Controversial S#!T

The K-pop group Kiss of Life is apologizing for all the distress a recent video they posted caused ... claiming they weren't trying to be racist while dancing to 50 Cent's "In da Club."

The band -- which boasts nearly 300K fans on X -- shared a handwritten apology Saturday admitting they erred by posting the recent birthday clip.

ICYMI ... the four bandmembers shared a clip where they danced to the hit 2003 track -- while wearing their hats askew and big gold chains around their necks, basically parodying clothing some rappers might wear.

The artist of the Donald Trump's portrait in the Colorado Capitol Building is firing back at the president's claims she distorted his image for political reasons ... insisting she didn't do that, and adding his comments have hurt her career.

Sarah A. Boardman -- the artist who painted the controversial portrait of the Commander-In-Chief -- finally released a statement Saturday firing back at President Trump after he claimed she "must have lost her talent as she got older."

Boardman says the Colorado State Capitol Advisory Committee, Denver commissioned her to paint the portrait ... and the committee signed off on all progress photos she provided along the way as well as the final product itself.

Bri Stern -- Andrew Tate's ex-girlfriend who is suing him for allegedly attacking her during sex -- is now speaking out against the self-proclaimed misogynist ... saying while their relationship was initially loving, it took a dark turn.

Stern sat down for a full interview with the Daily Mail, published Friday ... and, she opened up about the early days of their relationship, noting everything was wonderful early on.

Stern says a mutual friend hooked her up with Tate ... describing him as a "big teddy bear" -- claiming she knew nothing about his controversial internet comments before meeting him and his brother Tristan in Romania.

President Trump's no-nonsense Attorney General Pam Bondi has made it clear she wants Luigi Mangione executed for allegedly committing murder — and, if she gets her way, the 26-year-old Ivy League grad faces a torturous fate, TMZ has learned.

TMZ interviewed University of Richmond Law Professor Corinna Lain, who provided us with a road map of what Luigi can potentially expect if he is federally convicted of stalking and murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

The federal prosecutor presents aggravating factors to the court after a conviction, and the jury must unanimously agree on those factors before the judge decides whether to impose the death penalty. In federal cases, the death penalty typically results in lethal injection.

"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" might be a cultural phenomenon now ... but, while filming the pilot, the production had a shoestring budget -- and made a coarse decision about a cast member's health.

Audri DuBois -- the original Yellow Power Ranger in the pilot episode -- tells the story on the next episode of "Hollywood Demons" titled "Dark Side of the Power Rangers" ... explaining the OG episode was shot in the desert in 110-degree heat.

DuBois says one of the actors -- playing a villainous character -- was decked out in a wetsuit and rubber mask ... and, he suffered heatstroke mid-shoot, collapsing to the ground.

Gayle King is catching some flak online after casually using a gay slur on live TV ... throwing it out in the middle of a joke she was quoting.

The TV host was interviewing Matteo Lane -- a well-known author and comedian -- on "CBS Mornings" about his new book "Your Pasta Sucks: A Cookbook" ... when she quoted one of Lane's jokes back at him.

King says, "Can we talk about the stand-up? Can I just say one joke? I hope I don't get in trouble. You do a riff about white women who approached you, and they said something about cooking, and you said, 'What in the f****try are you talking about?'"

Onijah Robinson is back in New York City after going viral in Pakistan ... and she says she married her online boyfriend after all -- despite being accused of catfishing him.

We got Onijah outside Brooklyn Chop House Steakhouse and our photog asked her about her viral trip to Pakistan and Dubai.

Onijah got famous on the internet this year after going to Pakistan to marry a 19-year-old man she met online. She reportedly catfished him by using a filter in video chats to look like a white woman with blonde hair and he refused to marry her, resulting in her demanding money from the Pakistani government.

Russell Brand's legal trouble has people looking through old clips ... including one where the star said he could get his assistant to do anything -- like get naked and massage a radio DJ.

The comedian -- who was charged with rape and sexual assault among other crimes Friday -- was chatting on the phone in an interview aired on BBC 2 Radio with media personality Jimmy Savile way back in 2007 ... and, he told Jimmy he'd love to meet him someday.

Jimmy joked he doesn't meet men alone ... but, if Brand has a sister he'd happily meet her. RB responded by saying he doesn't have a sis -- but, he does have an assistant ... who "greets, meets and massages" anyone he tells her to.

Russell Brand is now facing rape and sexual assault charges for 4 separate alleged incidents, dating as far back as 1999.

The comedian was hit with with one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape and 2 counts of sexual assault ...  this according to London's Metropolitan Police Service.

Detectives began investigating the comedian after a series of allegations were made against him in 2023 ... and, they now allege Brand committed a series of assaults between 1999 and 2005.

8:55 AM PT -- The NBA just announced it's fined Ja Morant $75,000 for the finger-gun gestures.

In announcing the punishment, the league noted it warned Morant prior to Thursday's Grizzlies vs. Heat tilt that the acts "could be interpreted in a negative light."

Ja Morant made more references to firearms on Thursday night ... just hours after the NBA reportedly told him not to.

Evidence is mounting that Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre may have lied about the seriousness of her car wreck in Australia last month, according to a report.

Multiple parents of children on a school bus that collided with Giuffre's car blasted the Epstein accuser, with one calling her a liar for saying she only had four days to live.

The parents told London's Telegraph newspaper their kids quickly dismissed the accident as nothing more than a "small crash" after exiting the bus to assess the damage. They also reportedly blasted Giuffre's characterization that she suffered life-threatening injuries.

Bianca Censori has split from Kanye West and Ye desperately wants her back, at least according to the rapper's new song.

In a new song titled, "BIANCA," Ye's lyrics make it appear his wife left him over his social media rants where he voiced his support for Nazis and Adolf Hitler.

On the track, Ye raps, “My baby she ran away / But first she tried to get me committed / Not going to the hospital ’cause I am not sick I just do not get it.”

A man dressed in what looks like a security uniform was caught masturbating near a Metrorail stop in the city ... but we're told he's not a transit security guard, even though he looks like one.

Here's the deal ... a video of a man going to town on himself is circulating online right now -- capturing this individual in a dark blue shirt under a reflective safety vest doing the deed in full view of anyone walking by.

This prompted many online to identify him as Metrorail guard -- a security officer who keeps people at these rail stops safe.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is reportedly facing charges of having sex with trafficked women in Romania ... allegedly accepting sex with several women as a "gift."

According to CNN affiliate, Antena 3, the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) has filed a criminal complaint against Van Damme claiming he knowingly had sex with several women who were being trafficked.

Per the report, the actor allegedly met with several people also under investigation for sex trafficking crimes who offered to let him have sex with 5 Romanian models as a "gift."

The NBA is, once again, looking into an incident involving Ja Morant and a possible connection to firearms.

League insider Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Association officials have launched an investigation into the Grizzlies superstar ... after he was seen making finger-gun gestures in Memphis' tilt with Golden State on Tuesday night.

Ja appeared to form his hands into mini guns ... and then aim them at Buddy Hield, who had been talking some smack to the Grizzlies guard just moments prior. The two guys both ended up getting technicals for their roles in the tiff.