Controversial S#!T

Lil Nas X is trying to clean up the mess that his "J Christ" single has caused in the Christian community ... but the damage might be done, if these artists' reactions mean anything.

Mr. Montero hopped on IG on Monday to apologize for all the backlash but also admitted he was surprised by the level of hate he received all the same.

Lil Nas X says he figured the masses would have picked up on his satire ... namely, him combatting Satan in the video and turning away from the dark side, so to speak. He goes on to say the Jesus inspo was aimed to be a metaphor for his resurrected career.

He does admit, however, that his communion promo video perhaps took things too far ... he apologizes for the antics ... while denying he's the anti-Christ sent to ruin family values.

Despite Nas X's I'm-sorry ... several of today's top Christian rappers may beg to differ ... they think his new "J Christ" campaign openly mocks their religion and they're not going for it!!!

Dee-1 is no stranger to calling out artists he feels are leading fans down dark paths and posted up next to a mural of Lil Nas X ... and warned him his record label Columbia Records was allowing him to be a crash dummy for Christians.

Dee suggested LNX was suffering from "church hurt" -- shunned for being gay but still told him to cut it out.

Lecrae, the first rapper to ever win a Grammy for Best Gospel Album, echoed similar thoughts and urged his following to pray for LNX -- arguing he's not a lost cause, yet.

Hurricane Chris -- who told us he credited Jesus for his not guilty verdict after being acquitted of murder -- was far less forgiving and threatened to resurrect the Crusades ... and slide for his Lord and Savior against what he perceives as the evil in Nas X's song.

Melissa Barrera's been screaming her support of Palestine from the rooftops -- which led to her getting 86'd from the 'Scream' franchise -- but it looks like her former cast members still have her back.

The actress reunited with her former costars Sunday night at the Motion Picture and Television Fund's 17th Annual Evening Before Gala ... and Jenna Ortega was standing right by her, literally and figuratively.

Remember, Melissa was fired back in November from the 7th installment of the horror franchise over her Israel-Palestine posts.

Jenna appeared to like a post on Melissa doubling down on her pro-Palestine stance at the time of her firing ... and she too dropped out of the new 'Scream' movie -- though it was apparently due to a schedule clash with Netflix's "Wednesday" and not cause of MB's firing.

But Jenna's support was loud and clear in the new IG snaps shared by Melissa ... where she was also joined by her other  'Scream' costars Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Liana Liberato, Tony Revolori, Skeet Ulrich, and Jack Quaid -- who all appeared to have her back, too.

As we reported ... Melissa doubled down on her pro-Palestine stance over Xmas while the 'Scream' Empire collapsed with director Christopher Landon also walking away from the new movie.

While Spyglass lost their 2 big leads and their director ... Neve Campbell recently teased a possible return to the franchise as Sidney Prescott -- only for the right amount of money, though.

She initially left the franchise due to pay disagreements, so that doesn't come as a shock -- but she ain't biting the hand that feeds her ... saying at Saturday's BAFTA Tea Party in L.A. she was sad the higher-ups at 'Scream' were struggling.

El video musical "J Christ" de Lil Nas X cuenta con el apoyo de una iglesia, aunque no ncesariamente cristiana o católica.

El polémico rapero lanzó un video musical para su canción "J Cristo", enviando ondas de choque a través del mundo religioso. En él, el rapero interpreta a Noé, capitaneando su arca a través de aguas turbulentas, e incluso se muestra como Cristo en la cruz. También le rompe los tobillos al diablo en un partido de baloncesto uno contra uno.

La letra solo aporta a los tintes religiosos de la canción, con líneas como "Volver a salir de la tumba/Perra estoy de vuelta como J Cristo", así que sí, se podría decir que la religión es el tema principal.

Mientras que ciertos raperos cristianos y grupos han expresado su disgusto con la canción y video, a la Iglesia de Satanás le encanta, David Harris le dice a TMZ que le está dando al video un pulgar arriba, llamando a las imágenes "fantásticas".

Harris señala cómo Lil Nas X rapea sobre su capacidad de ser viral, equiparándolo a la creencia de su iglesia de la "magia menor". Básicamente, la capacidad de manipular a la gente para que haga lo que quieras y de paso llenarte los bolsillos.

El magister (algo así como un cardenal para los miembros de la Iglesia de Satán) dice que su iglesia en realidad no adora a Satán y en su lugar promueve ser tu verdadero yo, el logro personal y vivir la vida al máximo, no está obsesionada con la iconografía como otras iglesias. Nunca los verás reaccionar a las representaciones del Diablo con ira.

Harris tiene recibos para respaldar esa afirmación, ya que anteriormente había dado el visto bueno a su video musical "Montero" a pesar de la representación de Satanás (también alabó el momento en que Lil Nas lo mata y le quita la corona).

Magister Harris solo tenía una pequeña crítica para Lil Nas X. "J Christ" no era suficiente para él... ¡Dice que quiere que el rapero diriga un largometraje!

Lil Nas X's "J Christ" music video has the support of one church ... though its endorsement is unlikely to make Christians and Catholics feel any better.

ICYMI ... the controversial rapper released a music video for his song "J Christ" -- sending shockwaves through the religious world. In it, LNX plays Noah, captaining his ark through rough waters, and even shows him as Christ on the cross. He also breaks the devil's ankles in a one-on-one basketball game for good measure.

The lyrics only add to the song's religious ties ... featuring lines like "Back up out the gravesite/Bitch I'm back like J Christ" -- so yeah, you could say religion is a main theme.

While certain Christian rappers and groups have expressed disgust with the song and video, the Church of Satan loves it ... magister David Harris tells TMZ he's giving the video a thumbs up, calling the imagery "fantastic."

Harris notes how Lil Nas X raps about his ability to go viral, equating it to his church's belief in "lesser magic" ... basically the ability to manipulate people into doing what you want -- which DH notes is lining Nas' pockets with cash.

The magister (kinda like a cardinal to Church of Satan members) says his church -- which doesn't actually worship Satan and instead touts being your true self, personal achievement and living life to the fullest -- isn't obsessed with iconography like other churches ... you'll never see them react to portrayals of the Devil with anger.

Harris's got receipts to back that claim up ... having previously given a stamp of approval to his "Montero" music vid in spite of the depiction of Satan (he also lauded the moment Lil Nas kills him and takes his crown.)

Magister Harris only had one tiny criticism for Lil Nas X -- "J Christ" wasn't enough for him ... DH says he's so talented he wants the rapper to direct a feature-length film!

Matthew Stafford better have brought his tough-guy helmet with him to Detroit this weekend ... 'cause Calvin Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's not expecting Lions fans to welcome their former QB with open arms.

Of course, Megatron says there will likely be some cheers and even some people decked out in Stafford's former No. 9 jerseys at Ford Field when the Rams visit for their much-anticipated Wild Card round game Sunday night ... but the Hall of Famer tells us, "I'm sure there will be people booing."

As for how Johnson will feel ... it seems he's feeling conflicted on how to handle it all as well.

"I'm definitely a Matthew fan -- that's my guy," said Johnson, who caught passes from Stafford from 2009 to 2015 with the Lions. "But I want him to come in here and come into the Lion's Den and not go home!"

Some Detroit fans, meanwhile, have already given a bit of a preview into how they'll respond when Stafford runs out onto the field later Sunday ... advocating a ban on wearing old No. 9 uniforms to the game -- something Matthew's wife was not pleased about.

Antics in the crowd aside, Johnson expects his old team will ultimately get the win over Stafford -- though he says the score will be very close.

Robert Downey Jr. isn't apologizing for his controversial role in "Tropic Thunder" ... and he's using another polarizing show from back in the day to make a nuanced point.

The actor -- who just won a Golden Globe for his part in "Oppenheimer" last weekend -- recently went on the "Literally! with Rob Lowe" podcast to defend the work he did in the '08 film, in which he plays a method actor playing a Black man ... in full blackface.

RDJ says people should look beyond the surface of his performance -- where he was playing a caricature of a person -- and consider the larger message the film was trying to convey about his character ... namely, highlighting tropes that had been perpetuated for years.

Interestingly enough, he says the show 'All in the Family' is a good example of this -- telling a quick anecdote about attending Norman Lear's shiva ... and them playing a disclaimer before running a clip from his famous sitcom. Listen -- RDJ's telling us all something here.

The disclaimer read, "The program you are about to see is ‘All in the Family.’ It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show -- in a mature fashion -- just how absurd they are."

Downey says there used to be an understanding between creators and audiences about this type of stuff, and it didn't have to be handled with kid gloves the way it does nowadays.

Robert's biggest issue is that he says the modern world is experiencing a "clickbait addiction to grievance" ... basically saying it's so easy to get mad at jokes and film choices without looking at the greater context, or the bigger-picture message. Sadly, times have changed.

Tony Dungy's stirring up bad blood with the NFL's new golden goose in Taylor Swift ... essentially saying she distracts from the sport, which he thinks is a very bad thing.

In a recent interview with Fox News, the former NFL player/coach was asked how he felt about Travis Kelce's biggest fan, and he said the "Taylor Swift effect" takes away from on-field action ... going on to compare her to outside noise now infecting the game itself.

TD said, "That's the thing that's disenchanting people with sports now. There's so much on the outside coming in. Entertainment value and different things taking away from what really happens on the field."

Dungy's not some just loud-mouthed commentator either ... the guy's got credentials to back up his claims. Tony played three seasons in the NFL before embarking on a coaching career which earned him a Super Bowl title and a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Of course, Taylor's been a frequent guest in Travis' suite at Chiefs games since mid-September and even showed up as recently as New Year's Eve against the Bengals. She'll reportedly hit up the playoff game in K.C. against the Dolphins tonight despite ice-cold temperatures.

We don't know if TS has seen the interview yet, but we have a pretty good idea of what her reaction might be ... if her viral Golden Globes stare-down of Jo Koy is any indication.

Remember, Taylor shot daggers at the GG host during his rough opening monologue when he said, "The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL -- on the Golden Globes we have fewer camera shots to Taylor Swift."

A seemingly harmless joke that didn't go over well, but Dungy and Koy seem to have the same point here ... Taylor herself isn't the issue. It's the NFL tearing focus away from its primary product, its own games, to grab interest from a new audience.

Jo Koy is still reflecting on his poorly-received Golden Globes hosting gig -- calling the star-studded crowd a bunch of softies ... this as he gets back to regular routine.

Variety sent one of their reporters to St. Louis Friday -- where Jo was scheduled to perform ... marking his first regular stand-up set since the big show. According to the outlet, he immediately dove into the topic after arriving late due to bad weather.

He got a warm welcome from the crowd, and Jo reportedly said ... "Holy s***, right? This big hug that you gave me is all I need, swear to god. F***ing whirlwind, goddamn."

JK then went on to trash the Globes audience -- which, BTW, were nothing but a bunch of celebs/industry people -- by saying this ... "Lot a marshmallows, man. They’re delicious, but goddamn, they’re soft. I just come from a different time. I see the changes that are happening. I get it, but goddamn, can we f***ing laugh at ourselves?"

Variety says the crowd on hand for Jo last night ate all this up ... cheering him on and one person even apparently yelling "F*** 'em!" in support of Jo.

Jo then reportedly said this about the GG broadcast ... "Koy said, 'I got a feeling none of you motherf***ers watched it, and I’m kinda happy. Oh my god. It feels good to live in this country. We get to say what we want to say. Don’t be apologetic about it at all. Be able to…speak your mind.'"

Like we mentioned ... Jo's opening monologue got torn to shreds on a number of different fronts -- with many accusing him of sexism/misogyny ... and just terrible material generally.

Jo Koy sigue reflexionando sobre su mal recibida presentación en los Golden Globes, ahora llamando a la multitud de esa noche como un montón de blandengues, mientras regresa a sus rutinas habituales.

Variety envió a uno de sus reporteros a St. Louis el viernes, donde Jo tenía programada una actuación, la primera desde el gran espectáculo. De acuerdo con el medio, el comediante de inmediato se sumergió en el tema después de llegar tarde debido al mal tiempo.

Recibió una cálida bienvenida de la multitud, y según los informes, dijo: "Holy s***, ¿verdad? Este gran abrazo que me dieron es todo lo que necesito, lo juro por Dios".

Luego Jo Koy criticó a la audiencia de los Globos de Oro, que, por cierto, no eran más que un montón de celebridades y gente de la industria, diciendo esto: "Muchos marshmallows", hombre. Son deliciosos, pero maldita sea, son blandos. Vengo de una época diferente. Veo los cambios que están sucediendo. Lo entiendo, pero maldita sea, ¿podemos reírnos de nosotros mismos?".

Variety dice que la multitud presente se bancó todo su discurso, lo animaron y una persona incluso le habría gritado "F*** 'em!" (que se jodan) en apoyo a Jo.

Jo dijo lo siguiente sobre la emisión de los Globos de Oro: "Tengo la sensación de que ninguno de ustedes los vio y estoy un poco feliz. Dios mío. Me siento bien viviendo en este país. Podemos decir lo que queremos decir. No hay que disculparse por ello. Tenemos que ser capaces de... decir lo que piensas'".

Como hemos mencionado, el monólogo de apertura de Jo se hizo pedazos en diferentes frentes y muchos lo acusaron de sexismo, misoginia y un material terrible en general.

La música de Drake podría ser considerada técnicamente "rap" si tuvieras que clasificarla en un género, pero Yasiin Bey (alias Mos Def) dice que no es puro hip hop, según lo que él entiende.

El legendario MC se sentó a conversar para una entrevista con "The Cutting Room Floor", en donde el anfitrión le preguntó directamente si consideraba que Drizzy era "hip hop", lo que se convirtió en un intercambio fascinante. Cuento corto, no ... Mos no cree que Aubrey esté en el círculo.

Echa un vistazo al video para ver su respuesta completa... porque es bastante brutal. MD dice que las canciones de Drake son como la música para ir de compras, es decir, amigables y fáciles de escuchar y digerir, tal vez con un poco de ventaja de vez en cuando.

También utiliza a Target para hacer su punto, señalando que Drake en general es tan corriente y comercial, que sería mejor llamarlo pop que hip hop. Sí, es duro.

Mos tenía aún más que decir sobre el tema. Preguntando retóricamente si Drake realmente desafiaba a su público con arte (o música) que no necesariamente disfrutaran, pasó a sugerir que todo el mundo piensa que la música de Drizzy es siempre "buena" y que hay un montón de pompones haciéndole barra.

Por supuesto, este ha sido un debate candente desde siempre, con los puristas del hip hop constantemente lanzando m**** sobre Drake por ser demasiado suave para su gusto y ahora, otro grande del hip hop se está sumando a la pila.

Drake se ha defendido sobre este tema, y ha demostrado que puede rimar con los mejores, por lo que su buena fe en el hip hop ha quedado demostrada. Sin embargo, sigue siendo considerado demasiado pop para algunos de sus contemporáneos... lo cual está bien.

El hecho es que es uno de los artistas más famosos del mundo y, además, es muy rico. Se cambia una cosa por la otra, suponemos ... Ser atractivo para las masas es bastante lucrativo.🤷🏽‍♂️

Drake's music might technically be considered "rap" if you had to throw it in a genre bin -- but Yasiin Bey (aka, Mos Def) says it ain't pure hip hop as far as he's considered.

The legendary MC recently sat down for an interview on "The Cutting Room Floor" ... where the host asks him straight up if he considers Drizzy to be "hip hop," which made for a fascinating exchange. Long story short, no ... Mos doesn't think Aubrey's in the circle.

Check out the video to see his full response on this ... 'cause it's pretty brutal. MD says Drake's tunes are like shopping music -- namely, friendly/easy to listen to and digest ... perhaps with a little edge every now and then.

He also uses Target to make his point here ... noting Drake, by and large, is as mainstream and commercial as they come, and calling him pop more than hip hop. Yeah, it's harsh.

Mos had even more to say on the topic ... rhetorically asking if Drake actually challenges his audience with art they might not necessarily enjoy -- going on to suggest that everybody thinks Drizzy's music is always "great," and that there's a lot of pom-pom cheering.

Of course, this has been a raging debate forever now -- with hip hop purists constantly s****ing on Drake as too soft for their taste ... and now, a hip hop great is piling on.

Drake has defended himself on this issue, and yes ... he's proven he can spit with the best of them, so his hip hop bona fides have been proven. Still though, it sounds like he continues to be considered a little too pop-y for some of his contemporaries... which is fine.

Fact is, he's one of the most famous artists in the world, and he's wildly wealthy too. You trade one thing for the other, we suppose ... mass appeal is pretty freaking profitable.🤷🏽‍♂️

Kelly Clarkson hit a home run with her decision to keep her kiddos off social media ... at least as far as a couple national parenting groups are concerned.

The singer recently revealed she banned Instagram in her house, and now some big-name organizations are singing her praises.

The MomCo International tells TMZ ... "We love that Kelly is making this bold decision for her kids and hope it helps parents normalize letting kids be kids without the added pressure of a digital life while they are still learning how to navigate life in 3-D."

Remember ... Kelly says social media is hard on kids in general, but it's even worse for kiddos with a famous mother or father ... hence the IG ban for her daughter River and son Remington.

Meanwhile, the National Association for Child Development tells TMZ ... Kelly's social media ban should be respected and honored because parents know their children best and are responsible for ensuring a safe and age-appropriate online environment for their kids.

It will be interesting to see if Kelly's social media ban catches on ... especially with celeb parents.

Kelly Clarkson ha dado en el clavo con su decisión de mantener a sus hijos fuera de las redes sociales, al menos para un par de grupos nacionales de padres.

La cantante reveló recientemente que prohibió Instagram en su casa, y ahora algunas organizaciones de renombre están cantando sus alabanzas.

El MomCo Internacional le dice a TMZ: "Nos encanta que Kelly esté tomando esta decisión audaz para sus hijos y esperamos que ayude a los padres a normalizar que hay que dejar a los niños ser niños sin la presión añadida de una vida digital mientras todavía están aprendiendo a navegar por la vida en 3-D".

Recuerden, Kelly dice que las redes sociales son difíciles para los niños en general, pero es aún peor para los niños con una madre o un padre famoso, de ahí la prohibición de IG para su hija River y su hijo Remington.

Mientras tanto, la Asociación Nacional para el Desarrollo Infantil le dice a TMZ: La prohibición de las redes sociales por parte de Kelly debe ser respetada y honrada pues los padres conocen mejor a sus hijos y son responsables de garantizar un entorno en línea seguro y apropiado para su edad.

Será interesante ver si la prohibición de las redes sociales de Kelly se pone de moda, especialmente entre los padres famosos.

Browns legend Josh Cribbs has come down with Joe Flacco Fever ... but diagnosis aside, he believes the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award still belongs to Damar Hamlin ... telling TMZ Sports he believes the Bills safety earned the recognition after resuming his NFL career this season.

38-year-old Flacco has exceeded all expectations since joining the Browns in November ... leading Cleveland to a 4-1 record after Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson went down with injuries.

Despite helping the Browns reach the playoffs, Cribbs -- who had nothing but praise for the former Super Bowl MVP -- says Hamlin's story is simply too special to pass on when the league recognizes players at the end of the season.

"Right now, I say it's Damar Hamlin," Cribbs told us this week. "He came back to life on the field. He came back to life to play back again in the NFL. He is a player who essentially lost his life on the football field."

Of course, Damar saw a bit of action in the 2023-24 season ... a special moment for the player and the entire NFL after he suffered cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.

"For him to have lost his life on the field and then came back, I definitely would give it to Damar Hamlin," Cribbs says.

The former return specialist gives Flacco his flowers, though ... commending the guy for going from "being on the couch with a beer" to becoming Cleveland's improbable hero.

Cribbs has full confidence in Flacco's abilities to take the Browns deep in the playoffs ... but even if they make it to the Super Bowl, he says it'll be Watson's team no matter what next season.

Cribbs backs his belief ... saying considering the Browns are paying Deshaun a massive contract, there's no way he isn't under center in 2024.

"Flacco is the now, Deshaun is no question the future," Cribbs said. "Not because of what he did in Houston, not because of what Flacco is doing right now. He's the future because he's got $230 million guaranteed. So, there is no discussion about it. He is the quarterback of the future."

FKA Twigs suggested that the UK banning her Calvin Klein ad was a double standard -- and seemed to suggest race was a factor ... but the org that nixed it is calling BS.

UK's Advertising Standards Authority -- which has authority over this sorta thing -- tells TMZ their final assessment on whether an ad stays or goes is based solely on their responsibility and offense rules -- and FKA's ad broke 'em on objectification and inappropriate targeting.

The photo in question shows Twigs showing some side-boob & butt/thigh but covering the rest of her modesty with a denim shirt -- not the raciest shot in the world, but it's been pointed out that Kendall Jenner's similarly racy CK ad got a free pass across the pond recently.

The ASA tells us they took a hard look at the two "similar but, crucially, subtly different ads" -- but it was Twigs' ad that they took issue with ... 'cause she was far more revealing than Kendall was.

Take a look at the pics and you'll see ... Twigs is showing some side-boob and part of her buttocks -- whereas Kendall is wearing jeans and fully covering her chest with her hands.

Also, unless you've been hiding under a rock ... Jeremy Allen White's recent steamy CK ad has been doing the rounds everywhere lately -- including the UK -- a decision that's fueled widespread discussion on "double standards," as FKA put it.

But, ASA isn't backing down ... telling us they understand there's a fine line between judging what is and isn't likely to cause offense --  but it's their job to make the call.

The poor dog thrown out of a moving car during a police pursuit in Los Angeles is not being returned to its owner for the time being ... instead, it'll be staying with a local humane society.

Daniel Pena -- the animal control supervisor at the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA -- tells TMZ ... the pooch will remain in their care, for now, while an investigation into Thursday's incident plays out.

As we reported ... the dog was tossed out of the window of some scumbag's truck Thursday as the driver was leading police on a high-speed chase.

Cops tell us the suspect is a 47-year-old man named Robin Luna and the chase started with a reported vandalism.

The guy was initially charged with felony evading but now we're told prosecutors are going to tack on animal cruelty charges.

As a result, the SPCA says the dog will remain in protective custody with them until further notice.