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President Trump might be having a change of heart -- he's acknowledging systemic racism exists in police forces ... or, at least, he guesses it's there.

The President, who has repeatedly denied racism is a problem in America's policing, was asked about the topic during a town hall taped for Sinclair TV stations. The moderator, Eric Bolling, said, "Is there systemic racism within police departments and is there any sort of retraining they need?"

Well, ya really gotta see how POTUS hemmed and hawed -- "Is there? I guess there probably is, and that's very sad. There is, and I think there's not much. Hopefully there's not much."

He went on like that for a bit before finally settling on this statement ... "I guess there always is, and it's a shame."

Now, it's really interesting because what's glaringly obvious is while he danced around his answer, Trump never actually said the words "systemic racism."

On the other hand, he did -- in the end -- say it does exist. That's a shift from everything Trump has said since George Floyd was killed, sparking anti-police brutality marches around the world. He's also denied it when questioned about Breonna Taylor's death.

Just last month in Kenosha, Wisconsin -- in the wake of police shooting Jacob Blake -- the President said, "I don't believe that," when a reporter asked if racism is an inherent issue in policing.

The question ... is Trump truly changing his view on racism in policing, or pandering to Black voters 12 days before Election Day?

Amber Rose is railing against her ex, Kanye West ... claiming he's consistently bullied her since their breakup in a way that reminds her of President Trump.

Amber pulled no punches as she called out Kanye as a narcissist in response to the "30 showers" jab he took at her in 2015 ... 5 years after they split.

She went off on him on the popular "No Jumper" YouTube channel, and told Adam22 ... "I don't know if he says things to make his wife more comfortable but to slut-shame me and say you needed 30 showers?" Amber added, "You took me around the world. Since when do you need 30 showers?"

Amber's essentially saying she's stunned that 10 years after their breakup Kanye's still bullying her, saying, "Even if someone is picking on me, which he has for 10 years. He has picked on me, he has bullied me for 10 years."

The most recent example? Amber says Kanye, at one of his so-called presidential campaign rallies, called her a prostitute. She said, "He just called me a prostitute at his rally. Ten years later. Just leave me alone. I don't talk about you. Obviously, it comes up in interviews 'cause it's a big part of why I'm famous so I try to give good interviews and not shy away from that, but at the same time, it's like, 'Bro, leave me alone.'"

When Adam22 brought up all of this, Amber responded, "That's what narcissists do, you share 2 years with someone, you take them around the world, you buy them all the jewelry, you shout-out to the world how much you love them and how much you love this person and then the person decides this isn't what they want their life to be. I opted out."

Amber also talked about Kanye's presidential bid and said there's strong similarities between him and the President.

She said, "I can see why he loves Trump, they're twinsies, they're the same person. There's things that Trump says and I'm like, 'Oh my God, that's Kanye.' He probably sees himself in Trump and that's why he supports him."

Eric Andre was seriously injured -- and hospitalized -- after a wrestling stung gone wrong with John Cena ... and it's all on video.

The comedian revealed the whole story on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" ... saying he was shooting a bit for "The Eric Andre Show" which required Cena to hulk out and throw him through a shelf.

Kimmel watched the footage and asked Eric if the stunt hurt as badly as it looked.

"John Cena did the stunt right, but we prepped for the stunt wrong. And, that metal shelf came over and clocked me in the head," Andre said ... "And, I got concussed."

Andre says he went to the hospital immediately -- noting, "I had like a Fred Flintstone, like Bugs Bunny [welt] on the side of my head."

The good news ... Andre seems to be okay now and was joking about it with Kimmel.

"They did a CAT scan, and I haven’t been able to speak English since. I memorized this interview phonetically, actually."

Yeah, we know pro wrestling is fake ... but the stunts are VERY real and come with real risks.

Just ask WWE superstar Ridge Holland -- who underwent REAL surgery after suffering a gruesome injury on live TV earlier this month.

Rick Ross seems to be following Kanye West's Wyoming blueprint, because he just scooped up a huge chunk of property ... to expand his Promise Land in Georgia.

The rapper dropped $1 million to become the proud new owner of 87 acres in Fayetteville, GA ... not far from the multi-million dollar mansion he calls home.

Da Boss's large plot of land -- located about 20 miles outside of Atlanta -- comes with 2 houses on the property that could be renovated for Rick to live in, or could be used as rentals.

Mitt Conerly of Metro West Realty brokered the sale. We're told Ross made the purchase as a property investment ... it's adjacent to his estate.

Rick's 87-acre purchase is a BIG deal, and reminiscent of Kayne's Wyoming land grab just over a year ago -- although Ye's plot covered several thousand acres.

And, if you're wondering ... yes, the compound Ross owns nearby is what you'd expect from the "Hustlin'" hip hop artist. That compound features an astonishing 109 rooms, including 12 bedrooms and 21 bathrooms.

It used to belong to Evander Holyfield, but Rick scored it in 2014 for $5.8 mil after a bank had foreclosed on it.

Bubba Wallace is taking the high road after a famous helmet artist -- who worked with Bubba in the past -- blasted the NASCAR driver on social media for bringing politics to the sport.

The artist is Jason Beam -- one of the top helmet designers in racing. He's worked with stars like Jimmie Johnson to Kyle Busch and more.

Beam's also pretty outspoken -- and when Richard Petty Motorsports announced they have officially named a new driver to take over the #43 car (now that Bubba has left the team), Beam went after Bubba publicly.

"RPM will actually have a wheelman behind the wheel and not a political statement looking for attention," Beam posted on Twitter.

A fan responds to Beam saying -- "So is this your final position? Cuz I remember a lot of flip flopping when you started getting called out by drivers."

That's when things escalated ... big time.

"I never once flip flopped," Beam said ... "F*ck Bubba and F*ck the BLM movement and F*ck anyone who wants to censor opinions and let politics get in the way of business relationships."

"You can quote me all you want, that’s my stance and has been from the get go."

Bubba saw the tweets and decided to respond -- expressing his disappointment with the artist.

"Can usually let the BS roll off but when it’s somebody I’ve met personally and was genuinely excited to have my first few lids painted by him .. hits different."

Bubba then explained why he left Richard Petty Motorsports to join Michael Jordan's new racing team.

"I ultimately left bc I just wanted a different look. No hard feelings just a personal feeling."

Wallace had this final message for Beam -- "Damn dude. Roger that."

As for the new Richard Petty driver -- RPM announced 24-year-old Erik Jones will take over the #43 car.

"Erik is an exceptionally talented driver, and we are excited to have him join our team,” RPM CEO Brian Moffitt said.

"At only 24 years old, Erik is part of NASCAR’s next generation of stars. He has won races at every level in NASCAR he has competed in – including in the NASCAR Cup Series. Erik is a proven winner and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to add more wins to this already impressive resume."

Eddie Van Halen's sadly gone, but this one-of-a-kind piece of rock 'n' roll history helps his legend live on ... and it's going up for grabs soon.

The iconic guitarist had the red, white and black Charvel guitar -- similar to his famed Frankenstrat, AKA "Frankenstein," he played for decades -- custom-built for Van Halen's 2007-2008 North American Tour.

The tour's known for reuniting original lead singer, David Lee Roth, with the band -- along with the debut of Eddie's son, Wolfgang, on the bass -- and for being their most profitable tour ever.

We're told this particular guitar was the only one personally crafted by EVH for the tour, making it truly unique, and was played by the rocker during Van Halen's concert at Seattle's KeyArena on December 3, 2007.

After the show, Eddie signed and dated the body of the guitar with a thick silver marker, so a protective clear strip's been added to protect his John Hancock and inscription.

The piece comes with a custom EVH case, a signed certificate of authenticity and a great photo of the legend doing what he did best ... shredding on stage.

According to Heritage Auctions, it's expected to go for more than $20,000, but we're thinking it could go a lot higher given he was one of the greatest guitarists in music history. Bidding opens next week for its Nov. 14-15 Entertainment Auction, so if you want it ... might as well jump.

Joe Exotic's still managing to piss off Carole Baskin even from behind bars ... she's got beef over her old nemesis' new underwear line.

Here's the deal ... Joe's selling limited-edition "Casket Baskin Briefs" as part of the men's underwear line of his "REVENGE" fashion collection with Odaingerous streetwear ... but Carole's not feeling it.

Carole's legal team fired off a cease and desist letter to Joe and the folks at Odaingerous, obtained by TMZ, claiming Joe and the brand have no right to make money off her name.

She's threatening legal action if Odaingerous doesn't pull the merch. Carole is also demanding a full accounting of any sales they've made off merch featuring or referring to her name or likeness.

As we first told you ... Joe's underwear line is selling like hotcakes, and the top seller is the 'Casket Baskin' boxer briefs, which are going for $29 a pop. So, there could be a lot of money at stake here.

Donald Trump and Barack Obama are taking the gloves off ... Trump just ripped Obama after his blistering rebuke of Trump's presidency.

The Prez went nuts on Obama during Wednesday's rally in North Carolina, and it sure seems like he watched Barry tear into him during a fiery speech in Philadelphia.

No one gets under Trump's skin like Obama, so it's no surprise he fired back at the former president ... Trump says he's actually glad Obama's hitting the campaign trail and finally stumping for Joe Biden.

Trump told his supporters a story about learning Obama was campaigning for Biden, and he claims he told his aides it's a blessing in disguise because nobody campaigned harder for Hillary Clinton than Obama, and look how that turned out.

Trump's definitely been holding this grudge for years -- pointing out Obama got it all wrong in 2016 by telling people Trump wouldn't run, wouldn't win the nomination and wouldn't win the White House.

Trump was extra smug ... and he said the only person more unhappy than Hillary on Election Night 2016 was Obama.

UFC's newest star Michael Chandler says he's taking his job as "alternate" for the Khabib vs. Gaethje fight very seriously ... and he'll be ready to step in if either fighter can't go on Saturday.

As we previously reported, several Khabib fights have been scrapped at the last minute to due unforeseen circumstances ... from bad weight cuts to freak injuries.

So, Dana White has a backup plan for UFC 254 -- flying out Michael Chandler, one of the best lightweights in the world, to stay ready in case something happens to either Justin or Khabib before that bell rings.

"Of course I don't want bad luck to befall Khabib or Gaethje because I respect them a ton," Chandler tells TMZ Sports ... "but they needed someone to be here as an insurance policy, as a backup plan in case somebody did fall off the card. So, I've said I have to be ready."

Chandler is on Fight Island and preparing himself as if he'll fight on Saturday night -- everything from conditioning to the weight cut.

"At this point, I still don't know if whether I'm weighing in and then waiting for Khabib and Gaethje to make weight," Chandler says.

"I don't know if I'm gonna go to the arena, warm-up, get my hands wrapped until Khabib and Gaethje actually step into that cage and that cage door's locked and Bruce Buffer's announcing them."

Chandler admits it's frustrating training for a fight that might not happen -- but "I signed on the dotted line saying I'd be the alternate, I am the alternate until I'm needed no more."

"All I can do is do my job."

After UFC 254, Chandler says he's hoping to sign a contract to fight Tony Ferguson -- and if he wins that, it would put him in a great spot for a potential title shot with Khabib or Justin.

We also asked Chandler to make a fight prediction for Saturday -- and he's taking Khabib over Gaethje.

"You gotta bet on the guy who is undefeated."

But, Chandler says Gaethje is a dangerous man -- and he's got a real shot at upsetting the champ.

New York native Christopher Atkins was only 19 years old when he landed his first big acting role as the scantily clad cousin Richard Lestrange -- who knocks up his co-star while surviving the natural challenges of living on a deserted island -- in Randal Kleiser's 1980 film "The Blue Lagoon."

Christopher Atkins shared the big screen with Bradley Pryce and Chad Timmerman as his small son, Paddy, who's named after the cook who saved them as children played by Leo McKern and of course Brooke Shields as Richard's cousin and baby mama, Emmeline Lestrange.

LeBron James is vowing NOT to engage in Twitter wars with President Trump before the election ... saying he "damn sure won't go back and forth" with #45.

The 4-time NBA champ has engaged in mutual verbal combat with POTUS in the past ... including his famous "bum" remark when defending Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors' outspokenness against visiting the White House.

POTUS also recently ripped into the superstar ... calling him "nasty" and "a hater" for his political stance and accusing him of hurting the NBA's rankings.

Bron -- who's actively pushing to get more voters via his "More Than A Vote" campaign -- spoke with the New York Times about his public beef with Trump ... and he makes it clear he's not entertaining a long-term battle.

"I don’t go back and forth with anybody," James says. "And I damn sure won’t go back and forth with that guy."

"But, we want better, we want change in our community. We always talk about, 'We want change,' and now we have the opportunity to do that."

King James also spoke out on his decision to campaign for more voting rather than a particular candidate in 2020 ... saying, "We’ve been talking about voter suppression, we’ve been talking about police brutality, systemic racism."

"We’ve had so many things going on, and voter suppression in our communities happens to be at the forefront. So that’s something we wanted to educate our people on."

Joe Biden's campaign is pulling out the biggest gun right before the election -- Barack Obama in the flesh pounding the pavement for his ex-Veep.

The former President was out in Philly Wednesday, campaigning for Joe and Kamala Harris in the first in-person event Barack held on behalf of the team. He started out by having a panel discussion with Black male leaders in the city, and eventually migrated to the streets ... where he addressed a crowd of volunteers with a bullhorn.

It was kinda odd but badass all the same to see 44 rallying up the troops -- while wearing a mask, of course -- by telling them despite all the digital ads a candidate might employ ... good old-fashioned person-to-person conversation is how voters truly connect to a cause.

Obama then got on the podium at a drive-in rally in Citizens Bank Park, and tee'd off on Trump and his failure to control COVID-19. Obama said rather than tweeting at the TV, Trump should've taken action ... and just like everything else he inherited, Trump screwed up the economy.

He said people in the community would see their effort and be inspired by it ... not just that, but BO also made sure to tell them to relay that this election isn't just about picking a new Prez, but gaining control of the Senate too.

It's quite the throwback to his 2008 days when he was first running for President, and even before that when he was running for Senate in Illinois.

Terrence Howard claims he's getting hustled because 20th Century Fox is using his likeness from "Hustle & Flow" to promote "Empire" ... so now he's suing the studio.

Terrence -- who played Lucious Lyon on all 6 seasons of "Empire" -- just filed a lawsuit claiming 20th Century Fox gave him the runaround when asked how it came up with the "Empire" logo ... since he never sat down for a photoshoot.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Terrence says he ultimately determined the image was taken from the "Hustle & Flow" scene where "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" is being recorded in a studio.

According to the docs ... Terrence says "the still frame was selected, reversed (face looking left, not right), and subjected to CGI that simply distilled the cinematographer’s skilled capture of the head with vibrant light and shadow” to make the 'Empire' logo.

Terrence is upset because he says he would have gotten paid by Paramount -- the studio behind "Hustle & Flow" -- if 20th Century Fox got a proper license to use his image from the movie. He's suing for damages and wants an accounting of all the Empire merch using the logo.

Felicity Huffman can see the light at the end of the tunnel in the college admissions scandal, and the first right she wants back ... the ability to leave the U.S.

The 'Desperate Housewives' actress' legal team filed new docs, asking a judge to order the return of her passport -- which her lawyers say is currently in the possession of the probation department.

She had to give it up as part of her punishment, but now that she'll be wrapping up her supervised release in the next few days ... she's looking to get that puppy back in her hands.

Felicity's attorneys say she's completed all other aspects of her sentence -- including 250 hours of community service and her 2-week prison stint in the Bay Area.

The docs say federal prosecutors do not object to Felicity getting her passport ---- so, it's just a matter of time before she gets it. Once she does, though, she'll be just like most of us ... wondering where the hell she can realistically travel during the pandemic!

Rudy Giuliani might have some 'splaining to do about an apparently compromising scene in Sacha Baron Cohen's new 'Borat' installment.

President Trump's adviser admits he got duped into shooting the scene back in July -- he'd agreed to be interviewed in NYC by a conservative news outlet, which was really just a setup for "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm." Well, now we know what happened in the scene and it's jaw-dropping.

According to Vanity Fair -- which has seen the movie in advance -- Giuliani meets up with Borat's daughter, who's posing as a journalist, for an interview in a hotel room. At one point, he holds her hands, compliments her looks and she suggests they go to the bedroom for a drink.

Then she "elaborately" takes off their microphones, Rudy lies down on the bed, and puts his hand in his pants ... according to VF.

That's when Cohen, as Borat, busts in to the room to interrupt. To be clear, Giuliani's not seen doing anything illegal -- but the report about the scene sounds embarrassing, at the least.

We knew Rudy was in the movie because he made a big deal about it when it was filmed. You might recall, he called NYPD on Cohen at the time ... claiming the actor busted in the room wearing "a pink transgender outfit."

Rudy boasted to reporters afterward, "I thought about all the people he previously fooled, and I felt good about myself because he didn’t get me." He also stated he was a fan of Borat and didn't hold a grudge over the prank.

Let's see if that holds up when Amazon Prime releases 'Borat 2' on Friday.

Breonna Taylor's family attorney says the Louisville cop speaking out has a major advantage to dispute her truth ... and claims the officer's own words reveal a bias against Black people.

Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to discuss Jonathan Mattingly's claim he, nor his fellow LMPD officers, did anything illegal or racist the night they raided her apartment and shot her dead.

Crump says Mattingly is benefitting greatly from being alive to tell his version of the story ... while poor Breonna can't do the same.

As for Mattingly's insistence the cops knocked and identify themselves as law enforcement -- Crump says Kenneth Walker, Breonna's BF, has stuck to the same story since the beginning ... that they did NOT hear anyone say "police."

There's also the fact that several surrounding neighbors say they didn't hear any knocking or announcing, which Crump also thinks works against Mattingly. For his part, Mattingly says the neighbors not hearing doesn't square with the fact Walker admits he did hear knocking.

Mattingly told GMA nobody wishes more than him there was body camera footage of the raid, but Crump begs to differ. As he put it to us, Breonna's mother, Tamika Palmer, probably would like to see it way more than LMPD ... to prove her daughter was executed.