Controversial S#!T

Travis Kelce is coming to Harrison Butker's defense ... insisting the Kansas City Chiefs kicker is both "a great person and a great teammate."

The future Hall of Famer made the comments on the latest episode of his "New Heights" podcast Friday ... touching publicly on his pal's controversial Benedictine College speech for the first time since it sparked a slew of outrage earlier this month.

Many, of course, had been itching for Kelce's opinion on the matter ... especially after Butker evoked the name of the tight end's girlfriend, Taylor Swift, during the polarizing chat with graduates.

Michael Richards' Laugh Factory ban could come to an end ... 'cause the owner's open to having him back -- if he's truly learned the error of his ways.

Jamie Masada -- owner of the iconic comedy joint in Hollywood -- tells TMZ ... he booted the actor-comedian for good after his infamous 2006 rant at the club because he believes hate speech isn't acceptable, so Michael earned himself the ban for his racist remarks.

But, Masada says he believes in second chances and doesn't want to hold a grudge, so Michael could make a return to the venue ... but, only if he's truly a reformed man.

Transgender model Carmen Carrera is speaking out against Peru's new bill that officially classifies transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people as "mentally ill."

Carmen -- who is of Puerto Rican-Peruvian ancestry -- tells TMZ she thinks the government's move aims to change the personal beliefs of the Peruvian people, who she says are actually supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, especially since they've had transgender and nonbinary figures throughout their indigenous history.

The "RuPaul's Drag Race" alum believes the Peruvian government is trying to cash in on transgender people getting insured, which she believes is why they're falsely categorizing their transition as a mental illness.

After two weeks of outrage, Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech finally resulted in someone's firing -- it just wasn't the Chiefs' placekicker who lost his job -- but instead, a member of the City of K.C.'s social media team got the axe after doxxing the Super Bowl champ.

On Thursday, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas revealed the city "separated" from a K.C. staffer who publicly roasted 28-year-old Butker after his Benedictine College speech, tweeting, "Just a reminder that Harrison Butker lives in the City of Lee's Summit."

The message was deleted shortly after ... and an apology put up in its place -- "We apologies (sic) for our previous tweet. It was shared in error."

Kelly Rowland is speaking out about her heated exchange with a security guard at the Cannes Film Festival ... and strongly suggesting she was singled out because she's Black.

The Destiny's Child singer addressed the drama Thursday for the first time since the blowup, telling an AP News reporter she "stood [her] ground" during the tense incident out of respect for her boundaries.

KR says she was "scolded" by the event staffer, while other women on the red carpet "who did not quite look like me" were left alone.

5/23 -- 3:20 PM PT -- Chaka Khan tells TMZ ... "In these troubling times, I'm reminded that the energies of violence and abuse can take many forms, affecting individuals and communities worldwide. As someone who has faced personal lessons, I believe in the power of meditation, prayer and inner peace to bring light and hope to our lives and the world around us."

"We can address most issues, prevent negativity, and cultivate compassion by seeking Self. Let us take responsibility for our actions, strive to be better, and support those who are hurting."

She concluded, "May we find strength in grace and wisdom as human beings, walking towards a more loving and just world."

"Seinfeld" star Michael Richards is not looking for a redemption arc -- even though he's finally coming out of hiding -- but he does want to clarify a few things related to his infamous Hollywood Laugh Factory incident.

The actor's rarely been seen since the 2006 rant when he shouted the n-word and other racial insults at an African-American man who was heckling him during his standup routine.

Michael told People Mag he was immediately sorry in the aftermath of that meltdown -- and nearly 2 decades later he insists ... "I'm not racist. I have nothing against Black people. The man who told me I wasn’t funny had just said what I’d been saying to myself for a while. I felt put down. I wanted to put him down."

NYC Councilman Erik Bottcher is taking a far more direct stance than Mayor Eric Adams regarding Diddy's key to the city -- he wants to yank the honor, and stat.

Erik jumped on "TMZ Live" Wednesday, and said taking away the honor is a "no-brainer" in the wake of the Cassie beatdown video. EB says Diddy has no right to be in the company of Nelson Mandela ... the Nobel Peace Prize recipient who received a key back in 1990.

The Councilman says, "It would be bad enough if it was just the video, but [Diddy] put out a statement before accusing these women of lying, accusing them of looking for a payday. So, it's despicable and consequences need to follow."

Jermaine Dupri is incensed over Apple Music's 100 Best Albums list ... specifically, the lack of R&B inclusion.

The So So Def hitmaker joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday and groused that several iconic R&B acts, such as Mariah Carey, TLC, Diana Ross, and Jodeci ... didn't make Apple's cut.

JD, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018, notes the music that influenced him and his peers was shockingly ignored.

Kelly Rowland went from 0 to 100 real quick at the Cannes Film Festival ... and a lip reader's now dishing on what exactly went down during her red carpet showdown with a security guard.

Jacqui Press has dissected the singer's fiery confrontation from Tuesday's "Marcello Mio" premiere -- and she says it all kicked off smoothly, with KR graciously telling the security guard, "It's OK," after she accidentally stepped on her dress. But then things took a drastic turn!

Jacqui spills to MailOnline that the security guard's response is still a bit fuzzy, but it was enough to irk Kelly 'cause she apparently fired back with a firm, "Don't talk to me like that."

Patrick Mahomes is sticking up for Harrison Butker ... praising the kicker as a man of good character following his controversial commencement speech earlier this month.

Butker is at the center of a ton of criticism after speaking at Benedictine College's graduation ceremony ... in which he shared his views that many considered sexist, anti-gay and politically divisive.

The Kansas City superstar addressed the Butker backlash with reporters at Chiefs practice on Wednesday ... and while he said the two might not see eye-to-eye on every issue, he still understands his teammate to be a good guy.

Roger Goodell just addressed Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech ... and he didn't take a stance on it one way or the other, opting instead to simply praise the NFL's "diversity of opinions."

The Chiefs kicker's polarizing Benedictine College talk came up at the end of Goodell's chat with media members on Wednesday at the Spring League Meeting in Nashville ... when a reporter wondered if the NFL's commissioner had further thoughts on the matter.

Many, of course, had hoped Goodell would admonish Butker -- after critics called the KC star's words anti-gay and misogynistic.

Lauryn Hill's record-breaking "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" is the best album of all time ... on Apple Music's 100 Best Albums list, beating out iconic projects from Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Kendrick Lamar and more!!!

The Apple Music team surprised Lauryn and her son YG Marley with an intimate dinner to crown the 1998 Diamond-selling album -- to which she replied, "That's crazy" before describing the project as a "rich, deep narrative."

Upon its release, Lauryn broke the record for most Grammys in a single night by a female artist, and it remains her only studio project 25 years later.

10:45 AM PT -- Boeing just released a statement saying, "We are in contact with Singapore Airlines regarding flight SQ321 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one, and our thoughts are with the passengers and crew."

A Singapore Airlines plane took a 6,000-foot drop after running into some nasty turbulence ... leaving 1 person dead and over 30 hurt.

Check out the clip -- you can see the food and debris left behind after the Boeing 777-300 jet hit bad turbulence when flying to Singapore from London Tuesday ... forcing it to make an emergency landing in Bangkok at 3:45 PM local time.

11:30 AM PT -- A source familiar with the situation tells TMZ … Cam'ron's rep was fully aware and briefed about the segment and topic ahead of his interview on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip.

9:53 AM PT -- Cam'ron isn't apologizing for his behavior during last night's wild CNN interview.

On his "It Is What It Is" sports show he cohosts with former Bad Boy rapper Ma$e, the Harlem rapper said CNN only contacted him to talk BS, so he gave them just that -- a BS interview!!!

Amber Rose publicly endorsed one candidate for the 2024 US Presidential Election ... surprising many followers with her choice -- as it seems to contradict her public stances.

The model-turned-activist took to Instagram on Monday to share a photo of herself, Donald Trump and Melania Trump ... making it clear she'd be voting for the former prez in November. Alongside the upload, AR wrote ... "Trump 2024."

It didn't take long for Amber's followers to sound off in the comments ... with many calling out how Trump's political stances directly contradict her own beliefs -- at least ones she's been open about anyway.