Taylor Swift Gets Political ... Don't Just Vote For Music

100918_taylor_artist_oty_ama_kal
ROCK THE VOTE
ABC

Taylor Swift didn't shy away from her newfound passion for politics during an acceptance speech at the 2018 American Music Awards ... pleading for people to hit the voting booths next month for the midterm elections.

Taylor saved her political pitch for her final acceptance speech ... reminding everyone that people decide who wins AMAs, and who wins political offices.

Tay didn't say who to vote for this time ... because she's already made clear she's voting for Democrats running for U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives in her home state of Tennessee.

Taylor clearly didn't care about Donald Trump's message ... 'cause the Prez already told her to stay out of politics. Looks like the bad blood is still going.

Cardi B, Nicki Minaj First Face-to-Face Since Shoe Throwing ... NOT At AMA's

8:40 PM PT -- The AMA's have come and ended without the face-to-face many fans were hoping for ... and it's because Nicki wasn't there. A source close to Minaj had told us the rapper flew in to L.A. Monday for Tuesday's show and was getting ready just hours before it started. However, a production source tells us Minaj was never, at any point, scheduled to appear. Guess the showdown will have to wait.

Cardi B and Nicki Minaj will be on the same turf tonight for the first time since Cardi chucked her shoe at Nicki and ended up with a huge lump on her head ... TMZ has learned.

Both ladies will be attending the AMAs Tuesday night in L.A. -- Cardi's a scheduled performer ... but we've learned Nicki will be there too. It's unclear if she'll take the stage though.

090718_cardi_kal 9/7/18
CARDI BEASTMODE
TMZ.com

As you'll recall ... the last time the rappers were in the same room together, Cardi beelined it for Nicki and hurled a shoe at her, calling her a "p***y." Now, more than a month later, the 2 will be seated in the Microsoft Theater in L.A. Interesting to note, Cardi is up for 8 awards, Nicki was not nominated for any.

It's unclear how close they'll be seated to each other, but we know neither Cardi's team nor Nicki's made any special request to avoid each other.

Regardless, there will be high security. We're told the LAPD knows the 2 women will be there and they are on red alert.

Katt Williams Managers' Decision Got Me Busted ... Picked Emmys Over Court!!!

Katt Williams' handlers wanted him to get some shine at the Emmys so badly, they kept him in the dark about a scheduled court date -- a decision that blew up in Katt's face with his weekend arrest.

Sources close to the comedian tell TMZ ... Williams' management team didn't tell him he was due in an Atlanta courtroom at the same time he was flying to L.A. last month to attend the Emmys. Yes, Katt was nominated for his role on the hit show "Atlanta," and he ended up winning.

However, we're told Katt's making it clear he would've picked going to court over the award show if anyone on his team had bothered to let him know what was at stake. When Katt no-showed for court, the judge issued a warrant for his arrest.

Our sources say Katt never even knew about the warrant until he got busted in Oregon for allegedly assaulting his driver. He remains in a Portland jail, and no decision's been made yet on extradition.

Bottom line -- Katt feels like he's paying the price for his team choosing lady Emmy over Lady Justice.

Robert De Niro Cracks Lame Kavanaugh Joke After SCOTUS Confirmation

100718_robert_de_niro_kal
THROWIN' SHADE
TMZ.com

Robert De Niro got back into his political comedy shtick again this weekend, making a sorry joke about Brett Kavanaugh hours after he was confirmed to the Supreme Court.

De Niro was receiving the Brass Ring Award Saturday evening at the Children's Diabetes Foundation's Carousel of Hope event in L.A., when, for whatever reason, he decided to wade into politics with a quip about the newly appointed Justice Kavanaugh. It mostly landed flat.

Seemingly out of nowhere, he goes ... "Now, one reminder. The drinks, wine and beer are flowing. But, be careful -- if you have too much, you may end up on the Supreme Court."

Besides the fact that he butchered the delivery of the line -- stumbling over his words -- it's clear he chose the wrong topic to bring up at a ceremony for the Children's Diabetes Foundation. The reactions to his joke were mixed, some nervously laughing ... others booing.

It's definitely not the first time De Niro has used his platform in such a public setting to bash the Trump administration. He got bleeped saying "F*** Trump" at the Tony Awards earlier this year, and seems to take every opportunity he can to slam the President.

That's all fine and dandy, Bob. Time and place, though ... remember that.

Lindsey Graham If Trump Wins Peace Prize Get Safety Nets for the Libs!!!

100418_lindsey_graham_kal
BRACE YOURSELVES
TMZ.com

Lindsey Graham says President Trump might not be deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize just yet, but if he wins it anyway ... liberals are going to lose it.

We got the South Carolina Senator on Capitol Hill Thursday evening and asked about the Prez being a favorite for the honor ... Graham says he's done a lot to deserve it by fighting ISIS and taking on Iran, but needs a little more help from North Korea.

As for the libs, Sen. Graham thinks if 45 manages to nab the Nobel, they'll be so distraught they'll head for the nearest window ... and take the leap.

Lindsey also throws some shade at past Peace Prize winner Barack Obama ... and a little at George W. too.

The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced in Oslo Friday. BTW ... Kim Jong-un is the top favorite. What a world.

Katt Williams Post-Emmys What Gun Thing? And Also ... Sorry, Tiffany

091818_katt_williams_kal
THERE'S NO SMOKING GUN
TMZ.com

Katt Williams had some explaining to do about Tiffany Haddish and a gun that was supposedly pulled on him and, while he finally cleared the air ... it wasn't without difficulty.

We got the comedian Monday night strolling the streets of L.A. after the Emmys -- with his own in hand -- and asked him to elaborate on Atlanta radio host Wanda Smith's husband allegedly pointing a gun at his face and chasing him to a supermarket across the street.

Katt plays more than coy here ... he's just downright speaking in riddles with us. But, he does make one thing clear -- the sitch would've been far more dire if a gun was involved.

Our camera guy also asks about the apparent hatchet burying that happened when he saw Tiffany at the award show. She posted photos of him kneeling before her in what looked like pure contrition.

We got Tiffany at LAX Tuesday morning who echoed Katt's stance here ... no beef to see here. In fact, she's even open to working with the comedian in the future.

091818_tiffany_haddish_v2_4388599
THERE WAS NEVER BEEF!
TMZ.com

Katt does apologize though, saying he's sorry for bringing her up in a disparaging way ... and giving a shout-out to another comedian who apparently set him straight.

BTW, Tiff won an Emmy for her 'SNL' hosting gig. Katt won for his guest role on "Atlanta" and he looks pretty damn happy about it. Winning ... it cures everything.

Donald Glover Creepy 'Atlanta' Character Teddy Perkins Crashed the Emmys

Donald Glover's creepy mansion dwelling, Michael Jackson-esque, character from his hit show, "Atlanta," made a surprise appearance at the 2018 Emmys -- except Donald wasn't behind the makeup.

DG and the rest of the "Atlanta" stars were in attendance Monday night, but so was Teddy Perkins ... who nearly killed Lakeith Stanfield's character in season 2. On the show, Donald played the role of Teddy, but at the Emmys ... this group shot sparked a mystery -- WHO'S WEARING THE MAKEUP???

Everyone assumed it was Donald until the photo made it clear that wasn't the case. Tuesday morning, comedian Jay Pharoah started taking credit for the appearance -- which would make sense, since his 'SNL' buddies wrote and hosted the Emmys.

If you haven't seen the show yet, here's an example of just how damn freaky Teddy Perkins really was during his brief stint in "Atlanta." Spoiler alert ... RIP, Teddy.

"Atlanta" had a pretty solid night with 16 nominations and 3 wins ... including Katt Williams' for his role on the series.

We got Katt after the show ... with Emmy in hand.

2018 Emmys Nothin' But Hugs, Kisses & Proposals

The 2018 Emmys have come and gone, but they didn't leave without some great shots of celebs backstage embracing each other in what turned into a big lovefest.

Some of the stars who were extra affectionate Monday night ... Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, Tiffany Haddish and Issa Rae, Henry Winkler and Bill Hader, Trevor Noah, Jimmy Kimmel and James Corden ... and lots of other pairs and groups who shared in the TV magic.

The biggest story of the night, though, probably belongs to Oscars director Glenn Weiss and his now-fiancee, Jan ... whom he proposed to while accepting his award.

Check out the rest of the XOXOs behind the scenes for yourself.

2018 Emmys Oscars Director Proposes to GF During Acceptance Speech

091718_emmys_proposal_kal
THE PERFECT PROPOSAL
NBC

This is one helluva first -- the guy who won an Emmy for directing the Oscars asked his girlfriend to marry him onstage while accepting his award ... and she happily said yes.

Glenn Weiss -- who won Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special for the 2018 Oscars -- popped the question Monday night toward the tail end of his acceptance speech ... telling his significant other, Jan, that if she wondered why he didn't like calling her his GF, it was because he wanted to call her his wife. AWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

The entire crowd got to their feet as Jen made her way to the stage, where Glenn put the ring his own father used for his mother on the lucky lady's finger. He asked the question, and she eventually nodded yes while fighting back tears.

It was quite a moment, to say the least. Talk about a good proposal story, huh?

Colin Jost & Michael Che 2018 Emmys Monologue Long, Overly Topical & Awk AF

091718_emmys_open_kal
FROM A-Z
NBC

The 2018 Emmys kicked off with an overly long and overly topical monologue from hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che that tried hard to be funny ... but ended up being cringeworthy.

The 'SNL' vets came out standing shoulder-to-shoulder Monday night and threw zinger after zinger after zinger at the board -- most of which were so on the nose and didn't really stick.

Some of the worst attempts at humor came in jokes about the #MeToo movement, with Che saying it was great being there with everyone who hadn't been caught yet. Jost also quipped that Roseanne Barr had canceled herself, but got picked up by white nationalists.

Another eyebrow-raising line from Che ... 'The Handmaid's Tale' is like the white women's version of 'Roots' ... since the characters are forced to have babies and work against their will.

They also took shots at Trump by saying they hoped the Obamas' Netflix production deal would churn out a new 'Apprentice' that got huge ratings ... something DT would clearly hate.

'Black-ish' Star Jenifer Lewis Rocks Nike to Emmys ... 'I'm With Kaep'

Forget Dior and Chanel ... "Black-ish" star Jenifer Lewis was all about NIKE at the Emmys -- rocking a Swoosh sweatshirt to support Colin Kaepernick.

"I am wearing Nike to applaud them for supporting Colin Kaepernick and his protest against racial injustice and police brutality," the actress told Variety.

Lewis says she was swimming the other day when she started brainstorming fashion ideas that would be "meaningful" on the red carpet ... and that's when Nike came to mind.

"I'll wear Nike to say 'thank you' ... thank you for leading the resistance. We need more of corporate America to stand up also."

She added, "Thank you, Colin. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for being brave. Thank you for taking a knee. Thank you."

Nike signed Colin to a new deal recently -- and will be dropping everything from a new custom shoe to a Kaepernick-themed apparel line.

Les Moonves Not Invited to Emmys

Les Moonves was at the helm of 18 TV programs that have been nominated for Emmys, but he's not going to the big shindig Monday night ... because CBS didn't invite him.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, CBS made a decision not to extend the invitation in the wake of the sexual misconduct scandal. Each network gets a certain number of tickets it can distribute as it wishes, and Les will not be a beneficiary.

A network source calls it a "non-issue" because Moonves has not attended the Emmys in several years.

One source says it's complicated because Moonves was not technically fired, although he was clearly forced to step down after a dozen women accused him of sexual misdeeds. Nevertheless, it's the network's decision who gets tickets ... so, case closed.

As for some of the shows nominated under Moonves' watch ...

-- "The Amazing Race"

-- "The Big Bang Theory"

-- "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"

-- "The Late Late Show with James Corden"

-- "Bruno Mars: Live 24K Magic at the Apollo"

It will be interesting to hear CBS acceptance speeches ... who gets mentioned and who doesn't.

Danielle Bregoli Lands Billboard Cover How You Like Me Now, Bich?!

12:15 PM PT -- We're told Bregoli's "cover" isn't the actual cover at all ... it's a paid advertisement wrap for issues of the magazine that will hit stands Friday. So while it might appear Bregoli is the featured artist, it's actually Lil Wayne.

Danielle Bregoli has cemented her status as one of the top female rappers -- deal with it -- and Billboard's stamp of approval says it all.

Danielle -- aka Bhad Bhabie -- has just landed the cover of Billboard ... slated to hit stands Friday and just a few days shy before Bhabie's first mixtape "15" is also released. The cover is very much deserving -- it comes on the heels of earning a Billboard nomination for top rap female artist along Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. Strong company, for sure.

091218_danielle_bregoli_kal
DOPE BHABIE

TMZ obtained video of Bhabie's behind-the-scenes when she shot the cover. Need more proof she deserves it? Bhabie's the youngest female rapper of all-time at 14 to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 -- 3 of her tracks have made it on ... including "Hi Bich," which has amassed 119 mil views on YouTube alone.

Bhabie -- who goes on tour with Lil Yachty in October -- now has even more reason to celebrate. Maybe another grill? She likes shiny things.

John Legend EGOT Status!!! After Emmy Win

John Legend just joined a group of elite performers ... with a Tony, Oscar, Grammy and now an Emmy award to his name.

Legend completed the accomplishment Sunday night when he took home an award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for his work on Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. Legend joins Whoopi Goldberg and Mel Brooks as EGOT winners and is the first African American man to do so.

As for a breakdown of John's other awards ...

Tony -- 2017 for Best Revival of A Play for his work on Jitney

Oscar -- 2015 Best Original Song for "Glory"

Grammy -- Legend has 10

Congrats!

Kanye West Creative Director for Pornhub Awards ... Drops Song with Lil Pump

Kanye West has taken his talents to the XXX screen -- he's the creative director for the Pornhub Awards -- and he's got his hand in just about every aspect of the show.

Thursday night's inaugural show will be presented in VR live from The Belasco Theater in L.A. We've learned Kanye and his creative house DONDA have partnered with Willo Perron -- who has worked on some of the biggest tours in music -- will manage the show's production and stage design.

Kanye is also set to premiere a new single and music video with Lil Pump called "I Love It." The video is executive produced by Spike Jonze -- who Kanye's collabed with a ton in the past on projects like "Only One," "Otis" and "Flashing Lights" -- and co-directed by Kanye.

And, get this -- Ye will incorporate his clothing brand too -- all of Thursday night's performers will be decked out in Yeezy gear.

Fans hoping to score similar looks and merch can do so on Fashion Nova, Yeezy Supply and Pornhub after the show.

Oscars Let's Pause on the Popular Category ... At Least for 2019 Show

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts says it's reconsidering rolling out a new "popular" category for the Oscars, and putting the move on ice for 2019 ... and probably forever.

The AMPA said Thursday that the bemoaned category of "Best Achievement in Popular Film" merits further study ... and it won't be happening for the 2019 award show. As you'll recall ... the backlash to the announcement last month was swift and fierce, with cinephiles calling it the death of the Academy Awards and simply a way to pander to ratings.

The Academy's CEO, Dawn Hudson, says ... "There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members." She continued, "We have made changes to the Oscars over the years—including this year—and we will continue to evolve while also respecting the incredible legacy of the last 90 years."

We'll take this a step further and predict this means the "popular" category will never see the light of day, especially after people stop talking about it when the 2019 show's over. Once the buzz dies down, our money's on the Academy never moving to reinstate it.

In other words -- sorry, superhero movies ... you'll have to fight for a Best Picture nod like everyone else.