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Multiple stars of the 'Real Housewives' franchise are coming forward to defend Andy Cohen against Leah McSweeney's allegations -- and they're all leaning into the idea each cast member is personally responsible for her actions.

Luann de Lesseps, who costarred with Leah on 'RHONY,' talked to us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" about Leah's lawsuit against Cohen, Bravo, the production company Shed Media, and Warner Bros. ... claiming they took advantage of her alcohol abuse issues.

Leah claims she was encouraged by Cohen and others on and around the show to drink all in the name of creating better content for the program.

Luann, speaking from personal experience, didn't feel that was the case for her ... saying of course alcohol and parties are part of the 'Housewives' world, but no one ever forced her to take up a glass.

In fact, she says she doesn't think anyone can make a person drink, instead believing personal responsibility plays a key part in addiction recovery -- an issue Luann also dealt with while shooting for the show, having gone to rehab multiple times.

As for Leah's allegation Andy does cocaine with the housewives ... Luann says she's never seen or heard about that, and adds it's not in his character.

LDL says she's now in the "driver's seat" with alcohol consumption and touring with a new cabaret show -- and insists you don't have drink to have a good time on 'Housewives.'

She further vouches for Andy, saying she doesn't believe he'd force anyone to drink like Leah's claiming -- a sentiment echoed by another former 'RHONY' star.

Dorinda Medley -- who appeared on the show from 2015 to 2020 -- tells us she feels terrible for Andy, and questions why Leah decided to come back for a second season of 'RHONY' and an 'Ultimate Girls Trip' if she felt so uncomfortable.

Medley added she'd jump at the chance to get back on 'Real Housewives' ... saying she's had nothing but good experiences with Andy and Bravo and she's gained so much by being on the show. She also said adults need to be held accountable for their own actions.

And, a non-New Yorker -- Cynthia Bailey formerly of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" fame -- also stood by Andy, telling us at LAX, she was never forced to drink or ever believed Andy was using cocaine as McSweeney claimed.

CB says she sympathizes with addicts, but adds people who know they have substance abuse problems need to make smart choices -- like turning down cocktails if they know they have a problem

BTW ... another former Bravo star, Brandi Glanville, is also threatening to sue Andy for an inappropriate comment he allegedly made.

The visuals from the Willy Wonka pop-up attraction in the UK are pretty sad and underwhelming ... but the script is even worse, and more out of touch with reality.

The 13-page script that the actors were given to perform at the now-viral "Willy's Chocolate Experience" in Glasgow, Scotland, has surfaced online ... and if you thought the actual experience itself looked rough, wait until you get a load of the fake plotline behind it.

The first thing that jumps off the page ... set descriptions painting a picture of a whimsical, enchanting and immersive experience do not line up AT ALL with what was actually awaiting paying parents, who ended up demanding refunds for the bait and switch.

The trainwreck doesn't end there ... the script is littered with predictions for how the audience would respond to the set and the actors playing Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas ... but the rosy outlook didn't play out that way in real life.

Paul Connell, the actor hired to play Wonka, says the cast only got the script the day before the event, leaving them little time to memorize their lines ... and he told The Independent the writing was a bunch of AI-generated gibberish.

A perfect example of how the script greatly deviates from the real deal ... the "Bubble and Lemonade Room."

In the script, the space is described as "a room where the air sparkles with floating bubbles, and rivers of sparking lemonade flow freely." Sounds cool, but in reality, it's just a fold-out table with plastic cups containing a few sips of lemonade ... and a clearly visible trash bag.

There's also mention in here of some kind of evil villain/spirit thing called The Unknown -- and video of an actor portraying it during one of the tours last weekend is out too.

Let's just say ... it was creepy as hell, and scared the crap out of the kids who witnessed it.

Bottom line -- the execution of the script didn't turn out great ... but to be honest, the actual writing itself isn't very good either. The whole thing is disjointed and somewhat hard to follow ... and it sounds like that manifested in the real world when they tried to bring this to life.

Remember ... parents complained their kids were given a quarter cup of lemonade and a few jellybeans, and they piled on the crappy decorations and said the whole thing took a minute to walk through.

Everything about the event is so grim it's almost funny ... seriously, if you need a good laugh read through the script. It's pretty wild.

Jennifer Coolidge is giving Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their Sydney Zoo date ... even though she says PETA is right to disapprove.

The "White Lotus" star was at LAX when a photog asked her about Taylor and Travis' controversial date idea, which is drawing PETA's ire.

Jennifer says the lovebirds should get a pass for a few reasons ... she doesn't think they put a lot of thought into going to the zoo and were just looking for something romantic to do together.

A big PETA supporter herself, Jennifer says Taylor and Travis seem like fellow animal lovers ... and isn't going to condemn them here. She's kinda walking a fine line here -- huge fan, but also ... big animal lover.

As we reported ... PETA says the famous couple should look elsewhere the next time they're in the mood to be around animals, suggesting they hit up an animal sanctuary instead of a zoo.

PETA also took issue with the couple feeding a kangaroo at the Sydney Zoo ... saying it was harmful to the animal to do that.

Jennifer's stopping short of calling out Taylor and Travis too hard ... but says she ultimately agrees with whatever PETA says on the matter. It's pretty funny to see her wrestle with this dilemma on camera ... you can tell she loves them, and doesn't wanna slam 'em.

A first look at Bill Skarsgård in the remake of "The Crow" is out ... and fans are pissed -- blasting the over-the-top body art, unkindly comparing him to Jared Leto's Joker.

Here's the deal ... Bill's the lead in a remake of the gothic cult classic hit movie from 1994 -- and the first pictures of his revamped "Crow" character just dropped Wednesday via Vanity Fair. There's a lot of set photos they have ... but everyone's focused on this money shot.

FYI ... "The Crow" follows a murdered man who comes back to life to enact his revenge against the men who killed him and his fiancée -- which is it has this dark, noir-esque vibe. The whole film is basically a fantasy revenge flick ... with memorable makeup/costumes.

In the OG film, the eponymous character -- played by Bruce Lee's son Brandon -- wore black leather jackets and bodysuits, and white face makeup made him look more like a corpse, but overall his look was pretty understated ... especially when compared to Bill's version. That's how the internet seems to feel about it anyway!

Just check out the pics ... Bill's got the leather and white face/body makeup -- as well as a series of unseemly and sorta cartoonish tattoos ... including a giant eye in the middle of his chest and the word "Lullaby" written above his right eyebrow.

All of these tats have fans thinking about another outlandish character look ... namely, Leto's Joker in "Suicide Squad" who literally had "Damaged' written on his forehead -- just so the audience wouldn't miss that particular character trait, we guess.

Point is, fans are super upset ... with some even going as far as saying this concept of the character spits in the face of Brandon's memory.

If you don't know ... Brandon was actually shot and killed on "The Crow" set after a prop gun fired an uncleared bullet fragment from a previous scene at him. No one was criminally charged, but his mom Linda Lee Caldwell successfully sued filmmakers.

Safe to say ... fans are pretty protective of Lee's character and his legacy -- and they're pretty sure Skarsgård's look is only going to hurt the memory of Brandon and "The Crow" -- that's what some are saying about this.

LAPD officers had an unexpected face-off with an unleashed dog that attacked one of their horses -- which ended with one of the officers beating the pooch ... and it's sparked a fierce debate.

Check out this video that's gone viral ... 2 cops are seen patrolling Melrose Ave. in L.A. while on horseback -- when, all of a sudden, an unleashed dog runs into frame out of nowhere and begins to nip at the legs of the police horse, which still has one of the officers on it.

In response to the attack ... the other cop on the scene jumps down from his own horse ... and begins swinging his baton at the canine -- and he seems to make contact a few times.

The dog tries to dodge the hits, and it continues to go after the horse -- which begins to buck and get uneasy. Of course, the officer who's sitting up there is trying his best to steady the animal and get it under control ... but it's a tricky situation, to say the least.

Eventually, the presumed owner of the dog runs onto the scene and collects his pooch -- but he too has trouble with it ... and the officer on the ground gets one last good swing on the dog before it and its owner run off. At that point, everything settles down.

Now, we have some more info here that'll hopefully shed light and provide context -- including whether this fell onto the LAPD's radar at large, and what exactly happened in the end. Law enforcement sources tell us this incident actually happened a good year or so ago ... even though the video is just now making the rounds online.

We're told the dog and the two horses ended up being alright, and that the horses were checked on by a vet afterward. Our sources tell us the dog actually jumped out of a car window there on the street, which is why it didn't have a leash on ... so kind of a freak thing.

Our sources the civilian/owner did not get cited over this, and we're told everything sorted itself out once all the parties were able to talk. We're also told the owner wasn't mad.

That's not to say the internet isn't pissed about this ... 'cause a good chunk definitely is.

The situation has prompted mixed reactions online -- with many coming to the cop's defense, especially since L.A. has pretty clear leash laws. If you don't know, pet owners are required to keep their dogs on a leash in public at all times -- as it's prohibited for them to roam free.

Others, of course, are crucifying the cop here ... saying he completely overreacted and was harming the dog for no good reason. These are mostly the animal lovers/animal rights camps.

We had some debate about this here in our own office ... and we figured we'd present our arguments for people to digest. On the one hand, the dog was unleashed and caused a problem right then and there that could've become more dangerous.

Still ... the brutality the officer inflicts here just feels like too much for folks who can't stand to see animals suffer -- including some in our own ranks, who are passionate about this.

We suppose we'll just pose the question ... who's in the wrong here, the cop or the owner?

Kanye West and Bianca Censori are getting full-throated support in their fight against Adidas ... as a Paris Fashion Week crowd rallies for their cause.

As Ye and Bianca left The Ritz Wednesday for a lunch break, they were quickly swarmed by fans and photogs outside the hotel ... some of whom began chanting "F*** Adidas" in unison.

The profane chant clearly got a rise out of the couple as they both cracked smiles of approval -- well, it seems like Ye was smiling. Hard to tell, really, with the full mask over his face and head!

Kanye was especially pumped up ... he encouraged the crowd to chant louder, and grabbed an autograph seeker's copy of his 2010 classic album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and signed the words "F*** ADIDAS" in black marker!!!

Earlier in the week, Kanye went hard at Adidas, accusing them of raping his fashion sense by selling Yeezy sneakers he never greenlit.

Spicy words, but his fans -- at least in Paris -- are riding with him!!!

The head-turning couple continues pushing boundaries at Fashion Week events -- Bianca popped out Tuesday night basically bottomless with only sheer pantyhose to cover her hoo-ha.

They definitely got some folks in Paris going gorillas this week!

Emo Jimmy Butler is back in a big way -- the Miami Heat star is heavily featured in Fall Out Boy's latest music video ... playing the role of a dancing cowboy!!

Butler -- who looked more like Jimmy Heat World during Miami's media day thanks to his hilarious haircut -- brought the look back in the visuals for "So Much (For) Stardust," which show him grooving while rocking an all-purple, bedazzled look.

The first half of the video is all about Butler ... before his character shakes a magic 8 ball and the band's bassist, Pete Wentz, pops out in a beige costume that rivals the hooper's ensemble.

Fans -- who are cleverly dubbing Butler "Heat Wentz" -- are loving the project ... praising the two for movin' and groovin' together in the latter half of the song.

The cowboy part is natural for Jimmy -- especially considering he's been open about his love for blaring country music and his plans to drop his own album.

When he spoke with reporters at media day ... he explained he wanted to be "one with my emotional state," but he quickly switched back to his regular cut shortly after.

Kim Kardashian's catching some heat for rocking a corset, as is Anya Taylor-Joy ... both of whom are being accused of perpetuating what some consider the opposite of body positivity.

Kim is the latest one to get backlash -- although, Anya kicked it all off earlier in the week. KK posted some photos of herself wearing a Mugler corset that makes her waist look teeny-tiny ... and a lot of people weren't happy with it.

People came for her in the comments ... accusing her of setting unrealistic beauty standards for women, while others called her out for promoting an impossible skinny ideal on her platform. Of course, all Kim did, really, was post the pics and mention the brand.

Everything else that's being kicked around in this convo is just people projecting their interpretations/gripes ... and yet, she's still getting dragged. What else is new?

FWIW, Kim isn't the only one who people are bashing online this week over corset looks -- Anya has also been getting criticism for her own photo with a corset on.

The actress shared a B&W snap of herself wearing a corset from a Maison Margiela fitting ahead of the 'Dune 2' premiere ... and she too was lambasted for what some consider normalizing and glamorizing her tiny frame -- when, in reality, not many people look like this.

Neither A-lister has addressed all the flak they're getting ... but people are making a lot of noise about it regardless.

Ja Rule is currently scrambling trying to figure out why his UK Tour fell apart days before it was supposed to jump off -- and now he has to fend off 50 Cent once again!!!

On Tuesday, Ja offered ticket holders of his UK Tour a refund with a heavy heart after accepting the bad news.

Apparently, Ja's past criminal record caught up to him all the way in the UK, where officials made it clear there would be no "Venni Vetti Vecci" going down in that country, as they barred him from entry.

Despite his claims that 85% of the shows were sold out, Ja says he's now out $500k of his own pocket and the tour ain't happening!!!

His announcement was interesting ... Ja made the news public on Monday but fans have been getting notifications for days now, and none of his tour mates Keri Hilson, Mya or Lloyd have been promoting the show on their social media.

Maybe Ja was trying to hold out for some sort of British miracle?!?

Ja's bad fortune multiplied when 50 Cent entered the chat after fans blamed him for somehow masterminding the "Iconn" rapper's UK ban.

50 swore off the negativity as a New Year's resolution, but couldn't help but get in a couple of digs ... calling Ja a "bitch" and reminding him that his own 'Final Lap' tour had ZERO issues in the UK!!!

Andy Cohen has been hit with a lawsuit by former 'RHONY' star Leah McSweeney ... and she's alleging the same sorts of things as Brandi Glanville.

According to legal docs filed Tuesday, obtained by TMZ, Leah -- who also starred on the 'Housewives' spinoff 'Ultimate Girls Trip' -- claims the producers ... along with Bravo, NBC Universal Media and others created a toxic work environment where her mental health and alcohol use disorder were exploited all in the "name of selling drama."

She goes on to allege Andy and others were pressuring her to consume alcohol during her time on the show -- despite knowing of her addiction struggles. As one example, Leah points to a text message she says she got from 'RHUGT' costar Marysol Patton saying, "I wish you were still drinking" -- which Leah took as a clear reference to her newfound sobriety.

The reality TV alum also claims that the "Watch What Happens Live" host uses cocaine with other Housewives and Bravo stars -- and allegedly rewards those who participate in the drug use with good TV edits.

A rep for Andy Cohen tells TMZ … "The claims against Andy are completely false."

Leah is suing for unspecified damages, claiming the production discriminated against her based on her known alcohol problem and other issues and failed to make any accommodations during her time on the shows.

This lawsuit comes amid other 'Housewives' drama for Andy -- who has been accused of sexually harassing "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and 'RHUGT' alum Brandi Glanville.

ICYMI ... last week, Brandi's lawyers sent a letter to NBC Universal threatening a lawsuit -- in which the Bravo honcho was accused of inviting Brandi to watch him hook up with another Bravo personality over FaceTime.

Andy quickly responded to Brandi's claims ... writing on X that the whole thing was a joke that has been blown out of proportion. However ... he did acknowledge that the situation was inappropriate.

Kelly Osbourne says one of the biggest fights she had with her baby daddy all had to do with their kid's surname ... and it sounds like it's a fight she eventually backed down from.

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne's famous daughter opened up about the huge argument with her man, Sid Wilson, on "The Osbournes Podcast" ... telling her parents her partner didn't want their son Sidney to have both their last names when he was born in 2022.

Kelly says she and Sid -- who she's been with since early 2022 -- couldn't see eye to eye about giving their son two last names, and ultimately it appears Kelly capitulated ... 'cause she says Sidney isn't an Osbourne in name.

Osbourne said she and Sid are moving on ... but that she also may never truly be able to forgive Wilson for seemingly forcing this decision upon her. So yeah, harsh feelings linger.

There is light at the end of the name tunnel though ... Osbourne said she and Wilson have been talking a lot -- and attending couples therapy -- and she says he's seeing her side of things.

Kelly added that the couple plans on changing their son's name to include both of their last names ... a smart move according to her parents who pointed out how beneficial the Osbourne name will be for the kid's future.

After all ... lots of people in Hollywood use their famous family connections to book jobs -- including Kelly, who recently said she was proud to wear the "nepo baby" moniker.

Kelly told Rolling Stone back in January she was proud of her parents' accomplishments, and she had no issue being associated with them -- though she added she doesn't think opportunities should fall in her lap because of her family ties.

Ben Affleck had a major ask of Jennifer Lopez before getting back together with the superstar -- keeping their relationship off social media ... a demand he didn't win.

The actor shared his privacy demand in his wife's new Amazon Prime documentary -- "The Greatest Love Story Never Told" ... which puts their whole relationship under a microscope -- which is why his confession is ironic. Ben initially wanted J Lo to keep their rekindled romance under wraps.

He explains, "Getting back together, I said, 'Listen, one of the things I don’t want is a relationship on social media.'" However, he then realized he wasn't being fair -- noting Jen heavily uses social media and has hundreds of millions followers.

Once he considered this, Ben says he caved -- adding ... "It’s sort of like, you’re gonna marry a boat captain and you go, 'Well, I don't like the water.'" BA finished by saying ... "We're just two people with different kinds of approaches trying to learn to compromise."

Of course ... Bennifer first got together in 2002 -- but called things off for good by 2004 ... or, so we thought at the time. They got back together almost 20 years later and started again.

TMZ broke the story ... the former flames rekindled their love story in 2021 -- getting married that next year in a lavish ceremony in Georgia. Since then, they've been inseparable.

While Ben says he's relented on the no-social-media stance -- it appears Jenny has at least somewhat respected his original wishes ... as he only pops up occasionally on her social media accounts.

In fact ... Jennifer confirmed in her doc that her husband isn't really a fan of the spotlight -- but called him her muse for her ninth studio album, "This Is Me...Now." So, he was front and center for this project -- whether he liked it or not, and he seems to be cool with it.

Ben may've been a reluctant participant ... but he certainly assisted in bringing to life the final product -- as it was his idea to capture every single behind-the-scenes moment.

An 8-year-old girl belted out an ultra-passionate rendition of the national anthem at a Pacers game earlier this week ... and it was so epic, the team praised it as an "unmatched" performance!

The youngster's name is Kinsley Murray -- and after gaining fame for singing pregame anthems all across the country -- Indiana tapped her to grab the microphone just prior to its tip-off on Monday against the Toronto Raptors.

Murray -- decked out in a red, white and blue dress -- first sang "O Canada" ... before she began her confident version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Check out video from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse court ... Murray attacked all of the high notes with a whole lot of flare -- and the crowd roared every time.

Afterward, the Pacers took to TikTok to applaud the show.

"The passion. The oufit," the team wrote. "This anthem performance was unmatched."

Murray, though, has been crushing the song long before the NBA world got its glimpse of her this week ... as she's been croonin' at games since she was at least 6 years old!!

In fact, Murray cruised over to the Dayton vs Davidson game the night after her Pacers show ... to wow the crowd in Ohio.

Travis Scott is in a perilous position, with his Brentwood, CA mansion sitting atop a HUGE fissure in the land below.

The crack formed after record-breaking storms saturated the soil in the L.A. area, and the hills of Brentwood were hit particularly hard.

At least 5 homes are in peril of slipping off the hillside, but no evacuations have been ordered ... at least so far.

The Fire Dept. told local residents the cracks are just on the surface -- about 4 feet of topsoil, but obviously with more rain that could change.

Geologists and the L.A. Dept. of Building and Safety are assessing the area, and they're pretty confident the entire hillside won't come down, but that doesn't mean the homes are safe ... especially because more rain is predicted this week.

Travis' $23.5 million home appears safe -- for now -- but when a hillside develops massive cracks, there is always cause for concern.

WWE legend Virgil -- famous for being the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase's personal bodyguard and assistant -- has died, his family announced Wednesday. He was just 61 years old.

Virgil -- real name Michael Jones -- dealt with serious health issues in recent years ... including several strokes and a dementia diagnosis.

Jones made his wrestling debut in 1985 ... and would go on to compete for promotions like Championship Wrestling Association, where he won the heavyweight title, as well as tag team championship with Rocky Johnson.

He then moved to the WWE, where he gained popularity alongside DiBiase ... often carrying his money and protecting him from opponents -- before eventually turning on him at Summerslam 1991 and defeating him at WrestleMania VII.

After a brief stint with the National Wrestling Conference, Jones debuted with WCW under the name Vincent, becoming a member of nWo as the head of security.

He'd continue to work with Hulk Hogan and other notable stars before his departure in 1999.

Jones briefly returned to WWE in 2010 as Ted DiBiase Jr.'s bodyguard ... and went on to make several appearances as Soul Train Jones in AEW.

Those close to Jones say he passed away peacefully at the hospital.

WWE released a statement on Jones' death ... saying, "WWE is saddened to learn that Michael Jones, known to WWE fans as Virgil, has passed away."

"WWE extends its condolences to Jones' family, friends and fans."

A naked woman went on a mini rampage in L.A. this week -- attacking folks at Venice Beach ... but another lady was equally ready to throw down, with medieval weapons no less.

This wild incident was captured Monday by witnesses in broad daylight, with this woman who was butt-naked going berserk on the boardwalk near the beach. Check out this video obtained by TMZ ... the nudist squared up with another gal, who had a spiked club.

The woman in the black tank top swung the bat at her rival, who retreated as she defended herself. They went back and forth for a bit ... and this birthday suit-babe kinda did a catwalk at one point.

The other lady then struck the naked woman with the baton before throwing it at her. The nude woman then picked it up and started running at the woman as well as other people, threatening them with the club, it seems.

The fully-clothed woman then retrieved a second baton ... and they battled on the pavement. Witnesses told us the insane altercation carried on for around 6 minutes without any police response, and some others were accosted and threatened in the mix as well.