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Neil deGrasse Tyson says the new NASA telescope observing the origins of the early universe isn't a shot across the bow at religion ... but being flexible is the key.

The famed astrophysicist joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked if the research being done using the $10 billion Webb space telescope could challenge the foundations of religion.

Neil says the telescope, which launched into space on Christmas, will be used to fill in some gaps with the big bang theory ... but he's not buying the argument that such research will clash with generations of folks who believe God created the universe in 6 days.

The way Neil sees it ... religious folks are becoming more flexible and looking at things in a more spiritual sense ... so new discoveries won't cut to the core of belief systems.

English actor Rachel Weisz was in her twenties when she uncovered her breakout role as the Egyptologist Evelyn "Evie" Carnahan -- who goes on an epic adventure in the sands of the Sahara Desert -- in the iconic 1999 action movie "The Mummy" and the 2001 follow-up film "The Mummy Returns."

Rachel Weisz shared the big screen with some real-life stars including John Hannah as the adventurous older brother, Jonathan Carnahan ... and of course THE Brendan Fraser as the treasure chasing dreamboat, Rick O'Connell.

RW went on to act in an impressive list of movies and has won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

The woman who was arrested for getting violent with an older man over masks on a Delta flight made a smart-aleck remark about Rosa Parks ... and it sounds like it triggered the incident.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the arrested air traveler, Patricia Cornwall, a realtor and former NFL cheerleader, was returning from the restroom at the back of the plane when she encountered a flight attendant working the beverage cart, blocking the aisle.

Cornwall allegedly asked the flight attendant for help finding her seat and was told to find an open seat until beverage service was over, because it was a short flight.

Well, that seemed to piss off Cornwall ... the docs say she responded to the flight attendant, "What am I Rosa Parks?" ... and that's when her alleged victim told her she "isn't Black ... this isn't Alabama and this isn't a bus."

The docs say Cornwall then turned her attention towards the man, who told her to "sit down Karen" and prompted her to respond, "sit down p****" ... among other derogatory comments hurled from both sides.

The docs say Cornwall then struck the 80-year-old male passenger with a closed fist, hitting him in the head and injuring him before spitting at him for bad measure.

As we reported ... video shows Cornwall going nuts last week on the Delta flight from Tampa to Atlanta, getting in the guy's face over his lack of a mask before punching him, spitting and needing to be forcibly restrained.

Cornwall's got an interesting career history too ... she's reportedly a realtor specializing in luxury properties who also used to be a cheerleader for the NFL's Raiders franchise back in the day.

The Atlanta Police Department tells TMZ ... cops responded to a disturbance call involving an unruly passenger and when they got to the gate for the arriving flight, passengers leaving the plane told them Cornwall caused a ruckus in the air.

Police say both passengers and Delta employees were injured in the in-flight scrap, and they detained Cornwall and contacted the FBI after gathering statements and observing visible evidence ... she was then taken into federal custody.

The docs say Cornwall has been hit with an assault charge ... and she can't travel on a commercial airline except to go home.

Madonna is beefing with Tory Lanez ... she says he's using one of her famous songs without her permission, and that's illegal!

Madonna called out the rapper on Instagram, leaving a comment on one of his recent posts and claiming "illegal usage" of her song, "Into The Groove."

It sounds like Madonna even slid in his direct messages to tell him off ... she's demanding he read his messages.

The song in question here is Tory's recent track, "Pluto's Last Comet" ... and he's been promoting it on his social media ... but Madonna's clearly not a fan. She believes the song -- especially the beginning instrumental -- is a rip-off of her earlier work.

As you know ... Tory's been getting himself into tons of trouble recently, mainly with his Megan Thee Stallion shooting case.

As we reported, a cop took the stand earlier this month and claimed TL shouted "Dance bitch, dance!" while firing gunshots at the ground near Megan's feet, subsequently injuring her.

TMZ broke the story ... a cast member on 'Love & Hip Hop: Miami" claimed back in May he needed medical attention after Tory allegedly attacked him at a nightclub.

Now, Madonna's taking issue with Tory ... though it's unclear if she's preparing to take legal action.

Diddy is doing the responsible thing with his enormous, annual New Year's Eve bash ... he's giving it the ax as the pandemic takes a turn for the worse.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... the mogul was planning to throw his annual NYE party in Miami Friday night, for 500 of his closest friends, but earlier this month he decided to cancel the whole thing due to rising COVID cases in Florida and across the nation.

This will be the second year in a row Diddy's NYE bash was put on ice.

Diddy hosted the party yearly before the pandemic hit, and the celebrity guest list was insane as you might imagine, but he also was forced to cancel in 2020, because most people had not yet been vaccinated.

Still, the Omicron variant is coming with a bunch of breakthrough cases for the vaccinated ... so it's the safe play to sideline the NYE soiree again.

The last time Diddy had his NYE party was back in 2019, when a bunch of celebs crammed into Story Nightclub in Miami ... including Fat Joe, Winnie Harlow, Meek Mill, DaBaby and DJ Khaled.

Robert Pattinson is oozing sex appeal as the new Batman ... going impressively shirtless and getting super close with co-star Zoe Kravitz.

The hunk is playing Bruce Wayne in the latest Batman movie, "The Batman," and the new trailer dropped Monday ... and it's heavy on sexuality and violence.

Robert's showing off his super-toned body ... there's a few shots of him without a shirt ... and the dude is jacked!!!

The new film, which hits theaters in March, plays up Batman and Catwoman joining forces to fight crime and face off with The Riddler ... and it looks like there's plenty of sparks between Robert and Zoe.

The sneak peek shows Zoe rocking a bunch of different looks and hairstyles as Catwoman ... and it appears she and Robert are super flirty with each other ... and for good reason, they're both smoking hot!!!

The Batman lineage is littered with handsome dudes like Ben Affleck, Christian Bale and George Clooney ... but Robert is giving them a serious run for their money.

Jeff Lewis was in terrible shape after coming down with COVID, saying it spread like crazy at his holiday party, but adding, "That was an epic party. It was so worth almost dying for."

First off ... not a great thing to say because people really are dying. That said, according to Jeff, the party went down December 21st ... it was a Christmas bash he threw for 30 of his employees and others.

Jeff said on his SiriusXM radio show ... a bunch of people, including himself, began testing positive in the days that followed, including his co-host Megan Weaver, his assistant Shane Douglas, "Shahs of Sunset" star Mercedes Javid Feight, actress Monika Casey and his bf Scott Anderson.

Jeff says they took precautions at the party -- held at the L.A. home of Lea Black from "Real Housewives of Miami" fame. He says "People are saying we're reckless and stupid. No we're not, f***ers. We were all vaccinated and we had a nurse there testing all of us before we even went in the door."

And, Jeff went on to say he had a terrible case ... he was delirious with a fever that spiked as high as 104.5. Weaver echoed the pain, saying, "I was in a ball, shaking, chills, body aches, the whole thing."

Lewis says things turned around after a doctor came to his home and gave him monoclonal antibody therapy. He says things turned around in 12 hours.

He says his 4-year-old daughter, Monroe, is staying with her other dad, Gage Edward.

Jean-Marc Vallee, the director of "Dallas Buyers Club," "Sharp Objects," and "Big Little Lies," has died ... and it was both sudden and unexpected.

Vallee passed near Quebec City, at his cabin.

His producing partner, Nathan Ross, said ... "Jean-Marc stood for creativity, authenticity and trying things differently. He was a true artist and a generous, loving guy. Everyone who worked with him couldn't help but see the talent and vision he possessed. He was a friend, creative partner and an older brother to me. The maestro will sorely be missed but it comforts knowing his beautiful style and impactful work he shared with the world will live on."

Vallee was acclaimed in his field, and the awards underscore his achievements. He received an Oscar nom for editing "Dallas Buyers Club," and snagged 2 Emmys for directing and producing "Big Little Lies." "Sharp Objects" was nominated for Emmys 8 times over.

Vallee's big break came with "C.R.A.Z.Y.," which he directed and wrote.

Vallee is survived by sons Alex and Emile.

He was 58. RIP

LeBron James seems to agree with Jay-Z -- that no one can stand on the same stage with him for a 'Verzuz' -- and maybe, just maybe, he feels the same way about himself on a basketball court.

LBJ was definitely feeling good Sunday night ... rapping along, line-by-line, to Jay's "Imaginary Player" while in the middle of what looks like a pretty swanky evening with his wife, Savannah, and friends.

What's interesting is ... the video plays like a public service announcement to all the haters dissing the Lakers for their sub-par season -- they're only 16-18 right now. Check the look on LeBron's face as he drops lines like, "Y'all rapping ass n***as, y'all funny to me ... Selling records, being you, but still you wanna be me."

As we previously reported ... Jay-Z recently shot down any hopes he would do a "Verzuz" battle, boasting there's no one on his level in hip-hop who even deserves to stand on a stage with him.

It's no secret LeBron's a big fan of Jigga -- so, you'd expect him to ride with Mr. Carter, but it's also clear certain Jay tracks are really speaking to the Lakers superstar right now.

BTW, LeBron's biz partner, Maverick Carter, joined in later, rapping with him to "Hova Song." Remember, Maverick was kicking it with Jay-Z, Adele and her BF, Rich Paul ... who, of course, is LBJ's agent.

Jeff Bezos is a billionaire 9 ... 'cause he's showing off his impressive bod during a yacht trip with his girlfriend.

J.B. and Lauren Sanchez continued their PDA Xmas tour in the Caribbean. As we told you a few days back, the Caribbean -- in particular, St. Barts -- is a place where rich folk go to show off their yachts, competing for bragging rights. The larger the boat, the bigger the boast.

Jeff and Lauren have been ensconced in the area for nearly a week, showing tons of affection as they hiked, lounged and did whatever super-rich people do on vacay.

Jeff looks like he's been working out more lately ... the 57-year-old Amazon titan is super buff ... check out the arms!!!

Bezos has said he's following a strict regiment of 8-hours nightly sleep, healthy eating and working out.

They're able to bypass a lot in the midst of the Omicron outbreak -- like commercial flights -- but it's still dicey to go onshore given the rapid spread of the variant. It helps to have beefy security to keep normies at bay.

Killer Mike's Atlanta barbershop has been vandalized -- it's a graffiti-riddled mess with a muddled message -- but Mike's message is clear ... the person who did this needs help.

Mike posted a pic of his shop, and it is covered in the ramblings of a troubled man.

Mike says he's angry over the vandalism, but that's not his primary concern. Mike says he can repair the damage with relative ease. More difficult ... he says the guy who did it is mentally ill and desperately needs help.

According to Mike, the vandal thinks he's Kurt Cobain and Mike is part of some sort of conspiracy of silence. That may explain the Dave Grohl graffiti.

Mike says, " ... this man's mind is terribly broken. If u are from OKC and know his family or friends please DM so u can get him some help."

This is so Mike ... looking at the bigger picture rather than just that which affects him. He went on to say, "... I encourage all to check on your mentally ill loved ones because the world may not be as understanding as me."

Kanye West seems to be acknowledging he can't pull his marriage out of the fire, so he's reportedly moving a stone's throw from his former family home ... presumably, so he can effectively co-parent with Kim.

Kanye bought a $4.5 million home across the street from his estranged wife ... so says the Daily Mail. The home is just over 3,650 square feet, with 5 bedrooms. He reportedly paid $421,000 over asking ... proof the real estate bidding war in SoCal is alive and well.

As we reported, Kanye gave Kim his interest in the family home ... a home Kanye designed over a period of years. TMZ broke the story, there are still some property issues that remain unsettled, so Kim has asked the judge to grant her the divorce now, and leave the other issues for later down the road.

Kanye's been wheeling and dealing lately in the real estate market ... he bought a $57.3 million Malibu beach home back in September, and recently listed his $3.7 million former bachelor pad.

As for his new digs, it also has the obligatory swimming pool and a stable for horses. It needs a lot of work, but Ye has more than proven he's up to the task.

As we've been reporting, Kanye has made a full-court press to get Kim back ... most recently at his concert with Drake at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, he improvised lyrics to "Runaway"  ... I need you to run right back to me, more specifically Kimberly."

Christmas is about peace on earth, but not necessarily peace in Church, because 2 dudes showed a pastor mid-sermon their hands were up to date.

It went down at the Olivet Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee Sunday, when suddenly one guy comes up to another sitting in the front row and starts swinging. The guy who was sitting instantly fully engages, and the 2 go off-screen as they continue punching each other.

Bishop Kevin Adams tries in vain to stop the fight, saying, "Stop it, Marcus. Marcus, come on."  It's unclear how long the fight went on, because someone pulled the plug on the Church's live stream.

The Bishop said afterward the man in the white t-shirt had just gotten out of rehab and beelined it for the youth pastor, who was sitting in the front row. The Bishop insinuates the man in the t may have relapsed, because he says the guy didn't know where he was.

Diddy is getting rid of some bad memories ... because he sold the mansion where his late soulmate, Kim Porter, died.

Diddy put the Toluca Lake mansion up for sale back in October, listing it for $7 mil, and now there's a buyer ... the deal is pending and will likely close this week, but the sale is not final.

The sprawling estate is 9,655 square feet with 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms ... and it's got all the bells and whistles, including a family-sized pool and spa, plus a sports court.

The gated property sits on a half-acre on one of the most famous streets in the San Fernando Valley ... and the celeb neighbors include Steve Carell, Billy Ray Cyrus, Viola Davis and Sia.

As you know ... Kim, a model and actress, dated Diddy off and on for 13 years and they had 3 kids together, including 2 daughters and a son.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim was found dead in the home back in November 2018 at the age of 47, after losing her battle with pneumonia.

Tina Louise says her split with Brett Oppenheim was sparked by his brother's breakup with their "Selling Sunset" costar Chrishell Stause ... and turns out Brett and his twin have similar feelings that ended both relationships.

We got Tina at her Sugar Taco joint on Melrose and asked her what caused the breakup with Brett after about 8 months of dating.

Tina says things got to the point where she wanted to take the next step in the relationship, but Brett wasn't ready ... and starting a family was the sticking point.

As we reported ... Chrishell and Brett's brother, Jason, also broke up after months of dating ... and they said they also weren't aligned on the family issue. Turns out Jason's in lockstep with Brett.

It's interesting ... Tina says Chrishell and Jason's issues led her to start talking to Brett about the possibility of having kids, and that's what eventually led to them going their separate ways.

Magic Johnson says he won't be tuning in when HBO's "Showtime" Lakers series comes out ... telling TMZ Sports he's "not looking forward to it."

"Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty" -- starring John C. Reilly, Sally Field and Jason Segel -- is a highly-anticipated new drama series that covers the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers.

While most people are excited to watch the show, Magic ain't one of them ... saying he's working on his own project.

"No, we got different shows coming out," Magic tells us. "I got one, then you got Jeanie Buss got one on Showtime coming out."

"Those are the ones I'm looking forward to."

Of course, Magic helped lead the "Showtime" Lakers to 5 NBA championships in the '80s ... alongside fellow NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.

Johnson's Lakers have been celebrated over time ... for the impact they had on the league and for the up-tempo, fast-paced style of play they cultivated.

But Magic seems very adamant he's not thrilled about the release of the HBO project ... saying, "I'm not looking forward to it. I'm going to leave it at that."