You Might Want to Rethink

In the beginning, man learned not to trust serpents — but even in the 21st century, they’re still biting us in the ass ... or in Maeta’s case, the face.

The 21-year-old R&B singer -- who's signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation -- dished about what exactly led up to her viral snake bite — of which she shared in BTS footage last month, showing her get nipped on the chin — and apparently .... it wasn’t really her idea to begin with.

Check it out ... Maeta tells us the whole snake idea came courtesy of the directors who worked on the video to her single, “Habits,” which she says she just rolled with. And, as for the snippy snake itself, she actually says there’s no hard feelings!

Fortunately for her, the reptile wasn’t venomous ... nor were its fangs all that long. Still, Maeta says the little bastard’s bite did indeed draw blood — but she doesn’t hold anything against it. Sounds like it was just a freak thing from Mother Nature.

While she says it was scarier in the moment than after the fact — considering the sheer shock value of getting chomped on — Maeta does have this to say about the prospect of ever working with these slithering creatures in the future ... hell to the no.

She’s taking a page out of Adam and Eve’s playbook ... and ditching snake play for any other projects going forward.

Bruce Arians will have to pay up for slapping his own player's helmet during last weekend's playoff game ... 'cause the NFL is fining him $50k for the incident.

The moment happened during the Bucs vs. Eagles Wild Card game on Sunday ... after Philly receiver Jalen Reagor fumbled a punt return and Tampa Bay recovered.

During the pileup, Bucs safety Andrew Adams appeared to try to get Philly players out of the way ... which pissed Arians off to the point of striking the 29-year-old in the helmet.

The whole thing was caught on camera during the broadcast ... with Troy Aikman admitting he was puzzled by Arians' actions.

"He takes a wack at Adams," Troy Aikman said at the time. "Not exactly sure what that's about."

The 69-year-old coach explained after the game that he struck Adams to avoid a penalty.

"You can’t pull guys out of a pile," Arians said during postgame interviews.

"We just got a big play, great field position, and he’s trying to pull a guy out of a pile, and I was trying to knock him off of that guy so he didn’t get a penalty."

Tennis star Nick Kyrgios committed a huge COVID no-no on Tuesday -- celebrating his Australian Open win by taking a swig of a fan's beer.

Check out the clip ... after Kyrgios defeated his opponent, Liam Broady, in the first round, he went over to some fans and had a beer put in his face.

The supporter holding the suds appeared to urge Nick to drink -- and after a few seconds of debating it, he caved and took a sip from the guy's cup.

Of course, the fans in attendance loved every second of it -- encouraging the tennis star to keep drinking -- but it might not have been the best optics for the major event.

Even though the 26-year-old Kyrgios was born and raised in Australia and loves his fans there -- given all the COVID drama that just went down with Novak Djokovic in the country, event organizers couldn't have been thrilled to see the scene.

You'll recall, Djokovic was just booted from the country after Australian government officials said his COVID vax status posed a threat to public safety. Maskless sipping of strangers' drinks might just fall in the same vein.

No word yet on if Kyrgios will face any type of reprimand for the actions.

Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Malik McDowell was completely naked while he was being arrested on Monday ... new video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

In the footage, you can see the 6-foot-6, 290-pound football player did not have a single article of clothing on his body ... as officers tried to subdue him in Deerfield Beach, FL.

McDowell, who had cuffs on his wrists and shackles around his ankles in the clip, appeared to be very agitated with cops, writhing on the ground nearly every time an officer got near him.

At one point, you can see in the video, a cop appeared to kick McDowell to keep him on the ground.

Eventually, McDowell was loaded onto a stretcher and taken away from the scene.

As we reported, cops say in police documents that McDowell stripped naked and was seen walking around near a school.

Officers say when they found him and confronted him, he attacked -- with one cop alleging the football player told him "f*** you" and then "charged at me ... at full speed with closed fist."

The officer claimed McDowell struck him so hard and so many times, he suffered injuries in the altercation -- including a badly swollen eye.

Cops say they were eventually able to take down McDowell using a taser. He was ultimately booked into jail on charges of aggravated battery on an officer, resisting and exposing sex organs in public.

The Browns released a statement on the arrest on Tuesday, saying, "We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell and are in the process of gathering more information."

"We understand the severity of this matter and our thoughts are for the well-being of all involved. … No further comment at this time."

Malik McDowell is in trouble with the law once again ... the NFL player was arrested on Monday after he allegedly stripped naked near a children's learning center and got into a fight with cops.

The bizarre incident is all spelled out in a police report, obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

In the docs, cops claim they were called out to a scene in Deerfield Beach, FL after McDowell had allegedly taken off all of his clothes and walked naked near a children's learning center.

Cops say kids were present while McDowell was near the learning center -- adding that he got violent with police as soon as they approached him.

One officer said in documents that McDowell “charged at me ... at full speed with closed fist." The officer said a fight then ensued.

In the docs, cops claim McDowell was able to flee the scene ... but was ultimately apprehended after cops tased the 6-foot-6, 290-pound football player.

McDowell was taken into custody and later booked on charges of aggravated battery on an officer, resisting and exposing sex organs in public, jail records show.

The Browns released a statement on Tuesday following the news of the arrest, saying, "We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell and are in the process of gathering more information."

"We understand the severity of this matter and our thoughts are for the well-being of all involved. … No further comment at this time."

As we've reported, McDowell -- who had a standout season for Cleveland this year, starting 14 games -- is no stranger to run-ins with the law ... he's been arrested multiple times over the past few years, including in 2019 when he fought a cop at a gas station.

McDowell served time behind bars as well as a suspension from the NFL over it all -- but said this year that he had turned a corner and was in a great place.

The "Manning Cast" swearing bug finally reached Peyton Manning -- the Hall of Fame quarterback dropped the S-bomb live on "Monday Night Football" ... and it was hilarious!!

The Manning bros hosted their final broadcast of "MNF" for the Rams vs. Cardinals Wild Card matchup on Monday ... and just like Travis Kelce and Marshawn Lynch before him, Peyton said a dirty word.

The moment happened late in the first quarter, when Eli asked Peyton to break down a touchdown play ... but some technical issues led to a much better response.

"I can't hear s***," Peyton said in frustration.

Eli -- who also had his own mishap by flipping his middle fingers earlier this season -- was quick to distract fans from the expletive ... saying, "NEVERMIND!!"

Peyton later explained what happened ... saying his mic busted when he got too excited after Odell Beckham's touchdown catch, causing the technical difficulties.

Peyton then switched the focus back to the game ... going about his analysis like nothing happened, but viewers were quick to share the funny slip-up on social media.

It's now the third time someone on the live "Manning Cast" said a bad word -- as we previously reported, Marshawn was unfiltered during his appearance back in October, with Peyton apologizing on his behalf.

"I want to apologize for some of the language. It's not what we're trying to do on this show," the 2-time Super Bowl champ said at the time.

Before that, Kelce accidentally let an S-bomb of his own slip while chatting with Peyton and Eli back in September.

Doin' it for the 'gram never looked cooler, or stupider ... is what comes to mind at the sight of a woman taking photos atop her car as it sinks into a mostly frozen Canadian river.

This all went down on Sunday in Ottawa, and the woman -- whose car had cracked through the ice -- seemed totally unfazed as she posed for selfies ... and worried neighbors rushed to her rescue.

As you can see, the car was going deeper and deeper into the river and the car was almost fully under -- yet, Selfie Sally persisted.

The heroic neighbors eventually used a kayak to save the woman. One man yelled, "Don’t go towards the car, please come closer in.”

It's ironic, the folks recording the video and trying to help appeared to be more concerned than the sinking woman herself. Thanks to them, she made it safely to shore.

She had no reported injuries and didn't need any treatment once paramedics and police arrived.

Some residents who witnessed the incident say the car had been driving fast over the frozen river. Appropriately, police say she was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. Officially, there's no criminal charge for stupidly daring selfies. Not yet, anyway.

A famous pastor out of Oklahoma got very literal in his sermon this weekend about seeing God's hazy vision for ourselves in 2022 -- needing to hawk one to make his point.

Michael Todd, who leads the Transformation Church in Tulsa, conjured up grossed-out reactions from his congregation Sunday during his service -- which was being streamed for the folks at home. The reason ... he wiped his own spit all over the face of a parishioner, who was up there volunteering for the yuck fest.

Even crazier ... the guy just stood there and took it!!! Check out this video of the moment it happened -- it's surreal to see, because Mike really builds up to it with a lot of theater.

The whole purpose of doing this, it seems, was to emphasize his analogy about how "receiving vision from God might get nasty." We'll let him do the explaining -- 'cause, frankly, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us -- but he seems to be saying ... sometimes, you'll  have to go through some muck to fulfill God's will. Or ... something like that!

It's ironic ... as the audience gasps in horror at his weird stunt, MT fully leans into it ... arguing that's the exact sort of response one will get for answering God's call, no matter how counterintuitive it might feel ... like letting someone rub a bunch of loogies/saliva on your mug.

Of course, he's getting totally roasted online over this ... as is this poor guy who allowed himself to be the guinea pig. Y'know ... on account of the pandemic and all.

Just doesn't seem safe ... even if God cosigns. 🤷🏽‍♂️

A surgeon, who's also a Delta Sigma Theta sorority member, is apologizing for posting pics from a patient's procedure ... all to plug a historic day for her sorority.

Dr. Nicole E. Williams ruffled a lot of feathers by sharing photos and info about the surgery she performed on January 13 -- she boasted about removing 22 fibroids from a patient who's a member of another sorority ... Alpha Kappa Alpha. The photos showed the fibroids on a table next to Dr. Williams who was making the Delta hand signal to rep her sorority.

That day also happened to be founders day for Delta Sigma Theta, so the good doc thought she'd show some pride -- but it totally backfired as she faced swift online backlash.

Dr. Williams has now deleted the original post and backtracked, saying ... "A terrible decision was made. I unequivocally and prayerfully apologize for any hurt I may have caused."

A lot of the outrage came from folks who felt she was violating a patient's privacy simply to promote her sorority.

She did provide a history lesson in the original post, pointing out the 22 members who founded DST in 1913 had broken off from Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Kodak Black's twerking partner is setting the record straight on their raunchy moment in a luxury suite at an NHL game, saying it wasn't sexual in the slightest -- despite what your eyes were telling you.

The woman from the viral video is actually an up-and-coming rapper who goes by the stage name VVsnce, and she tells us her relationship with Kodak is NOT sexual, it's all biz.

VVsnce says she and Kodak are laughing at the people calling them out for having sex in the suite. Interestingly, she told us exactly where they would've done the deed ... IF that was the plan, and it wouldn't have been out in the open.

Fact is, VVscne is signing to Kodak's Sniper Game label and they'd hit up the Florida Panthers game after a long day in the studio ... simply looking to cut loose and have some fun.

Some folks say the twerk sesh was too much for a public event with lots of kids nearby ... but VVsnce is clapping back and schooling critics on today's youth.

Maryland men's basketball assistant coach Bruce Shingler has been suspended ... after he was arrested in October for allegedly soliciting a prostitute.

The University announced the punishment this week ... hitting the 40-year-old with a 30-day ban. In a statement, the school said Shingler had been barred "for a violation of his employment agreement."

The suspension comes just three months after Shingler was arrested in Prince George's County ... where cops say he tried to pay an undercover officer $80 in exchange for sex.

In court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, cops say Shingler responded to a "women seeking men" ad posted by an undercover cop on a website police say is known to be used for prostitution.

Cops say Shingler eventually agreed to meet up at a local hotel and tried to exchange the cash for sex. Authorities say in the docs that once he handed over the money, he was arrested.

Court records show Shingler has since been hit with two charges of soliciting a prostitute.

Maryland interim head coach Danny Manning did not want to comment on the situation beyond the school's statement following the team's win over Northwestern earlier this week.

"Our athletic department will handle everything from there," Manning said.

Novak Djokovic's participation in this year's Australian Open is in jeopardy once again ... officials have canceled his visa for a second time, and he's now facing deportation.

Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke made the ruling early Friday morning ... revoking the 34-year-old's visa just days after a judge had allowed the tennis star to go free in the country.

In announcing his decision, Hawke explained pulling Djokovic was in the best for "public interest" ... due to the athlete's COVID-19 vaccination status and controversial claims to a vaccine exemption.

"In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr. Djokovic," Hawke said.

"The Morrison Government is firmly committed to protecting Australia's borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Djokovic has already started the process of an appeal -- and it's possible he could play in the opening round of the Australian Open on Monday while the arguments play out in court.

Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, meanwhile, backed Hawke's decision Friday ... writing in a statement, "Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected."

"This is what the Minister is doing in taking this action today."

If ultimately deported, Djokovic could face a 3-year ban from the country.

Kodak Black isn't in any sort of legal trouble over his NHL game grind sesh ... cops tell TMZ Sports there's no investigation into the matter because "they were not having sex."

The rapper was spotted at the Florida Panthers game on Tuesday enjoying a lapful of butt from his lady friend in a box suite ... and many thought the two were actually getting it on.

Video shot from across the arena showed the couple grinding on each other ... though a more zoomed-in angle of the action seemed to show they were only dancing.

A spokesperson for the Sunrise Police Dept. tells us officers were present in the suite at the time of the action ... and insist the two were not having sex.

"They were just dancing very provocatively," the spokesperson said.

We're told cops asked Kodak and his partner to stop shortly after they began ... and the rapper complied with no issues whatsoever.

Kanye West is a named suspect on an alleged battery early Thursday morning -- allegedly punching a fan -- TMZ has learned, and LAPD is investigating.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Ye got into some sort of argument that allegedly turned physical around 3 AM in DTLA. We're told the incident occurred near the Soho Warehouse. We do not know if Ye was at Soho before the incident, but given the time, it seems likely.

We're told Kanye allegedly pushed and then punched a male fan ... the case is being investigated as misdemeanor battery ... a crime that carries a maximum jail sentence of 6 months.

FOX 11 -- who first broke the story -- says Kanye knocked the fan to the ground.

We've obtained video of an irate Kanye shot sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. You hear Kanye yell, "Did y'all say that or not? Did y'all say that or not?" "Cuz that's what happened right f****** now."

Earlier in the evening, Kanye was partying at Delilah in WeHo with girlfriend Julia Fox. He left and drove off alone ... Julia stayed at the club.

We've reached out to Kanye's team ... so far, no word back.

There were more than 15,000 people at the Florida Panthers game on Tuesday ... but no one had as good a time as Kodak Black -- who enjoyed a raunchy twerk sesh from a woman in a box suite during the action!!!

The rapper hit the NHL contest in Sunrise with some killer rinkside seats ... and video showed the dude had an absolute blast watching the Panthers take on the Vancouver Canucks.

He was mingling with fans, taking selfies and zooming in on the on-ice action ... before he hit a luxury box for a little alone time with his lady friend.

One fan spotted the two from afar in the suite -- and it actually appeared like they were getting it on just feet from Panthers execs and hockey fans.

But, a closer look revealed there was nothing X-rated about their actions ... Kodak was simply enjoying a bit of a lap dance!!!

Black posted the zoomed-in footage to his IG ... writing, "Fly Lifestyle."

Kodak and every other Panthers fan eventually left the arena happy ... 'cause Florida took care of Vancouver, 5-2.

Britney Spears' ex, Jason Alexander's stalking victim claims she has a very good reason to fear him -- she told cops Alexander threatened to snap her neck.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ, the woman, who's identified as Lisa, claims Jason issued the threat last January ... saying he would break both her neck and that of her male friend.

In the docs, she says Jason approached that same guy friend in July and again threatened to snap his neck if he didn't stop texting Lisa.

It didn't end there ... Lisa filed another report in October claiming Jason came on her Tennessee property after being told he was not welcome. He allegedly admitted to following her home, claiming he was just making sure she got home safely.

According to the docs, Jason returned to Lisa's property in November and argued with her. This time she called cops, but he bounced before they arrived.

TMZ broke the story ... Jason was arrested Dec. 30 and charged with violation of a protective order and aggravated stalking. He pled guilty to misdemeanor stalking last week and is now on probation.

The protective order was issued Dec. 10 and it barred Jason from contacting Lisa -- but the new docs say he emailed her on Christmas, and also brought presents for her and her kid to the Franklin Police Department ... so cops could give them to her on his behalf.

That creepy Christmas gesture violated the protective order, and that's why he got dinged.

Jason's most famous for dating Britney back in 2004, and abruptly getting married in Las Vegas. That union lasted all of 55 hours before it was annulled.