TV

Patty Hearst was a rape victim and it's deplorable to run a movie or television show viciously attacking her ... this according to her family.

Hearst family sources tell TMZ ... Patty's relatives are beside themselves over the upcoming film and TV docuseries based on the book, 'American Heiress' by Jeffrey Toobin. The film and TV series paint Patty as a woman who embraced her captors and then tried to manipulate the system during her trial.

The family says Toobin's sources for the book are sketchy ... notably Bill Harris, one of Patty's captors, and Steve Weed, her former fiance who himself was disgraced.

Our sources say the best evidence that these projects are hit pieces is how they downplay Patty Hearst's rape ... which set the stage for a harrowing 19 months of captivity. To minimize rape, they say, is appalling but not surprising in a project driven by men. According to family sources, "When you strip it away in the midst of all this #TimesUp, #MeToo and 'listen to the victim' they are essentially saying she loved it. She was asking for it."

We're told the family's stance is this -- "They are making a victim who suffered, and still suffers, culpable for her trauma while showing a blatant disregard for the victim and the human aspect of the story. This is another example of men trivializing women."

"American Idol" producers are making a HUGE mistake by cutting bad auditions from the new version of the show ... so says the king of bad auditions, William Hung!

We spoke to Hung shortly after news dropped of the new format ... to go with the all-new judges panel of Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. While producers feel those ear-splitting, glass-cutting attempts at singing make the show seem fake ... William says it's AI's calling card.

In fact, he says 'Idol' lost one of the few things that makes it stand out from all the other singing talent shows -- and the proof will be in the ratings.

Hung. Still banging ... on TV producers.

Gianni Versace's family is livid and disgusted at everyone who contributed in the TV re-creation of the bloody murder scene.

Our Versace family sources say they can't believe the current owners of Gianni's Miami Beach mansion -- now the Villa Casa Casuarina -- gave full access to producers of "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story." In particular they're appalled the show was able to dramatize the death scene on the very steps Gianni was gunned down.

We're told Donatella is still devastated over her brother's death and believes Gianni was so private he never would have wanted the grisly murder exploited for a TV movie.

As we reported ... filming began at the now luxury hotel back in May where 'ACS' set up shop for almost an entire month.

The family tells TMZ they didn't sign off on the project and had no involvement in the production, and they feel there are enough inaccuracies that the miniseries should be considered a work of fiction.

Donatella has already said she will NOT watch the show. That said, we're told family friends have already screened the first episode and were APPALLED to watch the horrifying murder.

The family plans no legal action ... fact is, it's virtually impossible to win a case like this.

We have reached out to the Villa Casa Casuarina ... so far no word back.

"Stranger Things" star David Harbour is counting on the camera shaving 10 pounds, instead of adding it, when it comes to his new role as demon superhero, Hellboy.

Harbour had to go through an intense 10-week boot camp, so he could transform from the dad bod he normally rocks to play Sheriff Hopper on 'Stranger.'

When we got Harbour leaving Poppy in West Hollywood, not only was he extremely pumped to see us, but it was pretty obvious his intense training was paying off.

He wouldn't give us a sneak peek of his new rock solid abs, but he did give one of the best TMZ on-camera exits ever.

Pamela Anderson is pleading with you all -- if you're gonna ride Uber/Lyft, keep an eye out and don't do it alone.

Pamela doubled down on her apprehension for ride-hail apps like Uber and Lyft ... claiming they're a haven for predators. She went on "TMZ Live" Tuesday to promote the buddy system.

Tonya Harding kneecapped Piers Morgan, or at least her interview with him ... abruptly cutting it short when he called her out for acting like she was the victim, and not Nancy Kerrigan.

Tonya was on "Good Morning Britain," and clearly expecting a softball convo about "I, Tonya." But after she gushed, "My movie is going to help so many people" .... Piers had enough, and the trainwreck began.

He very directly stated Nancy was the only one who had a dream, along with her kneecap, shattered -- and it totally caught Tonya off guard.

Post Malone should consider hopping on the Travel Channel's payroll as a ghost hunter if he gets tired of music, 'cause he's got the gift ... so says Zak Bagans.

The "Ghost Adventures" host tells TMZ ... Post recently joined him for an episode that's set to air later this week -- and he says the rapper's a natural at the craft.

Zak says he asked Post to do the guest spot last year, and they taped it in November at a haunted slaughterhouse in Tuscon. He gives props to Post -- a longtime 'GA' fan -- for taking the assignment seriously, and handling it like a pro.

The only possible exception came when Post said he felt a pair of hands wrap around his neck ... and completely freaked.

Lucy Hale is out at least $15,000, and probably even more, after her home was hit by burglars ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the "Pretty Little Liars" actress' San Fernando Valley home was broken into and burglarized very early Friday morning. We're told the perp smashed through one of her front windows and stole jewelry and purses currently valued in excess of $15k -- but that number is likely to go up once full inventory is taken.

Lucy was not home at the time of the break-in. We're also told her alarm was on, and all signs point to this being a random hit ... not a case of burglars targeting a specific celeb.

That jibes with the string of burglaries over the last year -- which, as we've told you, cops believe are being carried out by professionals looking for nice houses. Celebs just seem to be casualties getting hit along the way.

Mattel played some dirty pool to get a popular reality show about toys on the air ... so claims a jilted production company in a new lawsuit.

Herrick Productions is suing the toy giant claiming Mattel strung them along with meetings about a show called, "Playmakers," but ultimately kicked them to the curb to produce "The Toy Box" ... which is now on ABC.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, HP says Mattel stole its concept of having inventors pitch their toys to child judges. Mattel would then manufacture the toy. It's eerily similar to the 'Toy Box' premise featuring a panel of child judges and the winning toy is produced and distributed by Mattel.

HP says it had numerous meetings with Mattel execs, but the toy company ultimately didn't move forward due to financial concerns -- and said it would get back to HP when things changed.

Lenny Kravitz is dating Brazilian model Barbara Fialho and she has something in common with his own daughter ... they're practically the same age!

Kravitz and the Victoria's Secret model, who's 30, packed on the PDA Sunday while taking a stroll in Miami. They met up with friends for lunch.

Kravitz's own daughter is 29 and now stars on a Golden Globe winning TV show, "Big Little Lies," alongside Lenny's ex-fiancee, Nicole Kidman, so really nothing weird about this.

Dude's still got it.

Gwyneth Paltrow is ready to consciously couple again -- aka get married -- and she's splashed the news all over her magazine.

Gwyneth and director Brad Falchuk posed arm-in-arm for the cover of the latest issue of "Goop" ... with the headline "In Deep."

The "Glee" co-creator and GP said they "feel incredibly lucky to have come together at this juncture in our lives, when our collective successes and failures can serve as building blocks for a healthy and happy relationship."

This is will be the second marriage for both. Gywneth and Chris Martin's divorce was finalized in 2016. She started dating Brad shortly after the initial 2014 split from Chris.

Aziz Ansari didn't settle for winning a Golden Globe, he immediately followed that up with another trophy -- a fresh bag of In-N-Out!

The "Master of None" star was double-fisting Sunday night -- his statuette in one hand, and his bag of burgers and fries in the other. He gave them equal billing, btw, holding up both at the same time for photogs as he and co-star Eric Wareheim strolled into the after-party at Poppy.

Gotta love their style!

Wanna know the difference between IndyCar and NASCAR?

Indycar studs Alex Rossi and Conor Daly broke it down for us ... telling TMZ Sports there are 2 fundamental differences beyond the types of cars they race.

1) NASCAR drivers make more money and 2) they get more chicks (because of #1).

But things are looking up for Conor and Alex -- 'cause they're one of the teams on the new season of "The Amazing Race"!

And they didn't get eliminated on the first show ... which is more than some people in our office can say!

Louis C.K. did not commit any acts of sexual misconduct during his time at FX ... according to the network's own investigation, anyway.

FX CEO John Landgraf told reporters Friday they "did not find any issues, complaints or incidents of misconduct of any kind in the 8 years we worked together." FX quickly cut ties with C.K. in November right after his accusers came forward to The New York Times, and the comic copped to the allegations.

FX yanked his production deals on "Better Things," "Baskets," "One Mississippi" and "The Cops."

Landgraf was speaking at the Television Critics Association's conference when he added his network "had no awareness" of C.K.'s pattern of sexual harassment before the Times article.

Not even Tom Brady was spared from Rob Gronkowski's comedy crosshairs in his Showtime stand-up special ... with the Patriots tight end joking TB12 would be a Super Bowl loser without Gronk!

It's all in good fun ... but still pretty funny to hear Gronk take on Brady during his set in "Unsportsmanlike Comedy with Rob Gronkowski," which debuts Friday.

Among the highlights ... Gronk says he's never been to Tom's mansion, clowns Tom's diet and jokes about maybe playing until he's 40 one day, just like Tom.

Golden Globes nominees James Franco, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kyle MacLachlan aren't waiting around 'til Sunday's award show to start partying.

W Magazine held their Golden Globes pre-party at Chateau Marmont Thursday night and it brought out some big celebs.

Justin Hartley, whose show "This Is Us" is nominated for a Best Television Drama Series, showed up with his new wife. Kate Beckinsale, Salma Hayek, Jim Belushi, Cody Simpson, Selma Blair, Candace Cameron Bure and Mena Suvari were there too.

Gotta hand it to the East Coasters Tommy Hilfiger and Patriots owner Robert Kraft for making it out of town during the bomb cyclone. Must've been a helluva party.