R. Kelly I Didn't Watch that Lifetime Show
R. Kelly did not watch a single minute of the docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly," that has now put him in the eye of a ferocious storm ... TMZ has learned.
Sources in day-to-day contact with R. Kelly tell TMZ, the singer is "disgusted" by the series, which makes shocking allegations against him including sex with various underage girls, physical abuse and mind control. People interviewed say he's running a sex cult.
The sources say R. Kelly views the series as a "vendetta" against him by producers and others who have hated him throughout his professional career.
We're told R. Kelly's team downloaded him on the various people who appeared on the show and he claims he doesn't even know half of them. He claims the other half hate him for various personal and professional reasons.
R. Kelly also claims there were various people who wanted to go on camera and defend him but producers shut them out.
The sources say R. Kelly is resolute -- as one source put it, "He's going to sue everybody who had anything to do with this."
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Chance the Rapper I Was Taken Out of Context Saying I Didn't Believe Black Women Accusing R. Kelly
Chance the Rapper says he was taken out of context a while back when he said he didn't believe R. Kelly's accusers because they were black women.
Chance did indeed make that comment on Lifetime's docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly," but the full statement is a little different. He said, "We're programmed to really be hypersensitive to black male oppression, but black women are exponentially [a] higher oppressed and violated group of people just in comparison to the whole world. Maybe I didn't care because I didn't value the accusers' stories because they were black women."
He went on ... "Usually, n***** that get in trouble for s*** like this on their magnitude of celebrity, it's light-skinned women or white women. That's when it's a big story. I've never really seen any pictures of R. Kelly's accusers."
Chance the Rapper now says making a song with R. Kelly was a mistake, adding, "I made a mistake and I'm happy that those women are getting voices now and I can grow to understand better what my positioning should be or should've been when that opportunity came."
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Adrien Broner 2 Sex Crime Cases ... On Same Day
Boxing star Adrien Broner has a busy Monday -- he's got dates in TWO courtrooms in TWO states to face TWO separate allegations of sexual misconduct, TMZ Sports has learned.
... and it's all going down just TWO weeks before his mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao.
Here's the deal ... Broner was arrested back in February in Atlanta for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman at a local shopping mall. Cops say he groped her against her will.
Just 4 months later, Broner was arrested again in Cleveland for allegedly throwing himself on top of a woman at a nightclub and forcing her to kiss him. He's facing multiple felony counts including gross sexual imposition and abduction.
As fate would have it ... both cases have been scheduled for January 7 -- and since he can't be in two places at once, he's gotta decide which hearing he wants to attend.
We've learned Broner is planning on sending a lawyer in his place to Ohio -- where he's not required to attend the hearing in person.
Does that mean he'll be in Atlanta instead? Broner has a habit of blowing off court cases ... so, no one really knows where he'll be.
Adrien is facing 5 separate charges for the two incidents ... and if he's convicted on all counts -- he could go to jail for NINE years.
The craziest part of the story -- Broner also has a court date in Florida on Jan. 23 stemming from his arrest for failure to appear in court earlier this month for traffic violations.
In between it all ... Broner's massive fight with Pacquiao is set for Jan. 19 in Las Vegas.
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Chargers RB Melvin Gordon Serious Smack Talk from Uber Driver ... No Idea Who He Is!!!
Melvin Gordon went head to head with his Uber driver over who's going to win Sunday's Wild Card matchup between his Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens ... and the guy didn't have a clue who he was talking to!
The video's hilarious -- the Chargers stud RB playfully goads his friendly driver to make predictions on the game and ends up getting some spicy trash talk out of him ... especially about Philip Rivers.
After praising Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and basically telling Gordon the Chargers QB sucks, he adds ... "I'm going to pull for Phil Rivers to get up off the ground because they gonna put him on the ground."
The driver also feels confident in Baltimore because they've been playing more as a team now that Flacco's on the sidelines, but clearly ... he doesn't have much info on that Melvin Gordon guy.
Even funnier ... despite making it clear he's pulling for the Ravens, the driver eventually admits he's from Texas, but he's "got to talk that crazy talk" since he's picking up Baltimore residents.
Dude knows how to get that 5-star rating.
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Demi Lovato Rips Instagram for Fat-Shaming Ad ... IG Apologizes, Removes It
12:14 PM -- A rep for Instagram tells TMZ the ad has been removed and adds, "We're sorry. This ad was approved by mistake. We reviewed it again and removed it from future delivery in people's feeds."
The company reviews millions of ads each week and sometimes mistakes are made ... that's clearly what happened here -- as the ad violates IG company policy -- and it was taken down.
Demi Lovato just went nuclear on Instagram ... for allowing a disgusting ad fat-shaming women to end up on her feed.
The singer blasted the social media platform Friday with several posts ... going off after a sponsored ad for a mobile game appeared. Demi wasn't having it ... straight-up asking how the mobile app "Game of Sultans" can get away with fat shaming.
You can see in the ad a character on the left labeled as "obese" and the one on the right dubbed "pretty" ... we guess subtlety is not part of the game.
Demi's message -- the ad's wrong on so many levels because it can inflict pain and harm on those who struggle with eating disorders. This, of course, struck too close to home ... Demi's been open about her body image and food shaming herself.
She's adamant, "Keep this bulls*** off mine and other's feeds who could be easily effected by this disgusting advertisement."
Originally Published -- 11:21 AM PST
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Yung Joc to Usher Here's a Hairy Situation ... Let's Battle for King of Hair & Fleek Style!!!
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EXCLUSIVE
- 781 shares
Debating the real king of R&B is so 2018 ... with 2019 in full swing, Yung Joc's throwing down the gauntlet and challenging Usher to settle once and for all who's the real king of the hair & fleek style. Allow us to explain.
You'll recall Usher made waves by ringing in the New Year with a brand-new hairdo ... a retro pompadour hairstyle to complement his rat pack-themed outfit. That hairdo's apparently dubbed hair & fleek ... and YJ knows a little about that style too.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
The rapper made headlines in 2016 with a similar look he said was inspired by a new acting role. He got bagged on big time, but Yung Joc tells TMZ he didn't give a damn ... 'cause he kept the look for a year!! Usher's new look prompted YJ to repost a side-by-side comparison ... followed by the question -- "WHO IS THE REAL KING OF HAIR & FLEEK?"
Yung Joc tells TMZ ... Usher -- who, BTW, has a vote for the real king of R&B -- needs to keep the look beyond just a transformation for his party if he even wants to be considered for the title. YJ even has a date in mind for when they can settle this debate. And, he wants us to call Usher and make it happen.
Usher, you've been called!
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Aaron Schlossberg Sued by Ex-Client ... Your Racist Rant Hurt Our Biz!!!
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EXCLUSIVE
- 1.6K shares
Aaron Schlossberg is the NYC lawyer who infamously went on a racist rant against restaurant employees for speaking Spanish ... and he's also now the defendant in a lawsuit filed by one of his ex-clients.
Niche Music Group wants Schlossberg to pay for screwing it over, because he was hired to rep the recording label in litigation against Sony Music Entertainment. The rub here ... Schlossberg was hired in January 2018 ... before his racist rant in May went viral.
Niche claims Schlossberg's conduct not only reflected poorly on him, but discredited his clients, and as its legal counsel ... he should have known better.
The label says Schlossberg's off-the-wall attack caused its reputation to take a blow and cost it future business opportunities.
You'll recall, Schlossberg threatened to call ICE on Fresh Kitchen employees when he heard them speaking Spanish on the job.
In the suit, Niche says it had to spend a lot of time and money replacing Schlossberg in order to continue its case against Sony. The label is suing him for breach of contract and legal malpractice ... and wants at least $50k in damages.
We reached out to Schlossberg ... no word back so far.
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Coachella 2019 Gucci Mane's Typo Not A Mistake After All
12:17 PM PT -- So, maybe it wasn't such a flub after all ... a rep for Coachella just got back to us and says "Gucci Gang" is, in fact, correct ... and now the photo of Gucci Mane has been replaced with one to include Lil Pump and Smokepurpp. Looks like something new for festival goers.
Gucci Mane, meet Gucci Gang -- the name he'll apparently be performing under at Coachella this year ... according to Coachella promoters, anyway.
There's a major typo on Coachella's website right now, which calls the Atlanta rapper "Gang" instead of "Mane." The error, which was published in the lineup announcement Wednesday night and hasn't been fixed yet, threw a lot of music fans for a loop -- namely, having them wonder ... who the hell is Gucci Gang???
At first, people thought it might be a new rap group featuring Lil Pump -- ya know, 'cause of his song "Gucci Gang" -- but when GM's image was attached to the name in a more detailed breakdown of the lineup, it became clear someone just screwed up.
Unless, of course, there's something like an undeclared name change going on ... but we seriously doubt it.
We reached out to Coachella and Gucci ... neither's gotten back to us yet.
Originally Published -- 7:15 AM PST
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Sinbad on Louis C.K. He's Shooting Himself in the Foot ... But Don't Tell Comedians Who to Joke About!!!
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EXCLUSIVE
- 512 shares
Sinbad thinks Louis C.K. is dangerously close to losing his mind and pulling a Michael Richards, but he still believes it's a terrible idea to start censoring comedians.
We got Sinbad Thursday outside The London Hotel in NYC and asked the comic if he and his peers are running scared in 2019 with all the instant backlash on social media.
It's pretty clear he doesn't support Louis' decision to mock the kids who survived the Parkland, FL mass shooting -- he describes him as shooting himself in the foot -- however, Sinbad firmly believes you can't tell comedians who they can and can't joke about.
i mean he's like a RW comic now. hes milo pic.twitter.com/QYOGI7TrGa
@jackallisonLOL
Sinbad basically compares C.K.'s set to Michael's infamous racist tirade and says anyone can lose their mind at any point. He says he was actually at the Laugh Factory the night Michael started shouting the n-word.
Sinbad isn't making excuses for Louis, but insists it's on the audience to let comics know when they've crossed the line -- and ya gotta hear Sinbad's advice for pissed off crowds.
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Andy Cohen Times Square Alliance Fires Back Pours Water On His NYE Umbrella Rant
It's still raining on Andy Cohen, because he's getting some serious pushback from the Times Square Alliance after he ranted on air about being singled out by officials who forced him to take down his umbrella during his CNN New Year's Eve broadcast.
During his fit, Andy claimed someone in the Times Square Alliance threatened to pull CNN's credentials for its next NYE show if he didn't lose his umbrella.
The Alliance fired back on Wednesday, issuing a statement to Page Six saying umbrellas are not allowed in certain media areas because they can block sightlines for other media.
The Alliance also denied Cohen's claim CNN's credentials were threatened, saying, "some tempers flared, but it was never the case, nor will it be the case, that CNN would be denied credentials or the ability to cover New Year's Eve."
Here's to hoping rain steers clear of Times Square next NYE ... although it did make for some pretty interesting TV.
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Aubrey O'Day Booted from NYE Party ... After Refusing to Sing to Donald Trump Jr.
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EXCLUSIVE
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Aubrey O'Day rang in the New Year by getting kicked out of her own show ... at a faux birthday party at a strip club in honor of her alleged ex, Donald Trump Jr.
Folks at Larry Flynt's Hustler Club in Las Vegas tell TMZ ... Aubrey threw a fit Monday night when a bday cake was carted out for the Prez's son after she finished her 3-song set.
We're told she was pissed because she was asked to sing "Happy Birthday" to her former fling -- which was allegedly not part of her contract -- then one of her assistants got physical with a cocktail server.
We got video of the ex-Danity Kane member being escorted out after her performance, seemingly at the direction of one of the club's managers who shouts at her to leave the building.
We broke the story ... the New Year's Eve bash was a total troll job by the club, because Larry Flynt famously hates President Trump. Having it hosted by his son's alleged ex-mistress was part of the joke.
Seems like O'Day was tired of playing along though.
We reached out to her ... no word back so far.
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Comedian Ron Funches Keep On Ripping Louis C.K. For Parkland Jokes I Don't Like Him!!!
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EXCLUSIVE
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Louis C.K. deserves to get trashed for telling jokes about Parkland survivors, which just proves Louis is kind of despicable ... so says fellow comedian Ron Funches.
Ron came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday making it clear ... he's not a fan of C.K. or his supporters. Ron essentially says Louis is a bottom feeder.
i mean he's like a RW comic now. hes milo pic.twitter.com/QYOGI7TrGa
@jackallisonLOL
Ron, whose hour-long stand-up special "Giggle Fit" premieres Jan. 4 on Comedy Central, says he understands comics trying out new material in front of smaller crowds, but he says that's not an excuse for Louis because the Parkland jokes basically amount to hate speech.
Bottom line for Ron ... Louis should be punching up instead of punching down, and he deserves every bit of backlash.
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Sen. Chuck Schumer Always Wobbly to Deal with Trump ... Still a 'Chance' to End Shutdown
Sen. Chuck Schumer says potentially ending the government shutdown is gonna take a firm commitment from President Trump ... and not his usual jiggling on the issues.
We got the Senate Minority Leader Wednesday in D.C. as he was making his way to the White House, where Trump is set to meet with Dems (in the Situation Room, no less) to discuss ending the partial shutdown that's been in effect for 12 days now.
Schumer says he's gonna try to strike a deal with the Prez -- who wants his southern border wall funded -- but makes note that Trump is like Jell-O on when it comes to sticking to one position.
Coincidentally, shortly after Schumer made that comparison ... Trump was holding a cabinet meeting with his "Game of Thrones"-style poster -- threatening sanctions -- smack in the middle of the table.
Still, Schumer sounds cautiously optimistic there's a "chance" to end the shutdown.
Good luck, Chuck.
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David Spade on Haddish & C.K. Don't Sweat It, Guys ... Comedy's an Instrument, Tune It
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EXCLUSIVE
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David Spade has some words of encouragement for Tiffany Haddish AND Louis C.K. and David makes it clear ... they're not in the same boat.
We got the longtime comedian leaving Nobu Tuesday night in WeHo where, at first, he weighed in on what had happened to Tiffany on New Year's Eve in Miami -- namely, miserably bombing onstage and cracking open some Ciroc to numb the pain.
He says NYE gigs are tough as it is 'cause everyone's already faded, and a night of partying for the comic themselves probably ain't the best idea if ya mix the two. Remember, Tiff had said earlier in the day that she'd been out all night raging before her set.
Then, Dave pivots to Louis ... saying comics always try new material with smaller crowds that aren't necessarily meant to be heard worldwide.
i mean he's like a RW comic now. hes milo pic.twitter.com/QYOGI7TrGa
@jackallisonLOL
David sidesteps Louis' jokes -- like the Parkland massacre survivors -- he realized it's a hot potato.
It's worth noting ... Tiffany's tough night and Louis' tough night are dissimilar.
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Comedian Alonzo Bodden Tiffany Handled Bombed Set Well ... She Made It a Party!!!
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EXCLUSIVE
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Tiffany Haddish made the best of a bad situation during her tough New Year's Eve stand-up performance ... so says a fellow seasoned comedian.
We got comic Alonzo Bodden -- who won season 3 of "Last Comic Standing" -- out at LAX Tuesday, where he had nothing but good things to say about the way Tiffany handled her show in Miami the night before.
Seeing how she was bombing ... he says Tiff was wise to get in on the joke by cracking open a bottle of Ciroc and making a party of it. Alonzo tells us every comedian bombs, and her reaction was nothing short of classy and professional, considering the circumstances.
As we reported ... a lot of people were walking out on Tiffany in the middle of her set. She vowed on stage to never allow herself to be in that type of situation again -- and she wasn't talking about stand-up either. Tiffany appeared to be exhausted from partying the night before.
She addressed the failed set on Twitter, saying she wished it was better.
Something tells us we'll see her back on the mic soon enough.
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Andy Cohen Goes Ballistic Over Times Square Security ... During New Year's Eve Show
Andy Cohen had a fit on the air during his CNN New Year's Eve broadcast over Times Square security and his umbrella.
Andy came back from a commercial with Anderson Cooper and launched on the Times Square Alliance, which ordered him to lose his umbrella ... or else.
It was pouring rain in Times Square and Andy was outraged, calling the order "Grade A BS."
Cohen says, when he initially refused to get rid of the umbrella, a member of the Times Square Alliance threatened to pull CNN's credentials for the next New Year's Eve show. Andy relented, but was furious.
BTW ... Andy also announced the surrogate who is carrying his baby is about to deliver a boy.
Congrats!