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James Corden has retracted the apology he made to an NYC restaurant owner earlier this week ... 'cause he's now saying he did nothing wrong.

'The Late, Late Show' host sat down with the New York Times Thursday and called allegations "silly" ... he acted like a "Cretin" by twice going nuts at Balthazar brasserie in Soho.

"I haven't done anything wrong, on any level. So why would I ever cancel this," Corden told an NYT reporter, referring to their interview after his embarrassing restaurant flap.

Corden goes on ... "I was there. I get it. I feel so Zen about the whole thing. Because I think it's so silly. I just think it's beneath all of us. It's beneath you. It's certainly beneath your publication."

At another point during the interview ... Corden peered over to a customer complaining about her meal in the swanky Mark Restaurant.

"Happens every day," Corden told the reporter. "It's happening in 55,000 restaurants as we speak. It's always about eggs."

Then he got serious ... "Can you imagine now, if we just blasted her on Twitter? Would that be fair? This is my point. It’s insane.”

As we reported ... Corden came under fire Monday after Balthazar owner Keith McNally blasted the funnyman on IG for twice acting like a "tiny Cretin of a man." McNally banned Corden from his restaurant, dubbing the TV host "the most abusive customer" ever. That prompted Corden to call McNally and apologize profusely. As a result, McNally lifted the ban.

Your move, Keith.

Kathy Hilton is doubling down on feelings toward Lisa Rinna and Erika Jayne ... calling them out as villains who are desperate to stir up s*** --  and her recent falling out with her sister Kyle Richards is proof.

We got the 'RHOBH' star and her pal, Faye Resnick, at La Scala in Bev Hills Wednesday ... she says the handwriting's on the wall ... Erika and Lisa are fabricating drama for the show at Kathy and Kyle's expense.

Fans of the show know Lisa and Erika went ham on Kathy, calling her out for badmouthing the cast, including Kyle and her fam -- the explosive reunion episodes showed in living color the toll it all took on the 2 sisters.

Kathy reiterated her ultimatum -- producers are going to have to choose her or the "bullies." Kathy says if the bullies return, she's history.

Kylie Jenner is getting real about her struggles with postpartum depression, admitting she suffered from "saggy t--s" and the "baby blues."

The billionaire cosmetics mogul goes deep about the birth of her second child she shares with Travis Scott during a second season episode of "The Kardashians" Hulu show.

Kylie says, "I cried non-stop all day for the first three weeks. 'It's just the baby blues and then it kinda goes away. I had it with Stormi too." She added, before it went away she had to "lay in bed and my head would hurt so much."

Kylie also offered this ... "Nothing's stopping me [from wearing mini dresses]," she says. "I feel really good about my body. Like, I see my body and I love my body, my saggy t--s."

Kendall reveals she's starting "a new chapter in my career. 818 is my baby. I've been working on it for about five years now and I can't wait to just continue to grow the brand and it is just the best and really crazy."

Well, smart move ... because that's clearly where the money is. Just ask Clooney, Gerber, etc.

Kim Kardashian has big plans for Kris Jenner's hips -- like, the actual bones -- and not to be outdone, her mom wants her own remains turned into dazzlin' accessories.

The odd ideas came up on the latest episode of "The Kardashians" -- as Kris is in recovery mode from hip replacement surgery, a 3-way chat with Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner is what prompts the macabre fashion pieces convo.

Kris says Kim wanted her old hip bones to be saved, so she could turn them into jewelry ... and it's clearly a 2-against-1 conversation in the room, with both daughters finding the idea absurd.

Khloe then goes further, reminding her mom about a similar idea Kris had -- where she wanted her cremated remains to be turned into necklaces.

Clearly, the daughters still aren't diggin' it.

It's an idea that's being put to use, though ... as we reported, Coolio's kids are in the process of designing jewelry that will hold some of their dad's ashes.

Former "Deal or No Deal" model Claudia Jordan is sticking up for the other briefcase models on the game show ... saying Meghan Markle's claims about being "forced" to become a briefcase "bimbo" just ain't right.

The "RHOA" alum joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday, saying she had no clue the Duchess of Sussex had such negative feelings about being on the show ... and felt her comments were a little unfair for the rest of the models.

Meghan felt the models were "objectified" for their looks and were never able to showcase their brains.

Claudia says there were lots of briefcase models with brains, including Stacey Gardner, who passed the bar exam while she was on the show.

But, as Claudia says, it was no secret ... they signed up for a modeling gig, and clearly, Meghan knew that.

Claudia has been a fierce defender of Meghan's, saying the racist treatment she got from the British press and the treatment she generally got from the Royals was appalling, but the "Deal or No Deal" complaint is different.

The New York City restaurant owner who dragged James Corden for his rude behavior is feelin' bad for the talk show host ... even though he's the one who sparked the backlash Corden might be feeling.

Keith McNally, owner of Balthazar in SoHo, took to Instagram Tuesday night ... posting a pic with his daughter and her friend at his restaurant -- no big deal -- but his caption is what sounds odd.

He says he feels strange about "the James Corden thing" ... weighing both sides of the issue -- "he was definitely abusive to my staff, on the other hand, I feel really sorry for him right now. Like most cowards I want it both ways."

He ends his introspective rant with, "F*** it, I’m going to get drunk."

😂 Wow! Dr. Jekyll, meet Mr. Hyde much? Of course, McNally's remorse comes after he lifted Corden's ban from the restaurant.

The Internet seems to be torn over the whole ordeal ... with some defending McNally in his comments for defending his staff -- while others are seeing this as just a way for him to fill seats.

Some other famous NYC restaurateurs have even vouched for Corden.

As we reported, McNally claimed Corden was incredibly abusive to his staff on at least 2 occasions while eating there -- so much so, in fact, he felt compelled to out him publicly ... something that's almost never done by high-end restaurant owners.

James Corden has at least 2 NYC restaurant owners in his corner ... they say he's been a model customer, despite some alleged nasty behavior at other establishments.

While James was briefly banned at Big Apple hotspot Balthazar, the owner of some of NYC's top restaurants tells us JC was always super polite and cordial at his restaurants.

Stratis Morfogen has opened 40 restaurants over the years in New York, and he says James is one of the most pleasant and funny guys he's ever served -- to the point where Stratis says he can't even imagine James being mean.

When Stratis hosted and catered a 2018 post-Grammys event for Bruno Mars and Atlantic Records at his Brooklyn Chop House restaurant, he says James was there singing songs with bartenders and yukking it up with staffers at the bar. He also notes James was a gracious tipper.

James is also being defended by famed restaurateur Todd English ... who tells us every time he's served Corden, the comedian's been "absolutely lovely" to everyone in the joint.

Todd, who's been the head chef at Tony Awards afterparties, says James was always "incredibly personable" to him and his staff who traveled from Todd English's Olives in Las Vegas.

As we reported, James was called out this week by Balthazar owner Keith McNally, who accused Corden of being a "cretin of a man" for what he claims was abhorrent behavior at his highly acclaimed establishment.

McNally initially banned James from the restaurant, but says Corden called him up and apologized ... and the ban's since been lifted.

Stratis tells us he was shocked McNally would rip James on social media, because he says he's never heard any of his restaurateur friends talk about James in a negative light.

"Storage Wars" star Rene Nezhoda has a new way to make a quick buck ... and no, it ain't bargain hunting -- he took home the pot at a South American poker tournament, winning some serious cash!!!

Rene tells TMZ ... he beat 339 other players to take 1st place at the Enjoy Poker Tour in Punta Del Este, Uruguay over the weekend. That was after he also placed 11th in the High Roller event.

The storage hunter won a total of $70,455 for his victory in the main event -- some big poker players like Phil Hellmuth and Chris Moneymaker shouted him out on Twitter, congratulating him on his big W.

The event, hosted by America's Cardroom, seemed to wear down Rene a little bit ... saying he started out strong but would begin to get some pushback from the other players.

Kaley Cuoco says she's gained an added appreciation for flight attendants after playing one on TV, and she actually has a progressive proposal for you frequent fliers -- open your wallets for in-flight service.

We got Kaley at LAX Tuesday and our photog asked if her experience on the HBO Max series "The Flight Attendant" is changing her personal travel routines at all.

Kaley says she sees flight attendants differently now that she knows the ins and outs of their day-to-day lives ... and she's encouraging folks to show them love, especially in the form of tips.

It's fitting we got Kaley at the airport getting ready to board a plane ... she says she didn't really need to bone up on flight attendants to prepare for her role, because she was already flying so much.

Meghan Markle says she was reduced to "bimbo" status after her stint on "Deal or No Deal" ... the question -- what on earth was she expecting from the show?

The Duchess of Sussex expressed her grievances on the new episode of her "Archetypes" podcast. She said the job was all about looks, and not smarts, complaining many of her briefcase-toting cohorts were super smart, but producers didn't care.

Gotta ask ... what did she think she signed up for ... wearing sexy dresses and striking poses as she cracked a big smile and opened the case. That was the job.

What's more  ... there were no surprises here. Meghan joined the show in season 2, so it was apparent to anyone who watched ... the briefcase models were not there to show off their intellect.

She admits she was grateful to land the job, especially getting something that was secure and paid the bills ... but she couldn't help but think back to her past work as an intern at the U.S. Embassy.

Meghan eventually became a series regular on USA Network's "Suits" in 2011 ... staying until 2018 -- when she married Prince Harry.

Selma Blair is saying farewell to "Dancing with the Stars" ... but rocked the ballroom one more time, as she departs due to growing health concerns and her latest MRIs.

Selma made a tearful exit Monday night, when she performed for the final time with her dance partner Sasha Farber, and she had the whole crowd on its feet.

You'll recall, she opened up about her multiple sclerosis diagnosis back in 2018, yet she battled through the pain to compete for several weeks. Selma's now making it clear her body had reached its limit ... and that became clear after a recent test.

During rehearsals, she said ... "I had MRIs and the results came back, and it all adds up to, I can't go on with the competition." She was not specific about an injury or what part of her body required the MRI.

Selma continued, "I've pushed as far as I could. With a chronic illness, you do have special considerations, and my body has taken a hit. It's way too much for the safety of my bones. I could do extensive damage that I, of course, do not want."

We talked to SB a few years ago about her diagnosis, and she said she had been doing much better than it seemed at that time.

Selma closed out her impressive run with Sasha, as they danced to "What the World Needs Now Is Love."

James Corden might be Mr. Nice Guy on camera -- but, according to one restaurant owner, the dude's been incredibly nasty on more than one occasion while dining.

The 'Late, Late Show' host was in the crosshairs of restaurateur Keith McNally -- who owns the highly acclaimed Balthazar in NYC, and who went on the attack Monday on IG ... calling JC a "cretin of a man" for what he claims was abhorrent behavior at his establishment.

McNally alleges that James was incredibly abusive to his staff on at least two occasions while eating there -- so much so, in fact, he felt compelled to out him publicly ... something that's almost never done by high-end restaurant owners.

The guy details two alleged incidents in which he says James lost his cool to the point of absurdity. In one alleged instance, McNally says James demanded two free rounds of drinks for him and his friends after he presented a hair that was found on his food.

McNally claims James said, "Get us another round of drinks this second. And also take care of all of our drinks so far," adding, "This way I (won't) write any nasty reviews in Yelp or anything like that."

In another alleged episode, McNally claims James went even crazier on employees. He alleges James flipped out when an egg yolk omelette his wife had ordered was found to have a little egg white in it. McNally says James told the staff, who remade it ... but mistakenly sent it back out with fries instead of a salad like his wife had initially asked.

McNally claims James went ballistic, allegedly tearing into the waiter and saying they couldn't do their jobs -- and even allegedly suggesting he go back into the kitchen to cook it himself.

Corden has now been banned from Balthazar.

James -- a big-time foodie -- was apparently able to be appeased in the end, McNally claims, but he goes on to allege James has acted similarly at another restaurant of his as well in the city.

We've reached out to James' camp for comment ... so far, no word back.

Jeffrey Dahmer-inspired Halloween costumes have already gotten a ton of backlash, but more than anything they're evil and exploit families ... so says one victim's mom, who is urging folks to stay clear of them.

Tony Hughes was a deaf, non-vocal victim among the 17 young men murdered by Dahmer. His mom, Shirley, tells TMZ … it's already super triggering to see a hit Netflix series about the serial killer, much less folks dressing like the killer.

Most big retail stores have opted out of selling JD costumes given all the outrage, but many folks have flocked to online stores, such as eBay, to sell Jeffrey Dahmer costume props ... including blonde wigs, retro-style tops and even the wire-rimmed glasses.

Shirley says it hurts for Netflix and all the online stores to profit off her son's death, while none of the victims' families have seen a dime. She feels all the eBay ads should be taken down ... or at the very least, give the profits to the families.

While folks are able to dress like Dahmer for fun, the pain never goes away for Shirley. She says, if Netflix hadn't streamed the show, none of the families would be re-victimized ... and then there'd be no Dahmer costumes this year.

Dahmer was sentenced to life in prison in 1992 ... he was beaten to death in prison in 1994.

'SNL's cold open Saturday night was a hilarious gag on the January 6th Committee's closing arguments, but one line produced a gasp from the audience -- when 'Donald Trump' asked someone during the insurrection if the rioters made good on their threat to hang Mike Pence.

The casting was fantastic ... from Kenan Thompson who played Chairman Bennie Thompson, who introduced "a team of monotone nerds to do a PowerPoint."

'Liz Cheney' explained she's as tough as she is because she has "Big Dick Cheney energy!"

Then 'Rep. Jamie Raskin' read from the ominous message board with questions the day of the attempted coup, including ... "Is there a shuttle from LaQuinta Inn to coup?" and "Am I at wrong Washington? I see space needle."

Maybe the most hilarious part was video of the Capitol bunker, where 'Nancy Pelosi' and 'Chuck Schumer' were hunkered down. Pelosi -- played remarkably by Chloe Fineman -- was a bad ass, while Schumer was obsessed with getting lunch and sucking up to Pence!

Jesse Williams, the star of an upcoming Broadway play, "Take Me Out," is pleading with a judge to cut him a break, so COVID doesn't take him out.

You see, Jesse is being sued over a car crash and the lawyer for the other driver has subpoenaed the actor to sit for a deposition. Jesse is afraid the close quarters during the depo will expose him to the virus. If he gets sick, well he'll violate the Broadway mantra, "The show must go on!" In other words, if there's no Jesse, there's no play.

It's not that Jesse doesn't want his depo taken -- he's more than willing to do it over Zoom -- but he says an in-person depo is just too risky.

As for the lawsuit, as we reported ... the woman in the other car claims the "Grey's Anatomy" star rear-ended her and then fled the scene.

Jeffrey Dahmer costumes might not be on the shelves at major stores this Halloween ... but that isn't stopping folks from hawking the killer costume online.

Tons of costume items inspired by the serial killer are up for sale on eBay, despite outrage from folks who say the costume, given Dahmer's history, is just downright disrespectful.

Folks on the site are selling everything from Jeffrey Dahmer-style glasses to a shirt similar to the one worn by actor Evan Peters in the new Netflix series. Some of the props for sale are made for children's costumes ... like a JD-inspired wig.

One kid already had social media up in arms after his rendition of the killer went viral, with folks suggesting anyone in Dahmer gear should be beaten up.

Halloween costume retailers Spirit, Halloween.com, and Party City all are not selling any official Jeffrey Dahmer costumes.

Dahmer killed 17 people and was convicted of 16 murders and sentenced to life in prison in 1992. He was beaten to death behind bars.