TMZ Live

Convicted killer Kenneth Eugene Smith violently convulsed during his nitrogen gas execution for 4 painfully long minutes, and the founder of a leading euthanasia group says he knew it wouldn't go smoothly when he previewed the prison set-up.

Dr. Philip Nitschke, founder of pro-euthanasia group "Exit International", spoke to "TMZ Live" Friday about the first-ever nitrogen gas execution ... saying he was concerned to see a gas mask set-up for Smith's Thursday night execution at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama.

He tells us he's long helped people wanting to end their lives with nitrogen in a quick, peaceful, and reliable way -- but ditched face masks 15 years earlier, because he found them to be unreliable and dangerous.

In layman's terms ... he says if the mask loses its seal on someone's face it alters the amount of air flowing in and slows the process, potentially leading to muscle convulsions.

Also, he tells us there was the obvious factor of Smith fighting his own death, which made his execution particularly excruciating.

Nitschke says when people choose to die on their own terms via nitrogen gas, they're encouraged to take long, deep breaths to make it quick -- but Smith, who he met in the prison during his visit -- made it clear he didn't want to die, took short shallow breaths, which added to his suffering.

Nitschke says he warned prison officials they were going about his execution the wrong way, but, clearly, that fell on deaf ears.

Smith became the first-ever inmate to be put to death utilizing nitrogen hypoxia ... basically, suffocating him.

We're just past the mid-way point in the week, and we are rolling at TMZ when it comes to our television shows ... 'cause now, we're talking biting fetishes, and Hillary Clinton!!!

Let's begin with Armie Hammer -- who's bedroom fetishes and kinks got put on blast by a former flame who says they hooked up last year ... during which, he supposedly explained the whole "cannibalism" thing that consumed his rep for much of 2021 and beyond.

Check out the segment to see what she had to say about it ... and what he's (allegedly) into.

On the 'TMZ on TV' side of things ... we were back to talking 'Barbie,' but this time -- with a new voice chiming in on the all the indignation over the perceived snubs against Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig ... and that would be ... Hillary Clinton. Yes, the one and only.

Harvey had some hot takes about whether this is actually all about patriarchy or not -- in his mind, it's more like ... hey, sometimes you lose, kid -- guy or gal! He might have a point.

Over at 'TMZ Sports' ... Babcock and Mojo talked about Tyreek Hill and the fact that he says he's still married ... even though he and his wife have technically filed for divorce. Hmm ...

Lots of opinions and takes with this one -- take a look for yourself and see where you land.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Jillian Michaels has no business pushing out an anti-Ozempic narrative cause she's a personal trainer and not a REAL medical expert -- this, according to Dr. Terry Dubrow.

We got the "Botched" star on "TMZ Live" Tuesday ... he pops off on Jillian's stance that society will find themselves dependent on the weight loss drug -- saying we should, in fact, be championing something that treats the disease of obesity.

Terry tells us these drugs have been around for decades and are totally safe ... making them a viable option in reducing body fat and lowering the mortality rate.

In fact, he compares the anti-O argument to life-saving medical treatments ... saying it would be like de-influencing people from undergoing chemo for cancer.

He does agree with Jillian that diet and exercise are critical to staying healthy ... but says belittling weight loss drugs is sending out the wrong message -- urging others to listen to their physicians for proper scientific and medical info.

You'll remember ... last week, JM accused Oprah of hopping on the celeb bandwagon of promoting Ozempic ... claiming she was doing so for financial gain.

"America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh says America's spiraling crime stats, and criminals getting smarter are just 2 reasons why his famous show is returning to FOX.

John and his son, Callahan Walsh, are hosting the 'AMW' reboot, and they joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to discuss how crime has changed since the show's initial heyday in the '90s and early 2000s.

It was way back in 1988 when 'AMW' premiered on FOX and John tells us crime is so bad these days, honchos at the FBI told him they wanted his show to return, so he could help bust criminals ... particularly in areas the agency considers "lawless."

Another change since the OG 'AMW' ... John says advances in technology are making it easier to find criminals -- but he points out some of that technology also gives the bad guys more tools to break laws, and get away with it.

There are plenty of new criminals for John and Callahan to track down on their reboot ... but they tell us their program will also take a crack at solving some cold cases too.

No one understands the importance of staying on cases like that more than the Walsh family -- John points out he waited 27 years for the police files that eventually helped solve his 6-year-old son Adam's 1981 abduction and murder.

The new 'AMW' premieres tonight at 8 PM ET on FOX, and the Walshes tell us they plan to keep fighting crime in Adam's honor.

It's been quite a time at TMZ these past 5 days, and if you're looking to catch up on what we touched on this weekend ... we got you covered and then some.

On 'TMZ Live,' we dissected the whole Arnold Schwarzenegger customs debacle a tad bit more -- especially now that we got video of the Terminator joking about it later the same day. If you haven't seen it by now ... Arnie was playing a straight-up stand-up comedian!

He obviously had a sense of humor about the whole thing ... and yeah, it was funny.

Heading on over to 'TMZ on TV,' the gang was eager to talk about Snoop Dogg's recent claim that he was offered a boatload of cash to show off his ding-dong on their site.

The dollar amount sounded a little too good to be true ... but that doesn't mean some of our staffers in the room wouldn't be willing to throw down dough to get a glimpse of it. 👀

The fact Scott Peterson's case has been taken up by the L.A. Innocence Project could result in the convicted murderer getting a new trial ... and his former attorney couldn't be happier.

Mark Geragos, Peterson's lawyer during his 2004 trial, joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and we asked him about the startling development -- Innocence Project lawyers citing "new evidence" in court filings obtained by ABC News.

Mark says he feels "gratified" to have another set of eyes looking over Scott's case ... and also cites Peterson's reduced sentence as just one of many reasons the case needs more review.

Peterson's death sentence -- for murdering his wife Laci Peterson and their unborn child -- was knocked down to life without parole after the California Supreme Court said some jurors were improperly dismissed during jury selection.

Geragos says a hearing was ordered at the same time as the resentencing, and he thinks that's what drew the Innocence Project's attention  ... plus, Mark says the case against Scott is an "abomination."

Geragos says he can debunk all of the evidence from Peterson's trial, but thinks the jury was laser focused on Peterson's admission he was cheating on his wife.

The Innocence Project is a nonprofit that works to exonerate people who've fallen victim to wrongful conviction -- something Peterson has maintained is the case since the beginning.

The org confirmed it's repping Peterson, and added it's "investigating his claim of actual innocence" -- though they haven't elaborated beyond that.

In the court filing, the L.A. Innocence Project claims Peterson's state and federal constitutional rights were violated and his claim of actual innocence "is supported by newly discovered evidence."

As you may know ... Laci was 8 months pregnant with Peterson's child when she disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002. Her body was found in the San Francisco Bay months later.

Peterson became a prime suspect when it was revealed he was having an affair with his massage therapist, and cops arrested him in April 2003. He was found guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree murder.

ABC says the Innocence Project's asking for a ton of items related to the case it couldn't find ... including Laci's watch, evidence from a 2002 burglary across the street from the Petersons' home, and interviews with several witnesses.

The Stanislaus County D.A.'s Office, which prosecuted Peterson, says, "Mr. Peterson, like all individuals convicted of crimes, is afforded the legal right to appeal his conviction with representation of his choosing."

There's a crazy thing happening along the southern border -- migrants attempting to enter the United States with their dogs are forced to leave them behind, and it's creating a whole other crisis.

FNC reporter Matt Finn is on the ground in Eagle Pass, Texas and joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" to reveal what he's seeing firsthand ... and how he and other TV crews are getting involved, and taking some of the dogs in themselves.

Matt says tons of migrants are trying to cross the border with their dogs, only to be told they can't bring the pups with them to federal processing centers ... resulting in strays roaming the border.

The circumstances leave dogs in need of food, water and shelter ... and Matt says troops with the National Guard are taking care of some of the doggos ... and he and his producer have helped out too.

Some dogs have ticks, fleas and worms ... and Matt tells us at least one vet in town is caring for them pro bono.

Matt's seen this tragedy play out before in other areas along the border ... getting a handful of dogs rehomed.

Cordell Patrick, the man ejected from a moving RV, says he's lucky to be alive ... because he thought he was going to die on that busy Los Angeles area freeway.

Cordell joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday from his hospital bed ... and he told us how he ended up being thrown from his RV onto the freeway.

It's pretty incredible ... Cordell says he was getting up to use the bathroom and took off his seatbelt in the 5-second window where his wife passed out behind the wheel and veered into the median.

Cordell says the impact sent him crashing through the driver-side window ... and his body flying over the median and landing on the other side of the freeway, inches away from the carpool lane.

As he lay on the freeway with his mangled ankle, Cordell says he thought he was going to be run over by a car ... telling us it's a miracle he was able to make it out of harms way.

Cordell says he and his wife had just gotten back from a trip and were heading to their storage unit when she suddenly blacked out and crashed.

She's getting medical attention too, and Cordell says they're still trying to figure out why she passed out.

TMZ has posted a lot of stories this week -- but some stood out to us on the TV side of things -- and we thought we'd let people have a second look at a few of our biggest topics.

One of the buzzier things we tackled was the Zendaya/Tom Holland breakup rumors that were swirling for a couple weeks -- when she unfollowed literally everybody on her Instagram account ... including her British boyfriend, who was still following her.

On "TMZ Live," we dove right into this ... piecing together all the clues/red flags that had people worried that Zen and Tom might, perhaps, be over and done with. TH himself squashed it all on Friday, but there was an interesting maze of intel leading up to that.

Anyway ... on "TMZ on TV' side, we also talked Kevin Hart and his renewed disavowal of ever wanting to host the Oscars -- this after infamously missing out a few years ago.

He was defending Jo Koy's Globes job ... but it felt like he might still have some sour grapes about the past -- and our office had a good time debating how sincere KH really is.

Finally on the "TMZ Sports" side ... we discussed this proposed jersey ban as Matthew Stafford heads back to Detroit to take on the Lions -- this as the new QB of the Los Angeles Rams.

It's been a busy week at TMZ ... covering everything from the Golden Globes to a Milli Vanilli divorce, but a few stories really stood out on our TV shows -- "TMZ on TV," "TMZ Live" and "TMZ Sports" -- so, check 'em out yourself!

For starters, we got into the gripping new video of OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney, and her Miami murder case, on "TMZ Live." We aired new footage showing her squabbling with her slain BF, Christian Obumseli, 2 months before she killed him at their Miami condo ... which prosecutors claim she did intentionally.

Lots of folks online viewed Clenney as the aggressor in the wild clip -- but we break down how it could have an impact on a far more important group of people ... the jury.

On a muuuuch lighter note, we also talked Tom Cruise on "TMZ on TV" and his big movie news this week -- the fact he signed a mega deal with WB to produce and star in a bunch of franchise films ... even as he's moving forward on "Top Gun 3."

The catch ... he's doing 'TP3' with Paramount, despite seemingly giving 'em the cold shoulder to sign with WB, and even getting his own office there. Yeah ... interesting.

Lastly, our "TMZ Sports" crew got into the big NFL playoff weekend ... and the aspect of it Swiftees everywhere wanna hear. QB legend Brett Favre was on the show to talk about Taylor Swift's impact on Travis Kelce's opening round game against the Dolphins.

Watch and see how he feels about a potential Chiefs loss, and who might be to blame!!! 👀

Fat Joe says 100 million Americans are in the red because of hospital bills ... and he's working with Congress to try and fix what he says is a greedy healthcare system.

The rapper joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and told us why he's advocating for big changes with the way hospitals and health insurance companies do business.

Fat Joe says most people who go to the hospital have no idea how much care is going to cost until after the fact ... and he says the lack of transparency is putting way too many folks in debt.

Joey Crack's been banging this drum for almost a year now ... and this week he brought his message to Congress' doorstep, hosting about 500 lawmakers and government officials at an event for Power to the Patients ... a healthcare advocacy group.

Fat Joe says only 27 cents of every $1 Americans are charged at hospitals goes back to doctors, nurses, staff and the actual procedures and treatments ... with the rest of the money lining the pockets of the hospitals and insurance companies.

He says folks who are already struggling to afford treatments are being told the prices are going up ... but Fat Joe says that's really just a move by hospitals and insurance companies to increase profits.

Fat Joe's calling on Congress to change the system so people aren't being unfairly charged with hidden costs and fees when they go to the hospital.

George Carlin's daughter is not laughing at a new AI-generated comedy special aiming to bring her famous father back to life ... 'cause she says the project straight up lacks soul.

Kelly Carlin-McCall joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked her about the new AI special, "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead" -- which features a robot version of her father doing standup in what's being called a whole new set from the man himself.

George's daughter says the AI program has her dad's name, but that's about where the comparisons end ... she says the computer botched her dad's comedic cadence, and just doesn't capture the magic like he once did.

The AI show is available on YouTube but Kelly says her bone to pick isn't about money ... pointing out GC has tons of shows available to stream for free.

For George's daughter, the big issue is more about completely removing the art form's human element.

Kelly says the program drew on George's old jokes to try and form him opinion on contemporary topics -- Donald Trump, technology, transgender people, reality TV -- but she says it's basically a soulless exercise.

Dudesy is the AI platform behind the show, and Tom Brady's already successfully gotten his own AI-generated comedy special removed from the internet. Kelly says she's considering legal action and might pick the brains of TB12's lawyers.

Celebrity chef Curtis Stone says foodies should be wary of McDonald's' new Double Big Mac ... and he thinks the mega burger should come with its own freakin' warning.

Curtis joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to talk about the Golden Arches' super-sized creation, which Australians have been chowin' down on for a while, and is about to return to the U.S. for a limited engagement.

According to Curtis, this 4-patty beast is an eat-at-your-own-risk kind of situation, and should have a health warning attached to it ... but his concerns don't stop at the caloric intake -- which is around 740 calories, for the record.

Curtis thinks McDonald's has often provided a lack of food information to its customers -- namely the "100% beef," which could be a mixture of all kinds of meat cuts -- and folks should always know exactly what they're ingesting.

He also thinks companies like Mickey D's dominate the country by adhering to peoples' cravings, but Curtis tells us why that's doing a lot more harm than good.

The video of Ian Ziering brawling with a group of bikers in Hollywood tells the whole story -- at least according to one of the bikers who tells TMZ ... the whole incident was completely unprovoked by the motor crew.

We spoke to 2 men Wednesday on "TMZ Live" who sometimes ride with the 605 Minibike Gang, but are not members of the gang. They say Ian went from 0 to 100 all on his own, without any altercation prior to the video we've seen.

The 2 riders here go by Roy and Nocturnal. Nocturnal is the guy who was there on Sunday, and even recorded the video shot from behind Ian's SUV.

Nocturnal insists the group's first encounter with Ian was right there on Hollywood Blvd when the video starts.

He says 2 of his fellow minibikers were doing a legal lane split, and Ian purposely tried to prevent them from getting in front of his car ... even though they had every right to do so.

They say it appears Ian didn't like that ... and go on to allege he hopped out of his car to start a physical fight all on his own. If there was any incidental contact -- Nocturnal and Roy insist it was Ian's own doing ... and that he was the one who invited an ugly clash.

Nocturnal and Roy say they don't know why Ian might've escalated things the way he did -- especially with his young daughter right there with him -- but they theorize he was having a really bad day ... and let out his frustrations on the bikers.

As we first reported, LAPD is investigating the incident for felony vandalism -- for the bashing of Ian's windshield with a helmet -- and misdemeanor battery for the fight.

El video de Ian Ziering peleando con un grupo de motociclistas en Hollywood cuenta toda la historia, al menos de acuerdo con uno de los motociclistas, quien dice a TMZ que todo el incidente fue completamente no provocado por parte del grupo de ciclistas.

Hablamos con 2 hombres el miércoles en "TMZ Live" que a veces andan con el grupo 605 Minibike Gang, pero no son miembros. Ellos dicen que Ian fue de 0 a 100 por su propia cuenta, sin un altercado previo del video que hemos visto.

Los dos pilotos con los que hablamos van por Roy y Nocturnal. Nocturnal es el tipo que estuvo allí el domingo e incluso grabó el video tomado desde detrás del todoterreno de Ian.

Nocturnal insiste en que el primer encuentro del grupo con Ian se produjo justo en Hollywood Blvd cuando comienza el video.

Dice que 2 de sus compañeros del grupo de ciclistas estaban haciendo una maniobra de carril legal e Ian trató a propósito de evitar que se pusieran delante de su carro, a pesar de que tenían todo el derecho a hacerlo.

Parece que Ian no le gustó eso, dicen ellos y dicen que luego saltó de su carro para iniciar una pelea física por su cuenta. Si hubo algún contacto incidental, Nocturnal y Roy insisten en que fue cosa de Ian y que él fue quien dio pie a un enfrentamiento feo.

Nocturnal y Roy dicen que no saben por qué Ian podría haber escalado las cosas de la manera que lo hizo, especialmente con su hija pequeña allí, pero sugieren que estaba teniendo un día muy malo y que descargó sus frustraciones en los propios ciclistas.

Como informamos, la policía de Los Ángeles está investigando el incidente por delito grave de vandalismo -por el golpe en el parabrisas de Ian- y delito menor de agresión por la pelea.

Don Lemon says the most detrimental presidential candidate Americans could elect isn't Donald Trump ... but rather Nikki Haley.

The former CNN host joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and said he thinks there's good reason to sound an alarm on Haley's campaign ... saying she's a more dangerous candidate than Trump.

Don says it's a case of the devil you know versus the devil you don't ... calling out Haley for being unclear on her views, flip-flopping on Trump's insurrection and ripping her track record on abortion and racism.

The way Don sees it ... we've already survived one Trump presidency, and Haley presents a new set of unknowns that might end up being worse than anything Trump ever did.

It's another shot at Haley from Don ... as we reported, he blasted her on social media Thursday for leaving slavery out of her answer on the cause of the Civil War.

Haley's apologized and asked for grace, something Don says is hypocritical.

Remember, Don and Nikki had beef when he was at CNN ... he called her past her prime, and says she showed him no grace for his poor choice of words ... which he's said was just a prime case of misspeaking on live television.

Don's speaking out on political issues for the first time since leaving his post at CNN ... and he says he can finally speak his mind about all candidates, including Republicans.

While he says he doesn't want Trump back in office, and Haley might be worse ... he tells us why Chris Christie is earning his respect, even though he disagrees with most of his policies.