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Elon Musk seems to be following in Donald Trump's footsteps -- at least when it comes to social media ... because the tech wiz might just be mulling the launch of a new platform.

The Tesla chief just tweeted out some interesting thoughts on what he thinks needs to happen with Twitter itself, writing ... "Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?"

His question was accompanied by a poll, and out of the more than 2 million people that participated ... a little over 70% agreed that Twitter was slippin' on the First Amendment.

EM followed with yet another interesting tweet, adding ... "The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully." 👀

Finally, Elon showed us his cards (ish) by writing that Twitter has, by and large, become the de facto public town square of modern society ... and that if they aren't living up free speech principles, that's seriously hurting democracy as a whole.

Then, he poses yet another interesting query ... "Is a new platform needed?"

Of course, this might remind folks of Donald Trump's recent attempt to start his own social media space, which he's called Truth Social -- and which went live recently. While many right-wing Twitter users were happy to announce its launch, as well as their own new pages, the buzz is ... Truth Social hasn't taken off yet quite like some may have hoped.

Trump himself is said to have barely posted on there ... and some who've hopped on say it's a bit of a digital ghost town, even among some of its most ardent supporters initially. AKA, no one's really using it all that much!!!

The days of free-for-all movie theater seating is over ... something one man simply couldn't come to terms with in what turned out to be a hilarious meltdown that got him kicked out.

Check out this wild scene showing an older gent getting into a shouting match with cineplex staff ... all because he wouldn't go to his assigned seat, which he claimed was just a spot or two over from where he was in what appears to be a relatively empty screening room.

No word on where this exactly took place, or when ... but based on the video alone, you can tell the dude was not happy about the idea of pre-selected reservations -- and made a huge fuss over it.

The employees amazingly keep their cool in this tense situation -- eventually talking the guy down and convincing him to scram calmly ... even accommodating his request for a refund and a little extra. Indeed, the guy asked for a free drink ... and they said they could do it.

While it felt he was gonna have to get hauled out of there in cuffs, he ended up leaving on his own accord -- with a little help from the audience, which told him he was in the wrong.

Funny enough, he made sure to let everyone know he still felt he was correct in his stance ... saying he was the bigger person here. Finally, he turns to the room and sarcastically says he hopes they enjoy the show.

While it seems pretty cut-and-dried -- theoretically, you SHOULD sit in the seat for the ticket you bought -- some have wondered ... if there were plenty of chairs to spare, what's the big deal if he's in a seat or two over from where he should be??? In other words, who tattled???

An Applebee’s franchise executive had a bright idea on dealing with inflation ... pay employees less.

Wayne Pankratz -- a bigwig at American Franchise Capital, which owns and operates 50 Applebee’s locations throughout the Midwest -- spewed his corporate fat cat vision to his colleagues over an email, which leaked and has since gone viral.

In the memo, Pankratz muses that the higher gas prices being felt across the country could actually benefit their Applebee’s business -- namely, by forcing more people into the workforce out of desperation, which he thought would be great to exploit in lower wages for new hires.

Yep, it’s as bad as it sounds ... take a look for yourself -- he says as much clear as day here.

There’s more ... the guy goes on to describe much of their employees as “paycheck to paycheck” people -- and that too, he says, can help them in putting a little extra squeeze on their hourly rate. Since their disposable income would be depleted amid these higher prices, he theorized their Applebee’s restaurants would likely see an increase in applicants, who would be more likely to take less money than other hospitality jobs that might pay better.

Pankratz also gives the federal government a shout-out for finally putting an end to all the stimulus checks, which he believes has also forced people back to working for a living ... and which he also sees as a pro for his would-be plan.

It’s a bizarre economic philosophy, and it has NOT been well-received online ... frankly, people are tearing into this dude and Applebee’s by extension. Both his investment firm and Applebee’s corporate office have distanced themselves from him. Pankratz has reportedly been placed on leave, and each org has said his thoughts don’t represent their values.

Bill Maher went in hard on "toxic masculinity" ... saying Volodymyr Zelensky is a prime example of ... be careful what you wish for.

Nope, Maher's not trashing The Ukrainian Prez ... quite the opposite. He says Zelensky is living proof women actually want some of that masculinity in their men. He points to various polls and social media with an undeniable conclusion ... women, and some men find him incredibly hot.

As the "Real Time" host puts it ... the lesson from this war is that "the world needs grown-ass men!"

Bill's not saying toxic masculinity is always a good thing, but he is making a case that a little -- maybe a little more than a little -- is sexy and, indeed, essential.

His overarching point ... he says there's been such a push by women to make men more like them, the men are emasculated and women no longer are sexually attracted to them. He points to studies showing people having sex is at a 30 year low.

He uses an ad the Obama Administration put out to push Obamacare, and, well, you just gotta watch ... it's kinda brutal.

Bill says Zelensky is sexy because of comments like ... I don't need a ride, I need ammo.  As he says, when there's an invasion, you want a little big d**k energy.

It's a super interesting case he makes ... that some attributes traditionally characteristic of men are now problematic ... as he says, "It's like men were born wrong."

It's a heartbreaking photo ... Mariupol, Ukraine reduced to rubble as Putin continues his reign of brutality on the country.

The photo was taken after enormously heavy shelling in the Ukrainian city. President Zelensky said more than 100,000 people are still living in what remains of Mariupol ... this despite a Herculean effort to evacuate civilians.

It's hard to process ... once a beautiful city flatted by Russian aggression.

Zelensky has said this of the unrelenting attack ... it's "ultimate evidence that genocide of Ukrainians is happening."

As you know, Putin is sparing no one ... even bombing a theater with the warning emblazoned on the ground -- "Children." It didn't stop Putin from bombing the building, killing hundreds.

On the other hand, Russian troops have largely been checked by Ukrainian forces in much of the country, and Zelensky has said they've killed 15,000 Russian soldiers. There are multiple reports the Russian army is demoralized.

The war is entering an even more dangerous phase, as U.S. intelligence officials worry the Russian dictator may resort to chemical weapons.

Rihanna is getting ready to welcome her baby to the world, and she's doing it in high style.

RiRi hit up Couture Kids in L.A. Friday, and it looks like the store stayed open specially for her ... she showed up at around 9:45 PM.

She was there with her security detail, casually browsing and picking out stuff for the bambino. Rihanna was flying solo ... without A$AP Rocky.

Rihanna was super friendly ... interacting with staff as she shopped.  At one point in the video, you see her baby bump on full display. Don't know the due date, but clearly, she's getting ready.

There was a bank of photogs in the window ... and at one point she threw them all a bone with a pose.

As Rihanna left, you hear a fan scream, "You are such a beautiful pregnant woman" and Rihanna responded, "Thank you, mi amora."

LeBron James was a big winner Saturday night ... singled out for his work in a big-budget movie -- cause he won some Razzies!!!

LeBron was bestowed with the honor of "Worst Actor" Saturday during the 42nd annual Golden Raspberry Awards celebrating the worst in movies.

LeBron's trophy was an acknowledgment of his work in "Space Jam: The Legacy," in which he played himself ... well, sorta.

But wait, there's more. LeBron also won for "Worst Screen Couple" and "Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel."

Fear not, LeBron, because worse movies were made ... like "Diana the Musical" on Netflix, which snagged Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst Supporting Actress and Worst Director.

While it was a common theme in the show, the "Space Jam" remake wasn't quite as popular as "Diana the Musical" scooping up five trophies.

Jared Leto also scored with Worst Supporting Actor in "House of Gucci."

And, get this ... there was a special category for Bruce Willis ... Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 Movie! It's for "Cosmic Sin" ... in case you're interested.

Popeyes has spoken ... condemning hateful language and offering up support after a racist customer went viral for hurling slurs at employees at one of its joints in Florida.

A rep for Popeyes tells TMZ ... they're disgusted over the video, adding Popeyes has zero-tolerance for this kind of hateful aggression at its restaurants. They're also working with the owner ... offering support and providing assistance to make sure employees feel safe.

The Popeyes rep goes on to say they'll review ways to better respond to negative and harmful customer interactions.

ICYMI, a video made rounds on social media of a white guy at a Popeyes in Okeechobee, FL. ... the dude is caught on camera, hurling racial slurs and threatening to lynch a Black female employee.

Jake Paul tells TMZ Sports he's dead serious about an MMA fight with Conor McGregor ... saying even in an Octagon, under UFC rules, he'd KO the Irish star.

Paul has called out McGregor a bunch of times over the last couple years ... but now, more than ever, he seems ready to make the tilt actually happen.

And, this time, he tells us he's willing to go onto Conor's turf to do it.

"Conor is on a downhill spiral," Jake said. "His limbs are all broken. So, stand-up game, I'm coming out and knocking him out, first round."

Paul tells us he and McGregor weigh the same now, and he's legitimately looking into leaving boxing for MMA to make the fight.

Jake also said he wants to throw down with McGregor in the UFC in order to try to persuade Dana White to give more of the company's revenue to fighters.

"If I win, then Dana has to increase the minimum of fighter pay," Jake said. "If I lose, then they can take all of the money and whatever and so be it."

"But, I know I can beat Conor."

If the matchup with Conor doesn't happen, there's still a chance Jake heads to MMA for his next fight regardless. He tells us he's been in talks with Bellator and PFL -- "and other MMA entities" -- to try to hammer out some kind of deal to potentially fight in a cage.

This month was filled with some buzzer-beating hot shots making this month's social media truly madness ... celebrities were slam dunking on IG and apparently getting away with lots of traveling!

Stars like Kim Kardashian, Porsha Williams, Barbie Ferreira -- and many other celebs -- were shooting their shots with some record-breaking body shots ... leaving you nowhere to go but into overtime.

Jessie J, Eric Decker, Kristin Cavallari, Conor McGregor and Simone Biles called no timeouts, as they all posed poolside and brought their A-game.

Soulja Boy says a possible collab with Tekashi 6ix9ine won't happen ... or, in his words -- "get the f*** out of here!"

Soulja was the latest guest on "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper," and he thinks the time has passed for the two of them to work together ... saying Tekashi knows that ship has sailed following his legal battle -- notoriously being labeled a "snitch" in the rap community.

Tekashi was kidnapped by his own security team in the summer of 2018 ... taken for a ride around the block, where he was threatened at gunpoint, and ordered to fork over cash and jewels he had at his NYC pad. The exchange was orchestrated by his then-GF.

Tekashi went on to be the star witness in his RICO case by testifying against his fellow gang members ...  resulting in Anthony "Harv" Ellison getting 24 years behind bars.

While Tekashi thought he was doing the right thing, artists in his circle aren't as receptive, possibly trying to avoid the rapper as long as they can.

Shaun Weiss, famous for playing Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" franchise, is smiling like an all-star ... because he's got a permanent fix for all his lost and decayed teeth.

Shaun has finally completed his tooth reconstruction, recently getting his permanent upper implants to finish a process 2 years in the making.

Remember ... Shaun lost most of his teeth and had major decay due to years of drug abuse, culminating in his infamous mug shot, but when he started cleaning himself up he got a dental sponsorship for some new pearly whites.

Dr. Gabe Rosenthal did all the work for free, which typically cost around $100k  ... working pro bono after being moved by Shaun's path to sobriety.

While Shaun had some temporary implants installed back in 2020, we're told they were a temporary fix and he didn't feel comfortable speaking and eating with them. Now that he's got his new set of teeth he feels comfortable to perform some of his stand-up, do speaking engagements and interviews in the near future.

Shaun's got plenty of reason to show off his new pearly whites ... he celebrated 2 years of sobriety in January ... and he was so pleased with the work he gave Dr. Rosenthal an autographed 'Mighty Ducks' jersey to display in the dental office.

Grab your pointed boots, slip into your go-to black dress and take a walk towards these evidently similar photos of Sandra Bullock.

The "Miss Congeniality" winner was recently running around in New York City getting the word out about her new flick "The Lost City" which included romping around the Big Apple in this dripping number complete with some wild boots.

It's time for you to check your blindside and see if you can spot the differences in these two similar snaps snuck into the two Sanda Bullock shots.

Cardi B has something to celebrate tonight ... she just kicked ass in a defamation case ... legally, that is.

TMZ broke the story ... Cardi and her sister, Hennessy Carolina, were sued by 3 people in NYC over a squabble in the Hamptons back in September, 2020.

Hennessy and her friends showed up a Smith Point Beach and ran into 3 other beachgoers, one of whom was wearing a MAGA hat. The 3 people claim Hennessy spit on one of them and engaged in insulting and threatening behavior. The lawsuit claims Hennessy called the group "racist, MAGA supporters."  They say the term "racist' hurled at them was defamatory.

Cardi, who was not there, tweeted a video of the altercation, claiming her sister and her friends were being targeted because they are Afro-Hispanic and gay. The video included Hennessy calling the 3 people racist.

The 3 beachgoers sued for defamation as well as assault and battery.

A New York trial judge just dismissed the case, and it's a solid win for Cardi and Hennessy. As for defamation, the judge said these were all just general insults that do not rise to the level of defamation.

As for spitting -- the basis for the assault and battery claim -- the judge said even if spit shot out from Hennessy's mouth -- there was no proof whatsoever she intended to target any of the plaintiffs. In fact, the judge noted the plaintiffs never even alleged that was Hennessy's intent.

New Orleans Pelicans star Jaxson Hayes is being dragged to court by his ex-girlfriend ... with the Instagram model accusing him of getting physical with her.

Hayes, the 8th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is being sued for assault and battery by Sofia Jamora, who claims he roughed her up on multiple occasions during their relationship ... including the night he got into a scuffle with cops.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Jamora claims they started dating in October 2020 and the NBA stud first got violent with her on Valentine's Day 2021, violently abusing her in a Dallas hotel room.

In the docs, Jamora claims she traveled with Jaxson for his NBA game and shared a hotel room, and when he returned to the room he flipped out when she joked about a lack of Valentine's Day flowers. She claims he cussed her out, hit her with a suitcase he tossed across the room, physically prevented her from leaving the room and broke down a bathroom door to rip her phone out of her hand.

In her suit, Jamora claims Jaxson apologized for the Valentine's Day 2021 incident and swore he would never get physical with her again ... but she says more abuse followed as their relationship continued.

According to the docs, Jamora claims Jaxson, his two dogs and his cousin were staying at her Los Angeles home on July 27, 2021 when he got violent again.

In the suit, Jamora claims she left Jaxson at the home during the day while she was at a photoshoot and came home to find her dog severely injured, blaming the bite wounds on Jaxson's much bigger dogs. She says Jaxson was "passed out from a drug-induced stupor" when she got home, and while he was asleep she put his dogs in crates.

In the docs, Jamora claims Jaxson eventually woke her up at midnight and asked what happened to the dogs before flying off the handle. She says they got into a verbal argument, which escalated into Jaxson allegedly threatening for his cousin to rape her.

In her suit, Jamora claims Jaxson got physical with her and her puppy, throwing the pup to the ground and grabbing and shaking her, to the point where she told him he was hurting her. She says she locked herself in a bathroom, but he broke the door down and roughed her up.

Jamora claims Jaxson chased her all around the house and the property, grabbing her multiple times, tossing her around and dragging her down some stairs. She says he became enraged and started breaking anything he could get his hands on.

According to the docs, Jamora claims she locked Jaxson out of the house but he broke in through a window and she texted her cousins, begging them to call the cops.

In her suit, Jamora claims cops eventually arrived and Jaxson started interfering with the police investigation, getting into an altercation with officers where he was tased.

TMZ broke the story ... Jaxson was arrested that night, and he recently entered a no-contest plea for a resisting arrest and false imprisonment charge.

Jamora is suing Jaxson for assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress ... and she's going after him for damages.

Amy Schumer is letting the world in on what she calls her biggest secret ... the hair-pulling disorder she says has caused her internal shame for decades.

The comedian and actress says she suffers from trichotillomania, the scientific name for compulsive hair pulling -- a disorder she says she's lived with since she was a child, and one she fears may be passed on to her 2-year-old son.

Amy opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about her struggles living with the disorder, saying ... "I'm proud that my big secret only hurts me but it's been what I've carried so much shame about for so long."

There's a genetic component to trichotillomania and, as a result, Amy says she feels like she's having a heart attack every time she sees her young son touch his hair.

She recalls things getting so bad when she was younger, she needed a wig to cover bald spots ... and says everyone at school knew she was rocking a wig, which didn't even fit.