TV

Kanye West totally blindsided Billboard Music Awards producers when he performed the n-word laced version of his hit, "All Day" ... and forced the censors to stand on the audio dump button.

Production sources at the award show tell TMZ ... Kanye never did a dress rehearsal of the song, so they just expected him to be on his best behavior, and perform a clean version. One source said, "He knew it was national TV."

We're guessing that's exactly the point, and Kanye knew exactly what he was doing.

Think about it ... his closing act is the one everyone's talking about -- even though they couldn't hear or see most of it.

The production source told us ... "He's Kanye. What are we supposed to do?"

Bruce Jenner says he will fully become a woman, and strongly intimates he will have sexual reassignment surgery this spring.

Bruce was not 100% clear, but strongly suggested he's going under the knife.

You've gotta listen to the whole thing ... he flip flops a bit, first telling Kim he's going all the way with the transition, and then talking about surgically tweaking his facial features.

But in context, it sounds like the conversations -- shot months ago for "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" -- are about sexual reassignment surgery, but on the other hand it could be Bruce and the girls are simply talking past each other.

You also see in the clip how Khloe is having trouble handling it. Kim, on the other hand, is strong and even confronts Bruce about full disclosure.

"Mad Men" fans woke up Monday feeling like 'Sopranos' fans did 8 years ago -- an ambiguous final scene made it SEEM like Don Draper created the iconic Coke commercial ... and the show's creator is keeping the mystery going.

We got Matt Weiner and Christopher Stanley (who played Betty's second husband) outside the show's wrap party -- and put the big Draper question to them.

If you missed it ... the final shots of the series showed Don finally reaching a point of clarity in his life -- cut to black (a la 'Sopranos') ... and then the legendary "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" commercial rolls.

So, did DD clean up his act, and make the epic ad -- or was it just symbolic of the kind of manufactured feelings Draper was famous for creating throughout the series?

Stanley tries to give us an opinion, before Weiner crushed his groove. Check it out.

Michael Jordan has called in the big guns to sell his insane Chicago mansion -- hiring "Real Housewives" star Mauricio Umansky ... who tells TMZ Sports he's "honored" to work for the legendary #23.

MJ has been trying to sell the pad since 2012 -- but couldn't move it for the price he wanted (originally $29 mil) .. so swapped out his real estate people and called in Mauricio and Kofi Nartey of The Agency.

"I'm so honored, such a privilege to be hired by the great Michael Jordan,"Mauricio told us.

So, what's Umansky's strategy? It starts with the new asking price ... $14,855,000 ... and when you add those numbers up ... it comes to 23! Pretty cool right?

Check out the clip ... Mauricio explains why some lucky rich guy is about to land one of the greatest homes he's ever seen.

Kanye West gave ABC censors a collective heart attack Sunday night at the Billboard Music Awards -- because the rapper dropped so many n-words ... most of his act was dead silence.

Kanye closed the show with his hit, "All Day" -- but about all you could hear on TV was the song's title. Censors killed the audio for so much of the song ... you're really left wondering -- why bother? The censoring went as long as 15 solid seconds at times.

Plus, you could barely SEE Yeezy through all the fireworks and smoke. Again ... why bother?

One thing you could hear clearly -- the boos for Kylie and Kendall Jenner as they introduced their bro-in-law.

Animal Planet's "My Cat From Hell" host Jackson Galaxy's former partners want to scratch his eyes out -- legally speaking ... because they say he's cheating them out of thousands.

According to the docs ... consulting producer Brian Rochlin and publicist Susan Mainzer say they had a deal with Galaxy -- he'd give them 10% of his take, and another 15% of any back-end money.

Rochlin and Mainzer say Jackson started shorting them after 3 seasons of dutifully paying. In the suit, they acknowledge it was an oral agreement, but hope the fact he's been paying will prove they had a deal. Plus, they say Jackson emailed them ... it was time to "end this business relationship."

Jackson's ex pawtners want him to pony up for the rest of season 4, all of 5 and 6 -- and if it's picked up ... they also want season 7 dough.

Harry Styles paid tribute to 1D, as in ... DEEZ NUTS ... in Las Vegas.

One Direction won the Billboard Music Award for Top Duo/Group, and Harry celebrated by slyly grabbing a hold -- playfully and gently, we hope -- of bandmate Niall Horan's balls.

Watch ... Niall plays it off pretty good.

5:55 PM PT -- Crisis averted. Mariah performed 2 songs -- "Vision of Love" and her new hit, "Infinity." Not only did she show up ... she NAILED one of the closing notes. Like, old school Mariah ... nailed it.

Mariah Carey knows how to cause a mass panic -- she bailed on her final rehearsal before the Billboard Music Awards, which air LIVE in a few hours -- but Mimi's got one word for the haters ... CHILL.

TMZ has learned BMA producers are scrambling because they don't know what's going on with Mariah -- especially on the heels of her bronchitis issues earlier this week. Our BMA sources say the other reason for concern is ... it's been 17 years since she was last on the award show.

But our Mariah sources are laughing off the panic, because producers shouldn't be shocked at all. As one source put it, "Nobody does dress [rehearsal]. WTF?? No big stars go ... ever."

It's true, you'd think award shows are old hat for a vet like Mariah. Plus, she performed as scheduled last night at Caesars Palace, and seemed fine.

As for what happens tonight on live TV? Stay tuned ...

Taylor Swift's playing the old music game -- make your fans think you're single, 'cause it's good for business -- and that may be why she'll sit 2 seats away from her boo at Sunday's Billboard Music Awards.

Taylor and Calvin Harris have been seen together in public showing lots of affection, but we're told Taylor requested that several of her friends form a human barrier between her and the famous DJ.

Apparently she wants to have interaction without reaction.

Mama June is joining a band ... in her lap.

The 'Honey Boo Boo' matriarch is so inspired by her recent 45 lb. weight loss, she's gunning to lose another 50, with the help of the Lap-Band.

We did the math ... she currently weighs in at 276 lbs., and if she achieves her gastric goal she'll go down to a svelte 226.

June made the decision to go under the knife because she's plateaued with her trainer and her relatively healthy diet.

She'll have the surgery this summer, which means she'll just miss bikini season.

Vernon Davis isn't the only NFL star with acting chops -- former Arizona Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes has been bitten by the acting bug as well ... and he has sights set on LL Cool J's job.

Rhodes recently starred in a short film called "Protocol" where he plays a SWAT team member who rescues a young girl taken hostage by an escaped criminal.

Elliot Feld, the writer/director of the film, tells TMZ Sports that Rhodes approached him looking to make a short. Field says Rhodes was really into the idea of playing an action hero so Felds got the idea from a former SWAT team member ... and a few days later, they started shooting.

Feld says Rhodes was the consummate professional and they were done in three weeks time.

For his part, Rhodes tells TMZ Sports, "I had to channel my inner LL cool J, and now I am coming for his role on 'NCIS.'"

So might we see a collaboration with Vernon Davis and his "Captain Torpedo"?

"As far as Vernon Davis, he can play his superhero character in a movie and I will play the villain." Rhodes says. "But at the end, I will be the one who won."

Ariel Winter's long battle to be free from her mother is finally over -- she's been emancipated.

The 17-year-old "Modern Family" star has been estranged from her mother, Chrystal Workman since 2012 ... and was removed from the home after allegations of abuse.

Winter was overjoyed at the news, writing, "I am now officially emancipated!!! I'm really lucky I have an amazing support system and lovely people in my life who have given me the support and guidance to have been given this wonderful opportunity."

Winter also thanked her sister, Shanelle Gray ... with whom she's been living. Ariel remained close with her father throughout the ordeal ... and earlier this month posted a photo with him before heading off to her prom.

B-actress Alicia Arden is literally betting her ass, that a hot DIY car wash will get Hollywood's attention.

Arden -- who was Theresa Carter on "General Hospital" back in the early 2000s -- is still soaping it up as evidenced by her public strip down to a bikini -- at a West Hollywood car wash.

Check it out ... it's at least the 3rd time Arden's displayed her blatant thirst for camera attention while cleaning her whip. Gotta say though, for a chick turning 46 in two days ... she's still bangin'.

Without Tom Brokaw, Allen Iverson would NOT have become the NBA superstar he turned out to be ... and A.I. knows it.

Iverson appeared on "CBS This Morning" and gave credit to the legendary newsman for helping him out ... when he was facing 15 years in prison for allegedly hitting a white woman at a bowling alley during a brawl.

It all went down in 1993 when Iverson was 18-years-old ... he was actually convicted and served 4 months in prison.

Brokaw featured Iverson's story on the news and pointed out the injustice ... that a teen with no prior criminal record had been hit with SUCH a harsh punishment.

Did you know ... "Blackish" star Anthony Anderson is friends with NFL legend Marcus Allen?

It's true ... and yesterday at LAX, the guys had a pretty hilarious explanation for the whole Deflategate situation -- it all comes down to pee!

The whole video is pretty hilarious ... with Anderson crackin' jokes just to get Marcus to laugh.

Bill Cosby is finally addressing the sexual assault allegations that have dogged him for years, but his explanations are bizarre and incomprehensible.

The questions were on point. "Nightline" reporter Linsey Davis asked Cosby if he's thought about how he'd deal with young people who only know about the lurid allegations ... Cosby's answer is gibberish.

Ditto questions about the allegations overshadowing the current message he's trying to send to raise awareness about underfunded schools in Selma, AL. Good luck with the answer.

And then Cosby's asked about his legacy.