TV

Dan Schneider is addressing the allegations in the new Nickelodeon doc that paints him as a monster and wildly inappropriate with some in the cast ... and he's taking accountability.

The one-time Nickelodeon honcho sat down with former "iCarly" actor BooG!e Tuesday to offer up his formal response to toxic workplace claims made against him and the shows he created ... which was just addressed in full on the new documentary that's going viral.

Check it out ... DS says it was very hard for him to watch the new docuseries ... acknowledging some of his past behavior as embarrassing and regretful.

He added ... "I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology."

The former TV exec -- who was the showrunner on several Nick shows back in the day -- realized how his actions impacted those who worked for him. He says he'd never do some of the on-set shenanigans he pulled back then today -- explaining ... "I’m embarrassed that I did it then. I apologize to anybody that I ever put in that situation."

Dan even agrees some of the questionable jokes written for his shows should be cut right now ... insisting he wrote the quips with children in mind -- and that there was no ill intent.

Through his reps, Dan has denied claims that the shows he oversaw purposefully sexualized its child stars -- like Ariana Grande, Amanda Bynes and Jennette McCurdy, among others.

His spokesperson stated Monday ... "Everything that happened on the shows Dan ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults, and approved by the network. Had there been any scenes or outfits that were inappropriate in any way, they would have been flagged and blocked by this multilayered scrutiny.”

Drake Bell -- who spoke out about being molested by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck in 'Quiet on Set' -- credited Dan as an ally after he spoke out about the abuse.

In the new sit-down, Dan talks about Drake and Peck as well ... getting emotional doing so.

He says he was devastated when he learned of Brian's behavior ... explaining he did not hire the dialogue coach for the network, but has regrets nonetheless on having him around. He even revealed that he helped Drake's mother pen her statement for Brian's sentencing trial.

Travis Kelce está en conversaciones para convertirse en presentador de un programa de juegos en un futuro muy próximo.

La estrella de los Kansas City Chiefs y los representantes de Prime Video están trabajando para llegar a un acuerdo que convertiría al tres veces campeón del Super Bowl en el rostro de un reinicio de "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?", según Variety.

Sin embargo, el medio de comunicación informó el martes que está lejos de ser una conclusión inevitable, ya que hay cierta preocupación por parte de los jefes que Kelce no sea capaz de hacer el trabajo correctamente si continuara su carrera en la NFL.

Jeff Foxworthy fue el presentador de la primera edición del programa en Fox en 2007. John Cena retomó la conducción años más tarde, cuando una nueva versión del programa llegó a Nickelodeon.

El programa era muy popular, ya que ponía a prueba los conocimientos de los adultos sobre información que generalmente se le enseña a los alumnos de primaria.

Variety informó el martes de que la nueva versión de Prime Video contaría con concursantes famosos.

Por supuesto, si Kelce consigue el papel no sería su primera incursión en el mundo de la televisión. Una vez estuvo en un reality show de citas llamado "Catching Kelce". También fue el famoso presentador de "Saturday Night Live" el año pasado. Y no se olvide que aparece en cámara semanalmente con su hermano -Jason- en su pódcast ultra-popular "New Heights".

Si Kelce está preocupado, no lo se le nota en lo absoluto, porque se rumorea que está en las Bahamas con Taylor Swift, y sí, es un poco difícil centrarse en los negocios allí.

Travis Kelce's apparently got his eyes on taking his tight end to a new seat ... he's now reportedly in talks to become a game show host in the very near future.

The Kansas City Chiefs star and Prime Video reps are working to hammer out a deal that would make the three-time Super Bowl champion the face of a "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" reboot, according to Variety.

The outlet reported Tuesday, however, that it's far from a foregone conclusion ... as there's at least some concern on the suits' end that Kelce wouldn't be able to do the gig properly if he continued his NFL career.

Jeff Foxworthy hosted the first iteration of the show on Fox way back in 2007. John Cena then picked up hosting duties years later when a new version of the program landed on Nickelodeon.

The show was a popular one -- as it, in part, tested adults' knowledge of information generally taught to elementary school students.

Variety reported Tuesday the new Prime Video version would feature celebrity contestants.

Of course, if Kelce does score the role ... it'd hardly be his first foray into the television world. He was once the center of a reality dating show called "Catching Kelce." He also famously hosted "Saturday Night Live" last year. And, don't forget, he's on-camera weekly with his brother, Jason, for their ultra-popular 'New Heights' podcast.

If Kelce's sweating the talks, he's not showing it much ... 'cause he's rumored to be down in the Bahamas with Taylor Swift at the moment -- and, yeah, kinda hard to focus on business there.

Oprah Winfrey se está abriendo sobre los extremos a los que ha llegado para bajar de peso durante su vida, revelando que incluso pasaba hambre con tal de bajar unas libras.

La leyenda del talk show habló de sus años haciendo dietas en su nuevo especial de ABC, "Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution", donde compartió que una vez hizo una dieta líquida para perder 67 libras, lo que quedó registrado en un episodio de 1988 en donde salió con un carro lleno de grasa durante su programa de entrevistas.

La revelación que está haciendo en el especial, sin embargo, es que la pérdida de peso duró muy poco. Oprah está admitiendo que comenzó a ganar peso de nuevo casi al día siguiente después de que el programa se convirtiera en objeto del escarnio público.

La pérdida de peso se ha convertido en una parte importante de la marca de Oprah, quien fue embajadora e importante inversora de la marca WeightWatchers.

Todo el mundo se acuerda de su anuncio "Me encanta el pan", ¿verdad?".

A principios de este mes, la presentadora renunció a su cargo en el directorio de WeightWatchers después de casi 10 años, luego de que admitiera que está usando medicamentos para bajar de peso.

Oprah dice que dejó WeightWatchers para evitar un posible conflicto de intereses con este nuevo especial de ABC, ya que ahora la empresa está distribuyendo recetas de medicamentos que ayudan a perder peso.

Oprah Winfrey is opening up about the extreme lengths she's taken to lose weight over the years ... revealing she previously starved herself in order to drop some pounds.

The talk show legend discusses her years of yo-yo dieting in her new ABC special, "Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution," sharing that it took a liquid diet to help her lose 67 pounds -- which she famously marked in 1988 by wheeling out a wagon filled with fat during an episode of her talk show.

The revelation she's making in the special, though, is that celebration of weight loss was extremely short-lived -- Oprah now admits she began gaining the weight back almost the very next day after that show ... becoming the object of public ridicule.

Weight loss has become a major part of Oprah's brand, having previously become a brand ambassador for, and major investor in, WeightWatchers.

Everyone remembers her "I love bread" commercial, right?

Earlier this month, she stepped down from her position on the WW board of directors after nearly 10 years ... following her admission she's now using weight loss drugs.

Oprah says she left WeightWatchers to avoid a conflict of interest while making this new ABC special ... since WW is now doling out weight loss drug prescriptions.

La estrella de "Will & Grace" Eric McCormack ha salido en defensa de los actores heterosexuales que interpretan a personajes gays en la pantalla, señalando que asumir papeles diferentes es la razón de ser de un actor.

El actor -que es heterosexual en la vida real e interpretó al famoso protagonista gay Will en la exitosa comedia de NBC- dijo a "Good Morning Britain" de ITV que se trata de elegir a la mejor persona para el papel, independientemente de su identidad personal.

Eric se basa en su propia experiencia en la industria, diciendo que no se convirtió en actor solo para interpretar versiones de sí mismo, sino que siempre ha aceptado papeles en los que interpreta a alguien totalmente diferente de lo que es.

"Es parte del trabajo. Y siempre he dicho que si a los actores homosexuales no se les permitiera interpretar a actores heterosexuales, Broadway se acabaría".

Aunque los papeles de Eric no reflejen directamente su propia vida, eso no significa que escatime en investigación. A la hora de interpretar a Will, sacó lo mejor de sí mismo recurriendo a su formación teatral y al hecho de que muchos de sus mejores amigos eran gays... canalizando su espíritu en el papel.

Funcionó muy bien, "Will & Grace" -protagonizada por Debra Messing, Sean Hayes y Megan Mullally- funcionó durante 8 temporadas, entre 1998 y 2006, y agregó 3 temporadas de reunión de 2017 a 2020.

"Will & Grace" star Eric McCormack is stepping up to defend straight actors who play gay characters on screen -- pointing out that taking on roles different from oneself is the whole point of being an actor.

The actor, who is straight IRL and also famously portrayed gay protagonist Will in the hit NBC sitcom, told ITV's "Good Morning Britain" ... it's all about casting the best person for the role, regardless of their personal identity.

Eric's drawing on his own experience in the industry, saying he didn't become an actor just to play versions of himself -- rather, he's always embraced roles where he's portraying someone entirely different from who he is.

He says, "It's part of the gig. And, I've always said, if gay actors weren't allowed to play straight actors, Broadway would be over."

Even though Eric's roles might not directly mirror his own life, that doesn't mean he skimps on the research. When it came to portraying Will, he brought his A-game by drawing on his theater background and the fact that many of his closest friends were gay ... channeling their spirit into the role.

Worked out pretty damn well ... "Will & Grace" -- costarring Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally -- ran for 8 seasons from 1998 to 2006, and added 3 reunion seasons from 2017 to 2020.

Drake Bell está atacando a otras estrellas infantiles de Nickelodeon por sacar a la luz su abuso. Resulta que el equipo de "Ned's Declassified" parece encontrar algo de comedia en todo esto.

Devon Werkheiser, Lindsey Shaw y otros que solían trabajar en su antiguo programa de Nick, estaban grabando un TikTok Live el lunes -esto mientras la segunda mitad de "Quiet on Set" salía al aire en ID- y parecían estar haciendo bromas a expensas de Drake y otros.

Devon y compañía discutieron el documental y personificaron a un tirano, presumiblemente Dan Schneider, diciendo "dame tus agujeros".

Devon reconoce justo después de que no deberían bromear al respecto y Drake ciertamente está de acuerdo. Drake tuiteó el video añadiendo: "Ned's Declassless... esto es salvaje... ríanse chicos... ríanse... Dame tus agujeros" ¡¿En serio?!"

Devon intenta ser serio por un momento en su IG Live, señalando que lo que le pasó a Drake es terrible y agregando que es una locura que lo haya tenido en secreto durante tanto tiempo.

También dice que equipo de '"ND" no era como se describe en el documental de los niños bajo la mirada de Schneider. Aun así, siguió riéndose con sus antiguos compañeros de reparto, lo que no le sentó bien a Drake, y definitivamente a la gente en línea.

Es comprensible que el equipo de "Ned" esté siendo destrozado en este momento, francamente, lo que Drake y compañía revelaron es extremadamente grave, por no decir inquietante.

Además de los abusos de Drake a manos de Brian Peck, varias otras ex estrellas infantiles afirmaron que fueron maltratadas mientras trabajaban en Nick, y otros sugirieron que los showrunners y los escritores a menudo intentaban sexualizar a muchos de los niños de maneras no tan sutiles.

Hay un montón de sketches y disfraces, por no hablar de los gags de baba -lo cuales están volviendo demostrando ser terriblemente inapropiados- a pesar de que Dan Shneider ha negado haber acutado mal.

Nickelodeon comentó: "Aunque no podemos corroborar o negar las acusaciones de comportamientos de producciones de hace décadas, Nickelodeon como una cuestión de política, investiga todas las quejas formales como parte de nuestro compromiso de fomentar un ambiente de trabajo seguro y profesional libre de acoso u otros tipos de conducta inapropiada".

Y añaden: "Nuestras máximas prioridades son el bienestar y los mejores intereses. No solo de nuestros empleados, elencos y equipo, sino de todos los niños, y hemos adoptado diferentes métodos a lo largo de los años para ayudar a garantizar que estamos a la altura de nuestros propios altos estándares y las expectativas de nuestra audiencia".

Drake Bell is blasting other Nickelodeon child stars for making light of his abuse -- specifically, going after the 'Ned's Declassified' crew ... who seem to find some humor in it.

Devon Werkheiser, Lindsey Shaw and others who used to work on their old Nick show were recording a TikTok Live Monday -- this as the second half of the 'Quiet on Set' doc aired on ID -- and they appeared to be cracking jokes at Drake and others' expense.

One of the jabs Devon and co. dropped while discussing the 'QOS' doc included him impersonating a tyrant, presumably Dan Schneider, saying "give me your holes."

Devon acknowledges right after that they shouldn't joke about the topic -- and DB himself certainly agreed ... taking to X to call him out. Drake quote-tweeted the vid, adding ... "Ned’s Declassless…this is wild…laugh it up guys…laugh it up…”Give me your h*les?!!” Really?!"

Devon does attempt to be serious at one point in his IG Live ... noting that what happened to Drake is terrible -- acknowledging it's crazy it stayed under wraps for as long as it did.

He also says that their set from 'ND' was not in any way like what was described in the doc from child actors who worked under Schneider's reign. Still, he continued to giggle with his old costars ... which didn't sit well with Drake, and definitely not with others online.

It's understandable that the 'Ned's' camp is getting trashed right now ... frankly, what Drake and co. revealed on the doc is extremely serious -- not to mention downright disturbing.

In addition to Drake's abuse at the hands of Brian Peck -- several other former child stars claimed they were mistreated while working at Nick ... and others suggested the showrunners and writers were often attempting to sexualize a lot of the kids in not-so-subtle ways.

There are a lot of sketches and costumes -- not to mention slime gags -- that are resurfacing now that come across as wildly inappropriate ... even though DS has denied wrongdoing.

Nickelodeon commented, saying ... "Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct."

They add, "Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience."

It's Tuesday, and let's just say we started the week strong here at TMZ ... especially on TV.

Kicking things off on "TMZ Live," we actually broke a big story in publishing the first video of Kate Middleton out and about and on her own two feet since December -- which hopefully puts all the rumors to rest, especially now that we can see she seems to be doing just fine.

The footage shows her looking relatively healthy and happy. So ... much ado about nothin'?

Next up, we have "TMZ on TV," where the gang talked about Ben Affleck's latest reason to be sad -- namely, the fact that he and Jennifer Lopez's car suffered a flat tire this weekend.

It was pretty funny to see them deal with it ... and even funnier to talk about on the show.

Finally, we land on "TMZ Sports" ... where Babcock and Mojo talked about wrestler Bully Ray.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Dan Schneider has again denied allegations of a toxic workplace while he was at Nickelodeon ... including claims that child actors were sexualized on shows he created.

A rep for the veteran TV producer -- the man behind hit Nickelodeon shows like "The Amanda Show" and "Drake & Josh" -- says there's no truth to the allegations floated in 'Quiet on Set' ... asserting that numerous adults were involved in overseeing all aspects of the shows, with everything being approved by the network itself.

The statement further clarifies that scripts for the shows underwent a rigorous vetting process, requiring approvals from both NYC and L.A. networks ... and if anything was found to be inappropriate it would've been flagged and blocked by multilayered scrutiny.

The statement reads in part ... "Remember, all stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes."

As well as ensuring the scripts were kid-appropriate ... parents, caregivers, and their friends would be on set every day watching filming and rehearsals, Dan's camp adds.

Schneider's statement comes after the first 2 installments of ID's doc, "Quiet on the Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," premiered ... in which claims surfaced that some of his shows appeared to sexualize child stars like Ariana Grande and Jamie Lynn Spears in specific scenes.

The doc also delves deeper into claims of sexism, racism, and inappropriate behavior involving underage stars and members of the shows overseen by Schneider -- as well as allegations from crew members they were continuously asked to massage Schneider on set.

8:38 AM PT -- Fuentes directas le dicen a TMZ que Ayo Edebiri y Paul Mescal son solo amigos.

Paul Mescal y Ayo Edebiri se tomaron una foto juntos para celebrar el Día de San Patricio y podemos asegurar que están comprometidos con la celebración irlandesa.

La estrella de "Bear" tiene su mano en el hombro del actor en esta foto, la cual publicó en Insta para celebrar el domingo de San Patricio, y él se ve bastante cariñoso también.

La sonrisa en la cara de Ayo lo dice todo, realmente está muy feliz.

Los fans ciertamente sintieron la misma vibra, especulando de que podrían estar saliendo. Algunos los llamaron una linda pareja, otros dijeron que también se veían bien como amigos.

Mientras que la fábrica de rumores sigue en marcha, esto podría ser un caso de amigos pasando el rato, ya que no hay signos besos o caricias.

Resumiendo... Ayo va por ahí insistiendo en que es irlandesa y se siente como si estuviera en "The Banshees of Inisherin", y debido a su amor por Irlanda, Irlanda parece amarla de vuelta.

8:38 AM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Ayo Edebiri and Paul Mescal are just friends.

Paul Mescal and Ayo Edebiri took a photo together to celebrate St. Patrick's Day -- and there's two takeaways ... she's committed to her Irish bit, and they may possibly be a thing.

The "Bear" star has her hand on the Irish actor's shoulder in this picture she threw up on IG to celebrate St. Paddy's Sunday -- and he's pretty into it, with his arm casually draped across her lap.

The grin on Ayo's face kinda says it all ... she's more than comfortable in PM's company.

Fans certainly felt the same vibe ... going into overdrive with speculation that they may be dating. Some called them a cute couple, others said they looked good as friends too.

While the rumor mill is in full swing, this could obviously just be pals hanging out -- as there's no explicit signs of PDA to suggest this is anything romantic. If anything, this might just be Ayo continuing to lean into her "Irish" heritage ... a bit she's been into for a year or so now.

Long story short ... Ayo goes around insisting she's Irish and that she was in "The Banshees of Inisherin" -- and because of her love for Ireland, Ireland seems to love her right back.

Paul, of course, is Irish himself ... and he's known to be friends with Ayo -- so in all seriousness, this is probably just him helping his bud keep the gag going.

Originally Published -- 7:32 AM PT

Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt wants to have a child, but he says he's a bit too old to adopt ... so he's looking for a Gen-Z'er to carry his baby.

We spoke with Zsa Zsa Gabor's widow in Bev Hills, and he told us he's gotten lots of marriage proposals since Gabor died back in 2016 ... but he's not looking to shack up with some older woman. Instead, he wants someone young and ready to pop out his child.

Frédéric -- who just turned 80 -- says he's been scouring Europe, and now the United States, for the right person to carry his child and carry on his legacy, and Zsa Zsa's too.

As for the baby-makin' part ... Frédéric assures us everything is in working order down there -- adding Viagra's been an absolute miracle for him.

FPVA points out tons of older dudes are gettin' their younger women pregnant ... just take Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for example, who were both around the same age as von Anhalt when they had their kids last year.

Hold your horses, potential suitors ... 'cause this playboy's not just looking for any woman -- he's got a few must-haves on his list. Take a listen for yourself ... sounds like von Anhalt's got a particular kinda girl in mind.

Frédéric's not wasting any time either ... he says he's already been on a few dates and wants the bun in the oven within the next year!

You may remember, von Anhalt adopted a 27-year-old back in 2022 to carry on his legacy ... but -- after the A&E "Adults Adopting Adults" reality show was canceled -- von Anhalt told us he didn't want to be an adoptive father anymore. Kinda strange because Thursday he said that actually wasn't the truth, and insisted his adopted son Kevin actually ran off on him.

Bryan Hearne ha hablado, y ha comparado el trabajo en Nickelodeon con una cámara de torturas, afirmando que fue víctima de racismo.

El actor infantil -que apareció en 16 episodios del programa de sketches "All That", así como otros programas de Nick- trabajó con Investigation Discovery para la docuserie "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV", y People reveló gran parte de lo que dijo.

Una de las mayores revelaciones es que Bryan -un hombre afroamericano- dice que un adulto le llamó "pedazo de carbón" mientras trabajaba para la red. No está claro cuál fue el contexto del comentario, pero, en cualquier caso, es algo bastante horrible,

También habla de haber sido elegido para papeles estereotípicamente racistas, dice que interpretó a un traficante de drogas en el programa y también a un rapero llamado Lil Fetus, que le implicaba llevar un leotardo de color carne... básicamente desnudo ante la cámara.

Hearne dice que Lil Fetus es una de las muchas cosas incómodas que se vio obligado a hacer mientras trabajaba para Nick. En otra ocasión, tuvo que dejar que un perro lamiera mantequilla de maní de su cuerpo.

Bryan dice que no sentía que podía tener una discusión con los adultos a su alrededor acerca de su incomodidad, y comparó toda la experiencia Nickelodeon a estar en una cámara de tortura4s.

Por supuesto, "Quiet On Set" ha estado en todas las noticias y redes sociales recientemente porque Drake Bell reveló que fue abordado de manera inapropiada por el entrenador de actuación Brian Peck mientras trabajaba para la red.

Bell dijo que trabajó con la policía para obtener una confesión después de que él dijera que había sido agredido sexualmente por Peck varias veces. Finalmente, Peck se declaró inocente de realizar un acto lascivo con un menor de 14 o 15 años y de copulación oral con un menor de 16 años.

Hearne aparece en el tráiler del documental revelando que Bell contaría su historia, con Bryan diciendo que inmediatamente se preguntó quién fue agredido una vez que Peck fue expuesto.

Bryan Hearne is speaking out ... comparing working for Nickelodeon to a torture chamber -- and claiming he faced blatant racism on the job.

The child actor -- who appeared on 16 episodes of the sketch show "All That" as well as other Nick shows -- sat down with Investigation Discovery for the docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" ... and People revealed a ton of what he's apparently going to say.

One of the biggest revelations ... Bryan -- a Black man -- says an adult called him a "piece of charcoal" while he worked for the network. Unclear what the context of the comment was -- but, regardless a horrible thing to say to a teenager.

BH also reportedly talks about being cast in stereotypically racist roles -- he says he played a drug dealer on the show and also a rapper called Lil Fetus which involved him wearing a flesh-toned leotard ... essentially looking naked on camera.

Hearne says Lil Fetus is one of the many super uncomfortable things he was forced to do while working for Nick ... also the time he had to let a dog lick peanut butter off his body.

Bryan says he didn't feel he could have a discussion with the adults around him about his discomfort ... and likened the whole Nickelodeon experience to being in a torture chamber.

Of course, 'Quiet On Set' has been all over the news and social media recently because Drake Bell revealed he was molested by acting coach Brian Peck while working for the network.

Bell said he worked with police to get a confession from Brian on tape after he says he'd been sexually assaulted by Peck multiple times. Peck eventually pled no contest to performing a lewd act with a 14 or 15-year-old and oral copulation with a minor under 16.

Hearne's in the trailer for the documentary revealing Bell would tell his story ... with Bryan saying he immediately wondered who was assaulted once Peck was exposed.