TV

Sasha Obama's boyfriend is none other than Clifton Powell Jr. ... a former college basketball player and the son of Clifton Sr., the actor.

20-year-old Sasha got together with 24-year-old Clifton Powell Jr. after she made the switch from the University of Michigan to USC -- according to The Daily Mail, who broke the story.

The former hoops star was awarded a four-year basketball scholarship at the University of California at Santa Barbara ... he's now jumped into the world of commercials ... working with big brands like Peloton and Nike.

His dad's acting chops might've served Clifton Jr. well  -- Clifton Sr.'s been in movies like "Ray" and "Next Friday," with a long list of upcoming projects.

As we reported, Sasha's older sister and recent Harvard grad Malia also made the move to the west coast after getting hired as a screenwriter for Donald Glover's latest project with Amazon.

Malia's been dating her British boyfriend Rory Farquharson since 2017 ... the two met at Harvard.

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston seem to have an unbreakable bond ... so much so, Aaron says choosing his newborn kid's godfather was a no-brainer.

We caught up with Aaron Wednesday at LAX and asked about him naming his best friend and "Breaking Bad" costar godfather to his newest addition, baby Ryden.

Aaron says Bryan's a beautiful man who's more than deserving of the title he and his wife bestowed on Cranston.

As far as what it takes to be a godfather, Aaron tells us Bryan's gonna be on diaper duty ... and don't get him started on burping little Ryden.

Of course, it's no surprise ... Bryan and Aaron are partners in crime on and off-screen ... nice to see the longtime friends grow tighter through each milestone.

In case you didn't know, Aaron and his wife, Lauren Paul, tied the knot back in 2013. They became first-time parents in 2018, when they gave birth to their daughter, Story Annabelle Paul.

For the first time in "The Masked Singer" history, there's a team working behind the scenes to help operate one contestant's costume ... resulting in a massive fail if the slightest thing goes awry.

Here's the deal -- the Space Bunny's signature shifty eyes aren't controlled by the mystery celeb inside the costume ... instead being operated by a producer backstage via a Nintendo-like controller.

We're told coordination is key ... the slightest change in the performer's routine could throw the entire thing off!

To make matters worse, the high-tech equipment inside the head hasn't had all of its kinks worked out yet ... there's a super loud buzzing sound inside the mask that's distracting for the performer -- something that could easily make them forget the words or choreography for their performance.

We're told the celeb in question has been a great sport so far ... producers gave them the costume because they felt they'd be able to roll with the punches and take on the challenge.

Let that be a clue -- this contestant is a bit of a risktaker, and is certainly not a diva.

Danielle Bregoli, aka Bhad Bhabie, wants to lose another aka -- the "Cash me Outside" chick from Dr. Phil -- because she says she's been more than successful on her own.

Bhad Bhabie says she wants everyone to forget about her 2016 TV interview with the good Doc, the one that's amassed 14 million views. In the video she says she's become a massive success post-Phil, and those are the accomplishments that matter.

For e.g., she points to her OnlyFans triumph of snagging a million bucks in 6 hours. And, there's more -- she says all tolled, she's raked in $50 million. Not bad for a 19-year-old.

Jerry West is breaking his silence on his hot-tempered, booze-fueled depiction in the HBO hit series "Winning Time" ... calling the show a "baseless and malicious assault" on his character and demanding a retraction, an apology and damages.

The Logo -- played by actor Jason Clarke -- is portrayed as a raging alcoholic in the series ... and while a warning explicitly says the show is a dramatization of real events, West says it has caused serious anguish to his family, according to ESPN.

In fact -- West's so pissed about the show ... his attorney, Skip Miller, fired off a letter to HBO and producer Adam McKay accusing the show of acting with malice ... and claiming the warning does not protect the project from liability.

"Jerry West was an integral part of the Lakers and NBA's success," the letter read, according to ESPN.

"It is a travesty that HBO has knowingly demeaned him for shock value and the pursuit of ratings. As an act of common decency, HBO and the producers owe Jerry a public apology and at the very least should retract their baseless and defamatory portrayal of him."

The show is based off Jeff Pearlman's book, "Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s" ... but West's team says his scenes in the show did not appear in the book -- nor did they happen in real life.

Many members of the Lakers org. also backed West -- including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mitch Kupchak and Michael Cooper ... who claim the fits of rage and binge drinking were entirely fabricated.

Quincy Isaiah -- who plays Magic Johnson -- defended the show to TMZ Sports recently ... saying it's meant to be entertainment and they meant no disrespect to the real people portrayed in the show.

Clarke previously raved about his experience on the show ... applauding producers and directors for giving actors the freedom to be as expressive as they'd like.

As for the real West, he's been hailed as a true professional and basketball genius ... even receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump in 2019.

Tiffany Haddish has something cooking in the kitchen -- but it ain't a comedy thing, it's music ... and she says she's hoping she can make it pay dividends.

The comedian/actress dished about her new musical endeavor to a photog Tuesday night out at the Mint Room Studios in Glendale, where it appears she was in the middle of some recording sessions for a collection of original tunes she's pulling together.

Before you run off thinking Tiff's about to drop an album, listen to the clip first ... because she makes it clear there's no such project in the works, although she is laying down tracks.

As TH explains -- these songs aren't for streaming, per se, but more so for TV and film use. Tiffany obviously understands where the dough is in the biz, and it ain't in traditional music releases ... but more so in residuals, which she's trying to cash in on right now.

No word on what exactly her vibe feels like or how these songs might sound -- but we DO know Tiff can carry a tune ... and we're also hearing she's recruiting the likes of Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne and even Beyonce for this project of hers. So, let your imagination run wild.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro said he's going to return to 'Jersey Shore' for the upcoming season ... but he was nowhere to be found when his reality TV family recently started filming.

TMZ obtained these photos of some 'Jersey Shore' stars shooting scenes Easter Sunday at a winery in Southern California ... and there's no sign of Ronnie.

Here's who was at the Cordiano Winery in Escondido for filming ... Vinny, Snooki, Deena, JWoww and Mike The Situation ... plus some wives, husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends. The other main cast member who wasn't there was Pauly D.

We're told the 'Jersey Shore' cast took over the winery ... shutting the place down for filming, including the tasting room, and forcing everyone else to order food and wine from a separate bar.

It's interesting Ronnie is still missing from the action ... remember, he told us back in August he was sober and planning to return to the MTV show for the second half of the 5th season.

Trick Daddy insists his restaurant did NOT take a hit, following his controversial take on Beyoncé's singing skills -- and yet, the rapper-turned-chef is firing some new shots.

He joined "TMZ live" to clear the air on those comments he made about Bey. ICYMI, his restaurant, Sunday's Eatery, got flooded with bad online reviews, starting last summer, when he said "Beyoncé can't sing."

The joint's Google ratings dropped from 4.8 to 2.6, but TD tells us Sunday's Eatery weathered the storm just fine. Most importantly -- for the Beyhive, anyway -- he also called Beyoncé the greatest entertainer (not singer) in the world.

As far as those bad reviews, he blames trolls and not Beyoncé's dedicated fans ... because he says, "real fans" understand people have different opinions.

The whole experience isn't making him shy, though ... he offered up what he admits will be an "unpopular opinion" -- "Kevin Hart ain't funny."

Kareem-Abdul Jabbar isn't holding back his feelings on the HBO series "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" ... saying the whole production violates a cardinal sin -- it's boring!!

The Lakers legend went to town on the show -- which has garnered strong reactions (both good and bad) over its characters' portrayal of the Lakers players from the 80s --  in a lengthy blog post, accusing the series of being "drearily dull."

"There is only one immutable sin in writing: Don’t Be Boring! 'Winning Time' commits that sin over and over," Kareem wrote.

KAJ prefaced his comments by saying his opinion has nothing to do with his portrayal on the show ... and that although the show attempts to retell actual stories, he's not "a stickler" for everything being factual.

Kareem, however, went on to lament how some of the characters being portrayed in the production -- including Jerry Buss, Jerry West, Magic Johnson and Cap himself -- are depicted, saying they are presented as caricatures of themselves instead of as real people.

"Jerry Buss is Egomaniac Entrepreneur, Jerry West is Crazed Coach, Magic Johnson is Sexual Simpleton, I’m Pompous Prick," KAJ wrote.

"Amusement park portraits that emphasize one physical feature to amplify your appearance—but never touching the essence," he added.

Kareem says his issue with WT was never enough to amount to outrage, but he admits it never held his interest. Instead, Kareem says the filmmakers "replaced solid facts with flimsy cardboard fictions that don't go deeper and offer no revealing insights."

Of course, Abdul-Jabbar isn't the only Laker great to take issue with the show. Magic told us a few weeks back he was "not looking forward to [the show]" when we saw him out in Los Angeles.

Actor Quincy Isaiah -- the man playing Magic -- recently defended the project, saying his intention wasn't to disrespect any of the Lakers icons, and he hopes guys like Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar recognize it's just storytelling.

But, after reading Kareem's post, it doesn't sound like he'll be tuning in much longer ... if at all.

Viola Davis' turn as Michelle Obama for a new show is getting some early looks, and in the same breath ... some early ridicule too over an apparent character choice she's made.

The Showtime series "The First Lady" debuts Sunday, and it would appear some folks on Twitter have already gotten some initial glimpses of Viola playing Michelle ... and some are questioning why the actress seems to constantly purse her lips on camera.

One scene in particular has drawn a lot of eyeballs, and people are having a field day with memes and jokes over Viola appearing to constantly put on an exaggerated duck face while she talks to TV Barack Obama.

There's another scene that's popped up, which shows Viola-as-Michelle posing for a photo shoot, and there too she seems to be rocking the kissy pose with dedication.

While it's unclear if Viola maintains this facial expression throughout the show -- to our knowledge, these are the only two scenes that are making the rounds right now -- it does appear she invokes the lip move later in the series as well ... evidenced in stills that Viola herself has posted on social media over the past few weeks.

Michelle does, indeed, purse her lips at times ... but it seems Viola may have thought that's central to her being, 'cause so far -- it sounds like she does it quite a bit for 'TFL.'

As for how the critics feel about it ... it's not good on that front either. "The First Lady" has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 40%, made up of 20 different pros who've weighed in thus far. These reviews aren't always reflective of the quality of any given movie or show, but it seems the industry isn't too thrilled with what they've done here to tell Michelle's story.

Like we said, the show began streaming today -- so feel free to peep it for yourself. There'll be 10 episodes of this performance, so maybe it gets ... better? Time will tell.

FWIW, Viola was taking this role seriously -- despite what people online might say/think now that it's out -- and she even said she was nervous and wanted to make MO look good.

"Riverdale" star KJ Apa is setting the record straight, saying he is NOT married to his girlfriend Clara Berry ... at least, not yet.

We caught up with Apa at Blue Bottle Los Angeles, Thursday ... and he cleared up rumors about tying the knot with Clara.

He said, "I don't think we need to put a label on love, but do I want to get married? Yes." ... and if that wasn't telling enough, our photog flat out asked him ... to which he replied no and pointed at his naked ring finger.

Of course, folks have every reason to believe that KJ and Clara may have secretly gotten married ... he hinted at it, himself. In an Instagram post, he referred to the French model as his "wife" ... back in October 2021.

As you may know .. the two confirmed their romance, back in 2020. And, a month before calling Clara his wife, they welcomed their baby boy, Sasha Vai Keneti Apa.

We should also add ... KJ has openly toyed with the idea that he might, in fact, be married to Clara many times but never officially made it clear ... at least, until now.

Liz Sheridan, who played Jerry Seinfeld's mom on "Seinfeld" ... has died, TMZ has learned.

Liz passed peacefully in her sleep from natural causes Friday at 2:30 AM ... just 5 days after her 93rd birthday.

Liz brilliantly played Helen on the show for the entire run -- from 1990-1998. She's the only non-central character who played during the full run. If you recall, Helen and her hubby, Morty, lived in Florida. Her iconic catchphrase -- "How could anyone not like him?" She played a VERY over-protective mom.

In addition to "Seinfeld," Liz played the eccentric neighbor, Mrs. Ochmonek, on "ALF."

Liz was an accomplished Broadway actress, appearing in 12 productions on the Great White Way, including "Happy End" with Meryl Streep.

She famously dated James Dean and even wrote a book about it called "Dizzy and Jimmy."  They had a super passionate affair. The book is being turned into a feature film.

Liz, who was a go-go dancer in the 50s, loved to sing and performed a one-woman show, "Mrs. Seinfeld Sings," all over the country.

Liz is survived by her daughter and son-in-law.

She was 93.

RIP

The 'Masked Singer' might have a cursed trailer on their lot ... because one of the mobile celeb dressing rooms has a toilet that just won't seem to flush.

Here's the deal ... each contestant hangs out in their own StarWagon trailer during long days on set -- not unusual for Hollywood productions -- but one of the trailers is having serious issues with plumbing.

Our 'Masked Singer' sources tell us one of the contestant's trailers had a clogged toilet, and the celeb had their entourage make the embarrassing call to alert production. It's kinda the whole point of "having people."

Anyways, the crew unclogged the toilet -- we've all been there -- but a few days later, we're told the same trailer had another clog, and the celeb again got their person to call on the plunger posse, much to the celeb's chagrin.

For context, these StarWagon trailers are equipped with bathrooms roughly the size of an airplane lavatory. Hey, it's still better than a porta potty.

"Game of Thrones" actor, Joseph Gatt, has been arrested for allegedly having sexually explicit chats with a minor online ... TMZ has learned.

According to the LAPD ...  the 50-year-old actor was arrested at his Los Angeles home on April 6, after police served a search warrant. Cops got word that Gatt was allegedly engaging in online sexually explicit communication, with a minor.

He was taken into custody and booked on an outstanding felony warrant for contact with a minor for a sexual offense.

In addition to his role as a Thenn Warg in "Game of Thrones," he is also known for his roles in "Thor", "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "Dumbo."

He was released the same day on $5,000 bail.

Frank Langella is under investigation for alleged sexual harassment on the set of a Netflix project ... TMZ has learned.

A production source tells us there have been allegations of inappropriate conduct by Langella made within the last couple weeks on the set of the limited series "The Fall of the House of Usher." We're told there's currently an investigation into what happened, but Langella has not been fired or suspended from the series.

As for what exactly happened, a source close to production tells us the 84-year-old actor allegedly made an inappropriate joke that was sexual in nature. Our sources also say in the context of his performance, possibly during rehearsal, he touched the leg of a female costar, and further drew attention to the action when he jokingly said something like "Did you like that?"

The show has been filming in British Columbia, Canada ... we reached out to the local police department who says nothing has been reported to them involving Frank.

Our sources say the investigation has not had any immediate effect on production, as Frank -- who plays Roderick Usher in the series -- was not scheduled to shoot any scenes this week.

Langella found massive fame as Dracula in 1979 and more recently played the judge in Netflix's "The Trial of the Chicago 7."

We reached out to a rep for Frank ... so far, no word back.

Kim Kardashian's sex tape troubles are bubbling up all over again on her new reality show -- only this time, her kid's in the loop ... and it's causing a lot of on-screen drama.

There's a scene in which Kim frets over her 6-year-old boy, Saint, who asked her about a pop-up ad he stumbled upon touting alleged unseen footage from her days with Ray J.

Saint questions her about it and it sends Kim and co. into a frenzy, where she freaks out/phones attorneys, demanding they stay on top of it and threatening legal action against those who might leak any would-be unearthed material that may or may not exist.

Kim says she's about "99.9 sure" there isn't anything else out there -- but clearly, she's worried enough about the prospect of a leak to get all riled up.

Funny enough, this is exactly how their old E! show started way back when ... the series started filming shortly on the heels of her infamous sex tape -- the one that definitely exists -- leaking to the public ... and some say this scene is deja vu, only now with her children.

What's interesting ... Kim is super concerned her kids might learn about all the sex tape drama online, but she's talking about that very thing on the new Hulu series, which then sparks more conversation and makes it more likely her kids will learn about it.

As for any unreleased tape, Kim tells her attorneys in the premiere she's willing to sue over any unreleased footage that might exist/leak, or against anyone who resurfaces her actual sex tape ... and she's pretty emotional. She even calls Kanye in the scene to vent.

As we reported ... Kim's legal team tore into Wack 100 for suggesting there was, in fact, extra footage that Ray was in possession of. Ye himself had to get involved by retrieving an old laptop from RJ ... even though we've been told there's nothing compromising on it.