Controversial S#!T

Jim Gaffigan took the oxygen out of the room during while presenting an award at the Golden Globes -- and it's because he somewhat referenced Jeffrey Epstein-esque material.

The longtime standup was on hand Sunday to hand out the award for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television -- a whole new category that the GG are starting to include ... and while acknowledging how wild that development was, JG made a jaw-dropping joke.

He was talking about how crazy it is he's even in showbiz, saying ... "I'm from a small town in Indiana, I'm not a pedophile." A handful of people laughed, but it was mostly dead silent.

Jim went on to rhetorically ask if "pedophile" was a new category there, but noted he was happy to be presenting an award for comics with big specials ... arguing it was overdue.

Eventually, he announced the winner as Ricky Gervais for his new Netflix show -- but the guy didn't show up, so Jim accepted on his behalf. The whole bit was very dry and sarcastic, in typical Jim fashion, but his crack felt like a little too soon for the ritzy crowd.

That said, some people did appear to laugh ... including Taylor Swift, who apparently found some of what Jim had to say funny, specifically toward the end his very brief set.

Nicki Minaj refusing to perform her almost-Diamond smash hit "Starships" is shocking fans, but RedOne -- the maestro who co-produced the track -- says the music mutiny is okay in his book.

RedOne tells TMZ Hip Hop, "I have the utmost respect for Nicki Minaj and I love her work very much. I will always respect an artist's wishes ... I feel very proud to have made that record with her along with the global success it made."

"Starships" first arrived in 2012 and currently sits at 9x Platinum, but Nicki told her NYE audience in Miami, live renditions of the track are a thing of the past.

As she put it, "I don't like it, what y'all want me to do? Stupid song!"

RedOne likely isn't feeling the burn, either. The superproducer has hits for days -- Lady Gaga's "Just Dance," and Usher's "More" to name a couple. He also scored a few more records with Nicki, such as "Pound the Alarm," and she's still performing that one to this day.

Nicki Minaj ya no canta "Starships" en vivo y esto está sorprendiendo a los fans, pero RedOne -el maestro que co-produjo la pista- dice que está de acuerdo con la rapera.

RedOne le dice a TMZ Hip Hop: "Tengo el máximo respeto por Nicki Minaj y me gusta mucho su trabajo. Siempre respetaré los deseos de un artista... Me siento muy orgulloso de haber hecho ese disco con ella junto con el éxito mundial que tuvo".

"Starships" llegó por primera vez en 2012 y actualmente cuenta con 9x Platino, pero Nicki le dijo a su audiencia en NYE Miami, que las interpretaciones en vivo de la pista son cosa del pasado.

Como ella dijo: "No me gusta, ¿qué quieren que haga? Estúpida canción".

RedOne parece estar muy tranquilo con todo esto. El superproductor tiene éxitos para tirar los la ventan; "Just Dance" de Lady Gaga, y "More" de                                            Usher por nombrar un par. También grabó algunos discos más con Nicki, como "Pound the Alarm", que sigue interpretando hoy en día.

Jo Koy's opening monologue at the Golden Globes this year was a little ... well, up and down -- and the audience seemed to let him know early and often.

The comedian kinda came out with kid gloves at first during Sunday's broadcast, praising everyone and talking about how big of a moment it was for all the nominees ... and for himself. Eventually, he launched into some attempted ribbing at some of the movies.

For starters, his jokes about 'Barbie' didn't land with the audience all that well -- probably because he was a little crude in characterizing what it was about ... a doll with "big boobs."

There were some groans in the crowd ... and Jo noted he only had about a week and a half or so prepare this monologue -- acknowledging not everything he wrote (or had written for him) was going to kill. And yet, he continued on with some other zingers that fizzled out.

JK made light of Barry Keoghan's penis in 'Saltburn' ... suggesting it had made its way to Bradley Cooper's face in 'Maestro' -- obviously referring to prosthetic nose he rocked.

There was a lot more -- and it was vey uneven ... lasting about 10 minutes. While he was able to get through it in the end, Twitter/X was letting Jo have it online ... with bad reviews.

Barry Keoghan's new movie got a song that came out over 20 years ago back on the charts -- and it's all thanks to a neat little dance he did at the end where he's butt-ass naked.

Of course, we're talking about "Saltburn" and the end scene where the main character successfully snuffs out an uber-rich family in the UK to inherit their wealth and estate. To celebrate he does an intricate number through the house in his birthday suit ... with Sophie Ellis-Bextor's 2001 song "Murder on the Dancefloor" blaring in the background.

In the context of the film, the track makes sense ... and it's very fitting for what's going on. But it seems folks are rediscovering this oldie-but-goodie anew ... 'cause it's back at #8 on the Official UK Singles Chart -- not to mention surging on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales Chart, where it sits 3rd behind songs from Cher and Dua Lipa.

Elsewhere, Ellis-Bextor's memorable is charting on different trending lists, on Spotify, etc.

"Saltburn" is obviously stuck in people's minds -- because audiences left the theater and went searching for 'Murder,' driving the song across all these different platforms/streamers.

SEB's grateful for the attention -- and extra money lining her pocket, we're sure -- telling the BBC ... "It's extraordinary. It's a song I've been singing for over 20 years, I still love singing it. I love the way people react when I do it live."

She adds, "For new people to be discovering it, for it to be making new memories with people is kind of beautiful," noting she hasn't really processed all the newfound attention.

Mind you, the all-nude dance throughout the castle is perhaps one of the least shocking moments of the film ... there's a lot of others, including a sex-with-a-grave scene, a semen-slurping bathtub highlight, etc. Yeah, it's that kind of movie -- totally freaking out there.

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.

Taylor Swift became the subject of an entire article trying to figure out if she was part of the LGBTQ+ community ... and apparently, people in her world are pretty pissed about it.

The NYT recently published an op-ed by writer Anna Marks -- who identifies as queer -- and it's titled, "Look What We Made Taylor Swift Do." The entire premise of the piece is a deep dive into speculation that TS might, perhaps, be something other than straight.

Marks refers to moments she perceives as Taylor "dropping hairpins" (aka, dropping clues about being LGBTQ+) throughout her career ... writing, "In isolation, a single dropped hairpin is perhaps meaningless or accidental, but considered together, they’re the unfurling of a ballerina bun after a long performance."

She adds, "Those dropped hairpins began to appear in Ms. Swift’s artistry long before queer identity was undeniably marketable to mainstream America. They suggest to queer people that she is one of us." If it sounds like a reach, Taylor's camp seems to feel the same way.

While Taylor has certainly proven herself to be ally to the LGBTQ+ community, she's never explicitly indicated she's into anything but dudes -- in fact, her dating record proves that.

That point was hit home by someone close to Taylor, who told CNN ... "Because of her massive success, in this moment there is a Taylor-shaped hole in people’s ethics. This article wouldn’t have been allowed to be written about Shawn Mendes or any male artist whose sexuality has been questioned by fans."

This person adds, "There seems to be no boundary some journalists won’t cross when writing about Taylor, regardless of how invasive, untrue, and inappropriate it is -- all under the protective veil of an ‘opinion piece.'"

There have, in fact, been think pieces written about male pop stars and their sexuality ... namely, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, etc. But this point is well taken -- just leave it be, people.

Taraji P. Henson ahora está disparando contra su nueva película "El color púrpura", alegando que fue relegada a un trato de segunda clase durante la producción ... hasta que ella se defendió.

La actriz hizo una crítica mordaz sobre cómo, según ella, fue tratada (al principio) en el set de "El color púrpura", una película de Warner Bros, y cómo tuvo que exigir mejores condiciones de trabajo, incluyendo conseguir alguien que la llevara hasta el propio set.

En una nueva entrevista con el NYT, Taraji revela que tuvo que abogar no solo por sí misma, sino también por sus compañeros de reparto, diciendo: "Nos dieron carros de alquiler y yo estaba como, 'No puedo conducir hasta el set en Atlanta'. Esto es responsabilidad del seguro, es peligroso. Ahora le roban a la gente. ¿Qué aspecto tengo yo, yendo sola al trabajo en un carro de alquiler?".

La actriz añade: "Así que les dije: '¿Pueden llevarme a un chófer o alguien de seguridad? Me decían: 'Bueno, si lo hacemos por ti, tenemos que hacerlo por todos'. ¡Pues háganlo por todos! Son cosas así, cosas por las que no debería tener que luchar. Estaba en el plató de "Empire" luchando por remolques que no estuvieran infestados de bichos".

Taraji tenía más quejas que airear sobre la película, como por ejemplo, la afirmación de que el estudio, al parecer, no estaba interesado en llevar al elenco a una gira de prensa internacional, así como quejas porque tuvo que hacer una audición y romperse el culo por su papel en la película.

Ella explica: "¿Qué más tengo que hacer para demostrar mi valía? Ahora que estoy cantando y bailando para ti, y me subí a la mesa 88 veces con mis rodillas nudosas y tuve que ponerme hielo en las rodillas entre toma y toma, ¿qué más tengo que hacer?".

Todo esto sigue a varias semanas de Taraji y otras estrellas de la película discutiendo su bajo salario en Hollywood, y ha sido revelador, especialmente con nombres tan grandes unidos a esta película, incluyendo el de Oprah, que es productora y ha sido una parte clave de la promoción.

Taraji dice que Oprah tuvo que intervenir en su nombre un puñado de veces debido a sus quejas y, finalmente, todo se solucionó, pero parece haber sido una batalla cuesta arriba durante un tiempo. Una vez más, Taraji es una ganadora del Globo de Oro y actriz nominada al Oscar.

Taraji P. Henson is now taking shots at her own new film "The Color Purple," claiming she was relegated to second-class treatment while in production ... that is, until she fought back.

The actress gave a scathing critique over how she says she was dealt with as talent (at first) on the set of 'TCP' -- a WB film -- and how she had to demand better working conditions ... including getting a lift to and from the set itself.

In a new NYT interview, Taraji reveals she had to advocate not just for herself, but for her castmates as well ... saying, "They gave us rental cars, and I was like, 'I can’t drive myself to set in Atlanta.' This is insurance liability, it’s dangerous. Now they robbing people. What do I look like, taking myself to work by myself in a rental car?"

TPH adds, "So I was like, 'Can I get a driver or security to take me?' I’m not asking for the moon. They’re like, 'Well, if we do it for you, we got to do it for everybody.' Well, do it for everybody! It’s stuff like that, stuff I shouldn’t have to fight for. I was on the set of "Empire" fighting for trailers that wasn’t infested with bugs."

Taraji had more grievances to air about 'TCP' ... including the claim that the studio, apparently, wasn't interested in bringing the cast out internationally for a press run -- as well as complaints about the fact she had to audition and bust her ass for her role in the flick.

She explains ... "What else do I need to do to prove my worth? Now that I’m singing and dancing for you, and I climbed up on the table 88 times with my knobby knees and had to ice my knees in between takes, what else do I need to do?"

All this follows several weeks of Taraji and other stars of the film discussing their low pay in Hollywood ... and it's been eye-opening to watch -- especially with such big names attached to this film, including Oprah ... who's a producer and has been a key part of promotion.

Taraji says Oprah actually had to step in on her behalf a handful of times over these complaints of hers -- and eventually, everything got sorted out ... but it seems to have been an uphill battle for a while. Again, Taraji is a Golden Globe winner/Oscar-nominated actress.

Tiffany Haddish is the latest star to respond to Katt Williams' shots at his contemporaries -- this after he tried to downplay her comedy career ... with her pulling out her resume.

The comic/actress was performing at the Dania Improv in Florida earlier this week, when she appeared to address Katt's fresh round of hate aimed at her, Kevin Hart and many, many others in the game ... and she clarified a claim he made about her to Shannon Sharpe.

Long story short ... Katt said that a recent doc made about the famous Comedy Store club in L.A. had suggested that several Black comedians -- including Tiff -- had performed there over the years, but KW insisted that simply wasn't true and that she'd never gotten onstage there.

Welp, Tiffany had something to say about that during her Thursday set ... when she rattled off a lot of shows and movies she'd been in, and how long she's been honing her craft.

Eventually, she tackles his allegation that she'd never open mic'd at the Comedy Store -- at least not while coming up, anyway -- and TH refuted that ... saying she had, but just on the "white nights." The flip side ... Tiff says she definitely performed on all the "Black nights."

Mind you, Tiffany had already fired away in the comment section of a clip of Katt's interview where she got mentioned ... and there too she suggested KW didn't have his facts straight.

It's also worth mentioning ... Katt's been feuding with Tiff (and her close friend, Kevin Hart) for years now -- and he infamously trash-talked her and her comedy chops on a radio show.

A MSNBC host choked back tears live on the air while talking to a cop who was on the front lines of Jan. 6 -- and in other news ... new fugitives are in custody 3 years to the day.

Anchor Jonathan Capehart brought former Metro D.C. officer Michael Fanone on his Saturday morning program, and after recapping what had happened on 1/6/21 and introducing him ... JC got emotional on camera before he passed things off to his guest.

Watch ... you can tell the heartfelt moment wasn't lost on Fanone, who also seemed to be stirred. Capehart took out a handkerchief and wiped his face a bit as he gathered himself.

Like we said, Fanone was one of the many officers on the scene on Jan. 6 -- and he nearly lost his life as MAGA supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress's certification of the 2020 election ... this after Donald Trump gave a speech earlier in the day.

Fanone has made the rounds on cable news and on Capitol Hill in the years since ... relaying his harrowing near-death experience and denouncing the rioters' motives and actions.

His story continues to touch hearts ... including Capehart's, who broke down in front of him.

BTW, the Jan. 6 arrests continue to this day too ... including 3 new ones that were just announced Saturday by the FBI. The feds say they've captured a trio of fugitives whom they'd been looking for since '21 ... Jonathan and Olivia Pollock and Joseph Hutchinson.

Un presentador de MSNBC se ahogó en lágrimas en vivo mientras estaba al aire hablando con un policía que estuvo en la primera línea el 6 de enero, al mismo tiempo, nuevos fugitivos quedaron en custodia a 3 años de aquel día.

El presentador Jonathan Capehart invitó al exoficial de Metro de D.C. Michael Fanone a su programa del sábado por la mañana, y después de recapitular lo que pasó el 6 de enero de 2021 y presentarlo, se emocionó en cámara antes de pasar a la entrevista con su invitado.

Miren, se puede ver que el emotivo momento también conmovió a Fanone, quien también parecía estar emocionado. Capehart sacó un pañuelo y se limpió un poco la cara mientras se recomponía.

Como dijimos, Fanone fue uno de los muchos oficiales que estuvo en la escena el 6 de enero y casi pierde la vida cuando los partidarios de Make America Great Again irrumpieron en el Capitolio en un intento por detener la proclamación del Congreso de las elecciones de 2020. Esto, después de que Donald Trump diera un discurso temprano aquel día.

Fanone se ha paseado por las noticias y el Capitolio estos años, relatando su desgarradora experiencia y denunciando los motivos y acciones de los alborotadores.

Su historia sigue tocando corazones, incluyendo el de Capehart, que se quebró delante de él.

Por cierto, los arrestos del 6 de enero continúan hasta el día de hoy, incluyendo tres nuevos que acaban de ser anunciados este sábado por el FBI. Los federales dicen que han capturado a un trío de fugitivos a los que buscaban desde el 21 ... Jonathan y Olivia Pollock y Joseph Hutchinson.

Ice Cube has entered the Katt Williams chat days after the comedian shook up showbiz with his "Club Shay Shay" interview ... and, he's looking to clarify the allegation he tried to make light of a rape scene.

Katt accused Rickey Smiley of lying about being the OG pick for his "Money Mike" role in "Friday After Next" -- and also claimed he saved the character from a bathroom rape scene involving Terry Crews' ex-con character, "Damon."

Cube agreed that Rickey lost the part after Katt embodied the pimp schtick to make "Money Mike" an unforgettable character, but denies he ever wrote a rape scene for the film -- he says that's just not his style.

Cube says the main goal of the scene was to cancel out Katt and Terry's characters, as the film had 3 main villains, including the "Santa Claus" role Rickey ended up filling.

The hip hop legend also took some time out to address the ingrates who've groused over the years about their salaries in the 'Friday' franchise.

Cube explained actors aren't the only ones who need to get paid for movies -- producers, stagehands, even the coffee runners have to get paid every day, while most of the actors he employed were done with their scenes after a couple of days.

Talk about fishing for attention -- some guy is in serious trouble after stripping naked and jumping into a Bass Pro Shop pond -- and footage from horrified bystanders has captured everything.

You gotta see it to believe it -- the man executes a cannonball from the top floor of the store in Leeds, Alabama Thursday ... cops say the guy, 42-year-old George Owens, performed the stunt just before closing time.

The videos show Owens yelling something to officers as he shamelessly hangs on the edge ... legs spread wide apart and all -- before dramatically hurling himself over the side and onto the wet cement floor, smacking his head and ass in the process.

Cops get Owens into cuffs though he continues to put up a fight. However, he eventually calms down.

At one point, another man covers him with a blanket to spare bystanders the naked sight ... and police slide him away on his belly.

As for what led up to the erratic fish tank display, Police Chief Paul Irwin tells TMZ, Owens was driving in a car with 2 family members around 9 PM when he hit a pole in the store's parking lot.

From there, he decided to get out, strip naked and walk inside the wilderness-themed store.

Chief Irwin tells us that once he was under arrest, Owens kicked one officer in the groin ... and he later kicked in and damaged the back door of their police vehicle.

Hablando de llamar la atención, un hombre está en serios problemas después de desnudarse y saltar a un estanque de Bass Pro Shop, y las imágenes de los horrorizados transeúntes muestran todo el incidente.

Tienes que verlo para creerlo, el hombre ejecutó un salto tipo bala de cañón desde el piso superior de la tienda en Leeds, Alabama este jueves, y la policía dice que el hombre, de 42 años, George Owens, realizó el truco justo antes de la hora de cierre.

Los videos muestran a Owens gritándole algo a los oficiales mientras descaradamente se cuelga del borde, con sus piernas abiertas y todo, y se prepara para su lanzamiento.

A continuación, los policías esposan a Owens, aunque este sigue oponiendo resistencia. Sin embargo, finalmente se calma.

En un momento dado, otro hombre lo cubre con una manta para evitar que los transeúntes lo vean desnudo y la policía se lo lleva boca abajo.

En cuanto a lo que lo motivó a exhibirse de esta forma, el Jefe de Policía, Paul Irwin dice a TMZ, que Owens estaba conduciendo en un carro con 2 miembros de su familia alrededor de las 9 PM cuando chocó contra un poste en el estacionamiento de la tienda.

A partir de ahí, decidió salir, desnudarse y caminar dentro de la tienda de temática salvaje.

El jefe Irwin nos dice que una vez que estuvo bajo arresto, Owens pateó a un oficial en la ingle y más tarde pateó y dañó la puerta trasera de su vehículo policial.

Katt Williams can count on at least one comedic ally after his royal roast of Kevin Hart, Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer -- "Wild 'N Out" vet Bobb'e J. Thompson cosigns everything Katt's saying!!!

We linked with Bobb'e in Hollywood to discuss Katt's super-viral sit-down on Shannon Sharpe's podcast as the numbers for the nearly 3-hour chitchat breached 15 million views in just a couple of days.

Many comedians and even rappers such as Ludacris and Trick Daddy, took Katt's unfiltered thoughts as fightin' words.

TD suggested he's ready to get physical, as he reminded Katt he's from the streets.

But, Bobb'e tells us there's never any reason to rumble over a joke ... unless you can fight, and he says Katt has no issues in the fisticuffs department. He also doesn't feel like Katt spoke out a turn, especially in the pursuit of being credited for his work.

Katt accused guys like Steve and Ced of stealing his material over the years, and even had damning allegations for Michael Blackson ... claiming the Nigerian accent is faker than everything sold on Canal Street.

Bobb'e worked with both Katt and Michael on "Wild 'N Out" and can't confirm or deny Mike's 24/7 speaking patterns ... but does say tensions will arise if a joke gets stolen on the 'WNO' set.