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"Barbie" is expected to be a big player at this year's Oscars ceremony -- but one category where it might get stiffed relates to its script ... and Judd Apatow thinks it's BS.

Here's the deal ... as the 96th Academy Awards approach, the potential nominations are taking shape BTS -- and on the issue of screenplay, Margot Robbie and co. got kinda screwed because of what bucket they'll land in for consideration by voting members.

Last week, Variety reported that "Barbie" was going to be relegated to the Best Adapted Screenplay category as opposed to Best Original ... since the characters already "existed."

Film snobs thought that was a bad call, seeing how the plot of "Barbie" is, in fact, pretty original -- in the sense that it isn't a rework of another existing "Barbie" story out there ... and Judd is among those who are outraged on behalf of the scribes who came up with it.

He writes, "It’s insulting to the writers to say they were working off of existing material. There was no existing material or story. There was a clear box." Frankly, many agree.

The reason folks are bummed that "Barbie got thrown into Adapted as opposed to Original -- despite campaigning for the latter -- is 'cause there's tougher competition in Adapted ... including "Oppenheimer," "Killers of the Flower Moon," etc. Oscar shoe-ins, basically.

Considering how packed that category is, the movie buffs feel like "Barbie" will have a harder chance at actually winning ... and seeing how big of a cultural impact it had this year, a lot of people want to see it get some shine in as many ways as possible this year.

Fact is, "Barbie" checked all the boxes -- and lines like "I don't control the railways or the flow of commerce" most certainly warrant some recognition somewhere along the way.

Mary Lou Retton is doing her first interview since being released from the hospital last year amid a scary battle with pneumonia -- and now, we're learning it was nearly deadly.

The ex-Olympic champion is set to do a sit-down with Hoda Kotb of "Today" this week, and a teaser clip was released ... which features the images of her we've seen publicly for a long while, and it's somewhat startling to see that she has breathing tubes hooked up to her.

Hoda notes that MLR is still on oxygen, which Mary confirms ... only to then discuss how awkward and difficult it is for her to discuss her health scare in the public eye like this.

She then makes another revelation ... saying she's grateful to be here, 'cause for a while during her hospitalization -- Mary didn't think she'd make it. As she notes here, they were on the cusp of placing her on life support, confirming the seriousness of her condition.

Her family members had been telegraphing this to us at the time ... discussing setbacks during her recuperation, and how scared her loved ones were for her, asking for prayers. Remember, Mary Lou had contracted a rare form of pneumonia -- which took its toll.

Thankfully, Mary Lou was able to fight back to good enough health to be released -- and now, it looks like she continues to be on the mend as she gets to 100% again at home.

Jodie Foster's crapping on Gen Z, but more specifically how they operate on the job -- which begs the obvious question of ... who the hell is she talking about exactly??? 👀

The 2-time Oscar-winning actress did an interview with The Guardian where she candidly shared her thoughts on these young'ns out here ... and she took aim at the early-20-somethings and teens that she appears to have crossed paths with on movie/TV sets.

JF started on this train of thought by first praising 20-year-old actress Bella Ramsey -- saying she asked her to intro her at an event, noting how she embodies a modern type of womanhood in her appearance/fashion choices, etc. Bella identifies as nonbinary, BTW.

In the same breath, though, Jodie went on to slam other Gen Z'ers at large -- including, apparently, old coworkers of hers, with JF griping ... "They’re really annoying, especially in the workplace. They’re like, ‘Nah, I’m not feeling it today, I’m gonna come in at 10.30am.’"

She continues, "Or, like, in emails, I’ll tell them this is all grammatically incorrect, did you not check your spelling? And they’re like, ‘Why would I do that, isn’t that kind of limiting?’"

The irony, of course, is that she started out in showbiz at a very young age too. In fact, she was just 12 years old while acting in Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver." Perhaps she's using that experience and how she handled herself in ripping on this new, hip generation!

Now, Jodie could just be speaking about Gen Z office/work culture generally or anecdotally -- but it does kinda sound like she might be referring to Gen Z'ers she's crossed with professionally herself ... and if that's the case, there's only a select handful that fit the bill.

10:55 AM PT -- Boebert tells TMZ ... "This is a sad situation for all that keeps escalating and another reason I’m moving. I didn’t punch Jayson in the face and no one was arrested. I will be consulting with my lawyer about the false claims he made against me and evaluate all of my legal options."

9:53 AM PT -- Congresswoman Boebert’s office tells TMZ they are looking into the matter.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert may have run afoul of the law ... for allegedly beating on her ex-husband.

Silt Police Lt. Matt Gronbeck tells TMZ ... cops were called Saturday night to Miner's Claim, a restaurant in Silt, Colorado.

Officers say the initial 911 call was a hangup, but wouldn't reveal any other info on their investigation ... including what charges Lauren or Jayson Boebert might face.

However, eyewitnesses at the scene tell TMZ ... Lauren was sitting in the restaurant when Jayson walked in, and the pair got into an argument before the congresswoman punched him in the nose twice.

Lauren, not Jayson, then called the police .... and Jayson was ordered to leave.

Jayson seems contrite telling TMZ ... "I made a mistake. We both overreacted. I only want what's best for boys and I still love her very much. I only want the best for her."

He continued, "I really don't know what to say it's sad what has happened to us. I forgive her. I know she has a lot of hurt and pain. We both do.”

Their relationship clearly isn't as amicable as they wanted people to believe. As we previously reported ... Jayson tried to take the fall for Lauren's theater hookup in the aftermath of the 'Beetlejuice' scandal.

Jayson said the marriage ended when he cheated and asked people to show the controversial conservative "grace and mercy."

It'll be interesting to see how much grace Jayson shows her after this explosive incident

Ariana Grande has been out of the music scene for a good long while now -- but that's all coming to an end later this week ... so says the Princess of Pop herself.

The singer announced Sunday that she'd be dropping a brand new solo single -- her first in nearly 3 years -- this upcoming Friday ... and she's back to using commas in her song titles. The track is called 'Yes, And?' and AG teased with a blurry close-up shot of her mug.

Ari's posting a ton of promo in her IG Story too ... including lots of links for fans to pre-order the single. She also seems to be using her official "Sweetener" account to hype it up as well.

Of course, her loyal base is beyond excited about the news ... as many feel like she seriously fell off the radar for a bit too long since dropping her "Positions" album way back in the Fall 2020. After that, she's been a pretty MIA ... both in music and in public life.

That all changed last year when she divorced her now ex-husband Dalton Gomez and started dating her "Wicked" costar Ethan Slater (the 'SpongeBob' guy). The swap in her love life caused a lot of headlines ... as did her professional split from mega manager Scooter Braun.

While a lot of folks feel like Ariana fell off lately, the truth of the matter is ... she's been busy shooting this musical out in the UK, and obviously dealing with a lot in her inner circle.

Yes, she hasn't put out original music of her own in a bit -- but she has recently dipped her toe back into performing onstage in front of a crowd ... and for the holidays, it was a big hit.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce both traveled more than a thousand miles to end up in the same city ... but they spent the night apart.

Taylor's in L.A. for the Golden Globes Sunday night, and Travis is in town for Chiefs vs. Chargers around the same time.

Taylor, along with pals Brittany Mahomes and Lyndsay Bell, hit up Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Bev Hills Saturday night, sans Travis. It makes sense ... Travis is getting ready for the game, and a night out would have made the wrong kind of headlines.

They entered Spago from the back alley after leaving from Taylor's Bev Hills estate.

The lowdown from inside the restaurant ... nothing spectacular. They laughed, they talked, they ate. She apparently, was a bit preoccupied on her phone ... hmmm, wonder who she was texting?

It's highly unlikely Taylor will attend the game ... the red carpet starts at 3:30 and Travis's game starts around 2 hours earlier ... that is, unless she goes to the Golden Globes in a Chiefs jacket!

As for the girls' night out ... it was a long one. They arrived at 7:30 and left at 11.

2024 has only just begun – but Halle Bailey already has a lot to be thankful for with the birth of her first child, Halo!

The Grammy-nominated singer and her rapper boyfriend, DDG, posted photos on their Instagram pages Saturday night, showing their hands gently holding Halo's fingers with his name etched in a gold bracelet around his little wrist.

In her caption, Halle wrote, "Even though we’re a few days into the new year, the greatest thing that 2023 could have done for me, was bring me my son.. welcome to the world my halo 🥰👼🏽 ✨the world is desperate to know you 😉🤣♥️."

DDG also commented under his IG pic, "my biggest blessing by far 👶🏽❤️ son son.. never been so in love 🥹 baby halo."

As you may recall, the couple became an item in March 2022 when DDG posted a message on Halle's IG account for her birthday. Since then, they've kept their private lives out of the spotlight ... that was until last night.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard decided to take in some high culture Saturday night, going to a Broadway show ... one with a special personal meaning.

The controversial ex-con hit the Big Apple with her husband Ryan Scott Anderson, and the two hustled to make curtain for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

If you recall ... her mother, Dee Dee, yanked her out of school when she was very young, and she repeatedly read the 'Harry Potter' series to learn to read.

Gypsy took to TikTok minutes before the curtain went up to share her 'Harry Potter' love, and snaps of her seats, with her exploding social media audience.

The couple's fun night out sits in stark opposition to the harrowing details emerging in her new Lifetime docuseries.

Gypsy recently revealed she'd been violent toward her mother before she and her then-boyfriend Nicholas Godejohn plotted her murder.

The 32-year-old says, after her mother caught her trying to run away when she was 19, Dee Dee chained her to the bed and beat her severely.

She said Dee Dee also bought a gun and one day, while arguing, Gypsy grabbed it off the table and fired multiple shots at her mother.

It turned out to only be a BB gun, but Gypsy said she was shocked to find she'd pulled the trigger at all, having made the snap decision without thinking.

Dee Dee's medical records show she was treated for a pellet gun injury ... but she said a man robbed and shot her in a Walmart parking lot.

Of course, a few years later, Gypsy did plan and successfully stab her mother to death ... a crime for which she served seven years.

Hollywood was filled with celebs Saturday night, with pre-Golden Globe parties going full throttle all across L.A.

The biggest bash was the Vanity Fair Party at the famed Chateau Marmont hotel on the Sunset Strip.

Big stars, mostly nominees, hit up the event, including Nicolas Cage (nominated for best actor in musical or comedy for "Dream Scenario"), Reese Witherspoon ("The Morning Show"), James Marsden ("Jury Duty").

But wait, there's more -- Rosamund Pike ("Saltburn") and Natasha Lyonne ("Poker Face").

Other stars who were not nominated joined in the festivities, including Harry Hamlin, Lisa Rinna, Cole Sprouse, Kathryn Newton, Heidi Klum, Tony Gonzalez, Chace Crawford, Tinashe and more.

It's the kickoff to awards season and it begins Sunday night with the Globes.

Before things got hot and heavy under the covers ... Ryan Scott Anderson asked Gypsy Rose Blanchard to marry him while she was still in prison -- a moment from 2022 he fondly recalls in her new doc.

Speaking in Lifetime's "The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard," Louisiana teacher Ryan said he was spurred to pop the question 4 months after they first met in person ... when the famous former inmate quizzed him on where he saw their relationship going.

He says Gypsy told him over the phone she was smitten and had developed romantic feelings for him -- a confession that delighted him as he'd already fallen in love with her ages before.

Following the convo, Ryan tied an engagement ring to his chain ... sneaking it into the visitation room at Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri during his third visit to see her.

Gypsy, who was still in prison when asked about the proposal, is heard in audio footage reminiscing ... saying he took her by the hand and told her he loved her.

Ryan adds their chemistry was electric ... and that just by sitting across from Gypsy -- who looked cute with her makeup done -- he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. That's when he popped the question.

So far, he's taken his husband duties seriously ... staying by Gypsy's side since she was released from prison Dec. 28 after serving 7 of her 10-year prison sentence.

In return, Gypsy has defended her man from haters ... also letting everyone know she's impressed with his skills in the bedroom.

Blueface escaped jail time in his Las Vegas shooting case, but his debt to the shuttered strip club's owner is growing even bigger by the day.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Euphoric Gentleman's Club's $13,072,482 judgment has gone unpaid since the judge ordered it in October 2023 ... and accrued interest has raised the new total due to a staggering $14,386,164.23.

The judge hit the rapper with probation after he took a plea deal for his role in the Nov. 2022 shooting. However, he was still ordered to shell out over $12 million for the venue's lost revenue and another $84k to cover lost wages for the employees.

Euphoric's owner slammed Blueface and his buddies with a passionate response at the time of the incident ... vowing to make him pay off the debt until the day he leaves this earth.

Unfortunately for him, IG likes don't enforce court orders. On the positive side, that interest is pilling up in his favor.

The guy who claimed he was shot by BF wasn't a happy camper in court, either, as he snapped a solemn selfie with the rapper/boxer in the background.

Bianca Censori's been showing a lot of skin lately, and that didn't change whatsoever for her birthday weekend ... where she was in Sin City with Kanye West showing off the goods.

Ye brought wifey to Las Vegas Friday, and between yesterday and today -- they've been hitting the town ... in very little clothing, from BC's side anyway. Exhibit A is this video of her walking around the Wynn Las Vegas casino-resort Saturday ... hand-in-hand with hubby.

Check out the clip -- obtained by TMZ -- where you can see KW and Bianca casually strolling along as a crowd of people look on around them. There sure was an eyeful to take in.

As you can see ... Bianca is wearing an incredibly skimpy bikini top, with her breasts pouring out. She's got no shame to her game -- and even giggles a little. She appeared to be wearing something similar on Friday as well ... another video's going around that shows her, Ye and their entourage singing Happy Birthday, and she's busting out of her top there too.

This new boobs-out look matches what Bianca has been rocking lately -- particularly on Ye's IG feed, where he seems enthralled by her figure ... and for good reason, she's banging.

As we reported ... Ye shouted out his wife on Saturday with several different posts, calling her the love of his life, a great muse and an awesome stepmom to his and Kim K's children.

As for Saturday's bare-it-all outing ... we're told they were hitting up different high-end luxury shops -- like Balenciaga and Chrome Hearts, for example -- so it sounds like Ye was splurging on the missus as she rings in the big 2-9.

If J.J. McCarthy's able to pull off the win vs. Washington on Monday night, he will go down as the best Wolverines quarterback EVER -- at least, that's according to Ty Law.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Michigan star made it clear to TMZ Sports that all McCarthy needs to do from here in order to claim the title of UM G.O.A.T. is simply just beat the Huskies.

"If he pulls this off," the ex-defensive back said, "you know what, he's going to stand alone being the only undefeated quarterback in the history of the program."

UM has had some historically great signal-callers over the years -- the list includes Tom Brady, Chad Henne, Elvis Grbac, Jim Harbaugh and a whole lot more -- but Law says McCarthy's resume will top them all if he's able to bring the CFP trophy back to Ann Arbor.

Of course, there might not be that many people who would argue against Law ... after all, McCarthy is 26-1 as a starter -- and is perfect against Ohio State.

Harbaugh certainly wouldn't be one who would fight Ty over the issue -- he said following Michigan's Rose Bowl win over Alabama that McCarthy is already the Wolverines' best ever.

It's a new year and Jo Koy's looks prove he's so GOLDEN!

Here is a 33-year-old version of the stand-up comedian lookin' cute doin' what he does best: makin' people laugh at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, California back in 2005 (left). This was just before he started crackin' jokes on "Chelsea Lately."

And, gearing up to host tonight's 81st Golden Globe Awards, Mr. Koy was lookin' spiffy and scruffy during the Press Preview and Red Carpet Rollout at the Beverly Hilton Hotel (right).

He's been presenting his charm and good looks for years, but before he takes the stage tonight ... We must ask:

Mia Thermopolis' high school from "The Princess Diaries" has found a buyer ... after nearly 3 months on the market ... TMZ has learned.

According to real estate records ... the owners of the eye-watering $6.5 million sprawling Mediterranean-style abode in San Francisco ... which doubled as the exterior of the high school in the 2001 comedy starring Anne Hathaway ... accepted an offer on the home last Friday.

The 4-bed, 4-bath 12-room villa with 4,554 square feet of living space is undoubtedly fit for royalty ... boasting a media room, elevator, a lower-level gym, and a one-car garage with a laundry closet.

On the outside, there's a roof garden with an outdoor kitchen and firepit ... with majestic views over the San Fran Bay, city views to the north and east and forest views to the west.

Of course, the best selling point of the property is that it's featured as the fictional Grove High School in "The Princess Diaries" ... which Anne's character Mia attended before learning she was Princess of Genovia.

Only the exterior shots of the home were used as the school ... scenes inside the school were filmed at Alverno High School in Sierra Madre, near Pasadena.

The home was owned by the former CEO of Just Desserts and his wife ... undergoing plenty of renovations over the last 2 decades.

A swimmer who won gold during the 1972 Olympics shortly after suffering from a collapsed lung has his collection of medals going up for auction.

Steve Genter's set of gold, silver, and bronze medals from the '72 Summer Games in Munich are estimated to go for more than $50K during RR Auction's Olympic-themed auction.

The American athlete risked his life to compete in the games ... after undergoing minor surgery for a partly collapsed lung just one week before competing -- which was said to have been brought on by a persistent cough from bronchitis and altitude changes during the cramped plane ride to Munich.

Steve went on to win the gold medal in the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay, silver in the 200-meter freestyle, and bronze in the 400-meter freestyle.

Steven Genter told the auction house...  "For most of my life, the medals represented a defining moment in time. Each medal is uniquely intertwined with the Olympic experience, making those memories lifelong. I get goosebumps every time I recall those moments."

Steve gifted the medals to help someone whom he cares deeply about, who wished to remain anonymous. This person will pocket the proceeds. The winning bidder will also get a one-on-one call with Steve.

Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at the auction house, gushed of the extraordinary narrative behind the medals ... saying they didn't just symbolize winning ... but the character and heart that defines a true champion.