TV

"Empire" star Jussie Smollett is keeping it as real as his TV mama Cookie does ... saying he's NOT hookin' up with Michael Sam ... despite the fact they've been spending A LOT of time together recently.

50 Cent just learned why it's important to get the full story ... after he shared a homophobic post about "Empire" ... but he didn't read the whole thing.

A rep for 50 tells TMZ the rapper reposted a photo to his Instagram making fun at the show's decline in ratings ... but he missed the part about the drop in ratings being due to the show's "gay stuff."

50's rep says he deleted the post once he saw the homophobic comments attached to it. The rep says the comments were "not a reflection of his views at all."

50 has been beefing with the show for a while now ... mostly because he says it's inferior to his show "Power." It doesn't help that "Empire" singled him out during the season 2 premiere episode.

Someone call Vince McMahon ... because Stephen A. Smith just went on a WWE-style smacktalk rant directed at Kevin Durant ... in which he essentially threatens to dig up dirt that will DESTROY the NBA star!!

It's pretty crazy ... Smith went on ESPN's "First Take" to respond to comments made by Durant -- in which KD called BS on one of Smith's NBA reports about him. Durant called Smith a liar and claimed neither he nor anyone in his inner circle has ever talked to Smith.

Smith clearly didn't take too kindly to the statement ... and UNLOADED this morning:

"I sit here today incredibly offended by the personal attack that this man has put against me," Smith said.

"What I would like to ask Kevin Durant and some of the brothers who talk behind my back in the NBA who probably put him up to something stupid like this ... Do you really want me to come out of this seat and go back on the scene? Do you really wanna see me in an NBA arena?"

"Because I can assure you I'll find out more in 10 minutes than I can get from 50 phone calls .... I have proven it."

"I am a black man on national television with a big mouth and I will still stand up today here and I'll put my resume spanning 22 years plus up against anyone in this industry."

"We really wanna go here? We really wanna start something with ME???? You sure about that??? I just want people to think about that."

"Game of Thrones" stars Emilia Clarke and Jason Momoa came together again in the last place you'd expect to see the Mother of Dragons and The Great Khal ... Fashion Week in Paris.

Clarke shared the joyous photo, writing, "Well I guess the sun rises in the west and sets in the east then huh? Paris fashion week just kicked off....! #Momoaloveforlifebaby #nomorebeerleftinparis #bestdresseddothraki."

Morena Baccarin took a stroll in Venice over the weekend ... showing clear signs Gotham's newest resident should arrive in the not too distant future.

Forget Ben Stiller or Andy Warhol (yes, seriously) ... the greatest WWE celebrity cameo EVER was executed (painfully) by Jon Stewart ... so says WWE legend Scott Hall.

Stewart was famously SLAMMED to the mat by John Cena during "Monday Night Raw" back in August -- earning him TONS of respect from the wrestling faithful.

And when we saw Hall leaving the Opie and Jimmy show in NYC ... along with Diamond Dallas Page and Jake 'The Snake' Roberts ... they all seemed to agree the former 'Daily Show' host became a WWE legend himself that day.

Train hero Alek Skarlatos would've been on the Oregon college campus where a gunman killed 10 ... if not for his stint on "Dancing With The Stars."

Sources close to Skarlatos tell us he'd already enrolled at Umpqua Community College before accepting the 'DWTS' gig. We're told he had scheduled his classes for Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester, so he's certain he would have been on campus when the shooting happened.

We broke the story, Skarlatos bolted out of rehearsal Thursday when news broke about the shooting, and he flew home to Oregon almost immediately. We're told ABC paid for the flight.

Miley Cyrus fans have the same gimmick as the singer herself ... a gimmick they believe will stop her in her tracks.

A few loyal fans were waiting outside the 'Tonight Show' Thursday, while Miley jawboned with Jimmy about her pet pig ... a pig that is vegan and apparently grossly overweight.

Miley isn't afraid to judge the relative virtues between dog and pig poop.

Believe it ... TV parents can absolutely teach real-life parents a thing or two -- which Julie Bowen proved by dropping serious relationship knowledge.

The "Modern Family" hot mom was bolting out of BOA Steakhouse on Sunset and we asked if she has, y'know ... "the talk" with her TV kids. After all, 2 of 'em are at that age -- Nolan Gould is 16, and Ariel Winter is 17.

Sarah Hyland is 24, but what 20-something couldn't use some sex advice, right?

Being unemployed has its benefits ... if you're Michael Sam ... 'cause the outta-work football player has some new friends in high places ... hanging with the cast of the hit Fox show "Empire."

Whoopi Goldberg isn't denying she's pissed at someone at "The View" -- in fact, she sounds angry in this video -- but she's refusing to call it a "meltdown."

Whoopi allegedly went off recently on 'View' execs -- according to the The Daily Mail she dropped the 'n' word and called herself a slave doing the bidding of her ABC masters. The report claims it was because she'd been cut out of an editorial meeting.

Outside the ABC studio today, our photog referred to the incident as a "meltdown," and then Whoopi took him to school. But watch ... she also strongly hints someone's stepping on her toes behind the scenes.

Tony Danza says his former "Who's The Boss" co-star Danny Pintauro is making the world a better place by coming out as HIV positive.

Our photog caught Danza leaving the Jerry Weintraub memorial after-party at Craig's Sunday night ... the day after Pintauro, who played Jonathan on Danza's '80s sitcom, told Oprah he's been living with the virus for the past 12 years.

Danza sings Pintauro's praises.

"Gotham" star Morena Baccarin -- who is pregnant with co-star Ben McKenzie's baby -- plans to marry him ... TMZ has learned.

Baccarin is in the middle of a nasty divorce with director Austin Chick. According to legal docs obtained by TMZ, Baccarin says she got pregnant with Ben's baby in June, which she claims was after she separated with Chick. The estranged husband begs to differ and says she got pregnant while they were still together.

Chick filed for divorce, and Morena has already planned her next move. In her legal docs, obtained by TMZ, she says, "Today, I am in a new committed relationship. I am planning to re-marry. Also, I am 3 1/2 months pregnant."

Morena's divorce is bitter. As we reported, Chick says he came to their house in June, only to find Ben freshly showered and playing with their 1-year-old son.

And Morena included texts in her docs to show how bad the situation is ... she texted to Chick, "I'd like to be there alone with Julius [their son]. Please Friday all day and night through Sunday morning."

He responded, "I'd like to run Fox Studios and remake The Sound of Music w an entirely black cast of hip hop artist."

David Spade has always been a ladies man, but he just lost one for good ... comedian Krista Allen, who's suing Spade for allegedly screwing her out of a TV show.

According to Krista's lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- last year, she came up with the idea for a show called "Frauditions," a fake talent show in which participants are conned into participating in front of actors posing as judges.

Krista says she pitched her idea to David and he loved it, and they agreed to an even split of profits. But she says things went majorly south when the show went into development and David's lawyer tried to change the split from 50/50 to 70/30. In the end, she rejected the proposal.

Come to find out ... David produced and hosted a show called "Fameless," which Krista says is a ripoff of "Frauditions." "Fameless" is airing on truTV.

Krista -- who's appeared in "Liar Liar", "Anger Management" and "Spin City," was rumored to have dated David in 2001.

She wants more than a million bucks.

We reached out to Spade ... so far no word back.

Anthony Anderson is about to be married only on television ... because the "Black-ish" star's wife has filed for divorce.

Anderson's wife Alvina filed the document, citing irreconcilable differences.

The couple was married in 1995 (they were high school sweethearts), and have two children together, ages 19 and 15. She's asking for joint legal custody of the minor and primary physical custody, with Anthony getting "reasonable visitation."

Alvina is asking for spousal support.

This is a little odd ... Alvina lists the date of separation as April 1, 2014 ... that's before "Black-ish" even premiered. It's unclear if she'll lay claim to Anthony's "Black-ish" money.

In addition to the hit ABC show, Anderson also hosts a show on the Food Network, "Carnival Cravings with Anthony Anderson."

Columbus Short is now on the Lindsay Lohan plan ... as in, he just dodged a jail sentence for a serious crime, but he's gonna have to keep his nose clean for a long time.

Short pled no contest on Thursday to felony assault for knocking out a guy at a West L.A. restaurant in March 2014. As we previously reported ... Short broke the victim's nose, leaving him bloodied and unconscious.

The ex "Scandal" star was immediately sentenced to 3 years probation, 60 days community labor, and 26 anger management classes. He will also have to pay restitution to the victim.