TV

Mario is straight up denying a hefty allegation -- that he's the sultry-voiced "Wasp" on this season of "The Masked Singer" who's been bringing the house down!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught Mario and his manager Andy at LAX on Thursday and the R&B golden voice could not BELIEVE fans suspect him to be a Baltimore-born, former Ne-Yo understudy who survived a rough upbringing, so says the show's clues so far.

Mario says he's been bombarded with DMs from people convinced it's him -- so much that he's officially putting his name in the hat to officially appear on "Masked Singer" in the future. Have their people hit his, you know how the story goes.

"Wicked" isn't the first time Jeff Goldblum and Ariana Grande have crossed paths ... with the veteran actor confessing he met the pop star 20 years ago -- but totally forgot all about it.

The "Jurassic Park" alum swung by "TODAY" Thursday, where he opened up about working with the Grammy winner on the musical movie ... and revealed they actually go way back.

Jeff says halfway through the making of the big screen adaption of "Wicked," Ariana reminded him that they had actually met in NYC once before ... though, she was a little girl at the time.

Conan O’Brien’s got some big news -- he’s making his Oscars hosting debut!

The talk show legend shared a hilarious clip holding the iconic Oscar trophy, pretending he'd snagged a major movie award -- until someone yanks it away, leaving him awkwardly realizing he’s actually the new host of the 97th Academy Awards.

His acting in the clip might not win him an Oscar anytime soon, but his wit was on point -- he joked in the caption that America’s demand for him as host rivals the love for Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme.

Skai Jackson's baby daddy, Deondre Burgin, is having one hell of a week … the Disney Channel alum's boyfriend was arrested a day after his social media was allegedly hacked.

According to an arrest report obtained by TMZ … Jackson’s fella was arrested in Cincinnati, Ohio Wednesday afternoon following a faceoff with police. The arrest report says Cincinnati police officers tried to arrest Burgin on a juvenile parole violation warrant … but he ran off when confronted by cops and then fell, causing a small cut on his left cheek.

The encounter was caught on video. Check it out … officers are seen wrestling Burgin to the ground, slapping cuffs on him, and pinning him down while waiting for backup to arrive.

Jenna Fischer's showing love for her old 'Office' romance ... congratulating John Krasinski on capturing the Sexiest Man Alive crown -- though, she doesn't sound too enthusiastic about it.

The actress -- who played Pam Beesly on "The Office" alongside Krasinski's Jim Halpert for all 9 seasons of the show -- stepped out in L.A. Thursday ... and, a photog asked her how she felt about John's new title.

JF laughs when asked if she ever imagined John would become Sexiest Man Alive when they costarred together on "The Office" ... before congratulating the star and saying "Good for him."

JoJo Siwa is ready to face the world again after a controversial fall ... stepping out in Los Angeles for the first time in over a month for a few caffeine-fueled errands.

Check it out ... the "Dance Moms" alum is back to business after upsetting some Beyoncé fans who thought she mocked the singer at the Industry Dance Awards in October. Seemingly shaking off the backlash, JoJo hits up a local coffee shop in L.A., where she gets a little work done on her computer -- even making time for a sweet selfie with a fan.

JoJo seems pretty energized to get back out in the public eye ... and the massive coffee in her hand may have something to do with the pep in her step.

50 Cent's incentive to build a film empire in Shreveport, Louisiana looks to be going out in a wash ... the state's House of Representatives decided this week to eliminate its $150 million tax incentive -- just as his operation was getting revved up!!!

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux spelled out the doomsday for the tax credit to local outlets, and didn't have any resolutions top of mind for 50 Cent when asked about the future.

50 gave the people of Louisiana words of encouragement by preaching patience on Thursday .... but like the mayor said, things are looking grim.

John Krasinski is People magazine's 2024 Sexiest Man Alive, and some people are pissed about the selection ... but one of JK's pals from "The Office" is firing back.

Here's the deal ... John graced the cover of People on Tuesday wearing a T-shirt and jeans, sitting on the bumper of a NYC Yellow cab ... and social media was instantly divided, with some loving the pick, while others bitched JK is cute, sure -- but NOT sexy.

Kate Flannery -- who played Meredith Palmer on the hit series -- tells TMZ ... she was thrilled when she heard John got the honor -- and had a feeling sooner or later he would be recognized for how hot he became for his roles in "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan" and "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi."

Piff the Magic Dragon is confirming he actually spent almost $60K to clone his late dog, Mr. Piffles ... telling TMZ he's "so glad" he did.

We caught up with the magician after the sad news his longtime performing companion and beloved Chihuahua had died ... with the "America's Got Talent" alum revealing he created a contingency plan for this inevitable day back when his pup first started getting older.

Though word of Piff's decision to clone the pup broke a while back, the British comedian assured us he "genuinely cloned" Piffles ... and even had Mr. Piffles 2.0 join him on camera for a quick hello.

Teddi Mellencamp said a sad goodbye to her husband in Los Angeles ... looking somber while waiting for a ride with her bags packed -- while it seems he tried to comfort her outside the family house.

The 'Real Housewives' star was spotted on the sidewalk Tuesday ... Dodgers cap pulled low over her eyes with a couple bags in hand -- standing next to her estranged husband, Edwin Arroyave.

It's hard to tell exactly what convo these 2 are having ... it certainly looks like Edwin's comforting his soon-to-be ex-wife, placing a comforting arm around her shoulder and giving the side of her head a smooch.

Artem Chigvintsev is back in his old stomping grounds ... hanging with his "Dancing with the Stars" family amid a rough patch in his life.

Artem surfaced Tuesday night in Los Angeles for the taping of the celebrity dance competition show's 500th episode ... but he wasn't on the dance floor, he was in the crowd.

The 'DWTS' alum's former colleague Peta Murgatroyd posted a video showing Artem dancing in the stands as the episode films ... alongside Peta's husband and Artem's buddy, Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Chanel Maya Banks -- an actress with credits on shows like "Blue Bloods" and "Gossip Girl" -- has been found safe and sound ... this after she was reported missing last week.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Chanel has now been found safe and sound. She doesn't have any injuries and foul play isn't suspected.

ICYMI ... authorities reportedly conducted a welfare check at the L.A. apartment Chanel shares with her husband last week ... where they found all her belongings as well as her dog -- but, no sign of the actress.

John Krasinski has a seat at the table with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck ... joining them for dinner after being anointed People magazine's 2024 Sexiest Man Alive.

The actor broke bread with Matt and Ben in New York City, hitting the town Tuesday night after accepting the big honor on Stephen Colbert's late-night TV show.

It's pretty cool to see John hanging with Matt and Ben ... Affleck was named People's Sexiest Man Alive way back in 2002 and Damon took home the honor in 2007 ... so these guys have another thing in common now, as all 3 are originally from the Boston metro area.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are proving they're perfectly in-sync ... busting out into song during their recent appearance on "TODAY."

Check it out ... the stars of the upcoming "Wicked" film sit down with Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb to discuss their bond after making the musical movie -- and give a taste of their pitch-perfect sound together.

When asked by Hoda if there's any song they can't help but sing when around one another, the on-screen besties confess "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan is a favorite ... jumping into a live rendition of the song.

Pete Hegseth's nomination by Donald Trump for U.S. Secretary of Defense has sparked quite a bit of chatter ... especially regarding the Fox News host's aim -- or lack thereof.

Footage from Pete's early Fox News days has resurfaced amid news of his big nomination ... showing the Army National Guard officer participating in an axe-throwing contest against then-costar Clayton Morris on "Fox & Friends." Despite Pete's military training, he struggles to make contact with the target ... instead striking an innocent bystander with the tool.

Check it out ... Pete stands directly in front of a wooden platform with a large target situated on top. Pete throws the axe at the bullseye, but it doesn't even make contact ... instead flying above and hitting a member of a drum corps standing on the other side.

Ray J says he's been contacted by multiple celebs who are so scared about their affiliation with Diddy ... they're going to some of the alleged victims and paying them to keep quiet.

Ray appears in TMZ's new TUBI documentary, "The Downfall of Diddy: Inside the Freak-Offs" ... and says some high-profile people are trying to cut alleged victims off at the pass, even before they make money demands.

Attorney Tony Buzbee also appears in the doc and reveals he has sent a demand letter out to various high-profile people with an ultimatum ... pay up, or face a lawsuit.