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Director Joe Berlinger says when it comes to serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a big part of his horrific rampage had to do with self-hatred and his inability to deal with his sexuality.

The Oscar-nominated filmmaker joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday to talk about digging into the mind of the notorious Illinois serial killer for his new Netflix docuseries, "Conversations With a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes" ... and, as you might imagine, it's a frightening ride.

The film explores what made Gacy -- a birthday clown by day -- tick during his reign of terror in the 1970s. Berlinger says listening to Gacy's conversations with attorneys and cops ... showed how much the mad man blamed his victims.

He says the killings had a lot to do with Gacy's self-hatred, and inability to deal with his sexuality. As for why it took so long to catch him, Joe says society's prevailing attitudes toward marginalized groups, like the gay community, were a major factor.

On a personal note ... Berlinger admits he struggles to leave his work at home. He's been delving into the minds of murderers for decades now, and he told us why his Oscar-nominated doc, "Paradise Lost" -- about the 1996 slayings of 3 West Memphis boys -- was particularly difficult.

Joe says, "I was trying to have a tender moment with my new child, and I just kept flashing on the worst images of what happened to these children".

In what is just another chapter in the toxic relationship that was Johnny Depp and Amber Heard -- new audio accuses Johnny of using Amber as his personal ashtray.

The audio was played Monday in court -- day 4 of Depp's testimony. You hear Amber say, "Put your f--king cigarettes out on someone else ... you f***** have consequences for your actions."

While there is no visual evidence in this instance, Amber Heard's lawyer pointed out the fact that Johnny doesn't deny burning her with a cig. In the audio, he simply responds, "shut up, fat*ss".

During the cross-examination Depp denied ever throwing a cig at Heard or using her to put one out ... He said, "I think that was a grossly exaggerated moment by Ms. Heard".

This is the latest damning claim to come from the ongoing trial. Amber's lawyer played another audio clip, where Amber says ... "After you beat the sh*t out of me then a week later you show up at my doorstep."

As you know, Depp is suing his ex-wife for $50 million, claiming she lied when she accused him of physically abusing her ... Amber is countersuing for $100 mil for defamation, claiming he coordinated a smear campaign against her.

Last week, JD kicked off his testimony by saying he'd never hit Amber -- despite her claims  -- and that he was there in court seeking the truth, no matter what.

The teenager who fell to his death at a ride in Florida should've never been allowed to get onboard -- something his folks are now claiming in a new lawsuit against the park.

Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson -- the parents of late 14-year-old Tyre Sampson -- have filed a wrongful death suit, via attorneys Michael Haggard -- the managing partner of Harrard Law Firm -- and Ben Crump, against ICON Park and its pertinent associates, including the creators and operators of the free-fall ride itself, claiming negligence ... among other counts.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Sampson's parents allege the attraction in question had certain height and weight restrictions that their son was in clear violation of ... and which should've been addressed either via signage or from the staff itself on site.

His parents, however, claim none of that happened that day -- namely, they say there were NO signs to dissuade people from getting on who shouldn't, and nobody working there said anything either ... so Tyre got in thinking there wasn't a problem, when there clearly was.

Not just that, but the parents also claim the ride itself wasn't as safe as it should've been compared to other rides of the same nature ... alleging those other free-fall type drops are often protected against with not just a shoulder harness, but a seatbelt as well -- SOP, they insist.

This IP ride, though, did NOT have a seatbelt, per the lawsuit, and the Sampsons believe that contributed to their son being ejected from his seat and plummeting to the ground.

As you know ... Tyre hit the ground from about a 100-foot height and succumbed to his injuries. In addition to negligence, Tyre's parents are also claiming strict liability against some of the defendants. They're asking for damages and a jury trial before a judge.

The cast of “Selling Sunset” was without its biggest star for the show’s reunion … Christine Quinn missed out thanks to a positive COVID test.

Christine's rep tells TMZ, "Christine tested positive for COVID on Saturday and out of an abundance of caution, she did not attend the reunion." The reunion taped Sunday at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.

If you’re familiar with the show, Quinn’s an essential part of the storyline, and has been labeled the villain time and time again. Cast member Amanza Smith also revealed she had to miss the reunion because of COVID, but she appeared virtually.

Christine's rep tells us producers offered Quinn the opportunity to video chat in for the reunion, but she declined as she wasn't feeling well enough to do it.

Elon Musk pulled a move only Don Corleone himself could finagle -- his big-ticket offer to buy Twitter has reportedly gotten the green light ... with the deal coming in for a landing.

Reuters says Musk's $43 billion bid is poised to be accepted by Twitter's board Monday, and that an official announcement could be expected later in the day. Sounds like he didn't budge on his $54.20-per-share price -- and he's in the process of reeling them in right now.

There is, of course, the possibility that this thing could fall through ... but at the moment, all signs point to be EM becoming the new owner of the bird app -- ushering in a new regime.

As we reported ... there were rumblings of this coming to fruition over the weekend. Twitter and Musk had a sit-down on Sunday, which apparently went long into the wee hours of the morning. Word is ... the company was under major pressure from shareholders to sell.

Some of the stockholders wanted to see if Musk would go up in price ... but in the end, it seems they're ready to accept his original betting chip -- especially now that he's got the dough all secured. Elon ponied up the cash last week with the help of some outside partners.

There's a laundry list of goals Elon apparently wants to achieve with the takeover. Beyond addressing "free speech" problems he sees, EM has reportedly also talked about longer tweets, pivoting away from ads and getting rid of spam bots -- which he sees as a pest.

Elon has also talked about making Twitter's algorithm open source ... meaning we'd be able to see why things trend the way they do, and why exactly we're seeing certain tweets on our timeline versus others. Essentially ... more transparency on how Twitter operates internally.

Of course, him taking the company private might mean this becomes a subscription-based service ... especially if he's serious about putting a stop to advertisements. So, the question is ... are folks willing to pay for Twitter, which has been free up to this point???

Bodybuilder Shane Post was shot in the torso after getting into a dispute with a neighbor over a parking space outside his Dallas, TX townhome last Tuesday ... and the man who allegedly pulled the trigger is now behind bars.

Thankfully, Shane, whose colon, liver, and kidney were damaged, is recuperating in the hospital ... and even had the strength to talk to a local news outlet, Pittsburgh Action News, from his ICU room.

"The bullet is still in me," the bodybuilder said.

Shane, who is in stable condition, is expected to remain in the hospital for a few more days at the very least.

The alleged shooter is a man named Nikki Brown. Police say he was still at the scene when they arrived following the shooting ... and was taken into custody. Brown was brought to Ellis County Jail, where he was booked for assault with a deadly weapon. He's since been released on bond.

As for why the shooting allegedly happened ... Shane's wife, Irina Post, says the man became angry when Shane's friend apparently pulled into his assigned parking spot while dropping off her husband.

Irina told the news outlet Mr. Brown -- who she says they've had a couple previous encounters with the neighbor -- came out in his robe with a loaded gun in his pocket.

Perhaps the worst part for the Post family ... Irina was standing outside with her and Shane's 3-month-old baby daughter when her hubby was shot.

Shane has been competing as a bodybuilder for years. He won the 2017 Mr. Pittsburgh competition.

Cary Elwes got way more than he bargained for when a day of yardwork turned into a helicopter ride to the hospital after a nasty rattlesnake bite.

Sources connected to Cary tell TMZ ... the 'Princess Bride' star was airlifted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Saturday after he was bitten by a rattlesnake near his Malibu home. We're told he was working outside when the accident happened -- it's unclear where he was bitten.

In any case ... our sources say it was serious enough that Cary required immediate medical attention, as we're told people around him felt it was a life-threatening injury.

The good news ... Cary is going to make a full recovery and got the help he needed in time.

Cary was famously injured and hospitalized on the set of 'PB' -- not once, but twice actually ... he was knocked out cold by accident during a fake KO scene and required stitches. He also broke his toe at one point, and was hobbling around through much of the shoot.

So, yes ... the guy is historically a trooper, but not even the toughest of them can handle a poisonous snake bite. Of course, ya gotta imagine Zack Snyder's happy to hear this too.

Cary was recently cast to star in ZS's new 'Rebel Moon' flick -- with a prominent role, no less -- and production started up this past week ... something Cary himself was stoked about.

One of DaBaby's first major legal cases is being discussed anew after a video capturing him fatally shooting someone surfaced online -- sparking a fierce debate about self-defense.

Rolling Stone published surveillance footage Sunday depicting a 2018 confrontation DaBaby was involved in at a Walmart out in his native North Carolina -- before he was super famous -- in which he shot and killed a man.

DB was eventually charged with carrying a concealed weapon for the shooting, but no murder charge.

DaBaby hasn't shied away from this case ... insisting from the jump he was acting in self-defense -- claiming the victim, 19-year-old Jaylin Craig, had pulled a gun ... and he feared for his and his family's life. He was with his GF and baby girl in the store.

RS suggests this video contradicts DaBaby's self-defense narrative, as he appears to be the aggressor in this situation -- at least based on what they posted. He charges at another man (not Craig) and the two get into a scuffle, with Craig monitoring on the outskirts.

Craig appears to reach for and even brandish what was later determined to be a gun on his person -- but RS says his grieving family insists he never would've had to resort to grabbing it if not for DB's aggressive behavior setting this whole thing in motion.

Frankly, it's unclear what exactly set all this off -- DB has claimed Craig and his pals were harassing and threatening him and his brood that night, which is why he went on the attack.

While Rolling Stone appears to be questioning DaBaby's story of protecting himself, others have seen this video and agreed ... he had every right to pull his own gun and fire once Craig pulled his, especially since he wasn't the one directly involved in the fistfight.

Of course, others say this video just proves DaBaby is a bad seed and apparently prone to violence ... something his own history since this incident seems to support, at least in some folks' eyes. As you know, he's been involved in countless physical altercations over the years.

Former MTV 'Making The Band' star Chopper has been busted for sex trafficking ... with law enforcement accusing him of being a pimp.

Chopper was arrested earlier this month in Maryland and he's being extradited to Las Vegas to face sex trafficking charges in Sin City.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, an undercover vice detective in Nevada posing as a sex worker says Chopper direct messaged them on Instagram with an apparent offer to make money through prostitution.

The undercover cop says they searched Chopper's IG account and noticed several posts related to prostitution and pimping, including posts where Chopper flaunted wealth and made references to being a pimp ... including one image of him inside a plane with a phone alongside the caption, "Sending em," with a money bag and crown emoji.

In the docs, the undercover cop says they launched an investigation into Chopper after seeing social media evidence of a potential sex trafficking operation.

The undercover says Chopper called them and bragged about frequent travel and having 7 homes across the country, including one in Las Vegas, while also telling the undercover Sin City was not a safe place to do business because law enforcement was cracking down.

What's more, the undercover says they had a phone interview with Chopper and after passing the test, Chopper told them he would make them part of his "team" and "stable."

The undercover says Chopper then became aggressive with them over the phone, ordering them around like he might do to a sex worker, telling them to pack their belongings, get to the airport and meet him in Charlotte, N.C. to join his "stable."

From there, the undercover says they stalled by telling Chopper they were scared to leave home ... with Chopper trying to verbally force them to make the trip, getting angry and demanding a $2,000 fee.

Between the alleged social media posts, direct messages, phone calls and fee demand ... the undercover says there was then enough evidence to arrest and charge Chopper with felony sex trafficking.

Dustin Johnson and Paulina Gretzky had a self-proclaimed "American Bad Ass" at their wedding this weekend ... with none other than Kid Rock taking the stage to perform for the newlyweds.

DJ and the hockey legend's daughter tied the knot at a lavish event at Blackberry Farm resort in Tennessee on Saturday ... and Paulina shared a short video of the reception, which featured the controversial singer.

"You are the joy of my life @djohnsonpga," Gretzky said on Instagram. "Thank you @kidrock."

Now, KR has a history of being unapologetically himself on the mic -- dropping homophobic slurs and going after Oprah Winfrey in the past.

His performance over the weekend seemed to be free of controversy ... as Rock sang a cover of Chris Stapleton's "Joy of My Life."

The musical act might not be as random as you think -- Rock is tight with DJ and Wayne ... and they've hit the links together over the years.

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson certainly like to spend time together -- case in point ... attending a major event in our nation's capital, in lockstep.

The couple was just two of many celebs on hand Sunday night at the Kennedy Center in D.C., where Jon Stewart was being honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor ... the first time in a few years it's been awarded.

As you can see, they were looking on attentively in matching black outfits.

Others A-listers in attendance included ... Steve Carell, Jimmy Kimmel, Samantha Bee, Dave Chappelle, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Ed Helms and others. Even Bruce Springsteen was there to do a little ditty for JS.

Of course, tons of politicians showed face as well -- such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg, White House Press Sec. Jen Psaki and more.

As for Kim and Pete ... like we said, they're two peas in a pod these days when it comes to big events. They were shoulder-to-shoulder during the premiere of the new Kardashians show, and here they are again in another high-profile outing.

Sharon Osbourne has had a year of ups and downs ... opening up about a 'horrendous' facelift that left her looking like a "f***** Cyclops" and why she went to an unconventional form of therapy.

The former 'The Talk' host talked a lot about her recent plastic surgery in an interview with The Sunday Times ... "I had a full facelift done in October and I looked like one of those f***** mummies that they wrap".

She wasn't done ... "It was horrendous I'm, like, you've got to be f***** joking. One eye was different to the other. I looked like a f***** Cyclops. I'm, like, "All I need is a hunchback."

Sharon says she wasn't the only one who was upset ... her hubby, Ozzy Osbourne, agreed and even offered to pay to fix it, no matter the price.

Now, months after the surgery, she says she's finally growing into her face. But, Sharon has had other things to worry about this past year.

As you know, Sharon left "The Talk" after defending her friend Piers Morgan who attacked Meghan Markle on his show. When we asked her about a possible return to the show, she said ... "I would never go back to that show because CBS sucks big time d**k."

The Kid LAROI is looking out for his fans, stopping his show after some concertgoers clashed onstage with security guards.

The Australian rapper surprised his fans with a secret concert at the Lodge Room in L.A.'s Highland Park neighborhood, but during the performance ... 2 people got a little too amped and got taken down.

The 2 fans jumped onto the stage, and security had to tackle them to the ground. They didn't get tossed out of the building, though ... and The Kid actually stopped the show to check on them.

Once he made sure they were all good, he even found their shades on the stage and returned them, telling the owner they were "clean as f**k."

Fan safety has been on a lot of artists' minds lately ... as you'll recall, Billie Eilish paused her concert at Madison Square Garden in NYC back in February, telling the crowd to take a deep breath and step back.

Arcade Fire stopped their big Coachella performance last weekend as someone in the audience had a medical emergency ... the fan was taken out on a stretcher.

Forget Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp autographs ... here's one of the coolest pieces of Super Bowl LVI memorabilia you can own -- a ball signed by the Big Game's halftime show performers!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... a pigskin that Eminem, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak all signed following their epic show at the event in L.A. has just hit the block at Heritage Auctions.

And, according to experts, it could be a bargain for a potential buyer ... as it's expected to fetch just around $1,500!!

The ball is pretty sweet ... five of the artists that performed just before the Rams won the Lombardi Trophy back in February all put their signatures on it in bold, black ink.

The leather also features the Super Bowl LVI logo and other Wilson markings ... and comes with letters of authenticity.

Bidding is set to close on the auction in mid-May ... leaving plenty of time to scrounge up the cash for the piece of history.

Brad Fischetti, the last living member of LFO, isn't going to stop playing one of the band's hits even though its lyrics refer to now-canceled Abercrombie & Fitch, which was roasted in Netflix's latest doc ... and it's all about honoring his late bandmates.

Brad tells us he'll continue to perform the 1999 hit "Summer Girls" at his concerts ... as you'll recall, the chorus to LFO's song goes, "I like girls that wear Abercrombie & Fitch ... I'd take her if I had one wish."

A&F's shady work behind the scenes has recently been exposed by Netflix's docufilm, "White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch" ... which features former employees revealing a toxic workplace that emphasized thin, white beautiful people as their vision of "All-American."

Brad's goal with anything he does with the band is to honor his lifelong friends and band members Devin Lima and Rich Cronin.

TMZ broke both stories ... the other two members of LFO both passed away from battles with leukemia - Rich Cronin in 2010 and Devin Lima in 2018. Brad, the last remaining member, has done his best to keep their memory alive.

Elon Musk's offer to buy Twitter might actually be one the company can't refuse -- the man is reportedly meeting with execs this weekend ... to seriously discuss his takeover proposal.

The Wall Street Journal reports that both sides are set to meet Sunday (today) to get into the weeds of his $43 billion bid ... which he put forth publicly, and for which he also just announced he got legit financing in the amount of $46.5 billion to actually make it happen.

Per WSJ, Twitter is receptive to negotiating a deal ... or at the very least, hearing Elon out and considering a final price tag -- even though EM says he won't budge on $54.20-a-share.

There's more on the table, potentially than just dough. WSJ says Twitter honchos are mulling over a number of factors ... including a final valuation of what they think the bird app is worth, the possibility of inviting other bidders ... and maybe even insisting on Elon covering breakup costs if the would-be deal falls apart (aka, sweeteners).

As for why Twitter would even entertain this ... Reuters reports they're under pressure from shareholders who want to get paid out. Elon reportedly met with a select number of bigwig shareholders this past week to make his pitch on why Twitter would be better in his hands.

Among the things he reportedly wants to change (beyond his "free speech" objections) ... allowing for longer tweets, and pivoting away ads. He also reportedly told several of them ... you'll never reach my share price on your own. Twitter's closing price Friday was $48.93.

Reuters says some shareholders have expressed to leadership that not only should they talk to Elon and feel him out -- but, more importantly, see if they can finagle a larger offer.

Time will tell if Elon's willing to spend a bit more to take Twitter private -- but he almost had folks thinking he was ditching this whole endeavor, tweeting "Moving on" Sunday ... later clarifying that he meant teasing Bill Gates regarding climate change.