TV

Jussie Smollett's courtroom outburst isn't landing for Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot ... who is praising his 5-month jail sentence, condemning him for staging a hate crime and hoping his case is a warning to others.

After Jussie's sentencing, where he shouted he's innocent and left with a fist in the air, Mayor Lightfoot was totally unswayed, saying ... "The city feels vindicated in today's ruling that he is being held accountable and that we will appropriately receive restitution for his actions."

She also reminded everyone what that restitution will cover -- "The malicious and wholly fabricated claim made by Mr. Smollett resulted in over 1,500 hours of police work that cost the city over $130,000 in police overtime."

In other words, the Mayor's certain Smollett got exactly what he deserves at Thursday's sentencing.

Judge James Linn gave the ex-"Empire" actor 150 days in prison, 30 months of probation, a $25k fine and restitution of over $120k.

You'll recall ... Jussie told police he was the victim of a racist homophobic attack, back in 2019. He claimed 2 white men called him slurs, poured chemicals on him and put a noose around his neck.

Of course, brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo, who are Black, told cops the actor paid them to stage the entire "attack."

Tarek El Moussa and Christina Haack being on the same page is a rarity these days, but the exes, and their HGTV bosses, are in lockstep about pulling the plug on "Flip or Flop" ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... Tarek and Christina's contracts for the show were up, but talks had already begun for a new season when the former couple had second thoughts about their 11th season.

Our sources say the decision had nothing to do with any specific incident or flop in ratings -- all parties involved just wanted to end the series on a high note.

It doesn't hurt that Tarek and Christina each have solo projects now with the network. Translation: Neither really needs "Flip or Flop" now that she's got "Christina on the Coast" and he has 'Flipping 101.'

Our sources point out ... working with an ex is not always ideal, and that's proven true for them. Remember, TMZ broke the story when Tarek lost it on Christina during a shoot last July. We were told he snapped because she was telling him it was time to start filming.

As you know, the exes announced they were splitting in December 2016, but still signed on for the next season of the show that made them famous. Tarek filed for divorce the following month, which was finalized a year later.

Tinder rolling out background checks isn't a response to Simon Leviev's alleged handiwork -- detailed in "Tinder Swindler" -- but if it prevents similar cases from happening, the app will be thrilled.

Tinder just announced this week it will require the new background checks for users, but we're told the program has been in the works for some time. A spokesperson for Match Group -- owners of Tinder, Match.com and Plenty of Fish -- tells TMZ ... the criminal background check feature was something users have been demanding for a while.

They say the company teamed up with non-profit organization Garbo back in 2020 to create a system that works for all users. The rep points out this partnership started well before the doc debuted this year on Netflix.

The process brings up offenses that are relevant to safety, and that includes financial crimes. They tell us it's a great way for women to get a deeper look into their matches. And, while they didn't create the system for him, they say someone like Simon would be flagged instantly.

As you know, 'Swindler' was all about Simon and some of his alleged victims, who claim he tricked them out of more than $10 million after meeting them on the dating app ... and then ghosted them once he got what he wanted.

Since the doc dropped, Simon's had quite the ride ... he got banned from most dating apps, allegedly earned $30K on Cameo, and got a criminal court complaint filed against him from the wealthy family to which he claimed to belong.

Jussie Smollett was just sentenced to 150 days in Jail for his elaborate hoax on the streets of Chicago ... and Jussie went off on the judge, telling him if he dies in prison it's not suicide. It got so intense, Jussie was taken into custody and left with his fist in the air.

Judge Linn just handed down the sentence ... which also includes 30 months felony probation, $120,106 restitution to the city of Chicago and will pay a $25,000 fine.

Judge Linn pointed to Jussie's testimony during trial, when he talked about his life ... and he talked about social justice and how much it meant to him and his family.  And, the judge noted the irony and hypocrisy that Jussie engineered a hate crime hoax.

Judge Linn says Jussie wasn't motivated by money ... he did it because he craved the attention and thought he could boost his profile by tapping into the social justice movement in America. He said he just wanted to make himself more famous, throwing himself a "national pity party."

The judge called Jussie arrogant, selfish, narcissistic, and he did damage to real victims of hate crimes. Victims are always reluctant to come forward, and Jussie did them no favors. The judge says Jussie lied ... lied and lied repeatedly about the incident.

The judge made it clear he was not sentencing Jussie to satisfy public opinion ... it was purely a matter of what Jussie did.  The judge said there was nothing he could do that would be worse than what he did to himself, saying Jussie destroyed his life by his shenanigans.

Jussie declined to speak in open court before sentencing ... his lawyer advised against it.

Jussie's 92-year-old grandma got on the stand to plead for leniency, and she launched on the media for not reporting the story accurately. She called him a "justice warrior," who has been steeped in social activism for years. She told the judge, if he sends Jussie to prison he should send her along with him.

The lawyer for the City of Chicago made it clear ... this was not a victimless crime, saying more than 30 Chicago cops investigated the case and had to review more than 1500 hours of surveillance video. They went door to door in the freezing cold to get to the bottom of the case. They amassed more than 1,000 in overtime, and it caused fatigue and stress. The lawyer also said Jussie has made real hate crime victims hesitant to come forward.

Jussie's lawyer made a series of arguments during the hearing, imploring the judge to throw out the verdict. Notably, his lawyer argued because of the pretrial publicity by City officials -- including the Police Commissioner -- Jussie did not enjoy the constitutional protection of being presumed innocent. The judge rejected that argument.

The judge also turned thumbs down on the argument Jussie was entitled to a public trial and that, his lawyer argued, was not the case. The special prosecutor fired back, even during a pandemic, the trial was open to reporters and also, the defense didn't want cameras in the courtroom during the trial, so it's rich they're making this argument now.

Brandon Thomas Lee and his brother Dylan unloaded their gorgeous Malibu home this week ... scoring $3 million for the pad.

TMZ has learned ... the remodeled 5-bed, 5-bath house sold Wednesday, and they got their asking price. Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson's sons had the 2,634 square foot property on the market for 2 months.

The house -- within walking distance of Las Flores Beach -- is smack dab in the heart of Malibu, and was renovated from the ground up.

Inside, it's got lots of new touches and furnishings ... including Western doors and windows throughout.

With no houses on either side and a landscaped backyard, this place is perfect to get a tan and some privacy at the same time.

The Lee bros' home was featured on "The Hills: New Beginnings," as the show followed Brandon kicking off his career in modeling and acting.

Emilio Delgado -- the actor best known, and beloved, for his role as Luis on "Sesame Street" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Delgado's wife, Carol, tells TMZ he passed away Thursday surrounded by family at his home in NYC. We're told Emilio had recently been in hospice care ... he was diagnosed with the blood cancer Multiple myeloma in December 2020.

Carol says Emilio was still a working actor right up until the pandemic -- playing the lead in "Quixote Nuevo" -- a theater production that had a 3-city run before things were shut down. He also recently did some voiceover work in January 2022.

The beloved Mexican-American actor was a pioneer in children's television, playing Luis, the 'Fix-It Shop' owner for a total of 40 years on the 'Street.' He took a brief hiatus from the show in the late 80s, but returned within a year.

He also performed in live theater throughout his career -- including some "Sesame Street" stage productions -- and has appeared at various conventions over the years.

Emilio was 81.

"MasterChef" contestant Mary Jayne alleges she toiled away in a kitchen to shoot an episode the same day she suffered a stroke, despite pleas for help ... and now she's filed a lawsuit.

Mary, who was featured on season 11 of the FOX cooking show, is suing its production companies, claiming producers pressured her to keep filming for 14 hours and prevented her from getting medical care, even though she was showing signs of a stroke.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Mary suffered the stroke the morning of March 10, 2020. She claims she told producers, prior to shooting, she didn't think she could make it through the day, but they insisted she compete in a baking challenge.

In the docs, Mary claims she told the show's medic she was in trouble as soon as she got to set, saying she was having difficulty moving her leg -- but the show allegedly denied her request for help and pressed onward with filming.

Mary claims she kept complaining to producers and medics throughout the day, and says her injuries -- including sagging on the left side of her body -- were clear to hair-and-makeup artists and fellow competitors.

According to the docs, Mary claims it wasn't until one of her competitors insisted the show take her to the hospital that producers finally relented and did so. The suit doesn't mention what kind of treatment she got, but Mary says it was a 14-hour day before she got back to her hotel.

In the suit, Mary claims "MasterChef" producers not only refused to take action to help her, but also actively prevented her from getting proper medical attention, thereby exacerbating the stroke and causing serious damage.

"Bones" actor Heath Freeman died from an overdose of multiple opioids and narcotics, including fentanyl and cocaine ... according to the medical examiner's report.

Heath was found dead in his Austin, TX home last November, and the Travis County Medical Examiner says he had a lethal cocktail of booze and several drugs. Specifically, the report says fentanyl, cocaine, hydrocodone, oxycodone and alprazolam (generic Xanax) were in his system. The manner of death is listed as an accident.

According to the report, he was found unresponsive in his bed ... after apparently partying very hard the night before.

Heath was pronounced dead at the scene, and the report notes cops found oxy and alprazolam pills in his home.

Russia might have an enemy on its hands that's more effective than any other adversary, and that's Anonymous ... which claims to have hijacked Vladimir Putin's regularly scheduled propaganda programming.

The notorious hacking group -- which has been involved in high-profile leaks over the years -- is taking responsibility for the mass disruption of multiple Russian TV broadcasts this weekend ... including a couple of popular streaming services and even some state media channels.

Instead of whatever several news networks were supposed to be playing ... reports and videos on the ground appear to show Anonymous aired real war footage from Ukraine. That's significant because most Russians don't even believe there's a war, or don't see it as Russian aggression.

The hacking would mean Putin's citizens got to see real footage of Ukrainian civilians bombed and forced to flee their homes.

Reportedly, 70 percent of Russians support the invasion of Ukraine, but Russian-run TV has been blasting out the narrative that their country is fighting Nazism and saving Ukraine.

So, to disrupt that thinking ... Anonymous seems to have taken the incredible step of showing them what they're definitely not being exposed to, and hopefully it's a wake-up call. Even if it is though ... Russians face stiff penalties for protesting the war, including years of jail time.

Anonymous sent a message to Putin in late February threatening action like this, and the group claims it's followed through.

Bill Cosby's breathing a deep sigh of relief -- the U.S. Supreme Court is refusing to weigh in on the Pennsylvania ruling that set him free.

SCOTUS voted 4-3 Monday to leave in place the PA Supreme Court's decision from last summer ... which nullified Cosby's 2018 conviction for aggravated indecent assault of Andrea Constand.

Cosby was immediately released from the Pennsylvania prison where he'd been serving a 3 to 10-year sentence.

The PA Supreme Court ruled Cosby's right to due process had been violated, because prosecutors had ignored the deal the previous Montgomery County D.A. made to not prosecute Cosby if he sat for a deposition in Andrea's civil case.

Cosby's prosecutors asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the decision to overturn, but the high court declined ... which means Cosby is free and clear in the criminal case.

He is still facing a lawsuit filed by Judy Huth for sexual battery.

Los Angeles local Amy Smart was in her early 20s when she blasted her way into the entertainment biz back in 2000 with some top-notch breakout roles including the college hottie Beth -- who gets involved in a wild night of partying, sex and camcorders -- in the 2000 college comedy "Road Trip."

Around that same time, Smart had some other epic acting gigs including James Van Der Beek's girlfriend Jules Harbor in the football film "Varsity Blues" and her classic character Ruby on the television drama "Felicity."

Johnny Brown, who played housing project superintendent Nathan Bookman on the massively hit show "Good Times," has died.

Johnny's daughter Sharon Catherine Brown tells TMZ, he was at his doctor's office in L.A. Wednesday getting his pacemaker checked out, and shortly after he left he went into cardiac arrest and collapsed. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he passed. She says the appointment was routine, so his sudden death was a shock.

Sharon said, "Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond Heartbroken. Barely able to breathe."

Johnny was a protege of Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy scored Johnny a role on Broadway, and from there, his career soared. He starred in "Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights" ... directed by Sidney Poitier.  Neil Simon took notice and put Johnny in "The Out of Towners."

"Good Times," however, was his breakout role. He joined the show in 1975, in the middle of season 2.

Co-star Jimmie Walker tells TMZ he's hurting because he loved his compadre on the show.

Johnny racked up a bunch of credits, including 3 seasons on 'Laugh In,' 'Julia,' 'Maude,' "The Jeffersons," "Archie Bunker's Place," "Family Matters," "Sister, Sister," "Moonlighting," and "Martin."

Johnny is survived by his wife, whom he married 61 years ago, his daughter Sharon and son, John Jr.

Johnny was 84.

Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne are done with L.A. ... in fact, they're bailing from the U.S.

Ozzy and Sharon are moving to the U.K. ... Ozzy told The Mirror it's because the tax rate is too high.  He wasn't specific if it was the CA tax rate (which is insanely high), the U.S. tax rate or both.

It's a big move ... they've lived in Bev Hills for a quarter-century.

Ozzy told The Mirror, "I am taking my recording studio with me. I am going to build a barn there and make my own studio at Welders. I will still be making music and my band will come over."

The Osbournes and Bev Hills have become synonymous ... as you know, their hit show "The Osbourne's" rooted in the mansion ran from 2002 to 2005.

As for Sharon, well she has lots of opportunities in England for sure.

Looks like they'll be doing some consulting from a distance ... there's a new flick in the works chronicling Ozzy and Sharon's relationship. Black Sabbath and some of Ozzy's solos will provide the soundtrack for the movie.

The 2 met in 1970 and things turned romantic 9 years later.

Tim Considine, famous for his work on TV shows like "The Hardy Boys" and "My Three Sons," has died.

The veteran actor died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles, where he was surrounded by family ... according to his son, Christopher. We're told the cause of death is not immediately known but it was sudden and painless.

Tim had a long career in Hollywood, beginning when he was just 12, and he's also well known for playing Spin Evans on "The Adventures of Spin and Marty," which aired way back in 1955 as part of ABC's "The Mickey Mouse Club."

On the TV version of 'Hardy Boys,' Tim played amateur detective Frank Hardy ... giving life to the character from the widely read book series.

When he was 19, Tim again starred on ABC as Mike Douglas in "My Three Sons" ... an enormous, hit series about 3 brothers being raised by their widowed father. He played the role from 1960 to 1965 before leaving the show to pursue other opportunities.

Tim also acted in movies, most notably in the 1970 best picture film "Patton," where he plays a soldier who gets slapped by the famous army general.

The son of a prominent producer at MGM, Tim also wrote TV episodes for NBC, published books and even had a guest column in The New York Times Magazine.

Tim was 81.

'Jeopardy!' is getting ahead of any issues viewers might have with tonight's episode that features a clue tying Russia and Ukraine together ... saying it was recorded well before the current conflict in Europe.

The show's Twitter account posted a message Friday, hours before the show aired, that read, "Please note the clue in today's show concerning Russia and Ukraine was recorded on Jan. 11, 2022."

As for the clue in question, it's alleged to be, "The Kerch Strait -- Along with Serious Border Issues -- Separates Russia From This Country on The Black Sea."

"Euphoria" star Angus Cloud says his show doesn't glorify substance abuse, and insists drugs are not something to take lightly.

We got Angus Thursday leaving the Revolve Social Club in L.A., and he talked about all things "Euphoria" -- mainly, if the hit HBO dramedy is sending the wrong message to young viewers about drugs.

He thinks the claims against the series are BS ... adding drugs aren't fun and games.

Fans of the show know Angus' character, Fezco, plays an important role ... originally supplying drugs to Zendaya's Rue Bennett before cutting her off.

As we reported ... anti-drug organization D.A.R.E. recently called out the series for glamorizing drug abuse, with a rep telling TMZ the show dangerously portrays severe addictions as common in high schools.

"Euphoria" producers say all they're trying to do is accurately depict the downfalls of addiction.

Angus also addressed whether the show paints an accurate picture of modern high school culture. Watch, he gives us a very honest answer.