Denzel Washington Walks Back 'Gladiator II' Same-Sex Kiss Claim ... After Director Calls 'Bulls***'

Denzel Washington is walking back his claim a same-sex kiss was cut from "Gladiator II" ... after director Ridley Scott said the lip lock "didn't happen."

We're not sure what was more tense at the Los Angeles premiere for the 'Gladiator' sequel ... the action on the big screen, or Denzel and Ridley addressing the now debated man-on-man smooch.

Denzel, who plays a former slave-turned-arms dealer named Macrinus in the flick, said the reaction to his comments was "much ado about nothing" ... accusing the media of making it more than it was.

John Stamos Trolled for Wearing Bald Cap With Dave Coulier Shaves Friend's Head Amid Chemo Treatment

UPDATE

9:20 AM PT -- Dave Coulier responded to the John Stamos haters this morning on his Instagram.

"I'm sorry to see a bunch of negative comments as I've just begun my cancer journey.

"It's our friendship (me and John) and this is how we are handling a very tough time. I'm a comedian and humor is what drives me. John knows how to cheer me up and I laughed out loud when he arrived wearing a bald cap - being a true and loving friend and brother."

John Stamos is showing solidarity with his friend and former TV castmate Dave Coulier during his battle with an aggressive cancer, but some people online are taking issue with his method ... calling him insufficiently committed to the cause.

Stamos posted a few pics on Instagram of fellow "Full House" actor Coulier, featuring Stamos wearing a bald cap and shaving Coulier's head, who's going through chemotherapy treatment after his recent cancer diagnosis.

Coulier is battling stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer. The pic shows Stamos shaving Coulier's head, and the friends are both smiling ... as Stamos acknowledges he used a little Photoshop magic to make the bald wig blend. A third shot shows Dave's wife, Melissa, and John both kissing Dave's freshly shaved dome.

TMZ TV HOT TAKES DID RFK JR. EAT BURGER WITH TRUMP?!?

President-elect Donald Trump tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Make American Healthy Again ... so you can imagine our suprise when RFK was photographed with a plate of fast food on a private jet with Trump and Elon Musk.

RFK Jr. has been railing against bad things in our food for years, so it's fair to wonder if he actually took a bite of the McDonald's burger, nuggets and fries he was given for a photo op on a plane ride to Mar-a-Lago ... and we examine it all on today's edition of TMZ TV Hot Takes.

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NOT LOVIN' IT!!!
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Check out the clip from "TMZ Live" ... Harvey and Charles kick start the debate ... did RFK Jr. really eat the Golden Arches. Some of us in the office are having a hard time believing it, and the picture kinda says it all.

Did RFK Jr. Eat The Burger?

So, was RFK having a break ... or was he not loving it?!?

Grey Cup Woman Runs On Field Fully Naked!!!

Talk about a halftime show ... a woman jumped onto the field during the CFL's Grey Cup championship game -- FULLY NAKED!

It all went down at BC Place Stadium in British Columbia, Canada, where the Toronto Argonauts faced the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for the 111th Grey Cup (think their Super Bowl.)

The place was packed with over 52,000 fans (including Prince Harry, Jason Kelce and the Jonas Brothers) when a woman jumped on the field in the fourth quarter.

Kristin Cavallari Friend Claims She Hooked Up w/ Jason Statham ... Wild End to Viral Trend

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SPILLING THE BEANS

Kristin Cavallari may have slept with a major movie star ... 'cause her friend shouted out she and Jason Statham hooked up in a viral video trend.

Here's the deal ... Kristin Cavallari and her longtime pal Justin Anderson participated in the "Suspect" trend on social media -- the video trend where friends yell out "Suspect is..." followed by brutally honest, often hilarious facts, about one another.

Kristin and Justin's is no different ... with the two trading barbs -- including one where Justin says "Suspect's hottest hookup that she's never told anyone about was with Jason Statham."

Josh Brolin Mom Sent Wild Animals After Me ... 'Cleaning Up Fresh Bloody Marks'

Josh Brolin's telling all about his relationship with his mother in his new memoir ... touching on her drinking -- and, mentioning one scary trick his mother used to pull on him.

The actor sat down for an interview with The Times -- published Saturday -- to talk about his book, "From Under the Truck," a reference to a night of heavy drinking that ended with his mother's boyfriend literally passed out underneath a vehicle.

In the article, the interviewier mentions a story Brolin relays in the book ... about how his mother Jane -- a wildlife conservationist -- would often yell at "Sic 'em" to any wild animals like courgars, coyotes, bobcats and the like nearby which would then usually take off after Josh and his brother Jess.

TMZ TV HOT TAKE KANYE SUED OVER SEX, SWASTIKAS

Kanye West is being sued for his sex life and fashion choices ... and we discuss it all on this edition of TMZ TV Hot Take.

Check out the clip from "TMZ Live" ... Harvey and Charles break down the latest lawsuit against Ye.

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HOSTILE WORKPLACE
TMZ.com

Basically, a former employee claims Kanye summoned him to a couple hotel room meetings where he took breaks to go bang Bianca Censori ... and came out of the sex romp room wearing some Nazi gear.

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

Chrishell Stause Back Filming 'Selling Sunset' ... Promised She Wouldn't Return if Nicole Did

Chrishell Stause is back on "Selling Sunset" ... this despite saying she'd only film with Nicole Young again if the show forked over some serious dough.

Sources connected to the show tell TMZ ... Chrishell and Nicole are currently filming season 9 of the hit house-selling show after Chrishell said publicly in September that she wouldn't come back to the show if Nicole returned.

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She later amended her statement ... saying in an interview she'd come back if the production team would "add a zero" to her check -- but, still it seemed unlikely the two would share the screen again.

Amanda Serrano Walks Back Claims Katie Taylor Kept Headbutting Her ... Shouldn't Disrespect Her

Amanda Serrano's issuing a mea culpa after accusing Katie Taylor of intentionally headbutting her repeatedly ... taking to X to tell everyone she was way out of line with her previous comments.

Here's the deal ... Amanda and Katie brawled just before Jake Paul took on Mike Tyson down in Dallas Friday night -- and, during the fight -- Katie's forehead came up and smacked Amanda right above the eye.

Taylor won the fight by unanimous decision ... and, Serrano and her trainer weren't happy with the decision -- with Serrano telling the post-match interviewer it seemed intentional 'cause Taylor does it in every fight.

'Gladiator II' Denzel's Gay Kiss Not Scripted ... Improvised Take Among Several Not Used

Denzel Washington threw some shade at the producers of "Gladiator II" when he talked about a gay kiss he had in the film that was cut, allegedly over cold feet ... but it seems there is more to the story, TMZ is told.

A production source tells us ... the moment in question happened, but it was not in the script -- and done during an improvised take of which there were many for the scene.

The kiss take -- and other improvised takes -- ended up on the cutting room floor as a story choice. No prejudice went into making the decision, we're told.

Scandinavian Airlines Buckle Up, Folks!!! Scary Turbulence Forces Flight to U-Turn

A Scandinavian Airlines flight experienced such an extreme case of turbulence, the Miami-bound flight was forced to pull a U-turn and return to Europe ... and the harrowing ordeal was caught on video.

The Thursday flight departed Stockholm, Sweden and was already more than halfway to its final destination in Florida when it pulled a U-ey due to turbulence over Greenland ... later making an emergency landing in Copenhagen, Denmark to make sure all was well after the dramatic jolt.

Check it out ... passengers were lifted out of their seats -- some even hitting the ceiling -- screaming out as the plane pulsed up and down in the air. Food, personal belongings, and a bunch of other random items were thrown around the cabin ... which was packed with 254 passengers inside.

Grizzly Insurance Scheme This Criminal Fraud Scheme Is Un-Bearable!!!

Four people got mauled by the criminal justice system ... after they dressed up in a bear costume and allegedly damaged several cars as part of a bizarre insurance fraud scheme in Southern California, authorities said.

Ruben Tamrazian, Ararat Chirkinian, Vahe Muradkhanyan and Alfiya Zuckerman were arrested Wednesday on charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy, but investigators didn't know which one sported the furry animal attire, according to the California Department of Insurance.

The L.A. area suspects are accused of scratching and tearing up 3 of their vehicles -- and filing bogus claims to insurance companies to collect a total of $141,839 in damages.

JoJo Siwa Resurfaces With Iced Coffee in Hand ... After Vanishing Over Beyoncé Comment

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COFFEE BREAK
BACKGRID

JoJo Siwa is ready to face the world again after a controversial fall ... stepping out in Los Angeles for the first time in over a month for a few caffeine-fueled errands.

Check it out ... the "Dance Moms" alum is back to business after upsetting some Beyoncé fans who thought she mocked the singer at the Industry Dance Awards in October. Seemingly shaking off the backlash, JoJo hits up a local coffee shop in L.A., where she gets a little work done on her computer -- even making time for a sweet selfie with a fan.

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JoJo seems pretty energized to get back out in the public eye ... and the massive coffee in her hand may have something to do with the pep in her step.

Dwayne Johnson 'Red One' Needs 'Oppenheimer'-Size Screen ... Comparison Trolled Online

Dwayne Johnson is comparing his new flick "Red One" to "Oppenheimer" ... and, his take is bombing online -- with fans calling it laughable to stack up the 2 films.

Here's the deal ... in a clip posted online by IMAX, Johnson told a story about going to see Christopher Nolan's World War II epic while filming his Christmas flick, "Red One" -- saying he went to the same theater where Nolan watches his films and even sat in the director's preferred chair.

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JUST AS GOOD

While DJ says he was impressed, he claims he immediately thought about the possibilities regarding 'R1' ... basically, if you put the film in an IMAX theater it would be "game over."

Pete Hegseth Hits Bystander With Axe on Fox News ... Can He Cut It as Defense Secretary???

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LOOK OUT!!!
Fox

Pete Hegseth's nomination by Donald Trump for U.S. Secretary of Defense has sparked quite a bit of chatter ... especially regarding the Fox News host's aim -- or lack thereof.

Footage from Pete's early Fox News days has resurfaced amid news of his big nomination ... showing the Army National Guard officer participating in an axe-throwing contest against then-costar Clayton Morris on "Fox & Friends." Despite Pete's military training, he struggles to make contact with the target ... instead striking an innocent bystander with the tool.

Check it out ... Pete stands directly in front of a wooden platform with a large target situated on top. Pete throws the axe at the bullseye, but it doesn't even make contact ... instead flying above and hitting a member of a drum corps standing on the other side.

Veterans Day Chinese Plane Front-and-Center In Gov't Org's Veterans Salute

A U.S. Government agency's effort to honor those who've served with a Veterans Day social media tribute is, instead, pissing off a whole lot of people.

In a since-deleted post, the Instagram account for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office posted in honor of vets, uploading an image of a fighter plane beneath a banner featuring the American flag.

However, it didn't take long for some eagle-eyed followers to clock that the organization had included a Chinese stealth fighter instead of America's famed F-35 jet ... and mercilessly roasted the JPO for doing so.