TV

Amanda Bynes is in a potentially dangerous environment, with growing concern among friends and family over her fiance's inability to control his temper ... they worry the relationship could end in violence.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... people close to Amanda have witnessed Paul Michael's anger firsthand, saying he flies off the handle way too much.

Our sources say Paul has a history of outbursts, including an incident a couple weeks back when he allegedly vandalized his mom's house. We're told Wednesday night's fight between Amanda and Paul escalated because of his temper. She called police to express concerns for her safety, and then he called.

As you know, Amanda's parents recently agreed the actress should be freed from her conservatorship. We're told her parents still stand by their decision, as Amanda continues to do well on her own, but the concern is now over Paul.

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to Amanda's home early Thursday morning after a dispute. Neither was arrested, but Amanda went to social media and claimed Paul was watching "Mom and Son" porn and doing crack. She later walked those allegations back.

James Corden is saying goodbye to "The Late Late Show" in 2023 ... quite the shock since the show has been hugely popular for CBS.

James said the departure has been on his mind for a while, according to Deadline. He always thought he'd do the show for 5 years and then pass the torch to someone else, but he just kept cranking. When he pulls the plug, he'll have hosted for nearly 9 years.

The show has actually been more successful on YouTube than on the network. His 'Carpool Karaoke' with Adele racked up more than 250 million views. The romp with One Direction scored 189 million views. The show's YouTube page has more than 10 BILLION views with 27 million subscribers.

CBS honchos didn't let James go without a fight. They were gunning for a 3-year extension on his contract, but Corden agreed to only one year.

JC says there are things he'd like to accomplish post-exit, like writing. He also gives thanks to his crew for being some of the most talented people he's ever met.

CBS President and CEO, George Cheeks, is singing Corden's praises, saying he took TV by storm ... and his unique segments like 'Carpool Karaoke' and 'Crosswalk the Musical' reimagined what the late-night format could bring to a modern audience.

NBC News' social media team could use Elon Musk's proposed edit tool on a tweet about the reigning "Jeopardy!" champ ... all because they focused on her sexuality and job title, confusing and even angering a lot of users on Twitter.

Mattea Roach has won 17 consecutive games, which ranks No. 8 all-time, qualifying for the game show's Tournament of Champions and bringing her current winnings to $396,182 ... but NBC News decided to highlight the fact she's a "lesbian tutor" in a story about her achievements.

The controversial tweet was blasted out Friday to NBC News' 9 million followers, with many people reacting to the "lesbian tutor" description, showing confusion over the choice of words and even anger.

One user's hilarious response ... "Oh ffs. What on earth is a lesbian tutor? You mean she helps people become better lesbians? Be better @NBCNews & know that this incredible woman’s sexuality has absolutely no bearing on her amazing @Jeopardy streak & smarts!"

The tweet is still up as of this post, and it doesn't get much better when you click the link ... the headline for the NBC News story reads, "Mattea Roach becomes latest LGBTQ 'Jeopardy!' phenom."

Amanda Bynes and her fiance both called the police early Thursday morning in an incident that unraveled to her eventually accusing him of doing crack cocaine on social media ... LAPD sources tell TMZ.

Police arrived at Amanda's home at 2:30 AM after Paul Michael told the dispatcher he and Amanda were embroiled in a verbal dispute. Paul told cops Amanda had been taking his Adderall and was out of control. He said she kicked him out of the house, but he stayed until cops came. Sources close to the couple say Amanda had also called the cops, out of fear for her own safety.

Amanda went on Instagram early Thursday and said, "Paul told me that he stopped taking his medications. I looked at his phone and he was looking at mom-and-son porn. He vandalized his mom’s home. He broke all of her pictures and put salmon under her bed".

She wasn't done ... “His behavior’s alarming, and I’m afraid of what he’ll do.”

She ended by saying she allegedly “found Paul’s stash of crack cocaine. He’s been using for the past six months,” she claimed. “He needs serious help. I kicked him out of my house.”

We reached out to Bynes' lawyer, but so far no response.

As for Michael ... he went on Insta as well, saying he didn't know “what the f–k she’s talking about.”

They seemed to be getting along earlier in the day, but obviously, something happened that triggered both of them.

Amanda's 9-year-long conservatorship ended last month.

This season of "The Masked Singer" has been plagued with security issues ... and with the season finale approaching, the team is doing everything it can to keep a lid on the show's best-kept secrets.

Our sources say fans and paparazzi have been outside the studio, trying to snap pics through cracks in the fence -- some have even climbed on top of cars to get shots over the barricade.

We're told the studio has seen an increased swarm of people at the entry gate, and it's creating headaches for producers as they try to deal with everyone trying to sneak a peek.

To avoid leaks, the set designers stepped up in a big way ... they worked closely with the 'MS' security team and used set pieces from past performances to build a makeshift barricade outside the studio!

Sounds like lugging giant sets outside and repurposing them as a blockade was an exhausting ordeal, but ended up being worth the effort. Producers were worried that one open sliver would give photogs the shots they were after ... but luckily no pics made it to the light of day.

Howie Mandel's happy to be out of his quarantine after getting COVID ... but says his time locked away drove him insane, and thinks being vulnerable about your mental health is important now more than ever.

Howie was on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to talk about his new show "Bullsh*t the Game Show" ... but before pitching his show, he opened up about his intense struggle with the virus ... which he contracted during his first public outing -- the Kids' Choice Awards.

He makes it clear ... the physical symptoms weren't bad, but the collateral damage to his mental health was real. Howie's a big proponent of talking about these struggles ... it definitely has helped him navigate troubled waters.

As for his new Netflix game show, Howie says he's been offered a bunch of game show hosting gigs, but this one checks all the boxes. It's not only fun, contestants can win a million bucks!

Caroline Schwitzky, famous for appearing on ''90 Day Fiancé," survived an alleged murder attempt by her boyfriend after witnesses say he tried to strangle and drown her ... this according to law enforcement.

Officers for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say the alleged murder attempt went down Sunday in West Palm Beach, FL ... where witnesses told police Caroline and Cole Goldberg, whom she says is her boyfriend of 1 year, got into a heated argument on a boat.

According to the report, obtained by TMZ, witnesses told cops Caroline tried to get away from Cole, but he was holding and aggressively grabbing her to keep her onboard. The struggle went on for around 20 minutes, and then Caroline began punching Cole's arms to free herself.

Officers say they were told Caroline eventually managed to break free and jump off the boat, swimming toward a nearby boat. Cole apparently jumped in after her, caught up to her in the water and allegedly tried to push her under.

Witnesses also claimed Cole grabbed Caroline by the throat with both hands, attempting to strangle her while holding her under the water in a rage.

The people who claim they saw it all go down told officers ... they screamed at Cole to stop, to no avail ... he kept holding Caroline underwater.

According to the report, several people from a nearby boat jumped in the water to rescue her. They managed to pull Caroline up and away from Cole, and even used a stick to keep him at bay.

Officers arrested Cole for attempted first-degree murder. He was also hit with a battery charge.

The report says Caroline, a CEO of a Miami talent agency who appeared on "90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?" back in 2016, also had bruises on her arm.

According to jail records, 23-year-old Cole was booked just after midnight Monday and was released a few hours later after posting a $60,000 bond.

Betty White's L.A. home is on the market, and her estate could be millions richer for it.

Betty's 3,029 square foot home in Brentwood, CA is listed for $10.575M. It has some great views of the famed Getty Museum ... with a massive backyard outfitted with the obligatory SoCal swimming pool.

Betty spent many years here -- she moved there in 1968. She lived there with husband Allen Ludden because it was central to a bunch of studios on the Westside of L.A. Betty stayed put after Allen died in 1981 ... in fact, she lived there until she died in the home last New Year's Eve.

There's also a guest house, where Betty and Allen enjoyed playing charades with friends like Jimmy and Gloria Stewart, Dinah Shore and Burt Reynolds.

If you're a lookie-loo, don't bother ... the only people who can tour the home are prequalified buyers and will be given no interior access to the home.

As we reported, a buyer has already laid claim to Betty's home in Carmel, CA, where Betty also spent lots of time. That house is incredible, with views of the famed Monterey Peninsula. It was listed at $7.9 mil, and a bidding war hiked the final price to $10.7 mil.

Betty wanted to live out her final days in the Carmel home, but had to live in the L.A. house for medical reasons.

Viola Davis has heard all the criticism leveled at her over her portrayal of Michelle Obama -- as it pertains to her lip choices, that is -- and her response is ... screw the haters.

The Oscar-winning actress came out swinging against her critics in a new interview with the BBC, which asked her about the jokes and ridicule she was enduring a couple weeks ago amid the premiere of her new Showtime series, 'The First Lady.'

VD says these amateur commentators serve absolutely no purpose other than to be cruel, noting she found the score of comments to be "incredibly hurtful."

Viola acknowledges that critique is an occupational hazard of the job, and even seems to cop to the fact that her MO acting might not even be her best work ... but she insists she had to take big swings, and stands by what she did on camera.

Still, it's clear folks got to Viola and their mocking left her sour -- because she says this ... "Critics absolutely serve no purpose. And, I'm not saying that to be nasty either."

She adds, "They always feel like they're telling you something that you don't know. Somehow that you're living a life that you're surrounded by people who lie to you and 'I'm going to be the person that leans in and tells you the truth'. So, it gives them an opportunity to be cruel."

Viola also says it was damn near impossible to do Michelle justice, as some might've felt she was either doing too much or not enough to get it right. In this case, it's the former.

One other thing ... Viola says she has no idea what the real former First Lady thinks of how she did, noting she isn't in any personal contact with Mrs. Obama. Viola had previously said she did a lot of research and wanted to do MO proud ... so she clearly did her best.

As we reported, folks made a big deal about her pursed lips ... arguing it was overexaggerated/distracting. 'The First Lady' hasn't fared well with professional critics either.

Before this young man in his navy polo shirt turned into a show creator and a successful actor, he was just a private schoolboy attending Saint Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia.

This smiling kid is best known for his role in the FX comedy series "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" and if you're a fan of "Mythic Quest" ... well then you definitely should know who this cute kid is!

Need one more hint ... He ended up marrying one of his 'Sunny' co-stars in 2008, and the pair now have two sons together.

Keke Palmer says she politely declined to take a photo with an overzealous fan -- but even when the message was clear ... still had her personal space violated.

The actress detailed an upsetting story on social media Saturday, describing how a girl kept pressing her for a pic ... but apparently wouldn't take no for an answer, and hit record instead when she got denied.

To that KP writes, "No means no, even when it doesn’t pertain to sex. I was at the bar the other day and this girl asked me three times for a picture and I told her three times nicely that I did not want take one with her. She still preceded to film me against my will."

She adds, "If I went off on her I would’ve been wrong, so I just nervously laughed while my privacy was invaded upon." Unfortunately for celebs, this is true -- if you're out in public, you're fair game for anyone with a camera ... even if it feels invasive, like this clearly did.

Keke further addressed it on IG ... "Clearly I’m still upset about it cause I hated that I smiled, but that is my defense mechanism to laugh or joke in an uncomfortable situation and it misleads people every time. Literally I could be wanting to scream, and on the outside I’m still performing. The fact that I tell people no at all is therapeutic progress for me lbvs."

She goes on to explain boundaries are hard for people who defer to people-pleasing or who don't want to steer into conflict -- which she says isn't a good practice, but a real struggle.

Here's the fascinating thing about this ... Keke has very publicly dealt with this exact sort of issue before, albeit in a much more insidious setting -- at least based on what she claimed.

You'll recall ... she accused Trey Songz of "sexual intimidation" after he allegedly coerced her to be in a music video of his against her will -- to the point she claims she had to hide in a closet from him ... something Trey later downplayed and seemingly denied on social media.

Steve Martin has just about all of the internet going to bat for him against millennials who apparently don't find the humor in one of his most famous 'SNL' sketches ... King Tut!

Here's the deal ... SM's trending because somebody reposted and recirculated his famously goofy Egyptian-themed dance that he performed on the late-night program, on which he made regular appearances in the '70s. Yesterday marked the 44th anniversary of its debut.

While people were piling on with praise at first, it seems, one person (and perhaps more) asked a simple question ... where the heck is the funny in this thing???

As one 20-or-30-something notes ... "I'm sure my parents found this hilarious in the 70's but I honestly dont get it. He's doing a funny dance and voice but there isn't really a *bit* that my Millenial (sic) brain can parse." Their tweet is now taking off ... in a bad way.

Tons of people are coming out in defense of Steve against this person's perception of his comedy chops -- or lack thereof, in their eyes -- by rightly explaining he was a pioneer and kickstarted an entire wave of legendary standups that emerged in the late '70s and '80s through his wacky style ... which was more showmanship than actual traditional punchlines.

The King Tut dance, they explain, is just one example ... also, context matters too. There was a huge museum exhibit of the young pharaoh being dragged across the U.S. back then ... and it permeated the airwaves. So, Steve's satire here isn't lost on those who remember.

There also appears to be another convo happening on the outskirts of this King Tut clip -- namely, folks who are allegedly up in arms because of ... cultural appropriation.

Frankly, we can't find a single tweet expressing this position whatsoever -- Twitter's algorithm stinks when it comes to finding the initial outrage being cited -- but in any case, some say they're seeing that argument being floated ... and there, too, Steve fans are shutting it down.

Indeed, we're not about to apply the 2022 lens to Steve and his material some 40 years later. And, more importantly, no one in their right mind would try to "cancel" him now.

But, on the issue of whether he's actually funny or not -- either in his standup heyday or in movies thereafter -- well, it seems the answer depends on who you ask ... generationally.

Will Smith resurfaced after that slap, but far, far away from Hollywood.

Will touched down at a private airport in Mumbai, India, and it was clear the paparazzi in India knew he was coming. They shouted out his name as he arrived at his hotel, and he was more than happy to give the paps, along with some serious fans, a wave and a smile.

No idea why he's there -- whether it's business or pleasure, but he didn't look the worse for wear ... posing with someone who looks like the pilot at the hotel.

He even stopped for a few fans who desperately wanted a selfie with the actor.

Will hasn't said anything publicly since his apology after slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars ... a slap that earned him a 10-year suspension from Academy events, including the Oscars.

Several of his movie projects have been put on ice in the wake of the slap. It's unclear if they'll be canceled altogether or whether the movie companies are just waiting for all the hubbub to die down before things get reset.

Bill Maher went in hard on Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, for "demagoguing" the culture war issue over LGBTQ+ mentions in schools.

The "Real Time" host railed on DeSantis for the draconian action he took against Disney World, yanking their tax status and independence because the Mouse House took a stand against the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

Bill said he has every reason to hate Disney -- after all, they fired him for comments he made on "Politically Incorrect" -- a bonehead move, given the name of the show, right?

Nevertheless, Bill feels sorry for Disney because they seem to be in a no-win situation ... the left hated them when they didn't take a stand on the bill, and now they've taken a stand and the right hates them. As Bill said, Disney's initial response ... "We just make fairies and elves, riding teacups" ... and that triggered the left. Now that they won't donate to political campaigns of those who support the bill ... well, the right went nuts.

Atlantic writer, Caitlin Flanagan, said she hates the way Disney waffled, imploring the company to "have a backbone." Conservative, Mary Katharine Ham, took a different stance ... "The key might be neutrality on these big culture war issues."

Emmet McDermott's documentary -- #1 on Netflix right now -- exposes Abercrombie & Fitch's racist view of beauty, which he says was illegally applied to the company's hiring and firing practices.

Emmet joined us Thursday on TMZ Live to discuss his docufilm, "White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch" ... which features former employees revealing a toxic workplace that emphasized thin, white beautiful people as their vision of "All-American."

We're not just talking about the models -- Emmet says the company would phase out employees who looked "off-brand." He puts it plainly ... if you weren't good-looking or white, you're out.

The company even had a certain way for their employees to look, eliminating things -- certain hairstyles and jewelry -- it deemed to be associated with other, non-white cultures.

Clearly, A&F had crossed some legal lines when it comes to hiring based on race ... and it's made efforts to turn that around.

The company's current CEO, Fran Horowitz, posted a statement after the doc dropped, saying “We’re focused on inclusivity – and continuing that transformation is our enduring promise to you, our community. Always Forward.”

Actor Robert Morse, best known for his work on "Mad Men," has died.

Morse's death was confirmed Wednesday, though his cause of death is currently unknown.

The actor's work on "Mad Men," playing Bertram Cooper for 74 episodes, got him 5 Emmy nominations over its 8 years on the air. Bertram, or Bert, was one of the founding partners of the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency, where the show takes place.

Always dressed with a bow tie, Bert reluctantly agreed to a merger with British agency Puttnam, Powell, and Lowe ... he would then go on to be a founding partner of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

The character would die the night after watching the televised Apollo 11 moon landing ... Bert appeared after his passing in one of Don Draper's visions, played by Jon Hamm.

The Tony and Emmy-award-winning actor left behind a career on both stage and screen, steadily working for 6 decades. He got his start on Broadway in the '60s with a production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" ... his performance snagged him a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical.

He went on to win another best actor Tony award as Truman Capote in the 1990 play "Tru" ... for which he got an Emmy for Leading Actor in a Limited Series.

After "Mad Men," Morse came back to Broadway, working with Nathan Lane in the 2016 revival of "The Front Page."

Tributes have been pouring, including one from Larry Karaszewski, the VP on the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who called Morse "a huge talent and a beautiful spirit."

Broadway composer David Krane also paid tribute, saying "He had those cool, clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth. Wishing that eternal boy eternal peace in his new forever home. He succeeded without really trying."

Morse is survived by his wife Elizabeth Roberts and his 4 children -- Charlie, Robin, Hilary, and Andrea.

He was 90.