You Might Want to Rethink

Mike Dean had the whole music world thinking he might've abandoned ship on Kanye West's forever-delayed album -- but the guy says he seeing it through, despite some weird tweets.

The legendary producer and hitmaker was the subject of a lot of conjecture over the past 24 hours due to what people perceived as warnings signs that things were amiss between him and Ye ... and the whole creative process behind "Donda" -- which still isn't out yet.

Mike had tweeted things like "F*** IT" ... and later responded to a fan who suggested Kanye's entire rollout for this is unhealthy by saying, "Toxic. That's It." He was also posting photos of himself outside, and people took that to mean he'd finally escaped KW's bunker.

After rumors swirled that he peaced out and left "Donda" behind ... the dude finally cleared the air, telling followers that he hadn't quit anything -- and that work on the album continues.

As for all the "toxic" stuff ... Mike has also since clarified that he's mostly talking about incessant fans who are badgering him about the release date, suggesting they themselves are the toxic ones. With that said, he also seems to think the Mercedes-Benz Stadium air might be a little poisonous too, and is just happy to be stretching his legs a bit.

BTW, Mike hasn't been held hostage there by any means -- he's made a point to address that as well in recent weeks.

Still, it has been a long and arduous journey to get this record out -- and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight at this point as Kanye continues to hole up in the stadium and burn the midnight oil to tinker with the final product. This, of course, after TWO listening events.

During the latest offering this month, Kanye was seen talking to someone on the phone ... right in the middle of the performance. Dean said it was actually him Ye was talking to ... apparently, over some sort of mixing request, Kanye wanted addressed then and there.

"FBoy Island" star, or more accurately villain, Garrett Morosky says he's working on an apology for Sarah Emig ... and they're even talking about going on a date to hash things out.

We got Garrett and his fellow so-called "FBoy" Casey Johnson at Alfred Coffee on Melrose and asked Garrett if he's talked to Sarah since the dating reality show's shocking finale. If you're just starting to watch the HBO Max hit, this is where we scream ... SPOILER ALERT!!!

But, if you've seen it already, you know Garrett showed his stripes during the climax when he revealed he preferred a $100k prize over a relationship with Sarah.

Surprisingly, Garrett says the lines of communication between Sarah and him are very much open -- and they even crossed paths this week at a party in Los Angeles.

Garrett hints at a forthcoming apology, and seems to think he still has a shot at getting Sarah out on a date ... telling us he wants to get some alone time with her so he can explain himself. Translation: Once an f-boy, always an f-boy!

If you watched the show you know, the guys just looking to bang chicks were mixed in with genuine nice guys ... and the women had the unenviable task of figuring out who was who.

Garrett shocked Sarah by choosing the money, but producers got the last laugh by telling him the cash would go to a charity of Sarah's choosing.

He says it ended up benefitting an anti-human trafficking org -- and he also revealed being outed as a "FBoy" is NOT doing wonders for his dating life.

Some might call all that a win win.

Yet, somehow, Garrett's still got a chance to get the girl ... or, at least, that's what he wants us to believe.

The star of Marvel's new superhero movie took offense to Disney calling it an "experiment" -- and now, his anger has roped in "Black Panther" comparisons ... and a larger convo on race.

Actor Simu Liu fired off a scorching tweet Saturday AM that seemed to be in direct response to what CEO, Bob Chapek, had said a few days earlier about the release of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" during an earnings call with investors.

Chapek was commenting on the fact 'Shang-Chi' -- unlike other Disney theatrical releases this year -- would get an exclusive 45-day window in theaters, as opposed to being released to Disney+ at the same time like other 2021 offerings ... which he said would make for an interesting "experiment" to see how it shakes out at the box office amid the pandemic.

Nothing derogatory about that on its face, it would seem, but Liu didn't take too kindly to the word choice ... 'cause he insists he and others who worked on the film -- other Asian actors, specifically, it appears -- are not part of whatever test Chapek and co. wanna run.

Liu writes, "We are not an experiment. We are the underdog; the underestimated. We are the ceiling-breakers. We are the celebration of culture and joy that will persevere after an embattled year. We are the surprise." He adds, "I'm fired the f*** up to make history on September 3rd; JOIN US."

Sounds like Liu might've misconstrued what Chapek was getting at ... but his interpretation of the remark might also speak to what fans have perceived about the marketing efforts and enthusiasm over the flick ... or a lack thereof, as some alleged in the days ahead of this blowup.

Some fans who are stoked about getting a first-ever Asian-led Marvel superhero film are sour over the lack of attention in the lead-up to its release, and/or possible box office numbers this movie may or may not generate ... with "Black Panther" juxtapositions springing up as a result. That, in turn, has led to debates over what that thinking actually means.

Others suggest that bringing up 'BP' to gripe about a lack of hype around 'Shang Chi' is actually counterintuitive to inclusivity as a whole ... and some have gone as far as to call it anti-Black. Kinda like bringing something else down just to bring yourself up type of a vibe.

There's a lot of layers to this one, but the point many are making is ... why can't we all eat without taking food out of another's mouth? Also, movie releases in 2021 can't really be compared to big ticket blockbusters of years past. It's a weird year with its own scorecard.

George Takei is drawing a line in the sand on vaccines -- saying those who consciously choose not to get the jab should be refused priority care if they get sick from COVID.

The "Star Trek" star came out swinging with his hot take Friday, writing ... "The willfully unvaccinated who wind up in hospitals from Covid should not receive priority medical care over other very sick or injured people who are as much in urgent need of medical care."

GT followed by tweeting the following ... "Anti-vaxxers think they are owning us liberals by refusing to get vaccinated. But as the kids say, this is an epic self-own."

His sentiment has gotten some blowback because of the harsh do-or-die approach. Some have pointed out there's a number of people who are unvaccinated for a variety of reasons ... and instead of calling for them to get left out in the dust, as George suggests here, they argue there simply needs to be even more outreach/education on vaccine safety.

It would appear George -- and others who've also called for the unvaccinated to lose out on privileges -- is past the point of talking and convincing. Fact is, the data is out there.

Michael B. Jordan was recently compared to Denzel Washington -- and after much internet debate ... the man himself has weighed in himself to us on camera.

We got the movie star Friday night while leaving Catch in WeHo, and asked him what he made of people suggesting he's the next DW of his generation. Mike played it cool and humble ... saying the great Denzel is his "mentor," and saying it's all love between them.

That doesn't really answer the question, frankly, but it's a polished response he seems to have had ready -- which is fine. And, perhaps his resistance to stack himself up against Mr. Washington speaks volumes in and of itself.

ICYMI, MBJ and Denzel were both trending earlier this week after a Twitter user openly asked folks if Mike was the next Denzel of this day and age ... and his question was met with fiery responses, mostly disagreement. Of course, the jokes flew at Mike's expense too.

The consensus online seems to be ... hell no -- Michael's no Denzel, not even by a long shot. Some have pointed out that the dude seems to be more of a good-looking A-lister type instead of someone with spectacular chops, per se. Fair point ... he hasn't been nominated for too many prestigious solo acting awards in his career -- at least not yet, anyway.

Maybe that can change, though, because it seems he and Denzel might've gotten pretty close on the set of the latter's new flick, which has MBJ as the lead. It's called "A Journal for Jordan" ... and it's all about a war vet who leaves behind love letters for his kid.

Kourtney Kardashian wasn't having it when a slew of folks checked out some of her pics and jumped to the conclusion .... she's pregnant.

Kourtney posted a series of photos with the caption, "say hi to my closet." The closet wasn't even visible to some of her fans, who dissected her image and somehow thought she had a baby on board.

Call us crazy, but we just don't see it ... at all.

Kourtney decided to fire back with more than a denial ... she made a statement about men needing to understand some basics -- "I'm a woman with a BODY."

The Kardashians are kinda in a no win, because a bunch of fans jumped to the conclusion this week that Kylie was pregnant, but not because of a pic she posted. Their conclusion was based on the fact she did NOT post a pic of herself at her birthday party. As we told you, the only pic Kylie posted on her BD was one that was taken sometime in the past.

BTW ... the Kylie mystery is way more interesting. She was super secretive about her pregnancy with Stormi, and she's back with Travis Scott and it is weird she shows all the trappings of her birthday party, including sushi and cocktails, but never showed herself.

The judge overseeing Britney Spears' conservatorship case isn't just unpopular with Britney's fans -- the woman is having her life threatened ... a scary development that's now on law enforcement's radar.

The #freebritney crowd's outrage started bubbling over after Judge Brenda Penny's ruling last week ... you'll recall she decided against immediately suspending Jamie Spears from the conservatorship, and denied Brit's request for an emergency hearing on the matter. We're told scores of death threats against Judge Penny were posted online ... with many people calling for her to lose her life and "die."

As a result, our law enforcement sources tell us the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. is keeping an eye on the online activity -- as we're told they've seen some of the posts and indeed found them to be concerning.

It looks like some of the comments were vague, while others were more direct -- like one user who wrote, "I have a feeling this judge Brenda Penny is going to have a horrible mysterious death #freebritney." There've also been some racial slurs hurled at the judge, who is Black.

The hashtag #BrendaPennyIsCorrupt was also trending after her rulings.

We're told none of the posted threats appear to rise to the level of criminality -- not yet anyway, but LASD will continue monitoring.

As for the ruling that apparently angered many people, Judge Penny didn't give any specific reasoning, but, logically, it seems -- based on what's been filed in court -- she didn't see an urgent need to call the hearing on Jamie's future as conservator of Britney's estate.

One of the biggest "Jeopardy!" champs of all time has strong thoughts on the new hosts -- especially the day-to-day guy, Mike Richards, ... whom he clearly thinks might not have been the best pick.

We talked to Austin Rogers -- who went on a major hot streak in 2017 -- in NYC Wednesday, and got his two cents on the new faces of the iconic quiz trivia show ... and he gave us the straight dope on their EP and Mayim Bialik taking the reigns post-Trebek.

Watch how he responded when we asked how he felt about the announcement -- seems he doesn't think MR was the most ideal way to go ... but a decent option nonetheless.

Fact is -- and as Austin pointed out to us -- Mike has a lot of game show experience ... and he was pretty damn good during his stint as guest host a few months ago. And, as far as Mayim goes -- Austin says she certainly ticks a few boxes for what may or may not be a damage control move ... in his eyes, anyway.

There's some controversy with her getting the tap -- she was a noted anti-vaxxer (one with a PhD, no less) ... but has apparently changed her tune on the jab, and has said in recent months that she and her kids are, in fact, vaccinated against COVID-19. So ... all good???

Anyway, Austin says regardless of how he feels ... he's just happy the show will continue -- and hopes these 2 can carry on its storied legacy well enough. BTW, he gave us a rundown on his latest ventures -- and it sounds like Austin's about to go on a book tour for his new offering -- "The Ultimate Book of Pub Quiz by the Smartest Guy in the Bar."

"I'm gonna f***** take this mother f***** apart piece by piece, okay?"

That's 58-year-old, former MLB star Lenny Dykstra promising to beat the ever-living hell out of 33-year-old Aaron Carter ... in a Celebrity Boxing match this fall.

😲😲😲😲😲

Here's the deal ... Carter inked a deal to fight October 2 in Miami -- but doesn't yet have an opponent. He even made a video, looking for a dance partner.

Welp, seems he might've found one in the 3x All-Star aka "Nails" ... who responded with a video message for AC.

"Lenny Dykstra here, nails. Guess what? I'm going back in the ring October 2nd in Miami with Aaron Carter. I'm gonna f****** take this mother f****** apart piece by piece, okay? October 2nd. In Miami. Don't miss it. Me and Aaron Carter. Mono e mono. Let's get it on, nails back in action."

We're told Celeb Boxing is trying currently trying to lock Dykstra in ... which would make the fight official.

Of course, Carter fought Lamar Odom in June ... and was knocked out in the 2nd round.

Can't knock Carter too much ... Lamar had a foot height advantage. Dykstra is much closer to Aaron's size.

A 13-year-old boy became the most recent passenger on a plane to land in the hot seat ... and then get duct-taped to said seat.

The incident went down this week on an American Airlines flight from Maui to L.A. -- where witnesses told CBS L.A. that the kid started trying to kick in the window next to him ... and supposedly got violent with his mother as well about an hour in.

Soon enough, the flight attendants and other passengers were holding him down and apparently wrapping him to his chair ... part of which was briefly captured on video.

The outlet reports that the plane had to reroute and make an emergency landing in Honolulu, where they say the boy was taken into custody by authorities. No one was injured.

It's another example of people acting up while some 30,000 feet-plus in the sky, and crews doing what they deem is necessary to get the situation under control. We've seen at least 2 notable examples in the past few months ... and they all ended the same way.

A guy on a Frontier flight was just recently taped to his seat after allegedly groping women, which led to a weird, fiery rant. A woman on a Delta flight also went through the same thing not too long ago as well ... supposedly because she was having some sort of breakdown.

Imagine having the audacity to go to a neighbor's front door, ask them how they are doing, and then immediately complain about a flag saluting -- of all things -- Winnie the Pooh's pal.

Yeah, we're talking about a flag featuring Tigger, the lovable, bouncing tiger ... but the latest "Karen" (still a thing, apparently) to go viral just wasn't having it, which makes this video completely absurd!!!

The older white woman's issue with the Tigger flag is simply that she doesn't like it and thinks it makes the neighborhood look tacky. She does compliment the American flag hanging above it, though!

We don't know exactly where this went down, but the woman who approaches her Black neighbor suggests her flag violates the community rules ... and mentions "Williamsburg."

When the home's resident -- TikToker Ambrosia -- points out there isn't a home owner's association with any such rule ... "Karen" isn't having it, and says she's going to go look them up.

The fan accused of hurling the n-word during Sunday's Rockies game might've gotten a raw deal -- because upon further review ... it appears he was screaming to the team's mascot, Dinger.

A new video has surfaced, and showing the fan in question sitting behind home plate, and apparently waving/screaming to the mascot ... Dinger the dinosaur who was across the way. Notice how the dude waves and where he's looking.

And, as you listen ... it does, indeed, sound like he could've been saying "Dinger!" ... instead of the n-word. Some still aren't convinced though -- saying they can't quite hear the "d" sound -- but in our minds ... this context pretty much clears it up, and clears the man's name.

Frankly, someone would've pointed him out in the moment if he had, in fact, said the n-word. That kinda explains why the Rockies said they hadn't located the dude after the fact.

While the team came out and fully condemned what most people thought they'd heard at first, it now appears it's perhaps much ado about nothing. Understandable that the confusion arose in the first place, however ... because during the broadcast, it DID sound bad.

As we reported ... the alleged slur was heard toward the end of the game, when Marlins OF Lewis Brinson was at-bat at the top of the 9th -- having taken ball 2 and already clocking a couple hits in the game. He did appear to turn around and acknowledge the yelling.

Anyway, good to know where the team and the media members who cover the team stand on the issue -- namely, against racism and racist rhetoric -- which is encouraging to hear. But, with that said ... maybe it's time to consider a new face/name for the franchise in light of this.

Dinger might be just a little too close to something else, it appears.

Nebraska was under a deluge of downpour over the weekend, especially in Omaha -- where three people nearly drowned in an elevator that was completely full of water.

Local resident Tony Luu captured the terrifying moment on his social media, showing himself and two pals trapped in an elevator from their apartment building ... where they ended up neck-deep in H2O while trying to descend and get a closer look at the madness outside.

Understandable that they'd want to see the wild flooding first-hand -- it was quite a scene all over Omaha, it appears ... with water elevating rapidly in parking structures and elsewhere.

Check it out ... Luu was able to record the moment that the elevator got stuck, and when water started to pour in through the vents. He told local outlets the water quickly reached their stomachs, at which point he and his friends started to get freaked out.

As the water rose to frightening levels -- nearly reaching the ceiling of the tight space -- Luu and his friends hoisted themselves onto the elevator railing to get leverage ... and phoned 911 for help, as well as other friends of theirs -- including the building maintenance man.

Eventually, Luu's other friends from outside were able to pry the doors open from the lobby level ... and Luu says he was literally swimming out as the water came rushing out. Not to make light of this, but it almost sounds like the elevator scene from 'The Shining.' Freaky ...

Anyway, all three of them were fortunately uninjured in the end. Still, though, it could've easily turned into a deadly situation if not for some quick thinking and on-the-spot heroics.

Jamie Lynn Spears gave us a peek into her upset over her relationship with her big sister, Britney.

Jamie Lynn posted what sounds like tearful audio ... 3-year-old daughter Ivey is heard saying, "It'll be okay, mom, it has to be okay, mom." Jamie Lynn sounds like she's fighting back tears, as she says, "Thank you, baby."

The audio, recorded Saturday night, underscores the drama in the Spears family. Britney has made it clear ... she believes her mom, dad and sister have all betrayed her over the conservatorship. Britney says they've all profited from it, at her great expense.

Britney posted last month, "Never forget who ignored you when you needed them and who helped you before you even had to ask."

To show the depths of the conflict, Britney added, "How dare the people you love the most say anything at all … did they even put a hand out to even lift me up at the TIME !!!??? How dare you make it public that NOW you CARE … did you put your hand out when I was drowning????"

Barack Obama's attitude toward his mega birthday bash -- which still looks pretty mega at this point -- seems to pretty much be ... forrrrrreeeeeget about it.

The ex-Prez was seen playing a round of golf Saturday on Martha's Vineyard with pals, not too far from where he'll be holding his big shindig later tonight -- which is still expected to host scores of people ... this in spite of him claiming to have scaled it back.

The apparent contradiction to his announced plans doesn't seem to be bothering BO one bit, though -- 'cause the dude was all smiles on the links.

Check out these pics of 44 fore-ing it up in grey, and taking some big swings on the fairway -- he looks about as polished as ever ... even when he shanks one, which he didn't appear to do a whole lot of here. Looks like he was mindful of blisters, too ... wearing bandages on his gloveless hand.

These are the same good-time vibes we saw at last night's leadup to the party -- where a crap ton of people (upwards of 300, we're told) came out for a pre-game of sorts ... laughing it up at a house Barry seems to have rented for the festivities. This, in addition to the giant tent he has on standby for the night of, we might add.

After a raucous night of fun, it would seem Barack had energy and then some for a game.

As we've reported ... people on the island are pissed over the multi-night gatherings for a number of reasons -- not the least of which include roads being blocked off for locals.

NASA says it needs some guinea pigs to test out what life on Mars would be like for a year -- right here at home -- and they're asking for regular Earthlings to help out.

The space agency put out a want ad this week, asking for "healthy, motivated" U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents to sign up and volunteer for a year-long simulated experience ... which will apparently put 4 lucky participants together in a 3D printed bunker-like environment.

NASA has an idea of what the fake 1,700 square-foot Mars fort (of sorts) will look like ... something like what you see above.

Anyway, sounds like they're going to be doing a few of these "missions" -- with the first set to begin in Fall 2022 and take place at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where they'll recreate Mars conditions and put these folks through different tests ... for, like, research and whatnot.

Some of the things one might expect to be dealing with while there ... handling resource limitations, equipment failure and other environmental stressors. There's also the strong possibility NASA will make you go through simulated spacewalks, scientific research, use of virtual reality and robotic controls and "exchanging communications" ... as they put it. 👀

There might be some pay, it seems ... but the amount isn't specified in NASA's press release. But, still, it's kinda cool ... right??? BTW, we know we said ordinary people are wanted -- but that's isn't entirely true ... NASA is seeking the best and the brightest for these simulations.