Viral

The reporter who botched an interview with Adele for not listening to her new album just made a mea culpa over his own airwaves ... and even described what we'll never see.

Aussie journo Matt Doran, of Channel 7's "Weekend Sunrise," ended one of his segments this week with a full-blown apology to both Adele, her Australian fans and his viewers at large ... over what he called a blown opportunity, all because he didn't properly peruse his inbox.

Doran reiterated what he'd already said this past week ... namely, that the reason he hadn't heard "30" prior to the sit-down is because he didn't check out a link Sony had emailed him in the 11th hour, which ended up being a preview of the album in full.

While they were chatting in early November -- well before it dropped -- Doran says he admitted to Adele he hadn't heard the full thing yet ... but clarified what happened after.

Unlike some reports that claim she abruptly left the interview upon hearing this -- apparently insulted by his lack of knowledge -- Doran insists the opposite happened ... according to him, they finished the interview, which he says ran over time, and that Adele was delightful.

He also recapped what exactly they'd discussed -- seeing how the interview will never see the light of the day, reportedly thanks to her label, which put the kibosh on it.

Sounds like they got into some heavy stuff, so it's a shame we'll never see it. Anyway ... here's hoping Adele can forgive him -- like he asks for here -- 'cause it seems MD has gotten well into the weeds of the album and then some since his blunder.

Alice Sebold's movie adaptation about her 1981 Syracuse rape has utterly fallen apart in the wake of the exoneration of the man she accused -- and one of the film's stars is out too.

Netflix's Victoria Pedretti -- who has a leading role in "You" -- is no longer associated with the project, "Lucky," which was set to depict the plot of Sebold's 1999 memoir of the same name ... this according to Variety. It's unclear who Pedretti was supposed to portray, but some are guessing it might've been the author herself.

In addition to losing Pedretti's acting talents ... the project has lost all of its financing, which had apparently been crumbling in the months leading up to Monday's incredible news.

The revelation ... the man Sebold pinned the rape on, Anthony Broadwater, was fully exonerated last week after one of the former EPs attached to the "Lucky" movie dug into the facts of the story ... this after having suspicions about the script and its source material.

Tim Mucciante actually left the project over what he perceived as holes in the story -- but not just that, he actually went out of his way to hire a PI and lawyers to delve even deeper ... and ultimately consult with the local D.A.'s office -- which agreed that the evidence was shoddy, and asked the court to vacate Broadwater's 1982 conviction this week.

Lo and behold, they did exactly that ... and the dude broke down in tears for what he called a travesty of justice that had besmirched his name (and his life) for decades now.

Here's the crazy thing ... the truth appears to have been hiding in plain sight. What put Broadwater away for over 15 years was Sebold's on-the-stand testimony that he'd raped her in '81, plus microscopic hair analysis which has since been debunked as illegitimate science.

Not just that, but even the process of ID'ing Broadwater as the guy was completely botched -- first, she says she saw an unidentified Black dude approach her in the streets months after her rape, and she felt that this person was her attacker at Syracuse University.

She notified the cops and they canvased the area, picking up Broadwater for fitting the general description. Sebold is said to have failed to pick him out of a lineup shortly thereafter -- zeroing in on another Black man -- but somehow, Broadwater became the prime suspect.

Once he was face to face with her in court that following year, she definitively said it was him ... and the rest is history. He was released from prison in '99, and has had a rough go since.

Karol G took one of the hardest falls onstage we've seen in a while -- but she also bounced back just as quickly.

The singer was performing in Miami Friday, playing to a packed FTX Arena ... when, at one point, she slipped and fell down a flight of stairs on the stage.

Check out the video ... it's pretty brutal, as the fall was quite long -- and sent her whole body twirling all the way down. Eventually, she landed on all fours facing the ground ... almost in a fetal position.

One of her dancers raced down to attend to her, but before ya knew it ... she was back on her feet and carried on with the show. Unclear if she ended up finishing her entire set, because afterward she told a local outlet her nails were broken and her knee was busted.

Antwain Fowler -- the viral kiddo who famously asked "where we bout to eat at?" -- could soon have a restaurant opened in his honor ... that's the big plan from the late kid's mother.

Christina Burns, Antwain's mother, tells TMZ ... his GoFundMe was created in March during one of his many stays in the hospital and it's now raised $72,000, with $22k being donated since he passed away on Sunday. She wants to put the money towards keeping his legacy alive, in the form of a restaurant called, "Where We Bout To Eat At."

Antwain's mom says the $22k raised in the past few days will be put towards kickstarting the business, with the other $50k helping pay off Antwain's hospital bills and other family expenses. Christina says she will help create the menu, but needs help managing the other aspects of a restaurant. The menu will be versatile with seafood, chicken and other grub -- so you won't have to look much further when you're asked "where we bout to eat at?"

The viral sensation had a ton of catchphrases, which will be reflected on the menu ... for example, Antwain's mom is already planning some "You Have Cheese Like Me" mozzarella sticks.

After Antwain went viral, his mom says she tried starting a seafood truck biz ... but after mapping things out, she just didn't have the time to commit to getting the biz up and running because she was busy taking care of him and her other 3 children.

As we reported ... Antwain died Nov. 21 after fighting a rare autoimmune deficiency his mother says caused him to be consistently in and out of the hospital ever since he was 4 months old. He was only 6.

His mom is shedding more light on his death ... she says Antwain was home when she heard his ventilator sounding off an alarm. Typically, Antwain alerts his family when he's experiencing pain or has trouble breathing, but this time he was silent.

Antwain's mom says police and an ambulance responded to their home and attempted to resuscitate him, but had no luck ... he was taken to a hospital where doctors fought to keep him alive, but were ultimately unable to.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is back in all its glory, celebrating 95 years with floats, balloons, celebs and plenty of people in attendance.

The annual spectacle is happening right now in NYC, and you can see from pics, there was just about something for everybody in this year's installation. Spongebob, Baby Yoda and Boss Baby balloons towered over the crowd to thunderous applause.

Among the celebs performing in this year's parade were Kelly Rowland and Jon Batiste -- who has had an incredible week himself -- topping Grammy nominees with 11.

Of course, the always appreciated turkey float made an appearance as well as marching bands from across the country.

A vaccinated Big Bird and his buddy Elmo also sat atop a float for Sesame Street and had the younger fans in the crowd super excited.

Of course, 2021 marks the return of large crowds to the annual event. The parade still went down last year, but without droves of people lining the streets.

Harry Styles makes it almost impossible for folks to keep their appendages in check ... and if you don't believe it, check out this security guard who was dancing up a storm during Harry's concert.

It appears this is the concert at the Toyota Center in Houston earlier this week. The guard is all about Harry, dancing to One Direction's "That's What Makes You Beautiful." It's one of 1-D's biggest hits, and given the group is no more it had to be a big surprise Harry sang it, which may be why everyone was going crazy.

Now the video is a little jarring ... given what happened at the Astroworld Festival in the same city earlier this month. You'll recall, cops and security seemed oblivious to the tragedy that was unfolding behind them. They didn't seem to have a clue a full 25 minutes after fire dept. officials declared it a "mass casualty event."

This concert is clearly different. There's assigned seating, and Harry's concerts are way tamer than Travis Scott's ... Travis has, in the past, encouraged and egged on the crowd to do crazy things ... Harry has not.

Posters have been plastered on buildings and bus stops in Europe, showing images of some very famous women who appear brutalized ... in an effort to grab people by the collar so they better understand domestic violence.

Artist AleXsandro Palombo has doctored images of Vice President Kamala Harris, along with British Dutchess Kate Middleton, Queen Letizia of Spain, French politician Christine Lagarde and others ... making them appear to be D.V. victims in her series, "She reported him, but she was killed anyway."

The caption under the battered faces reads, "She reported him -- But nobody believed her - But she was left alone -- But she was not protected - But he was not arrested - But she was killed anyway."

The posters have been seen in Milan and Spain, and presumably beyond.

The artist says his end game is to "draw attention to the poor responses from politics regarding the problem of gender-based violence and highlights the ineffectiveness of the support and protection system to the victims."

There's trouble in TikTok paradise ... Tony Lopez's wife Sarah-Jade Bleau just filed for legal separation.

According to new docs, obtained by TMZ, SJB beelined it to court Tuesday and filed docs to make their split official ... after only 8 months of marriage.

Sarah-Jade, a TikTok star herself, says they've been separated since last Friday, and she's citing the usual "irreconcilable differences" in the docs. They do not have any kids together.

Here's some odd timing, though ... while SJB was going to court to seal the deal, so to speak, Tony put up a much different front, at least publicly.

He posted a photo dump Wednesday afternoon of people he's thankful for, and the first pic is him with Sarah-Jade.

And, get this ... she's already left a loving comment, saying ... "Very thankful for you babyz❤️" Certainly looks pretty amicable.

Uncle Sam wants to wrangle in the UFO phenomenon that's clearly starting to go mainstream -- and they're doing it by launching a whole new team specifically designed to dig in ... or, we should say, probe deeper.

The U.S. Dept. of Defense announced this week it's starting a task force called the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group to look into what several people claim they've seen in the skies, dating back decades.

This new unit is going to replace the Navy's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force -- which just got created last year. Seems like the Pentagon wants to broaden the scope here.

In a press release, the DoD says the purpose of this new group will be to "detect, identify and attribute objects of interests in Special Use Airspace," and not just that -- but also, "to assess and mitigate any associated threats to safety of flight and national security."

Translation: We wanna know who or what's flying around us, and if they come in peace!!!

DoD notes the move comes under direct orders and in coordination with top intelligence officials ... while pointing out this is the direct result of that DNI report earlier this year, which turned out to be a big nothing burger.

You'll recall, our government was unable to properly identify or explain 143 out of 144 flying objects that had been witnessed and/or documented since 2004. The Defense Dept. says the new agency is being formed to improve a system that's clearly flawed.

While this might seem like exactly what needs to happen in light of Congress members publicly demanding the Pentagon fess up on what it knows ... some actually see it as a bad thing, that'll only cloak info in more secrecy.

The holidays are upon us once again -- and after a 2020 pandemic twist ... we can look forward to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returning in force, and it looks like they're really bringing it this year.

A new fleet of floats and balloons was unveiled this week before they hit the streets of NYC Thursday -- and as you might imagine the attractions and balloons are pretty spectacular ... which was to be expected after having to exclude bystanders from last year's event.

Among the most eye-popping ... Disney's cruise ship, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions' elephant wave structure, a giant gator-infused edifice made to promote Louisiana, and others.

The balloons are a little more recognizable to the average pop culture consumer -- there's Ronald McDonald, Baby Yoda, Ada Twist and a gaggle of Pokemon who are going to be led down the path by rope-holders.

The rehearsal for tomorrow's big show went down at Herald Square -- and it seems like everyone is just about ready ... including singers and dancers, of which there are many.

Those who are grabbing a microphone to croon tunes include Andy Grammer, Kelly Rowland, Carrie Underwood, Jon Batiste, Chris Lane, Aespa, Jimmie Allen ... and several more.

They, too, were out there getting their pipes warmed up ... and while the rehearsal was going down -- people who were nearby posed for some pics as well, something they'll be able to do plenty of this year now that they can attend in person.

BTS is at the intersection of global fandom these days -- but right now, they're literally at the intersection of Genesee and Beverly in Los Angeles -- with none other than James Corden.

The Korean pop band -- consisting of a whopping 7 members -- appears to be involved in a major showstopping number in the middle of the day, and in the middle of the street too ... right outside of CBS's Television City in the heart of L.A.

That's where Corden films his 'Late, Late Show' ... and it looks like he and his team coordinated an elaborate dance routine of some sort that's blocking off the roads -- complete with costumes, signage, a trampoline ... and probably some BTS music too.

Based on what we can see here ... they're plugging the group's smash hit, "Butter," which has been at the top of all sorts of music charts lately -- emblematic of their pull in general, these guys are very much so on top of the world.

Not only have they been nominated for another Grammy this year, but they just cleaned up at the AMAs -- taking home three trophies total -- and are selling out concerts everywhere they go, including here ... they've got a show this weekend at SoFi Stadium, and tickets are reselling for a fortune (about $600 for nosebleeds, just for reference).

Of course, Corden knows talent when he sees it -- so it's no surprise he's pulling out all the stops for whatever segment they're filming right now. Besides, this is sorta right up his alley anyway ... flash mob-style extravaganzas that stop people in their tracks, and their cars.

Brian Laundrie died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head -- this according to the family attorney.

TMZ spoke with Steve Bertolino, who says both of Laundrie's parents have been informed the cause of death was suicide. He tells us both parents are still mourning the loss of their son, and "hope these findings bring closure to both families."

Of course, this news comes after Laundrie's bones were examined by an anthropologist.

As we reported, Laundrie's body was found out at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park by investigators, on the advice of his parents who suggested they search that same area again.

Remember, Brian's remains were in such a state that a medical examiner could not easily determine how exactly he'd died -- and this anthropology examination was commissioned to get to the bottom of it. One part of his remains that were intact enough were his teeth ... that's how they ultimately discovered this was, indeed, Brian -- with matching dental records.

This seems to finally close the book on this whole saga ... at least partially, anyway. We now know how exactly Brian and Gabby Petito died ... of course, we still don't know what happened in the middle -- namely, who killed Gabby ... and what Brian's role in that was.

As we reported ... Brian returned to Florida from a cross-country trip he'd gone on with his fiancee, but he came back by himself -- with no Gabby in sight. Shortly after touching down in North Port again and seeing his parents ... Brian himself disappeared without a trace.

There was a nationwide manhunt for him that carried on for weeks and weeks -- with different would-be sightings springing up all over the place.

In the end, the guy was literally in his own backyard (metaphorically) ... and the FBI said the reason they hadn't found him earlier is that the area he ended up being in was underwater for a majority of their initial search.

Kanye West is up to something at his new Malibu pad -- and whatever that something is ... he wants the man living in one of the most unique homes in town to help.

James Goldstein -- who owns the famed Sheats-Goldstein Residence in the Beverly Crest hood of L.A. -- tells TMZ he recently had a face-to-face with Ye ... and not just that, but it sounds like they're gonna be working together on an architectural project.

That project, we're told, encompasses some complex plans KW has for his newly purchased mansion along the coast ... ones he believes Goldstein can advise him on, considering his experience in this field.

If you don't know ... JG's house is perhaps the most awe-inspiring in all of La La Land, due to its mind-bending construction and elaborate architecture -- most of which was undertaken by the late John Lautner, who teamed up with James years ago to bring his vision to life.

With that in mind, we're told James got a call from Kanye last week to see if they could link up and talk shop about home design -- and after sending his own architect out to inspect James' place, he tells us the man himself paid a visit on Friday to see it himself.

James says Ye toured the grounds thoroughly, taking pics and complimenting certain features he found wowing -- like the stairway and the pool -- and eventually came clean on what he wanted ... namely, for him (James) to come over to the 'Bu and help with his project.

James says Ye is interested in James' expertise and perspective, and indeed ... he accepted his request. Now, as for what exactly Kanye is cooking up, JG says he actually showed him some drawn-up rectangular-based plans -- but couldn't really make sense of it, so he's gonna swing by in person soon to talk in more detail and figure out what Ye's got in mind.

Tennis star Peng Shuai told International Olympic Committee officials she's not in danger during a video call over the weekend, insisting there's nothing to worry about, but the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is still concerned about the star player.

The 35-year-old former #1 ranked doubles player in the world seemingly vanished around 3 weeks ago after accusing a powerful former Chinese politician of sexual assault on social media.

The post was taken down ... and Shuai wasn't heard from for weeks. Then, top tennis players like Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Novak Djokovic took notice -- along with the WTA -- and demanded action.

Cue the 30-minute Zoom call ... with IOC prez Thomas Bach, and 2 other officials.

"Peng Shuai thanked the IOC for its concern about her well-being. She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time. That is why she prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now," the IOC said in a statement issued following the call.

After they spoke, another IOC official said they were convinced the 2013 Wimbledon doubles winner was safe and healthy after the call.

"I was relieved to see that Peng Shuai was doing fine, which was our main concern. She appeared to be relaxed. I offered her our support and to stay in touch at any time of her convenience, which she obviously appreciated."

But, not everyone's content with the call. The WTA, which has done an incredible job demanding answers from Chinese officials, still have concerns over Peng's safety.

"It was good to see Peng Shuai in recent videos, but they don't alleviate or address the WTA's concern about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion," a WTA spokesperson told ESPN.

When asked specifically about the IOC's Zoom call, the WTA spokesperson said, "This video does not change our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern."

After not being seen or heard from for weeks, Peng's been more visible lately. In addition to the video call on Sunday, Shuai was also seen at a tennis tournament in Beijing on Saturday.

Mayhem has found its way to Wisconsin again -- an SUV reportedly plowed through a parade and opened fire into the crowd ... and there are several people who've been injured.

This happened Sunday in Waukesha, WI -- about an hour away from Kenosha -- where they were having their annual Christmas parade, with scores of folks both participating in the event and watching from the sides of the streets ... including lots of families.

According to reports and eyewitness accounts, a vehicle described as a red Ford Escape broke through some barriers that were blocking off a road for the parade's path, and started barreling down the pavement at full speed ... eventually smashing into a group of people.

The car can be seen driving by at a few different points, which was caught on video -- and there's no question ... this person was gunning to do damage.

One video shows the SUV zooming by a small child who was playing on the street, and it narrowly missed hitting her as it continued down its path. Eventually, it made contact and ran over a handful of people -- including several who are said to be part of a group called the Dancing Grannies and were part of the parade ... and many were found lying motionless.

As many as 30 people are reported to have been injured thus far ... but it's unclear if there are any fatalities just yet. Police went after the vehicle, which fled the scene -- but not before witnesses claim the driver started firing shots outside their window ... part of which was also caught on camera.

The shots could've easily came from police here -- but it's just too early to know for sure. Waukesha authorities have warned the public to stay indoors, as this is a fluid situation.

The parade began to get evacuated immediately ... and the area is in a sheer panic right now.

Story developing ...

The Internet has been buzzing lately about who's the stronger singer between Whitney Houston and Taylor Swift -- but now, a new contender has entered the chat ... Adele.

You might've heard about this last week -- there was a raging debate on Twitter about who was "better" between TayTay and the late, great Whitney ... which got kickstarted with Bartstool Sports staffers, including one who felt Taylor was more well-rounded big picture.

Of course, she was met with ferocious pushback, both right there from her Stoolie colleagues ... but also online, with many (rightly) pointing out the sheer absurdity of comparing them at all -- as Whitney is oh so obviously on another level, vocally and culturally.

To clarify, this gal's point seems to stem from the fact Taylor writes a lot of her own stuff, and in her eyes ... is likely the better artist all around. Eh ... still don't know about that!

Anyway, Ms. Adele got thrown into the fire this weekend too ... with none other than Piers Morgan claiming she's up there with some of the all-time greats, including Whitney.

Others seemed to agree ... saying Adele has perhaps some of the best pipes in the game right now, and may actually stack up against other modern-day legends -- which is certainly a more serious take than Taylor (no offense, Swifties).

However, just as many weren't so quick to let Adele into the icon club -- with members like Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, to name a few -- arguing, yeah ... she's a solid singer, and may even the best of the bunch out of today's crop of popular female artists, but doesn't really compare when you measure 'em note for note.

We'll say this ... today's singers, male or female, simply don't hold a candle to artists of the past, many of whom had raw vocal talent that ya just don't hear anymore -- at least not so much in the 21st century.