The TMZ Podcast

Jason Aldean is speaking out after being accused of putting out a racially-charged music video ... and while the internet's outraged with his video, Jason is defending the lyrics.

The country singer took to social media Tuesday, opening by saying he's been "accused of releasing a pro-lynching song" -- referring to his track, "Try That in a Small Town," which was released in May but has been making the rounds since the music video dropped last week.

He says folks thinking it's about his distaste for the Black Lives Matter protests got it way wrong ... adding the "dangerous" accusations have no merit.

JA tells his fans the single's all about the community where he grew up, and how neighbors would take care of each other no matter what.

He does not address certain lines in the song ... such as telling people to take their anti-police mentality to a small town, adding "See how far ya make it down the road."

As for the MV, Jason only touches on it briefly -- simply saying the footage is from news clips. But, it's the location he chose to film his video, mixed with the context of the song, that had people up in arms.

The singer's video was shot in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, TN -- the place where 18-year-old African-American Henry Choate was lynched in 1927 after being dragged through the streets, accused of attacking a white girl.

CMT pulled the music video from its rotation Monday, so Jason's got some convincing to do.

The suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer may have had a female accomplice for the 3 victims ... at least according to a lawyer representing the families.

Attorney John Ray, who reps the families of slain Shannan Gilbert and Jessica Taylor, claims Rex Heuermann was not a solo operator and allegedly killed 3 prostitutes on Long Island with help from a mysterious cohort. Police have not linked the Gilbert and Taylor slayings to Heuermann as of now.

Ray pointed to the 2011 death of a 10-month-old baby girl whose body was found swaddled in a blanket near one of the confirmed Gilgo Beach victims. The lawyer insisted that a savage murderer would not have such maternal instincts to wrap the infant in a quilt.

"It's that kind of thing that, if you're such a depraved murderer, you don't take time to do. That to me seems like an act of a mother," Ray said, adding, "We also believe that some of the victims could've been lured by a woman."

Suffolk County Police officials have not commented on Ray's accusations on whether Heuermann had a cohort or if he's being eyed for the baby's murder.

But, Heuermann has enough legal problems to keep him busy. Detectives arrested him last week as he walked from his office in NYC, where he worked as an architect.

Prosecutors charged Heuermann with the murders of three sex workers and he's the top suspect in a fourth slaying. Heuermann allegedly wrapped their bodies in burlap and dumped them near Gilgo Beach between 2009 and 2015.

According to court documents, Heuermann was connected to the crimes through DNA testing and examining his cell phone records.

Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez couldn't make their marriage work in a post-Covid world ... because their lives were vastly different.

Sources connected to the former couple with direct knowledge tell TMZ, when Ariana and Dalton hooked up in 2020, they were everything to each other -- company, romance, support ... all of it.

When Covid restrictions lifted, we're told their differences became alarmingly apparent. Dalton, an L.A. realtor, was taken aback by Ariana's celebrity. He had not dealt with her schedule, the paparazzi and the various opportunities that took her out of L.A.

We're told Dalton would sometimes question why they needed to go around town with security, something that was a must for Ariana.

Their differences started to make the marriage unravel, and it was greatly exacerbated when she went to England last December to begin filming "Wicked."

By January, they were separated, but still on friendly terms. They began living separate lives until May, when they decided to take a shot at it again. That lasted 2 weeks before they both threw in the towel.

Fact is ... we're told Dalton has been dating over the last few months, which was fine with Ariana. Our sources say both Ariana and Dalton were "shocked" no one picked up on the separation until today, when TMZ broke the story they had gone their separate ways and were headed for divorce court.

It's splitsville for Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello -- as the couple just announced they're throwing in the towel on their marriage ... and going their separate ways.

They issued a joint statement Monday, telling Page Six ... "We have made the difficult decision to divorce. As two people that love and care for one another very much, we politely ask for respect of our privacy at this time as we navigate this new phase of our lives."

The outlet reports they've been growing apart for quite some time and have recently been spending time apart to figure out a path forward.

The two actors got together in 2014, and were engaged 6 months later. They got married in 2015 --- but never had any children together ... although Sofia has a son from a previous relationship. They've often been considered one of Hollywood's big-time power couples.

Vergara -- whose been overseas celebrating her 51st birthday over the past several weeks -- appears to have been telegraphing she may be a single woman ... posting a ton of hot shots of herself in a bathing suit, with no sign of Joe in any of her recent snaps. Granted, the guy's been busy on the East Coast lately filming a new movie with Vince Vaughn ... pre-strike.

This is Sofia's second marriage and Joe's first. SV was in a long-term relationship with businessman Nick Loeb before she hooked up with Joe ... the remnants of which proved to be dramatic, as their embryo case dragged on for years in court.

Here's hoping this uncoupling isn't as eventful.

Kylie Jenner and Jordyn Woods have been spending time together and working on mending their relationship for over a year ... a friendship we're told Khloe Kardashian never put any restrictions on following the drama with Tristan Thompson.

Sources close to the pair tell TMZ ... the 2 have been hanging out privately for a while, and this weekend's sighting just marked the first time they've been spotted out and about by the public since their rekindling.

You'll recall, the 2 were best friends since 2012, but everything fell apart in 2019 when Jordyn kissed Khloe's ex-BF and baby daddy, Tristan Thompson. BTW, Jordyn admitted Tristan kissed her, but shot down the idea that there was any romance between the two.

Despite the messy fallout, we're told Khloe never held her little sis back from being friends with Jordyn -- the unfriending was Kylie's call. Sources say there were more issues with the friendship than just the Tristan drama at the time, so everything kinda collapsed all at once.

We're told everyone's moved on from that saga, though ... Kylie and Jordyn were best friends back in the day, and they're now working to hopefully get back to BFF status again.

Ariana Grande and her husband Dalton Gomez have been separated since January, and they are heading toward divorce ... sources connected to the couple tell TMZ.

As we reported, Ariana was not wearing her wedding ring at Wimbledon over the weekend ... in fact, she's been ringless a lot these days.

We're told a few months back the 2 tried a reconciliation, but it failed.

One source with direct knowledge told TMZ, their relationship "is heading for divorce."

Ariana and Dalton have been thousands of miles apart since December, when she started filming "Wicked." Our sources say they were having problems even before that.

We're told they remain friends and still talk on the phone regularly, but, according to sources, the marriage is kaput.

It was early 2020 when we first saw the two of them making out at dinner at Bar Louie in Northridge, CA. At the time, no one really knew who Dalton was or how serious the couple's relationship had gotten.

The couple tied the knot in May 2021 in a very private ceremony at Ariana's home in Montecito.

Kylie Jenner appears to have buried the hatchet with Jordyn Woods years after the former besties stopped talking to each other over a cheating scandal involving Tristan Thompson.

The women were spotted headed for dinner together at a sushi restaurant in L.A. Saturday night ... according to the Daily Mail, which published photos and a video of Kylie and Jordyn on their big night out.

The two got all dressed up for the occasion with Kylie in black shades leading the way and Jordyn cracking a smile just steps behind her. They seemed as if nothing had ever happened between them and everything was just hunky dory.

That's a far cry from where they were in 2019. As we reported, Kylie had a major falling out with Jordyn after Jordyn was accused of hooking up with Tristan, Khloe Kardashian's ex-boyfriend and baby daddy. Kylie felt Jordyn had betrayed her and her sister, Khloe.

Things got even worse after Jordyn sat for an interview with Jada Pinkett Smith on the show, "Red Table Talk," and revealed Tristan had kissed her, but denied there was any passion. Kylie totally cut Jordyn out of her life after that.

Now it appears they've patched up their relationship. You know what they say ... time heals all wounds.

Carlee Russell's boyfriend is explicitly stating what most everyone has assumed about her disappearance -- declaring definitively that she was, indeed, kidnapped.

Thomar Simmons made the claim in a Facebook post Sunday, in which he both thanked supporters for their ongoing prayers and offered more insight into what he says happened to his significant other since she vanished Thursday in Hoover, Alabama ... this after pulling over on the I-459 highway on the heels of her reporting seeing a lone child walking at night.

He writes, "All I asked from everyone right now is to be respectful of Carlee’s situation. She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours, so until she’s physically & mentally stable again she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment."

Simmons adds, "I also want to thank the people on social media who has been understanding & respectful about what she’s been through in these past few days. Once again I can’t thank you guys enough for helping us bring Carlee home! God bless you all."

Carlee's mother echoed similar sentiments, saying they were overjoyed to have Carlee back -- and that they would provide more details to the media in due time. Interestingly, Carlee's mom also had this to say ... "Just as we made a commitment to not entertain negative thoughts during the time our daughter was missing, we surely will not entertain negative thoughts/statements, unvalidated opinions, or sheer ignorance at such a joyous time."

What she may be referring to is the fact that people are already jumping to conclusions and floating conspiracy theories about this case ... as some feel like info doesn't line up.

For example, the police's statement about how exactly Carlee came to be found -- in which they said they got a call that she had shown up to her residence on foot -- fails to mention the fact that dispatchers in the Hoover-Vestavia Hills area were talking about Carlee possibly being at a nearby motel well beforehand ... a convo captured around 6:53 PM CT.

As you can hear ... the dispatchers describe a caller saying Carlee's family had reached out to say they had gotten a call from Carlee herself -- who apparently told them she was at the Red Roof Inn along the Montgomery Highway ... only about 5 miles north from where she disappeared. The wording's a little confusing, but it seems the caller was a Red Roof worker.

The first responders also say the front desk staff said they had no one checked in under Carlee's name. It also sounds like Carlee's family was itching to get to the Red Roof Inn to see if she was actually there. It's unclear if they did or not, but cops certainly responded ... as heard in the audio, where somebody gets on the radio to say units have arrived.

Bottom line ... there are still a number of unanswered questions, but it's clear her family/loved ones are leaning toward the notion that she was abducted by a still-to-be-discovered culprit.

Awkwardness was in the air at Disneyland this weekend, where the studio forged ahead with their "Haunted Mansion" premiere amid the SAG strike ... without any of the cast in sight.

The premiere went down Saturday at the Anaheim park -- in front of the actual Haunted Mansion ride, no less. Like we said, none of the major stars who act in the film showed up -- obviously, they're showing solidarity with their union, which went on strike last week.

In their place, a bunch of randos walked the carpet instead ... including a handful of Disney cast members who were dressed up as 'HM' ghosts and even just regular Disney characters. There were also some influencers there -- Holly Madison and other Playboy-adjacent people -- plus some Disney Imagineers and composers/BTS folks tied to the movie as well.

The big names who were notably missing ... Lakeith Stanfield, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto, Winona Ryder, Rosario Dawson ... and every other cast member. One person who did show was director Justin Simien.

He did some interviews with press, and said he was feeling "ambivalent" over the fact his cast couldn't speak for themselves ... while also expressing support for their cause.

Simien also addressed Disney chief Bob Iger's recent comments about the ongoing strikes -- where he said the union's demands weren't "realistic," while lamenting the fact they were hurting showbiz at large -- and JS walked the line ... saying he'd be happy to talk to BI to see where the gap is between what he wants and what actors at large are asking for.

It's a little unclear why Simien attended the "Haunted Mansion" premiere. We know he's part of the DGA, which recently struck its own deal with studio heads, and presumably ... he's obligated to go to this sort of stuff, despite the fact he says he's standing with the actors. Christopher Nolan did something similar at the UK "Oppenheimer" premiere last week.

In any case, he did his best to appease both sides, it seems. Dude's sorta stuck between a rock and a hard place right now ... as are a ton of other directors caught in this conflict.

Considering how empty this event felt -- ya gotta wonder if other studios will scrap their own premieres in the coming months. A lot of summer blockbusters already did their press, but there's still several big-budget flicks slated to be released through the rest of the year.

Vanna White is awesome!!! She jumped on the TMZ Celebrity Tour Bus Saturday in the middle of her ice cream run, and who knew her son was so hot!

Vanna and 29-year-old Nikko had just hit up Jenni's Ice Cream shop in Bev Hills when our tour guide spotted her. Vanna jumped on the bus and had loads of fun with our guests.

TMZ broke the story, she's demanding at least half of what Pat Sajak makes if she'll continue her more than 40-year reign on the show. Pat makes around $15 million -- Vanna makes $3 mil and hasn't gotten a bump in 18 years. Remember, even "Wheel" refers to her and Pat as "the stars of the show," not distinguishing between the two.

If Vanna exits at the same time Pat hangs it up, it leaves the show without any familiar faces.

Everyone connected to the negotiations has gone radio silent, although a few weeks back a source with direct knowledge described the negotiations between Vanna and Sony as "very difficult."

New video taken the night that Russell disappeared in Alabama appears to show the moment she pulled over on a highway to help a child ... this before mysteriously vanishing.

According to AL.com, the surveillance footage -- which was just published Saturday -- was recorded by an online company that captures and archives live traffic footage ... and it looks like they caught the exact moment that the 25-year-old came to a stop on the shoulder of I-459 in Hoover, Alabama Thursday night ... when she was first reported missing by her family.

It's a disturbing story ... cops say Russell called 911 that night to report seeing a lone child walking along the interstate, and she came to a screeching halt herself to get out and help.

Russell is said to have also been on the phone with her brother's GF, who says she heard Carlee calling out to the child ... asking if they were okay. Then, she claims to have heard Carlee scream before the phone dropped, with only the sound of traffic being heard after.

When police arrived to the scene ... they found her car and belongings -- including her phone, but Russell was nowhere to be found. Ditto for the kid she reported seeing.

Now, in the wake of this new footage -- which police say they have and are examining -- people are picking it apart ... and some even claim to see something that could give a clue as to what happened. In many people's eyes ... this looks to be an abduction via luring.

The reason people believe that -- aside from the eerie details of the case -- has to do with a bright yellow light that can be seen in this footage ... which darts south in the video at a rapid speed, but then goes dark. Unclear what the light may be -- but it seems suspicious.

Her family has been sounding the alarm since, asking the public to help bring her back ... and there's even been a huge reward offered for her return, now increased to $50,000.

Cops released a new photo of Carlee -- seen above, where she's got short hair -- and say this is a more accurate depiction/what she may have looked like the night she went missing.

Time apparently doesn't heal all wounds for Future ... 'cause the rapper just seemingly dissed the hell outta Russell Wilson in his latest song.

The Atlanta M.C. dropped the controversial bar in his "Turn Yo Clic Up" collab with Quavo on Friday ... rapping in his verse, "I got it out the field, f*** Russell."

Future hasn't shied away from his thoughts on his ex-fiancée and mother of his child, Ciara, moving on with the NFL quarterback ... going in on the now-married couple multiple times in interviews.

Remember, Future Hendrix bashed Ciara for having Russell around Future Jr. early in their relationship ... telling "The Breakfast Club" in 2015, "You don't bring a man around your son."

"You've known this man for a few months and you're bringing him around your kid? Who does that?"

He later went in on Russell in 2019 ... saying he's not a real man in their relationship.

"He not telling her, 'Chill out with that on the internet. Don't even talk to him. I'm your husband. You better not even bring Future's name up!" he said on Apple Music.

"If that was me, she couldn't even bring his name up. She know that. She couldn't even bring her exes names up."

Russell and Ciara have been married since 2016 ... and they have two kids of their own.

Wilson has since become a father figure for Future Jr. as well ... even spending a lot of time working on their football skills together.

Russell doesn't seem bothered by Future's constant gripes -- this past Father's Day, he said, "Future, Sienna & Win ... I Love You Forever! Glad we get to raise them together Momma! @ciara."

Dylan Mulvaney is back on U.S. soil after leaving for Peru "to feel safe" from all the Bud Light backlash ... posing for pics with all worries seemingly behind her at an L.A. film festival.

The transgender influencer -- dressed in a sheer striped top -- popped up Thursday at Outfest, an LGBTQ+ film festival at the Orpheum Theater ... showing up for the screening of "Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe."

Dylan's not in the flick, but it's directed by trans filmmaker Aitch Alberto -- marking the first time in Outfest's 41 years projects made by trans artists have both opened and closed the festival, so it's a pretty big deal.

If you haven't been following along, Dylan's resurfacing comes after she took a solo trip to Peru to do some healing ... shedding light on how messed up she felt it was she had to leave her native country just to feel safe.

Remember, folks went into a frenzy after Dylan and Bud Light partnered up for some promotion, with Anheuser-Busch reportedly losing more than $27 billion amid the outrage.

Dylan later claimed the company didn't have her back when a slew of hate came her way ... although, a spokesperson for AB said it is committed to the partnerships it's forged over the years -- including the LGBTQ+ community.

There's nothing but an empty set behind the wizard's curtain on the set of "Wicked" ... looking more like a ghost town as the SAG-AFTRA strike begins.

The Buckinghamshire village that Universal transformed into some vibrant sets for the Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo-led musical has become a dreamland for the cast and crew hard at work on the production ... but as the actors' strike went into effect Friday morning, the hundreds of cast and crew are nowhere to be found.

FYI, this movie has been brewin' since first announced back in 2016 -- obviously COVID was a big setback, but things were finally moving smoothly for the blockbuster before the strike.

HBO's "House of the Dragon" is also a project that's shooting overseas, but while that production's still going forward, don't think that makes the stars a bunch of scabs.

For those unaware, the actors in the 'GoT' prequel operate under the UK's local union, Equity -- which has strict rules against striking in solidarity with other unions like SAG-AFTRA.

"Wicked" is slated to come out next November ... but who knows if the team will be able to defy the gravity of the strike in time for its release.

Fran Drescher is clapping back against criticism she hung out with Kim Kardashian at a publicity event in Italy amid contract negotiations between actors and studios.

The President of SAG-AFTRA addressed the controversy -- specifically a 'selfie' she took with Kim K --  during a press conference Thursday announcing thousands of actors were going on strike while bringing all TV and film production to a grinding halt.

Drescher insisted, "That wasn’t a selfie," adding, "I’m a brand ambassador for a fashion company and so is Kim. I had only met Kim seconds before that publicity picture was taken."

Fran continued, "It had nothing to do with being at a party or having fun – it was absolute work … We work, that’s what we do."

The photo, snapped at the Dolce & Gabbana soiree, was shared on social media and it quickly went viral, causing all the turmoil.

One actor tweeted, "We're asking to be better compensated by the studios and Fran Drescher is mugging for the cameras in Italy. The optics look f---king terrible."

Another one wrote, "Hey @frandrescher, why are you gallivanting around when our strike is looming? Super bad look."

During her speech Thursday, Drescher -- former star of the sitcom "The Nanny" -- also mentioned she regularly stayed in touch with SAG-AFTRA colleagues in L.A. while she was in Europe.

SAG-AFTRA actors are facing a load of rules as the strike goes into effect ... and we're talking about everything, from acting on camera to even tweeting about projects.

TMZ has obtained a copy of the rigorous guidelines the 160,000 union members are required to follow until the strike ends ... and it cites the expected no-nos like acting, singing, and doing motion capture work in front of a camera.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg, because they also aren't allowed to do any voice acting, narrating, or re-recording their voice for a scene, also known as dubbing.

In addition, performers can't attend costume fittings, makeup tests, or rehearsals and they can't audition for upcoming projects.

There's also a ban on promotion, in every form -- they can't do interviews, tours, fan expos and conventions, podcast appearances, award shows or even post about a project on social media.

It appears pre-recorded promos are fair game for the studios, but SAG-AFTRA's asked publicists to add a disclaimer in front of pre-deadline press junkets so some actors don't come off as scabs down the line.

Stand-ins and background actors in the union are also forbidden from crossing that picket line ... leaving options incredibly limited for any shows or movies staying in production. Also, anyone not in SAG-AFTRA that crosses the line won't be getting future entry into the union.