Kevin Spacey Books 1st Movie Role Since Scandal ... Shooting in Italy

Kevin Spacey is easing back into acting again -- but his first job ain't even here in the States ... dude's heading all the way over to Italy to get back to work.

The disgraced actor -- who has faced a mountain of sexual assault allegations since 2017, and essentially been exiled from mainstream Hollywood -- booked his first acting role since the accusations came to light ... this according to ABC News, who confirmed it.

Spacey is set to star in an Italian film called "L'uomo Che Disegno Dio," which will be directed by famed Italian actor-turned-director Franco Nero ... the guy who played the OG Django waaaay back in the '60s. The title translates to "The Man Who Drew God."

The synopsis says it's about a blind artist who has the God-given ability to draw portraits of people by just listening to their voice ... who then skyrockets to fame and becomes a TV star. It's unclear what role Spacey will play, but he'll be opposite Nero's wife, Vanessa Redgrave.

Of Spacey's casting, Nero tells ABC ... "I'm very happy Kevin agreed to participate in my film." He adds, "I consider him a great actor and I can't wait to start the movie."

KS hasn't been on camera -- besides his own weird home movies, that is -- since he parted ways with Netflix's "House of Cards" in late 2017 ... which revamped the entire final season, killing his character off from the outset and pushing forward with just Robin Wright.

He's been sued over the alleged sexual assaults -- but on the criminal end ... Spacey dodged charges from coast to coast, with a case against him Massachusetts being dismissed in 2019, and the L.A. County District Attorney's refusing to prosecute since the alleged victim died.

TikTok Party Massive Bash Broken Up by Cops with Tear Gas

TikTok can draw a crowd for sure, much to the dismay of Huntington Beach residents.

An estimated thousand people swarmed the beachside community Saturday night and police broke up the bash that was called "Adrian's Kickback."

The party was advertised on Tiktok and went viral -- with users all over the country chiming in on the possible bash. The viral vids clearly did the trick, with hordes of people filing the SoCal beach and streets.

The crowd started to form at around 6:30 PM and things got rowdy pretty quickly. By 7:30 it was going full bore and then the fireworks started going off. By around 11:30 PM ... cops made their move, declaring the event an unlawful assembly.

Police used tear gas to break up the crowd. It was pretty much pure pandemonium as everyone started yelling as they either ran away or ran for cover.

At 11:30 PM the City imposed a curfew that lasted until 5:30 AM Sunday.

As for Adrian ... his name is Adrian Lopez and the celebration marked his birthday. All he said on TikTok was "pop out n celebrate my bday." That's all it took.

121 adults and 28 juveniles were arrested and booked for various charges including vandalism, the firing of dangerous/illegal fireworks, failure to disperse, and curfew violations.

Dominique Wilkins Accuses Restaurant of Racism ... Restaurant Says Just Enforcing Dress Code

Dominique Wilkins says he was straight-up denied service at an Atlanta restaurant because of the color of his skin, but the restaurant shot back, saying it was simply enforcing a dress code that was colorblind.

The basketball Hall of Famer says he was denied service at Le Bilboquet restaurant, saying, "In my many years in the world, I've eaten at some of the greatest restaurants in the world, but never have I felt prejudice or been turned away because of the color of my skin, until today in #atlanta in @LeBilboquetAtl #turnedawaybecauseimblack."

The restaurant denied it had anything to do with race, saying, "We, at Le Bilboquet, do our best to accommodate all of our guests. However, we have received consistent complaints from our patrons regarding other guest's wardrobe choices.  As a result, to protect our restaurant's culture, we installed a minimum standard in our 'business casual' attire dress code which includes jeans and sneakers but prohibits baseball caps and athletic clothing including sweat pants and tops."

Wilkins, who played between 1982 and 1994 for the Hawks, wasn't buying it, saying, "They looked me up and down ... and to add insult, talked about how my clothes were not appropriate when I was wearing designer casual pants and a shirt."

The restaurant seemed to say they're considering a revision of the dress code ... "Though the definition of 'casual' is ever evolving, we strive to maintain our policy requirement daily but it isn't a perfect system." That last part seems to suggest maybe they were too hard on Wilkins.

Lil Nas X I Really Ripped One on 'SNL'!!!

Lil Nas X brought 'SNL' to a grand finale Saturday night, but the performance was a little ... well, a little too tight.

Lil Nas was performing "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" during the show, and all the gyrating was too much for his pants, 'cause they split down the front.

It happens at around the 2:20 mark in the video, as he was dancing on a stripper pole. You see him drop low, and that's when his pants do the splits.

He's a pro, so he immediately grabbed his crotch -- Michael Jackson style -- so it wasn't super obvious ... but yeah, it happened.

He boldly glares right into the camera as it happens and then presses on to the end of the song.

Lil Nas X was the musical guest for the season 46 finale. Anya Taylor-Joy did the hosting honors.

He's a funny guy, tweeting after the show, “NOT MY PANTS RIPPED ON LIVE ON TV,” adding, “OMFG NO… I wanted to do my pole routine so bad this what I get lmaoo.”

He followed up saying, "at first i was afraid to even perform. then we rehearsed for 2 weeks, then all of the dancers got removed because one had covid and new ones had to learn the routine in 24 hours, and then i ended up ripping my pants and couldn’t finish. everything happens for a reason tho lol"

Frankly, it was fun to watch a real pro follow the maxim, "The show must go on!"

Martin Bashir I Didn't Dupe Diana Into BBC Interview Feel for Her Fam, Though

Martin Bashir -- the journalist who infamously interviewed Princess Diana and just got trashed for it -- says he didn't do anything wrong or deceitful in nabbing the sit-down ... despite what an independent report has concluded.

Bashir made his first public comments about the scandal to the Sunday Times ... denying any nefarious behavior he and the BBC are alleged to have engaged in back in '95, when Diana agreed to talk to him on camera about her relationship with Prince Charles.

It almost sounds like an apology, but it ain't ... because Bashir straight up says he played no part coming up with alleged fake docs and/or bogus phone calls placed to Diana. He says, "Even in the early 1990s, there were stories and secretly recorded phone calls. I wasn’t the source of any of that."

He goes on to say the idea the interview was somehow something Diana didn't want, or that it was framed in a way that harmed her afterward is simply not true ... regardless of what her boys, Prince William and Prince Harry, might be saying now ... nearly 30 years later.

SHAME ON YOU

Bashir says, "Everything we did in terms of the interview was as she wanted, from when she wanted to alert the palace, to when it was broadcast, to its contents," while going on to say he and his family loved the Princess, and they remained close even after the interview aired.

MB goes on to say this, "I don’t feel I can be held responsible for many of the other things that were going on in her life, and the complex issues surrounding those decisions." He went on to say Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, squarely putting the blame of Diana's death on his shoulders was "unreasonable and unfair" -- while also explaining he gets the grief.

After the report came out affirming the BBC had, in fact, undertaken deceptive methods -- including made-up bank statements purportedly showing Palace staffers accepting payment for stories about her -- PC and PH both slammed the outlet, and Bashir by extension.

They said what the BBC did played into Diana's fear and paranoia at the time ... and that everyone involved oughta be ashamed of themselves. Sounds like Bashir isn't, though.

Albert Einstein e=1.2 Million!!! Letter W/ Formula Fetches A Fortune At Auction

A handwritten letter featuring Albert Einstein's famous theory of special relativity has sold for a bundle at auction -- fetching a 7-figure amount!!!

The one-page note was written by Einstein in 1946, and sent to fellow physicist Ludwik Silberstein ... who's said to have doubted AE's theories. Translated from German, the part about kinetic energy reads, "Your question can be answered from the E = mc2 formula, without any erudition." Reports say this is the 4th time Albert had mentioned the theory on paper, and it's supposedly the only one made available through a private collection.

It was put up for grabs last week by Boston-based auction house, RR Auction, which says it eventually sold for a cool $1.2 million ... this after an all-out bidding war between five parties that eventually became a two-horse race once it started creeping past the $700k mark.

On Thursday, the sale closed -- with one bidder prevailing ... but they're staying anonymous, only being ID'd as a document collector. A rich one at that, too.

Of course, it's an historic document -- and it has one of the most important revelations in modern science ... namely, that mass and energy are the same thing, and that time is relative. Time is also money, it seems ... just ask the person who dropped over a mil for this!

Young Girls' Punk Band Signed to Epitaph Records ... After Viral 'Racist Sexist Boy' Show

RACIST, SEXIST BOY
LA Public Library/YouTube

A punk rock band made of four ethnically diverse girls is on its way to producing its first professional record -- 'cause they just got signed ... this after a kickass performance.

The band is called The Linda Lindas, and it features four pre-teen/teenage girls -- aged 10 to 16 -- who describe themselves as "Half Asian/Half Latinx" ... and who rocked the house so hard earlier this month at the L.A. Public Library that landed them a deal with a major label.

Variety confirmed The LLs had been signed to Epitaph Records -- which has had quite the repertoire of rock acts in its roster over the years ... including Green Day, Weezer, Rancid, The Offspring, Pennywise, Bad Religion and scores of other legendary punk bands.

Now, the Linda Lindas are part of that mix -- although the details of their contract aren't out yet. In any case, it's a helluva achievement ... and it's all due to a set they put on in early May as part of AAPI Heritage Month, which got tons of love and famous fanfare.

ICYMI ... the Linda Lindas performed a number of original songs at the library, including one called "Racist Sexist Boy" -- the origin of which they explained had to do with the increased Asian hate that's been rocking the nation of late. To vent, they came up with this banger.

Their show caught the attention of Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello ... who called it the "song of the day." At this rate, maybe he'll have them open for him one day soon!

North Vegas PD Cops Make Deaf Woman's Kids Interpret ... During Detainment

MISHANDLING THE SITUATION
Caroline Blaike/Facebook

Two Vegas-area police officers used a deaf woman's own children to help interpret while detaining their mother ... which is now being called a blatant violation of the ADA.

The lady's name is Andrea Hollingsworth, and she recorded the encounter last month after running into a North Las Vegas PD cop ... who was responding to a call alleging Hollingsworth was stalking/harassing someone outside of their home.

Hollingsworth makes clear during the incident that she's deaf and can't hear the officer as he tried figuring out what was going on ... but lost his patience constantly. Another officer arrives on the scene not too long after and also expresses frustration with Hollingsworth.

Eventually, the officers get one of her kids -- who was riding with her when they got approached -- to try and be in the intermediary ... this as they put Hollingsworth in cuffs and sat her down on the curb. It's a distressing situation -- you can hear the children crying and Hollingsworth desperately tries to both reassure them and talk to the cops at the same time.

Once everything is calm (relatively speaking), the officers get some context from what sounds like one of Hollingsworth's daughters ... who says they're simply trying to get some money back from a friend who'd recently moved out of an apartment they were sharing.

The officer chastises the mom to the kid ... explaining police procedure and why it's important for people to cooperate, which he says Hollingsworth was not doing, making it all the more difficult to get to the bottom of what had happened. In the end, no charges were filed.

Now, more than a month later ... Nevada's ACLU chapter, as well as some deaf orgs, are crying foul over Hollingsworth's treatment, saying the cops violated the Americans with Disabilities Act -- not to mention police protocol, which says ASL interpreters must be dispatched in these types of run-ins, as they're on call and available 24/7.

It doesn't appear the officers were reprimanded -- but it seems Hollingsworth might be ramping up for legal action, as a GoFundMe for legal fees has been started on her behalf.

'Final Destination' Log Crashes Through Windshield ... When Life Imitates Art

A crazy post-crash site has a lot of people reminiscing on early 2000s horror -- because it looks eerily similar to a killer moment from the 'Final Destination' franchise.

A guy named Aaron Cox posted a video showing a giant wood log piercing the windshield of a white van, pulled over behind a transport truck on a freeway ... which of course, is ripped right out of "Final Destination 2," as any terrified viewer who remembers will tell you.

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There's not a whole lot of context -- like where, when or what happened next -- but it's kinda funny ... 'cause the guy filming, presumably Aaron, literally mentions 'FD' as he captures the wreckage.

You don't see any blood inside of the van, which we think means (hopefully) nobody was seriously injured. Weirdly enough, the freakin' radio is still playing inside, something that seems to indicate it looks worse than it actually was.

Still, the fact that life imitated art here to a T is uncanny.

If you haven't seen the movie -- it follows the same beats as the OG ... starting with a mass death sitch where a bunch of people die from one incident (in this case, a highway pile-up that kicks off with the logs), which gets prevented by a character having a premonition ... only for the Grim Reaper himself to circle back to everyone who cheated death.

Spoiler alert ... everyone dies later in cool death scenes as the movie goes along -- but that's beside the point.

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One last factoid about this -- "Final Destination 2" has scarred so many who watched it that this exact joke was made on none other than TikTok itself by content creator PatD Lucky ... who joked about being caught behind a big rig carrying a massive load of pipes, and immediately wanting to get out of the way out of fear of facing Officer Burke's fate.

Can't blame him ... IYKYK. 😬

PGA Championship Great Fart Mystery ... Who Ripped Butt Next To Open Mic?!?

It's PGA Championship weekend ... which means we're all dying to know one thing -- who's going to win?! WHO FARTED NEAR A HOT MIC ON THE BROADCAST?!?!?

Cameras and audio equipment appeared to pick up someone blowing the butt trumpet during the final hours of the 1st round of the prestigious tournament in South Carolina on Thursday ... and it's got everyone wondering, was that really a fart??

Check out the clip ... it sure sounds like someone broke wind all over the broadcast as Cam Smith was wrapping up his last putts on the course.

There sure seemed to be a loud toot ... that was followed by several more -- and then several more!!

ESPN broadcaster Scott Van Pelt wasn't fazed by the apparent cheese cutting -- he powered through the noise like a pro, breaking down Smith's first day at Kiawah Island despite it all.

So, will we ever know what really went down? Seems unlikely -- but the last time a pro golfer's fart was caught on a course mic, we solved that mystery quickly!

BETTER OUT THAN IN
TMZSports.com

You'll recall, Ian Poulter admitted to TMZ Sports he was the one who tooted during the broadcast of the Travelers Championship in June ... telling us, "I guess it's one way to protect social distancing!"

Maybe we go with the old adage of whoever smelt it, dealt it here??

Marilyn Monroe Statue's Too Tall To See Her Underwear ... Give Her a Chance!!!

The folks tasked with returning the giant Marilyn Monroe statue to Palm Springs say haters need to give her a shot, claiming kids won't be able to see up her skirt with the naked eye.

PS Resorts is the tourism organization bringing back the 26-foot tall stainless steel monument that will soon tower in front of the entrance to the Palm Springs Art Museum ... and honchos are brushing off concerns students will get an eyeful of her panties.

Aftab Dada, Chairman of PS Resorts, tells TMZ ... experts determined kids leaving the museum would need binoculars to catch a glimpse of her underwear, and people just need to give Marilyn a chance because she's harmless.

The statue, dubbed "Forever Marilyn," is coming back after a 7-year hiatus, and once it goes up in June it's got 3 years to stand in front of the museum, which opposes the whole thing.

The museum's board of trustees tells us the statue's placement outside makes it seems like it's part of their collection, and they feel it's in poor taste ... but PS Resorts says the statue will be over a football field's length away from the museum, and that's plenty of separation.

Dada says the statue will bring back tourists to Palm Springs after the pandemic, and he's pleading with folks to give it a couple years until a study on the economic impact comes out.

He's also taking a parting shot at the museum ... telling us Marilyn will be a huge plus for the struggling business, whose opposition shows "they clearly don't want visitors."

Morgan Wallen Back On Stage in Nashville ... After N-Word Incident

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BACK TO WORK
@madisonnduriee / Instagram

Morgan Wallen's clawing his way back from the racial slur controversy ... and he's got Kid Rock to thank for getting him back on a stage to perform live.

Morgan was at Kid's Big Ass Honky Tonk bar Wednesday night in Nashville and got on the mic in front of what looked like a packed house. This was his first time singing since he was seen in January casually dropping the n-word at the end of a drunken night with friends, and you can tell he had some nerves.

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Of course, the crowd went nuts when Morgan was introduced ... folks were screaming his name as he walked on stage, and almost immediately acknowledged he might be a little rusty.

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He seemed to work it all out though ... as he performed a couple of his hits, "Wasted On You" and "Whiskey Glasses."

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PROFANE GOODBYE
TMZ.com

TMZ broke the story ... Morgan was recorded by a neighbor after a wild night out in Nashville back in January casually calling a buddy the n-word.

The fallout from the video was swift -- award shows, merchandise websites and radio stations banned Wallen. However, his album sales actually skyrocketed and he continued dominating the charts.

Morgan's had folks in his corner in the wake of the controversy ... with billboards popping up last month in Nashville pushing for him to win Entertainer of the Year at the ACM Awards, even though the Academy banned him from the competition.

Wallen said he was working on himself and wasn't planning any summer tour dates ... but it will be interesting to see if he changes course after getting back on stage and feeling the love.

'Friends' Reunion James Corden Hosting Sparks Outrage ... While Fans Worry About Matthew Perry

The long-awaited, highly-anticipated "Friends" reunion is suffering from a major case of buzzkill ... at least for fans who don't like James Corden ... or are worried about Matthew Perry's health.

News that "The Late Late Show" host will be hosting the "Friends" special on HBO later this month has many on social media miffed ... mostly because he has no known connection to the popular sitcom.

Fans pointed out that there are so many other notable celebs -- Brad Pitt, Paul Rudd, Reese Witherspoon and Bruce Willis for instance -- who had roles on the show and would have made way more sense to host ... but HBO honchos went with Corden.

Of course, some of the criticism is also coming from folks who seem to simply dislike James for other reasons ... and you can't win 'em all.

There's another issue putting a damper on the reunion fun too -- Matthew, AKA Chandler, appeared to be unwell during a recent interview promoting the upcoming special.

In the video, sitting with Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, some fans felt Perry sounded like he was slurring his speech, and appeared to be gazing off into the distance at times. He's been open about his struggles with addiction in the past.

As we reported ... Perry's the cast member who officially confirmed the reunion show was filming back in April in a now-deleted Instagram photo which whipped fans into a frenzy.

It's clear that frenzy -- good and bad -- is building the closer we get to the reunion airing ... May 27 on HBO Max. As if you didn't know that already.

Olympian Torah Bright You're Not a Bad Mom If You Can't Handstand & Breastfeed

MOTHER KNOWS BEST
TMZ.com

Torah Bright says her handstand breastfeeding wasn't meant to bring anyone down -- and despite some mothers apparently feeling that way ... there were even more who were supportive.

The Olympic gold medalist snowboarder will be on "TMZ Live'" Thursday to clear up her M.O. behind the now-viral photo -- which shows her balancing herself upside down topless, with her baby boy latching on to her breast and sucking away.

There were A LOT of reactions to it ... including good old-fashioned, pearl-clutching indignation -- but as Torah explains here, there were also some moms who genuinely felt they were being shamed for not being as fit and/or capable of doing something similar.

For anyone who might've perceived it like that ... Torah's here to set the record straight, telling us that was NOT her goal in posting this, noting everyone's breastfeeding experience is different -- and that she was simply sharing her own in a way she thought was fun. She also says it's a testament to the bond between mother and son.

That leads us to her next point ... which is that as big of a "backlash" she got from this, there was more love she says she got that toppled it -- which is great to hear.

As Torah put it herself, motherhood is pure ... as was her mindset in sharing the cool moment. Torah's full interview airs on "TMZ Live" Thursday, so check your local listings.

Bill Gates Still Rockin' the Wedding Ring ... Despite Divorce Filing

Bill Gates might be getting divorced, but he's still coming off as a happily married man ... at least by the looks of his digits, anyway.

The Microsoft founder beamed into a conference Wednesday for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- where he got on camera at one point to make some remarks. It's one of the first times we've seen Bill since he and Melinda announced their split.

Because of that ... there were prying eyes trying to pick up on what he was wearing (or not wearing), and sure enough -- they spotted the prize ... dude still had on his wedding band and wasn't trying very hard to hide it.

NBD, obviously -- he IS, technically, still married. It's also possible he just hasn't thought to take it off yet. Who the hell knows?

That said, this is sorta weird on its face ... especially since there've been reports BG's been playing the field -- or at least attempted to, allegedly -- while he was still married.

If that's true, ya kinda gotta wonder ... why the holdup in freeing that ring finger, Bill??? Take that sucker off and get out there!

Paul Hogan Note to L.A. Homeless ... 'This is My House'

Paul Hogan's had it with the crime and homelessness around his home in L.A. and is letting his frustrations be known ... by posting a warning on his front door.

The "Crocodile Dundee" star -- who recently told Australian news he's homesick and desperate to leave the U.S. and return Down Under -- reportedly stepped outside Sunday and pinned a note to outside his garage in Venice Beach that read ... "THIS IS MY HOUSE NOT YOURS."

Paul's since taken the sign down outside his $3.5 million property ... which does sit right in the middle of a neighborhood where the homeless crisis has become epidemic.

GET ME OUTTA HERE
news.com.au

As you may know ... the Venice Beach area that was once a tourism hot spot in L.A. has become a hellscape of sorts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Hogan's note seems to be directed to the many homeless camped out near his home.

Paul and his 22-year-old son, Chance, have reportedly been stuck inside his beachside mansion -- which locals describe as a fortress -- for months as the homeless crisis and crime has spiraled out of control in the area.

Hogan's stated he can't wait for the pandemic to be over so he can flee ... which echoes what many others have expressed about L.A. in recent months, as city and county officials have been criticized for not doing enough to address what's going on.

While the government may be coming up short in helping with the homelessness situation, there has been a movement among celebs, like Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner, and organizations like Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission to provide those in need with shelter.

It's a great cause, but clearly, there's still a long way to go.

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