TV

New "Jeopardy!" host Mike Richards is apologizing for some insensitive remarks he made about women on his old podcast ... he says it's "a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment."

Here's the deal ... Mike used to host a podcast from 2013 to 2014 when he was the executive producer at "The Price Is Right" and he's now under fire for referring to his female co-host as a "booth ho" and "booth slut," among other degrading remarks aimed at women.

The podcast, called "The Randumb Show," has already been scrubbed from the Internet after The Ringer reported on Mike's derogatory comments, which also include him asking his female co-host and his assistant if they had ever taken "booby pictures," during a segment about leaked celebrity nudes.

According to The Ringer, Mike also went on the podcast and said women "dress like a hooker" for Halloween, said a former employee who took up baking would get "giant" and said one-piece swimsuits make some women "look really frumpy and overweight."

There's a lot more comments of the same ilk, according to The Ringer, but these are the lowlights.

Mike's apologizing in a statement, via Sony, telling us ... "It is humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago. Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast and I am deeply sorry."

He adds ... "The podcast was intended to be a series of irreverent conversations between longtime friends who had a history of joking around. Even with the passage of time, it’s more than clear that my attempts to be funny and provocative were not acceptable, and I have removed the episodes."

As you know ... Mike was just announced as the new day-to-day host of "Jeopardy!" and lots of folks aren't happy. He's also denied allegations of discriminating against pregnant women at his past stops.

Britney Spears' boyfriend is as hopeful as her fans she'll return to performing, and seems to think it could happen soon ... but admittedly he's got his fingers metaphorically crossed.

Sam Asghari was leaving an intense and sweaty workout at Bas Rutten's Elite MMA Gym in L.A. Wednesday when he blurted out something that could send Brit's followers into a tizzy ... claiming she'll "absolutely" take the stage again soon.

His absolute statement was quickly followed up with a mumbled "hopefully" -- so it doesn't sound like there's any solid plan in place just yet.

As for recent developments in Britney's conservatorship case -- like her father Jamie agreeing to step down -- Sam has another brief response ... with some added muscle.

Speaking of which, Sam makes a quick pitch to the producers of 'Fast & Furious 10' for a role and he's certainly taking his acting and fitness goals seriously.

Christina Haack just dropped more than $10 million on a brand new mansion in Orange County ... and the place is palatial.

Ya gotta see Christina's new digs in Dana Point ... it's 6,084-square-feet of luxury, decked out with a movie theater, game room and backyard with panoramic views of the Pacific. If scenery's not your thing, there's also a pool, spa and fire pit back there.

The estate is tucked away in a gated community and it's got 5 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms with indoor and outdoor dining areas and a chef's kitchen.

The "Flip or Flop" star closed the deal on her new pad July 7, throwing down a cool $10.3 million.

Our sources tell us Christina is making updates to the house to personalize it to her aesthetic ... and we're told she's mostly focusing on the kitchen and bathrooms.

TMZ broke the story ... Christina recently unloaded the Newport Beach home she shared with her ex-husband, Ant Anstead, for $5.35 million, and at the time, our sources told us she wanted to move closer to the coast and find a place with an ocean view.

"FBoy Island" star Sarah Emig wants Garrett Morosky to save his apology ... at least for now, 'cause she's not in the mood for it after he embarrassed her on the show.

We got Sarah hanging out with her co-star, CJ Franco, Monday outside the Peninsula Hotel in Bev Hills and asked if she was down to give Garrett another shot now that they're both in Los Angeles.

For the record ... Sarah says Garrett has, in fact, reached out to patch things up -- but it's clear she's not ready to hear it. She still has strong feelings about how Garrett left her hanging at the end of the HBO Max show. She says Garrett really did her dirty, and for that reason alone ... she's won't be breaking bread with Garrett.

As we reported ... Garrett showed his true 'FBoy' colors in the finale by choosing the $100k prize over a relationship with Sarah. Now, he told us he's planning to apologize ... but Garrett might wanna watch this clip first.

We can sum up her response to a potential date with Garrett in 2 words: Hell nah!!!

Ex-NFL star James Harrison says there's no need for a stunt double on the set of his new wrestling TV show ... revealing he does his ALL his own moves -- and it hurts!!!

As we previously reported, the former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker is taking his talents from the gridiron to the screen ... kickstarting a career in acting after 15 years in the NFL.

Harrison plays a journeyman wrestler named Apocalypse in the new Starz show, "Heels" ... which is about 2 brothers going to war with their rivals over their father's wrestling promotion in a small Georgia town.

Harrison joined "TMZ Live" to talk about his new gig ... and he says he's really doing all the complex moves himself!!

"The pain is real but the actual competition of it is not," Harrison said.

"The things that we're doing, we're actually working with each other to make sure that we do it safely and make it look painful as possible."

The 43-year-old ain't afraid to do anything -- from "jumping off the top rope, landing on someone, someone landing on you, taking a clothesline, taking a bump, when you hit your back on the mat, whatever -- that is real!

"That's real pain!!!"

In fact, 6-foot, 242-lb. Harrison tells us the first time he flipped out of the ring ... injuring his right knee, which required a 2-month break from shooting.

It's obvious Harrison -- who won 2 Super Bowls with the Steelers -- is taking acting very seriously ... and he's coming for The Rock's job!

Dr. Phil is trying a new approach to therapy, one that takes him out on the road to make actual house calls ... and, so far, he's finding it remarkably effective

"House Calls" is the name of his new CBS primetime show and the good doc joined "TMZ Live" Monday to tell us the biggest difference between his daytime show and this new spinoff. For starters, there's no studio audience ... something Phil thinks helps the people he's counseling let their guard down.

He says he spends about a week with each family, most of whom have NO IDEA he's spending QT with them to arbitrate whatever major dispute is disrupting their household.

The doc tells us only one person knows he's going to show up ... which explains how he's able to get cameras into the crib before his arrival.

But, more importantly, once Dr. Phil arrives he says things get very layered, very deep and the families get very candid.

As you know, the pandemic's triggered significant emotional, physical and economic problems ... and Dr. Phil's previously talked to us about ways to cope with quarantine stress -- but his "House Calls" offers a more hands-on approach.

"FBoy Island" star, or more accurately villain, Garrett Morosky says he's working on an apology for Sarah Emig ... and they're even talking about going on a date to hash things out.

We got Garrett and his fellow so-called "FBoy" Casey Johnson at Alfred Coffee on Melrose and asked Garrett if he's talked to Sarah since the dating reality show's shocking finale. If you're just starting to watch the HBO Max hit, this is where we scream ... SPOILER ALERT!!!

But, if you've seen it already, you know Garrett showed his stripes during the climax when he revealed he preferred a $100k prize over a relationship with Sarah.

Surprisingly, Garrett says the lines of communication between Sarah and him are very much open -- and they even crossed paths this week at a party in Los Angeles.

Garrett hints at a forthcoming apology, and seems to think he still has a shot at getting Sarah out on a date ... telling us he wants to get some alone time with her so he can explain himself. Translation: Once an f-boy, always an f-boy!

If you watched the show you know, the guys just looking to bang chicks were mixed in with genuine nice guys ... and the women had the unenviable task of figuring out who was who.

Garrett shocked Sarah by choosing the money, but producers got the last laugh by telling him the cash would go to a charity of Sarah's choosing.

He says it ended up benefitting an anti-human trafficking org -- and he also revealed being outed as a "FBoy" is NOT doing wonders for his dating life.

Some might call all that a win win.

Yet, somehow, Garrett's still got a chance to get the girl ... or, at least, that's what he wants us to believe.

Bill Maher thinks Matt Damon is a shining example of the absurdity of dragging good people on social media ... people, Maher says, who have committed the cardinal sin of confessing their imperfections.

As you know, Matt took fire for using the homophobic f-word to his daughter. He says he was telling a joke and used the word and she schooled him. He went on to say he's learned never to use the word again.

The 'Real Time' host sees it this way "... we could say, ‘Welcome, glad you could make it.' Or we could say, ‘You came later than I did. Die.'"

Maher then read a series of headlines slamming Damon, to which he said, “Really? … He’s got a clean water charity and delivers food to Haiti. What have you done, Vox headline writer? And yet, he is always getting pulled over by the woke police.”

ICYMI ... Damon tried to clarify by saying, "I have never called anyone f***** in my personal life and this conversation with my daughter was not a personal awakening. I do not use slurs of any kind." The problem ... he had said he did use the word when he told his daughter a joke.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are getting the keys to a beloved Colorado restaurant featured in "South Park" ... the real Casa Bonita is theirs, and the deal happened fast.

The "South Park" creators announced Friday they struck a deal to become the new owners of the Mexican restaurant made famous by their show, breaking the news in an interview with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.

Bob Wheaton, the president of Casa Bonita's parent company, Summit Family Restaurant Inc., tells TMZ ... the deal was put together VERY quickly, with talks heating up Wednesday during a conference call with reps for Trey and Matt.

We're told Trey and Matt's team laid out a detailed plan for how they wanted to evolve the business, including pouring resources in to expand the food offerings, gift shop and arcade at Casa Bonita.

As we first told you ... Casa Bonita's corporate ownership was not interested in selling as recently as 2 weeks ago, despite filing for bankruptcy ... but Wheaton tells us Trey and Matt ultimately got Casa Bonita for 2 main reasons.

First, we're told Trey and Matt offered a "fair" price for Casa Bonita ... the exact price was not disclosed, but we're told the amount was one Summit would have sought in the future.

Second, we're told Trey and Matt also struck a deal with the restaurant's landlord, something corporate had been unable to do since March and an issue that lead to the bankruptcy filing.

Ultimately, we're told Casa Bonita is in good hands with its new owners ... and it sounds like everyone's happy.

Kevin Hart's awkward exchange with Don Cheadle over the actor's age has folks split smack down the middle on whether it was staged ... but either way, it's pretty hilarious.

Don sat down for an interview on Kevin's Peacock streaming show "Hart to Heart" ... and the interview seemingly goes south when Don mentions in passing he's 56. Kevin blurts out, "DAMN" ... and Don seemed -- keyword, seemed -- PISSED.

It becomes awkward and even uncomfortable to watch as Don vents and Kevin tries to explain himself. So, on that level, it seems real, because why create this kind of conflict?

On the other hand, it's unclear why Don would be so angry over a seemingly innocent reaction. After all, saying "Damn" could be a compliment ... as in you don't look that old.

And, given the option of not making it to 56 ... well, you should wear it as a badge of honor.

Social media is split. Plenty of folks thought it was a joke. One person wrote, "This is the first time I've ever laughed at a Kevin Hart joke." Others thought it was genuine ... like one guy who said, "Don Cheadle is now 46 cause he just sucked ten years out of Kevin Hart’s soul."

Watch and judge for yourself.

Mayim Bialik's upcoming role as one of the new hosts of "Jeopardy!" might have been even greater if she just had the time ... TMZ has learned

According to our Sony Studios sources ... "The Big Bang Theory" star became a frontrunner with bosses at Sony to permanently host the game show after guest hosting in March. On top of that, we're told the crew loved working with her AND she also tested highest in focus groups.

Our sources say several Sony execs were "very interested" in Mayim for hosting duties on the daily syndicated program, but because of her other commitments -- she stars and executive produces "Call Me Kat" on FOX, and hosts a podcast -- they knew it wasn't going to be possible.

So, because they loved her so much ... we're told "Jeopardy!" honchos came up with the idea for 2 hosts -- one for the daily show, and Mayim for the quiz show's primetime and spin-off specials.

We're told this became a top priority, and after about 6 weeks of negotiations ... Mayim reached a multi-year, multi-million-dollar deal to do just that, including the upcoming "Jeopardy! National College Championship" ... which will air in primetime on ABC.

As we reported ... EP Mike Richards was named the new host of the syndicated "Jeopardy!" while Mayim will do her thing on a more part-time basis.

Ms. Pat -- the titular star of the new BET+ sitcom, "The Ms. Pat Show" -- says her move from Atlanta to Indiana was life-changing in a great way, but it took her a while to get used to white folks' hospitality.

The comedian joined "TMZ Live" Thursday to chat about her semi-autobiographical new show -- which has been a long time coming -- and all the support she's had along the way, but not just from the executive producers.

Ms. Pat has a very interesting backstory in ATL -- overcoming welfare, sexual abuse, arrest and conviction for selling crack -- but life took a huge turn when she started doing comedy open mic nights, and her husband's job moved them to Plainfield, IN.

Pat admits the almost entirely white population welcomed her with open arms ... along with cakes, and other neighborly foods. She also tells us, surprisingly, her stand-up material seamlessly translated to her new town ... which she chalks up to people of all races and backgrounds having a lot in common.

Ms. Pat says the whole experience was equally eye-opening for her ... something that comes across on the show. She told us she's blessed to have Lee Daniels, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard executive producing -- and especially credits Daniels for fighting hard to get it made.

Horatio Sanz allegedly groomed a young 'SNL' fan for sex and sexually assaulted her at an after-party when she was underage ... this according to a new lawsuit.

The former "Saturday Night Live" star is being sued by a woman in Pennsylvania, who claims he groped her breasts and her butt and digitally penetrated her without her consent at an 'SNL' party back in the day, in front of numerous NBC employees.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Horatio allegedly sexually assaulted the girl back in May 2002 when she was 17 years old, plying her with booze at a couple 'SNL' parties in New York City.

The accuser, who is suing as a Jane Doe, claims she started talking to Horatio when she was 15 and running an 'SNL' fan website. In the docs, she claims Horatio immediately started grooming her, being flirty and affectionate when they met in person and steering online conversations in an increasingly sexual direction.

In the docs, the woman claims Horatio knew she was underage when he allegedly sexually assaulted her and says NBC should have known but never stepped in.

In her suit, Horatio's accuser claims she became depressed and ashamed after the alleged sexual assault ... and she turned to "dissociative drugs" as a way of self-medicating and was eventually hospitalized for treatment.

She claims she ran into Horatio in 2019 at an NYC comedy event, where he admitted to having "cybersex" with her and masturbating during their online convos when she was underage. She also claims he later fessed up in text messages to feeling terrible about his actions and vowed that he was now a different person.

The woman's suing Horatio, NBCUniversal and 'SNL' Studios and is going after them for damages.

We reached out to Horatio and 'SNL' ... so far, no word back.

"SpongeBob SquarePants" honchos have a major problemo with a restaurant that sounds a lot like the spot where SpongeBob works ... and they're ready to fight in court about it.

Viacom's suing the company that recently opened The Rusty Krab restaurant in downtown Houston, claiming it's a blatant rip-off of the The Krusty Krab featured in the cartoon ... according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ.

Rusty Krab's accused of infringing on Viacom's 'SpongeBob' trademarks by using names, images, characters and re-creations from the show throughout its restaurant and on its menu, and according to the suit ... even advertises the place as "Houston’s VERY FIRST Spongebob Squarepants Inspired Pop Up Restaurant and Bar!"

Viacom claims all of Rusty Krab's marketing is geared toward kids and SpongeBob fans to deceive the public into thinking it's officially affiliated with the show ... only to leave parents who paid high ticket prices disappointed with the inauthentic experience and "purportedly unsanitary conditions and unsafe food."

Among the many alleged infringements, Viacom says Rusty Krab's drink menu uses numerous well-known hallmarks of 'SBSP' -- like "Pineapple Under the Sea," "Bikini Bottom," "Secret Formula" and "I’m Ready" -- to sell alcohol, which Viacom claims would violate its licensing policy for the trademarks on its kid’s show.

Viacom's wants the restaurant to hand over any profits it’s made, so far, and is also suing to block it from doing further business.

Dustin Diamond's presence will be felt over and over and over this weekend ... 'cause a NASCAR sponsor's ready to unveil his special stock car honoring the late actor.

Dan Block, the president of Insurance King, has chosen this Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the race where he'll unveil a tribute to his late friend.

The No. 52 car -- driven by Josh Bilicki -- is paying homage to Dustin and his Screech Powers character from "Saved by the Bell." We're told Block's bringing Dustin's best friend and his girlfriend as special guests.

The car itself will be wrapped Thursday and TMZ's obtained a rendering of what the final product will look like during the 82-lap race. Bilicki's race suit will also have Dustin's full name along with the years of his birth and death.

As we reported ... Dustin died in February after battling stage 4 lung cancer. Just days after he had revealed his diagnosis, Block planned to wrap Bilicki's car as a "get well" pick me up for Dustin. That initial rendering has been altered since Dustin passed.

Block and Dustin were very close friends, and Dustin starred in several Insurance King commercials.

In this spot, Dustin speeds past a cop who pulls him over and asks how he can afford car insurance with so many speeding tickets. He hits him with, "C'mon. I'm saved by the king."

One of the biggest "Jeopardy!" champs of all time has strong thoughts on the new hosts -- especially the day-to-day guy, Mike Richards, ... whom he clearly thinks might not have been the best pick.

We talked to Austin Rogers -- who went on a major hot streak in 2017 -- in NYC Wednesday, and got his two cents on the new faces of the iconic quiz trivia show ... and he gave us the straight dope on their EP and Mayim Bialik taking the reigns post-Trebek.

Watch how he responded when we asked how he felt about the announcement -- seems he doesn't think MR was the most ideal way to go ... but a decent option nonetheless.

Fact is -- and as Austin pointed out to us -- Mike has a lot of game show experience ... and he was pretty damn good during his stint as guest host a few months ago. And, as far as Mayim goes -- Austin says she certainly ticks a few boxes for what may or may not be a damage control move ... in his eyes, anyway.

There's some controversy with her getting the tap -- she was a noted anti-vaxxer (one with a PhD, no less) ... but has apparently changed her tune on the jab, and has said in recent months that she and her kids are, in fact, vaccinated against COVID-19. So ... all good???

Anyway, Austin says regardless of how he feels ... he's just happy the show will continue -- and hopes these 2 can carry on its storied legacy well enough. BTW, he gave us a rundown on his latest ventures -- and it sounds like Austin's about to go on a book tour for his new offering -- "The Ultimate Book of Pub Quiz by the Smartest Guy in the Bar."