Sofia Franklyn To Alex Cooper We Can Squash 'Call Her Daddy' Beef ... But It Won't Be 'Kumbaya'

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COMMUNICATION IS KEY
TMZ.com

Sofia Franklyn is opening up about her falling out with Alex Cooper ... and while she says she's up for working things out between them, it won't be all sunshine and rainbows.

Sofia sat down on the "TMZ Verified" podcast and shared her side of her very public breakup with Alex back when they were co-hosting "Call Her Daddy."

Looking back, Sofia says there would be a few things she wishes they could have done differently ... like being less hot-headed and stubborn ... but even if that were the case, she thinks Alex was still willing to "stomp" on her on the way to a $60 million payday.

When the drama was going down, back in 2020, Alex publicly shared her side of the story which got a lot of attention ... but Sofia decided to stay silent.

Now that she's had some time to assess things and look back, Sofia says she would be open to working with Alex on a podcast or some other venture down the road ... as long as AC comes to her looking to make things right.

Don't get it twisted ... Sofia explains why any potential reconciliation and collab with Alex would not be a "Kumbaya" situation.

Bottom line for Sofia ... she and Alex have both moved on with their lives and careers, but she doesn't have any hate in her heart for her former podcast partner.

The full 'Verified' podcast drops Wednesday ... don't forget to subscribe.

DaBaby Posts Vid of Alleged Victim ... Hurling N-Word

The man that was allegedly beat up by DaBaby and his crew was apparently throwing the N-word around during his confrontation with the group ... at least according to new video.

The North Carolina rapper posted the footage himself Saturday, which appears to show Gary Prager pacing back and forth on the grounds of the mansion where the alleged beating took place in December ... and sure enough, you hear him scream "n*****s" in a rage.

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PRAGER THE RAGER
TikTok / @dababy

DB's caption reads, "On today's episode of 'Let's Make DaBaby Look Like a Bad Person'" ... going on to accuse Prager of being a "PROUD white supremacist" ... adding that he (Prager) was "lying to TMZ & LAPD. Not knowing that he's caught on camera."

Later it reads, "These are the type of people y'all validate & let assassinate DaBaby's character." DaBaby also says Prager spat in his face, but the vid doesn't seem to show that.

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MUSIC VIDEO VIOLENCE
BACKGRID

For starters, nobody lied to us about this story -- DaBaby has, in fact, been charged with felony battery as it relates to this case ... so his beef is actually with Prager and law enforcement officials. DaBaby will have a chance to confront Prager's claims in court.

As for the guy screaming out the slur ... yeah, that's bad. It's unclear if him saying this occurred before or after the alleged assault -- but we suppose it doesn't really matter ... no excuse for invoking racism in any event.

DaBaby apparently thinks this will help make him look better in the public's eye -- but he seems to have bigger issues beyond just this one event, if we're being honest.

Dude's under fire for a lot lately.

Guess Who This Little Blondie Turned Into!

Before this towheaded child became a pretty little liar, she was a young competitive dancer and a singer for her church in Anaheim Hills, California.

This little lady is best known for her role in a teen mystery drama series where she starred alongside Shay Mitchell and Lucy Hale. During this time, she also starred in films such as "Bring It On: In It To Win It" and "Spring Breakers."

Need another clue on who this starlet could be maybe you could ask some of her close friends including Cara Delevingne and G-Eazy.

Can you guess who she is?

Pete Davidson Kim & Kids' Names Tatted on Neck??? New Ink Seen After Ye Jokes

Pete Davidson appears to be a lot closer to Kim Kardashian and her brood than previously known -- because he's got a new tattoo that seems to suggest he loves her kids.

The comedian did some standup Friday in L.A. as part of the 'Netflix is a Joke: The Festival' event -- which has been ongoing for a few days now -- and for this particular set ... he was at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood.

Afterwards, he and Kim were seen spilling into a waiting SUV ... where PD's neck was exposed, and where some fresh ink was flashed for the cameras featured on his collar bone.

Internet sleuths zoomed in on this and made a big leap that may or may not be far-fetched ... a lot of people *think* they see initials there -- namely, KNSCP ... which has led many to think they stand for Kim, North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm.

We'll be honest ... it's hard to make out exactly what these letters say, but sure -- they certainly could be those initials in that order, and they certainly could stand for exactly what folks seem to believe they do. IF that is true, well then ... that's certainly interesting.

As you know, Pete is always adding more tattoos to his body -- while removing some at the same time -- and he's already gotten tatted up at least a couple different times that we're aware of to proclaim his love for Kim.

One new tat reads "MY GIRL IS A LAWYER" ... and another simply has her name. That one isn't even a tattoo though -- as Kim said, Pete branded himself (aka, burned it into his skin).

That's one thing, but if the guy went ahead and got ALL of Kim's kids' first name initials etched onto his body too -- in descending order of age -- that's a whole different story ... and it would actually be quite revealing on how familiar he actually is with them.

We already know he's hung out with North -- having her sit on his lap to drive around, no less -- but if this theory holds up ... it'd lead one to believe he's met all of the kids at this point, and seems to care deeply about them. Deeply enough to get a tattoo in their honor.

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Here's another element that can't be forgotten ... Kanye West. He's been silent for weeks now, and has kinda been invisible in the public lately. We know he was making a big fuss about introducing the kids to Pete, so it's unclear how he might feel about this now.

On that note, Pete's Friday set reportedly invoked Ye ... with him joking about Kanye spreading the AIDS rumor, and how he got checked out just in case it was true, among other references.

DJ Khaled Busts a Mission ... To Find a Happy Meal for Asahd!!!

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WE NEED HAPPY MEALS
Instagram / @djkhaled

DJ Khaled turned into Adam Sandler to appease his son who was in the mood for some Mickey D's -- looking far and wide for a burger/toy combo ... and finally scoring!

The music producer went on an elaborate mission, it seems, to honor a weekend tradition he and 5-year-old Asahd apparently have -- namely, going out to the Golden Arches and securing the kid a Happy Meal.

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Sounds like this is a tradition of theirs ... DJK calls is "Happy Meal Saturdays," and Asahd seems more than happy to tag along. Plus, just great father-son bonding right here.

Anyway, fast-forward to the hunt ... which was way harder than Khaled imagined. He filmed himself pulling up to a McDonald's that actually served Happy Meals ... telling both the drive-thru window workers (and his fans) that they'd struck out at 5 other locations.

He says this McDonald's was still serving Happy Meals ... and you can tell the staff was stoked to oblige, getting selfies with Khaled and asking him to drop some of his lines, which he happily did.

While Papa Bear was grateful to have gotten what he needed for his boy -- he was flabbergasted at how hard it was to come across a Happy Meal ... but there's a reason.

Word is ... McDonald's is phasing out current iterations of their staple menu item to replace the not-so-environmentally friendly plastic toys with biodegradable ones ... all in an effort to be more eco-conscious. So, it sounds like Happy Meals might be on pause at the moment.

Good thing Khaled tracked one down ... otherwise, this might've turned into 'Big Daddy.'

Floyd Mayweather Leaves Autograph for Influencer ... Ink Right on His Back!!!

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ADDING TO THE LIST
TMZSports.com

Floyd Mayweather helped a guy turn in his back into the biggest yearbook signature page ever -- etching his name right into his skin ... just one more out of hundreds already there.

The boxing great was on hand Saturday for The Parlor Games Celebrity Basketball Classic (presented by Celebrity Sports Entertainment), where he was one of many celebs in Vegas for star-studded game on the court.

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At one point, though, it appears he was approached by social media influencer Funky Matas -- who's kinda famous for all the writing on his body ... specifically, his entire back.

Stars like Will Smith, Gerard Butler, Steve-O, Michael J. Fox, Elijah Wood, Christopher Lloyd, Chris Rock, Usain Bolt, Tara Reid, Mike Tyson, Tony Hawk, Rob Schneider, Travis Barker and even the guy who voiced SpongeBob SquarePants ... just to name a few.

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All in all, he's got upwards of 300 signatures -- yes, he's world record holder -- and now ... Floyd's in the pantheon too. Dude did seem a little hesitant though, and we can't blame him.

About as neat as it is weird ... so, congrats???😅

Kid Rock Pitted Against Bruce Springsteen Who You Got, Musically?!?

Kid Rock and Bruce Springsteen are going head-to-head in a very unofficial fan poll taking place on the internet -- and wouldn't you know it ... it's politics as usual, yet again.

Somebody posed the strange question this weekend ... asking Twitter quite simply, "Bruce Springsteen or Kid Rock" -- and boy, did the bird app people give her a piece of their mind. Lo and behold, this turned into political mudslinging -- as these things often do.

Of course, Kid is much more so associated with right-wing views -- so as you can imagine, people who lean that way were coming out in fierce defense of KR ... dubbing Bruce as a leftist, etc. Ditto for fans of the Boss -- they too were name-calling.

Interestingly, the original question-poser tried to weed out the associations and connotations that each artist might carry outside of music, and answered her own question based solely on skill. In her mind, she doesn't think Bruce is all that he's cracked up to be.

Most music fans would probably disagree with her ... and the evidence is in the cold, hard numbers here. While musical taste is certainly subjective -- you can't deny that Bruce runs laps around Kid when it comes to hit singles, sales and overall popularity big picture.

On the Billboard Chart alone, Bruce takes the cake -- he's got a total of 26 songs that made it on the Billboard's Hot 100 list, 12 of which cracked the Top 10 ... with "Secret Garden" and "Dancing in the Dark" sticking around for 23 and 21 weeks, respectively.

Kid, meanwhile, only has 6 songs that made it into the Hot 100, and just one made into the Top 10. That'd be "Picture," which hung in tight on the chart for a total of 34 weeks.

And on pure numbers alone for units sold -- Bruce, again, beats Kid ... he's got about 150 million record sales worldwide, compared to KR's 27 million. So it's not really a contest or a matter of opinion in this regard ... Bruce has, objectively, outperformed the Kid.

Like we said, the discourse around this bizarre juxtaposition seems to have devolved into nothing more than a Democrat vs. Republican chat -- with each camp coming to their own artist's defense.

That's the way of the world lately, we suppose -- but again, to each their own. With that said, we'll put the question out there right here ... who's better, Kid or Bruce???

Who Ya Got -- The Kid or The Boss???

Leaving out politics altogether, naturally ... that's what we're curious about. Sound off!

'Doctor Strange 2' Alleged Leaks, Spoilers Galore ... Krasinski Footage Surfaces

WARNING: We're about to talk 'Doctor Strange' spoilers, so if you're NOT into that then beat it -- otherwise ... welcome, everyone, to Marvel speculation time ... starring John Krasinski.

The comic book Twittersphere was set ablaze Sunday after apparent leaked footage of the new 'DS' sequel -- which is coming out this week -- surfaced online and spread like wildfire ... with both grainy video and photo stills that appear to show JK as Mister Fantastic.

Funny enough, he's pretty spot-on compared to what people thought he'd look like in this role months ago ... tons of fancast mockups of Krasinski as Reed Richards have been made.

Now, while it's unclear if the new footage is, in fact, real ... it certainly looks legit (as it looks to have been recorded from a monitor of some sort) which is probably why a ton of that media is being yanked down left and right by Disney at the moment. That's always a tell.

We won't post any of it here -- but unfortunately for the Mouse House, it's already everywhere on Twitter ... and the cat seems to be outta the bag. Krasinski's suited up in the signature blue costume while confronting Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda -- with 3 heroes trailing.

Not the Fantastic 4, per se ... but other not-as-known Marvel characters, who make up the "Illuminati" (no, not that one).

That would be Captain Marvel (not the Brie Larson version), Captain Carter (female British Captain America) and some guy named Black Bolt (can't say we've ever heard of him).

Apparently, they face off against Wanda and seem to get their asses handed to them. Oh, and the other buzz is ... Professor X (Patrick Stewart) shows up too ... and maybe dies?

Anyway, that's the alleged latest for 'Strange' -- time will tell if any of these rumored spoilers come to fruition. The movie drops Friday, and it's angling to be about as big as 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' at the box office.

Based on all these cameos that might arise ... something tells us they'll get their money and then some.

Prince Harry Stretch It Out & Then Let's Ride ... Look Babe, I'm Polo'ing!!!

Prince Harry might be far across the pond, but he's still a Brit -- just look at him galloping with a stick in hand as he tries to whack a ball ... all the way over here in sunny California!

The Duke of Sussex got his polo on Friday during a match at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquets Club, where we're told he played on a team called Los Padres (the green jerseys, it seems) alongside a pal of his ... and apparently this happened last minute.

In any case, Hare clearly needed to stretch it out before getting on the horse to ride -- and he did exactly that ... with some mid-level squats, and extra effort to work out his glutes.

Of course ... his wife, Meghan Markle, was also there to watch her prince do his thing -- and once Harry was on the field ... it appears he saw some serious action. The dude's been playing a long time, BTW, dating back to his youth ... so the sport comes naturally.

This has gotta make him feel right at home ... which is nice, since he's sorta keeping London at arm's length at the moment -- this following his brief visit recently to see meemaw.

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MISSIN' THE FAM
NBC

He told Hoda Kotb not too long ago that he misses his family ... but dodged the follow-up when his brother and father were specifically brought up -- alluding to the ongoing rift.

Well, at least he's got polo ... and that killer calisthenics routine. Stay limber, PH!

Sen. Gillibrand Props to Angelina Jolie ... For Spotlighting Ukraine

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BRINGING ATTENTION
TMZ.com

Angelina Jolie went to Ukraine to see the devastation for herself ... and she's getting major props from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

The New York senator said she admires Angie for heading over to the city of Lviv this weekend, where she was chit-chatting with the locals and visiting children in hospitals nearby. It's near the border of Poland, and has largely avoided Russian forces so far.

Gillibrand says she knows AJ does humanitarian work with the UN -- so she thinks it's great that she's putting that hat on in the most crucial of times. As she tells us ... if she feels it's necessary to be over there right now, despite the danger, more power to her.

Now, Angelina's team and reps for the UN have noted she is NOT there on behalf of the intergovernmental org this time around ... but was simply on the ground in her own capacity to bear witness to what was going on.

Angelina says, "No child anywhere should have to flee their homes, or witness the murder of their loved ones, or experience shelling and the destruction of their homes. Yet that is the reality of so many children in Ukraine and around the world."

Rihanna Backstage for A$AP Rocky's Set ... Yeah, I'm With Him!!!

Rihanna wants to make it clear to everyone ... she and A$AP Rocky are solid.

A$AP headlined at the Smokers Club Festival Saturday night in WeHo, and RiRi was backstage showing her support.

She's reportedly just weeks away from giving birth to her first child, but showing up at the club was clearly important to her.

There's been lots of drama over the last few weeks. As we reported, A$AP was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon last month in connection with a shooting last November in Hollywood. A$AP and Rihanna were blindsided by cops who met them at LAX and hooked Rocky up. They then searched his house for weapons but did not find the gun used in the shooting.

There have also been media reports of Rocky cheating, although sources connected to the couple dismiss them as BS.

Pete Davidson Props To Trevor Noah!!! for White House Correspondents' Dinner Gig

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SERIOUS STARS
TMZ.com

The White House Correspondents' Dinner was back after a 5-year hiatus, and reviews afterwards by celebs who attended were all a thumbs up.

Pete Davidson left with GF Kim Kardashian and gushed that Trevor Noah had "crushed it."

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who says she'll be leaving her gig sometime soon begged to differ that this was her going away party.

CNN's Don Lemon had a strong view on who stole the show ... and it wasn't Biden and sorry ... it wasn't Kim.

And Fat Joe weighed in on Jeff Bezos' plan to send folks to the moon ... exactly how much would it take to get him in a rocket ship?

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GOING AFTER BOTH SIDES
Fox News

As you know, the dinner went dark during the Trump Administration ... hard to have a fun night when he calls those in attendance the enemy of the people.

In any case, a good time seemed to be had by all.

Conor McGregor Trash Talks Jake Paul After Boxing Match ... Ya Know Who You Look Like???

There were 2 fights connected to the boxing showdown between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano Saturday night -- the fight in the ring, and the fight between their supporters, Jake Paul and Conor McGregor.

Katie beat Serrano in a split decision at Madison Square Garden. Conor -- true to form -- who's in Katie's corner, zeroed in on Jake on social media, comparing him to deceased BBC personality Jimmy Savile ... a man who was suspected of sexual abuse.

McGregor wrote, "Who the f*** is this jackass in the pink Jimmy Savile glasses?"

Now what a shock, we say jokingly, Jake responded ... "I'm the one who has done more for fighters than you ever have; the one who has won five fights in the past two years while you have lost five."

Jake wasn't done ... "The one who isn’t owned by Dana White, the one who made the fight you just watched happen, the one who got your hero Katie Taylor paid, that’s who."

McGregor's comeback ... a pic of Savile sporting pink glasses similar to the ones Jake wore at the Garden.

The 2 have been trash talking for months now, and ya gotta think a fight would line both their pockets with millions and millions of bucks. Problem for Conor -- Jake is 6'1" and 210 lbs, while Conor's 5'8", and now weighs about 175 lbs.

Correction: Conor's only lost twice in the last 2 years ... both losses to Dustin Poirier. Jake was correct -- he's won 5 in a row.

President Biden Good Humor & Jokes at WHCD ... Trevor Noah Follows, Kills

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JOE'S GOT JOKES
Fox News
UPDATE

7:50 PM PT -- Trevor Noah followed Joe Biden, and his monologue went scorched earth on just about everyone ... from CNN to FOX News, Joe Biden and Jen Psaki and everyone in between.

UPDATE
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going after everyone!
Fox News
UPDATE

In his usual fashion, TN masterfully roasted just about everyone in the news biz -- without being too mean or going too over the line. The guy is certainly a professional in his craft, and it showed tonight. Here's just a taste of Trevor's awesome jokes and delivery ... well done!

President Biden busted out his comedy chops during the White House Correspondents' Dinner -- and his jokes were kinda hit or miss ... but he took his shots regardless.

JB was on hand Saturday at the Washing Hilton in D.C. -- the first time the dinner's been held since 2019, and the first a POTUS was at since longer -- and after a lengthy introduction full of awards and guest speakers ... Joe took to the podium to deliver remarks.

Right off the bat, Joe made some wise cracks about the press ... but also about himself, starting out by saying he appreciated all 42% of the people who clapped for him -- a wink to his recent approval rating.

He then said this about Donald Trump ... "We had a horrible plague, followed by two years of COVID," which got a big laugh from the room. From there, Joe's reception was up and down -- he made some viewership jokes about MSNBC, and then went after FOX News.

He noted that even though FOX News might sound anti-vaxx at times ... he assured everyone, your fave FOX journalists are vaccinated to be here tonight. Another line that was interesting ... Joe acknowledging the "Let's go Brandon" gag, sort of embracing it.

He ended with a more serious note ... saying America is "not a reality show," and that too got a major reaction. All in all, not too shabby from Joe -- a mixed bag, but mostly positive.

Originally Published -- 7:33 PM PT

SUGAR BEAR Possible Gum Cancer??? Discovered By Dentist

Sugar Bear's makeover could be life-changing in more ways than one ... because a dentist discovered what appears to be a type of cancer in his mouth.

A rep for Suge tells TMZ ... the reality TV star is undergoing a full makeover in Los Angeles, and when he went to a dentist Thursday to get new teeth, the dentist found what looks like possible cancer of the lower gums.

We're told the signs of potential cancer include multiple white spots on Sugar Bear's gums.

Sugar Bear was a chewing tobacco enthusiast for at least a dozen years, which we're told ended up rotting his teeth and may have now caused far greater damage.

Sugar Bear, who is the father to Honey Boo Boo and was once engaged to Mama June, was getting a makeover after finalizing a divorce ... we're told he wants to be new and improved for potential suitors now that he's single. SB recently turned 50 and wanted to boost his confidence as well.

We're told Sugar Bear's self-esteem was on the rise after he started the makeover, which also included a hair transplant, Botox, filler, liposuction, tummy tuck, a new haircut and a fresh shave ... but now the potential cancer discovery has his him gutted.

Sugar Bear's going to see a cancer specialist, and in the meantime, his new teeth from Dr. Tania Farshi are on hold.

Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard Coffee Shop Lets Customers Decide Who's Winning

The Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial is barely halfway done, but an enterprising coffee shop in WeHo has allowed customers to weigh in, in a very creative way.

Yep. There are Johnny/Amber tip jars at Dialog Cafe's ordering counter ... and folks are putting money down on who they believe.

Johnny holds the edge. We're told the Jonny vs. Amber tip jars have been displayed since the beginning of the week ... and Johnny seems to have come out on top in tips at the end of each day.

Mind you this is an unscientific process, but gotta say ... our TMZ polls -- You Be the Judge -- also have Johnny winning by a handsome margin, albeit the survey is unscientific as well.

As you know, Jonny Depp and his ex-wife are in the middle of a courtroom showdown ... and there have been some pretty explosive claims to come out, on both sides.

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CRUEL AND GROTESQUE

JD is suing Amber for $50 mil, claiming she lied when she accused him of physically abusing her. She is countersuing for $100 mil for defamation, claiming he coordinated a smear campaign against her.

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"YOU'RE F**KING KILLING ME"

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time the public has weighed in on ongoing beef. Some Starbucks locations across the U.S. brought out tip jars back in March during all the Pete Davidson vs Kanye West drama.

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West Hollywood has tipped its hand.