TV

Donald Trump unloaded on Jussie Smollett and Chicago prosecutors who dropped criminal charges against him ... essentially calling Jussie a loser.

Trump riled up his base Saturday night at a Wisconsin rally and talked about his perceived mission to make America great again.

Other than a tweet, it's been awhile since the Prez has ferociously taken aim at Smollett ... until now.

TMZ broke the story, Smollett claimed his 2 attackers screamed, "This is MAGA Country!" as they left him on a sub-zero Chicago street with a noose around his neck and bleach on his shirt. Police and the Grand Jury say it's all a big lie ... a fake attack.

Trump actually credited Smollett with coining the term, "This is MAGA Country" ... and in the process referred to him as a "third rate actor."

50 Cent is going OFF on Hollywood producer and fiance of "Vanderpump Rules" star Lala Kent, Randall Emmett ... threatening physical violence if he doesn't pay him back by Monday for a million dollar loan he says he owes.

Fiddy fired things up on his Instagram Friday by mocking Lala over a 'Vanderpump' clip in which she admits Randall gifted her a Range Rover after the first time they had sex. 50 wrote ... "10 seconds left in the 4 quarter hoe's are Winning. Do you want A range rover, yes, bitch yassss. Then just run out and suck a d-–k. LOL smh."

After Lala clapped back in the comments by making fun of 50 for claiming to be a thug but watching Bravo, the rapper decided to set his sights on Emmett ... who he apparently has MAJOR beef with.

50 began posting screenshots of texts with Randall -- a fellow executive producer on his show, "Power" -- calling him a loser and asking him if he told Lala he owes him a million dollars.

Sources close to 50 tell TMZ ... the million dollars is from a loan to Emmett, and Randall has allegedly promised to pay it back for years but then dodges him. We're told 50 actually helped Randall get on "Power" as a way to help him pay back his loan, too.

But 50's done waiting and instead has threatened to injure him if he doesn't pay up, saying ... "Keep playing with me and get ya f***ing head cracked in front of everybody."

Emmett's texts are apologetic and seemingly fearful. He even tells 50 he's heading to the emergency room because it's too much for him and he's afraid he's having a heart attack, then he pleads ... "Please fifty no more."

50 claims Randall immediately sent him $250k of the million he says he owes him, but he wasn't done with the threats. He posted again -- after Emmett mentioned he asked 50 to be in his wedding -- mocking him for even asking and reiterating he wants his money ... even if he has to get the Range Rover back.

He also shared another text to Emmett saying, "You took my kindness for weakness now I'm show you what I been try not to do to you dumb motherf***ers." He added, "The friend sh*t is over rated."

Then 50 dropped this ...

Before he was Captain Robert Sullivan, he was crushin' kids on the tennis court ... and actor Boris Kodjoe tells TMZ Sports he was so good, he could've been one of the best players in the world!!!

We spoke with the "Station 19" actor at LAX about his love for the sport ... and asked him straight-up if he had what it takes to make a career out of it if he wanted to.

As it turns out ... Kodjoe is a freakin' beast ... and says he was ranked in the top 10 at the junior level, went on to play at Virginia Commonwealth University in the '90s on tennis scholarship for 4 years.

Jussie Smollett's got a lot of baggage, so he's enlisted his brother to help him load it up and move it out ... to a new pad, that is.

The embattled "Empire" star's baby bro, Jake, got down and dirty Thursday to help Jussie move out of his Studio City crib and into a new home. You can also see a moving crew helping big time ... hauling a bunch of Jussie's crap -- from workout equipment and lamps to chairs and mirrors.

Jake, who's also an actor, has stood firm -- like all of the Smolletts -- in his support of Jussie.

You might say Jake's going above and beyond for his bro ... because the move was going down while Jussie was in NYC power-lunching with "Empire" honcho, Brett Mahoney -- no doubt, discussing his future on the show.

Van Jones brought a murderer together with his victim's child for his new show about restorative justice -- and the meeting was so powerful ... he cried so hard his nose started bleeding!!!

Van was on "TMZ Live" Friday, giving us the lowdown on his new series, "The Redemption Project With Van Jones." It brings offenders face-to-face with the people most affected by their violent crimes.

He says the process offers victims and criminals a way to finally heal their wounds. He adds ... every word uttered during the series is an authentic expression of someone "trying to climb out of hell." Riveting stuff, for sure.

As you might imagine, Van says he and his team struggled with the ethics of bringing victims together with convicts ... and explains the steps they had to take to make sure things didn't spiral out of control.

'Redemption' premieres Sunday night on CNN.

James Holzhauer -- the "Jeopardy!" contestant winning prize money at a torrid pace -- has a history of breaking the bank ... 'cause he set records on another show called, "The Chase."

TMZ got details about the current "Jeopardy!" phenom's 2014 domination of 'Chase' ... a Game Show Network hit. As is his style, Holzhauer started out hot in the opening "cash builder" round, answering 12 questions correctly -- often before host Brooke Burns even finished asking them.

The 12 right answers for $60k broke the previous record and was never topped in 51 episodes of "The Chase" -- and, get this ... it could have been 13 answers if he was a Jason Mraz fan. You gotta see it.

There's more -- James also set the high mark in "The Final Chase" round by answering 19 questions correctly for his team. This record also still stands.

When it was all said and done, Holzhauer's team of 3 won $175k and split it evenly.

What's interesting ... at one point, Holzhauer was offered a chance by the show's titular "chaser," Mark "The Beast" Labbett, to win more money, and he declined ... opting to take the conservative route.

If you've been watching him on "Jeopardy!" ... you know he likes to bet BIG. James later revealed he crunched the numbers and determined the larger payoff on 'Chase' wasn't worth the gamble.

Holzhauer became the second person in "Jeopardy!" history to surpass $1 million in winnings in non-tournament play Wednesday, and owns the single-show record of $131,127. He also now holds the top 7 daily totals, and is well on his way to catching Ken Jennings, who won a total of $2.5 million over 74 games.

James has done all his damage in just 15 games.

Jussie Smollett might have secured his return to "Empire" -- despite ongoing controversy over the alleged Chicago "attack" -- when he kicked it in NYC with a pretty powerful show exec.

TMZ got this video of the actor leaving lunch at a Lafayette restaurant Wednesday, and he told us he was feeling "pride" about his work on the show. Turns out, he may have been feeling optimistic as well ... because the guy he was lunching with was showrunner Brett Mahoney.

Sources close to Mahoney -- who's publicly voiced his support for Jussie in the past -- tell us the lunch Wednesday was a casual hangout, and not the first time the 2 have seen each other since Jussie wrapped on "Empire" amid his scandal.

We're told Brett's been telling his friends Jussie's future on the show is still up in the air, but it's unclear if the topic was broached during their lunch.

You'll recall, earlier this week, "Empire" creator and executive producer Lee Daniels said the same -- that they're currently considering bringing Jussie back.

Now, let's connect the dots ... seems unlikely that Mahoney would break bread with Jussie if he thought they were about to 86 him from the show.

Another strong sign for Jussie ... the letter his costars Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard wrote imploring network execs to let Jussie stay on the show. They said he's innocent and "filled with integrity" and they want to "put this behind us and move forward.”

The NY Post first reported Mahoney was lunching with Jussie. We'll see how it plays out, but that meal might end up being the crucial moment "Empire" and its star smoothed things out.

It took almost 6 years, but Camille Grammer's secured a legal victory over her ex-boyfriend ... in a case involving assault and claims of defamation from both sides.

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star came out on top in her civil suit against Dimitri Charalambopoulos Wednesday, after a jury ruled he attacked her in a Houston hotel in 2013 ... and she did NOT defame him by reporting it.

The jury also determined Charalambopoulos defamed Grammer when he went on "Access Hollywood" a month after the incident and claimed she fabricated the story. According to legal docs ... Grammer was awarded $36,000 in damages for the assault.

She was also awarded $25 for injury to her reputation from the defamation. Not a ton o' dough, but a win's a win.

We broke the story ... Kelsey Grammer's ex-wife claimed Dimitri, her boyfriend at the time, brutalized her in October 2013 after the 2 had an argument over a late-night text. A grand jury decided there was not enough evidence to charge him criminally, and he subsequently sued her for defamation.

Camille countersued, claiming her story was true and she has more than enough photos, witnesses and other evidence to establish it ... while tacking on her own claim of defamation.

In the end, the jury sided with her.

2:13 PM PT -- A rep for Harvard tells us, "Harvard Business School Online has not admitted nor provided an acceptance letter to a person named Angela White." We've reached out to Chyna's team -- who provided us with the letter -- but they've gone radio silent.

Blac Chyna is now part of the Harvard University community, and she didn't have to pull an Olivia Jade to get there.

Chyna has been accepted to take a course at the Harvard Business School -- well, the online version ... but hey, it's still Harvard.

The reality star/former stripper got her admissions letter Monday, inviting her to take a course called Business Analytics ... teaching students how to interpret data and make savvy business decisions. The course is a substantial time investment -- 40 hours over 8 weeks.

Chyna posted a lengthy reflection on her life earlier this week, saying, "I am working to be the best me."

Chyna tells us, "Where I'm at now is a stage of realization and growth! I want to be great for myself and my kids. School is going to help me take things up a couple of notches. People are always talking about me, might as well talk about the good. I'm excited for the next chapter."

As for the class -- the material seems daunting. Chyna will learn how to ...

-Recognize trends, detect outliers, and summarize data sets.

-Analyze relationships between variables. Develop and test hypotheses.

-Craft sound survey questions and draw conclusions from population samples.

-Implement regression analysis and other analytical techniques in Excel.

As we reported ... Rob Kardashian and Chyna recently settled their nasty custody war over their 2-year-old daughter, Dream. Rob was paying $20K per month in support, but now he doesn't have to pay a dime ... and the couple splits medical and school expenses -- but not Chyna's school expenses.

So, in a few years, you can hire Kim to defend you, and Chyna to line your pockets.

Avert your eyes, "Jane the Virgin" fans, because we've got a potential spoiler for the fifth and final season ... even though it's probably not THAT much of a surprise.

If ya don't know ... in the very first episode of the show, Jane -- played by Gina Rodriguez -- accidentally gets pregnant via artificial insemination, and the unwitting biological father is her former teenage crush, Rafael -- played by Justin Baldoni.

Long story short -- the 2 grow closer as a result of their unique situation, and these pics seem to reveal ... it leads to marriage.

Gina and Justin were spotted shooting a wedding scene in L.A. Wednesday, and all signs point to Jane being the bride ... and Rafael being the groom.

Now, 'Jane' fans know she's been caught up in a love triangle for some time -- between Rafael and Michael -- so getting hitched to Raf is certain to delight ... and disappoint.

Then again, they could have been filming a dream sequence or some other curveball could come into play.

All we know is what we see in the photos.

The final season of "Jane the Virgin" premiered in March and the finale will air this summer.

Jussie Smollett's last episode ever of "Empire" could be running Wednesday night ... and a few hours before it aired, he told us he only has one word on his mind.

We got the embattled actor leaving Lafayette restaurant in NYC, and the paps asked him how he feels about his final episode of this season. There are 2 more to go, but we already know Jussie won't be in them.

Make no mistake ... Jussie's future with the show is completely up in the air. On Tuesday, creator and executive producer Lee Daniels made it clear they're still debating whether to bring him back next season. Jussie seemed totally unshaken when we asked him about it.

As we first reported ... Jussie was written off the final 2 episodes on the heels of his arrest and felony charges of disorderly conduct for lying to cops. As it stands now, "Empire" hasn't been officially green lit for season 6, but assuming it will be ... there's no guarantee he'll be part of it.

As it turns out, Jussie's co-stars, Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, came out swinging for him ... firing off a letter to the show's honchos ... demanding he remain on the show. The letter, posted by Deadline, read, "Together, as a united front, we stand with Jussie Smollett and ask that our co-star, brother and friend be brought back for our sixth season of Empire."

It goes on to say, "He is also innocent and no longer subject to legal uncertainty with the criminal charges against him having been dropped. We are confident in his lawyer’s assurance that the case was dismissed because it would not have prevailed.”

Chicago is not so sure -- and, the fact is, Jussie's still facing a civil trial where the city will try to show he did lie.

A lot of balls up in the air.

Wendy Williams is taking several steps -- professionally and personally -- to erase her estranged husband from her life, and she got the ball rolling even before serving him divorce papers.

Sources close to Wendy tell TMZ ... she's totally cut Kevin Hunter off from her money and has hired a team to ensure all of her finances are secure. We're told she's separated their funds and created new accounts ... a process that began before she filed for divorce.

Wendy's officially locked down her own place in Manhattan, as well. Our sources say she signed the lease on her new home a few weeks ago and has already paid rent for the next year.

She and Kevin previously lived together at their home in New Jersey. That's where that weird story went down in January ... when, as we told you, cops conducted a welfare check on Wendy.

As for business matters -- we're told Wendy waffled over whether to keep a professional relationship with Hunter, but ultimately decided to cut all ties. She's currently looking for a new manager.

Sources connected to Kevin tell us he hasn't received any money from the show following his departure. Not yet.

We're told he's known as a pretty savvy business guy, so show execs fully expect he'll insist on some kind of exit package.

"I think that it's perceived as kind of a douchey thing to do, but that's why it's funny!"

That's Steve-O -- the man who made getting tattoos of himself on himself famous -- weighing in on Ezekiel Elliott's tat ... and, spoiler alert, the guy LOVES what the running back did!

"Everybody's favorite topic of conversation is themselves," the former "Jackass" star tells TMZ Sports ... "So, why not just celebrate that?"

Remember, Steve-O once inked a GIANT pic of himself on his back ... and in case ya forgot what it looked like, watch the clip -- he showed us how it's aged over the years.

So, when got him out in L.A. on Tuesday ... we had to ask for his thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys superstar getting his mug etched into the side of his calf earlier this month.

No surprise here ... Steve-O says he's ALL FOR IT!!!

"You gotta have the ability to not take yourself too seriously. Poke a little fun at yourself. 'I'm self-centered, I enjoy myself,' and I think that's funny, you know?"

Pete Wentz is such an extreme "dork" for "Game of Thrones," he's almost apologizing for it, but he's also sharing some DEEP theories about the final season ... including who's next to kick the bucket.

We got Pete outside of Craig's Tuesday night in WeHo and our guy could barely get his question out about 'GoT' when Pete went full Thronee ... nerding out with conspiracy theories that, as he said, go way beyond who's going to end up on the iron throne. You can tell, he's been up and down several Reddit rabbit holes.

Check out the vid ... Pete's got his own ideas about Bran Stark, Melisandre and Grey Worm's fates as the stage is being set up for an epic battle between Westeros and the White Walkers.

Jackson Bostwick was only 30 years old when he slipped into the shocking spandex and took on the role of the superhero Captain Marvel -- opposite Michael Gray as the young boy Billy Batson -- on the short-running Saturday Morning television show 'Shazam!'

Although the series only lasted from 1974 to 1976 Jackson Bostwick only played the character Captain Marvel for the first 17 episodes of the program ... and was replaced by John Davey for the final eleven episodes.

Fun fact: Shazam stands for Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, Mercury ... which were Captain Marvel's elders.

"Game of Thrones" is all about winter right now, but the music that's on its way inspired by the hit show's gonna be way more fire than ice ... with some huge stars at the forefront.

TMZ's obtained behind-the-scenes shots of The Weeknd, SZA and Travis Scott on set while shooting the video for their track, "Power is Power." The trio's all decked out in clothes fit for the Seven Kingdoms ... in front of some iconic imagery from the show.

We're told the rappers/singers shot the video last weekend in L.A. Their collab is part of HBO and Columbia Records' release of "For the Throne" ... an upcoming album inspired by 'GoT.'

Other artists set to be featured on the album include A$AP Rocky, The Lumineers, Ellie Goulding, Ty Dolla $ign, Mumford & Sons, The National, X Ambassadors and the late Lil Peep.

Travis and SZA -- who we're told are huge 'Thrones' fans themselves -- have been teasing the vid for a bit ... but now we have another sneak peek.