TMZ Live

Italians would riot in the streets if Rome's Colosseum staged a UFC fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg ... that's the prediction from a famed archaeologist over in Italy.

Darius Arya, a historian whose been on tons of TV programs about Ancient Rome, joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday from Italy's capital and we asked him about the Italian government contacting Zuckerberg about hosting his fight with Elon.

For Darius, the prospect of the billionaires doing battle at the same site as the ancient gladiators of old sounds super enticing ... telling us the Colosseum would come out on top of a list of potential venues, mainly because of its international fame as the ultimate arena of the ancient world.

Darius says there are inherent issues with staging a fight of this magnitude at the Colosseum, because it's a heritage site and tourist attraction ... and while he's confident it would never come to fruition, he's glad folks are talking about the venue and getting excited about history.

Logistics aside, Darius firmly believes Italians would take to the streets in protest if the nearly 2,000-year-old venue gets the green light to host the fight ... so that's another hurdle for Dana White.

There's been concerts and other events on the Colosseum grounds over the years, mostly outside the arena walls ... and we've been told Elon and Mark would love to fight there ... but it sounds like Las Vegas might be a more likely fight destination.

As we reported, the Ministry of Culture reached out to Mark Zuckerberg about the prospect of staging a Musk vs. Zuck fight at the Colosseum, and Zuck passed it on to UFC's Dana White, whose people were in touch with the Ministry. A Zoom call was set for next week.

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson's is livid six justices have upended affirmative action in this country, saying Black people are getting screwed all over again.

The Vanderbilt University professor joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and ... excoriated Chief Justice John Robert's and the 5 justices who joined him, ruling affirmative action violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.

Dr. Dyson argues Black people have always been denied opportunities in America, specifically because of their race, so there's no way to right that wrong without taking race into consideration.

The impact of the SCOTUS decision is seismic ... private and public universities can no longer consider race as a factor in admissions. Many supporters of affirmative action fear white and Asian students will now be significantly favored in higher education, at the expense of other minority groups. The decision will clearly have repercussions in the workplace.

Tom Hanks had a relative go on national TV and melt down in dramatic fashion -- but the woman herself has no shame to her game ... and she says her uncle doesn't either.

We talked to Carly Reeves -- Tom and Rita Wilson's niece -- on "TMZ Live" Wednesday ... this after her freak out for the ages was caught on camera and aired Monday on a new ABC show called "Claim to Fame," which is all about finding who's related to a celeb.

Unfortunately for her, Carly was found out in episode one ... and when she got the boot, she didn't take it particularly well -- with her exit playing out in a full-blown temper tantrum.

You gotta see it for yourself ... she's cursing, hurling insults at fellow contestants and blasting showrunners for what she believes was a raw deal in exposing her connection to TH.

In the aftermath of this explosion of rage, Carly caught a lot of flak online -- with many people calling her entitled, overly dramatic and a bit of a drama queen/crybaby ... and some felt it, perhaps, even reflected poorly on Tom and Rita -- who are the real stars here.

Welp, we asked Carly about all of that ... and her response was essentially -- I am what I am, and this was what it was. As she explains to us, her emotions here were raw and authentic ... and she wasn't hamming it up for the cameras.

Carly does regret the way things played out in hindsight, but all things considered ... she says she's not ashamed -- because this is simply who she is sometimes ... something she says her famous uncle and aunt were well aware of when they cosigned her appearance.

As for how Forrest Gump reacted ... sounds like it ain't no thing for Tommy boy. She says this isn't gonna hurt his image -- and that's probably accurate. He's proven to keep it pretty real himself in recent years ... including his rare flash of anger at fans bombarding his wife.

Jason Derulo wants everyone to follow their dreams and not be bogged down by following the silly rules drummed into their heads by their parents!!!

The "Swalla" singer checked in with "TMZ Live" as his new book “Sing Your Name Out Loud: 15 Rules for Living Your Dream" is flying hot off the presses.

Jason thinks the key to success is not to be afraid of failure. He says failed at the majority of the risks he's taken ... but still, the failures don't define him -- the successes do.

Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are his inspirations — for the sheer volume of shots they missed to achieve greatness.

Jason says he's living proof being fearless in life works, and his book is the blueprint.

Maury Povich is taking his schtick to the next level ... launching a DNA paternity test company, offering at-home testing services for families in search of answers.

The TV host, famous for announcing the results of paternity tests on his show with his catchphrase "You are NOT the father" is now selling a DNA paternity test that can be done anywhere.

Maury is offering the at-home tests through his new company, which he's cleverly calling, "The Results are In."

The testing kits include materials and instructions for how to take a DNA sample, and then the samples are sent to a lab at DNA Diagnostics Center ... without the need for medical professionals or TV producers and their pesky cameras.

Maury's company promises results become available in 2-3 business days, with a 99.99% accuracy rate ... and they say it's all confidential.

In a statement, Maury tells TMZ ... "I've seen firsthand how DNA testing can change lives and bring families together. With 'The Results Are In,' we're making it easier and more affordable than ever before for people to get the answers they need."

Let the at-home drama commence.

Killer Mike believes any new gun control laws in America will hurt Black people before any other group -- but the rapper's telling us a few other ways he thinks the spike in gun violence can be flattened.

Mike joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to discuss potential curfews for minors in Atlanta -- something he's all for as a measure to mitigate violence ... and, he says he had curfew when he was growing up in the area.

However, he remains firmly against the passage of new legislation as a means to reduce gun-related crime. Mike says he's a Second Amendment guy, first and foremost, but adds he has another problem with tighter gun laws.

He explains why he believes those laws would impact Black Americans "worst and first."

Mike tells us he'd rather see Black families armed, and better educated on the safer use and storage of weapons.

As you know, there have already been more than 300 mass shootings in the U.S. this year ... putting the nation on track for the deadliest year ever.

Mike thinks another solution is more funding for community facilities -- such as YMCAs -- to give kids safe havens to avoid trouble.

The U.S. Navy is getting ahead of the game in the search for the Titanic sub that's gone missing ... sending a deep ocean lifting system in the hopes the vessel is found and can be retrieved.

According to a Navy spokesperson, the maritime force is deploying the Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System -- along with experts in the field -- to hopefully find OceanGate Expeditions' lost Titan vessel and strategize how to bring it to the surface.

The Navy's machinery is a lift system that's designed to provide "reliable deep ocean lifting capacity for the recovery of large, bulky, and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels."

The Navy adds the experts and system should arrive in the area as soon as Tuesday night.

As you know, the Titan lost communication with the support crew a couple of hours into its expedition over the weekend ... with the Coast Guard launching a search and rescue for the vessel and the 5 passengers onboard.

A comedian's relatively mild joke about the missing Malaysia Airlines flight has landed her in hot water -- so much so, in fact, she's now worried about being apprehended internationally.

Jocelyn Chia, who has both Singaporean and American citizenship, is in the crosshairs of the Malaysian government right now ... this following a joke she cracked at a comedy club in NYC way back in April, referencing the doomed 2014 flight that was never found.

Her quip about it was honestly not even all that scathing or insensitive -- at least to Americans, but the Malaysian government apparently feels very differently ... to the point where it's now calling for her arrest and extradition to face potential criminal charges.

As insane as that sounds, it's true -- Malaysian officials have asked Interpol to help track down and haul in Chia so she can answer for what they call violations of online content laws they have ... which, for whatever reason, they believe can be applied to her -- even though she's not a Malaysian citizen. On its face, it would seem they don't have jurisdiction.

We got into some of that strange rationale with Chia Monday on "TMZ Live," and she told us she's genuinely concerned about law enforcement snatching her overseas and dragging her to Malaysia.

While Chia normally just worries about her material being funny, she now says she has another thing to consider while performing comedy -- especially internationally -- and that would be ... potential capture. Indeed, it's the stuff of nightmares and movies.

Marlon Wayans is letting off more steam after his beef with a United Airlines gate agent ... saying the company needs to do better in addressing future issues with passengers.

The actor/comedian joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday -- outside a Delta terminal -- and shared the details of his recent airline incident when he got kicked off his flight and hit with a citation.

Marlon tells the whole thing wasn't his fault ... saying the agent had an attitude with him from the jump, and it only escalated. Wayans said he had 3 bags, and was asked to consolidate them to two, once he did that, Marlon tells us the gate agent then told him he needed to check a bag ... which caused him to get upset.

Marlon says United did reach out to him -- behind the scenes -- but it was only to stand behind their policy ... which he says was insult to injury.

TMZ broke the story ... MW got into it with a gate agent for UA Friday, as he was trying to fly out of Denver. A spokesperson for Denver PD told us, they gave him a citation for disturbing the peace after hearing both sides.

Former President Donald Trump's indictments won't push him off the campaign trail ... he could use the legal drama to catapult himself back to the presidency, even if he's convicted.

Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," to break down the 37-count federal indictment -- it's the first ever against a former President, but she says if he plays it right, it won't block his path to a 2024 victory.

What's most shocking, perhaps, is Levinson says even if Trump loses in court -- he's also facing a NY state indictment -- there's nothing in the Constitution barring him from serving his term in a prison cell.

With all that in mind, Jessica thinks it should come down to a simple question -- do folks want to back a candidate who could be doing time while running the country?

She also clues us in on a potential tactic Trump's opponents could use to get some of his supporters.

As we reported, Trump was indicted once again Friday for allegedly taking boxes upon boxes of classified documents when he left the White House, and stashed them at Mar-a-Lago -- some of them were stored in a bathroom.

He's accused of breaking 7 different laws, including a whopping 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information.

The white woman who shot and killed her Black neighbor -- a mother of 4 -- is getting off easy when it comes to charges ... so says attorney Ben Crump and the victim's mother, who both say race is very much a factor.

Crump and Pamela Dias joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," to reveal everything that led up to Friday's tragedy. Police say 58-year-old Susan Louise Lorincz opened fire through her front door, killing 35-year-old Ajike Owens, who was knocking on the door to defend her kids.

Lorincz was arrested Tuesday night, and charged with 2 counts of assault, battery, culpable negligence, and manslaughter. That last charge is offensive to Pamela, as she firmly believes her daughter was murdered.

Crump pointed out prosecutors still have the discretion to upgrade the charges against Lorincz, and he says that's warranted in this case.

Pamela and Ben claim Lorincz has been tormenting neighborhood kids -- including Ajike's -- for years about an open field where they play. They say her anger was completely unwarranted as Lorincz didn't own the land, which is adjacent to her apartment.

Perhaps most tragically, Pamela says 2 of her grandkids witnessed their mother get shot.

And, Crump says he has no doubt racism is a critical factor in this case -- he claims Lorincz has hurled epithets and insults at kids on previous occasions.

Apple's newest fancy gadget -- an AR headset -- could be a massive hit, but considering recent tech history, it might be a huge flop ... so says one plugged in journo.

We're talking about Apple Vision Pro -- which Tim Cook and co. unveiled Monday as their latest "game-changer" ... and, yes, it took the internet/Twitter by storm. It's an augmented reality device that you slip over your face (much like traditional VR headsets).

The difference here ... the real world is only slightly digitized -- with iPhone screens/apps popping up in front of your eyes, almost making them seem like they're integrated into your actual reality.

The footage and photos they showed off at the big Apple showcase from their Bay Area HQ definitely made it look cool, but the question is ... will anyone actually buy into this???

Welp, according to tech reporter Ian Sherr ... the odds might be in Apple's favor for this one. He came on "TMZ Live" to break down the new toy -- and he says while it certainly has the potential to flop, similar to Meta's Oculus headset, he thinks it might actually catch on.

Ian says the fact Vision Pro offers a decent blend of reality with augmented reality, along with the functionality and addictive entertainment we get in smartphones ... might be enough to set it apart from previous headset failures.

In other words, this one gives you more to do than just play games ... which has, by and large, been what other VR headsets have been able to produce thus far. Here, Ian says Apple might've struck the right balance to give people a truly unique experience.

Plus, he notes Apple has gambled big in the past and won people over, despite initial doubters ... like there are now.

As for the price tag, it wasn't announced when we were talking to Sherr -- but it's since been revealed ... a whopping $3,500, which is A LOT.

Time will tell if folks wanna shell out that much just to close themselves off from the outside world. Another option, they could just go and buy an old Google Glass for much cheaper ... which, as many online have rightly noted, is essentially the same as this ... circa 2013.

Former "American Idol" winner Samantha "Just Sam" Diaz says their unglamorous return to singing in New York City subways for money isn't the final chapter -- instead, the bounce back is underway.

Just Sam joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" and told us why winning a show like 'Idol' isn't always all it's cracked up to be ... especially under some very unique and onerus circumstances.

While lots of folks, Sam included, look at 'Idol' as a potential golden ticket to fame and fortune ... the non-binary singer says the reality is quite different.

Sam says a perfect storm resulted in their returning to their subway roots to make cash. They won 'AI' at the beginning of COVID, and the pandemic made it virtually impossible to get into the studio and record. Plus, glossing over contracts and blindly signing didn't help either.

Despite initially feeling embarrassed by reverting back to subway busking to eat and pay bills ... Sam says last month's headlines actually helped, because tons of big name artists are reaching out and showing love.

Now, Sam says they have a few collabs in the works, and they aren't afraid to go a different route to make it in the music biz.

The scheduled headliner for a drag show on a U.S. Air Force base is ripping President Biden's administration for scrapping this year's event, saying it doesn't line up with the White House's supposed support for the LGBTQ+ community.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" star Coco Montrese joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" to give us her reaction to the Pentagon's decision to nix tonight's scheduled drag show at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

There had been 2 previous drag shows on the base, and in fact, Coco performed at the first one in 2021.

Coco says all the drag queens performed to a packed house, and they were generally well received -- which is why she's disappointed military brass switched course, and scrapped Thursday's show at the last minute.

She told us the decision is at odds with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's public statements of support for the military's LGBTQ+ members and Pride Month. Coco suggests the Prez can make amends ... by hosting a drag show right there at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

It's interesting ... the Pentagon says the Department of Defense will not host drag events at bases because "these types of events in federally funded facilities is not a suitable use of DOD resources."

However, Coco says the scrapped show at Nellis was privately funded, so that would have been a moot point.

Congressman Adam Schiff tries his hand at live stand-up comedy once a year ... but he sees nothing funny about how CNN set up Donald Trump's town hall for a national audience.

The distinguished gentleman from Burbank, CA joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and we asked him about his upcoming comedy set at The Improv in L.A.

Schiff, who's running for U.S. Senate, is hosting a fundraiser next month at the famous West Hollywood venue -- and while he'll mostly be introducing professional comics, he says he likes to mix in a few jokes of his own.

As Adam explains, he's performed full stand-up acts at his annual fundraiser in the past -- usually writing his own jokes during the cross-country flight -- and he let us in on some of his favorite material.

All jokes aside, Adam's not only eyeing the Senate seat currently occupied by Sen. Dianne Feinstein ... he's also paying attention to Trump's presidential campaign.

Rep. Schiff ripped CNN for this month's town hall with the former President -- although, he doesn't take issue with CNN holding the event, he strongly objects to one thing about the spectacle ... comparing it to a reality TV show.

The security guard who went viral for being an undercover Swiftie says it was a simple process to get the job working Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, but he admits things didn't go as he originally planned.

Davis Perrigo, whose day job is accounting, joined us Monday on "TMZ Live," and explained he just had to fill out a form in order to work "security" at Nashville's Nissan Stadium for Taylor's concert -- and even did a test run by working a Luke Combs' concert at the same venue the week before.

ow-pressureOnce Davis was in the stadium he figured out how to get himself as close to the singer as possible ... and ended up doing a very basic, l security detail while havin' the time of his life.

ICYMI, clips of Davis have blown up online, showing him singing to his heart's content as Taylor's performing over his shoulder.

Many fans expressed love for him after seeing him go all out -- in true Swiftee fashion -- but Davis also gives us the deets about a "real" security guard who had to tell him to tone it down.

And BTW, Davis had a completely different plan for sneaking in before he found the spot up front. Originally, he was gonna ditch his uniform altogether and have fun in the audience.