President Biden Rocks Tan Suit at White House ... Possible Nod to Obama

It's a callback Friday for President Biden ... whose decision to wear a tan suit to a news conference looks like a nod to the dumbest "controversy" of former President Barack Obama's administration.

The Prez took the podium Friday morning at the White House to speak about the economy and the July jobs report -- mostly positive news for once -- and he raised some eyebrows by stepping out in beige ... with a green tie.

As you might recall ... Obama was skewered by conservatives and style critics when he did the same thing on August 28, 2014 for his news conference about increasing the U.S. military response against Syria.

Tan Suit Gate -- as it became to be known -- featured Republicans blasting Obama for his wardrobe choice, claiming it showed a lack of seriousness ... while countless bloggers and talking heads weighed in on the look for weeks afterward.

Anyway, now that Biden's debuted his tan suit look for the first time in his presidency, it begs 2 questions: Will this result in a similarly stupid uproar? And, more importantly ... who wore it better?

Who Wore It Better?

O.J. Simpson I Feared Death Battling COVID 'I Couldn't Catch My Breath'

O.J. Simpson says he had such a tough battle with COVID last year, he was worried he was going to die ... explaining the virus made it nearly impossible for him to catch his breath.

The former NFL superstar went in-depth with The Athletic about his 2020 battle with coronavirus ... saying things at one point got so dire, death crossed his mind.

"When I had COVID, I almost couldn't get out of bed," Simpson said in a lengthy interview. "I made it to my balcony, trying to breathe. I couldn't catch my breath."

Simpson said his symptoms were so bad, he actually spoke with his children about final arrangements.

"I felt vulnerable," 74-year-old Simpson said, "and for the first time thought I might be near the end."

Simpson was able to recover ... and said he's grateful for it, explaining he's loving his life out of prison in Las Vegas.

Simpson said he golfs "four or five days a week" now, and bragged about how he's still treated like a celebrity.

"People want to buy me drinks," he said. "I'm always taking pictures with people. Ladies hug me."

"People truly care for me," he continued. "You don’t know who truly cares about you until you've gone through some serious stuff, and I've gone through serious stuff."

"The media won’t say it, but that is my life. I'm living a good life now."

Simpson, though, did say his life now includes far less trips to Los Angeles.

He explained he's troubled by being in the city because he's concerned Nicole Brown Simpson's killer could still be there.

"People may think this is self-serving, but I might be sitting next to whoever did it," Simpson said. "I really don't know who did this."

Britney Spears Jamie's Replacement Will Audit Him ... Let's See How He Spent Her Money!!!

Britney Spears has made it abundantly clear she wants her father, Jamie, out as conservator of her estate and Jason Rubin to take his place ... and if and when he does, sources tell TMZ he'll put Jamie under the microscope.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... if Rubin is appointed, the first order of business will be to conduct forensic accounting to determine if Jamie mishandled Britney's finances.

Rubin is a CPA who routinely dives into complex businesses and does exactly that, and based on the documents that Britney's new lawyer, Matt Rosengart, has filed, there will be a lot to examine.

One of the big-ticket items Rosengart has flagged ... a $500,000 payment to Britney's former business manager, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group. Tri Star had been getting a 5% percent commission on Britney's gross entertainment-related income, and when she was performing the company was getting a bundle because Britney was making an enormous amount of money.

When Britney went on hiatus in 2019, the amount Tri Star was getting dwindled to around $200,000 a year. A rep from the company sent Jamie an email asking to raise the minimum to $500,000, and Jamie approved it, despite an existing agreement that Tri Star allegedly had which did not entitle it to the additional $300,000 a year.

Rosengart also cited Jamie's request for more than $1.3 million in attorney's fees, which included $541,000 for "media matters."  Rosengart clearly thinks "media matters" is B.S.

And, Rosengart took issue with Jamie paying himself $16,000 a month -- Rosengart says that's $2K more than Britney herself got.

TMZ broke the story ... Britney wants her dad out immediately, and either wants the judge to move up the hearing date from late September to August, or suspend Jamie immediately pending the hearing.

We reached out to Rosengart for comment ... no word back so far.

Simone Biles Welcomed Home With Parade ... After Olympics

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HOMETOWN HERO
@realchrisgunter / Instagram

Simone Biles was treated like royalty after making her return from Tokyo ... with tons of fans lining up to get a glimpse of the Olympics superstar in Texas!!

24-year-old Biles touched down in Houston on Thursday ... and was immediately greeted by her biggest supporters at the airport, as well as her beloved French bulldog.

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WARM WELCOME
FOX 26 Houston

The party continued in parade form ... with the 4-time gold medalist cruising through the streets in a turquoise Range Rover convertible -- naturally, the fans went nuts.

USA Gymnastics teammate Jordan Chiles was also part of the festivities ... popping out of the sunroof of a minivan and giving all the fans a wave.

Once the hype settled down, Biles decided to check out Houston Texans training camp Friday ... of course, we're assuming her eyes were laser-focused on #36 -- her NFL player boyfriend, Jonathan Owens.

Owens previously talked about his boo at Texans practice ... saying he was proud of the way she handled herself and offered advice every day while she was in Japan.

Despite Simone's controversial time in Tokyo, the folks in the Houston area showed nothing but love for their local hero.

Welcome home, Simone!!

Kanye West's 'Donda' Event Down Goes Fan Crashing Stage!!! Tackled by Security Guards

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RUNAWAY
TMZ.com

A Kanye West fan tried to join the show during the rapper's second "Donda" listening event ... but got taken down by security before he got too close.

About midway through Ye's performance Thursday night at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- his second in as many weeks -- a man dressed in orange breached security in the stands and made a break for the stage.

As the guy made his way through the large crowd of backup dancers, that's when a security guard came out of nowhere with the big tackle. Unfortunately, it looks like he may have been injured in the collision.

While we hope the guard's okay, the fan was apprehended by several other guards after the take-down and hauled away. However, it seems police were not involved because we're told they have no record of the incident.

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SHOWIN' UP FOR YE
MEGA

As we told you ... Kim Kardashian and all their kids attended the "Donda" listening party 2.0, which was supposed to lead up to the public release of Kanye's 10th studio album after already being delayed.

Turns out, the second time around yielded the same result, as of Friday 7:30 AM PT ... "Donda" is still not out.

Some fans have joked it's because Kanye still hasn't come down after levitating out of the stadium to dramatically end last night's show. Or, maybe the third listening event will be the charm.

Jennifer Aniston I Cut Unvaccinated Friends Out of My Life ... 'Cause They Don't Care About Others

Jennifer Aniston knows the drill ... you say anything on social media, you're gonna get dragged, but after drawing fire for her vaccination comments, she was ready to fight back.

Aniston was criticized for saying when it comes to friends, she only wants those who are vaccinated, revealing she's cut "a few people" out of her life who just won't get the shot.

The criticism was mild as far as criticism goes, but here's a sample ... "If [Jennifer's] vaccinated she's protected correct? why be worried about [unvaxinated people] around her?"

She fired back ... "Because if you have the variant, you are still able to give it to me ... I may get slightly sick but I will not be admitted to a hospital or die" ... BUT I CAN give it to someone who does not have the vaccine and whose health is compromised -- and therefore I would put their lives at risk."

And, she zeroed in on the point ... "THAT is why I worry ... We have to care about more than just ourselves."

Point taken ...

Conor McGregor Crutches Around L.A. Hotspot ... Promises Big Recovery!!!

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FOCUSED ON RECOVERY
TMZSports.com

Conor McGregor ain't letting gnarly leg surgery keep him away from a good meal ... the UFC star hit an L.A. hotspot for dinner Thursday night, and vowed to TMZ Sports afterward, he's on his way to a big recovery!

The 33-year-old -- who broke his leg during his fight with Dustin Poirier on July 10 -- was in great spirits while crutching around Craig's in West Hollywood.

You can see in the footage, he was moving pretty well despite having major surgery less than a month ago ... getting around a mob of people and into a car without much assistance at all.

As for the recovery the process, McGregor said it's all "doing good, doing good."

"Three weeks, three days -- it's been good," said Conor, who was feeling so well he even signed some autographs for fans. "It's been good."

McGregor also promised to make an epic comeback from the brutal leg procedure ... telling us, "It's going to be some recovery. It's going to be some recovery!"

As we previously reported, McGregor went under the knife for nearly 4 hours last month and needed a rod, plate and screws to fix the damage he suffered during his fight with Poirier.

But, McGregor has looked great in the days since the operation ... hanging with Justin Bieber, getting in lift sessions at the gym and now crushing some good food at one of L.A.'s best eateries.

Recovery process is supposed to take about a year ... but seems clear Conor's ready to bet the under on that timeframe.

'Gone Girl' Actress Lisa Banes Cops Nab Suspect in Fatal Hit-and-Run

NYPD has a 26-year-old man in custody for allegedly striking actor Lisa Banes with an electric scooter and fleeing the scene ... the incident that ultimately killed her.

According to cops, Brian Boyd was arrested Thursday and is facing 2 charges -- leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and failure to yield to a pedestrian.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops recognized Boyd from a wanted poster that had been circulating, and scooped him up.

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TAKEN IN HANDCUFFS
Loud Labs NYC

As we reported ... Banes -- known for her roles in "Gone Girl" and "Cocktail" -- was hit in a crosswalk on the evening of June 4 in the Upper West Side near the Lincoln Center.

Police say she had the right of way when the scooter passed through a red traffic signal and the collision occurred. Lisa was knocked to the roadway and critically injured while the suspect fled the scene.

Sadly, she died from her injuries 10 days later at the age of 65.

Boyd reportedly lives on the same Upper West Side corner where the deadly collision took place.

Kim Kardashian & Kids Let's Run it Back ... Attend Kanye's 2nd 'Donda' Event

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SHOWIN' UP FOR YE
MEGA
UPDATE

6:45 PM PT -- Kanye’s kids were spotted getting ready for the album release.

UPDATE

Kim Kardashian and all of her children are showing just how much they love and support Daddy ... they're back in Atlanta for Kanye West's encore "Donda" album release.

Kim and their kids -- North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm -- are on the East Coast yet again to attend Ye's second event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2 weeks in anticipation of the release of his 10th studio album ... scheduled for Friday.

Kim and the kids are dressed head to toe in Balenciaga, which sorta makes sense ... the creative director behind the event is the head of Balenciaga.

We're told some family friends are also with Kim -- including KKW's Chief Marketing Officer Tracy Romulus and her kids -- to celebrate the rapper's momentous occasion.

Worth noting -- our sources say this is not some sign that Kim and Kanye are getting back together ... the divorce is still happening, but the family support remains strong.

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WORKIN' THE CROWD
TMZ.com

As we first told you ... Kim and the family were also in attendance on July 22 when Kanye first debuted "Donda" ahead of its initial July 23 release date. It never came out, though ... thus his need for round 2.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Our sources say the plan is for Kayne to put a new twist on the second album release event ... which looks like it may involve transforming into a supervillain.

Then again, as Khloe recently told us ... only Kanye truly knows what's in store.

Originally Published -- 6:15 PM PT

The Offspring Drummer Not Kicked Out ... But Return Appears Unlikely

The Offspring are telling people their drummer, Pete Parada, was NOT kicked out of the band due to being unvaccinated ... but as a practical matter, it may be the case.

Jason "Blackball" McLean -- famous for singing "You gotta keep 'em separated" on The Offspring's 1994 hit, "Come Out And Play" -- tells TMZ ... Pete was never given the boot by his bandmates and a mutual agreement was reached ... but frankly, a return is sounding more and more like a pipedream.

We're told there have been several discussions between Pete and the other band members for months about getting back on the road, traveling and touring again ... which would require getting vaccinated.

More and more venues, cities and countries are requiring proof of vaccination to perform ... and we're told the band needs a drummer who's all-in on getting the shot.

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Pete says he can't get vaccinated due to a medical issue that's gotten worse since childhood, so he's out ... and there doesn't appear to be a pathway for a return in the foreseeable future.

Drummer Josh Freese will be filling in for The Offspring's upcoming shows -- but the band is telling folks it's not permanent and as soon as things get better and Pete's not required to be vaxxed to be in a venue, there's an open invitation to return.

Thing is ... vaccine mandates don't appear to be going away anytime soon, nor does COVID, and with herd immunity seeming further and further away, it's increasingly hard to imagine Pete getting behind a drum set with The Offspring.

BTW ... though Jason's not an official member of the band, he will be appearing at some of their upcoming shows to perform his iconic lyrics, just like he did on a recent ep. of their "Cockpit Karaoke."

Pete, on the other hand, will likely be sidelined for the foreseeable future, even though he and the band might not be ready to accept it.

Andrew Dice Clay Diagnosed With Bell's Palsy ... Still Performing Shows

Andrew Dice Clay has Bell's palsy, but he's not letting the condition stop him from taking the stage ... instead, he's actually working it into his act.

A rep for Andrew tells TMZ … The Diceman woke up a few weeks ago, and noticed his face was drooping, but didn't have any other symptoms. He didn't think he'd suffered a stroke, and went to a doctor to find out what was going on.

We're told the doc diagnosed him with Bell's palsy -- a condition causing an unexplained bout of facial muscle weakness or paralysis, usually on one side of the head or face.

Bell's palsy is typically not permanent, and we're told ADC's doctor told him it should subside in a few weeks.

Ever the entertainer, Andrew's already including his condition in shows. Folks who saw him perform this week at a New Jersey comedy club tell us he walked on stage with his face puffed up and droopy with slurred speech, and the crowd initially thought it was an act.

We're told The Diceman eventually addressed the elephant in the room ... announcing he had Bell's palsy, which momentarily stunned the crowd, but he went right back into telling jokes.

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ADC has upcoming gigs in New York and Texas, and we're told he's not canceling them ... regardless of his condition.

Manny Pacquiao Not Interested In Jake Paul Fight ... Down For Mayweather Rematch

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ONLY THE BEST
TMZSports.com

Jake Paul vs. Manny Pacquiao is a fight you will NOT see ... 'cause the Filipino legend tells us he's laser-focused on bolstering his legacy -- and a fight with the YouTube star doesn't help.

... but he didn't slam the door on Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather II.

TMZ Sports talked to the 42-year-old boxing great while he was training at Wild Card Boxing in Los Angeles ... and we asked Manny if he had any interest in boxing Jake.

"No, I will not. I will not. I want to fight the best to add on to my legacy."

Of course, 24-year-old Paul -- who's fighting ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley later this month -- previously told us he had his sights set on ... the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, CANELO ALVAREZ.

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THE DUDE IS A LEGEND
TMZSports.com

But, Pacquiao ain't interested ... but Jake shouldn't take it as a shot at his skills in the squared circle.

"I’m not underestimating Paul, but he’s, he doesn’t have a lot of experience of boxing. So, in that point, he’s already, disadvantage for him to fight in boxing."

FYI, Manny -- who's coming off wins against stars Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman -- has a huge fight against 31-year-old boxing champ Errol Spence on August 21 ... and clearly isn't slowing down despite his advanced age for a fighter.

We asked Pacquiao if he wanted a rematch with Floyd Mayweather ... so he could avenge his 2015 loss against Money.

Manny says he's down to do it (even though Mayweather's retired) ... adding Floyd is invited to the Spence fight.

Your move, Floyd.

Rupert on 'Survivor' 'Memba Him?!

Youth mentor Rupert Boneham was cast on the seventh season of the reality competition show "Survivor: Pearl Islands" ... but it was his grizzly gumption, thoughtful charisma and trippy tie-dye tank top that thrust the gentle giant into the hearts and minds of millions of viewers.

The fan-favorite was so well-loved he continued to be cast on Survivor seasons including "Survivor: All-Stars," "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" and "Survivor: Blood vs. Water" ... and even won a million-dollar prize after a bonus nationwide fan vote.

Rupert continues to inspire those around him with his Rupert's Kids nonprofit organization that works to empower young people after being released from correctional facilities.

Guess what he looks like now!

Vanessa Bryant Settles Acrimonious Lawsuit With Mother

Vanessa Bryant has settled a lawsuit filed by her mother, TMZ Sports has learned.

Sofia Laine had claimed she worked as a nanny for Vanessa and Kobe for nearly 20 years and said she was owed $200,000 ... computed at a rate of $96 an hour.

She also claimed Kobe promised to take care of her for the rest of her life. She says after Kobe died, Vanessa kicked her out of the home Kobe had allegedly bought for her.

Vanessa called the lawsuit "frivolous, disgraceful and unimaginably hurtful." She went on ... "My husband never promised my mother anything, and he would be so disappointed in her behavior and lack of empathy."

As for getting money for working as a nanny, Vanessa said, "I have supported her for nearly 20 years, and was never my or Kobe's personal assistant, nor was she a nanny."

Vanessa went on ... "In reality, she only occasionally babysat my older girls when they were toddlers," adding, "As of ten years ago, our kids were full-time students and athletes and I didn't have another child until 2016."

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the case is over.

R. Kelly Submits Questions for Jurors To Weed Out LGBT Prejudice

R. Kelly's lawyers submitted a list of questions for potential jurors ... and it's clear they're trying to eliminate anyone who might judge Kelly's sexual preferences or lifestyle.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the disgraced singer's legal team wants the judge to include 6 additional questions for prospective jurors to answer during the jury selection process.

Here's the first one on the list, just to paint the picture -- "Do you have any views about heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and/or bisexual people that would affect your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?"

From there, the questions focus on specific gay, lesbian and bisexual scenarios and ask the potential jurors if they have views on them that would affect their ability to be fair and impartial.

This all stems from the latest development in Kelly's case, in which the judge ruled he will allow the new allegations -- that Kelly groomed and molested a 17-year-old male he met at McDonald's -- to be presented during trial.

So, while Kelly's legal team has claimed the new abuse allegations are just the feds' attempt to smear him ... they're also trying to make sure jurors aren't bringing any homophobic biases into the courtroom.

Frontier Airlines Duct Tape Incident Hilariously Spoofed ... Why 'Flight Attendant' Fought Back

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FUNNY BUSINESS
The Real Spark / YouTube

The flight attendant who duct-taped an unruly Frontier passenger is finally speaking out -- well, at least a YouTuber is giving him a pretty hilarious voice.

Ya gotta see this spoof of a TV newscast, which starts and ends with actual news footage ... but in the middle features YouTube personality, The Real Spark, masquerading as flight attendant, Alfredo Rivera -- and if you act up on his flights, "you gonna have to attend this ass whooping!"

He explains the passenger stunk like "4 shots of Everclear and regret." He then references something that allegedly happened for real on the flight ... the passenger, Max Berry, groping a female crew member mid-flight. "Alfredo" adds, "Where he f**ked up at is when he touched my titties, 'cause I don't play that!!!"'

Just watch ... we give it an 'A' for delivery and production quality.

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RESTRAINED MID-FLIGHT
WPLG10

As you know ... the real flight attendant taped Berry to a seat after the guy allegedly groped a couple female crew members and started screaming, cussing and making a scene.

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AIRLINE ASS
TMZ.com

TMZ obtained new video of the incident, showing Berry ranting and raving as he was restrained. The real flight attendants involved are all on paid leave while the airline investigates ... but Frontier says it supports their actions under the circumstances.

Until the actual crew members speak out, this guy's spoof will have to do.