You Might Want to Rethink

Shaquille O'Neal is calling for people to back off Kevin Hart ... saying he shouldn't have to keep apologizing for his old homophobic jokes and wants everyone to "just move on."

"Some people feel he made a mistake," Shaq said ... "He apologized for his mistake. I always thought comedians were allowed to crack jokes."

"Anyone that knows Kevin Hart should know that anything he said was never malicious."

Of course, Shaq is referring to some of Hart's tweets and stand-up bits from 2009 to 2011 -- when the comic described how he'd react if he found out his son was gay.

"Yo if my son comes home & try's 2 play with my daughters doll house I'm going 2 break it over his head & say n my voice ‘stop that's gay,'" Hart tweeted in 2009.

The material resurfaced after Hart was named the host of the 2019 Academy Awards -- and after a backlash online and a demand for renewed apologies, Hart pulled out of the show and only apologized after stepping down.

"He shouldn't have to keep apologizing," Shaq said ... "He apologized twice."

"People should just move on. Everyone makes mistakes."

Of course, Shaq and Kev go way back -- Hart was a headliner Shaq's All-Star Comedy Jam back in 2009 and they've been friends ever since.

Shaq's not the only big star who's come to Hart's defense -- Ellen DeGeneres also went to bat for the comic ... backing Kev's stance that he's evolved and said it's his right to host the Oscars.

Just the possibility of President Trump's impeachment was enough for the Escobar family to collect millions upon millions of bucks ... according to Pablo's bro, who's pissed GoFundMe censored his cause.

Sources connected to Pablo Escobar's brother, Roberto, tell TMZ ... his ByeByeTrump GoFundMe campaign had raised upwards of $10 mil while the page was still live ... for just 10 hours.

The crowdfunding site yanked the page to investigate where the money was going. A screenshot of the page prior to it getting shut down shows a balance of $10,786,980.

We broke the story ... Roberto and the rest of Escobar Inc. started the campaign in an effort to impeach the U.S. Prez. They were gunning for $50 million to finance "intelligence research, lobby firms and lawyers" they said would help get Trump impeached in the States.

In response, GoFundMe pulled the page pending more clarification on the funds' use and purpose. Our sources say the Escobars responded to GoFundMe with the info they wanted ... but the page was still down as of Thursday.

We've reached out to GoFundMe to confirm that $10 mil total ... but so far, no word back.

A rep for Escobar Inc. -- the holding company dedicated to the late Colombian drug kingpin -- tells us that it plans on taking its impeachment efforts to another site, where they'll be accepting cryptocurrency donations instead of government regulated funds.

We're told the Escobars believe the U.S. government (and Trump himself) got involved in derailing their efforts ... but insist they won't be deterred.

Two USC fans have been charged for allegedly vandalizing UCLA's on-campus statue and now face up to 3 YEARS in JAIL.

Louis Torres (19) and Willie Johnson (18) allegedly hit up UCLA's campus on Nov. 13 -- just days before the Trojans' rivalry game with the Bruins -- and sought to violate the bear statue.

Officials say the two men doused the statue in Trojan-colored paint ... and also inked the letters "SC" into the landmark's pedestal.

It's interesting ... 'cause in preparation for the big game -- UCLA officials actually boxed up the bear ... which means the vandals had to go the extra mile to get to it ... physically prying open the box to get to the statue.

Reports estimate the vandalism caused $15,000 worth of damage ... and now, officials say both suspects could face up to 3 years in jail, if convicted.

This ain't the first time the Bruin bear has been subject to USC antics ... back in 2009, it was also doused in red and yellow paint -- which caused a reported $20,000 of damage.

UFC badass Polyana "Iron Lady" Viana is telling TMZ Sports exactly how she disarmed and throttled a man who was allegedly trying to rob her at gunpoint ... and it's VIOLENT.

Dana White has already heaped praise on Viana -- a 26-year-old fighter with a 10-2 pro MMA record -- but now, she's giving us the blow-by-blow herself.

It all went on Saturday night when she was approached by a man outside of her Rio de Janeiro apartment. Viana claims he pulled out something claiming to be a gun and demanded her cell phone.

Worst. Mistake. Ever.

Polyana says she noticed the so-called gun "bent" when the guy touched it -- realized it was made of cardboard (not metal) ... and realized the only person who was in danger was the crook!!!.

"[I] thought, 'That's not a real gun.' So, I got up and threw 2 hooks."

"After that [I] just threw a kick to his face and that's the damage you all saw in the photos."

Polyana says those shots took the fight outta the alleged thief ... so then it was just about subduing the guy 'til cops arrived.

"He sat where he was and [I] grabbed him in a rear naked choke. He tried to hip escape a little bit. [I] was afraid he had a knife or anything that could hurt [me.] So, [I] didn't want to lose that position."

Authorities showed up, arrested the man and hauled him off to jail.

As for Viana, Dana White -- who's a helluva smart businessman -- booked her to fight a UFC 235 card in March.

#IronLady

Acclaimed director Peter Farrelly is apologizing to Cameron Diaz and others for repeatedly flashing his penis on movie sets back in the day, which he now calls a poor attempt at humor.

Peter's public apology comes after Cameron's interviews from 20 years ago resurfaced. The actress, who starred in his '98 hit, "There's Something About Mary," said Peter flashed his genitals on set and during her audition.

Peter told The Hollywood Reporter it's all true, saying, "I was an idiot. I did this decades ago and I thought I was being funny and the truth is I'm embarrassed and it makes me cringe now. I'm deeply sorry."

Worth noting, when Cameron talked about the 'Mary' audition incident, she said she wasn't appalled. As she put it back then, "When a director shows you his penis the first time you meet him, you've got to recognize the creative genius."

Ne-Yo doesn't think allegations against R. Kelly are comparable to allegations against Michael Jackson -- they're worse.

We got the R&B singer Wednesday night at LAX ... and he jumped on the comparison, noting, unlike R. Kelly, there was no video evidence of Michael Jackson abusing anyone.

Ne-Yo also claimed some of Jackson's accusers recanted after the singer's death. He did not mention that Jackson paid $20 million to settle the sexual assault lawsuit filed by Jordan Chandler's parents.

Ne-Yo says he never looked at the video of R. Kelly urinating on a minor when he toured with the singer. He just assumed the vid wasn't real. He now regrets it and says he sees things differently now that he has a daughter.

MJ is the subject of a new documentary premiering at Sundance detailing his alleged sexual abuse of little boys, something that has enraged the Michael Jackson Estate.

R. Kelly is still being booked for concerts in the wake of Lifetime's docuseries -- but don't go looking for him onstage in the U.S. of A. ... 'cause, as of now, they're only lining up for him in Germany.

Kelly is scheduled to perform in Ludwigsburg this coming April. Tickets are currently going for $115 and up, as of this post. He's even offering a meet and greet -- yes, even now -- which will cost fans about $355, if they're so inclined.

Sources close to Kelly tell us the singer also just locked down shows in Hamburg and Oberhausen. What's interesting about those dates is ... they were sealed in the last few days, AFTER "Surviving R. Kelly" aired.

A rep for the venue in Ludwigsburg tells TMZ ... the promoter is fully aware of what's happening with Kelly in the States, and is monitoring to see how things unfold. The rep says, "You can be assured that we are carefully following the situation and, if necessary, will act accordingly."

The rep's clearly referring to the open investigation in Fulton County, GA and any potential criminal cases in Illinois. We also reached out to Belaire -- a listed sponsor on a promotional flyer for this event -- and they told us they had no connection (direct or indirect) to Kelly.

Remember, Kelly's American concerts were getting canceled left and right back in 2017 when BuzzFeed first posted a bombshell report about the alleged sex cult. The airing of 'Surviving' has turned up the heat and spiked public outrage against Kelly.

For now, though, #MuteRKelly doesn't translate well in German.

Lifetime pulled a major Scrooge move in one of its heartwarming holiday flicks by taking a real-life family that had nothing to do with the movie and calling 'em ugly ... according to the fam, anyway.

Setiam and Katherine Allah are suing the cable channel over a scene in "Christmas Harmony" ... which they did not find the least bit harmonious or Christmas-y. In a lawsuit, the Allahs say one of their family photos somehow ended up as a prop on the movie's set without their permission.

If you saw the movie ('cause who didn't?), the lead character, Harmony, pins a random family pic to the wall ... only to have her love interest tell her to take it down immediately. Harmony protests, but her guy fires back ... "They're ugly!"

The Allahs were embarrassed when friends and family called to say they easily recognized them while watching the film. According to the suit, the Allahs only sent out about 50 of those family portraits, but not to anyone who works for Lifetime.

The movie aired back in November, so for the Allahs, the damage is done. They're suing Lifetime for all of the movie's profits. Bah humbug!

Michael Jackson's estate is slamming a new documentary making allegations of sexual abuse by the late singer ... by calling out the doc's producers for what it says is a clear attempt to exploit Michael when it premieres at Sundance.

MJ's estate tells TMZ ... “This is yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson."

The doc, titled "Leaving Neverland," is set to premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and it reportedly accuses Michael of sexually abusing two young boys.

The King of Pop's estate also says the "so-called documentary is just another rehash of dated and discredited allegations. It’s baffling why any credible filmmaker would involve himself with this project.”

10:05 AM PT -- The page has been temporarily pulled -- we're told GoFundMe has asked the fundraising page creators for additional information -- including how exactly the money raised will be used. Once more questions are answered, we're told the page will be put back up.

Pablo Escobar's family needs your help to make another person disappear -- this time, it's President Trump they want out ... but, apparently, it'll be no cheap feat.

The brother of the deceased Colombian drug kingpin, Roberto (aka El Osito), has started a GoFundMe campaign seeking at least $50 million in donations to bolster his company's efforts to impeach the U.S. Prez. Sounds totally legit ... we're listening.

Roberto and his associates at Escobar Inc. are soliciting anyone and everyone to kick in cash toward their crowdfunding page to finance "intelligence research, lobby firms and lawyers" that could ultimately lead to Trump's downfall in Congress. Hmmmmm ... yes, go on.

Roberto claims he's already got dirt on Trump from previous alleged business dealings between DT and the Escobar company ... among other things. Roberto says his dirty secrets on Trump are something Special Counsel Robert Mueller would wanna hear.

He sounds pretty confident in himself, saying, "I am the brother of a Latino hero, I have eliminated many people from power ... Trump will be impeached." We'll give him this ... the Escobars have definitely (allegedly) gotten rid of some folks in their day.

Maybe it's just us, but it's weird that Roberto and co. are asking for a cool $50 mil to fund this project if they've already got the goods on Trump.

Kevin Spacey couldn't make it home from his alleged sexual assault hearing Monday without catching more heat from the law -- he got pulled over in Washington, D.C.

Spacey was behind the wheel after leaving Reagan National Airport when cops lit him up for speeding. In the video, you see officers talking to him -- the whole license and registration routine. BTW, the guy riding shotgun with him is his attorney.

The photog asks officers if they gave Spacey a ticket, but the police were mum. Instead, they chastise the guy for pulling over on the road to record the moment on camera.

Law enforcement sources tell us Spacey got off without a ticket. The officer let him go with a verbal warning.

Considering his bigger legal woes at the moment, we're guessing he was grateful to be let off easy. We're guessing Spacey had just landed at the airport after flying in from Massachusetts, where he appeared in court this morning.

One of R. Kelly's alleged victims is putting out a challenge to the singer if he is, in fact, telling the truth -- take a lie detector test ... and do it live on national television.

We spoke with Asante McGee -- one of the women who made allegations against Kelly on "Surviving R. Kelly" -- and she tells us the first thing that needs to happen to save other girls she claims are trapped in his clutches is simple ... folks need to wake the hell up.

She says his longtime fans must stop supporting and pull the shudders back to see what's really going on -- and, after that, hold him accountable for his alleged crimes.

Then, Asante pivots to her big request ... that R. Kelly undergo a polygraph on TV, where the results can be seen live ... and no funny business can go down.

Remember ... Asante was one of the first targets of a now-defunct Facebook page, "Surviving Lies," which painted her as a liar with "evidence" it claimed proved she'd told conflicting stories about Kelly.

Facebook removed the page entirely, shortly after it went up.

1:27 PM PT -- The page has been pulled after posting alleged text messages between Kelly and one of the young females, where she repeatedly called the singer, "daddy." A spokesperson for Facebook tells us, "The Page violated our Community Standards and has been removed."

The rep continues, "We do not tolerate bullying or sharing other’s private contact information and take action on content that violates our policies as soon as we’re aware.”

R. Kelly is vowing to expose his accusers for what he calls blatant lies being spewed on Lifetime's docuseries -- and he's going down the list one by one ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Kelly tell us he and his camp are in the middle of launching a new website called survivinglies.com, which we're told will attempt to expose all of his accusers as liars as well as reveal their true motivations behind their allegations.

For now ... there's a Facebook page dedicated to the new cause -- the site itself is not live yet as of this post.

It appears R. Kelly's first target is Asante McGee -- one of the women who's spoken out and claims was one of Kelly's "sex slaves" ... but his team has put out a video that they say contradicts her story.

The Facebook page links to a YouTube video which claims Asante's daughter has debunked her mother's claims of sexual abuse and control at the hands of Kelly in a leaked phone convo with her BF, allegedly telling him she often raved of a luxurious lifestyle and the perks of being with him.

We have not independently verified the identities of either person in this audio -- this is just what R. Kelly's page is claiming. It also goes on to list Asante's previous arrests and claims she's in cahoots with Joycelyn Savage's father to extort the singer.

As we reported ... tons of celebs have spoken out against Kelly in wake of the six-part docuseries that aired last week. Kelly has denied all the allegations.

Regarding this new mission of his ... there are a lot of accusers to get through. Buckle up, folks.

R. Kelly is free to pick up the phone and get back in touch with his kids -- so says their mother and his ex-wife ... who claimed she was a victim of his on Lifetime's docuseries.

A rep for Andrea Lee Kelly tells TMZ ... she is NOT against Kelly attempting to contact their three children -- Jay, Joann and Robert Jr., most of whom are adults now -- while also claiming they as a family haven't heard from him in months.

That said ... we're told Andrea acknowledges that the children are all grown now and fully understand the accusations being leveled against their dad in "Surviving R. Kelly." Her rep tells us she'd have to see if the children are interested in rekindling a relationship with their father first.

BTW ... we're told none of Kelly's kids watched the six-part docuseries -- much like their father.

What's interesting about Andrea's openness toward a re-connection here is that she appeared to take a firm stance against her ex-husband on 'Surviving' -- calling him a monster, accusing him of abuse ... but, ultimately, denying any direct knowledge of his alleged misdeeds.

Even weirder ... there's a video circulating online of Andrea joyously playing her baby daddy's song, "Happy People," in which she appears to mock Kelly's haters.

A lot of people called her out about this too, and to that Andrea's rep tells us ... "This (video) in no way should be perceived as an extension of support for R. Kelly, but should be viewed as a statement of her strength and not having been defeated."

5:45 AM PT -- Alison Brie responded on her Instagram Story posting a pic of the two from SAG Awards, saying, "Nothing but love for @chrissymetz !! Rumors can't keep us down!"

Chrissy Metz seems to have forgotten how a microphone works -- 'cause it sounds like she called fellow actress Alison Brie a bitch ahead of the Golden Globes ... but Chrissy says that isn't the case.

The 'This Is Us' star was being interviewed on the Globes' own Facebook Live pre-show by AJ Gibson and Missi Pyle when toward the end of their chat, AJ asked Chrissy if she knew who Alison was. Chrissy sarcastically responded, "Do I?"

AJ said Alison was on the other end of the red carpet, and as the camera panned to Alison with another Globes host ... Chrissy can be heard saying what sounds a lot like, "She's such a bitch." The audio fades out a bit as the line is delivered.

It's unclear if Chrissy was aware her mic had picked up the comment, but it doesn't appear Alison heard her as she didn't react. Chrissy commented on the news ... calling the "bitch" angle fabricated, and saying she adores Alison and would never say a bad word about her or anyone ... adding, "I sure hope she knows my heart."

It's odd though ... Chrissy doesn't clarify what exactly was said.

Alison has been nominated for her first-ever Golden Globe for her role in "GLOW" -- and Chrissy, of course, has been nominated a couple times already for her role on the NBC drama.

Weirdly enough ... they've posed together at events before, and there doesn't seem to be any surface-level bad blood between the two stars.

Snoop Dogg's got thoughts on the government shutdown and a message for furloughed workers who might still be team Trump after this ... Trump doesn't care about ya.

Snoop posted a hilarious video this weekend in which he directly comments on the shutdown that's now in its 16th day with no end in sight. He says everyone who works for the government that aren't being paid right now must reconsider their POTUS pick in 2020.

He goes on to say that any federal worker who still votes Trump in a couple years are some "stupid motherf***ers." He says furloughed employees are being treated unfairly, and the fact that DT can't (or won't) come to a resolution can only mean one thing ... "this punk motherf***er don't care."

The MC urges potential Trump voters to seriously reconsider and even makes an appeal to blue-collar workers whom he says are still suffering.

Snoop ends with one last F-U to Trump ... at least he's consistent on that front.