Viral

St. Peter's star Doug Edert is striking while the iron's hot -- the NCAA tournament hero is cashing in on his new fame by charging $100 for personalized vids on Cameo!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 22-year-old Peacocks hooper is raking in the dough on the video platform ... and so far, he's getting great reviews.

In fact, 17 reviews have been left on Edert's page ... and they're all 5 stars!!

The price tag is pretty interesting -- especially considering North Carolina star Armando Bacot charges 60 bucks.

But, it shouldn't be too shocking -- Edert became a fan-favorite during St. Peter's Cinderella run in the tourney ... as he helped knock off 2-seed Kentucky in the first round with 20 points.

The Peacocks ended up making it all the way to the Elite 8 before being booted by UNC.

During their epic run, Edert also made the best of his spotlight by securing deals with Buffalo Wild Wings and Barstool Sports.

Shout-out to the NCAA's new NIL rules ... 'cause now athletes can finally get what they deserve.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are feeling unlimited love from their fans ... folks are flocking to the ceremony for the band's Hollywood Walk of Fame star and the scene looks insane!!!

RHCP is being honored as we speak on Hollywood Blvd ... and it's causing such a ruckus the city decided to shut down the famous street to traffic.

Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith are a huge draw ... there's a huge throng of RHCP people crowding around the new star, plus a ton of cameras and a heavy police presence.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce looks like it's busting out all the tricks for this ceremony ... hiring the USC marching band and song girls to provide entertainment to those milling around on the streets.

Celebs in attendance include Woody Harrelson, George Clinton and Bob Forrest.

The Chilli Peppers are still huge in Los Angeles ... the band formed here way back in the 1980s ... and they're still super relevant. Flea is a fixture at Lakers games and other L.A. sporting events, and RHCP is about to release its 12th studio album, "Unlimited Love."

Will Smith's slap has at least one comedy club on its toes and ready to defend its talent at all costs -- going so far as to post a very clear sign ... no slapping allowed, period!

Dani Zoldan -- who owns Stand Up NY in the Big Apple -- tells TMZ ... management decided to tape up a message in their storefront window that directly addresses the Chris Rock moment, as a way to discourage would-be copycats who might now feel emboldened.

The poster is in a bit of a meme format, with the snapshot of Chris getting slapped crossed out with a big "NO" sign streaked across the front, and a shot of Will crying right next to it.

Their message, "Comedians play a critical role in our society, especially during times of chaos and uncertainty. They make us laugh, bring perspective and remind us there are different ways of seeing our reality." More importantly, they add ... "Comics must be protected."

Then comes a warning from Stand Up NY ... "Heckling and physical abuse of comics is prohibited, and patrons will be immediately removed from the showroom." Their crying WS photo has a description -- saying that'll be you if you get a little slaphappy on the premises.

Zoldan emphatically disavows Will's actions, reaffirming his establishment's note -- that comedians are here to entertain us and make us laugh ... and that they deserve respect.

As for other big-time comedy clubs ... they seem to be keeping an eye on things -- but not necessarily enacting any policy changes in response to the Will-Chris smack. That includes the Comedy Cellar in NYC, Carolines on Broadway and even the Laugh Factory here in L.A.

Facebook teaming up with a major Republican consulting firm to turn public opinion against their fiercest rival reeks of desperation ... so says Taylor Lorenz.

The Washington Post columnist joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to break down her bombshell report on the ways in which Mark Zuckerberg's FB and Meta are playing dirty in their war with TikTok.

Taylor says Facebook looks incredibly weak for paying operatives at Targeted Victory -- a GOP consulting firm -- to carry out a calculated smear campaign to damage TikTok's standing in America and drive teens over to their social media platforms.

As for the Republican role in all this, Taylor says Targeted Victory is trying to drum up anti-Chinese sentiments and link TikTok to the Chinese government because the app is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance.

But, she says there's no evidence TikTok is in bed with Communist China ... despite claims by former President Donald Trump and others in the GOP.

Facebook is determined to beat out its biggest rival, TikTok ... going so far as to hire a major political consulting firm to smear its competitor with an elaborate nationwide campaign.

Facebook's parent company, Meta, is paying Targeted Victory -- a GOP consulting firm -- to turn Americans against TikTok and ultimately steer young users back to FB ... according to the Washington Post.

In an internal email obtained by WaPo, one of the firm's directors says Targeted Victory needs to "get the message out that while Meta is the current punching bag, TikTok is the real threat, especially as a foreign-owned app that is #1 in sharing data that young teens are using."

The firm's tactics include targeting TikTok through op-eds and letters to the editor in regional news outlets, recruiting politicians, political reporters and public relations firms to help turn the public against TikTok and planting negative stories about the Chinese-owned app.

You might have seen some of the negative press ... like stories about the so-called "slap a teacher" TikTok challenge, which actually started on Facebook.

Targeted Victory is a huge digital consulting firm within GOP circles ... receiving $237 million in Republican campaign spending during the 2020 election cycle. It's unclear how much Meta is paying the firm.

The teenager who fell to his death in an Orlando amusement park was wearing a safety harness that was still locked after the tragedy ... according to Florida officials.

The new detail comes from an accident report that claims 14-year-old Tyre Sampson came out of his seat when "magnets engaged" during the free-fall ride's rapid descent. Here's the puzzling part ... Florida officials say Tyre was wearing his safety harness and it "was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped."

The report, first obtained by People, says Tyre died from "multiple injuries and trauma."

As we previously reported, the terrifying incident happened last week when the Missouri teen fell from the "Orlando Free-Fall" ride, which stands 430 ft. tall.

The ride, which just opened in December, reportedly plummets at 75 mph.

Tyre's family has reportedly raised concerns he was too big for the ride ... or so they believe after checking the ride's safety manual.

Who said baseball is boring?!?!

Tsuyoshi Shinjo, a professional baseball skipper for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, entered the stadium on a HOVER BIKE in his managerial debut ... and the video of it was incredible!!

Shinjo -- AKA "Big Boss" -- lived up to his nickname by arriving in style for his first game with the Nippon-Ham Fighters.

In the video, you can see the 50-year-old effortlessly flying the hovercraft around the stadium before his team took the field for the game.

In the clip, Shinjo gets pretty high off the ground, so you can tell he isn't afraid of heights -- he also sticks the landing smoothly ... as if he had some experience doing it before.

The "stunt" was on-brand for the Fighters' manager, who first gained a huge fanbase as a player ... making him a larger-than-life figure in Japanese pro sports.

Shinjo replaced longtime manager Hideki Kuriyama ... and told reporters that he wanted to be referred to as "Big Boss," presumably because he saw himself as a celebrity.

Tsuyoshi spent 3 seasons in MLB ... playing for the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. He was the first Japanese-born position player to play in the National League in 2001.

The former MLB outfielder appeared in the World Series with the Giants in 2002 ... but San Francisco came up short as they lost to the then Anaheim Angels.

Shinjo returned to Japan to play for the Nippon-Ham Fighters ... and led them to a title in his final season of pro ball.

Jada Pinkett Smith's husband may have tried to avenge Chris Rock's jab about her hair, but Jada herself said she couldn't care less what people think about it ... just days before the Oscars.

The "Red Table Talk" host posted a TikTok video just 4 days before Sunday night's ceremony, and it was all about hair ...  "Being a Black woman and dealing with hair in Hollywood, in the era I came up in, having your hair look as European as possible was always the thing, and that was really challenging because I liked my hair out wild and curly."

Jada says ... "I feel the freedom today. I don't give two craps what people think of this bald head of mine. Because guess what? I love it."

So, now the question ... if that was Jada's mindset going into the Oscars, was Will's reaction really about hair, or was it about simmering anger toward Rock? As you know, during the 2016 Oscar ceremony, Chris took potshots at both Will and Jada ... trashing Will's movie, "Wild Wild West," and calling Jada irrelevant after she said she was boycotting the ceremony.

Sources connected to both Will and Chris tell TMZ, there was love lost between Chris and the Smiths, and when Will and Jada watched Chris they were braced for another shot.

Donald Trump is setting the record straight, or at least so he says ... claiming in a statement Monday he did, in fact, sink a hole-in-one while golfing with Ernie Els over the weekend.

"It is 100% true," the former President said.

Trump released the statement after social media accused the 75-year-old and his pals of lying about accomplishing the feat. Fact is, Trump legendarily has cheated on the greens before.

According to Trump, he was out at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Saturday ... when he stepped to the tee box on a Par-3 with an iron in his hands.

"I hit a 5-iron, which sailed magnificently into a rather strong wind, with approximately 5 feet of cut," Trump said, "whereupon it bounced twice and then went clank, into the hole."

Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich shared video of the aftermath of the shot ... showing Trump and his golfing partners walking up to the cup with joy. Not a smoking gun, for sure.

In the clip, you can see Trump grab the ball out of the hole -- and high-five everyone in attendance, including Els.

Trump wouldn't say if the ace helped him and Els beat playing partners Gene Sauers, Mike Goodes, and Ken Duke ... but his wry statement sure seemed to insinuate it.

One famous feline is helping other animals in need ... raising $10k for animal relief in Ukraine!

Stepan the cat, whose Instagram account Loveyoustepan has 1.2 million followers, started collecting money over PayPal last week, looking to donate to 5 different animal charities in Ukraine ... as of Monday, they've raised $10,035!

The five charities -- Happy Paw, UAnimals, Mykolaiv Zoo, XII Months and Plyushka -- will help in a variety of ways, providing aid to animals in Ukraine affected by the war.

Stepan and co. have been documenting their journey, leaving Kharkiv and fleeing to France. They were woken up at the end of February to explosions that shook their windows ... seeing neighboring houses burnt before their very eyes.

Their house remained untouched for an entire week, until a shell flew into their neighbor's balcony, affecting their building. After escaping to France, they started the fundraiser, asking those able to help to donate what they could.

FYI, this isn't an ordinary cat ... he's caught the eyes of millions, including Britney Spears, who even reposted the kitty on her social media.

Stepan was rescued when he was 1 month old and has lived in Ukraine his whole life. He went viral on TikTok in 2019, appearing with his famous glass of red wine with Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" playing in the background.

U.S. men's soccer star Christian Pulisic gave a touching shout-out to a fan battling cancer during Sunday's game -- by fulfilling his request and doing the worm dance on the field right after scoring!!

The moment happened during USMNT's 5-1 win over Panama in World Cup qualifying on Sunday ... with the 23-year-old midfielder hitting the grass after scoring his second goal -- and busting out the iconic "worm" dance.

"Look at this," the FS1 broadcaster said as Pulisic executed the 1970s move.

"Okay!! Busting out the worm!"

As it turns out, Pulisic's reasoning behind the throwback celly will tug at your heartstrings -- the star says he did it as a promise to a fan named Mason Ogle, a 15-year-old high school soccer player who was diagnosed with bone cancer.

The two met during Saturday's workout ... which Pulisic mentioned after the game ... saying, "I met someone really special yesterday."

"His name was Mason, and his one request was that if I scored, he wanted to see a worm celebration," he said.

"That’s what that was for."

Kim Kardashian says her recent comments about work ethic and finding success weren't meant to be a dig at women ... they were just the reality of working hard to achieve your goals when everyone else doubts you.

Kim came under fire earlier this month when she told Variety her advice for women in business, "Get your f***ing ass up and work. It seems like no one wants to work these days."

However, Kim says the whole thing was taken out of context, telling Robin Roberts on 'GMA' Monday, "My message was to anyone who wants to be successful in building a business or brand having come from that very specific space — reality show or social media fame — is to work hard. It’s not easy. You don’t just post something on social media and overnight you become a success."

A source who was there for the interview, tells us Kim made it clear, her comment was not directed AT women, it was a part of her own personal experience, saying, "After 20 years at this I am still put in the box of “famous for being famous. I heard someone say that to me when we did that interview and that’s when my demeanor and tone shifted."

Finally, she states, "My statement was never intended to be a general blanket statement or to even allude to the idea that women don’t already work hard — and I’m sorry that it was received in that way."

Will Smith's got people in his corner following his on-camera altercation with Chris Rock ... getting a big hug from Trevor Noah at the Vanity Fair after-party, having a long, and private, conversation.

Will was still emotional when he got to the party Sunday night in Bev Hills, taking pictures with tears in his eyes ... which is when Trevor came up to the Best Actor winner.

They embraced for quite a while -- more than 1 minute -- clearly trying to have a conversation over the loud music blaring in the room. When it was all said and done, they smiled at each other and posed for some photos.

There's no doubt what they were discussing for so long ... Will slapped Chris Rock after his "G.I. Jane 2" jab at Jada Pinkett Smith.

The crowd, and even Chris, was stunned ... things got more real after Will continued to shout "Keep my wife's name out your f****** mouth" from his seat.

Trevor tweeted after the slap heard, and seen, 'round the world ... saying, "Wtaf????? That wasn’t scripted?????"

Safe to say he had some questions, and maybe got them answered when he and Will hugged.

Will went to the after-party with the whole family surrounding him -- Jada, daughter Willow, and sons Trey and Jaden.

The Man of Steel might actually be the Man of Snooze -- at least that's what one comic nerd thinks ... but they're getting drowned out by a swarm of fanboys who beg to differ.

A Twitter user that goes by "brandon" threw out a bit of a fireball of an opinion this weekend about good old Kal-El and his ability to titillate, writing ... "lmk if this is bad take but superman is an extremely boring superhero."

Well, the internet let him know ... and with fervor to spare. Superman lovers far and wide swooped in to defend their guy in tights, vehemently rejecting the idea he's a killjoy or a bore ... and they seem to have the evidence to back it up.

First off, some pointed out that Clark Kent is actually super relatable ... and in many instances, just like us when it comes to earthly matters -- especially in the embarrassing/overbearing parents department.

Others pointed to the source material in debunking Supes's alleged boring streak -- citing the very many comics and subsequent stories that have been written/drawn detailing his wild adventures. A handful of the ones a few felt would make Superman's case ... "Secret Identity," "Superman: Up in the Sky," "All-Star Superman," "Superman: Earth One" and more.

Reading these alone, some argue, will prove the Last Son of Krypton is a complex character ... who has to deal with a lot, and most definitely NOT dull or dry as far as caped heroes go.

Of course, there are others who simply offer up the many animations that have been made about Superman ... including the fabled 'Superman: The Animated Series' from the '90s, which many consider some of the best Superman depictions to date.

Somebody even threw together a quick compilation of the multi-Emmy nominated program ... reinforcing Superman battles not just people he has to beat physically, but politically and psychologically. Case in point ... Lex Luthor is considered one the best big baddies ever, and he doesn't even have powers or anything. He gets under Superman's skin in other ways.

And, finally, there are the live action movies and TV shows themselves ... with actors like Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, Tyler Hoechlin, Tom Welling, Dean Cain, Kirk Alyn and Henry Cavill ... who've all donned the red undies at one point or another, to much acclaim.

So yeah, boring might be a bit harsh ... as Twitter has clearly unanimously decided.

Elon Musk seems to be following in Donald Trump's footsteps -- at least when it comes to social media ... because the tech wiz might just be mulling the launch of a new platform.

The Tesla chief just tweeted out some interesting thoughts on what he thinks needs to happen with Twitter itself, writing ... "Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?"

His question was accompanied by a poll, and out of the more than 2 million people that participated ... a little over 70% agreed that Twitter was slippin' on the First Amendment.

EM followed with yet another interesting tweet, adding ... "The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully." 👀

Finally, Elon showed us his cards (ish) by writing that Twitter has, by and large, become the de facto public town square of modern society ... and that if they aren't living up free speech principles, that's seriously hurting democracy as a whole.

Then, he poses yet another interesting query ... "Is a new platform needed?"

Of course, this might remind folks of Donald Trump's recent attempt to start his own social media space, which he's called Truth Social -- and which went live recently. While many right-wing Twitter users were happy to announce its launch, as well as their own new pages, the buzz is ... Truth Social hasn't taken off yet quite like some may have hoped.

Trump himself is said to have barely posted on there ... and some who've hopped on say it's a bit of a digital ghost town, even among some of its most ardent supporters initially. AKA, no one's really using it all that much!!!

The days of free-for-all movie theater seating is over ... something one man simply couldn't come to terms with in what turned out to be a hilarious meltdown that got him kicked out.

Check out this wild scene showing an older gent getting into a shouting match with cineplex staff ... all because he wouldn't go to his assigned seat, which he claimed was just a spot or two over from where he was in what appears to be a relatively empty screening room.

No word on where this exactly took place, or when ... but based on the video alone, you can tell the dude was not happy about the idea of pre-selected reservations -- and made a huge fuss over it.

The employees amazingly keep their cool in this tense situation -- eventually talking the guy down and convincing him to scram calmly ... even accommodating his request for a refund and a little extra. Indeed, the guy asked for a free drink ... and they said they could do it.

While it felt he was gonna have to get hauled out of there in cuffs, he ended up leaving on his own accord -- with a little help from the audience, which told him he was in the wrong.

Funny enough, he made sure to let everyone know he still felt he was correct in his stance ... saying he was the bigger person here. Finally, he turns to the room and sarcastically says he hopes they enjoy the show.

While it seems pretty cut-and-dried -- theoretically, you SHOULD sit in the seat for the ticket you bought -- some have wondered ... if there were plenty of chairs to spare, what's the big deal if he's in a seat or two over from where he should be??? In other words, who tattled???