You Might Want to Rethink

Tom Sandoval's back in his all-too-familiar villain role ... he's under fire from fans and castmates for interacting with a captive tiger, and PETA is schooling him on why it's bad for big cats.

The animal rights organization fired off a letter to the "Vanderpump Rules" star after footage emerged showing him inside an animal enclosure at Tiger World Thailand, where a tiger put its massive front paws on Tom's shoulders.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, PETA scolds Tom for the photo op ... explaining, "When popular folks like you pose with wild animals, people are moved to support pay-to-play animal experiences, for which big-cat cubs are torn away from their mothers prematurely and denied their freedom as well as anything remotely natural and important to them."

More specifically, PETA's also schooling Tom on tigers ... it says wild tigers avoid humans and are naturally solitary and reclusive, adding, "Any human interaction with big cats poses dangers for both humans and the felines, and captive big cats have attacked and killed their captors and visitors."

While Tom walked away from the visit physically unscathed ... he's taking heat online from fans and his 'VPR' cast members, Lala Kent and James Kennedy.

El guitarrista de Rascal Flatts, J.D. Rooney, ha estado fuera del radar durante mucho tiempo, pero ha vuelto para aclarar las cosas sobre su vida personal y hacerle frente a los rumores de que se estaba convirtiendo en una mujer.

El artista country publicó una larga actualización en X el miércoles, donde se abrió sobre dónde ha estado, lo que ha estado pasando y lo que no es cierto acerca de su viaje personal. Aquí es cuando desmiente el rumor de que se estaba sometiendo a cirugía de reasignación de sexo.

Rooney comienza su carta abierta a los fans pidiendo disculpas por haber estado desaparecido en los últimos años, y luego añade ... "En primer lugar, ¡estoy vivo! Ha habido muchos rumores y opiniones sobre mí, pero por fin estoy sano y listo para el mundo. Y NO, no voy a hacerme mujer.  Nunca se me ha pasado por la cabeza. No tengo nada en contra de la comunidad trans, pero necesitaba dejar las cosas claras."

El famoso guitarrista continúa diciendo que tocó fondo en septiembre de 2021 cuando fue arrestado por conducir ebrio en Tennessee, un incidente salvaje que TMZ cubrió con gran detalle en ese momento.

Rooney dice que después de eso se fue a Utah para desintoxicarse, un proceso que requirió mucho de su parte, pero del que salió sobrio y mejor que nunca. JDR reflexiona sobre lo que él dice es su alcoholismo causado por grandes rupturas en sus relaciones.

Como hemos dicho, J.D. está mucho mejor ahora, añadiendo: "Mi vida ha cambiado para siempre y estoy agradecido por el cambio. Llevo sobrio casi 28 meses desde el 13 de enero. Nunca creí que pudiera vivir mi vida sin beber. Se había convertido en una parte tan importante de mi rutina diaria y nocturna... Dios intervino y me ayudó a recuperar mi vida".

Él le agradece a los fans por las oraciones y los buenos deseos y a cambio espera que todo el mundo tenga un gran 2024.

Rascal Flatts' J.D. Rooney has been off the radar for a long while -- but he's back to clear the air on his personal life ... and addressing the rumors he was transitioning to a woman.

The country artist posted a lengthy update on X Wednesday, where he opened up about where he's been, what he's been going through and what's NOT true about his personal journey ... namely, he debunks a rumor that he was undergoing sex reassignment surgery.

Rooney starts his open letter to fans by apologizing for being MIA over the past few years or so, and then adds ... "First off, I am alive! There have been so many rumors and opinions thrown around about me - but I’m finally healthy and ready for the world. And NO, I’m not transitioning to be a woman.  That thought has never entered my mind. Nothing against the trans community whatsoever but I needed to set the record straight."

The famed guitarist goes on to say he hit rock bottom in September 2021 when he got busted for a DUI in Tennessee -- a wild incident TMZ covered in great detail at the time.

Rooney says after that, he went away to Utah to get clean ... a process he says took a lot out of him, but from which he came out the other side sober and better than ever. JDR reflects on what he says his alcoholism caused ... like major rifts in his relationships.

Like we said, J.D.'s doing much better now -- adding, "My life has been changed forever - and I’m grateful for the change. I’ve been sober now for almost 28 months come this Jan 13. I never believed I could actually live my life without drinking. It had become such a huge part of my daily and nightly routine ... God intervened and helped me to get my life back."

He thanks fans/supporters for the prayers and well-wishes -- and dishes those back to 'em in return ... hoping everyone has a great 2024, which he certainly seems to be having himself.

Chandler Jones is adding to his body ink collection -- this time, the current NFL free agent decided to have the word "Messiah" forever etched across the top of his head.

33-year-old Jones shared footage of his most recent tattoo session at a shop in Arizona on Wednesday ... showing an artist putting the needle to his dome as he calmly sat through the process.

After the job was finished, Jones said he heard his late mother, Camille, tell him to stop getting tattoos.

Jones has seemingly hit a rough patch since the Las Vegas Raiders cut him back in September ... including numerous run-ins with law enforcement and bizarre Instagram posts.

It's unclear what exactly is going on with the Super Bowl champion ... but his followers have expressed concern and support in the comment section of his uploads.

TMZ Sports is told Chandler has been staying with his brother, Arthur, recently ... and being around family has done a lot of good for his situation.

1:53 PM  PST -- The family just posted a second video of the little girl ... saying despite what the internet might think, they were NOT the ones who gave her the Slim Tea. Instead, they say it was sent from a "supporter" of their video page.

A clip of parents hoping to motivate their young daughter to lose weight -- by gifting her Slim Tea for Christmas -- is repulsing people viewing the clip on social media.

Take a look for yourself -- the excited youngster unwraps the gift to unveil a box of the slimming aid ... she's clearly too young to understand what it is, though her older siblings immediately catch on, and throw their parents looks of disgust.

Despite the siblings knowing the gift is inappropriate for a young child -- the dad behind the camera is undeterred, as he urges his youngest to be grateful for the gift.

The video shared to X drew intense scrutiny ... with one person commenting the parents bullying the girl for her weight was disgusting, as they were the ones responsible for feeding her in the first place.

Others say they've taken her childhood away from her ... making her aware of her body from a young age, and entitling people to comment on it by sharing it on social media.

When it comes to slim teas, the FDA doesn't recognize them as being effective -- and its key ingredients like caffeine and senna, which claim to detox the body, also don't have much evidence in aiding weight loss.

So, the video's disheartening on several levels -- the parents providing misinformation and possibly poor nutrition, but also the psychological impact on their young daughter.

Un clip de unos padres que le regalan Slim Tea a su hija para Navidad, con la esperanza de motivarla a bajar de peso, está causando repulsión entre los usuarios de redes sociales.

Echa un vistazo tú mismo, la emocionada chica aparece desenvolviendo su regalo hasta que descubre que es una caja de té para ayudarla a adelgazar. Ella es claramente demasiado joven para entender lo que es, aunque sus hermanos mayores inmediatamente se dan cuenta y le lanzan a sus padres miradas de disgusto.

A pesar de que los hermanos saben que el regalo es inapropiado para una niña, el padre detrás de la cámara ni se inmuta e insta a la pequeña a ser agradecida por el regalo.

El video compartido en X atrajo un intenso escrutinio. Una persona comentó que era repugnante que los padres intimiden a la niña por su peso cuando son ellos los responsables de su alimentación en primera instancia.

Otros dicen que le han quitado su infancia, haciéndola consciente de su cuerpo desde ya y dándole derecho a la gente a comentar sobre ella al compartirlo en las redes sociales.

Cuando se trata de tés adelgazantes, la FDA tampoco los reconoce como eficaces y sus ingredientes clave, como la cafeína y el sen, que dicen desintoxicar el cuerpo, tampoco tienen mucha evidencia de que ayuden a perder peso.

Kelly Clarkson afirma que su exmarido y ex manager le dijo que no era lo suficientemente sexy para aparecer como jueza en "The Voice", a pesar de que finalmente lo consiguió.

La ex participante de 'Idol' al parecer hizo la alegación sobre Brandon Blackstock -con quien se divorció en 2022- a un comisionado de trabajo de California en 2023 al tratar de determinar cómo había manejado Brandon sus finanzas durante su relación, según un documento judicial obtenido por el Post.

Según el medio, Clarkson dio testimonio en el que alegó que Blackstock le había dicho que no pasaría como entrenadora de 'The Voice' porque no tenía el atractivo para ello.

Según los informes, Blackstock le dijo que la NBC estaba "buscando a alguien más del tipo símbolo sexual". Luego, supuestamente invocó el nombre de Rihanna como una comparación para señalar que Kelly no se parecía a ella, y citó que esta era una razón para no perseguir el trabajo de coaching que quería.

Kelly al parecer le había transmitido a Blackstock que quería unirse al panel de jueces por un tiempo, pero este la habría rechazado, argumentando que no solo no era lo suficientemente guapa para la televisión, sino que la cadena estaba interesada en contratar a una estrella negra.

Al parecer, Blackstock dijo que Kelly y el entonces juez Blake Shelton eran "demasiado parecidos". Por supuesto, Kelly finalmente se unió a "The Voice" en 2018 y se quedó durante varias temporadas. Blackstock testificó que le consiguió el trabajo a Kelly en 2017 después de conversar con un ejecutivo de NBC y amenazarla con que volvería a 'Idol' si no la contrataban, y cuando le preguntó qué necesitaban para engancharla en NBC, según los informes, dijo que iba a costarles el "dinero de Blake."

La acusación se produce en medio de un reciente hallazgo por el mismo comisionado de trabajo de California de que Blackstock habría cobrado de más a Kelly durante su relación profesional, que coincidió con su matrimonio. TMZ fue el primero en dar a conocer la noticia, ahora él le debe $2,6 millones por los honorarios que cobró.

Kelly Clarkson claims her ex-husband/former manager told her she wasn't hot enough to appear as a judge on "The Voice" ... even though she eventually got the gig.

The 'Idol' alum reportedly made the allegation about Brandon Blackstock -- who she divorced in 2022 -- to a California labor commissioner in '23 while trying to determine how BB had handled her finances during their relationship, per a court doc obtained by the Post.

According to the outlet, Clarkson gave testimony in which she alleged Blackstock had told her she wouldn't pass as a 'Voice' coach 'cause she didn't have the sex appeal for it.

She reportedly said Blackstock told her NBC was "looking for a more sex symbol type" ... and then allegedly invoked Rihanna's name as a comparison to point out who Kelly did not look like, and which he cited as a reason for not pursuing the coaching gig she wanted.

Kelly had apparently relayed to Blackstock she wanted to join the panel of judges for a while -- but went on to claim Blackstock rebuffed her, arguing back that not only was she not good looking enough for 'TV,' but claiming the network was interested in signing a Black star.

Blackstock reportedly said Kelly and then-judge Blake Shelton were just "too similar." Of course, Kelly did eventually join "The Voice" in 2018 ... and stayed on for several seasons. Blackstock testified that he got Kelly the job in 2017 after going to an NBC exec and threatening that she'd go back to 'Idol' if they didn't sign her ... and when asked what it would take to snag her at NBC, he reportedly said it was going to cost "Blake money."

The allegation comes amid a recent finding by the same CA labor commissioner that Blackstock had overcharged Kelly during their professional relationship -- which coincided with their marriage. TMZ broke the story ... he now owes her $2.6 mil for fees he collected.

Tras la demanda de Paula Abdul, el veterano productor de televisión Nigel Lythgoe se enfrenta a una segunda demanda, en la que se le acusa de haber agredido y acosado sexualmente a dos concursantes hace 20 años en un programa de telerrealidad.

Ambas eran concursantes de "All American Girl" —que se emitió durante una temporada en 2003— y Lythgoe era productor del programa. Según los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, las mujeres alegan que en repetidas ocasiones se presentaba en el set y en los vestuarios cuando llevaban trajes de baile y "abiertamente manoseaba" sus traseros.

En la demanda —que los demandantes están presentando como Jane Does— dicen que la producción organizó una fiesta para celebrar el final de la filmación, pero al final de la fiesta, afirman que Lythgoe insistió en que una de las mujeres fuera con él de vuelta al estudio cuando el resto del elenco ya se había ido.

La segunda demandante insistió en ir con ellos para proteger a su compañera pero afirman que Lythgoe las llevó a su casa, donde les hizo proposiciones sexuales a ambas. En la demanda, alegan que se levantó el jersey que llevaba puesto y "engulló" a una de las mujeres mientras intentaba besarla, cosa que ella le rechazó inmediatamente.

La otra demandante afirma que se puso agresivo con ella, empujándola contra un piano de cola y forzándola con la boca y la lengua mientras ella protestaba y se negaba.

Las mujeres están demandando a Lythgoe y a una productora sin nombre por asalto sexual, agresión, acoso sexual, imposición intencional de angustia emocional y negligencia.

Como hemos dicho, los demandantes se han presentado de forma anónima y solo identifican al demandado como "John Roe N.L." y al espectáculo como "AAG", pero TMZ ha confirmado a través de fuentes con conocimiento que se refieren a Nigel Lythgoe y "All American Girl".

Los demandantes citan la Ley de Responsabilidad por Abusos Sexuales y Encubrimiento de California (Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act) que, en su opinión, permite reactivar sus demandas, aunque de otro modo hubiera prescrito.

TMZ publicó la historia, Paula Abdul también citó esa Ley cuando demandó a Lythgoe la semana pasada por supuestamente agredirla sexualmente mientras trabajaban juntos en "American Idol" y "So You Think You Can Dance".

Lythgoe calificó la demanda de Paula de "totalmente falsa" y añadió que las acusaciones son "profundamente ofensivas para mí y para todo lo que represento".

On the heels of Paula Abdul's lawsuit, veteran TV producer Nigel Lythgoe finds himself facing a second lawsuit, claiming he sexually assaulted and harassed 2 contestants 20 years ago on a reality competition show.

Both women were contestants on the show, "All American Girl" -- which aired for one season back in 2003 -- and Lythgoe was a producer on the program. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the women allege he would repeatedly show up on the set, and in dressing rooms, when they were wearing dance costumes ... and "openly swatted and groped" their butts.

In the suit, which the plaintiffs are filing as Jane Does, they say production hosted a party to celebrate the end of filming ... but at the end of the party, they claim Lythgoe insisted one of the women ride with him back to the studio where everyone else on the cast was going.

The second plaintiff insisted on going with them to protect her fellow contestant -- but they allege Lythgoe drove them back to his home, where he made sexual advances on both of them. In the suit, they allege he lifted up the sweater she was wearing, and "engulfed" one of the women while trying to kiss her ... and she immediately rejected him.

The other plaintiff claims he got aggressive with her by pushing her against a grand piano and forcing his mouth and tongue on her ... all of which she protested.

The women are suing Lythgoe and an unnamed production company for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.

As we said, they've filed anonymously, and the suit only identifies the defendant as "John Roe N.L." and the show as "AAG" -- but TMZ has confirmed through sources with knowledge ... they're referring to Nigel Lythgoe and "All American Girl."

The plaintiffs cite California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act ... which they believe allows for the revival of their claims even though the statute of limitations would have otherwise run.

TMZ broke the story ... Paula Abdul also cited that Act when she sued Lythgoe last week for allegedly sexually assaulting her while they were working together on "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance."

Lythgoe called Paula's lawsuit "wholly untrue" -- adding the allegations are "deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for."

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is going to have to bust out his check book -- he was just fined $300k for chucking his drink toward a group of fans during Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The billionaire hedge fund manager -- the richest owner in the league -- was spotted dumping his beverage in anger after an apparent exchange with a group of supporters amid the 26-0 blowout ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

The clip is short ... and it's unclear what led to the incident.

The NFL announced the punishment on Tuesday ... labeling the incident "unacceptable conduct."

Tepper -- who bought the Panthers in 2018 for $2.3 billion -- released a statement following the news ... saying, "I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday."

"I should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose. I respect the NFL’s code of conduct and accept the League’s discipline for my behavior."

It's been a disastrous 2023 season for the Panthers -- they're 2-14 and will not have their first-round pick next season.

ESPN is apologizing for showing a woman drop top during its broadcast of the Sugar Bowl on Monday ... saying the NSFW footage should have never seen the light of day.

Football fans were left stunned after the network aired a clip from Bourbon Street while returning from a commercial break in the Washington Huskies vs. Texas Longhorns matchup ... which featured the lady's negotiation for a set of beads by exposing her breast as the camera made its way down the iconic area.

It's common for TV crews to show b-roll of the host city's landmarks during games ... and given the College Football Playoff contest between the No. 2 and 3 seeds was played at New Orleans' Superdome, Bourbon Street is an understandable choice.

But producers probably didn't take into account how things can get a bit raunchy around there ... which was made clear by the video that went viral shortly after it made its way to millions of viewers' screens.

ESPN is owning up to it all ... releasing a statement on the flub to the Associated Press.

"We regret that this happened and apologize that the video aired in the telecast," ESPN P.R. guy Bill Hofheimer said.

Los aficionados quedaron atónitos cuando el canal emitió un clip al regresar de comerciales en el juego de los Washington Huskies vs Texas Longhorns, donde se pudo ver a una mujer mostrando sus pechos en cámara.

Es común que los equipos de televisión muestren los lugares emblemáticos de la ciudad anfitriona durante los juegos, y esta vez el juego se realizó en el Superdome de Nueva Orleans... Bourbon Street es una opción comprensible.

Pero los productores probablemente no tuvieron en cuenta que las cosas se pueden poner un poco subidas de tono, lo cual quedó claro en el video que se hizo viral poco después de llegar a las pantallas de millones de espectadores.

ESPN ha publicado una declaración sobre la metedura de pata a Associated Press.

"Lamentamos lo sucedido y pedimos disculpas por la emisión del video", dijo Bill Hofheimer, relaciones públicas de ESPN.

Blake Shelton is being dragged online for his prerecorded New Year's Eve performance ... and some are saying it's an embarrassment to country music.

Here's the deal ... Blake was featured on CBS's "New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash" in what was billed as a live show, but folks figured out it was prerecorded and then trashed him.

Blake and Trace Adkins reunited for the CBS show, singing some of their oldies like "Hillbilly Bone" and "Hell Right."

Thing is ... Blake's performance aired only a few minutes before he took the stage in real life at a casino in Oklahoma.

Fans quickly caught on and ripped the network and Blake for double-booking ... firing off some angry tweets.

One user said Blake was "an embarrassment to country music" ... while another said Blake and Trace's duet was "one of the dumbest songs."

Blake's legit live gig went down at Oklahoma's WinStar Casino ... where he performed his hits to much better reviews.

Meanwhile, Blake's wife Gwen Stefani was working too ... she had a gig over in Las Vegas ... and it was live.

6:19 PM PST -- We're told an official report has been taken, and it lists Ian as the victim. Police have not yet made any arrests and are still investigating the incident.

5:33 PM PST -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they're aware of the incident and speaking with the parties involved. No word yet on if there will be any arrests.

Ian Ziering got jumped by a bunch of bikers running amok in Los Angeles -- a horrific moment caught on camera ... and one helluva lousy way to end his year.

The 'Beverly Hills, 90210' star fell into the crosshairs of several assailants Sunday who were cruising down Hollywood Blvd. on a variety of motorized mini bikes and weaving in and out of traffic ... including, it seems, Ian's vehicle -- which we're told may have been hit.

You can see Ian hop out of his car after one of the bikers seemingly catches his attention, possibly from a collision ... and the altercation erupts in a violent brawl, all seen on video obtained by TMZ.

Check it out ... Ian starts wailing on the guy in question, but soon -- he gets ganged up on by the others ... who begin to whoop on him mercilessly as he tries to make a run for it. Like we said, the cilp is absolutely bananas ... especially considering this a well-known actor.

We're told this beatdown ended with Ian getting back in his car and driving off ... ditto for the bikers, who got the hell out of there. It doesn't appear cops were called -- so you could say it was left in the streets. Not to make light, but this pretty is 'Sharknado'-coded, no?

We've reached out to his camp for comment ... so far, no word back. Here's hoping he's alright -- and if not, someone get Fin Shepard on the horn, STAT, to start kicking ass!

John Legend got onstage with 50 Cent to do his best version of Nate Dogg -- and while he certainly dished his own twist ... not everybody's feeling it, and they're letting him know too.

The singer celebrated his 45th birthday Thursday in NYC -- where he and Chrissy Teigen hired Fitty to perform, with the rapper doing his classic "21 Questions" live in front of a crowd. At first, it was just 50 Cent handling the hook and verses ... but JL eventually jumped in.

Very impromptu, John grabbed the mic from 50 and started belting out the chorus ... singing, "Girrrrl, you seem to love me now // Would you love me if I was down and out."

Looks like John kept singing while 50 continued to rap -- and in the moment, everyone seemed to receive it pretty well ... cheering on the bday boy and giving him props.

Unfortunately, it was a bit of a different reaction on the old bird app (now X) ... 'cause folks saw this clip and roasted the hell outta John -- some kinda meanly, others more lovingly.

You can hop into the trend to see what people had to say ... but essentially, the jokes amounted to John sounding more like a church crooner than an R&B stud with his take on the famous hit. As someone put it, "John legend made it sound like a negro spiritual."

Like we said, it's all in good fun ... but let's just say his version certainly took people aback.