Tom Holland Yeah, I'm Shorter Than Zendaya ... And What About It?!?

Tom Holland and his girlfriend, Zendaya, don't always see eye to eye -- and that's mostly because she's taller than him ... something TH does not see a problem with.

The 'Spider-Man' stars made an appearance this week on a SiriusXM Town Hall, where the moderator brought up their height difference ... to which Tom, Zen and their costar, Jacob Batalon, started to roll their eyes. That is, until the host took it in a different direction.

She made the point that it's not a big deal -- and even went so far as to say that enforcing stereotypes about men having to be taller than women was misogynistic and problematic.

Tom and co. agreed with her -- but Spidey also wanted to set the record straight ... namely, that his on-and-off-screen partner isn't THAT much taller than him. He says she's just a couple inches or so taller, which jibes with their listed heights -- Tom's 5'8", and Z is 5'10".

Eventually, they all got on the same page, saying it's stupid to think a guy has to be taller than a girl -- whether it's in real life, or in a superhero movie.

There seem to be differing POVs on what Marvel was going for by casting a taller Mary Jane. Tom suggests it may have been done intentionally, in a sort of break-the-mold move. Meanwhile, Zendaya says sometimes they cheat a shot to make him seem taller.

In any case, the takeaway here might just be ... height ain't nothing but a number. And more importantly, short dudes can pull tall chicks -- the proof is in the pudding!

LeBron James New Tory Lanez Album is 🔥 ... Big Plug Despite MTS Beef

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TUNING INTO TORY
@kingjames / Instagram

LeBron James just gave a huge spotlight to somebody controversial in the rap world -- and that'd be one Tory Lanez ... who's embroiled in a legal fight with Megan Thee Stallion.

LBJ took to IG Saturday to do what he often does when he stumbles across some new tunes ... blasting it in the car and vibing out. In this case, he was playing TL's new album, 'Alone at the Prom,' and gave it a big endorsement ... showering Tory with compliments.

He captioned one of his Tory videos with, "MAN THIS BOY COLD AS HELL MAN!!! ALONE AT THE PROM IS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥" Later in the clip, LeBron films himself, seemingly singing along to Tory's lyrics.

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EXITING THE VEHICLE
TMZ.com

Normally, this would be NBD -- like we said, LeBron does this all the time. The difference here ... Tory is very polarizing right now, but that doesn't seem to bother the King.

It's interesting ... LeBron is outspoken over just about everything these days, but he's been mum on the drama between Tory and Meg -- and now, he appears to have shown he's cool with Tory (or at the very least, his music) despite the allegation against him ... namely, that he shot MTS in the foot.

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SURROUNDED BY POLICE
TMZ.com

The L.A. District Attorney has charged Tory with one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm ... also claiming he caused great bodily injury as it relates to Meg. He's pled not guilty and maintained his innocence.

We've seen some people support Tory throughout all this -- and the guy continues to roll out music and even perform live ... regardless of the fact that this thing is going to trial.

James Bond Could Be Non-Binary in Future ... Says Film Rights Holder

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OPEN TO IT!
Girls On Film

James Bond could soon be using they/them pronouns on the big screen -- at least according to the woman who co-owns the rights to the franchise, and isn't ruling out the possibility.

Producer Barbara Broccoli -- who controls all things Bond via her film company, Eon Productions, alongside her brother -- did an interview with Anna Smith of the "Girls on Film" podcast ... and the debate over Bond being a woman was once again brought up.

Smith asked if she still felt JB needed to be a man going forward, and Broccoli again said yes. She reiterated her point about not forcing a gender-bending switch for characters that are traditionally male (like Bond) and said new ones simply needed to be written for females.

Then ... a curveball. Smith asked if Bond could, perhaps, be non-binary ... and Broccoli didn't shut down the idea outright. She replied, "Who knows, I think it's open, you know? We just have to find the right actor."

To be frank, it doesn't sound like Broccoli was eagerly jumping at the idea, and she had said right before that ... she thinks Bond will be a man in the future. Still, it's interesting she even entertained the idea.

One thing she did say 007 could be ... a POC. She just wants Bond to be British, and to have XY chromosomes. Everything else about the character, it seems, is open to discussion.

Of course, many are hearing this news about a possible non-binary Bond ... and groaning. Meanwhile, others think it's pretty rad that this old-timey character could get with the times.

Stevie J Kicked Off Delta Flight ... He Disputes Onboard Drink Story

UPDATE

12:57 PM PT -- Stevie tells TMZ ... the reason he and his son, Stevie II, were removed is due in part to the fact they didn't follow a Delta staffer's instructions on the drop of a dime -- which he thinks led to them blowing the situation out of proportion.

UPDATE

He says he and his son were drinking beverages prior to boarding and were told they'd have to chuck 'em before getting on. Steve says they did that, but not before finishing the drinks ... something that apparently pissed of the gate agent, whom Stevie says then made a big fuss.

UPDATE

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UPDATE

He insists no drink was brought onboard, and that they did as they were told to do -- and yet, they were treated quite poorly. Stevie says he thinks there was a racial component to the confrontation, and he's going to follow up with his attorneys. We're told he wasn't banned from flying Delta, and that no arrests were made. They simply booked another flight and made it to their destination -- Atlanta, for his daughter's bday -- without further issue.

Stevie J's trip to Atlanta was derailed this week, all because a buddy he was flying with wanted to take his boozy beverage to go -- a big enough no-no to get 'em booted.

The producer was escorted off of a Delta flight Friday at LAX, where it looks like cops were on hand to greet both Stevie and another passenger he appeared to be traveling alongside ... and we finally learned what the heck caused the whole ruckus.

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no-fly zone
TMZ.com

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... this man with Stevie had apparently purchased an alcoholic beverage in the terminal while waiting to board, and then tried carrying it on past the gate, something we're told Delta personnel was telling him not to do.

Sounds like he did it anyway, and once he was in the plane -- our sources he threw it away ... but the damage was already done because the Delta team insisted they exit for disobeying their orders.

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We also got video of Stevie and this guy deplaning, and you can hear the man explain to everyone that there was no longer an issue ... asking why they were being shooed off.

As for Stevie ... he was pretty pissed about it all. There's another video someone captured of him talking to the gate attendant, threatening to sue them while also calling him a few things.

Delta wouldn't confirm names to us, but they did acknowledge something happened on Thursday that slightly delayed their flight to ATL due to two passengers exiting. They say they were only 8 minutes late as a result ... but wouldn't elaborate further.

Originally Published -- 10:25 AM PT

Popeyes Philly Franchise Bans Homeless from Restaurant ... Mgr Says Just Following Regulations

UPDATE

11:19 AM PT -- 12/13 -- A spokesperson for Popeyes corporate tells us the sign has been taken down, adding, "At Popeyes, we are committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect. All guests who follow government health and safety mandates, including wearing masks, are always welcome to dine in our restaurants. We are working with the franchise owner of this restaurant to further understand the situation.”

UPDATE

9:17 AM PT -- A manager at Popeyes tells us the sign was only put up after getting approval from higher-ups, and it's an attempt to address some issues they've had with homeless patrons.

UPDATE

Dayshon Aaron Sields says the restaurant staff does let homeless people come in to sit and warm up, and will even sometimes give them food, but he says they often come in without face masks ... which they can't allow, per Philly's mandate for all restaurants. Of course, one could say that's a problem with all customers ... regardless of their living situation.

UPDATE

Sields also tells us another reason for the sign is they don't want to have to call cops on homeless people who "come in and trash the store." He adds ... they "understand there is a problem with people being homeless, and do not want to add to the problem, but also have a business to run and rules and regulations they have to follow."

A Popeyes franchise in Philly has a pretty awful solution to the homeless crisis ... ban them from the store.

The sign is front and center inside the fast-food joint, which reads in big block letters, "NO HOMELESS PEOPLE ALLOWED INSIDE THE STORE."

There are a bunch of problems with this, aside from the absence of humanity. First, if someone is homeless that doesn't mean they don't spend money on food. The sign doesn't say homeless people are not allowed to loiter inside ... it's a flat prohibition, even if a homeless person simply wants to buy a chicken sandwich.

Second, it's kind of ridiculous to think someone can automatically be identified as homeless. And that leads to the third point ... if someone "looks homeless," are Popeyes' employees supposed to boot them from the restaurant?

Not the way to solve the prob, Popeyes.

Originally Published -- 12/12 6:34 AM PT

Vicente Fernández Famed Mexican Entertainer Dead at 81

Vicente Fernández, the wildly-popular Mexican entertainer known as "King of Rancheras" has died.

Noticias Telemundo broke the news ... "We regret to inform you of his death on Sunday, December 12 at 6:15 a.m."

Fernández was known internationally ... selling north of 65 million albums and starring in more than 35 movies. He was named Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy back in 2002. He snagged 3 Grammys and 8 Latin Grammys.

He made his way to the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 1998.

Fernández battled numerous health issues over the last decade. In 2012, he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his liver. The following year he suffered from pulmonary thrombosis.

Earlier this year, Fernández was hospitalized after falling at his ranch.

Fernández was 81.  RIP

Jeff Bezos Belatedly Says 'Heartbroken' Over Amazon Deaths ... After Celebrating Blue Origin Flight

Jeff Bezos did some damage control Saturday night, saying he was "heartbroken" over the tragedy at one of his Amazon plants, where at least 6 people died as a tornado ripped through the facility ... this after being radio silent about the deaths as he celebrated his latest flight into space.

Bezos said on Twitter, "The news from Edwardsville is tragic. We're heartbroken over the loss of our teammates there, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones."

He went on ... "All of Edwardsville should know that the Amazon team is committed to supporting them and will be by their side through this crisis. We extend our fullest gratitude to all the incredible first responders who have worked so tirelessly at the site."

The statement came 24 hours after the tornado struck, and after Bezos had posted a photo on Instagram with the latest crew of his New Shepard rocket, including former NFL champion Michael Strahan.

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SUCCESSFUL TOUCH DOWN
Blue Origin

He spent the morning cheering on the latest group of Blue Origin space travelers. Early Saturday he said, “Happy crew this morning in the training center.”

Bezos was effusive when the capsule came back to earth, bear-hugging Strahan, who made the trip with 4 other passengers. There was no mention of the tragedy before or after the flight, and the celebration did not sit well with lots of folks on social media.

The tornado caused a 40-foot high, 11-inch thick wall to collapse at the warehouse.

Young Dolph Tribute at Rolling Loud ... Paper Route Woo & Snupe Bandz, OT Genasis Pay Homage

Young Dolph -- who was murdered last month -- was honored Saturday night at Rolling Loud 2021.

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LONG LIVE DOLPH
Rolling Loud

Dolph's artists Paper Route Woo and Snupe Bandz performed a tribute to the fallen rapper and O.T. Genasis joined them on stage to share the moment.

Dolph was a staple at Rolling Loud, performing 4 times over the last few years. Woo and Snupe are also the PRE artists who worked during the Thanksgiving holiday to keep Dolph's name alive through a turkey giveaway that was planned prior to Dolph's tragic death.

Immediately after Dolph died, Rolling Loud posted a tribute ... "LONG LIVE YOUNG DOLPH 🙏"

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As we reported, Dolph was gunned down November 17 in Memphis, outside a local cookie store. He had been targeted in the past ... back in 2017, Dolph was shot multiple times outside a shoe store in Hollywood. That same year his SUV was sprayed with more than 100 bullets.

Dolph's murder was clearly a targeted attack. No one has been arrested for his murder.

Dolph left behind a son and a daughter. He was only 36.

'Interview With the Vampire' Author Anne Rice Dead at 80

Anne Rice, the author of the wildly popular Vampire Chronicles, has died.

Rice's son announced her death Saturday, saying she passed from complications due to a stroke. Her death came 19 years almost to the day after her husband died. Anne's son said, "The immensity of our family's grief cannot be overstated."

Rice was an accomplished author, but her most famous work was her first novel -- "Interview With the Vampire" back in 1976. Her main character, Lestat, was the centerpiece of the 13-book series ... which spanned more than 40 years.

As you know, "Interview With the Vampire" was a hugely successful film back in 1994, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. It's the life story of 2 vampires Louis (played by Pitt) and Lestat (Cruise) and their adventures over 2 centuries from a Louisiana slave plantation to Eastern Europe. The 2 male vamps raise a vampire child, and that's something you didn't see much in the movies back in the day.

'Interview' was so big, it became the inspiration for a bunch of shows, including "The Vampire Diaries" and "Twilight."

She said back in 2010, "I had an idea of Lestat as the man of action, the man who could do things that I couldn't do."

Anne became a successful writer of gothic fiction all over the world. She sold more than 150 million books.

Just this month, AMC green-lit a Rice-inspired series -- "Lives of the Mayfair Witches" -- based on one of her books. Last year AMC announced it was producing "The Vampire Chronicles."

Anne was 80.  RIP

'SNL' Mocks Cuomo Bros ... As Billie Eilish Hosts

'SNL' is nothing if not predictable, and they were true to form Saturday night when they skewered 2 recently-unemployed brothers.

Dr. Anthony Fauci -- no, really it was Kate McKinnon -- was offering advice on how to navigate the holidays in the midst of another COVID surge. There was some pretty funny role-playing ... such as a worried passenger wonders out loud to a flight attendant about COVID and whether the mile-high club can get you pregnant.

But then the brothers Cuomo appear, and they introduce themselves this way ... "Hello, I am disgraced Governor Andrew Cuomo. I'm disgraced former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, and we both lost our jobs because of COVID."

Ted Cruz is hilarious, as he pretends to have the last laugh in his war with Senator Bob Dole, who died last week. Dole famously said no one liked Cruz ... well, watch the rest.

Billy Eilish was both host and musical act ... not bad for a 19-year-old!!!

Justin & Hailey Bieber Home Renovations Galore Kitchen, Toilet & Plunge Pool, Too!!!

Justin and Hailey Bieber wasted no time customizing their new Bev Hills mansion just to their liking ... filing and completing plans for changes throughout the property.

According to permits, obtained by TMZ, the couple has done overhauls in their kitchen, bathrooms and has even installed a plunge pool ... perfect for anything from relaxation to exercise.

The costs of the renos aren't public, but JB and the Mrs. went with Zac Taylor Development to get the job done ... so it couldn't have been cheap. Taylor has worked on projects with other celebs, including Adam Levine and Kris Jenner.

The couple first bought the Bev Hills palace for $25.8 million back in August 2020. It sits on 2.5 acres with 7 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a koi pond and a tennis court.

Clearly, Hailey's excited about the new bathroom, as she recently revealed on a segment of her YouTube show, "WHO'S IN MY BATHROOM" that she and Justin had recently moved into the home and were already filming from inside the bathroom ... looks nice!

With 10 restrooms to choose from, you gotta imagine there's a fight for the best ... at least until the rest get renovated too.

Tyron Woodley No One Wants To See Jake Vs. Tommy Our Fight's A Bigger Draw

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NOW IT'S A FIGHT
TMZSports.com

Tyron Woodley says it was actually a blessing Tommy Fury got hurt and had to pull out of his December 18 fight with Jake Paul -- because nobody wanted to see that crap!!!

Hey, T-Wood said it ... not us.

TMZ Sports talked to the 39-year-old future UFC Hall of Famer just days before he's set to step in the ring with the Problem Child, and Woodley tells us the real winners here are the viewers.

"Nobody wants to see no f***ing Tommy Fury fight, come on now," Tyron tells us, saying, "Now his brother is lit. But, he can't ride the coattails of Tyson."

TW went on to say that Fury may go on to have a solid boxing career ... but as of right now,  he simply doesn't present the same threats as Woodley.

So, when we asked Tyron if he was a more difficult opponent ... he didn't hesitate.

"Of course I am, s***. That's why he took [the Fury] fight instead. He made a double wager and then didn't honor it because s***, why would he go back and give me the chance to finish off what I started now that I've been in there with him."

Of course, Tyron and Jake scrapped back in August ... a fight that the YouTuber turned boxing star won by split decision (Woodley wholeheartedly believes he won the fight).

Since, Woodley has all but demanded a rematch ... but Paul shot him down. That is until Tommy pulled out of the fight last week with a chest infection and broken ribs, per his reps.

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THE DETAILS
@tommyfury / Instagram

So, Tyron's in ... and this time he says he will not leave things up to the judges.

"I just feel like, definitely, I can't leave any doubt."

The fight goes down on Showtime PPV in just 6 days!!! 💪💪💪

Sarah Jessica Parker Good Genes or Good Docs?!

And just like that ... Sarah Jessica Parker has still got it!

Here's the 21-year-old version of the ageless beauty with long locks of curls and giant hoop earrings at the premiere of the film "At Close Range" in Los Angeles back in 1986 (left).

And 35 years later ... The now 56-year-old actress strutted the red carpet for the highly anticipated HBO reboot, "And Just Like That...," in a top knot and gorgeous jewelry that pays homage to her iconic styles of "Sex and the City" in New York City earlier this week (right).

Get carried away!

The question is ...

Sarah Jessica Parker ...

'SELLING SUNSET' Emma's Living Fabulous In The Hills

Emma Hernan, the newest star on "Selling Sunset," clearly has good taste in real estate ... because while she was slinging high-end properties, she was living in an ultra-hip Hollywood Hills mansion.

If you've watched season 4 of 'Sunset' you've seen bikini-clad Emma chilling by the massive pool of this sweet pad -- a $7 million spread featuring incredible views of the city and L.A.'s canyons. What they didn't reveal on the show is this was a temporary luxury.

That'll probably make her nemesis Christine Quinn grin from ear-to-ear ... Emma was only renting the 3-bedroom, 4-bathroom home above the Sunset Strip!!!

Chill, Christine ... Emma does actually OWN a home, but it was under major renovations for about 4 months while they were filming the latest episodes.

BTW, renting ain't easy -- not in L.A., anyway -- we're told Emma plunked down more than $35k per month to live there.

Our sources tell us Emma rented the home from her good friend, Hollywood talent manager, Jamie Freed, who's managed stars like Selena Gomez and Paris Hilton among others.

Just proves that old adage -- it's all about who ya know ... and what they own.

Celebrity Scramble Guess Who!

Hidden within this toothy photo is a timeless singer who knows how to spread glitter and holiday cheer with her powerhouse voice.

This big-grinning gal has made audiences obsessed with her signature songs ... especially one tune that you'll be listening to on repeat this winter to get you in the holiday mood. But, being the Queen of Christmas isn't the only thing she has to offer, this talented voice has won numerous awards for hit after hit after hit.

Now, a mother of two children, she may be known for her diva attitude, but it's only because she is living the fantasy!

'West Side Story' Spielberg's Take Flops ... Fans Blame Ansel Elgort Casting

Steven Spielberg's rendition of 'West Side Story' might be a hit with critics, but it tanked at the box office ... something many are taking joy in, all because of Ansel Elgort.

The numbers are in for the film, and it doesn't look like people were flocking to catch it on the big screen -- with the movie only raking in around $4.1 million on opening day (Friday), and a projected $10 to $11 million haul for the whole weekend. That's ... quite bad.

There's a lot on theories on why 'WSS' didn't do well ... but one that's circulating online -- without much evidence to support it, we should note -- is Ansel himself may have kept folks at arm's length, due in part to allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Like we said, there isn't a whole lot of proof to this -- most are blaming the pandemic and a sluggish holiday trend, but even if there's no credence to the Ansel thing ... there sure is a lot of giddiness.

Long story short ... the guy was accused of sexually assaulting a woman -- who told her story on Twitter, and then deleted it -- who claims she was 17 when she had sex with him in 2014. She alleges she felt violated afterward, and went on to say she suffers from PTSD. Ansel denied her characterization in a since-deleted message -- insisting it was consensual.

Other women have come forward with claims against him as well, alleging he was predatory and soliciting minors before he was uber famous -- but he hasn't addressed those specifically. In any case, him being tapped as the lead for Spielberg was widely criticized.

In SS's defense, the allegation surfaced last year -- well after Ansel had been cast and even after the film had wrapped ... so it was too late to even consider getting someone else. Interestingly, Spielberg and co. haven't addressed the situation thus far ... and all signs point to them staying mum.

The fascinating part ... 'West Side Story' may actually have a shot at getting some awards soon, so the saga isn't quite over yet.