TV

Pete Buttigieg may have lost some early steam in his campaign to nab the Democratic nomination for president ... but Hollywood's still got his back big-time.

According to filings by the 2019 Federal Election Commission ... contributions for Mayor Pete have been pouring in from celebs since he announced his 2020 presidential run -- with well over 30 Hollywood types forking over cash to the South Bend Mayor.

Among the names ... Gwyneth Paltrow ($2,800), Anna Wintour ($2,800), Mandy Moore ($3,818.86), Tom Ford ($5,600), Larry David ($2,800), Kevin Bacon ($2,800), Michael J. Fox ($2,800), Frances McDormand ($3,000), Matt Bomer ($2,800), Jeffrey Katzenberg ($2,800), Marilyn Katzenberg ($2,800) and John Stamos ($1,000).

And, there are others who opened their wallets for Pete, including Brad Falchuk, Sean Hayes, Caroline Kennedy, Ryan Murphy, Sarah Silverman, Ted Danson, Sharon Stone and George Takei. 

Looks like $2,800 seems to be the magic number -- the max one-time donation. Funny enough the largest one-time contribution we found in the famous batch of donors -- $6,600 -- was one Cooper Hefner -- the guy running Playboy Enterprises. The smallest donations came in at $250. 

Pete may be behind in the polls, but he's still one of the most popular Democratic candidates -- raising more than $24m this past quarter.

BTW, he's not the only Dem who's got Hollywood in his corner ... Senator Elizabeth Warren has a healthy amount of support as well -- Amy Schumer, Rosie O'Donnell, Scarlett Johansson and others plunked down cash -- raising a total of just over $19m over the course of this last cycle. 

Drake Bell thinks Austin Butler has all the right features to play Elvis Presley on the big screen ... but his biggest challenge will be singing like the king of rock 'n roll.

We got the "Drake & Josh" star in New York City after news broke Austin got the nod to play EP in Baz Luhrmann's movie about the icon. Drake, a self-proclaimed Elvis fanatic, says it's going to be a tough call whether his fellow Nickelodeon alum should attempt to really sing Elvis classics, or just lip-sync.

He's a bit of an expert on the topic, because Drake rattled off several other actors who were in Austin's shoes -- Kevin Spacey as Bobby Darin, Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury and Taron Egerton as Elton John.

Vocal abilities aside ... Drake says he's glad Austin got the part -- beating out Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, Harry Styles, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and a last minute push from G-Eazy -- because he's got the right look.

Drake's a little bummed he never got a casting call though ... and ya gotta see his Elvis impersonation!

Amber Portwood will lose more than her freedom if she's convicted of going after her boyfriend with a machete -- she will almost certainly lose her gig on "Teen Mom OG."

Production sources tell TMZ ... Amber's already on thin ice following her domestic violence arrest resulting in 3 felony charges -- domestic battery, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and domestic battery in the presence of a child.

The dealbreaker for the show ... if a jury believes Amber wielded a machete during a heated argument with bf Andrew Glennon. As we reported ... Amber struck a door with Glennon holding their infant son on the other side.

Our sources say a conviction for the use of a deadly weapon in a domestic violence incident should end her 10-year run on the 'Teen Mom' franchise. We're told the show is letting the legal process play out ... but a conviction will almost certainly be all she wrote.

As rabid 'Teen Mom' fans know ... the show has stood by Amber's side in the past when she weathered other legal storms. You'll recall she was busted for domestic violence in 2010 for hitting her ex, Gary Shirley ... an incident caught by MTV cameras.

MTV again stood by Amber when she was busted in 2011 for possession of a controlled substance. She ultimately served time behind bars and later admitted to abusing prescription drugs.

The difference in this case ... putting her son in danger. Aside from the obvious, it's way too much of a risk for a show to keep someone on the air with this kind of propensity for violence, because if she snaps again and the child gets hurt ... the show will have hell to pay.

Amber recently opened up about being bipolar and suffering from borderline personality disorder. She's also talked about postpartum depression. Obviously, all factors will be considered before a final decision is made. 

Wynonna Judd is super sad she can't be there to perform at her late friend Beth Chapman's final send-off ... but she's still making her presence felt from afar. 

Beth's memorial service is going down this afternoon in Colorado ... and she was a huge fan of Wynonna's music and the 2 got close, so the family asked the country music icon to come and sing. 

Unfortunately, Wynonna's on tour and can't be there to support a dear friend ... so she's giving Beth's family permission to feature her music during the service, including Beth's favorite Wynonna song, "Rescue Me."

Wynonna posted a tribute to Beth right after her death. 

Beth's memorial service, which is being planned by reality star Kim Fields, will feature video messages from some of Beth's celeb friends ... and Wynonna is part of it.

If Diddy's really going to bring back his hit reality show for MTV, Day26 wants to know ... are we in this together?

We got 4 of the 5 members of the R&B group that formed at the end of "Making the Band 4," and along with getting geared up for a tour this fall, Willie Taylor tells us the fellas would love to be involved in Diddy's revival of the classic competition show. 

Willie says he can't speak for the other groups that formed from the show -- like O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane and Donnie Klang -- but Day26 is "still making moves" and could serve as excellent mentors for new talent competing to make the band.

He says fans would also love to see what the group's been up to over the past decade, and Qwanell Mosley goes a step further ... telling us fans would be disappointed if they're deprived of some Day26 action.

Diddy made a surprise announcement about a possible 'Making the Band' reboot Monday, but expressed reservations about it ... and called on the public to let him know if they really want him to bring it back.

He says MTV's on board, and like the lyrics of their first hit track, "Got Me Going" -- the Day26 guys seem to be feenin' and dreamin' of the old days too.

Jenelle Evans was adamant she NEVER told cops David Eason shot their dog ... but after a little cross examination she conceded that's exactly what she believes happened.

The ex-'Teen Mom' star joined "TMZ Live" Friday to try -- keyword, try -- to clear up confusion over the fate of Nugget. 

As we reported ... the Columbus County Sheriff's Office claimed Jenelle walked her story back that David shot and killed their dog, and made the whole thing up for publicity.

Jenelle tried selling the scenario she has no idea what happened to the family pet, but eventually had to admit the obvious ... David killed Nugget after the dog nipped at 2-year-old Ensley, which sent him into a rage.

The thing that made no sense ... that Jenelle couldn't remember what David said on the stand during the custody trial about shooting the dog. 

Real estate tycoon Bill Hutchinson says he's totally in with his GF's folks -- who are actually younger than him -- and he must be to crack the kinda joke about them he did with us.

The 61-year-old "Marrying Millions" star and his 21-year-old GF, Brianna, are one of 6 couples on the new Lifetime reality show where one-half of the couple is rich like Bill ... and the other is on the opposite end of the income spectrum ... like Brianna.

So, we asked Bill how it went meeting Brianna's parents, considering their age and wage gap and their different backgrounds ... and he said it went surprisingly smooth. Brianna's Mexican, and Bill's fluent in Spanish, which he says certainly helped.

Then, Bill went and possibly spoiled the good thing he's got going by cracking a joke that might make ya laugh ... unless you're Brianna's parents. Or anyone who lives near them

Watch the clip -- he might have some 'splainin' to do at home.

20 years after the legendary whipped cream bikini, "Varsity Blues" is COMING BACK ... but this time, it'll be a series about a high school football team that hates its coach! 

The original was released back in 1999 starring James Van Der Beek, Paul Walker, Scott Caan, Amy Smart and told the story of a group of high school football players in Texas who played under butthole coach Bud Kilmner, played by Jon Voight. 

Now, Jeffrey Katzenberg's short-form mobile video platform, Quibi, has announced they're in the process of adapting the movie as a series ... with an updated twist. 

Unclear if any of the original cast will be back -- but man, we hope Jonathan Moxon made it out of West Canaan! 

Of course, some of the original cast members have passed away including Paul Walker and Ron Lester, who played "Billy Bob."

"Varsity Blues" has been in the news recently ... not just because of the flick, but the FBI sting operation into the college admissions scandal was nicknamed "Varsity Blues." 

Aubrey O'Day is still holding a candle for Donald Trump Jr. ... she's absolutely convinced the President's son is her soulmate and she's about to say it on national TV. 

Aubrey is featured on MTV's reality show, "Ex on the Beach," and sources tell TMZ ... the singer openly talks lovingly about her ex, Don Jr., while cameras are rolling.

Our sources say Aubrey also takes shots at Junior's current girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle ... calling her "crazy looking" and begging Don to dump her. 

Aubrey and Don Jr. had a steamy affair back in 2011, when his wife was pregnant ... but since early last year, Junior's been dating Kimberly. 

Seems Aubrey fancies herself as some kind of political seer ... our sources say, on the show, she talks about President Trump and theorizes his days in the Oval Office are numbered. We're told the way she put it was, "The White House fiasco is about to be over." 

While she sure sounds like she's holding out hope Don Jr. washes up on the beach with the exes of other cast members ... he does NOT make an appearance. 

Sorry, Aubrey.

Audrina Patridge was all smiles showing off her bikini bod during a trip to paradise ... a welcomed scenery change a week after experiencing hell.

Audrina threw on a black bikini and some shades Wednesday in Laguna Beach ... enjoying the crashing waves and picturesque view of the sun beginning to set behind the Pacific blue. She sported a grin ear to ear and made good use of it ... taking tons of selfies.

It's a far cry from her stress-filled 4th of July when, for a moment, she couldn't get in touch with her daughter, Kirra. TMZ broke the story ... Audrina and her ex, Corey Bohan, were supposed to exchange custody that morning at the Costa Mesa Police Department ... but Corey was a no-show.

Making matters worse ... a strong earthquake struck SoCal that morning, causing more panic. They eventually met up hours later for the custody exchange. Kirra was fine, but a hectic day for sure.

Denise Nickerson, who played Violet in "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," is living out the last moments of her life, because her family tells us they have just taken her off life support.

Nickerson, who suffered a stroke last year, was at home Monday and, according to her family, she got into her meds at home and took as many as she could. Her family came to check on her shortly thereafter and rushed her to the ER.  

Once in the hospital, doctors diagnosed her with pneumonia. On Tuesday, she suffered a massive seizure and doctors put Denise on life support.  

Her condition continued to worsen and her family tells TMZ they have now taken her off the respirator, which facilitates breathing and removed her IVs and stopped giving her medicine.

The family says it's now just a matter of time before Denise passes. Her son, Josh, and his wife are at the hospital with Denise, and have started a GoFundMe to honor Denise's last wishes of being cremated, and her ashes turned into glass artwork.

In addition to 'Willy Wonka,' Denise played Allison on "The Electric Company." She also appeared on "Dark Shadows" and an episode of "The Brady Bunch."

Denise left acting behind in 1978 and eventually got a job working in a doctor's office.   

Denise, who is 62, has one son and daughter-in-law, who've been caring for her.

Rip Torn, Emmy-winning actor and comedian, is dead.

Rip, perhaps best known for his role as Artie on HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show," died Tuesday. No cause of death has been released yet. 

He won an Emmy for his 'Larry Sanders' role, and was nominated 6 more times for it. He was also an Oscar nominee in 1984 for "Cross Creek." 

Rip made his film debut in the 1956 film "Baby Doll." From there, he began a prolific and decades-long career on stage and screen.

Torn's work on "The Larry Sanders Show" garnered him a whole new generation of fans, who would go on to enjoy his character work as Zed in the first two 'Men in Black' films. He also had memorable roles on "Will & Grace" and "30 Rock."

His full name was Elmore Rual Torn Jr. ... but he started going by the nickname Rip when he was a kid. Fun fact ... his cousin is iconic actress Sissy Spacek.

He is survived by his wife Amy, his 6 kids, his sister Patricia, and his 4 grandchildren.

Rip was 88. 

Karlous Miller -- an OG cast member on Nick Cannon's "Wild 'N Out" -- says his triumphant return to the show came as a result of a heart-to-heart with its host. 

The comedian -- who got fired from the show last year after a reported falling-out with Nick -- told us his guest appearance on Sunday's episode happened after he and Nick hashed out some lingering issues. The tension between them was obvious during an October interview on "The Breakfast Club." 

ICYMI ... Karlous and his 85 South Show pals aired out some dirty laundry on how he got canned -- and suggested it was because he made a crack about going on a date with his ex, Mariah Carey, and her new beau. 

Karlous (half-jokingly?) implied Nick didn't like that, and things were never quite the same in their relationship. Eventually, he says the "white people" gave him the boot, but appeared to believe it was Nick's doing. In that same interview, Nick flat-out denied it.

Fast-forward to this weekend, when Nick brought out a masked MC known as Ski Mask the Bird God ... only to reveal it was actually Karlous, shocking the audience and the cast.

They battle-rapped and even made light of the situation ... with Nick joking about Karlous getting fired on his day off. In the end, though, it was clearly all love between 'em. 

The Starcourt Mall from "Stranger Things" is indeed a real place and might look like a fun spot to visit ... but fans who try will be very disappointed.

Yes, the main setting for much of season 3 of the hit Netflix series is Starcourt, which was shot at a real location -- the Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth, Georgia -- from May to November in 2018.

The fun's all over now, though ... a publicist for the show tells TMZ the Starcourt scenes were all shot within one wing of the mall, and the set is currently being torn down. We're told security is on the scene turning people away if they try to get to the area where 'Stranger' was shot.

The mall was mostly vacant before production started, and the show was able to rent out an entire wing, including the food court, that wasn't being used.

That wing of Gwinnett Place was transformed into a late '80s-looking mall, complete with 40 stores like Sam Goody, Waldenbooks and the Scoops Ahoy ice cream parlor where Steve works.

Now that production's wrapped, we're told there is no plan to return to the location ... so it's business as usual inside the sleepy mall.

Sorry, die-hard fans ... you can still visit the mall, it just won't have that 'Stranger' feel. Almost as devastating as that season finale, right?

Shameik Moore's studying hard for his role in the upcoming TV series about Wu-Tang Clan ... but he's not yet prepared to win a trivia contest about the iconic hip-hop group.

The actor -- best known so far as the voice of Spider-Man in 'Into the Spider-Verse' -- admits he had a lot to learn when he landed the role of Raekwon in Hulu's "Wu-Tang: An American Saga" ... but it seems he's still got a way to go.

We quizzed Shameik at LAX to see if he can name all the members, and he comes up a few short of the full 10. Check out the video to see who he missed, and before ya laugh ... could you do better?

To be fair, Moore says he's yet to meet the members he forgot, and it's clear he's totally immersed in playing Raekwon ... working closely with the rapper to emulate him as closely as possible.

Shameik also tells us he's become like family to RZA, who's one of the executive producers of the new series.

Anwan Glover -- who starred in the "The Wire" and "12 Years a Slave" -- has been sitting in a jail cell for over a week now after getting busted on firearm charges.

The veteran TV and movie actor was arrested in Washington D.C. on June 26 and booked for unlawful possession of a firearm -- a misdemeanor -- after cops say they searched his car during a traffic stop and discovered an unregistered handgun in Glover's Jeep. 

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, police were notified to be on the lookout for a white Jeep with a driver who was allegedly brandishing a gun out the window. Cops say they pulled over Glover because his ride matched the description and was making multiple lane changes without signaling.

Officers say they asked Glover if he had any weapons, and he said no. He also said no when they asked if they could search the vehicle but cops did it anyway, claiming probable cause.

The officers say they found a loaded Smith & Wesson MP Shield 9mm tucked between the Jeep's roll bar and roof cover, and then immediately placed Anwan under arrest. 

His lawyers filed a motion to have him released on bail ASAP so he could continue working and supporting his family. They say he denied any knowledge of the gun in the vehicle, and also argued cops had no business targeting him in the first place.

While cops say Glover's Jeep matched the description they were given, his attorneys say that's BS, and his Jeep is totally different.