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Stephen Amell's clarifying some of his comments, telling us some of what he said was taken out of context. Stephen says he absolutely supports his union, but doesn't like the act of striking.

He continues, "What I said: "I think that it is a reductive negotiating tactic and I find the entire thing incredibly frustrating." Telling us, "In full context: I’m an actor and I was speaking extemporaneously for over an hour. I emote, but I certainly don’t think these issues are simple. Our leadership has an incredibly complicated job, and I am grateful for all that they do. Despite some of my terrible early acting work, I assure you, I’m not a robot. From an intellectual perspective, I understand why we are striking, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t emotionally frustrating on many levels for all involved."

He was not plugging his "Heelz" show this weekend, despite online reports.

Stephen Amell is a bit of a walking contradiction -- on the one hand, he says he backs his union amid the ongoing strike, but on the other ... he doesn't approve of them actually striking.

The "Arrow" star made the controversial comments during a recent promotional appearance in North Carolina, where he was plugging a new season of his Starz show 'Heels' ... and breaking with SAG-AFTRA's strike protocol in doing so.

Actors aren't supposed to be promoting projects during the strike, but there was Stephen plugging away, and not holding back his opinion on the work stoppage ... calling it unproductive and unnecessary.

Take a listen for yourself ... his disdain for how SAG is handling things is clear, although he does say he supports them as an org. What he doesn't condone is its decision to shut down the industry to get what they want.

He calls it a "reductive negotiating tactic" ... but doesn't really elaborate much more beyond that. Amell also said he found the entire ordeal incredibly frustrating and myopic.

Of course, his remarks here are not sitting well with other actors in the biz ... and Amell is getting dragged on social media right now as a would-be traitor and scab. A lot of folks are pointing out his sentiment doesn't actually make sense -- arguing it's all or nothing.

Amell appears to have responded ... taking to IG to shout out everyone who came to see him, and promising to keep going during a workout. Seems he's telegraphing something.

Angus Cloud -- famous from "Euphoria" -- has died at his family's home in Oakland ... TMZ has learned.

The actor's family tells us ... "It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today. As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son, Angus was special to all of us in so many ways."

They continue, "Last week he buried his father and intensely struggled with this loss. The only comfort we have is knowing Angus is now reunited with his dad, who was his best friend. Angus was open about his battle with mental health and we hope that his passing can be a reminder to others that they are not alone and should not fight this on their own in silence."

And finally, AC's family says this ... "We hope the world remembers him for his humor, laughter and love for everyone. We ask for privacy at this time as we are still processing this devastating loss."

The family isn't saying anything yet about the exact nature of his death, they seem to be suggesting it had something to do with his struggle to cope with his father's passing.

Angus was a rising star in Hollywood, and will perhaps best be remembered for his breakout role in the hit HBO series -- from 2019 to 2022 he starred as Fezco, the sometimes drug dealer/guardian angel for Zendaya's character, Rue Bennett.

His other credits include roles in movies like "The Line," "North Hollywood" ... to mention appearances and cameos in music videos from artists like Becky G, Karol G and Juice WRLD. He's got 2 projects that are due to come out.

The last time we talked to Angus was in March 2022, when he was staunchly defending his show against accusations that it glorified drug use. In his view, he felt like "Euphoria" only showed the brutal reality that teens and young adults are dealing with in modern-day America.

Angus was just 25.

RIP

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Angus Cloud's on-screen brother, fellow "Euphoria" star Javon Walton, is saying goodbye to his late castmate... and it's clear he considered Angus family outside of their work.

Javon, who played Ashtray on the hit HBO show, paid tribute to Angus shortly after we reported he died Monday at his family home.

In an Instagram post featuring an old photo of Angus and Javon hugging, Javon writes ... "rest easy brother" ... adding emojis for a heart and a dove.

Javon is also remembering Angus with an IG story ... sharing a photo of them shaking hands with the caption, "forever family ❤️."

TMZ broke the story ... Angus' family says he died Monday at their Oakland residence ... and police and fire responded to a 911 call from his mother, who reported a "possible overdose" and said Angus had no pulse.

As fans of "Euphoria" already know ... Javon's character, Ashtray, sacrifices himself to save his brother, Angus' character Fezco, in the season 2 finale.

It's one of the most powerful scenes in the show's 2 seasons -- and, it comes across as a pretty eerie fact now, but Javon told Esquire the original script called for Fezco to be killed in that scene. The change was made the night before filming.

Actress E.G. Daily, who played Dottie in "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday, telling us she felt something was off with her on-screen costar and real-life friend in recent years ... but had no clue Paul Reubens was battling cancer.

Looking back, she says Paul was an incredibly thoughtful soul, and there was a great distinction between Pee-wee and the man himself -- something many didn't get to see.

As for Paul's popular character, E.G. tells us it brought out the kid in everyone ... and she thinks it's rare for something to have such a big impact as Pee-wee did for years.

Paul Reubens -- the comedic actor best known for playing Pee-wee Herman -- is dead after a private battle with cancer.

Paul died Sunday night, according to a statement posted Monday on his Instagram account ... a statement that revealed, for the first time, the medical crisis with which he'd be dealing -- "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit."

We're told he had a brain tumor 6 years ago, but doctors were able to surgically remove it ... and it was considered a successful procedure. It's unclear what kind of cancer he'd been diagnosed with most recently.

The comedic icon will forever be remembered for his Pee-wee Herman character, which Paul created in 1978 during an improv exercise with The Groundlings. Paul worked with another comedy legend, the late Phil Hartman, to develop the character.

That led to the eventual launch of the "Pee-wee's Playhouse" TV show in 1986 ... and although it was Saturday morning programming, it became a huge hit with kids and adults.

He also brought the character to the big screen with the film, "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," which was a huge commercial success.

The movie featured a scene with Pee-wee dancing to the 1958 hit song, "Tequila" by The Champs. The character, and that dance, were so beloved ... you can't hear that song without thinking of Pee-wee.

While Pee-wee is his most iconic role, Paul had been doing live comedy routines long before that. In addition to his time in The Groundlings, he made 14 appearances on "The Gong Show" back in the '70s.

He's also done a ton of acting unrelated to Pee-wee -- having roles in movies, like "Blow," "Batman Returns," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Doctor Dolittle" ... as well as hit TV shows like "Murphy Brown," "Ally McBeal" and "Everybody Loves Raymond."

As for his cancer battle -- Paul addressed it in a note he'd written, saying ... "Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years. I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you."

Paul was 70 years old.

RIP

Hollywood actors are stuck between a rock and a hard place amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike -- best exemplified by one particular thespian, who's now doing odd jobs to keep afloat.

Josh Hooks, who's been on shows like "Will Trent," "Swagger" and "The Game," among others ... joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to explain how he -- like tens of thousands of other actors and writers -- is maintaining job/money-wise during the labor stalemate.

One gig Josh has picked up is cleaning houses, plus several other odd jobs -- as he explains, it's a great time to be a jack of all trades. Sounds like Craigslist is his best friend these days.

There are methods JH and his fellow striking actors are implementing to get by during this hard time -- including leaning on each other for support, which he says entails cooking and sharing grub, or referring somebody to a new gig if there's work on the table to go around.

He also reflects on how frustrating his journey in showbiz has been in these recent years. First, his momentum from 2019 got derailed because of COVID ... which halted a lot of productions for a good long while. Now that he's got some mojo again ... it's the strike.

Despite this ... Josh fully backs his union in hitting the picket lines, adding that he's happy to serve as a voice for countless people who are fighting for better working conditions.

He's hoping these differences can be resolved sooner than later, but in the meantime -- he's clearly making do however he can ... just like so many others are as well.

Tough times.

Selena Gomez is posting thirst traps by sea, and her organ donor, and former BFF, is doing the same by land ... with some super sexy bikini action on a beach volleyball court!!!

Francia Raisa continued her birthday celebrations Sunday in Malibu, showing off her curves -- and her scars from the kidney she donated to Selena -- as she played volleyball with friends.

It was another scorching hot summer weekend in the 'Bu, and Francia made it hotter ... leaving little to the imagination in a skimpy swimsuit that matched her sunglasses and hair.

Francia showed off her athleticism ... serving some aces and bouncing around in the sand.

The beach day capped off Francia's birthday week, which included an olive branch of sorts from Selena, who wished her well with a social media post after their recent falling out.

As we reported ... in the wake of Selena's birthday message, Francia followed her back on social media and told paparazzi there's no more beef between them.

Now that Francia's following Selena on Instagram, she's probably seen Selena's weekend thirst traps she posted from a boat ride.

Yung Miami's brief talk show host career has her now comparing herself to Oprah Winfrey ... albeit the City Girls rapper is proclaiming herself to be the "Black" version of the legendary journalist. 🤔

Miami makes the puzzling proclamation on an upcoming episode of "Drink Champs" ... and made it an even more confusing statement by acknowledging she knows Oprah is indeed, a Black woman.

Last year, Miami shared the "Best Hip Hop Platform" award with "Drink Champs" for her "Caresha Please" series on Revolt TV, but she's only 10 episodes deep.

Oprah was enamoring television audiences since the mid-80s ... several years before Miami was even born ... and fans told her she has a bit of catching up to do before she can be mentioned in the same breath as Lady O.

Now we know why Kyle Richards has been in Aspen at the same time as her good friend country star Morgan Wade ... Kyle's spreading her wings and producing a documentary on Morgan's life.

Morgan performed Sunday night at Belly Up in Aspen ... and everyone in the audience signed releases allowing the footage shot to be used in a production.

We've learned the production puts the spotlight on Morgan's life ... the highs and lows -- from her rise to stardom to overcoming substance abuse. It also focuses on the 28-year-old cancer issues -- she has a gene that makes her at high risk for ovarian and breast cancer. She'll be getting a double mastectomy in November -- presumably the doc will chronicle that journey.

Kyle is not only the executive producer of the doc, she appears on camera as well. And, Kyle was actually shooting footage of the concert during Sunday's show.

54-year-old Kyle is venturing into new territory, producing and whatnot. Congrats!

Selena Gomez is surrounded by water, but it hasn't quenched her thirst, because she posted some smokin' hot pics on vacay!!!

S.G. was rocking a 2-piece on a boat with a couple of her close friends.

Selena's pink bathing suit came with a blend of rural -- as in overalls! It's a look. We're told she was in the Hamptons last week, and the pics were taken over the weekend so she may still be there.

As far as we know, she's still single. You'll recall she let a bunch of soccer players know her relationship status in a somewhat desperate/hysterical attempt to pull an athlete!

BTW, the "Only Murders in the Building" star turned 31 a little over a week ago. One thing marking the occasion ... her net worth was estimated to be around $800 mil ... not bad at any age.

Neal McDonough might need a realtor ... we've learned he was stopped and questioned by sheriff's deputies while driving around and knocking on doors, but he says he was just looking for his next home.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the L.A. County Sheriff's Department got a call earlier this week about a man behaving suspiciously around a Westlake Village neighborhood.

We're told the person who called said the man was driving around, getting out of his car and knocking on some doors. The caller was concerned he was casing the area, and up to no good.

Of course, Neal's got a knack for playing bad guys really well (see "Minority Report") -- maybe too well since his mere appearance freaked out the caller.

Anyway, we're told deputies responded and made contact with the door knocker, only to realize he was Neal.

Law enforcement says Neal was super nice and told the deputies he was looking for a house to buy and was just checking out the neighborhood. Anyway, after a friendly chat -- kind of like the one Neal had with us on the TMZ Celebrity Tour -- it was clear no crimes were being committed.

"Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol" -- Jamie Foxx, T-Pain, and now, Paul Pierce ... 'cause the Celtics legend is opening up on his infamous stripper video that led to his ESPN firing -- saying he was boozin' hard the night he accidentally streamed his scandalous party on Instagram.

Pierce gave Lance Armstrong the lowdown on the whole controversy in the latest episode of the hit Fox celebrity competition show, "Stars on Mars" ... and he downplayed the whole incident -- even though he lost his TV gig over it.

The Truth explained he was playing poker at his friend's birthday party ... and there was "a lot of alcohol" involved.

"It was a big whole controversy," the Hall of Famer told Lance. "I mean it wasn't nothing illegal, but it was just girls ... girls shaking their ass."

Lance somehow knew nothing about the controversy ... so when he asked how the video even saw the light of day, Paul had to admit it was all his doing.

"I accidentally did, my dumb ass."

Lance hilariously scolded the hooper ... saying, "Bitch, how old are you?!"

Pierce enlisted fellow contestant Tinashe to vouch for the harmfulness of the clip ... and she said it wasn't all that bad on its own, but context had her understanding why it was such a big deal.

Of course, ESPN quickly parted ways with Pierce after the video went viral ... but he's seeing the silver lining in getting the boot, saying, "Maybe I wouldn't be on Mars if that didn't happen. See? Everything happens for a reason."

Teresa Giudice loves to slam Sofia Vergara over a years-old incident that left her sour -- once again recounting the selfie snub story ... and again mocking Sofia's background.

The 'RHONJ' star was telling the old tale to her cohost, Melissa Pfeister, on their podcast 'Namaste B$tches' -- presumably because SV is back in the news with this divorce between her and Joe Manganiello. As such, Teresa thought it'd be good to bring this thing back up.

As she explained back in 2017 -- when this went down -- Teresa says she was at some event, where Sofia was also present. At the suggestion of their publicists ... Teresa and Sofia were supposed to take a picture together -- but TG claims Sofia threw a big fit about it.

In fact, she alleges Sofia was pretty rude in expressing her disapproval over the selfie ... apparently asking her own publicist why she'd been asked to do this with Teresa.

Obviously, that pissed Teresa off ... and she's again saying Sofia should've been nicer -- because, in Teresa's mind, she comes from humble beginnings. Here in this latest podcast clip, she's not as explicit (or xenophobic) as she was in 2017 when she told this same story.

At the time, she said Sofia had an obligation to be kind because she was an immigrant ... and here, she again suggests the same thing ... making fun of her Colombian accent to boot.

Teresa seems to think that because Sofia came from a foreign country in Latin America ... there's an extra layer of humility she needs to express in her dealings with American stars.

Zachery Ty Bryan is experiencing déjà vu in the worst way possible -- 'cause the guy found himself in an Oregon jail, yet again, for alleged domestic violence.

Eugene PD tells TMZ that the 'Home Improvement' star was arrested Friday for felony assault, in violation of the Abuse Prevention Act. That's when someone is accused of attacking somebody else who'd previously been granted a restraining order in relation to DV.

Unfortunately, this appears to be a bit of a repeat of what happened 3 years ago in the same town -- at least that's what it sounds like based on what cops say. We're told police got a call for a reported physical dispute between a male and female at a Eugene residence.

When they arrived, we're told Zach was long gone ... but they eventually tracked him down and took him to jail, where he was booked ... and where he currently remains in custody.

The details of the latest alleged incident remain unclear for now ... but remember, back in 2020 -- Zach was also arrested for 4th-degree assault ... in addition to strangulation and interfering with making a report. At the time, he was accused of roughing up his then-girlfriend.

In the end, he ended up pleading guilty to two lesser charges ... misdemeanor menacing, and misdemeanor assault. He's also publicly said the incident was blown out of proportion.

Lots of actors who are on strike are getting work ... courtesy of Beverly Hills plastic surgeons!

Business is booming ... so says Dr. Ben Talei of the Beverly Hills Center for Plastic Surgery. He told Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" he's working 7 days a week, because actors are using the downtime to go under the knife and recover without being noticed or missing work.

Dr. Talei says it's the A and B-listers who are swarming his office ... mostly because they can afford it. He's been doing work on some of his favorite sports stars and actors, and there's an interesting story about a famous Scientologist who went under his knife.

And here's the most fascinating part ... he says some actors made contingency plans -- if it seemed the strike wouldn't last long, they'd get minor, filler work, but if it was prolonged, they get the full monty.

Amanda Bynes is ditching outpatient care and going back to inpatient ... and this time she's trying a new mental health treatment center as she continues to work on her illness.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Amanda checked herself into an intensive inpatient mental health treatment center in Orange County at the beginning of July, nearly a week after checking out of a Los Angeles area mental health facility for outpatient treatment

We're told Amanda wanted more of a therapeutic place to live rather than living by herself at her L.A. apartment ... and felt she needed more help than the outpatient treatment was providing.

Our sources say Amanda was introduced to this center in Orange County through her last treatment center, and she likes how she's able to be around a medical team, therapists and other patients, because it provides social interaction and company ... as opposed to being on her own.

Plus, we're told Amanda's receiving a higher level of care at the inpatient center than she was in an outpatient setting ... she's in residential treatment getting 24/7 care, while also taking part in daily therapy sessions and activities to help her develop skills to use when she leaves the center.

Our sources insist it was Amanda's decision to check into this new facility ... which is a running theme with her.

TMZ broke the story ... Amanda called cops June 17 to report she was in distress and felt she could harm herself. Police responded with a mental health specialist who determined Amanda needed to be placed on a psych hold ... and she spent time in a psychiatric facility before briefly moving to outpatient care.

Our sources say there's no time frame on how long Amanda will be in this new facility ... it's dependent on when she feels ready to leave and be on her own again.

Hidden behind this mashed-up pic is an actress, country singer and a momma bear of two daughters who live in "Music City," and when she’s not hangin' with the kiddos, you can catch her on Netflix in a set of scrubs.

Throwing it back to 2002 when she made her acting debut in the movie “Crossroads” as the younger version of Lucy Wagner ... and it wasn’t too long after for Nickelodeon to have her star in her own show as a boarding school student (with its follow-up film premiering earlier this week)!