TV

Former "American Idol" winner Samantha "Just Sam" Diaz is living a bad case of deja vu ... singing in New York City subways for money.

Just three years removed from winning "Idol" in 2020, the non-binary singer says they're back to showing off their pipes in subway stations ... making a living off the cash and coins folks leave in their donation box.

Just Sam is documenting the full circle moment on social media ... posting clips on Instagram showing themself covering different songs in NYC subway stations.

In a since-deleted caption, Sam says they were embarrassed to be reverting back to subway singing after winning the famous reality singing competition.

According to The Sun, Sam's deleted caption said, "Back in 2021, I was super embarrassed to be going back to the trains. I didn’t want people to know that I legit needed the money. I didn't want people to know that it wasn't optional. I was disappointed in myself for allowing myself to fall so low after winning Idol, but then I had to take it easy on me and remember that I started my journey with Idol at 20 years old."

Sam won "Idol" at the height of the pandemic, during a 2020 season that went remote midseason, and contestants performed while isolated. Sam beat out runner-up Arthur Gunn to win the show's 18th season.

Amanda Bynes is facing a tough reality after spending weeks in a mental hospital, often feeling sad and isolated, as she works to balance her medical needs and where to go next in life ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Amanda tell us ... she's back living solo in her own place after her recent release from a mental hospital, but she doesn't have a lot of people in her life.

We're told Amanda hasn't been focusing on some of the passions she had before she was found roaming the streets naked in March -- like fashion design and being a nail tech.

Instead, she loses interest quickly ... though, we're told she could pick up those interests again down the road.

The good news -- our sources say Amanda is really good about attending her outpatient treatments, seeing therapists, and taking her medication.

TMZ broke the story ... she was released from a mental hospital last month, 3 weeks after she was first admitted for treatment.

While Amanda's alone these days, folks around her don't want to see her get back with her ex, Paul Michael.

Our sources say Paul wasn't there for Amanda when she was struggling, and they want to see her move on from him because they feel he's toxic to her recovery.

We're told Amanda mostly just communicates with her parents and siblings ... and actually sees her parents from time to time.

So, while she's isolated from friends, at least she's on good terms with her family.

Jamie Foxx is still on the mend ... getting round-the-clock treatment at a facility in Chicago while his family continues to stay by his side.

Foxx's daughter, Corinne, and his close friend, Dave Brown, were among Jamie's visitors over the weekend. Both looked serious, and seemingly showed up to the facility for their time with Jamie.

TMZ broke the story, Jamie was transferred to the rehab facility in Chicago earlier this month after he was first hospitalized in Atlanta.

It's not entirely clear what sort of treatment Jamie's getting in Chicago, but we know the facility offers services to people who are recovering from strokes, spinal injuries and even cancer treatment. There's no indication Foxx has cancer.

Remember, it was early April when Corinne announced Jamie had suffered a 'medical complication' while he was working in Atlanta.

Ray Stevenson, known for his work in 'Thor' and the "Star Wars" franchise, has died.

Ray's publicist confirms the news to TMZ, telling us he died Sunday -- they say they have no further details surrounding his death at this time.

Ray first broke into the world of acting in 1993, appearing in various episodes of TV before landing a role in the 1998 flick, "The Theory of Flight" ... where he played a gigolo tasked with helping Helena Bonham Carter's character lose her virginity.

He went on to appear in a bunch of projects like "The Book of Eli," "Rome," "The Other Guys," and "Kill the Irishman" -- all before landing the role of Volstagg in Marvel's "Thor" in 2011, returning to the series in 2 sequels as the years went on.

"Star Wars" fans remember Ray lending his voice to the character Gar Saxon -- appearing in "Rebels" & "The Clone Wars." He's also playing a separate character in the upcoming "Ahsoka" series, premiering later this year.

Apart from that, Ray's been featured in "Divergent," 9 episodes of "Dexter," "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," "Black Sails," and "Crossing Lines." He also played Scott Buxton in the recent Indian hit, "RRR."

Ray was 58.

Warner Bros. Discovery head honcho David Zaslav had a really tough time gettin' his words out at Boston University's graduation ceremony ... because the crowd was heckling him with a barrage of 'boo's -- over the ongoing writers' strike.

Zaslav was the commencement speaker Sunday for BU's class of 2023, but in the sea of caps and gowns, many grads gave him a piece of their mind as he tried to inspire ... talking about how to deal with difficult people.

The chant -- "PAY YOUR WRITERS" -- was deafening, to the point Zaslav had to push pause as the crowd roared its disapproval.

There were protests outside the venue and some of the demonstrators even made their way into the event.

The WGA is demanding fair wages and a ban on AI in writers' rooms. The strike's been going on for nearly 4 weeks with no end in sight.

We've seen a bunch celebs and food trucks show up at protests across the country ... and there was even a pretty funny anti-AI banner flying high in the sky -- directed at Zaslav and the other studio heads.

If the sports TV biz somehow doesn't work out for Pat McAfee ... he's got a HUGE future as a WWE wrestler -- at least, that's according to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who gushed over the former NFL punter's work in the squared circle earlier this week.

The Texas Rattlesnake couldn't have heaped more praise on the 36-year-old when talking to us about the ex-Indianapolis Colt ... saying the guy simply has a sky-high ceiling in the WWE if he would ever join the org. full-time.

Austin, of course, would know a thing or two about the topic ... not only is he a WWE legend himself -- but he got a firsthand look at the way McAfee worked in the ring at WrestleMania 38 last year, and he was blown away.

"Pat has a natural feel for the business," Stone Cold said. "Epic performer. Great on the stick. Athletically, that match he had with [Austin] Theory was awesome."

Austin also had big praise for the way McAfee took his "Stone Cold" Stunner during their wild, beer-filled meetup in the 'Mania 38 ring.

In fact, Stone Cold said it was one of the three most memorable Stunners he's ever performed.

"I think he's amazing," Austin said of McAfee. "He's very entertaining. And, as a human being, I like him a whole lot."

McAfee, though, appears to be all-in on his television career at the moment ... his "The Pat McAfee Show" has taken off -- gaining so much popularity, it was actually just acquired by ESPN.

Anything Martha Stewart can do, Barbara Corcoran can do just as well ... 'cause the "Shark Tank" star just had her own makeshift Sports Illustrated swimsuit photo shoot -- and she looks fantastic!!

The 74-year-old real estate mogul and businesswoman threw on a white one-piece suit and orange cover-up to recreate her friend's new S.I. cover that was revealed this week ... captioning the pic, "I can’t cook, but I sure can swim. @si_swimsuit @marthastewart48."

The responses have been nothing but positive ... with huge names like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Chrishell Stause and Martha herself all showing love in the comments.

"Looking great barbara Corcoran!!!!!" Stewart, 81, said.

There was one troll, however ... and anyone who's familiar with the Sharks will not be surprised one bit that "Mr. Wonderful" had something to say.

"I've reported this to Instagram," Kevin O'Leary said ... to which Barb responded, "Ok hater."

Barb's post was all for fun -- earlier this week, she even joked with us that she wouldn't buy the mag if Martha looked too good.

Rachel Bilson says she had a gig pulled out from under her for openly sharing her sex preferences in the bedroom, which she says include being "f***ing manhandled" while doin' the deed!

Here's the deal ... the actress was talking about her favorite sex positions on the "Women on Top" podcast earlier this month, and one part went viral when she explained the wild reason why missionary is one of her favorites.

This week, on her own "Broad Ideas" podcast, she revealed she had a new job locked in place ... but the sex talk cost her the whole thing.

Rachel's pretty pressed over it, claiming she was just speaking in a "humorous way" about sex, and can't fathom why the plug was pulled for simply being honest.

Looking back, Rachel's pretty sure she might've worded her opinion differently, but says she definitely wouldn't have stopped herself from telling her truth.

She adds it's the first time something she's said has made her lose work, but for those unaware, she's been candid about her sex life in the past -- revealing she didn't have her first orgasm until she was 38 years old.

Weezer provided entertainment to the striking writers picketing outside Paramount Pictures ... supporting the cause by playing some of the band's most famous songs.

Lead singer Rivers Cuomo was flanked by guitarists Brian Bell and Scott Shriner outside the major movie studio Wednesday ... playing an acoustic concert for the writers who are continuing their strike.

The Writers Guild of America members surrounded the band as they performed from just outside the studio entrance ... with Weezer playing some of their biggest hits, including "Beverly Hills" and "Buddy Holly."

Weezer joins Imagine Dragons as bands to play for striking writers ... last week Dan Reynold's and guitarist Wayne Sermon put on a show outside Netflix HQ.

We've also seen Pete Davidson and TV's late-night talk show hosts supporting the WGA, bringing pizza and food to the writers ... and there's also been a live mariachi band at the picket lines.

Ya gotta imagine more bands will follow suit ... and it will be interesting to see who grabs the mic next.

Haley Pullos, known for her work on "General Hospital," was arrested for a DUI after allegedly causing a major freeway wreck ... one she's lucky to have survived, based on some horrific crash scene photos.

Haley, who plays Molly Lansing-Davis on the long-running soap opera, told Soap Opera Digest last week that she was taking a break from the show to recover from a car accident -- but according to a police report, Haley left out a few key details.

In the document, obtained by TMZ, cops say Haley was driving on a freeway in Pasadena on April 29 ... when she swerved, flew over the dividing barrier, and into oncoming traffic.

She ended up colliding head-on with another car that was going about 60 mph.

When cops arrived at the crash scene, they say Haley was unable to exit her car. Firefighters helped free her and got her into an ambulance .... where things got weird and a little violent.

Police say a firefighter was assessing her injuries when she struck him and shouted, "This is a $400 f***ing shirt!"

When they searched her car, cops say they found weed edibles and mini-bottles of tequila.

Haley was taken to the hospital ... cops met her there and say she showed clear signs she'd been driving under the influence -- noting the smell of alcohol on her breath, slurred speech, and watery eyes.

She was arrested for felony DUI while still at the hospital ... and cops note she got aggressive and fought hospital staff. They eventually had to sedate her.

The driver of the other car survived but was hospitalized with major injuries.

What's more ... cops tell TMZ Haley was also involved in a hit-and-run traffic collision before her gruesome freeway crash.

Pasadena Fire Dept. shared pics of the accident, warning people not to drink and drive.

Zak Bagans and Holly Madison are officially back together ... rekindling their romance nearly two years after they broke up.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Zak and Holly are an item again and, actually, had never really fallen out of touch. You'll recall, it was an amicable split back in 2021 -- and our sources say that proved to be true because they've been communicating on and off ever since.

Holly and Zak had known each other for years, but their romance didn't start until after her May 2019 visit to Zak's Haunted Museum in Las Vegas.

We're told Holly travels back and forth between L.A. and Vegas because of her kids, and Zak travels a ton for the filming of his show ... but they still find time to see each other almost every week.

The couple have kept their relationship mostly out of the public eye and have rarely been photographed together. Last month Holly wished Zak a happy birthday on IG with a photo of a clown birthday cake.

We broke the story when the "Ghost Adventures" star and former Playboy model ended their relationship after 2 years of dating.

Both of them have a lot to celebrate these days -- Discovery Channel renewed Holly's show "The Playboy Murders" for a second season and Zak's "Ghost Adventures" series was recently picked up by the network.

A clip of Jerry Springer has gone viral on Twitter, showing him reading a last will and testament with a bunch of juicy details ... and some fans think it's the real deal, but it turns out to be more fiction than fact.

The vid shows Jerry in a Zoom call, divvying up his assets to his children ... more specifically, leaving a good portion to 2 Black kids he had out of wedlock -- of course, this is in no way rooted in reality.

It's actually a pandemic-era virtual play called, "Blood Money." Jerry made a cameo in the production, which was featured in "REFRAMED 2020: A Festival of New Plays on Social Justice," presented by Tulane University ... the school where he once was a student.

It's a pretty interesting piece, but gullible folks online took it and ran ... with one saying, "Only Jerry Springer could go out like this."

Another person said Jerry "wrote" the best episode of his drama-filled reality show yet.

As if the evidence against this being legit wasn't enough, a source connected to Jerry tells us this obviously isn't real, adding he only had one daughter throughout his life.

You'll recall, Jerry was laid to rest earlier this month in a Chicago suburb ... after dying from pancreatic cancer.

Jamie Foxx continues to receive medical treatment after his serious health scare last month in Atlanta -- but now he's in a new city, at a facility touted as the top physical medicine and rehabilitation center in the country.

Jamie's family, including his daughters Corinne and Anelise, as well as Anelise's mother, Kristin Grannis, were all in Chicago both Saturday and Sunday to spend time with Foxx during his continued care.

While we still don't know exactly what happened to Jamie or why he's there ... we know the facility specializes in stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury rehab, spinal cord injury rehab and cancer rehabilitation.

One source tells us Foxx arrived at this facility in Chicago in late April -- after initially getting treatment in an Atlanta hospital -- and sources connected to Jamie tell us he's "recovering well."

Jamie's loved ones appeared to be in good spirits over the weekend, and there are signs he's alert and active -- including the fact Kristin left the center with Mother's Day flowers and a balloon.

Also, Anelise had her guitar with her, so you gotta imagine she was able to play and sing with her dad ... a good sign considering how important music is to Jamie.

Corinne, who has been by her dad's side from the start of his medical troubles, was also joined by her boyfriend on at least one of the visits, cracking a smile ... which, hopefully, is a marker of positive things happening for Jamie.

At the end of last week, Corinne announced her father had been out of the hospital for "weeks" and was "recuperating" -- she also mentioned he was playing pickleball.

While it's clear he's still getting treatment, the rehab center is obviously encouraging for Jamie's overall progress -- and the facility offers an adaptive sports and fitness program -- which could explain the game of pickleball.

As we reported, Jamie was first hospitalized April 12 in Atlanta for what his family called a "medical complication" ... but all seems to be headed in the right direction.

Hollywood writers striking for fair pay and protections against artificial intelligence are getting some air support ... in the form of a funny banner flying over the major studios.

The banner reads ... "Pay the writers, you AI-Holes" ... and on Monday, a small plane towed it above Amazon, CBS, FOX, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros.

On the ground, writers continue to pack the picket lines as the strike enters its third week ... with neither side showing signs of ending the stalemate.

The strike is definitely getting ugly ... in addition to the airplane banner, a massive, inflatable rat popped up outside Amazon Studios ... the huge rodent is holding bags of money, wearing a tuxedo and smoking a cigar. The messaging here is anything but subtle.

As for who is funding the plane and the banner ... we're told the money is coming from donations from various unions supporting the striking writers.

Artificial intelligence is a hot-button issue in Hollywood, with writers seeking guardrails so their jobs and livelihoods aren't negatively impacted by the recent AI innovations.

Giving Lady Gaga her flowers can sometimes be a dangerous proposition ... just ask the guy who tried dropping off some blossoms at her Malibu home.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... cops rushed to Lady Gaga's place Thursday night after her security called police to report a man on the property.

We're told the singer's security detained the man ... and when police arrived, he told cops he was just dropping off flowers.

The guy, we're told, only made it to the base of Lady Gaga's driveway before he was stopped ... and cops told him it wasn't a good idea to try and give Gaga anything.

It's kind of alarming ... we're told Lady Gaga's security told police they have seen the same man on her property before, claiming he often drops off little gifts for her. We're told he was not arrested over the flower incident.

Britney Spears makes a lot of news for her mental health struggles ... but, as Dr. Drew says, behind it all is a caring woman and brilliant performer who is struggling to restart her life.

Dr. Drew, Dr. Charles Sophy and others appear in Monday night's documentary, which explores Britney's life in the year and a half since the conservatorship ended.

Dr. Drew makes it clear ... it's typical for people like Britney to minimize the need for help, and it's also typical and OK for people to stumble as they try and find their way.

Dr. Sophy echoes the sentiment, saying Britney feels helpless and that when she acts out, she is screaming for help.