LSU's Flau'Jae Johnson Shoved To The Ground During SEC Title Game

LSU women's basketball star Flau'jae Johnson was shoved to the floor during a wild fight at the SEC Championship Game on Sunday.

The push happened with about 2 minutes remaining in the Tigers' 79-72 loss to South Carolina in Greenville ... after Johnson had gotten tangled up with Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley.

You can see in video from the game's broadcast that following the physical play on the court, Johnson nudged Ashlyn Watkins on her way back to her bench. That prompted Kamilla Cardoso to run into the skirmish and put her hands all over Johnson.

After the LSU guard hit the ground, all hell broke loose ... as players from both teams raced onto the floor. At one point, a man ID'ed on the game's broadcast as Johnson's brother even got involved ... jumping over the scorer's table to see the action up close.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and both squads returned to their ends of the court without much further issue.

Six players in total -- including Cardoso -- were ejected from the matchup. Johnson's brother, meanwhile, was led away from the court in handcuffs, but an LSU spokesperson told The Advocate he was not arrested.

Cardoso -- who could be forced to miss some NCAA tournament time now due to her role in the tussle -- went on to apologize for it all in a post on X after the game.

"My behavior was not representative of who I am as a person or the South Carolina program," she wrote, "and I deeply regret any discomfort or inconvenience it may have caused."

As for where Angel Reese was during the whole mix, she wrote in a post on her own X page, "As a person at my STATUS, sometimes you have to walk away from certain situations."

"Mind you," she added, "the play before that I had rolled my ankle AGAIN and was already walking to the bench. I ALWAYS ride for mine. I’m super proud of this team & super excited for march. #geauxtigers."

Both teams won't play next until the NCAA tournament kicks off later this month.

Jimmy Kimmel Mocks Donald Trump On Oscars Stage ... After Ex-Prez Slams Performance

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PAST YOUR JAIL TIME???
ABC

Jimmy Kimmel got into it with Donald Trump during the Oscars Sunday night ... with each taking major jabs at one another for all to see.

Jimmy was in the home stretch hosting the 96th Academy Awards and read a Truth Social post from Trump reviewing the comedian's performance.

Needless to say, Trump wasn't very complimentary, calling Jimmy the "WORST HOST" ever while crapping on his opening monologue.

Trump also wrote the Academy should "get rid" of Jimmy and perhaps replace him with "another washed up but cheap ABC talent George Slopanopoulos."

Of course, Trump was referring to ABC News political commentator George Stephanopoulos. He even took a shot at George's height, saying the TV anchor would make everyone at the Oscars look "bigger, stronger, and more glamorous."

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strike one, strike two ...
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But Jimmy didn't take the insults lying down ... he threw it right back at Trump, pulling out his cell phone and reading 45's post to the A-list crowd while on stage.

Jimmy first brought up the obvious ...  "See if you can guess which former president just posted that on Truth Social."

He then delivered the punchline, "Thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching. I’m surprised … isn’t it past your jail time?"

Everyone laughed their butts off at Jimmy's joke, mocking Trump's four criminal indictments.

Trump and current President Joe Biden are going toe-to-toe in the 2024 race for the White House. Hollywood is now getting in on all the drama.

Murray The Magician Suspended From Magic Castle ... You Exposed Magic Tricks!!!

Murray The Magician is walking the plank -- the magic world's version, anyway, as the famed Magic Castle suspends him for breaking a longstanding rule about revealing how to do tricks, but he says that rule's gotta change.

Here's the deal ... Murray filmed a fun video he shared online, doing a bunch of different magic tricks for the camera only to have his sexy sidekick -- his wife, Dani -- burst his bubble and reveal the secret behind each trick.

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Dispelling The Magic

Murray's video racked up more than 50 million views on Facebook, and now Hollywood's most famous and exclusive magic club, The Magic Castle, has suspended him.

The Academy of Magical Arts, the group that runs The Magic Castle, told Murray he's suspended pending an investigation into complaints he violated their rules by exposing magic online.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, the AMA tells Murray he's no longer allowed to even enter the Magic Castle, where he's been a member for decades and frequently performs.

Murray tells TMZ ... the magic community needs to update these outdated rules because it's 2024, and folks can go on the internet and learn magic tricks on their own.

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Guarding An Empty Safe
TMZ.com

Basically, Murray's calling out the AMA for guarding an empty safe by punishing magicians who pull back the curtain. As he says, it's not like he was sharing details behind David Copperfield or Criss Angel's famous tricks, because everything in his viral video is available on Amazon for anyone to purchase and use.

Murray says the real issue here is his fame ... he says the video wouldn't be a problem if he was a birthday magician in Barstow, but because his video is racking up a bunch of views, suddenly the AMA has beef.

Bottom line for Murray ... there's no harm in exposing basic magic tricks because the art form is all about entertainment, and he feels that's what he's accomplishing here.

Kate Middleton Mother's Day Photo Yanked ... Agencies Say It May Be Fake

A photo of Kate Middleton and her kids sent around by Kensington Palace Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day in the U.K. is now being accused of possibly being fake.

Multiple photo and new agencies -- like the Associated Press, Getty Images, etc. -- have yanked the picture in question, and AP even handed down a kill notification to journos worldwide ... letting them know they have reason to believe this photo may be manipulated.

Part of that message read ... "At closer inspection, it appears that the source has manipulated the image. No replacement image will be sent. Please remove it from all platforms, including social, where it may still be visible."

The hesitation follows a wave of skeptics online and elsewhere, who suggested the pic looked sorta AI-generated ... and did not at all seem authentic -- this despite the fact palace officials insisted it had been taken by Prince William himself at their cottage in Windsor.

On paper, this has been presented as the real McCoy -- but reputable news outlets are now distancing themselves and refusing to circulate it ... casting serious doubt on its legitimacy.

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PHOTOSHOP FAIL
TMZ.com

As of now, Royal officials have yet to comment on this, even to reporters across the pond ... and the photo is still on the Prince and Princess of Wales' official social media accounts.

If true, obviously it's scandalous ... and will only add fuel to the fire over Kate's condition as she continues to recover from abdominal surgery earlier this year ... which has sidelined her for a while. Photos of her that surfaced last week were also called into question.

Kensington Palace has attempted to tamp down rumors and speculation about all this -- but the Internet has been having a field day with memes, jokes and gossip regardless. This latest apparent Snafu ain't gonna help ... if anything, it'll kickstart a fresh wave of inuendo.

If Kate isn't, in fact, ready to surface just yet ... ya gotta wonder, why wouldn't the Palace just come out and say so? Strange stuff, indeed.

'BIG BROTHER' CHRISTMAS ABBOTT Revenge Porn Case Against Baby Daddy Dropped

The father of Christmas Abbott's kid is off the hook in his revenge porn case ... as prosecutors in North Carolina have dropped all the charges against him.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors dismissed the case against Benjamin Bunn -- who shares a 5-year-old son with the 'Big Brother' alum -- due to insufficient evidence.

We broke the story ... Bunn was arrested back in October, and hit with 3 counts of disclosure of private images after Christmas told cops Bunn was behind a fake online profile pretending to be her, and posting her adult content she published behind a paywall.

Police investigated and got a warrant to arrest Bunn, but now prosecutors say there just isn't enough evidence to bring this case before a jury.

Meanwhile, Christmas has also made domestic violence claims against her estranged husband Memphis Garrett, and even got a temporary restraining order against him before he filed for divorce.

Memphis denies the DV allegation and sources close to him told us he feels Christmas made it all up to get him in trouble with the law.

STEVE JOBS & ELON MUSK RARE SIGNATURES UP FOR AUCTION!!!

Elon Musk and Steve Jobs' signatures are a holy grail of sorts for tech enthusiasts ... and if you're willing to splash some serious cash, you might just get lucky and score one of their elusive autographs.

Talk about a coveted piece of history ... a bidding war is on over at RR Auction for a movie ticket stub signed by Jobs -- and there's also the super rare SpaceX business card signed by Musk himself!!

As you can see, Steve's signature is on the back of a movie ticket from 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" at Century Cinema 16 in Mountain View, CA.

Despite a little tear made by the usher before he signed it, the signature remains intact and in good condition.

It also comes with a detailed letter of provenance from the OG recipient, who says being a big Apple fan and suddenly spotting Steve and his fam at the cinema was a major deal.

The fan waited until the end of the movie to ask for his autograph -- and the wait paid off 'cause Steve dug out his own cinema ticket to sign as they didn't have a piece of paper.

Meanwhile, EM's signature on a SpaceX business card -- signed in black felt tip -- is like a piece of history from the forefront of space exploration.

RR Auctions estimated Steve's would go for at least $8k, and Elon's for $2,500 or more -- but the Tesla founder's card already topped that number. Bidding continues through March 21.

Guess Who This Darling Kid Turned Into!

Before this sweet kiddo from Jericho, New York was singin' and song-writing, she was just winning modeling competitions and gracing the covers of magazines as a youngster, and setting out with big dreams of becoming a star.

A talent from the jumpstart, Justin Bieber saw star power after coming across her cover of "At Last" back in 2012. She's performed at music festivals like Lollapalooza and was featured on David Guetta's song "Blame It On Love."

She obvi was a cute kid back in the day, but she's now old enough to sip a beer.

Can you guess who she is?

John Cena Quick Wardrobe Change Surfaces ... After Naked Oscars Moment

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BEST NOT DRESSED
ABC

John Cena went from ass-naked to looking like a good old-fashioned Greek philosopher in record time at the Oscars -- and the wardrobe change was actually caught on camera.

The wrestler-turned-actor was on hand Sunday for a pretty cringe-worthy bit where he was supposed to run across the stage naked for the Best Costume Design category ... which ended with JC shuffling across the stage with the winner's envelope covering his privates.

The whole gag here was that John was in his birthday suit, and he was there to highlight the best costumes in movies -- something Jimmy Kimmel had to come and help him with.

Once the screen was overtaken with the nominee montage and it flashed back to Jimmy and John onstage -- the WWE star was suddenly in a toga-like getup ... and it happened fast.

As it turns out ... it was something people BTS had to rush out and assist with in a matter of seconds -- which was caught on camera by someone at Vulture. The room went dark at this moment -- which we didn't see in the broadcast -- and John sure looked nude.

Funny enough, he's actually the 2nd "naked" famous buff dude on TV this weekend -- Josh Brolin stripped down as well during his 'SNL' hosting gig, albeit leaving his undies on.

Here's to the hunky old guys showing off what their mama gave them ... cheers.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Oscars Weekend Can't Stop, Won't Stop the Party ... Jenners, Hiltons, Bezos & Usher, Oh My!!!

Hollywood is emptying the tank ... partying almost nonstop before the Oscars begin, and the celebs are often running into the same faces at every stop on the circuit.

Check out the fame parade that went down at a Bev Hills house party on Saturday -- Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez were there with their pals Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble ... while Andy Cohen, Rumer Willis, Tracee Ellis Ross, Nicky Hilton and Kathy Hilton also filed into the event.

Flip through the galleries, 'cause there were way more partygoers on hand than we can mention.

Later on, some of those same people made costume changes and headed to the Beverly Hills Hotel for Chanel's pre-Oscars event.

Newlyweds Usher and Jennifer Goicoechea rubbed elbows with the likes of Best Supporting Actor nominee Robert De Niro, Lily-Rose Depp and Kristen Stewart, Willem Dafoe, Sánchezos (Lauren & Jeff) again and Best Supporting Actress nominee America Ferrera.

And, after all that ... the party train was far from done.

Next stop ... the famed Chateau Marmont where Willem made another appearance on Saturday night, and other guests included "Foodgod" Jonathan Cheban, Lil Nas X, Alessandra Ambrosio, Billy Zane, Abigail Spencer and Jodie Turner-Smith.

If this all sounds exhausting it's only because it probably is -- it's the show (your face) part of showbiz, and it's a big part of what makes Hollywood go 'round.

Celebs won't even get to cross the finish line of this hobnobbing marathon when the Oscars ceremony ends -- 'cause then the afterparty fun begins!

Jimmy Kimmel Pokes Fun at SAG, Union Strikes ... During Oscars Monologue

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strike one, strike two ...
ABC

Jimmy Kimmel took some light-hearted shots during his opening Oscars monologue -- but the highlight was probably his reflection on the strikes last year ... for a variety of reasons.

The recurring host -- who was back for yet another gig this year -- kicked things off Sunday by actually running a little bit late ... but once he got going, he was ready to make some jabs and crack some jokes ... most of which landed fairly well with the star-studded crowd.

Jimmy mentioned the fact that Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig were snubbed this year -- chiding the audience who seemed to agree, since a lot of them are voters -- and he even poked fun at Robert Downey Jr. at one point ... referencing his previous drug use.

Jimmy referenced an old dog-themed movie RDJ was in -- and said if he was ever to remake it ... he know the perfect candidate ... highlighting the dog from 'Anatomy of a Fall.'

The guy hopscotched around in his monologue, but eventually landed on the SAG and WGA strikes -- which consumed much of entertainment in 2023 ... and which created a lengthy work stoppage in Hollywood as labor union honchos and studio execs negotiated new deals.

Jimmy sounded sincere in shouting out everyone who remained on picket lines through that difficult period -- but, of course, he eventually gave kudos in a funny, backhanded way.

Check it out ... Jimmy says the strikes taught everyone a good lesson about what they were made of -- namely, a lot of guts ... even though he said no one would ever be able to pick up a shovel. Jimmy also used a lot of colorful descriptors in patting everyone on the back.

You gotta see it to understand what we mean ... it was both graceful, and pretty insulting.

Jimmy ended on a high note, though, when he brought out a bunch of crew members who work behind the scenes ... saying he appreciated their support through the strikes. Looks like everyone else felt the same way -- 'cause all the production people got a standing O.

Pretty solid monologue all in all, and nothing too controversial either. We're off and runnin'!

'Harry Potter' Star Adult Super Fans Gotta Grow TF Up ... I Kinda Worry About Y'all!!!

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TIME TO GROW UP!!!
TVNZ 1

Miriam Margolyes says people who are still diehard 'Harry Potter' fans as fully functioning adults worry her a bit -- and she's got a clear message for them ... grow the hell up!

The actress -- who played Professor Pomona Sprout on two 'HP' films back when those were still a thing -- did a recent interview with New Zealand's 1 News, where she was plugging a new project of hers ... and she was quite candid on how she feels about this topic.

Check it out ... Miriam says people that are still obsessed with the 'Harry Potter' movies -- or, god forbid, the even older books -- concern her ... 'cause they're still acting like lil' kids.

She says she'll still get asked about 'Harry Potter' stuff to this day -- and goes on to say she's startled to hear people are doing whole ass 'HP'-themed events ... including weddings. Miriam jokes that she wonders what the first night of fun would be for 'HP' newlyweds.

As Miriam puts it, 'Harry Potter' is for children, and the adults still clinging to their childhood nostalgia need to get over it. MM hits the point home by definitively saying ... "It's over!"

Yes, it's a bit harsh -- but you can tell Miriam just doesn't understand the years-long fandom.

Something tells us she might have some thoughts on Disney adults too -- who are in their own league of Peter Pan-syndrome. As for Potter-heads, though ... time to break the spell.

Guess Model Zita Vass Guys, Serious Question ... Why Can't I Say the N-Word at Shows???

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WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL???

Zita Vass wants to know why she -- and presumably other white women -- can't say the n-word during live concerts ... and she's got quite an argument on why it should be kosher.

The Guess model posted a series of videos on her social media account this weekend ... and it was all about this hot-button issue -- namely, folks who aren't Black needing to censor themselves when it comes to singing or rapping the n-word, especially at live shows.

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Zita says she's sick of doing that ... and thinks she oughta have a pass in live music settings.

She goes on to argue that African-Americans use the word as a term of endearment -- and insists she has no ill will in her heart if she were to use it in repeating back song lyrics ... going on to say she resents the notion that doing so would make her racist in some circles.

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Zita also asks why the term is only exclusive to Black people ... and openly wonders why it's taboo for non-Black people to say it. She distinguishes between wanting to use the n-word generally and using it for musical purposes -- noting she only wants to do the latter.

Of course, she's catching some backlash -- with lots of people flooding her comment section to let her know why it's not okay ... explaining points that have been litigated ad nauseam.

Her IG caption for this is a little eyebrow-raising too, FWIW ... she writes, "THE N WORD - Warning #controversial #africanamericans."

Zita's post is still up as of this writing.

Director Alexander Payne Accused of Ripping Off 'Luca' Writer ... For 'Holdovers' Story, Plot

The director of 'The Holdovers' is being accused of ripping off another Hollywood creative, who claims the guy hijacked his own years-old script in what he calls outright plagiarism.

Simon Stephenson -- whose story/writing credits include 'Luca,' 'Paddington 2' and other big hits -- levied a heavy plagiarism allegation against Alexander Payne earlier this year with none other than the WGA ... and his claims are just now coming to light publicly.

According to Variety -- which has reviewed and published emails from this whole ordeal -- Stephenson hit up some WGA honchos to complain that Payne's script/story for 'The Holdovers' was a "brazen" ripoff of a script he wrote back in 2013 called 'Frisco.'

Not only are the plots nearly identical, Stephenson alleges, but he goes on to claim there is "line-by-line" replication ... adding he has proof Payne reviewed his screenplay in years past.

Stephenson wrote in one of his emails to WGA, "I’ve been a working writer for 20 years -- in my native U.K. before I came to the U.S. -- and so I’m very aware that people can often have surprisingly similar ideas and sometimes a few elements can be ‘borrowed,’ etc."

He adds emphatically ... "This just isn’t that situation. The two screenplays are forensically identical and riddled with unique smoking guns throughout."

Stephenson was reportedly told his gripes were not a guild issue, and that he might need to consider a lawsuit to address his concerns -- no word on whether he's done that yet.

As for Payne -- who's not a writer on 'Holdovers,' but who says he heavily supervised the script-writing process -- he's publicly said his flick is loosely inspired by a 1935 French film.

We've reached out to Payne, 'Holdovers' script writer David Hemingson and the production and distribution companies attached to the film (an Oscar darling). So far, no word back.

Vanessa Hudgens Preggo with First Child ... Shows Off Baby Bump at Oscars!!!

Vanessa Hudgens is pregnant, and she let the world know in the biggest way possible -- showing up to the Oscars ... with a big ol' baby bump in tow!

The actress is one of the hosts on the red carpet Sunday at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood -- where the ceremony will be going down later today -- and before all the stars arrived to take their own pictures ... Vanessa made sure to steal the spotlight with shots of her own.

She had a very good reason, too ... clearly, Vanessa is expecting a child -- and this is the first time anyone's hearing about it publicly. On its face, it seems she's fairly far along.

Of course, this is major news ... seeing how this would be VH's first child, and ditto for her husband, Cole Tucker. Remember, they just got married a few months ago down in Mexico ... and now, they're having a kid together in record time. No time like the present, right?!

Cole and Vanessa have been together as a couple since 2020 ... after she broke things off with her longtime boyfriend, Austin Butler -- with whom she'd been with for many years.

Vanessa and Cole were two peas in a pod ... she said she knew he was the one right away.

While she's clearly happy with her hubby ... the topic of her relationship with Austin has come up quite a bit lately -- especially with him being launched into superstardom through all these movies he's been in the past couple years, including 'Elvis.'

Vanessa just said last week she's happy her split with Austin led her to Cole -- and Austin, meanwhile, has said he valued his time with Vanessa ... and still respected/cared about her.

Austin himself is not scheduled to be at today's Oscars ceremony -- although, he has been out and about for Oscars-related parties this weekend.

So, he might be around somewhere later tonight as well. Ya gotta wonder how he might feel about this big development.

Anyhoo ... congrats!!!

Pro-Palestine Protest Overtakes Streets of L.A. ... Ahead of Oscars Ceremony

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MARCHING TOWARDS THE OSCARS
TMZ.com

As Hollywood's rich and famous trickle in for the Oscars this weekend -- a massive protest is going down just a stone's throw away ... with folks hitting the streets to speak on Palestine.

A huge demonstration is unfolding about a mile away from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood Sunday -- at none other than the Dome Entertainment Centre, in fact -- where hundreds of people gathered with signage, megaphones and Palestinian flags ... while up in arms.

Of course, this is a pro-Palestine protest -- one that's been organized by groups like Writers Against the War on Gaza LA, Film Workers for Palestine, SAG-AFTRA Members for Ceasefire and others ... with their main message being, "No awards during a genocide!"

Another tagline being used for this protest ... "While You're Watching Bombs Are Dropping."

It goes without saying ... these folks are protesting against the ongoing war in the Middle East -- this as Gaza continues to be under siege as Israel seeks to eradicate Hamas.

As you can see ... tensions were high here, as people chanted and made their voices heard ahead of the biggest night in Hollywood. The Oscars are just about an hour from starting.

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POLICE PRESENCE
TMZ.com

Unfortunately for these demonstrators, they won't be getting much closer to the actual Oscars venue itself -- the Dolby Theater is blocked off by cops, who've set a wide perimeter ... and who are standing guard with their riot gear ready to go in case things escalate.

Meanwhile ... the stars are getting ready for the big show -- lots of red-carpet arrivals are happening right now ... and they don't seem too worried about the ruckus up the block.

We'll see how long the protesters stay out there ... and if they're able to be disruptors today.

Titanosaur Jurassic Secret ... Man Finds Intact Skeleton, Says Nothing for 2 Years!!!

Here's a guy who has no problem burying secrets, because Frenchman Damien Boschetto's been sitting on an enormous one -- dinosaur-sized, literally -- for nearly 2 years now.

The 25-year-old says he stumbled upon dinosaur bones back in May 2022 while he was walking his dog in the forest near his hometown Cruzy in southern France. The thing is, Damien didn't just find one or 2 giant bones ... he unearthed a nearly intact, 70-million-year-old skeleton of a titanosaur!

Damien told France Bleu the discovery was totally dumb luck. He said, "While walking the dog, a landslide on the edge of the cliff exposed the bones of various skeletons."

As for why he kept relatively silent about his amazing treasure -- he said he wanted to give paleontologists time to excavate the entire skeleton before the site was overrun with pillagers and dinosaur enthusiasts. The fossil is now on display at the Cruzy Museum.

Titanosaurs, btw, were plant-eating dinosaurs known for their very long necks, and they lived during the Cretaceous period, which lasted from 145 million to 66 million years ago. Scientists say the largest titanosaurs were about 85 feet long and weighed 70 tons.

In other words ... it's giving Fred Flintsone's Bronto Crane at the quarry. Y'know -- the one he slid down to end each day.

Speaking of jobs, Damian quit his in the energy sector after his dino-find and is now pursuing a master’s degree in paleontology. We'd say he's got his thesis paper in the bag!