You Might Want to Rethink

'Survivor' will never be the same now that season 39 is over -- at least that's what Kellee Kim hopes her legacy will be in the wake of the Dan Spilo controversy.

It already made one huge change -- for the first time, the show's finale reunion Thursday night was NOT live, and the pre-taped program featured Jeff Probst going one-on-one with Kellee ... who aired her grievances with Jeff, producers and CBS.

She told the host the most difficult part of the season for her was the fact Spilo remained on the show for several weeks AFTER she spoke out about his unwanted touching. She said she felt producers either didn't believe her, or worst ... just ignored her.

As you know, Spilo was eventually removed after a crew member also complained about him. Spilo wasn't included in the finale taping.

Kellee said she didn't want season 39 to be defined by Spilo's actions, but instead she hoped her legacy would be that her speaking led to producers making lasting changes. The show's already announced there will be new guidelines for personal space, and it will have more professionals on-site to allow for confidential reporting of any problems.

Completely overshadowed was the fact 'Survivor' did crown a new champion Wednesday night. Spoiler alert ...

The Jeffrey Epstein story just gets more and more suspicious, because now ... surveillance video from his failed suicide attempt has mysteriously vanished.

Prosecutors revealed in court Wednesday they could not locate the footage from outside of Epstein's cell on July 23 -- the day of his first reported suicide attempt at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in NYC. That was 2 weeks before he successfully killed himself ... according to the Medical Examiner's report.

The feds had no explanation for why the footage has gone missing -- they said they simply can't find it.

That could spell trouble for Epstein's cellmate at the time, ex-cop Nick Tartaglione ... who was reportedly accused of attacking Epstein that night. He formally requested the video be preserved 2 days after the suicide attempt ... in order to clear his name.

Now, it doesn't appear there's much evidence to prove one account over the other -- Epstein reportedly said Tartaglione attacked him, but he says he tried to save Epstein.

Of course, this all comes amid the highly-scrutinized eventual suicide -- which is now the subject of a criminal probe. Two prison guards on duty the night Epstein died have been accused of falsifying records -- making it seem like they'd made the required checks on Epstein's cell that night when they really hadn't.

Those guards have pled not guilty.

O.T. Genasis' hilariously off-key cover of Keyshia Cole's "Love" ballad is a viral sensation ... so he's determined to find out who got it yanked from YouTube ... and put 'em on blast.

We got O.T. at LAX Wednesday and asked why his pitchy new party anthem, "Never Knew," has vanished ... and he's nothing if not suspicious. Signs point to Keyshia as a likely suspect, but the singer's recently admitted she likes the cover and thinks O.T.'s take is funny.

So, whodunnit?? The rapper might not know for sure just yet ... but his savage side-eye in this clip speaks volumes.

His investigation seems to be all in good fun, though, and the rapper tells us he'd love to collab with Cole ... if it's true she's a fan of his comedic reboot. Still, he warns ... if Keyshia turns out to be the mystery hater, he'll let the world know.

Despite the YouTube deletion ... Genasis is free to perform "Never Knew" live ... as he did Tuesday night at Teyana Taylor's ugly sweater party.

Gotta say, we can see why it's a hit -- but don't sleep on the original.

Kate Upton was confronted by an angry group of animal rights activists ... one of which had some nasty words about her partnership with a clothing company.

The supermodel was hosting one of her Strong4Me Fitness classes in NYC Wednesday when the protesters barged in ... led by a very loud man in a "VEGAN" hat.

Kate didn't look too shaken by their uninvited entrance, but things took an extra dark turn when the guy screamed at her ... "Coyotes get shot in the head, and are strangled to death!"

The protesters were up in arms over Upton's promotion of Canada Goose, a winter clothing company that uses coyote fur and goose down to make its coats.

Obviously, that doesn't sit well with animal rights groups, though the company insists that it sources its animal products humanely.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are keeping palace intrigue that there's trouble in paradise at peak levels, cause a day after Kate had a Melania Trump moment ... more signs of friction.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived to the Royal Family's Christmas lunch Wednesday at Buckingham Palace in separate cars, and split up the children as well -- Prince George rode with dad, while Charlotte and Louis showed up with mom.

It's bad because this same time last year, the whole family rode together in one vehicle.

That takes into account all three of their kids, including young Louis ... who was just 8 months old at the time. Still, they squeezed his car seat into the back -- and even managed to fit in a nanny to boot. Now, they seemed inclined to divide the squad for some reason.

This, of course, comes right on the heels of Kate seemingly shrugging off's Will's attempt at PDA when he reached over and touched her shoulder -- which looked a lot like Melania refusing to hold hands with DT here in the States. Again ... bad optics.

It was super awkward -- and now, they're really fueling the rumor fire that they're having marriage problems ... a major point of speculation recently, which hasn't been confirmed one way or another.

Funny enough ... Kate and Will left Wednesday's breakfast in the same car -- this after we called around asking what was up. Kensington Palace still hasn't gotten back to us on that ... but if you're putting two and two together, it looks like the message was received.

L.A. Clippers star Patrick Beverley was so fired up about crushing the Suns on Tuesday night -- he dropped an f-bomb during the post-game interview ... telling the fans, "We ain't f**kin' around!"

He's right. They were not.

The Clips DOMINATED Phoenix in a 120 to 99 victory at Staples Center ... with Bev ballin' out in the 3rd quarter with 2 big blocks on Frank Kaminsky.

"I just try to go out there and do the dirty work," Bev said ... "I'm comfortable with that."

The Clippers have won 7 of their last 10 games -- and they're currently in 2nd place in the Western Conference, behind the Lakers.

After the game, Beverley let his emotions go during a live interview with Fox Sports that appeared to be amplified throughout the arena.

"We trying to win as many games as possible," Pat continued ... "We understand it's a real competitive league but anybody we play, we try to win! That's our mindset."

It was Patrick's first game back since he suffered a head injury during a Dec. 11 game against the Toronto Raptors ... and it's obvious Beverely wanted to make a statement in his return.

"They tried to take me out with a concussion, man!! These people crazy!! But nah, it's good though. I'm back, got some rest. Big team win. Gotta ready for the Rockets next."

'Survivor' exile Dan Spilo is an amazing man with a good heart ... according to Noura Salman, one of the final 5 remaining tribe members on this controversial season.

Noura was outside the 'Island of the Idols' Season 39 finale party in WeHo Tuesday night when she got asked about Dan's ejection for inappropriate touching. She clearly doesn't feel any ill will toward Spilo -- she loves the guy ... and offers a bit of a defense for him too.

Noura says the issue comes down to people being different about touching -- some openly welcome it and feel comfortable, like her and Dan, while others are the opposite ... like fellow cast member Kellee Kim, and even Noura's own siblings.

She says she doesn't believe Dan meant to be disrespectful to Kellee with his unwanted touching, but suggests he probably didn't do a good job of communicating ... and gives an example from her yoga class of how to do it right.

Another contestant in the final 5, Janet Carbin, also got asked about Dan ... she simply said everything's "cool."

Pro hockey player Akim Aliu says he's spoken with the Colorado Eagles equipment manager who wore blackface to a team Halloween party ... and has accepted the staffer's apology.

As we previously reported, Aliu says Tony Deynzer dressed up as him for the minor league hockey team's 2011 Halloween party ... with a custom jersey and blackface.

Aliu says he took photos with Deynzer at the time because he didn't want to create a scene -- but told TMZ Sports he was FURIOUS.

Now, Aliu and the Colorado Eagles have issued a joint statement saying they not only talked things out -- but Aliu requested the team to NOT fire the guy.

"Mr. Aliu also spoke with Tony Deynzer who had requested to speak with him about the incident," the statement said.

"The content of that conversation will remain private, suffice to say that Mr. Deynzer offered a heartfelt and emotional apology directly to Mr. Aliu which Mr. Aliu accepted."

Aliu added his own statement saying, "I accepted the apology by the Eagles and by Mr. Deynzer. I believe that we must confront racism head on."

"I believe the time for big positive change in the sport has arrived and that this moment can be used to promote diversity, inclusiveness, and safety in the sport and our community"

Eagles owner Martin Lind says the team has issued a formal apology as well -- noting, "Listening to Akim was both emotional and inspirational and a very moving moment in my career."

"I let him know how sorry we were as an organization and how it in no way reflects our values. I was appreciative that Akim was willing to take my call and listen to what we had to say."

Mohamed Hadid might need a wrecking ball much sooner than expected -- his company just took a big L, which means he can't delay a court order to tear down a planned $100 million Bel-Air mansion.

TMZ broke the story ... Hadid's company, 901 Strada LLC, filed for bankruptcy last month after a judge ruled the massive home it was building was not up to code, a threat to public safety ... and had to be immediately torn down.

However, in a Tuesday ruling in bankruptcy court ... a judge found 901 Strada had filed to go belly up for the "sole purpose of preventing the enforcement of the state court order" to demolish the mansion.

Translation: the judge saw through the company's effort to use the bankruptcy court as a shield.

The demolition alone of the home -- known as the "Starship Enterprise" because it's so huge -- will reportedly cost $5 million. Hadid has said his company doesn't have a budget for demo costs, only construction.

Tuesday's ruling means he better start doing some juggling with his budget.

Kate Middleton was NOT in the mood for some PDA from Prince William ... or so it sure seemed.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appeared on a BBC special Monday night dubbed "A Berry Royal Christmas" ... where they hosted a slew of volunteers from various organizations who plan to volunteer for the holidays.

Near the end of the episode, Prince William and Kate sit down with a group of volunteers ... and he tries to gently place his hand on Kate's left shoulder, but she wasn't having it. You see her shrug him off. The move's pretty fast ... so don't blink.

You'll also notice Kate never stopped smiling during the whole thing. Her facial expression remained the same ... big smile. Viewers took notice and quickly took to social media. One person tweeted, "She moved with a quickness." Another wrote, "Awkward! Too Awkward!! They should have cut it out!"

Kate's move was reminiscent of Melania Trump slapping President Trump's hand away back in 2017 after they had just landed in Tel Aviv. You'll recall he reached for her hand but Melania quickly put the Prez in a no hand-holding zone.

A campus resource officer in North Carolina is out on his ass after he was caught on camera physically abusing a middle school student by slamming the kid to the ground ... twice.

The Vance County Sheriff's Office confirmed Monday the unnamed deputy who was assigned to Vance County Middle School in Henderson, NC was, in fact, fired. He'd been placed on administrative leave last week as an investigation got underway.

The school district there filed a complaint with the Sheriff's Office on Friday as footage of the violent incident surfaced. The deputy is seen walking down a hallway with the student and then suddenly slamming the child -- reportedly under 12 years old -- to the ground like a rag doll.

The aftermath is equally disturbing ... as the deputy drags the seemingly unconscious child through the hall.

It's unclear what precipitated the violence, but frankly ... does it really matter?

An Army cadet and a Navy midshipmen flashed a hand gesture symbolizing white power during a Live TV shot at the Army vs. Navy football game this weekend ... and now officials from both camps are investigating.

The symbol is a version of the A-okay hand gesture -- which, over the years, has been co-opted by white supremacists, according to the Anti-Defamation League and other groups.

Fast forward to Saturday ... when ESPN's Rece Davis was doing a live shot in front of uniformed Army cadets and Navy midshipmen, when TWO men appeared to intentionally throw up the hand sign -- one from each side.

Now, both Army and Navy say they're investigating.

On the Army side, West Point spokesperson Lt. Col. Chris Ophardt told the Wall Street Journal, "We’re looking into it."

On the Navy side, US Naval Academy spokesperson Cmdr. Alana Garas said, "We are aware and will be looking into it."

Popeyes isn't the only chicken joint with problems ... the Colonel had a bit of a situation on his hands in Wisconsin this weekend when a woman called cops from the drive-thru.

A woman in Waukesha dialed for police Saturday after her sandwich was made wrong and the staff allegedly gave her attitude. According to reports, the lady told police the KFC crew tried making her another one, but that she didn't feel comfortable and wanted her money back.

Sure enough, officers responded to the fast-food chain and found the pissed off customer plopped in the drive-thru line. Apparently, they told both her and the KFC team to work it out among themselves ... as their beef clearly wasn't an emergency and just civil.

The fact cops showed up at all has gotta mean the situation was tense, 'cause there's no way an officer of the law would get sent out for something like this. Or so we thought.

Of course, this comes weeks after the renewed frenzy at Popeyes restaurants across the country, with wacky customers desperately trying to get their hands on their famed chicken sandwiches. Some of those incidents ended in beatings, and in one case ... death.

Harvey Weinstein just did a new on-the-record interview since the flood of allegations came pouring in against him -- and his first thought out ... he's a champion of women.

The disgraced movie producer -- who's now been criminally charged in relation to some of the allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse -- spoke to the New York Post from his hospital room in NYC, from which he was later discharged following his back surgery.

One of the big takeaways from the interview -- again, one of his first with a paper of record since 2018 -- is he thinks people are forgetting everything he's done for women in his career.

Weinstein says he feels like the "forgotten man," going on to add ... "I made more movies directed by women and about women than any filmmaker, and I’m talking about 30 years ago. I’m not talking about now when it’s vogue. I did it first! I pioneered it!"

He continues by saying, "It all got eviscerated because of what happened. My work has been forgotten."

For example, Weinstein cites giving Gwyneth Paltrow $10 million to star in the 2003 movie, "View from the Top" -- which he says was more than any of the men made at the time. He also says he got Felicity Huffman an Academy Award nom by casting her in "Transamerica" ... a move he considers super progressive, and something he thinks he deserves credit for.

He also says Madonna made him aware of the documentary, "Paris is Burning" -- which captures the drag culture of the city -- and apparently wants a pat on the back for bringing it to audiences in the U.S. and beyond by snapping up the distribution rights.

Weinstein goes on to tout his humanitarian efforts through the years and summed up his thoughts by saying, "If you remember who I was then, you might want to question some of this." He did NOT, however, specifically address any of the accusations against him.

He's going to trial on Jan. 6 on five different charges, including predatory sexual assault, a criminal sex act and rape. Weinstein faces life in prison if convicted -- he's pled not guilty.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders doesn't seem to regret leaving Trump's White House one iota -- because she looks as calm and relaxed as we've seen her since stepping into DT's orbit.

We got the former Press Secretary Saturday at the Reagan Airport in D.C. for a quick catch-up on her life since she resigned from her role back in the summer. While it feels like she did that ages ago, it's only been a few short months -- that's how much has happened since.

Our camera guy jokingly asks how she's enjoying her early "retirement," and it sounds like SHS has no plans to hang it up completely just yet. Word around town is she's ramping up for a gubernatorial run in Arkansas -- where her dad was the gov for a long time.

We asked her about that, and Mrs. Sanders gave us a classic political non-answer answer. She didn't say no though ... so the door's certainly there if she wants to open it in a few years.

Sarah also gives us an update on what she's been up to lately, saying she's spent a lot of much-needed time with her family -- and has enjoyed every minute of it. Then, we get into impeachment ... asking if she's happy not to be part of that mess right now.

Orlando Jones is putting the new showrunner for "American Gods" on full blast ... saying he's responsible for getting the actor fired from the show.

OJ went on the attack Saturday morning in a video he posted to his social media, saying he was fired from the STARZ series a few months ago in September ... a decision he appears to be pinning on TV screenwriter Charles "Chic" Eglee, who got tapped to head up season 3.

Check out the clip ... Orlando -- who played Mr. Nancy for the first two seasons on 'AG' -- says the new showrunner apparently felt his character's "angry, get-s**t-done" attitude was the wrong message to broadcast to black America. Clearly, Orlando thinks that's BS.

He goes on to say, "That's right, this white man sits in that decision-making chair. And I'm sure he has many black BFFs who are his advisers and made it clear to him, that if they did not get rid of that angry god Mr. Nancy, he'd start a Denmark Vesey uprising in this country."

Orlando goes on to thank the OG showrunners -- Neil Gaiman, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green -- for letting him become a writer/producer on the show, as well as fans of course.

In a separate post, Orlando also blasts Fremantle Media, the production company behind "American Gods" and several other TV shows, including "America's Got Talent." Speaking of that, OJ tags Nick Cannon, Gabrielle Union, Mel B and other stars ... saying they've all claimed the company is a nightmare and treats its talent like "2nd class citizen(s)."

He seems to agree with that characterization. As far as Eglee, Orlando doesn't name drop him -- but there's only been one new showrunner announced for season 3, and it's him.

We've reached out to the guy for comment ... so far, no word back.