Disney

Halle Bailey finally showed the world what she looks like as Ariel in "The Little Mermaid" reboot, but per usual -- Twitter's found a way to ruin it ... by tearing down Jodi Benson.

Here's the deal ... Disney dropped the new 'Little Mermaid' trailer Friday, and while most everyone was in awe of the first look at Halle under the sea -- some couldn't help but draw comparisons to the original voice actor who played Ariel back '89 ... that'd be JB.

Some were grabbing clips from the animated film, including iconic singing parts, and putting them up side by side with Halle's -- going on to mock Jodi's performance, by saying she sounds "a little flat."

There was more mocking ... including folks posting shots of Halle's Ariel next to the animated Ariel and noting that HB has a ton of Grammys noms, while cartoon Ariel (aka, Jodi) had zero. FWIW, 'The Little Mermaid' did in fact win a handful of Grammys at the time.

Bottom line though ... they're besmirching the iconic work Jodi did all those years ago.

There was also someone who was trying to create drama between these two ... which appears to be completely manufactured. They posted a screenshot of what looks to be a post on Jodi's IG story, showing a photo of animated Ariel with the caption, "Love my Ariel."

The Twitter user who grabbed this is trying to make it seem like Jodi posted this in response to the trailer coming out -- and as a shot at Halle, but that's not the case ... it's an old post.

Fact is, Jodi has been nothing but supportive over Halle's casting -- something a good handful on the bird app noted as they tried to shut down this anti-Jodi narrative building among rabid Halle stans. The question ... why can't we celebrate each woman's take???

There's been some racist uproar over the fact Halle, who's Black, was cast at all in this role -- and now, this response seems to be extreme opposite reaction -- at the expense of Jodi.

Harrison Ford doesn't tear up much, but for his new 'Indiana Jones' movie -- he did just that ... promising it'll leave an impression.

The legendary actor was on hand Saturday during the D23 Expo, where the Mouse House is showing off a ton of projects they got in the works ... and the fifth installment to the beloved franchise was among the most highly anticipated.

Word is, they showed the first trailer for 'IJ5' ... and right afterward, HF came out on stage himself to talk to the crowd which had packed the place. It was here that he got emotional.

Check it out -- Harrison says this latest turn as Indy packs a punch, and not just that ... but he says it has a lot of heart, just the originals did. While saying this, the dude seemed to get a little choked up -- to which the audience responded positively with cheers and applause.

He also shouted out his costar, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who's also in the flick -- saying she's a big reason why this one rocks. As he puts it, 'Indy 5' will "kick your ass."

Also of note ... Harrison says this is gonna be his last outing as the titular character, telling the crowd this is the last time he falls down for us. The guy's literally 80 years old, so ... totally understandable.

In any case, sounds like this will be one you can't miss.

Winnie The Pooh, one of Disney's most beloved characters, is now a thing of nightmares ... thanks to a new horror flick coming out which turns Pooh into a murderer, and we've got one of the first looks at the trailer.

The movie appears to be the tale of Winnie's friend, Christopher Robin, returning to The Hundred Acre Wood to find his stuffed animal BFF and Pooh's pals missing. Things quickly take a turn for the worse, and all hell breaks loose.

From there ... there's plenty of screams, blood, violence and possibly murder. Much different than the kid's tale. BTW, "Winnie The Pooh" became public domain in 2022, which is how they were able to pull the whole thing off.

Demonic photos of the new Pooh first went viral back in May, building a ton of anticipation for the project. Looks like it's finally getting close to a release.

The kids may never know Pooh as he once was...

Irene Bedard, the actor who voiced Pocahontas in the animated film, sounds like she had a rough day ... based on what cops are saying about her latest arrest.

The Disney star was arrested Friday in Greene County, Ohio for disorderly conduct ... and the arrest report paints a pretty sad picture.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops say officers were conducting a welfare check after receiving a report a woman had passed out in the bushes on a residential street.

When police arrived, they say they found Irene in a nearby parking lot and she displayed a roller coaster of emotions ... one moment she's talking calmly with cops and the next she's upset and crying.

Cops say Irene was with another woman, Sheila, who told police the name of someone they could contact for Irene ... causing Irene to scream about not wanting that person to get involved. Officers say Irene then dashed away from them and almost knocked over a table on the sidewalk.

The report says Irene stopped running and calmly walked with cops for a moment, then suddenly became furious over a previous interaction with police.

Remember ... Irene was arrested twice over a three-day period back in November 2020, and police body cam shows her getting hostile with the officers who showed up to talk to her.

After things allegedly got heated this time, cops say Irene backed into a large window while yelling at the officers, who grabbed her by the wrist for fear she would shatter the glass, escorting her away.

Police say they confirmed Irene had no one to call to care for her, then told Irene she was under arrest ... and that's when cops say she tensed her arms and tried to pull out of one officer's grip, resulting in other officers restraining Irene with handcuffs.

The drama didn't end there ... cops say Irene became dead weight when they were taking her to the police car, so she had to be held up.

Irene was taken to Greene County Jail, where she was booked for disorderly conduct ... and we're told she was released from custody on Sunday.

NBA hooper Brook Lopez -- a self-proclaimed Disney fanatic -- went to his favorite place in the world to propose to his girlfriend ... getting on one knee and popping the question right in front of the iconic Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom!

The Milwaukee Bucks center had it all planned out for Aug. 15 -- starting off with an intimate dinner with Hailee Nicole Strickland at Disney World's Tiffins Restaurant in Florida.

After filling their bellies, Lopez brought Strickland to the massive Tree of Life -- which stands 145 feet high -- and asked for her hand in marriage.

If Strickland's smile didn't give it away ... she said "YES!!"

After the engagement, the 7'0" baller enjoyed a photo shoot with his private Pilates instructor fiancée -- rockin' a special pair of Minnie Mouse ears and a diamond ring.

And, the reason for the specific date and location ... that's exactly when and where the couple first met 13 years ago!!

Of course, this is the most important ring of Lopez's life, but it ain't the first -- he won an NBA Championship with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in 2021.

The family behind the viral video of Woody and Jessie from 'Toy Story' making sure to hug their kids at Disney World say their experience needs to be the norm for all children ... regardless of race.

The parents, Candice and Harold, say they didn't know about the controversy swirling right now about costumed characters at other venues allegedly snubbing Black kids. They merely posted video because they were glad their daughter, Hayyn, got a hug from her favorite Disney character.

The parents say Hayyn would have been happy to get a wave from Jessie -- and it was a huge bonus when Woody flagged down Jessie to give the little girl a hug.

Hayyn was waiting on Jessie for the whole parade ... even wearing a Jessie dress, while holding Jessie and Woody dolls.

Of course, after posting their video they became aware of the allegations at Sesame Place and Chuck E. Cheese, and Harold and Candice say everyone's child deserves at least some kind of acknowledgment -- even if it's just a wave or blown kiss from their favorite character.

As we've reported, there's now a class action lawsuit filed against Sesame Place in Philadelphia.

Someone at Disney World is reading headlines, or so it seems based on how a Woody character went out of the way to engage Black children waiting along a parade route.

Check out this video posted by a proud dad who took his 2 young kids to Disney's Orlando theme park this week -- it shows the little ones shouting out to a costumed Jessie mascot from the 'Toy Story' franchise as the characters walk down the street lined with cheering fans.

Jessie was on the other side of the street and appeared preoccupied entertaining that part of the crowd, but her pal Woody notices some Black kids and actually responds to them.

Check it out ... Woody flags Jessie down, points to the young'ns ... and they both head over to interact with them -- which is obviously awesome, since they were desperately trying to get Jessie's attention and seem to be really big fans.

Not to turn this into a negative story -- because it's obviously very sweet -- but one can't ignore this happened in the midst of what's become a disturbing trend lately ... namely, mascots/costumed characters at theme parks and such snubbing Black children, allegedly intentionally.

It's been happening all over the country, it seems ... whether it's Sesame Place, Disneyland or even Chuck E. Cheese. All over, some messed-up videos have circulated appearing to show classic characters either ignoring or walking away from kids of color.

While most of the establishments have denied any overt racist intentions, people are having a hard time buying that.

Pat Carroll, famous for voicing Ursula in 'The Little Mermaid,' has died.

The longtime actress and comedian passed away at her Cape Cod home Saturday after a bout with pneumonia -- according to her daughter, Kerry Karsian, who confirmed her death to The Hollywood Reporter.

Carroll is perhaps best known for playing Ariel's half-octupus/half-human nemesis in the 1989 hit Disney movie -- and for all the show-stopping numbers she pulled off on her own, doing all of the singing for the film by herself ... and reprising the role throughout the years.

PC had done a lot more before that, though ... she was a veteran in sitcoms well before 'TLM' came along -- having starred in fan favorites such as "The Danny Thomas Show," "The Mickey Rooney Show," "The Red Skelton Hour," "Getting Together," "Busting Loose," "Galaxy High School," "Too Close for Comfort," "Foofur," "She's the Sheriff" and many more.

Carroll also had lots of guest appearances on iconic series, plus regular bookings on variety, game and talk shows throughout the 20th century -- her humor and wacky personality was a hit with audiences and hosts alike.

Her career speaks for herself ... the woman had won a Grammy, an Emmy and accolades from her theatre work as well. As many have rightly said, she was a pioneer in the biz.

Caroll is survived by her daughters and granddaughter. She was 95 years old.

Screw you and Mickey Mouse ears!

The Magic Kingdom's looking more like a WWE ring after 2 families went toe-to-toe in a massive brawl Wednesday ... reportedly sending someone out of the park in an ambulance.

The tussle went down at Disney World in Orlando as tempers started to flare inside the theme park's Fantasyland. The families were near the exit of Mickey's PhilharMagic theater ... where a woman left the line to retrieve a cellphone she'd left on a nearby wheelchair.

When she returned, she tried to rejoin her family, but according to a report by Walt Disney World News Today ... that's when things got violent.

Another family -- dressed in matching Disney-themed red and white outfits -- allegedly blocked her from moving past them in the line, and next thing ya know, voices were raised ... and then fists were flying!

Guests walking by the brawl -- seemingly involving about 20 people -- began to scramble, with some even trying to calm things down. After several minutes, security eventually arrived to break up the fighting.

One man reportedly had a large cut on his chin and had to be transported by ambulance for medical care.

Johnny Depp is scoffing at Amber Heard's move to set aside his jury verdict on grounds it was excessive ... firing back that the $10 million judgment reflects the loss he actually suffered after she defamed him.

Johnny's lawyers say there's clear evidence that after Amber's Op-Ed appeared in the Washington Post back in 2018, he had no work ... he didn't appear in a single studio production until October, 2020. That alone, the lawyers say, supports the $10M verdict.

In fact, Depp's legal docs refer to one of Johnny's reps negotiating a deal for the 6th installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean" for $22.5 million. Just prior to the Op-Ed being published, the producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, was all in, saying he really wanted Johnny.

As you know, after the Op-Ed, Johnny was persona non grata on the production.

The lawyers say Johnny proved with experts during the trial his actual loss came to far more than $10M ... it was more than $40 million.

Short story ... Johnny's lawyers say Amber is grasping at straws.

Adam Hicks, the former child star of several Disney movies and TV shows, is living life on parole after doing time for second-degree robbery.

Hicks was arrested in 2018 for allegedly pulling a bunch of armed robberies in Burbank, CA -- and eventually, in July 2021, got sentenced to 5 years behind bars.

He caught a major break though, because the judge gave him credit for 1,460 days he served while awaiting sentencing, and he was released back in March.

TMZ broke the story ... Hicks, who starred in "Zeke and Luther," "Pair of Kings," and "Lemonade Mouth" and his girlfriend Danni Tamburo were arrested after cruising the Burbank area and pointing a gun at pedestrians -- taking their cellphones, money and other property.

While Hicks got 5 years in prison, his GF got off with 3 years of probation.

The actor had shown a history of violence before his arrest -- he once shot himself in the leg while hanging out with friends, and court docs said he was "very uncooperative" with police.

Jeff Bezos could easily buy all of Disneyland for a day, but instead took mercy on us normies, and simply visited the park for a day with his GF Lauren Sanchez ... but still had a VIP experience.

The couple strolled through the Happiest Place on Earth, and its sister park, California Adventure, Wednesday -- with bodyguards in tow, naturally -- and hit up the classic rides, and some new ones too.

They seemed to enjoy themselves on the Jungle Cruise, Incredicoaster and Grizzly River Run -- they didn't shy away from getting soaked either.

Interestingly, Bezos flew solo on the legendary Space Mountain coaster -- riding without Lauren, or anyone else for that matter!

Maybe LS ain't such a fan of roller coasters? Or space?

The multi-billionaire can't have been too impressed, though ... as you know, he's been to actual space aboard his Blue Origin capsule. He went up with 3 other passengers last July.

A big-time "oops" for Howard Stern -- or one of his staffers -- has Marvel fans buzzing, because he accidentally let it slip he's shooting a movie ... but he doesn't sound too hyped about it.

Howard spilled the tea during a break on his SiriusXM show, apparently not realizing his microphone was still hot, he chatted with his producer Gary Dell'Abate about possible guests for the show ... and noted they won't be able to talk much in the summer.

Co-host Robin Quivers asked if that meant he was working this summer, and Howard replied, "Well, I'm gonna do 'Doctor Doom.'" He admits he's less than thrilled, though, saying ... "But believe me, I'm f***ing miserable about it."

Howard says he's already hit up MCU-vet Robert Downey Jr. for some acting tips -- he even asks Gary to put him in touch with "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau for more help.

American actress Jennifer Stone was just 14 years old when she was cast as Harper Finkle -- the rule-follower and intelligent student who makes her own clothing -- in Disney's 2007-2012 teen sitcom "Wizards of Waverly Place."

Stone was cast alongside Selena Gomez as the mischievous and sometimes rude middle child and wizard, Alex Russo, David Henrie as Alex's smart, hardworking brother and wizard, Justin Russo, Jake T. Austin as the Russo-kid whose magic often leads to trouble, Max Russo and Gregg Sulkin as Alex's charming and laidback boyfriend, Mason Greyback.

Buzz Lightyear has a new look at Disney Parks -- instead of the classic toy costume we're used to seeing when their in-house mascots roam around ... now, he's much more lifelike.

The change was announced this week by Disney's official Laughing Place social media page -- which handles all their park news. As you can see, Buzz isn't made of plastic anymore ... he's an actual human being dressed in a space suit -- and not just that, but he talks!

It seems Disney timed this roll-out with the release of Pixar's "Lightyear" flick, which just hit theaters Friday. Indeed, it was that exact day that this real-life Buzz showed up at Tomorrowland within L.A.'s Disney HQ. Makes sense ... y'know, future-y vibes, etc.

As for how new Buzz interacts ... he's still in character as an out-of-place astronaut who doesn't recognize our world, in search of intelligent life -- just like in 'Toy Story.'

The strange thing, of course, is that he's missing Buzz's classic purple space cap -- which usually makes him look like a professional swimmer -- and his signature wings. The colors are also kinda dull ... AKA, no green/purple anywhere to be seen. So, interesting iteration.

Lastly, you might notice that this Disney Parks Buzz doesn't really sound like the classic Tim Allen character -- or even Chris Evans for that matter. Namely, no deep all-American voice.

Stoney Westmoreland, famous for his work on the Disney Channel, will spend a couple years in federal lockup after prosecutors say he tried to entice a minor into sex.

The actor struck a deal in the case ... pleading guilty to a lesser charge of using interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor, and a judge gave him 24 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.

Stoney's lawyer, Wendy Lewis, tells TMZ ... Westmoreland was originally charged with enticement of a minor over the Internet, which carried a potential 10-year prison sentence.

As we reported ... Stoney was busted in Utah back in 2018 after authorities say he arranged online to have sex with someone who was only 13 years old, allegedly communicating via an app used for dating and setting up sexual encounters.

Stoney's lawyer tells TMZ ... he was using Grindr and was actually communicating with an undercover officer posing as someone else, and the lawyer says a doctor who evaluated Stoney concluded Westmoreland thought the exchange was roleplay with an adult online and that Stoney didn't actually believe he was communicating with a 13-year-old.

As part of the plea deal, obtained by TMZ, Stoney must cooperate with DNA collection and register as a sex offender.

What's more, all of Stoney's computer devices will be subject to random search and inspection and he has to report all of the accounts he uses for electronic communications and storage, including email and social media.