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Jeremy Strong was portrayed as a kook in an article detailing his acting methods -- but his peers are coming to his defense ... including Jessica Chastain and Aaron Sorkin.

You might've heard about this ... the HBO star was recently profiled in the New Yorker, with a piece titled "On 'Succession,' Jeremy Strong Doesn't Get the Joke." It's a good, long read ... but the takeaway is -- the guy's pretty intense when it comes to his craft.

There are anecdotes in there about Strong's time shooting for Sorkin's 'Trial of the Chicago 7' -- where he plays Jerry Rubin, one of the guys charged and tried by the federal government. Apparently, he wanted to be tear-gassed (for real), something AS declined.

There's another tale about how he low-key harassed actor Frank Langella (the judge in the film) with silly antics and pranks -- reading from his memoir in goofy voices, and placing a fart machine below his chair -- because he thought his character would do exactly that.

You can go read the story yourself to get the full scope -- but bottom line ... it's not a very flattering depiction of Jeremy at all. He comes off as eccentric, tone-deaf and over the top ... but Sorkin has come out swinging on behalf of the dude, tearing into the NYer.

He recruited Chastain -- who's also spoken out for Jeremy -- to post an open letter -- in which he claims that a few quotes he gave to the author were carefully dissected and not used in full, which he thinks is BS.

Sorkin says his words were taken out of context, insisting Jeremy didn't disrespect anyone on set -- adding that he's a fantastic actor and a great guy, who takes his job seriously.

Ditto for Adam McKay, who works with Jeremy on "Succession." He wrote JS was cast in the hit show "precisely because of his passion the New Yorker writer mocks." Even Anne Hathaway posted something in support of Jeremy, which seemed to be in response to the New Yorker. She was singing his praises, calling him "fully engaged and committed on set."

Jeremy himself doesn't appear to have said anything just yet, but the NYer has ... telling Deadline, "This is a nuanced, multi-sided portrait of an extremely dedicated actor. It has inspired a range of reactions from people, including many who say that they are even more impressed by Jeremy Strong's artistry after having read the article."

Jennifer Lopez might be hot stuff -- but she ain't finer than the great Salma Hayek ... at least that's what Twitter seems to have decided.

Another poll on the bird app has gone viral ... this time with the question being -- who's the baddest out of these 2 ladies??? Those gals being ... J Lo and SH, of course. In fairness, they didn't choose the most flattering shot of Jen here, but still ... the people have spoken.

It appears Salma is the clear victor in the looks department -- with one user responding, "Salma past, present, in her prime, now & twice on Sundays." Another wrote, "Don't ever disrespect Salma and her elite horchata buckets again." Uhhh ... okay.

No doubt, both women are beautiful -- but based on how people are responding to the very unofficial poll ... the feeling is -- Salma may, perhaps, be underrated. Crazy, we know, but if you consider the fanfare and hype one gets over the other ... that sorta makes sense.

Frankly, J Lo is talked about and idolized waaaaay more than Salma is -- but it could be because she's a lot more public with her life ... which obviously includes her SOs, who are a thousand times more famous than Salma's husband, Francois-Henri Pinault.

He's a billionaire and all, but nobody really knows who the guy is. Point being, Salma is very low-key and private compared to J Lo -- which possibly plays into how folks perceive them.

But, on a basic hotness level, it would seem people hold Salma in higher regard ... and there's even visual proof some are offering up to make their point. Salma has shown a lot of skin on camera, and that well of content is helping fans firm up their argument.

Jen, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily flaunt her stuff on the big screen all that much -- but she isn't shy about showing off her body either.

Tornados ripped through Kentucky, Illinois and other states last night ... and the death toll could reach 100 ... and it could even go higher.

The images are horrifying ... one tornado traveled 223 miles, ripping through county after county in Kentucky. Governor Andy Beshear said, "We have deaths in multiple counties. This is one of the toughest nights in Kentucky's history."

And, there was at least one death in Arkansas Friday night, when a tornado ravaged a nursing home, causing the building to collapse.

And, there's this ... workers inside a Kentucky candle factory posted Facebook audio ... showing the sheer terror of the weather event. The workers can be heard sobbing and begging for help ... "Please y'all, give us some help. We are at the candle factory in Mayfield. Please, please. Y'all! Please send us some help. Somebody, please send us some help, we are trapped."

She goes on ... "The wall is stuck on me. Nobody can get to us, y'all, we can't move."

Michael Strahan just went where no news anchor has gone ... to the edge of space!!!

It was a flawless flight after a short hold at 15 minutes. Blue Origin hurled into space with Strahan and 4 other astronauts on board, including Laura Shepard Churchley, the oldest daughter of America's first astronaut, Alan Shepard.

The capsule was atop the New Shepard rocket ... named, of course, after Alan.

When they experienced weightlessness, the astronauts were giddy with excitement ... you can hear the joy as they floated in space.

The New Shepard rocket was originally supposed to take off for the 10-minute flight on Thursday but Bezos gave it the yellow light, due to high wind.

This Blue Origin flight is the third launch with people on board. Astronaut Strahan and others had lots of training before they boarded. The TV host says he went to the Blue Origin facility for a week-and-a-half training prior to today's launch.

If taking a trip to space isn't already a good enough incentive, apparently all passengers get some sort of stipend... and Strahan says he is donating his to The Boys & Girls Club.

Jingle Ball 2021 did not disappoint ... lots of big stars showed up, but COVID reared its ugly head after the show.

Nick, Joe and Kevin -- aka the Jonas Bros -- performed, along with Dixie D'Amelio, Ed Sheeran, Saweetie, Bazzi, Tate McRae and Kane Brown. It was super glitzy and as far as what happened on stage ... it seems flawless. But, the virus took its toll, sidelining one of the big stars of the night.

Jimmy Fallon hosted the shindig at Madison Square Garden.

Lil Nas X performed some of his biggest hits including "Industry Baby," "Old Town Road," and "(MONTERO) Call Me By Your Name." Shortly after the concert wrapped, Capital's Jingle Bell Ball shared the upsetting news that Nas and Coldplay will no longer be performing at their scheduled shows. Someone on both of their crews tested positive for COVID. Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran will be playing extended sets on their respective nights.

ArrDee and Tom Grennan will also perform in place of Nas and Coldplay this weekend at the London event.

This news comes after Doja Cat announced that she will no longer perform at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball stops in NYC and Boston this weekend after members from her production team tested positive for COVID.

"We recently learned that a few members on my production team have tested positive for Covid 19 and are now on quarantine," reads the message posted on her socials.

While Ye and Drake's historic concert for Larry Hoover is giving their fans all the feels ... the feds are pissed the music icons are pushing to release a guy the government considers the "worst of the worst."

One federal law enforcement source -- who is connected to Hoover's case -- tells TMZ ... prosecutors are "surprised" to see Drizzy and Ye throwing so much support behind the #FreeLarryHoover movement, considering the facts of his case.

For those not in the know ... Hoover was convicted and sentenced for an Illinois murder in 1973. He wasn't the triggerman, but prosecutors said he directed the shooting of a man he accused of stealing from his gang. Hoover is credited with founding Chicago's infamous Gangster Disciples.

While he was serving 150-200 years for the murder, the feds stepped in to indict and convict Hoover for drug conspiracy, extortion and engaging in organized crime. In 1997, he started serving 6 life sentences in a federal Supermax prison.

The feds think that's exactly where he belongs ... but Hoover's backers believe the U.S. government outrageously over-sentenced him -- considering his federal crimes were related to drug distribution, and not murders.

Our source says the feds acknowledge there are lots of low-level drug dealers who got draconian prison terms in the '80s and '90s -- think Alice Marie Johnson -- who are worthy of this kind of celeb backing. Remember, Kanye even asked then-President Trump to pardon Hoover back in 2018.

Trump shot that down, and just this past summer a federal judge denied Hoover's request for a compassionate release. The 71-year-old has been in prison for 48 years.

Jussie Smollett is a guilty man, but the only thing Bola Osundairo is guilty of is having hot hands ... as he demonstrated in the boxing ring just as the actor's fate was sealed.

Bola's been fighting for well over a year now, and it just so happened he had a match Thursday night in Louisiana while a jury found Jussie guilty on 5 of 6 felony charges for falsely reporting a hate crime.

As you can see from our video, Osundairo was dominant, winning a unanimous decision against his opponent Ezri Turner. The fight was part of the 2021 USA Boxing National Championships ... Bola won his previous contest as well.

Minutes after the jury read its verdict, Bola's brother, Ola, shared a few words with reporters outside the courthouse ... but he didn't talk about the case, just shouted out his brother's fight and exclaimed "Nigerian-American lives matter!"

TMZ broke the story, Bola and Jussie were friends -- even hitting clubs together -- in the weeks leading up to the staged attack. Ola and Bola maintained from the beginning that Smollett had paid them for the hoax because he wanted press.

No Denver Broncos player should ever wear #88 again ... so says Brandon Marshall, who tells TMZ Sports the team needs to retire the digits to honor Demaryius Thomas.

"It's just fitting, it just makes sense," said the former Broncos linebacker, who played with Thomas in Denver for years. "[He's] one of the greatest Broncos ever."

Marshall is making the push for his former team to go ahead with the tribute following Thomas' death this week ... telling us Demaryius is more than deserving of the honor.

Marshall explains Thomas' resume on the field was simply that good ... but he also says Thomas' off-the-field actions warrant the jersey praise as well.

"He's one of the greatest Broncos of all-time, point blank, period," Marshall said. "He's one of the greatest receivers of my era -- of our generation. One of the greatest receivers in Broncos history."

"And, as Peyton [Manning] said, he's an even better guy."

While no jersey retirement is in the cards yet -- the Broncos already have plans to pay tribute to the former Super Bowl champion before the Lions game this weekend at Empower Field At Mile High regardless.

Head coach Vic Fangio said the team will wear helmet decals and play a video tribute prior to kickoff. He also said a moment of silence will be observed.

Sleighbells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening ... and these stars are a beautiful sight and happy to be bundled up tonight!

Chilly celebrities -- like Nina Dobrev, Kendall & Kylie Jenner, Martha Hunt and Khalid -- are sharing their favorite freezing photos while taking a walk in a winter wonderland this season!

Celine Dion, Donald Faison, and Chelsea Handler are just a few other frosty faces sharing their fresh powder pics!

So, before you turn down building a snowman, click through this gallery of stars stuck in the snow making the best of being left out in the cold!

Things certainly got heated between DJ Akademiks and IG model Whitney LeDawn -- with cussing, yelling and even drink-throwing -- but Whitney says she NEVER pulled a gun ... despite claims to the contrary.

Ak claimed that during the turbulent interview, Whitney brandished her gun in a threatening fashion ... something LeDawn adamantly denies. The model admits to carrying a firearm, but says she never flashed or threatened anyone with it.

LeDawn now believes the only reason she was brought on the show was to be made fun of, specifically for having a baby out of wedlock as a Christian woman ... and thinks the gun claim was only made to help boost attention around the episode.

During the episode, Akademiks teased LeDawn about the gun, telling her to "reach for it" and "try it" ... but she says she never caved.

The model says Instagram deleted her account after reported "bullying" violations, but she claims she was only responding to hate from DJ Akademiks' fans after her appearance ... she added that she hasn't been contacted by the police or anyone from the podcast.

Don't let these two almost identical images of Chloe Grace Moretz leave you out in the cold! Strut your stuff to find out if you can play cat and mouse with all the sneaky switches!

The all-star actress was seen making her rounds on the press tour for her newest film 'Mother/Android' in New York City this week ... and we have made a few changes to the original pic! Use your superpowers to see if you can kick ass at discovering the differences between these two super similar snaps!

Nick Cannon is stoically dealing with the tragic death of his youngest child ... saying he will absolutely keep the infant's memory alive.

We got Nick leaving an endodontist's office where he had 3 root canals ... but he stopped on his way in and his way out to talk about Zen's passing. As we reported, Zen was only 5 months old when he died Sunday from brain cancer.

Nick got a tattoo of his son, and says that's only the beginning of what he plans to do to make sure Zen is in his thoughts and prayers.

Nick broke the news about Zen's death Tuesday on "The Nick Cannon Show" ... and his emotion was palpable.

He says Zen's mom, Alyssa Scott, is dealing with the tragedy as best she can, and he's doing the same. Nick and Alyssa kept Zen's health issues private during the cancer battle, so it was a real shock to hear the little boy had passed.

Nick spoke about Zen's passing several times during his show this week, thanking fans for their support and condolences.

Travis Scott's Cacti hard seltzer will have to find a new home if it hopes to continue, because Anheuser-Busch has made the decision to discontinue the beverage.

In an announcement Friday, AB said, "After careful evaluation, we have decided to stop all production and brand development of CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer. We believe brand fans will understand and respect this decision.”

According to a report from AdAge, the company would not specify if the decision came because of what happened at Astroworld.

A source close to Travis, however, tells us the two sides had an agreement that was to end November 30, saying, "this is not a cancelation or creasing of an ongoing agreement." We're told the Nov. 30 decision was a mutual one.

Cacti seemed to be a marketing hit, selling out in stores and even causing a frenzy when TS hit a local grocer in Los Angeles to promote the product.

It's currently unclear if Travis will attempt to repurpose the brand elsewhere.

Jussie Smollett is now staring at a possible prison sentence after being convicted, and Kim has pulled the trigger on getting her marital status changed, STAT. So, we gotta ask ...

Kim Kardashian wants to move forward with her life as a legally single woman, and just filed docs to do so in her divorce with Ye ... TMZ has learned.

Kim filed legal docs Friday ... which if signed off by a judge, will make her officially single. She's essentially asking the judge to separate issues of child custody and property from marital status. Kim is also asking that her maiden name be restored ... aka, drop the "West."

It's interesting ... Kim's lawyer is disso queen Laura Wasser, who has frequently made similar moves with other celebrity clients, including Dr. Dre and Kelly Clarkson -- separating marital status from other issues. It allows people to get on with their lives ... settling other issues for a different day.

What's especially interesting ... just hours before Kim filed for a change in her marital status, Ye went on stage at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, and as he sang "Runaway" he ad-libbed over vocals at the end of the song to say, "Run back to me ... more specifically, Kimberly."

Kim attended the show, bringing the couple's kids North and Saint to watch dad do his thing and give some family support.

TMZ broke the story, Kim's already taken one big step in figuring out the property side of things -- buying Kanye out of their Hidden Hills Estate for $23 million. But, there are still other property issues that are outstanding. We're told there will not be any dispute over custody ... they will get joint custody and are committed to co-parenting.

One thing is for sure, divorce or not ... Kim and Kanye have, for the most part, remained a united front when it comes to their kids and emotional support. Just days ago they attended close friend Virgil Abloh's funeral together.

It wasn't the first time we'd seen Ye make a public play for his estranged wife, either. On Thanksgiving, he released a 5-minute-long video confessing to his issues with alcohol and times when he embarrassed Kim ... including wearing a MAGA hat.

Josh Duggar isn't the only person in the family experiencing legal issues, his sister, Jana, has been charged as well ... TMZ has learned.

Jana's been charged with endangering the welfare of a minor, a court clerk confirms to TMZ. The circumstances surrounding the charge are still unknown, but we're told Jana -- the oldest daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle -- was cited on September 9, 2021 ... she'll be back in court next month.

As we reported on Josh, the former "19 Kids and Counting" was charged with one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography ... one of the images was allegedly of a child younger than 12.

Josh was immediately taken into custody, though his legal team says they'll appeal the decision.