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Miranda Cosgrove now has a Black BFF in the "iCarly" reboot -- which is unfortunately receiving hateful and racist backlash that she and the rest of the cast are stamping out.

Actress Laci Mosley is cast as Harper in the revived series -- which now follows Carly in her 20s -- who plays the main character's new best pal/roommate ... seemingly replacing Carly's old friend from the OG show, Sam Puckett. At least that's what trolls thought, anyway.

Apparently, folks were harassing Laci for her appearance in the show -- amid the absence of actress Jennette McCurdy, who played Sam -- and some were even calling her the n-word and other racist epithets ... so claims Laci, who called out the online hate.

She clarified she wasn't "replacing" anybody, and if people continued trolling her in her DMs, they'd be blocked. Her cries were echoed by Paramount -- the parent company of Nickelodeon -- and even Miranda herself.

The company issued a statement saying they were proud of the racially diverse cast for the new "iCarly" show -- and that any forms of racism being directed at their actors of color were not acceptable. MC reposted that same message to her IG Story.

One interesting twist here ... many Black fans of the show have also chimed in on Laci's casting, and some seem to think it's a case of PC overcorrecting and/or pandering on the part of Paramount.

One user wrote, "did they seriously just do the whole Black bestfriend trope with ICarly??? Man f*** all of that." There are lots of other tweets from other Black people that have similar sentiments.

Sen. Marco Rubio says it's time to start talking about UFOs seriously in this country -- especially on Capitol Hill -- because he says ... frankly, they're a threat.

The legislator from Florida -- who headed up the Senate intelligence committee just last year -- spoke openly on the taboo subject ... saying despite the snickering that still goes on, he wants answers on unexplained aerial phenomena.

In Sunday's "60 Minutes" interview, Rubio said regardless of what these things may or may not be ... they pose a serious risk to our national security, seeing how they're constantly being spotted floating in and around our air space without any explanation. To Rubio, that's a problem that needs addressing.

That's exactly why the Senator demanded a report on UFOs/UAEs from the Pentagon that's expected to be published in about a month, which he says should shed light on everything the Defense Dept. knows about UFOs, making that knowledge public for the first time.

The timing seems right ... especially as Uncle Sam has slowly, but surely, confirmed different sightings and videos that have surfaced in recent years -- documenting strange, lightning-quick aircrafts that nobody seems able to identify or pin down.

"60 Minutes" also talked to a federal contractor named Luis Elizondo, who was hired to work on this exact issue for several years, and who touched on what sorta technology we're talking about that he says he's seen and studied with his own 2 eyes.

There was even a first-hand account from Naval pilots who claim they saw a UFO up close, in-person in 2004 -- alleging it was as big as their own jet, and that it disappeared before their eyes.

That seems to jibe with other videos that have leaked of late ... which seem to show UFOs darting across the screen and vanishing into plain sight, or simply descending into water.

Apparently, these sightings off the coasts of our nation have been taking place for a good long while now ... but it wasn't until recently that military members were encouraged to report them and talk about them openly.

Seems like whatever stigma may have been associated with UFOs is finally starting to fade -- because too many people have seen the same things.

Bill Gates wasn't afraid to shoot his shot among subordinates at work, and even scored at least once during his marriage to now-estranged wife, Melinda ... this per 2 new reports.

The NYT published a story Sunday alleging the Microsoft chief had on at least two occasions -- and possibly more -- asked a couple of women who technically worked for him out on dates, but apparently wasn't all that pushy ... and ultimately failed in both instances.

Bill is described as once attending a presentation in 2006 held by a female Microsoft employee -- who must've left quite an impression ... because it's alleged, based on NYT sources familiar with the matter, that he emailed her right after to ask her to dinner.

He allegedly followed up with this, "If this makes you uncomfortable, pretend it never happened." Turns out, the woman did exactly that ... ghosting him and never responding.

There's another alleged incident the Times describes, in which Bill traveled to NYC with a woman who worked for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ... where the two of them attended a cocktail party. The woman claims Bill lowered his voice and said, "I want to see you. Will you have dinner with me?" She says she laughed it off to avoid answering.

The Times -- citing current/former Gates employees -- goes on to describe general clumsy approaches toward women at work overtime, at times making people a little uncomfortable ... but noting he never seemed predatory with his advances, or abused his power.

On the flip side ... WSJ has its own report, claiming Bill was essentially forced to step down from Microsoft's board in recent years because of an extramarital relationship that came to light with a Microsoft engineer, who claimed to have hooked up with Bill for years.

Angelyne is ramping up for yet another run for the California governorship amid Gavin Newsom's upcoming recall election -- but before that ... she had to make a run for some Joe.

The elusive '80s billboard icon -- who was plastered all over L.A. in her heyday, posing in and on her famed pink Corvette -- was spotted grabbing some java Sunday at a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in none other than the city of Encino ... the heart of the San Fernando Valley.

She was hard to pin down for a good photo-op, but no doubt it was her -- that eternal ride of hers is a dead giveaway ... as is her classic blonde 'do and doll face getup.

Angelyne is notoriously low-key, and even after recently announcing she too was entering the race for Newsom's job ... hasn't shown much face in public. So yeah, this would appear to be one of the first times she's been seen out like this since throwing her hat in the ring.

Speaking of that ... she gave all the dirty deets to LA Magazine last month, telling them what her platform would be, and how she would govern. Apparently, Angelyne's slogans are "Good Luck California" and "I have the Key to California" ... and she's running on a platform of hiring people with good ideas to fix the Golden State's many problems. Brilliant!!!

Mass evacuations are currently underway in northwest Iowa -- where a train derailment has sent its cars bursting into flames ... and hazmat crews storming in.

The accident appears to have occurred just a short time ago near the city of Sibley, where black smoke has been billowing for several minutes now. Somebody nearby captured footage of the crash, and you can see spouts of flames coming up from behind a building.

Several different rescue crews are en route, as there are concerns the train might've been carrying flammable liquid ... which would explain the fire that's growing on site. Word is that authorities are clearing the area within a 5-mile radius ... so a massive hazard's unfolding.

Another person captured a photo from further away showing the damage, and it appears a massive pile-up occurred during the derailment. Unclear what might've caused it to get off the tracks in such violent fashion, but this isn't the first wreck like this, this week.

A Union Pacific train derailed in south Minnesota Saturday, with a huge pile-up of cars there as well, with upwards of 28 cars falling off the track. And even earlier in the week, there was a report of yet another derailment in Missouri -- where six cars came loose and spilled into a main road.

Reports of any injuries or fatalities from this latest disaster in Iowa haven't surfaced -- but we're monitoring for updates.

A giant statue of Marilyn Monroe in her iconic dress-fluttering pose is making a comeback in the California desert ... but now, people are finding new ways to be pissed about it.

The 26-foot tall stainless steel effigy -- aptly titled "Forever Marilyn" -- has returned to the city of Palm Springs after a 7-year itch hiatus ... and is here to stay for good as it towers in front of the entrance to the Palm Springs Art Museum, this following a recent city council vote.

The statue was in town back in 2012, and stuck around for 2 years ... serving as a major tourist attraction. The idea here is ... bringing her back will help PS get back on its feet.

Of course, some like it hot out there -- a small spread of party poopers say they're utterly outraged about the "Forever Marilyn" being resurrected ... but for wildly different reasons. NPR outlined it well -- citing folks' indignation over obscenity, sexism and basic geography.

First, there's concern about where Marilyn's ass is facing ... which is directly at the front doors of the museum. A local official says he worries about the thousands of students who'll have to bear witness to Marilyn's derriere annually ... which he finds unimaginable/offensive.

Next, there's supposedly a Change.org petition floating around ... demanding the statue be removed, as the folks behind that claim this is straight-up inappropriate -- as it encourages upskirting (snapping shots up a lady's dress) ... and, by extension, predatory behavior.

Finally, some argue that the placement of the statue allegedly goes against city codes and road/highway planning guidelines -- and they're making a stink on that front. Even more say there's no evidence this statue will actually make a difference in boosting the local economy.

However you wanna cut it ... people are finding reasons to be angry about this. But, in reality, it's literally THE most famous shot of Marilyn in existence, and sits high in the pantheon of pop culture.

Ricky Schroder doesn't seem to understand the CDC's new guideline about mask-wearing -- and he learned about it the hard way at a Costco, which held its ground on policy.

The former child star from "Silver Spoons" filmed an aggressive encounter between himself and a Costco manager named Jason at an L.A.-area warehouse ... which is now making the rounds online.

You see Ricky asking the guy why he isn't being allowed inside without a face covering, noting the new news that fully vaccinated people don't really have to wear them indoors or out in most settings -- except for a few exceptions. Turns out, a Costco in Cali is one.

The manager calmly explains that there is still a state-wide mask mandate that's in effect throughout the state -- it's true, there is -- and that even though Gov. Newsom has signaled that may be lifted around mid-June ... their Costco is still following local guidelines to a T.

Ricky then goes on a bizarre rant about kings and lords ... and something about societal control. Jason hears him out, but stands firm -- basically telling him to scram.

They eventually get Ricky a refund and even amid his calls for boycotting Costco ... they get him to leave. It's a great lesson -- yes, the CDC has new guidelines about mask-wearing, but no ... not every retailer in every state out there is up to speed on switching gears just yet.

J. Cole's own sideline story is finally coming full circle on the court -- the guy just made his professional debut as a basketball player ... and he did it in none other than Africa!

The rapper -- who's fresh off a fire sixth studio album -- put on his hooping shoes this weekend not too long after signing a brief three-to-six game contract with the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club, which is part of the Basketball Africa League.

On Sunday, the club was set to face off against Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers -- a game that was broadcast on national television here in the States. Sure enough, it looks like Cole was part of the starting five at tip-off -- and the dude showed off his famed athleticism early and often.

Different clips captured from the game show Jermaine grabbing rebounds, playing D and hustling up and down the court. He even got his first bucket with a put-back after one of his teammates attempted a layup. It's clear -- the dude can still ball, even at the ripe age of 36.

We say "still" because -- whether you're aware or not -- J. Cole is a noted hooper ... having played competitively in high school and even earning himself a walk-on spot with the St. John's Red Storm team for a while. He ended up leaving basketball behind to pursue his career in music -- but like many among the rich and famous, Cole can hold his own.

He played for the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game back in 2012, and proved himself there ... and now, it looks like he's getting back to his on-court roots in a whole other country.

Unclear what the end game for Cole is here -- but by the looks of it ... he's taking this contract pretty seriously, and based on how big a draw he is -- they may even extend him.

The tiger hunt is over ... the big cat is fine, though super stressed out.

The 175-lb Bengal Tiger was not found ... it was turned in by a woman named Gia, who is the wife of the guy who was arrested earlier this week -- Victor Cuevas, who claimed the tiger didn't belong to him.

The 9-month-old tiger, whose name is India, was the subject of a massive search last week after it was spotted roaming a Houston neighborhood.

The Houston PD posted a vid of India ... bejeweled in a turquoise collar. The tiger's still kinda a baby ... it was being bottle-fed, but don't let that fool you -- fully grown, India will weigh 600 lbs.

HPD Chief Ron Borza said Gia led authorities to a tennis club where India was being kept.  Apparently, the tiger was moved around some over the last week. Chief Borza said the tiger was stressed out and agitated, adding, "The animal likes attention."

Borza said Gia knew the entire week where India was, so it calls into serious question what her husband, Victor Cuevas maintained ... that he did not own the cat.

No charges have been filed, and cops don’t know how the alleged owner, Cuevas, came into possession of India, Borza said.

Cuevas was arrested last week, but not for tiger possession ... he was picked up on an unrelated murder charge.

No charges have been filed in connection with the tiger ... at least not yet.

India will be sent to the Cleveland Armory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, TX ... which is 3 hours away from Houston.

Here's more evidence there's something flying around our skies with out of this world technology ... and at this point, it's hard not to be a UFO believer.

Ya gotta see this leaked footage taken aboard the USS Omaha in July 2019 when the warship was sailing off the coast of San Diego ... you see the UFO zipping along, parallel to the water's surface, before disappearing down into the depths.

The UFO appears spherical in the grainy, black and white video ... and you hear voices, presumably U.S. Navy sailors, exclaiming when the object gets close to the ship and when it splashes down.

The Navy sent a submarine to hunt for the UFO and didn't find a trace, lending credence to a theory the object is a trans-medium vehicle ... meaning it's capable of traveling through both water and air. Pretty cool stuff.

As we reported ... the Pentagon confirmed last month another leaked video, taken by a Navy Pilot, showing a triangle-shaped object gliding through the sky is the real deal ... and the U.S. Government is calling it an unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).

It looks like the world is transitioning from brawls over mask-wearing to the ol'-fashion variety.

This one went down at London's Luton Airport after a man threw a bottle at another passenger who was insulting his female traveling companion.

For some reason, lots of onlookers decided to get in the game, and when the dust settled 17 people were arrested. Three people received serious injuries and were taken to the hospital.

A police spokesperson said, "We take a zero tolerance approach to violence and continue to assist the police with their inquiries. We would like to sincerely apologise to any passengers affected."

It's really crazy ... dudes are clobbering each other with suitcases right in the terminal area around all the stores. And, it happened at 8 AM ... way too early to brawl.

Salt Bae is a gigantic hit in Bev Hills, judging from the long line of would-be diners that literally snaked around the corner.

His new restaurant, Nusr-Et, opened a few weeks ago but it was all very quiet. Seems word of mouth did the trick because it's filled to the gills.

Check out the video, and you'll see Salt Bae doin' his thing ... entertaining the crowd with his knife tricks and ... the move that made him famous.

The restaurant is right next door to Spago, which is also filled to capacity, so it's all good between Wolfgang and Salt Bae.

Lots of people were wearing masks as they waited in line ... interesting, considering the CDC's new pronouncement that vaccinated people could shed the coverings.

It's official ... Tessica Brown is now forever etched, or glued, into pop culture, now that Nicki Minaj is shouting her out on a new track, and Tessica's flattered!!!

The Harajuku Barbie just dropped her song, "Fractions" and it includes lyrics referencing the moniker Tessica will have forever... Gorilla Glue Girl. Nicki raps, "... head game slicker than little miss gorilla glue."

Pretty dope, and Tessica tells TMZ ... she thought the line was cute. She says normally she's offended if someone calls her Gorilla Glue Girl, instead of her name, but Nicki gets a pass.

She says even though Nicki didn't reach out in advance to brief her about the shout-out, she hopes to meet her in person one day.

Nicki's still working on her next album -- which Tessica says she'll cop, for sure -- and the new track is part of the "Beam Me Up Scotty" mixtape she just dropped on streaming platforms.

A Padres fan looked more like Canelo Alvarez in the stands at Coors Field on Wednesday night ... dropping a Rockies supporter with a VICIOUS haymaker -- and the whole incident was caught on video.

The violent act all went down in the 6th inning of Colorado's second game of a doubleheader against San Diego ... when for some reason, a man in a Padres jersey attacked another fan.

You can see in the footage -- captured during what appears to be the Rockies' broadcast of the game -- the guy walked up to the other man and launched a huge, right hand.

The clip shows the punch landed flush ... and the guy appeared to be out cold on his feet -- flopping over and falling to the ground.

Other fans in the area rushed to the puncher to restrain him ... and cops eventually arrived on the scene.

A spokesperson for the Denver Police Dept., though, tells TMZ Sports no arrests were made ... explaining, "The person who threw the first punch, was contacted by police. However, the person struck did not want to press charges."

The game went on despite the action in the stands ... with the Rockies winning in walk-off fashion, 3-2, in extra innings.

The New England Patriots just got some serious bulletin board material for their matchup against the Buccaneers ... and it's coming from none other than Tom Brady!!!

... 's dad.

Brady Sr. -- ID'd as "Tom in California" -- was candid about his son's big return to Foxborough when appearing on a local radio show Thursday ... saying he's already drooling at the thought of his son playing against the Pats in Week 4.

"I saw the schedule come out last night and I started salivating when I saw that we play the Patriots in the 4th game of the season," Brady Sr. said on "Zolak & Bertrand" on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

"We’re coming up here to make our record 4-0 after the 4th game. So, pretty fun time!"

It wasn't all smack talk, however -- Brady Sr. softened up and spoke about how it'll be special to return to Gillette Stadium and enjoy being back at their "second home" to watch their "second favorite team."

"It's a game where we get to root against nobody, we get to root for the Patriots, but our most favorite team are the Buccaneers."

And, that's when Brady Sr. dropped one more jab for good measure.

"We expect to beat the Patriots handily, frankly."

DAYUMMMM, DAD!!! How do you REALLY feel?!?!

It's worth noting -- Brady, Sr. has made it clear he has nothing but love for the Pats and Bill Belichick in the past ... saying it wasn't a "divorce" and more of a "separation."

Of course, the game is already generating a ton of buzz ... with the cheapest tickets selling for more than $1,000!!!

TB12 has also commented on the game ... saying, "It’s like when your high school friends meet your college friends."

Ellen DeGeneres denies speculation she's stepping away from her show after 19 seasons because of allegations of a toxic workplace ... and she even suggests there was a coordinated effort to take her down.

Ellen sat down with "Today" host Savannah Guthrie to address last year's claims of a toxic culture at her talk show -- which led to the firings of 3 producers -- saying she was devastated by it and still doesn't understand it.

She tells Savannah it's not the reason she's calling it quits after this season though, and says she's a kind person who enjoys making people happy ... and insists she truly didn't know anything about a harmful work environment until she heard it from the media.

In fact, Ellen goes as far as to imply the allegations against her were "too orchestrated" and "too coordinated" ... and doesn't really buy into the notion she should have known there was something wrong among her employees.

She does say she wishes someone would have clued her in though ... so she could have put a stop to it sooner.

As we reported ... Ellen delivered an emotional monologue to her audience Wednesday, saying instincts told her it's time to go, and she always knew in her heart the upcoming 19th season would be her last.