Religion/ Spirituality

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair is issuing a mea culpa to Trevor Lawrence over his controversial hit on Sunday ... saying he never intended to hurt the Jaguars quarterback -- and calling out "racist" and "Islamophobic" fans in the process.

The 27-year-old released the statement on X ... claiming while he always plays with intensity, he doesn't purposely try to take anyone out of competition.

"My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you're still able to get up and play the next play," he said. "And when the game is over go home to your family unharmed because it's not personal it's just competition!"

Bishop T.D. Jakes says his recovery from a massive health issue is miraculous -- 'cause he was rushed to ICU after last week's health issue ... and, he needed emergency surgery.

The megachurch preacher addressed his congregation, The Potter's House, in a video call Sunday ... popping onscreen to a massive standing ovation.

Jakes, of course, praises God for his grace and mercy ... before saying people might not realize it, but seeing him alive is essentially a miracle.

Bishop T.D. Jakes, the founding pastor of a Texas megachurch, is getting tons of well wishes from folks concerned about his scary medical emergency during Sunday's sermon ... including calls from some celebrities.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Jakes is being inundated with calls from all over the world Monday, with people sending their best and hoping for a speedy recovery.

Our sources say Jakes has received thousands of messages ... including from parishioners, various organizations, media outlets, sitting presidents and even celebs.

1:08 PM PT -- Jakes' church -- The Potter's House in Dallas -- just released a statement ... writing the pastor experienced a "slight health incident and received immediate medical attention." He is stable and under a doctor's care.

T.D. Jakes -- a popular Christian pastor -- seemed to have a medical emergency during his Sunday sermon ... convulsing onstage.

The preacher and motivational speaker was speaking to his audience both in the church and at home via streaming ... and, while his voice seemed quiet and he wiped sweat from his brow, nothing appeared out of the ordinary at first.

Check out the vid ... Jakes suddenly stops speaking -- letting his hands fall to his sides, and he begins to shake. Several people from backstage rush to his aid, and the stream cuts out.

A parish in Switzerland is now offering churchgoers a chance to speak directly to God ... or, at least to a representation of him -- with a confessional booth playing host to A.I. Jesus.

St. Peter’s Chapel in Lucerne now has a confessional booth outfitted with the technology, featuring a hologram image of God's only son to ask the world's biggest questions to.

While it's not an alternative to Confession, according to a theologian who works for the church ... our "TMZ on TV" crew talks about possibly telling your sins to the tech -- and whether the A.I. may narc on people.

So, would you confess to A.I. Jesus ... or are you only telling your sins to a human employee of the Big Man?

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

One church in Switzerland is taking religion into the modern age ... introducing an A.I. hologram of Jesus, who is doling out advice to parishioners.

Theologian Marco Schmid, who works for the church, tells TMZ ... the experience is similar to that of a Catholic confession, with churchgoers stepping into a confessional booth at St. Peter’s Chapel in Lucerne for a private moment behind a closed door. However, rather than a priest greeting them behind a screen, the face of A.I. Jesus pops up, looking exactly as you'd expect -- with a young face, long black hair, and a beard.

A.I. Jesus has already left an impact on the faithful, speaking more than 100 languages and moving in sync with the words it dishes out. We're told more than 1,000 conversations have already taken place between churchgoers and the A.I. Immanuel over a 2-month period ... but A.I. Jesus is currently viewed as an experiment, not a permanent replacement for priests. St. Peter's is the oldest Catholic church in the city, BTW.

One of Kanye West's ex-employees is lashing out at his former boss, accusing him in a new lawsuit of antisemitism and lewd conduct with Bianca Censori ... during what were supposed to be work meetings.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Murphy Aficionado says he worked for Ye as a project manager, and claims Kanye was a nightmare boss. According to the suit, Kanye summoned him to a Beverly Hills hotel room in November 2022, and when he entered, Ye was shirtless and out of breath with his pants unbuttoned and his then-girlfriend Bianca was topless with her hands barely covering her breasts. He says it was obvious they had just had sex.

During the encounter, Ye referred to Candace Owens' former lawyer as a "Jewish spy." Then, Aficionado says, Kanye abruptly dashed toward the room where Bianca was and said, "Wait right here. Do NOT leave." He says within seconds he could hear "loud moaning and clapping" and it was apparent they were having sex again.

Nicole Scherzinger is issuing an apology after facing backlash for praising Russell Brand's religion-inspired MAGA hat ... confessing she didn't mean to take a political stance.

The Pussycat Dolls alum posted to her Instagram Stories as word of her seemingly pro-Donald Trump social media activity went viral ... with the singer apologizing if anyone was hurt by her actions.

She wrote ... "I deeply apologize for the hurt caused by my recent engagement with some social media posts. When I commented on these posts, I made the mistake of not realizing that they could be easily interpreted as being politically related and I apologize to anyone who understandably reached that conclusion."

Nicole Scherzinger is catching flak online ... all because she posted a supportive reply to a Russell Brand post about Donald Trump winning the election.

The Pussycat Dolls singer seems to have pissed a lot of folks after asking Russell where to get a red hat with "Make Jesus First Again" stitched on the front.

Russell shared the hat on social media in the wake of Trump's big election win ... and it looks a lot like Trump's red Make America Great Again hats ... with a religious twist.

Tucker Carlson claims he was once violently attacked by a demon as he slept ... and despite all the naysayers ... one paranormal expert absolutely believes him.

Here's the deal ... the popular TV personality appeared in the new documentary, "Christianities?" ... where he revealed he'd once woken up to find huge claw marks on his sides and shoulder -- ones that didn't match his own hands. He says in no uncertain terms ... demon attack!

"Ghost Hunters" star Steve Gonsalves tells TMZ ... those quick with the jokes and totally dismissive should slow their roll ... 'cause something very well could have happened to the dude beyond typical comprehension.

Tucker Carlson is telling his own ghost story for Halloween this year ... claiming a demon attacked him while he slept in bed -- and left visible marks on his body.

The television personality appeared in the new documentary, "Christianities?" ... where he revealed he'd once woken up to find huge claw marks on his sides and shoulder -- ones that didn't match his own hands.

Carlson says Satan's servant didn't wake his wife or dogs -- who TC says are notoriously light sleepers -- but, he had to go to the bathroom to see the damage the supposed demon had done.

Todd Chrisley's looking for work in prison -- he got canned from his job at the prison chapel, all because he was getting too chatty with certain inmates ... TMZ has learned.

The reality TV star's attorney, Jay Surgent, tells us ... Todd was dismissed from his administrative role at the chapel inside FPC Pensacola, where he's locked up.

He says Todd had been assisting a chaplain, helping set up church services for inmates of different faiths -- including Christian, Jewish and Muslim -- and was doing a good job, according to Surgent.

Lana Del Rey and Jeremy Dufrene's wedding was officiated by an important, albeit controversial, spiritual leader ... TMZ has learned.

According to the couple's marriage certificate, which was obtained by TMZ ... Pastor Judah Smith conducted the pair's nuptials down in Louisiana last month, with the Churchome leader signing off on the document.

It's not entirely surprising that Judah oversaw the singer's wedding to her alligator tour guide lover ... Lana included one of his sermons, titled "Judah Smith Interlude," on her ninth studio album, "Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd," last year.

"I'm supporting the president that's going to be the most pro-life president."

That's Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker throwing his weight behind Donald Trump ... while at a campaign event in Missouri, for U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, a buddy of the 3x Super Bowl champion.

"The [Pro-life] topic is the most crucial topic for me," 29-year-old Butker said during an appearance on FOX News' "The Ingraham Angle" on Thursday.

The creative director of Beyoncé's company, Parkwood Entertainment, is catching heat from a congressman ... who thinks an influencer allegedly promoting violence "has no business" shaping culture.

New York Congressman Ritchie Torres took to IG Sunday, posting a screen-cap of an earlier post by Andrew Makadsi depicting a man who reportedly set his arm on fire Saturday at a protest in Washington, D.C. ... Torres accuses Makadsi of glorifying the self-immolation of an anti-Israel activist.

Torres posted on the eve of October 7, which marks a year since Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 251.