TMZ.com

Kevin Smith says there were 2 main factors in his decision to stop consuming animal products ... his near-fatal heart attack, and his daughter's master plan.

We got the director leaving Crossroads Kitchen in L.A. -- one of the most famous vegan joints in town -- and asked him if the vegan lifestyle is the secret to his vastly improved fitness.

Kevin's looking pretty good these days, and he explains how he made some big changes in his life after suffering that massive heart attack back in 2018.

He says after learning he had a full blockage in a major artery -- which caused the widowmaker heart attack -- he sat down with a nutritionist, and finally followed his daughter, Harley, to the vegan side.

Kevin, who initially thought he was having a reaction to spoiled milk when he had the heart attack, is only eating plant-based products these days and he tells us why he'd never followed Harley's lead before.

The way Kevin explains it ... she was pretty Machiavellian about it, but he's grateful she was.

There's new alleged video proof that supports a man's claim he was injured during a Jet Ski stunt gone wrong involving "Jackass" stars Steve-O and Chris Pontius.

TMZ broke the story, Michael Vicens-Segura is suing the veteran stuntmen for an incident he says, left him badly injured, suffering a gash on the side of his head.

In the video, you can see Vicens-Segura in the water between the vessels just before they take off, once the Jet-skis moved, Vicens-Segura was allegedly struck by the cable connecting the two when it snapped.

The aftermath is intense, and Michael is clearly in a lot of pain.

Michael says the whole thing happened in Puerto Rico in 2018 when the two guys and movie producers planned to do some kind of "Jet Ski Tug of War" ... which basically meant two guys would operate the jet ski in opposite directions.

Michael's attorney, John Phillips, now says ... "We provide this video looking for witnesses and people who know about the creation and execution of this stunt. If you have information, please contact us."

Vicens-Segura says he had to get a metal plate in his head and his life has been completely changed by the incident ... he is asking for more than $12 mil in damages.

"Friday" star Anthony Johnson is getting a fancy tombstone on his grave ... designed by the guy who honored Eazy-E and Nate Dogg with awesome grave markers.

Cemetery Tim, the man behind the cool celeb gravestones, tells TMZ ...  he got in touch with Anthony's family after the actor/comedian died back in September. The goal was to create and install the headstone for what would have been Anthony's 56th birthday.

The gravestone chronicles Anthony's career with images ... showing him as Ezal on "Friday," and another image of Anthony as E.Z.E. in "House Party." The inscription reads, "Don't cry for me, I lived and made your ass laugh ... tell me I'm lying!"

Cemetery Tim says Anthony's widow, Lexis Jones Mason, worked with him on the design ... which also includes the late actor's signature.

TMZ broke the story ... Anthony was found lifeless in an L.A. store and his family was scrambling to pay for his funeral before a bunch of celebs picked up the tab.

Cemetery Tim says all of his work on Anthony's gravestone was done free of charge.

Sharon Stone says Joe Rogan's new approach to discussing COVID-19 is empty lip-service if he continues spreading misinformation, and adds there's only one thing he needs to disclaim.

The actress and activist held nothing back when we saw her Tuesday in Bev Hills, and brought up Rogan's podcast.

We pointed out several celebs had come out in support of Joe, but Sharon's not buying his and Spotify's new policy -- namely, adding a disclaimer at the beginning of episodes, and offsetting controversial COVID viewpoints with a "mainstream" take as well.

Sharon tells us the only "disclaimer" she wants from Joe is for him being an "a**hole." Watch the clip (pardon the soft focus due to equipment snafu) ... but, in a nutshell ... she says it's too late for Rogan's new balanced approach.

In her mind, his interviews and COVID theories have already cost people their lives. Might sound harsh, but that's her POV, which she says it's based on doing significant work in the field of infections diseases.

SS lays out her creds, particularly on HIV ... seeing the horrors of deadly viruses while working with leading doctors and scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci.

And when it comes to COVID, it's personal for Sharon. You'll recall, the virus killed her grandmother and godmother ... and her sister and sister's husband were both hospitalized because of it.

If you're looking for a blast from the past – and have $500,000 lying around – this sweet ride would've been perfect.

Burt Reynolds' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am went up at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale 2022 auction, and the lucky buyer paid one pretty penny for it.

With the final bid at $495,000, this 8-cylinder beast is going home to a hardcore car enthusiast – and hopefully a film buff! Reynolds drove the same type of car in his hit film, "Smokey and the Bandit."

While it isn’t the car that appeared on screen, it was a congratulatory gift for his work on the flick … fitting as it was the second-highest-grossing film of that year. To make it even more special, this is the only '77 Trans Am that Reynolds ever owned and he signed the glovebox!

Burt’s car wasn’t the only whip up for auction … Pitbull had his custom 2022 Karma GS-6 EV up for sale, nicknamed "305 EDITION." It went for $700k with all the proceeds going to benefit the Selfless Love Foundation and Pitbull's SLAM foundation.

David Spade’s 1968 Chevy Chevelle Custom Coupe went on the auction block as well and fetched $374k.

Howard Hesseman, best known as Dr. Johnny Fever on "WKRP in Cincinnati," died Saturday in Los Angeles.

Hesseman’s wife, Caroline Ducrocq, tells TMZ he was at Cedars-Sinai in L.A. for colon surgery last summer … but when it resulted in complications ... that’s when things started to go south.

Caroline says he was hospitalized January 5 due to complications from that surgery. It got worse 5 days later when he had trouble breathing. He began experiencing breathing difficulties and ended up in ICU. Caroline says that was the beginning of the end.

Howard first appeared under a fake name -- Don Sturdy -- on the show “Dragnet” in ‘68, playing a hippie editor of an underground newspaper. He then appeared in shows such as  "The Andy Griffith Show," "Boston Legal," "That '70s Show," and "The Bob Newhart Show." He appeared on the final season of "One Day at a Time," marrying the star character played by Bonnie Franklin.

His movie roles are vast ... "Halloween II," "The Sunshine Boys," "Silent Movie," "The Big Bus," and "The Other Side of Midnight."

Howard's breakout role was the hilarious Dr. Johnny Fever on “WKRP." Hesseman prepared for the role by working as a DJ in San Francisco at KMPX-FM for several months leading up to the production. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy.

To show you how times have changed, he was jailed for 90 days back in 1963 for selling a single ounce of pot. And he was fired from a $100,000-a-year radio gig for using the word "booger."

Caroline was with him by his side, holding his hand when he passed. He was surrounded by other family members.

He was 81.

Tuesday marked the 2-year anniversary of Shaun Weiss’ sobriety, and he decided to celebrate the occasion with some takeout, but the original plan was meant to be much more symbolic.

Friend and fellow actor Drew Gallagher was supposed to go with Shaun to Brent’s Deli in the Valley. Back in 2017, this was the first place he got a meal once released from jail, so it meant a lot for him to come full circle.

Unfortunately, Shaun has been under the weather lately, but no worries – he chose the takeout option from Brent’s and still got his matzo ball soup!

Shaun struggled with drug addiction for years and at one point was living on the streets. He had multiple run-ins with the law -- arrested for meth and burglary -- but he's since cleaned up his act in a pretty spectacular way.

As we reported in July, Shaun graduated from a drug program and chose to celebrate his graduation at – you guessed it – Brent’s Deli. This place seems to hold a lot of meaning for him.

You could say Chuck Palahniuk saw the Chinese government's censorship of "Fight Club" coming ... because the new ending is closer to the original one he wrote 25 years ago.

The famed author -- who penned the OG novel that became the 1999 movie -- joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to give us his take on China removing the film's big explosive climax.

Chuck says it's funny to him that folks are up in arms over the censorship overseas because he's been dealing with his books being banned for a long time right here in the U.S. -- and he calls out Texas, in particular.

Ironically, Chuck told us China's version actually aligns more with the ending he wrote in the novel. Even more twisted ... he says overseas publishers have been editing his novel to make it more like the David Fincher movie.

So, yeah ... unfortunately, he's kinda used to people messing with his art.

As we reported, China released a new version of the movie, starring Brad Pitt and Ed Norton, that ends without explosions, killings and general chaos. Instead, it ends with an on-screen graphic that reads, in part, "The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding."

For viewers in China, there's a brand new ending to Brad Pitt's classic film "Fight Club" -- and shocker ... their version strikes a blow for the authorities, who come out on top.

We'd say spoiler alert, but the flick is nearly 23 years old ... and fans know the original ending is total chaos with bombs going off, buildings being destroyed and the narrator killing his imaginary alter-ego. But, viewers in China won't be exposed to any of that.

Instead, a message pops up that says, "through the clue provided by [alter ego] Tyler, the police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding."

And here's a spoiler alert for China -- Tyler gets sent to a "lunatic asylum."

China's ending is much more peaceful... and lotsa folks aren't happy about their happy ending. Like many other social media users, Chuck Palahniuk -- who wrote the 1996 novel that became the movie -- sarcastically voiced his disapproval.

Even U.S. Senator Ted Cruz had something to say about the Chinese government's decision. That said, it's pretty normal for Chinese censors to make edits to American movies, but not so normal for them to so dramatically change climaxes.

Peter Dinklage thinks ‘Snow White’ has a little person problem, and while Brad Willams doesn’t disagree ... he does have some suggestions on how to make it work.

We talked to the comedian/actor -- who was born with dwarfism himself -- and he gave us his take on Dinklage ripping Disney for what he sees as a fundamental issue with the story of SW and its depiction of dwarfs.

Check it out ... Brad says he isn’t here to refute Pete one iota, because he actually concurs ... ‘Snow White’ is problematic as it stands. However, he hits us with some solutions on how to make it even more progressive than what Disney’s done so far in the casting ... i.e. Rachel Zegler, a Latina, in the title role.

In Brad’s happily ever after, the princess actually ends up with one of the cottage dwellers!!! Watch ... he rattles off some impressive reasons for Happy and co. to play love interests for Snow. Yes, stand-up is Brad's thing, but we think he's only half joking here and makes some solid points. His way, everyone wins ... at least that’s how BW sees it.

On a more serious note, Brad discusses how Hollywood needs to do a better job for little people in the biz, noting that Dinklage is NOT killing roles for other actor’s by saying what he said. That responsibility, Brad argues, ultimately lies with producers and writers ... who should look to be more inclusive in their scripts.

One last thing ... Disney has come out and said it's going a different route with the 7 dwarfs for the upcoming film, one which they say won’t harp on stereotypes the OG animated feature played up.

Peter Dinklage thinks Disney going woke for "Snow White" misses the mark entirely -- ‘cause the story itself is offensive, especially toward little people.

The "Game of Thrones" star -- who was born with a form of dwarfism -- slammed the reboot that’s in the works right now ... telling Marc Maron on his podcast that he thinks the Mouse House is being hypocritical and disingenuous.

On the one hand, Dinklage says they’re clearly trying to be progressive by casting Rachel Zegler, who’s Latina, as Snow White ... but by the same token, he explains they’re still making a movie based on a "f**king backwards" story.

PD goes on to mention the fairy tale is, in essence, about seven dwarves who are painted as primitive and mystical creatures, saying they live in a "cave" ... which isn’t quite right (they live in a cottage in the woods) but ya get his point.

Of course, Snow White has also been called ableist over the years ... especially as it relates to Dopey, who’s portrayed as a naive idiot. In fact, all the dwarves are treated as children by SW, both in the movie and the OG fairy tale, which is what Dink’s beef really seems to be about.

He says, "Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough." Seems like he's half-kidding here, but still ... you can tell he's irked by this.

As you may know by now, Dinklage has made a name for himself over the past decade-plus ... turning in award-winning dramatic performances -- and really paving the way for little people to be taken seriously as actors.

Sounds like he thinks Disney is simply out to appease one group of people with their new take on "Snow White," but completely ignoring another ... and coming off as tone-deaf in the process.

One of the people involved in Arnold Schwarzenegger's multi-car wreck couldn't believe her eyes ... not only because of the movie stunt-like crash, but because she's a huge fan of his.

Habiba Muminova was one of the drivers who had a close encounter with Arnold's SUV in Friday's crash, and she tells TMZ ... she felt like she was "hallucinating" when Arnold exited his Yukon.

Habiba says Arnold's one of her favorite actors, and while she says, "God bless him," ... she's painfully aware this wasn't exactly a great way to meet him for the first time. Still, she says she's telling everyone what -- and who -- happened.

Habiba says she was just doing her job Friday -- driving patients to doctor's appointments -- when all of a sudden she was smack in the middle of an accident involving a movie star/former governor.

She says she was waiting at a red light to turn on Sunset Blvd when Arnold's SUV collided with a red Prius ... and before she knew it one of Arnold's back tires was smacking into her car, causing a harsh jolt.

Habiba says the initial impact was so strong, she thought she broke her spine.

With Arnold's SUV blocking her door, Habiba says she climbed out through the passenger side, where she was met by first responders and advised to get a ride to the hospital. Instead, she stayed put on the scene with the patient she'd been transporting.

She says she's now experiencing pain in her spine and back, from the shoulder down her left side and she's getting checked out by a doctor this week.

Habiba's concerned about her job moving forward -- she says her car is badly damaged, which will make it difficult, if not impossible, to drive patients around town.

She says she's reached out to an attorney for legal advice.

Kat Von D is saying goodbye to all things California -- she just listed her L.A. mansion, which also happens to be a famous movie location ... TMZ has learned.

Long before Kat moved in, the huge home was featured in the 2003 movie "Cheaper By the Dozen" -- but take a look around this pad ... ain't a damn thing cheap about it!!!

The 3-story, gorgeous crib is 12,565 sq feet with 13 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.

Kat paid $6.5 million for it back in 2016 ... and she's put some work and money into the place since then.

We're told she completely restored the Victorian home which some unique features, like a library, hidden bar with hand-carved walls and 7 fireplaces!!!

You know you're living right when your living room has a title -- Kat's is called the 'French Ballroom' -- and one more bonus is the 2-bed, 1-bath carriage house over the garage.

It also has some more commonly seen luxuries ... like a pool and spa.

Jamie Sher of The Sher Group holds the listing.

Kat selling shouldn't come as a surprise -- back in October, she announced she was leaving Cali for good and putting down roots in Indiana.

Fans' demands for Idris Elba to play James Bond are NOT falling on deaf ears for those who can make it happen ... because he seems to be at the forefront of their minds.

Two producers who are key to the franchise, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, dished about Daniel Craig's final outing as the MI6 agent ... and gave a bit of insight into who could potentially succeed him in future installments -- and sure enough, Idris came up.

During an appearance on the 'Crew Call' podcast this week, Broccoli and Wilson were asked if they'd had any discussions with IE about taking on the mantle ... amid a massive push from the fanbase to get the guy in Bond's iconic tux.

Check it out ... BB says she actually knows Idris personally, adding they're friends -- which seems to answer the question. Namely, yes, she has presumably chatted with him about it.

She goes on to say that Idris has certainly been part of the conversation as someone who could possibly carry on the legacy -- but as for whose convo, exactly, she leaves it kinda vague. Obviously his involvement has been discussed at length among normies ... but Barb makes it sound like his name has been tossed around among the '007' honchos, too.

Of course, she totally hedges and pulls back (as she has often when asked about this lately) and says they aren't even seriously considering names just yet ... wanting to give DC his victory lap while "No Time to Die" is still in theaters.

Still, the fact that the host mentioned calls for Pierce Brosnan to be tapped back in the late '80s/'90s -- and the fact it actually manifested -- seems to confirm ... these Bond gatekeepers listen to what the fans want, age be damned!

We only mention that because some say Idris is too old to play JB, even though Craig is actually older than him at 53 ... not to mention Roger Moore playing Bond well into his '50s.

Regina King's only son has tragically died.

Ian Alexander Jr. took his own life Wednesday, according to law enforcement, the day he turned 26.

Ian is the son of Ian Alexander Sr., who married Regina in 1997. They were together 10 years before divorcing.

Regina said, "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian. He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. Thank you."

Regina and her son would sometimes walk the red carpet together for events and it was apparent how proud she was of him.

As for tributes ... they are cascading in ... "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Garcelle Beauvais said, "My heart breaks for you @ReginaKing Ian was sweet & kind."

Marc Lamont Hill echoed that ... "Sending all of my love and condolences to Regina King. I pray that she's surrounded by love and healing energy."

Ian once said of Regina, "She's just a super mom. She doesn't really let bad workdays or anything come back and ruin the time that we have. It's really awesome to have a mother who I can enjoy spending time with."

When Regina turned 50 in 2021, Ian posted this on Instagram ... "Happy birthday to my co, so extremely proud of you and inspired by your love, artistry and gangsta. To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something i will forever be grateful for. But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for. To be all that you are while always having the time to be there, love and support me unconditionally is truly remarkable. The whole marvel universe ain't got s*** on you, your the real superhero! Love you mom! This day and everyday YO DAY!!"

And ... just a couple of months before he died, Ian posted a throwback pic of him, his mom and a friend, with the caption ... "My joys 🥰."

Ian was 26.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was just involved in a bad car accident  ... so bad his monster SUV rolled over on top of another car, and that driver was badly injured.

Arnold was driving a Yukon SUV when it collided with a red Prius at around 5:00 PM PT.  His SUV started to roll and ended up on top of the Prius, then continued rolling to the left into a Porsche Taycan.

One eyewitness says it was crazy ... it looked like a stunt in a movie. The collision was intense enough that the airbags deployed on the Yukon.

The woman who was driving the Prius was injured -- bleeding heavily from her head. We're told an ambulance took her to the hospital.

Arnold, we're told, is OK and is deeply concerned about the injured woman. An Arnold source tells TMZ he wants to personally check up on her.

Jake Steinfeld of "Body By Jake" fame was apparently at the scene at the time of the crash and that's him in the photo (above) with Arnold. The two are close friends. In fact, when Arnold was Governor of California, Jake was the Chairman of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness.

One of the witnesses says it appeared the Prius was on Sunset Blvd and Arnold was on Sunset turning left in the opposite direction when the collision occurred.

At the time of this post, Arnold is still at the accident scene, which is about a mile from his home.