TMZ Live

Emmet McDermott's documentary -- #1 on Netflix right now -- exposes Abercrombie & Fitch's racist view of beauty, which he says was illegally applied to the company's hiring and firing practices.

Emmet joined us Thursday on TMZ Live to discuss his docufilm, "White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch" ... which features former employees revealing a toxic workplace that emphasized thin, white beautiful people as their vision of "All-American."

We're not just talking about the models -- Emmet says the company would phase out employees who looked "off-brand." He puts it plainly ... if you weren't good-looking or white, you're out.

The company even had a certain way for their employees to look, eliminating things -- certain hairstyles and jewelry -- it deemed to be associated with other, non-white cultures.

Clearly, A&F had crossed some legal lines when it comes to hiring based on race ... and it's made efforts to turn that around.

The company's current CEO, Fran Horowitz, posted a statement after the doc dropped, saying “We’re focused on inclusivity – and continuing that transformation is our enduring promise to you, our community. Always Forward.”

Killer Mike's having one hell of a 47th birthday -- celebrating another spin around the sun, and the fact he's getting paid to spotlight something he loves ... the growth of cannabis culture in America.

Mike joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to talk about his 4-part Vice TV docuseries, "Tumbleweeds With Killer Mike" -- but before we got into that he told us how he's toasting his birthday. You gotta see the clip, but let's just say it involves lots of marijuana and his wife Shay Bigga. It's hilarious.

As for Mike's new show ... 'Tumbleweeds' shows the rapper and activist traveling around the country, showing mary jane's economic impact in cities where it's been legalized.

He says one of his goals is to normalize the cannabis industry by showing the business opportunities it brings, and its positive effects on marginalized communities ... where people have been disproportionately imprisoned for marijuana.

The series debuts tonight on Vice, and you can tell Mike's excited about its potential to shift America's views on legalization.

BTW ... his group, Run The Jewels, will be back at Coachella for the 2nd weekend, and it sounds like he and LP are getting a lineup upgrade.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is all flash and no cash ... at least that's what he wants a judge to believe, because he's claiming to be broke at the same time he's flaunting $2 mil on camera.

Hip-hop's most infamous heel was on "TMZ Live" Monday when he copped to using "prop money" in a recent video where he boasted he has more cash on hand than a rival rapper's net worth. Most people took it as a subliminal shot at Fivio Foreign, though 6ix9ine never says his name.

All that money flew in the face of Tekashi telling a judge he's broke.

He still owes $1 million to robbery victims in the criminal case where he snitched on ex-friends to get a reduced sentence.

Claiming he's faking his riches because, "I'm an entertainer," won't help Tekashi's street cred -- but, to that point, he also told us he doesn't get why everyone blames him for ongoing beefs with Fivio, Lil Durk and others.

In his new music video for "Gine," 6ix9ine calls out Durk over the murder of King Von -- one of Durk's closest friends. It's a brazen and cold-hearted line, for sure.

Filmmaker Sadhvi Siddhali Shree says there's a simple reason the sex trafficking industry continues to flourish -- it's the lack of serious consequences for pimps and madams, something she's aiming to change.

Siddhali joined "TMZ Live" to talk about her latest documentary, "Surviving Sex Trafficking," and the importance of sharing stories and spreading awareness on this issue. She says giving survivors a safe space to share their stories not only helps them heal, but it also helps to raise awareness.

As far as putting an end to the multibillion dollar worldwide sex trafficking industry -- Siddhali says there's been a lot of progress in the last 10 years, but there's a long road ahead. Even with more attention on this issue, she feels, the punishment for traffickers isn't tough enough.

Without that deterrent, she says traffickers are operating without fear.

Over 45 million people are trafficked around the globe, and only 2% ever escape it. Siddhali dives into that stark reality in her new documentary, which follows 3 sex trafficking victims on their journey to healing.

Camila Alves McConaughey is teaching kids how to eat properly with her children's book  ... one that's made it on the New York Times Best Seller List -- joining the ranks of her husband Matthew McConaughey while he's still on the list!

We spoke to Camila on TMZ Live about her 1st book, "Just Try One Bite" ... the story following picky-eater parents that are confronted by their kids to trade junk foods like ice cream for a bite of something healthy.

The book made it to the NYT Best-Seller List instantly ... where husband Matthew has been for the last 65 weeks -- his autobiography, "Greenlights," has sold over 3 million copies.

Camila still is in shock that her book has reached such a popular level ... she says she moved to America from Brazil only knowing 3 English sentences, so to have a book published -- let alone become a best-seller -- is surreal.

Camila tells us the goal of her book isn't to tell parents how to feed their kids ... instead to get the whole family to share the importance of food and instill healthy habits at a young age.

She believes if parents open the discussion about food with their children, they will grow up as healthy adults.

Ballerina Kirsten Bloom Allen is pulling off the near-impossible ... getting life-saving supplies to a fellow dancer in Ukraine, who's been forced to put aside his true passion so he can defend his country.

Oleksii Potiomkin says he wanted to help his fellow Ukrainians and protect his family at all costs, but supplies were scarce. When he and Kirsten joined us Wednesday on TMZ Live, she explained why she refused to sit by idly while a fellow dancer was in need.

Kirsten tells us she reached out to Oleksii online -- they knew each other through dance -- and they created a list of things needed for the Hospitallers, a volunteer paramedic group he joined that tends to Ukraine's wounded soldiers.

Kirsten says she shipped the supplies to another ballet dancer in Amsterdam, who took them through Poland and to Oleksii in Ukraine. Now, she's launched a fundraiser, hoping to get more supplies into the country such as medical supplies and food.

Oleksii tells us this war is forcing people from all walks of life to step up and fight for the cause. He started helping people on his own with medicine and aid, even before joining the Hospitallers.

Heroic and inspirational -- both fitting words for what Oleksii and Kristen are doing to protect Ukraine, and to help others heal.

Jake and Logan Paul might have a lot of haters, but that's not the case with WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns ... who says he respects the YouTubers/boxers and what they've been able to accomplish.

Reigns joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" ahead of WrestleMania 38 ... and the heavyweight couldn't say enough good things about the Paul bros.

"These guys from everything that I've ever seen or heard, they put in the work," Reigns said. "They live a full-time boxing schedule. They train. They eat. They do everything that a professional boxer would do to prepare for a fight."

Of course, the reason we're talkin' about the Pauls is that Logan is set to take the ring at WM38 on Saturday in a tag team match with The Miz.

Roman says its essential performers in the sports entertainment world be multi-layered -- something he firmly believes the former-YouTube superstars-turned boxers are.

"I think as performers, you got to be multi-layered," Roman said. "In performing arts, you have to have multiple lanes of a skill set."

The former member of "The Shield" said he thinks it's crazy anyone would try to dismiss their legitimacy as fighters -- especially since their work ethic and audience make them mega draws.

"I think it would be crazy to say they're not boxers," the 2015 WWE Royal Rumble winner said. "You got to have people tuned into what you're doing."

"And, they've done that, but they've also put in the work. Kudos to them."

Finally, we asked Roman if a match between him and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at next year's WrestleMania (set to take place at SoFi Stadium) was in the works, and the champ's response was interesting.

"I don't care who you are and what you been doing on the movie set and what kind of fight scenes you been putting together on the big screen."

"When it comes to a WWE ring, when it comes to the Universal championship, and the WWE championship for that matter -- I think I'm the safe bet to put your money on."

One of Ukraine's prominent politicians says western nations can do more than send military support ... they can financially stick it to the children of Russia's oligarchs in order to put pressure on Vladimir Putin.

Inna Sovsun is hunkered down near Kyiv, and joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" ... as the Russian army attempts to fortify positions, apparently digging in for a much longer war than Putin anticipated.

As devastating as the war has been for her country, Inna tells us citizens -- male and female -- remain focused on defending their homeland ... even though they're painfully aware Russia might resort to using chemical weapons and ultrasonic missiles.

While no one expects Putin to stand down ... she hopes people around him will realize the price of war is too high, and that's where the U.S. and other western nations can help.

Sovsun says tough personal sanctions against Russia's political elites -- aka Putin's oligarch buddies -- are a start, but shutting down their children will also hit them where it hurts. She points out that the oligarchs' kids are still allowed into the U.S. and some are still studying in Great Britain.

Inna told us, "I want them to go back to mother Russia and suffer for the consequences of what their parents did."

"90210" star Trevor Donovan is using some Hollywood acting skills to show students across the country how to stop being a bystander to bullying and harassment.

Trevor joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to explain how his 'Team Upstanders' program is empowering students to help each other ... especially those who aren't able to defend themselves against bullies.

His assemblies feature skits where he acts out bullying scenarios with the kids ... which allows them to experience these emotionally charged incidents from different perspectives.

Trevor says letting the kids feel the impact is an effective learning experience, albeit a painful one at times.

By the end of the program, Trevor picks students to be ambassadors ... and it becomes their job to promote an anti-bullying environment.

After a recent assembly at Deer Lakes Middle School in Russellton, PA, Trevor says he was approached by a parent online, saying her kid was a target of bullying. He quickly jumped on a Zoom with the school's counselor and 2 upstanders he appointed -- and they all worked out a solution.

Facebook teaming up with a major Republican consulting firm to turn public opinion against their fiercest rival reeks of desperation ... so says Taylor Lorenz.

The Washington Post columnist joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to break down her bombshell report on the ways in which Mark Zuckerberg's FB and Meta are playing dirty in their war with TikTok.

Taylor says Facebook looks incredibly weak for paying operatives at Targeted Victory -- a GOP consulting firm -- to carry out a calculated smear campaign to damage TikTok's standing in America and drive teens over to their social media platforms.

As for the Republican role in all this, Taylor says Targeted Victory is trying to drum up anti-Chinese sentiments and link TikTok to the Chinese government because the app is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance.

But, she says there's no evidence TikTok is in bed with Communist China ... despite claims by former President Donald Trump and others in the GOP.

Breathe easy, Philadelphia Eagles fans ... Jordan Mailata is not bailing on football, even though it seems he could after a surprising 'Masked Singer' gig that started with a very unexpected call.

The star offensive tackle joined "TMZ Live" Thursday to talk about his unmasking on the reality show. He was the one in the 'Thingamabob' costume, and last night he sang 'Classic' by MKTO. While his impressive vocals have been under wraps, Jordan says his teammates already knew about his hidden talent.

In fact, they'd encouraged him to go pro ... but Jordan says it wasn't until he got a call from his agent about doing 'Masked Singer' that it ever became a thought for him.

Now that folks outside the locker room know about Jordan's pipes, JM says he's taking things one step at a time and being realistic about his prospects in the music biz. He added, it's been incredible and humbling to get such wholesome reactions from people.

But, while he is considering doing more singing -- perhaps professionally -- Jordan says football will always be his first love.

As millions of refugees continue to flee Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, one couple is springing into action in the most humanitarian way -- giving traumatized families a safe place to sleep and begin their new lives.

Jakub and Gosia Golata are Polish-born UK citizens who've done something remarkable ... dropping everything in their lives and heading back to their native land to offer assistance by booking the entire Park Hotel in Tryszczyn. It currently has 180 beds, and the Golatas are using them exclusively to provide free refuge for Ukrainians.

Not just that ... but they're also volunteering transportation to and from the border via buses they've rented there. They joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" tell -- with the assistance of donations that have been pouring in from all over.

We asked what motivated them to do all this -- especially considering they've paused their day-to-day occupations in England -- and their answer was telling ... basically, they say they just couldn't stand by and not to do nothing for a neighboring nation in crisis.

Michael Bublé may be best known for his vocals, but now he jokingly says he could ditch his singing career for TikTok ... after newfound success on the app.

The Canadian singer joined "TMZ Live" and talked about working on his upcoming 11th studio album and  ... a possible TikTok career!

Michael has had worldwide success since dropping his debut, self-titled album in '03. In January, he dropped his single "I'll Never Not Love You" ... which is a sequel to his 2009 hit "Haven't Met You Yet."

So far, he's sold 75 million albums, but he believes his latest one "Higher" is his best one yet. Although the album is slated for Friday, Michael is very excited about another hobby he's seemingly mastered overnight -- TikTok.

He tells us, he loves interacting with fans on the app, but it's more important for him to try to get more followers than his wife ... only partially joking. Back in September, he got an impressive 31.5 million views on his first video, after his wife convinced him to join.

Bublé has garnered 1.7 mil followers and 14.7 mil likes ... but, insists his wife is still winning the competition. Luckily though, he knows quite a bit about winning ... with 11 Grammy noms and 4 wins since '08.

As for "Higher", Michael says he got the help of some famous friends … including Paul McCartney, who gave his blessings for him to cover his song -- "My Valentine." Paul ended up working on the entire album and being accredited as a producer.

MB says Paul came to play, and he simply "has the ability to take good and turn it into great."

Volodymyr Zelensky's former press secretary says the guy's a good leader during war for a couple of reasons  -- including the fact he's a legal eagle.

We talked to Iuliia Mendel Monday -- who served as the Ukrainian President's spokesperson for two years after he was elected in 2019 -- and she told us what she and the rest of Zelensky's team saw in him then that the rest of the world is witnessing firsthand now.

For starters, she reveals that Zelensky was actually a lawyer in his past life -- before he was even a comedian/actor -- and that certainly plays into why he's so savvy in this difficult time.

Mendel explains her former boss' diverse background has helped him navigate what's going on with Russia ... and why he's even been willing to head to the front lines of the fighting to show support both to his troops and people, but also to negotiate as needed.

Then comes a somewhat difficult question ... what if all the backing from the world that Ukraine has received thus far simply isn't enough to fend off the Russians?

"Shark Tank" star Daymond John is having a hard time enjoying this year's NCAA Tournament ... saying he believes it's "horrible," and is actually "modern-day slavery."

The 53-year-old businessman spelled out his beef with March Madness to Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" on Friday ... explaining he thinks the players are getting a raw deal in the huge event.

John said there's a ton of people making millions -- if not billions -- off the tourney ... yet players aren't seeing much of the pie at all.

"The players make nothing! Zero off of all that," John said. "I think this is modern-day slavery and they're just giving them a little bit of a crumb."

John acknowledged that players do get scholarships and do now have the ability to get paid from NIL deals -- but he insisted that's nowhere near enough.

"These players are bringing in billions of dollars and making absolutely zero," he said. "It is really, I think, what business model do you know that makes billions of dollars and pays their employees zero?"

Violinist Vera Lytovchenko is opening up about her astoundingly brave performance in a Ukrainian bomb shelter, and despite deadly attacks in her hometown ... says she won't back down to the Russians.

Vera, a member of the Kharkiv City Opera Orchestra, joined us Thursday from Kharkiv, where 21 civilians had been killed earlier in the day. While Vera and most of her neighbors are sheltering, she's tugged at heartstrings around the world with a performance that's gone viral.

She told us on "TMZ Live" she got the idea to play music in her local bomb shelter from one of her violin students ... who did the same thing in a train station. Vera says she thought, "This young girl, 18 years old, is so brave. I can do something like this."

She hoped it could make a difference and keep people's minds off of the horrors of the Russian invasion ... and after posting some clips she found her comment section flooded with powerful messages.

Vera says she's been told her music is helping fellow Ukrainians who feel alone in these uncertain times.

The war literally hit too close to home for Vera recently when a bomb went off near her apartment. She's used social media to show the destruction.

Even in the face of that danger, she explained why she'll never leave Kharkiv. Saying her grandmother's grave is a few blocks away.

Vera is working with a friend to raise money for local musicians who've been affected by the war ... and says the money raised will help rebuild the music college, the conservatory and even go to struggling music students.