TV

Ashton Kutcher accidentally nailed a young man riding a scooter, sending him flying through the air.

19-year-old Leo Marenghi tells TMZ ... he was scooting along Tuesday afternoon on the sidewalk and as he passed the Sunset Bronson Studios in Hollywood, Kutcher pulled out of the lot in his black Tesla. Margenghi, who works as a nanny, says the impact propelled him into the air and he landed in the street.

We're told Kutcher was concerned, got out of his car and asked Leo if he was alright. He said he was fine, save a few bruises. Leo's not in showbiz, but he couldn't resist asking for a selfie as a memento, and Ashton obliged.

Leo, ever the nanny, was on his way to pick up his kids from school, and that's why he was carrying 2 additional scooters.

Julie Chen's sign-off last week on 'Big Brother' wasn't a one-time stunt -- 'cause she did it again for Wednesday night's episode, and got major love.

Sources at Tuesday night's taping tell TMZ ... Julie opened the show by saying ... "Good evening, I'm Julie Chen Moonves. Welcome to 'Big Brother.'" Her words were met with a thunderous show of support from the audience.

Julie signed off with the Moonves surname during last week's episode -- and now it seems she is taking her husband's name full-time, on the heels of his hasty exit from CBS amid sexual misconduct allegations.

TMZ broke the story ... Julie wants to stay on as the host of 'Big Brother,' and CBS won't ask her to go. Assuming they renew the hit show for another season, she's likely to stay put.

Julie Chen will remain the host of 'Big Brother' because CBS won't ask her to go and she wants to stay ... TMZ has learned.

CBS insiders tell TMZ the network does not want to punish Julie for her husband Les Moonves' alleged misdeeds, so she will finish the current season and the plan is for her to return, with one big IF. The IF is bringing the show back for another season. The ratings are still good and the all-important demos are strong, so renewal is all but certain.

As for whether Julie wants back ... the answer is YES. Sources connected to Julie tell TMZ, she will absolutely finish the season and wants to return for future seasons.

Julie announced Tuesday she was leaving "The Talk." Our sources say it was all her decision -- CBS put NO pressure on her to leave.

It makes sense Julie opted for 'BB' over "The Talk" for 2 reasons. First, the 'BB' shooting schedule is less demanding than "The Talk" so it gives her more time to spend with her husband and son -- something she says is a priority.

Perhaps more significant ... "The Talk" is a topical show, and sexual harassment is a staple, which would make for uncomfortable conversation. "Big Brother" is more scripted and doesn't get as personal.

Short story ... she's coming back to "Big Bro."

LeVar Burton is not down with anyone who is not down with Bert and Ernie coming out as gay.

The iconic "Reading Rainbow" host was at LAX when he weighed in on the big revelation his fellow PBS stars are a couple ... according to "Sesame Street" writer Mark Saltzman, anyway.

LeVar says it's hardly news to him -- and millions of others -- but still thinks it's a powerful step for society. And, for anyone bitching about the news, LeVar's got some advice for ya. Our photog also wonders if it's time for Bert and Ernie to ditch the twin beds and, y'know ... come together? Watch LeVar do some 'splaining.

For the record ... Sesame Workshop's official stance is B&E are not gay because "they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation."

Julie Chen just formally announced she's leaving "The Talk" and her departing message thanked both her fans and costars.

The longtime talk show host and CBS anchor appeared in a pre-recorded video Tuesday at the bottom of the show, where she said, in part, that she was leaving "The Talk" to spend more time with her husband, Les Moonves, and their young son.

Julie, who eventually became teary-eyed during her remarks, thanked all the hosts of "The Talk," singling out each one and quickly reminiscing on their friendship. She ended with "I love you all, and I know this show and the sisterhood it stands for will live on for many, many, many more years to come. You ladies got this, and I cannot be more proud to call you my friends. I love you."

The camera eventually cut back to the main set where all the ladies were in tears. Sara Gilbert quickly thanked Julie for her contributions to "The Talk" and the program ended from there without further discussion.

As we reported ... Julie was slated to make the announcement that she would be off of "The Talk" effective immediately. No word on whether she's leaving her "Big Brother" hosting gig just yet, but it appears she'll be sticking it out for the short term. She's hosting again this week.

Julie returned to "Big Brother" last week without mentioning the sexual assault allegations against her husband, Les Moonves. She also didn't talk about his forced resignation from CBS in the wake of several women coming forward to accuse him of past sexual misconduct.

She did, however, sign off on Thursday's episode as Julie Chen Moonves ... clearly showing her support for her husband.

11:40 AM PT -- A spokesperson for Sesame Workshop has countered Saltzman, telling TMZ ... "As we have always said, Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves."

They continue, "Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets™ do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation."

Frank Oz -- longtime puppeteer for the show and hands behind some of the beloved characters, including Bert -- also denounced Saltzman, saying, "It seems Mr. Mark Saltzman was asked if Bert & Ernie are gay. It's fine that he feels they are. They're not, of course. But why that question? Does it really matter? Why the need to define people as only gay? There's much more to a human being than just straightness or gayness."

Bert and Ernie are finally out ... a "Sesame Street" writer is confirming the iconic characters are a gay couple.

Bert and Ernie have been on the show since it started in 1969, and there's always been speculation about the true nature of their relationship. Mark Saltzman, who joined the "Sesame Street" crew in 1984, cleared it all up by telling Queerty he wrote Bert and Ernie as a gay couple.

He says the 'Sesame' duo is a reflection of his own same-sex relationship and not about pushing an agenda.

Mark says he based Bert and Ernie on his relationship with film editor Arnold Glassman -- Mark was Ernie and Arnold was Bert.

Of course, Bert and Ernie have shared a basement apartment at 123 Sesame Street for the last 49 years ... although they've always slept in separate beds. Still, their chemistry -- while playfully arguing and bickering -- was always palpable.

Mark's revelation might be more of a formality -- the fact is, Bert and Ernie are longtime gay icons for many in the LGBT community.

Donald Glover's creepy mansion dwelling, Michael Jackson-esque, character from his hit show, "Atlanta," made a surprise appearance at the 2018 Emmys -- except Donald wasn't behind the makeup.

DG and the rest of the "Atlanta" stars were in attendance Monday night, but so was Teddy Perkins ... who nearly killed Lakeith Stanfield's character in season 2. On the show, Donald played the role of Teddy, but at the Emmys ... this group shot sparked a mystery -- WHO'S WEARING THE MAKEUP???

Everyone assumed it was Donald until the photo made it clear that wasn't the case. Tuesday morning, comedian Jay Pharoah started taking credit for the appearance -- which would make sense, since his 'SNL' buddies wrote and hosted the Emmys.

If you haven't seen the show yet, here's an example of just how damn freaky Teddy Perkins really was during his brief stint in "Atlanta." Spoiler alert ... RIP, Teddy.

"Atlanta" had a pretty solid night with 16 nominations and 3 wins ... including Katt Williams' for his role on the series.

Claudia Jordan is trying her best to talk her way into "The Talk" ... with no apologies to Julie Chen ... who Claudia thinks shouldn't be stepping down anyway.

We got Claudia in L.A. leaving Avenue nightclub Monday night, and she was not shy about angling to replace Julie as a co-host on the CBS daytime talk show. As we reported, Julie announced Monday she's leaving "The Talk" ... effective immediately.

Julie Chen will be leaving her daytime gig at "The Talk" ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Tuesday's show will include a videotape of Julie saying she's leaving the show immediately.

It seemed inevitable Julie would take a final bow from the show, where discussions frequently involve issues like sexual misdeeds. Although her husband, Les Moonves, has denied any improper conduct, the fact that 12 women have come forward and that he was forced out ... it would put Julie in a tough spot.

Julie did appear on "Big Brother" last week and it seems she'll stick that one out ... at least in the short term. She made it clear she's standing by her husband at the end of last week's show, when she signed off as "Julie Chen Moonves."

No word on who will replace Julie.

The LAPD has a Hollywood mystery on its hands ... but while the list of central characters reads like a movie cast, the investigation into Tom Arnold's fight with Mark Burnett is 100 percent real.

Celebs who saw the pre-Emmy altercation between Tom and mega-producer Mark can expect a call from the police ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Kevin Bacon, Billy Eichner, Patton Oswalt, Alyson Hannigan, Jeff Probst and Bryan Fogel are among those who allegedly saw Tom and Mark get physical.

Alyson tweeted about walking into the party behind Tom and Mark and witnessing the whole thing, which she initially thought was a joke ... and she claims Probst tried to break it up!

Apparently, Jeff was speaking for the tribe.

Patton and Billy were definitely there ... 'cause they posed for pics with Tom after the fight.

Tom was Bryan's plus-1 ... and Arnold claims the Oscar-winning filmmaker has vid of the whole thing. And, here's what's revealing. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Arnold did not give cops the video. An eyewitness says it was weird Bryan was shooting the whole time, and it may be the video was for Tom's show and he doesn't want to get scooped by the police if they release it.

The 2018 Emmys kicked off with an overly long and overly topical monologue from hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che that tried hard to be funny ... but ended up being cringeworthy.

The 'SNL' vets came out standing shoulder-to-shoulder Monday night and threw zinger after zinger after zinger at the board -- most of which were so on the nose and didn't really stick.

Some of the worst attempts at humor came in jokes about the #MeToo movement, with Che saying it was great being there with everyone who hadn't been caught yet. Jost also quipped that Roseanne Barr had canceled herself, but got picked up by white nationalists.

Another eyebrow-raising line from Che ... 'The Handmaid's Tale' is like the white women's version of 'Roots' ... since the characters are forced to have babies and work against their will.

They also took shots at Trump by saying they hoped the Obamas' Netflix production deal would churn out a new 'Apprentice' that got huge ratings ... something DT would clearly hate.

Roseanne Barr's character on "The Conners" will be killed off by an opioid overdose ... so says the comedian herself.

Barr was on Brandon Straka's "Walk Away" when she revealed the gigantic spoiler. Barr tells Straka the pill addiction story line was her own from last season, and it appears the writers for "The Conners" decided to run with it.

As we reported ... Barr got the ax from "Roseanne" just hours after she posted a tweet about former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, comparing her to the "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes."

Barr has worked on various projects since the firing ... appearing on podcasts and even hosting a talk show of her own.

2:38 PM PT -- Another eyewitness just walked us through what he saw ... he says Mark and Roma were walking up the stairs and stopped at the top to talk to someone. Within seconds, the eyewitness said, "Tom came charging up the steps and it was on." The eyewitness says it was clear Tom was there to confront Mark and, in a flash, Mark had his hands on Tom's throat, and Tom was tearing at Mark's shirt and ripping off his crucifix.

The eyewitness says it was all over in 15 seconds because "Survivor" host Jeff Probst separated them. The eyewitness also says Bryan Fogel was there filming the whole thing and it looked planned because the altercation was quick and without warning.

The eyewitness also says Tom was at the party for several hours telling people about the confrontation.

Tom has a show that premieres Tuesday, and the way the eyewitness put it, "Tom got the reaction he wanted. He got even more than he bargained for."

11:34 AM PT -- Tom just left the police station and provided more detail from the scuffle. He says Burnett choked him so violently he needs a doctor and he truly believed Mark wanted to kill him.

10:50 AM PT -- An eyewitness tells TMZ he saw the altercation this way ... Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey, had just arrived at the party and walked up the staircase to get inside. We're told just as they got to the top stair, Arnold came charging at them and pushed Burnett. The eyewitness says Burnett pushed Arnold back and then Arnold ripped Burnett's crucifix off his neck, breaking it. Arnold said it was a gold chain but in fact, it was a crucifix.

The altercation lasted no more than 30 seconds and they all stayed at the party.

Earlier in the day, Arnold told Salon.com he wanted to confront Burnett at the Emmys ceremony. Arnold also called Burnett a "p***y."

10:15 AM PT -- Tom is currently filing a police report with the LAPD.

Tom Arnold claims mega-producer Mark Burnett attacked him at a pre-Emmy party, but Burnett's wife claims it was the opposite ... Arnold ambushed Mark.

It went down Sunday night ... Arnold tweeted, "Mark Burnett just went apeshit & choked me at this huge Emmy party then he ran away with his torn pink shirt & missing gold chain. I'm waiting for LAPD."

Burnett's wife, Roma Downey, says Arnold "tried to ambush" her and Mark. She says Arnold hurt her and she posted a pic of a bruise on her hand, claiming Arnold was the culprit.

Arnold, who said he was waiting for the LAPD, fired back, "Bullshit. You lie your crazy husband attacked me you psycho. I'm filing a police report & suing you for defamation."

We checked with LAPD ... so far no report.

Right after the fight, Tom posed for pics with other people in the party, including Patton Oswalt and Billy Eichner ... who cheekily said, "Everyone in LA is shaken. Hold your loved ones tight."

Arnold has been working on a show for Vice ... a show about so-called "hidden Trump tapes." One of the things Arnold is after ... the outtakes from "The Apprentice," which Burnett created and produces. Arnold believes the tapes reveal Trump using the n-word and other epithets. Burnett has said he has no access to the tapes because they're owned by MGM.

Gabriel "G-Rod" Rodriguez, the actor who stepped in the middle of Machine Gun Kelly's beef with Eminem ... is absolutely dying to step into the Octagon for a one-on-one fight with MGK.

G-Rod was already training in the gym Monday morning when he reiterated there's no need for lawyers to seek retribution for Kelly's crew beating the crap out of him ... he just wants to settle the score with his fists!

If you're not sold on Gabriel's fighting skills ... check out the video for a preview of his MMA moves. If you're in MGK's camp, think about hiring a trainer.

G-Rod explains his reasons for confronting MGK Friday at an Atlanta restaurant ... and why Kelly's diss track pissed him off in the first place.

G-Rod clearly knows his way around a punching bag ... and says he's even willing to drop weight classes to get on Kelly's level. So far, Kelly's not responding.

Les Moonves was at the helm of 18 TV programs that have been nominated for Emmys, but he's not going to the big shindig Monday night ... because CBS didn't invite him.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, CBS made a decision not to extend the invitation in the wake of the sexual misconduct scandal. Each network gets a certain number of tickets it can distribute as it wishes, and Les will not be a beneficiary.

A network source calls it a "non-issue" because Moonves has not attended the Emmys in several years.

One source says it's complicated because Moonves was not technically fired, although he was clearly forced to step down after a dozen women accused him of sexual misdeeds. Nevertheless, it's the network's decision who gets tickets ... so, case closed.

As for some of the shows nominated under Moonves' watch ...

-- "The Amazing Race"

-- "The Big Bang Theory"

-- "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"

-- "The Late Late Show with James Corden"

-- "Bruno Mars: Live 24K Magic at the Apollo"