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Emmet McDermott's documentary -- #1 on Netflix right now -- exposes Abercrombie & Fitch's racist view of beauty, which he says was illegally applied to the company's hiring and firing practices.

Emmet joined us Thursday on TMZ Live to discuss his docufilm, "White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch" ... which features former employees revealing a toxic workplace that emphasized thin, white beautiful people as their vision of "All-American."

We're not just talking about the models -- Emmet says the company would phase out employees who looked "off-brand." He puts it plainly ... if you weren't good-looking or white, you're out.

The company even had a certain way for their employees to look, eliminating things -- certain hairstyles and jewelry -- it deemed to be associated with other, non-white cultures.

Clearly, A&F had crossed some legal lines when it comes to hiring based on race ... and it's made efforts to turn that around.

The company's current CEO, Fran Horowitz, posted a statement after the doc dropped, saying “We’re focused on inclusivity – and continuing that transformation is our enduring promise to you, our community. Always Forward.”

Actor Robert Morse, best known for his work on "Mad Men," has died.

Morse's death was confirmed Wednesday, though his cause of death is currently unknown.

The actor's work on "Mad Men," playing Bertram Cooper for 74 episodes, got him 5 Emmy nominations over its 8 years on the air. Bertram, or Bert, was one of the founding partners of the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency, where the show takes place.

Always dressed with a bow tie, Bert reluctantly agreed to a merger with British agency Puttnam, Powell, and Lowe ... he would then go on to be a founding partner of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.

The character would die the night after watching the televised Apollo 11 moon landing ... Bert appeared after his passing in one of Don Draper's visions, played by Jon Hamm.

The Tony and Emmy-award-winning actor left behind a career on both stage and screen, steadily working for 6 decades. He got his start on Broadway in the '60s with a production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" ... his performance snagged him a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical.

He went on to win another best actor Tony award as Truman Capote in the 1990 play "Tru" ... for which he got an Emmy for Leading Actor in a Limited Series.

After "Mad Men," Morse came back to Broadway, working with Nathan Lane in the 2016 revival of "The Front Page."

Tributes have been pouring, including one from Larry Karaszewski, the VP on the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who called Morse "a huge talent and a beautiful spirit."

Broadway composer David Krane also paid tribute, saying "He had those cool, clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth. Wishing that eternal boy eternal peace in his new forever home. He succeeded without really trying."

Morse is survived by his wife Elizabeth Roberts and his 4 children -- Charlie, Robin, Hilary, and Andrea.

He was 90.

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston seem to have an unbreakable bond ... so much so, Aaron says choosing his newborn kid's godfather was a no-brainer.

We caught up with Aaron Wednesday at LAX and asked about him naming his best friend and "Breaking Bad" costar godfather to his newest addition, baby Ryden.

Aaron says Bryan's a beautiful man who's more than deserving of the title he and his wife bestowed on Cranston.

As far as what it takes to be a godfather, Aaron tells us Bryan's gonna be on diaper duty ... and don't get him started on burping little Ryden.

Of course, it's no surprise ... Bryan and Aaron are partners in crime on and off-screen ... nice to see the longtime friends grow tighter through each milestone.

In case you didn't know, Aaron and his wife, Lauren Paul, tied the knot back in 2013. They became first-time parents in 2018, when they gave birth to their daughter, Story Annabelle Paul.

For the first time in "The Masked Singer" history, there's a team working behind the scenes to help operate one contestant's costume ... resulting in a massive fail if the slightest thing goes awry.

Here's the deal -- the Space Bunny's signature shifty eyes aren't controlled by the mystery celeb inside the costume ... instead being operated by a producer backstage via a Nintendo-like controller.

We're told coordination is key ... the slightest change in the performer's routine could throw the entire thing off!

To make matters worse, the high-tech equipment inside the head hasn't had all of its kinks worked out yet ... there's a super loud buzzing sound inside the mask that's distracting for the performer -- something that could easily make them forget the words or choreography for their performance.

We're told the celeb in question has been a great sport so far ... producers gave them the costume because they felt they'd be able to roll with the punches and take on the challenge.

Let that be a clue -- this contestant is a bit of a risktaker, and is certainly not a diva.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro said he's going to return to 'Jersey Shore' for the upcoming season ... but he was nowhere to be found when his reality TV family recently started filming.

TMZ obtained these photos of some 'Jersey Shore' stars shooting scenes Easter Sunday at a winery in Southern California ... and there's no sign of Ronnie.

Here's who was at the Cordiano Winery in Escondido for filming ... Vinny, Snooki, Deena, JWoww and Mike The Situation ... plus some wives, husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends. The other main cast member who wasn't there was Pauly D.

We're told the 'Jersey Shore' cast took over the winery ... shutting the place down for filming, including the tasting room, and forcing everyone else to order food and wine from a separate bar.

It's interesting Ronnie is still missing from the action ... remember, he told us back in August he was sober and planning to return to the MTV show for the second half of the 5th season.

Viola Davis' turn as Michelle Obama for a new show is getting some early looks, and in the same breath ... some early ridicule too over an apparent character choice she's made.

The Showtime series "The First Lady" debuts Sunday, and it would appear some folks on Twitter have already gotten some initial glimpses of Viola playing Michelle ... and some are questioning why the actress seems to constantly purse her lips on camera.

One scene in particular has drawn a lot of eyeballs, and people are having a field day with memes and jokes over Viola appearing to constantly put on an exaggerated duck face while she talks to TV Barack Obama.

There's another scene that's popped up, which shows Viola-as-Michelle posing for a photo shoot, and there too she seems to be rocking the kissy pose with dedication.

While it's unclear if Viola maintains this facial expression throughout the show -- to our knowledge, these are the only two scenes that are making the rounds right now -- it does appear she invokes the lip move later in the series as well ... evidenced in stills that Viola herself has posted on social media over the past few weeks.

Michelle does, indeed, purse her lips at times ... but it seems Viola may have thought that's central to her being, 'cause so far -- it sounds like she does it quite a bit for 'TFL.'

As for how the critics feel about it ... it's not good on that front either. "The First Lady" has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 40%, made up of 20 different pros who've weighed in thus far. These reviews aren't always reflective of the quality of any given movie or show, but it seems the industry isn't too thrilled with what they've done here to tell Michelle's story.

Like we said, the show began streaming today -- so feel free to peep it for yourself. There'll be 10 episodes of this performance, so maybe it gets ... better? Time will tell.

FWIW, Viola was taking this role seriously -- despite what people online might say/think now that it's out -- and she even said she was nervous and wanted to make MO look good.

'SNL' had an Easter message Saturday night ... and it was hilarious.

The show opened with the Easter Bunny, who towed along a gaggle of celebs to wish everyone a happy holy day.

Mr. Bunny began by cautioning people not to freak out ... "It's really me, the Easter Bunny. Either that, or you're at Coachella and the shrooms are kicking in."

E.B. was followed by Dr. Fauci -- btw, Kate McKinnon just nails it with real talk about COVID.

Not to be left out ... Marjorie Taylor Greene then appears clutching an AR-15, and she takes a shot at Jews, the LGBTQ community -- nothing surprising.

Maybe the funniest ... Jared Leto, who looks similar to another famous, historical figure. And the caution he gives to movie reviewers is hilarious.

There were also really funny bits with Britney and NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

And lastly ... Donald Trump makes an appearance ... the best line -- remember when Trump said COVID will be over by Easter. Well, he didn't say which Easter, right?

Liz Sheridan, who played Jerry Seinfeld's mom on "Seinfeld" ... has died, TMZ has learned.

Liz passed peacefully in her sleep from natural causes Friday at 2:30 AM ... just 5 days after her 93rd birthday.

Liz brilliantly played Helen on the show for the entire run -- from 1990-1998. She's the only non-central character who played during the full run. If you recall, Helen and her hubby, Morty, lived in Florida. Her iconic catchphrase -- "How could anyone not like him?" She played a VERY over-protective mom.

In addition to "Seinfeld," Liz played the eccentric neighbor, Mrs. Ochmonek, on "ALF."

Liz was an accomplished Broadway actress, appearing in 12 productions on the Great White Way, including "Happy End" with Meryl Streep.

She famously dated James Dean and even wrote a book about it called "Dizzy and Jimmy."  They had a super passionate affair. The book is being turned into a feature film.

Liz, who was a go-go dancer in the 50s, loved to sing and performed a one-woman show, "Mrs. Seinfeld Sings," all over the country.

Liz is survived by her daughter and son-in-law.

She was 93.

RIP

Kim and Khloe Kardashian took their kids to Disneyland this week, and it highlighted the difficulty of being one of the most famous families on earth.

The Kardashians plunked down at least $3K for VIP access ... something that's available to everyone. For them, it's kinda a necessity, since they would be overwhelmed by fans if they stood in line and the trip would be a disaster for the kids.

Some fans were pissed when Disneyland staff shut down the teacup ride ... you see the brood in 3 of the teacups while the others remain empty, and that didn't sit well with some folks waiting in line. We're told the Kardashians didn't request that the ride be shut down to other guests ... Disneyland staff just did it. They did not shut down other rides for the fam.

This was True's first trip to the happiest place on earth, and we know that because Khloe apologized for photoshopping a prior pic -- taken last October -- to cover Stormi's face. Khloe confessed, and all is good.

The 'Masked Singer' might have a cursed trailer on their lot ... because one of the mobile celeb dressing rooms has a toilet that just won't seem to flush.

Here's the deal ... each contestant hangs out in their own StarWagon trailer during long days on set -- not unusual for Hollywood productions -- but one of the trailers is having serious issues with plumbing.

Our 'Masked Singer' sources tell us one of the contestant's trailers had a clogged toilet, and the celeb had their entourage make the embarrassing call to alert production. It's kinda the whole point of "having people."

Anyways, the crew unclogged the toilet -- we've all been there -- but a few days later, we're told the same trailer had another clog, and the celeb again got their person to call on the plunger posse, much to the celeb's chagrin.

For context, these StarWagon trailers are equipped with bathrooms roughly the size of an airplane lavatory. Hey, it's still better than a porta potty.

Kim Kardashian was either headed to lunch or on her way to fight crime and save the San Fernando Valley as she stepped out in a superhero-chic outfit to meet Kourtney and Khloe.

The three sisters got their grub on Wednesday, and while Kourtney and Khloe wore something more reserved ... Kim rocked a flaming bodysuit, red leather skirt, gloves, fuzzy glasses and a fuzzy purse.

It's definitely a more flashy look than we've seen from Kim ... usually opting for a figure-hugging single-color piece. As we told you, Kim reveals on the premiere episode of "The Kardashians" Kanye offered to drop everything and become her full-time stylist, but this obviously isn't one of his looks ... as the couple isn't currently communicating much.

It appears the sisters were shooting for their Hulu show, shooting at Il Fornaio in Woodland Hills ... with producers visible at the restaurant's entrance.

"Game of Thrones" actor, Joseph Gatt, has been arrested for allegedly having sexually explicit chats with a minor online ... TMZ has learned.

According to the LAPD ...  the 50-year-old actor was arrested at his Los Angeles home on April 6, after police served a search warrant. Cops got word that Gatt was allegedly engaging in online sexually explicit communication, with a minor.

He was taken into custody and booked on an outstanding felony warrant for contact with a minor for a sexual offense.

In addition to his role as a Thenn Warg in "Game of Thrones," he is also known for his roles in "Thor", "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "Dumbo."

He was released the same day on $5,000 bail.

Kim Kardashian's sex tape troubles are bubbling up all over again on her new reality show -- only this time, her kid's in the loop ... and it's causing a lot of on-screen drama.

There's a scene in which Kim frets over her 6-year-old boy, Saint, who asked her about a pop-up ad he stumbled upon touting alleged unseen footage from her days with Ray J.

Saint questions her about it and it sends Kim and co. into a frenzy, where she freaks out/phones attorneys, demanding they stay on top of it and threatening legal action against those who might leak any would-be unearthed material that may or may not exist.

Kim says she's about "99.9 sure" there isn't anything else out there -- but clearly, she's worried enough about the prospect of a leak to get all riled up.

Funny enough, this is exactly how their old E! show started way back when ... the series started filming shortly on the heels of her infamous sex tape -- the one that definitely exists -- leaking to the public ... and some say this scene is deja vu, only now with her children.

What's interesting ... Kim is super concerned her kids might learn about all the sex tape drama online, but she's talking about that very thing on the new Hulu series, which then sparks more conversation and makes it more likely her kids will learn about it.

As for any unreleased tape, Kim tells her attorneys in the premiere she's willing to sue over any unreleased footage that might exist/leak, or against anyone who resurfaces her actual sex tape ... and she's pretty emotional. She even calls Kanye in the scene to vent.

As we reported ... Kim's legal team tore into Wack 100 for suggesting there was, in fact, extra footage that Ray was in possession of. Ye himself had to get involved by retrieving an old laptop from RJ ... even though we've been told there's nothing compromising on it.

Simon Cowell is done with face fillers, because he says it turned his mug into a "horror film."

Simon looked ... different at the Kids' Choice Awards 2022 as he sauntered in ... actually, remarkably different -- in a good way.

Simon posed with other judges from "America's Got Talent" ... showing off his new appearance since he has stopped getting Botox treatments.

As for why ... it's the age-old truism -- emphasis on age -- that guys generally look worse when they get shot up with fillers. As Simon put it, he looked "like something out a horror film".

He went even further, confessing his son, Eric, was in hysterics over his filled-in face and that's when he realized enough was enough.

"There was a stage where I might have gone a bit too far. I saw a picture of me from ‘before' the other day, and didn’t recognize it as me first of all" ... he said.

Now, the "American Idol" judge says it's all about having clear skin ... "I probably did have a little too much Botox a couple of years ago, because everyone on TV has it. Now I have facials, but nothing too extravagant at the moment."

Jada Pinkett Smith flew solo Saturday night ... her first public appearance since her husband whacked Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Jade showed up to support her pals, "Grey's Anatomy" creator and EP Shonda Rhimes and Debbie Allen for a gala celebrating the opening of the Rhimes Performing Arts Center in L.A.

Jada mingled with folks in the crowd, including Samuel L. Jackson and his wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson.

Jada and Will Smith have a connection to the venue ... there are several studios inside for the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and one of them is named in honor of Will and Jada.

Jada has been mum over the slap. As you know, her husband is now banned from all Academy events for the next decade and he's resigned from the Academy.

'SNL' hilariously recapped the Will Smith slap, saying despite Jada and Will talking about just about everything in their lives, most people didn't know she had alopecia ... equating it to Kanye getting upset because people didn't know he had psoriasis. (FYI ... he doesn't!).

Colin Jost and Michael Che were hysterical during "Weekend Update." As for Will's 10-year banishment from Academy events, they noted Will can still get nominated and even win another Oscar. As Jost put it ... "He just doesn't have to attend the four-hour ceremony where someone is definitely going to make fun of his wife again."

Che told a super-funny joke about equivalency ... him going out in frigid weather and noting that it's cold out, triggering people who heard him become outraged ... well, watch why -- it's great!