mareux sees it ... artists getting their music integrated into TikTok posts is a great marketing tool. He says the exposure generated on TikTok can literally change an artist's career, like it did for him.

Mareux says UMG is just being plain greedy here ... and he feels bad for the lesser-known artists who were relying on TikTok to market their music ... telling us they've got to be feeling super stressed.

UMG has a huge roster ... Taylor Swift, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny, Ice Spice, Rosalía ... and Mareux explains how the established acts are going to be impacted too.

Mareux's a great example of what TikTok can do for a relatively unknown musician ... his 'Perfect Girl' cover was kinda floating in the abyss for 6 years until it went viral on TikTok ... and he says he wouldn't have a career now without the app.

It's happening ... huge hitmakers are being wiped from TikTok after the app failed to reach a deal with UMG -- something Rickey Thompson calls a game-changer, and a bummer.

We chatted with the social media star Wednesday in Bev Hills, and he told us the unfortunate development creates a massive dent in TikTok content ... 'cause the platform's best known for turning average folks into overnight stars with viral clips of them dancing to music from Taylor Swift, Drake and more.

As one of the most popular apps in the world, Ricky also acknowledges TikTok's a place many users go to discover their fave artist's new music -- so losing that is disappointing for fans and musicians alike.

The most positive spin on this upheaval is newer artists won't have to compete with established superstars to get their music out there -- but Rickey isn't entirely convinced that'll be the case.

On a positive note, he tells us the decision won't completely ruin the app ... it'll just limit what videos people can create without using music. So, for those who enjoy a little boogie on TikTok, he advises them to just do it on their own time.

For a quick rundown: Universal Music Group is yanking its artists' music off the platform after a tense standoff ... saying TT needed to pay more cash to license the tunes.

For its part, TikTok's accusing UMG of spinning a "false narrative" and says it has healthy 'artist-first' agreements with every other label and publisher.

Matters were clearly never resolved -- but Rickey says the whole thing doesn't actually affect him ... cause he's just there to make people laugh. No music needed!

Target está en la mira por vender en sus tiendas material sobre el Mes de la Historia Negra con información incorrecta, es decir, etiquetando erróneamente a los negros americanos históricos.

La inoportuna metedura de pata fue señalada por la TikToker @Issatete, que publicó un video ahora viral de lo que ella dice que encontró en un Target cerca de su casa. En el clip, muestra un libro de actividades de aprendizaje estilo imán llamado "Derechos Civiles".

Se trata de un minorista de productos para niños llamado Bendon, pero este usuario está enojado con Target por la venta de estos libros, los cuales argumenta que tienen nombres de figuras prominentes afroamericanas que no coinciden con sus fotos.

Échale un vistazo... verás de lo que está hablando. Hay por lo menos tres ejemplos de nombres completamente mal etiquetados, e Issa está enojada, llamándolo algo más que un descuido.

El usuario, que al parecer enseña historia de EE.UU., dio un resumen de los errores que notó de inmediato - por ejemplo, la imagen de Carter G. Woodson en este imán-libro es en realidad la activista de los derechos civiles W.E.B. Du Bois.

En otras partes del libro, la imagen etiquetada con el nombre de Du Bois es en realidad el educador y autor Booker T. Washington, mientras que el chasquido de Booker es en realidad Woodson. Menudo lío.

Issa dice que hay que tomar medidas de inmediato, escribiendo en el pie de foto que los errores ocurren, pero solo se necesita una persona para señalarlo y pedir correcciones. Ahora que ella tiene, ella está llamando a Target para eliminar este producto de su inventario.

La indignación continúa en los comentarios de Issa, ya que muchas personas se preguntan por qué nadie se molestó en corregir el libro al menos una vez.

El editor aún no ha respondido a la publicación viral, y aunque algunos van tan lejos como para afirmar que los errores fueron deliberados, tenemos que decir que parece poco probable, porque un error de etiquetado intencional como este es demasiado indignante para comprender.

No es el mejor momento para algo así, estamos en víspera del Mes de la Historia Negra. Difícil comienzo para Target y el editor del libro, sin duda.

8:18 PM PT -- A rep for Target tells TMZ ... "We will no longer be selling this product in stores or online. We’ve also ensured the product's publisher is aware of the errors."

Target's under fire for selling Black History Month material in their stores with factually incorrect info -- namely, grossly mislabeling historic Black Americans.

The ill-timed snafu was pointed out by TikToker @Issatete -- who posted a now-viral video of what she says she found in a Target near her. In the clip, she shows off a magnet-style learning activity book called "Civil Rights."

It comes from a children's product retailer called Bendon -- but this user is mad at Target for hawking these books, which she says have names of prominent Black figures mismatched to their photos.

Take a look ... you'll see what she's talking about. There are at least 3 examples of completely mislabeled names, and Issa is pissed, calling it more than just an oversight.

The user, who apparently teaches U.S. history, gave a rundown of the mistakes she immediately noticed -- for instance, the picture of Carter G. Woodson in this magnet-book is actually Pan-Africanist civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois.

Elsewhere in the book, the picture labeled with Du Bois' name is actually educator and author Booker T. Washington -- while Booker's snap is actually Woodson. Talk about a mess!

Issa says action needs to be taken immediately ... writing in the caption that mistakes happen, but it only takes one person to point it out and ask for corrections. Now that she has, she's calling on Target to remove this product from its inventory.

The outrage continues in Issa's comments as many people are asking why no one bothered to proofread the book at least once.

The publisher's yet to respond to the viral post, and although some are going so far as to claim the errors were deliberate ... we gotta say that seems unlikely, because an intentional mislabeling like this is too outrageous to comprehend.

Whatever happened, the timing couldn't be worse ... on this eve of Black History Month. Rough start for Target and the book's publisher, for sure.

We've reached out to Target and Bendon for comment ... so far, no word back.

TikTok y Universal Music Group (UMG) están en las últimas horas de un enfrentamiento épico, que implicará que toda la música del sello será eliminada de la aplicación más grande del mundo, y ninguna de las partes está cediendo.

UMG emitió un largo comunicado el martes defendiendo su postura en el contrato, el que está a punto de expirar esta medianoche, en donde acusa a TikTok de relajarse y hacerse "asquerosamente" rico sin pagar lo que consideran "justo".

Es por eso que están tomando la posición de sacar la música de sus artistas de la plataforma, pues sienten que TikTok debe pagar más para licenciar sus canciones.

Universal también argumentó que han aplicado todas las contramedidas que hay para asegurar que sus artistas estén protegidos de suplantación de identidad por IA y ciberseguridad, algo que TikTok no ha hecho por la industria de la música ni por sus fans.

El sello Big 3 tiene una enorme lista de artistas, incluyendo Taylor Swift, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny, Ice Spice, Rosalía y docenas de otros nombres que pronto se verán afectados, pero UMG dice que tienen una mayor responsabilidad que atender.

TikTok contraatacó señalando que el problema es la clásica codicia de las corporaciones y acusaron a Universal de fomentar una "narrativa falsa". Además, señalaron que tienen acuerdos saludables con los artistas con cada sello y editor.

UMG ha estado revisando sus cuentas de cerca. A principios de enero, Variety informó de que el sello se estaba preparando para despedir a cientos de empleados, principalmente en la división de música grabada. Así que, a primera vista, parece que se están apretando el cinturón en todos los frentes.

Russ, el rapero, ha estado hablando sobre la política de la industria desde que se hizo totalmente independiente hace un par de años y también está haciendo sus críticas diciendo que ambas partes tienen demasiado en juego para dejar caer la pelota a medianoche. Él piensa que la cruzada de Universal para proteger a los artistas es simplemente el lenguaje que están usando para apaciguar sus propios asuntos.