Ye I'm Sorry For the Stress, Kim ... Says Co-Parenting & Biz Struggles Similar

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FIGHTING TO BE HEARD
ABC

Kanye West says he's fighting to be heard as a parent since splitting from Kim Kardashian ... but he's also apologizing for the headaches he's caused her up to this point.

The artist was candid about his co-parenting struggles when he told Linsey Davis on 'GMA' his ability to have a voice in the relationship with Kim -- once they divorced -- was something for which he fought.

He recalls his time butting heads with Kim about what kind of clothes their kids can wear -- even saying it feels similar to his recent battles with Gap and Adidas.

As you know, Kanye pulled the plug on his partnership with Gap last week, claiming the company double-crossed him with empty promises.

And, while he apologized directly to Kim, saying he's sorry for stressing out her and the family -- he also claimed he's being discriminated against ... in business and as a parent.

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YE'S APOLOGY

Ye's point is he's a co-creator -- of his products at Gap and Adidas, and also of his 4 children with Kim -- so, he deserves to be heard on all matters regarding them. Watch the clip ... there's one major outstanding issue with the children, at least for him.

Hayden Panettiere Secret Opioid & Alcohol Addiction 'Cycle of Self-Destruction'

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ROAD TO RECOVERY
ABC

Hayden Panettiere is opening up for the first time about a secret addiction to opioids and alcohol ... saying it took a huge toll on her life and career.

The "Nashville" star, in an interview on "Good Morning America," says she struggled with substance abuse, as well as a battle with postpartum depression after having her 7-year-old daughter, Kaya, saying, "I was on top of the world and I ruined it."

Hayden says at one point, her addiction to alcohol got so bad that she was hospitalized, suffering from jaundice, and the docs warned her liver was going to give out. Now, she says, trauma therapy and inpatient treatment over the last year has brought her to a place of peace ... but it's taken a lot of work.

As a childhood star, she says someone on her team gave her "happy pills" before she appeared on red carpets, "They were to make me peppy during interviews. I had no idea that this was not an appropriate thing, or what door that would open for me when it came to my addiction."

She says as the addiction got worse, she did have one place of sobriety, "My saving grace is that I couldn't be messy while on set and working ... But, things kept getting out of control [off set]. And, as I got older, the drugs and alcohol became something I almost couldn't live without."

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OUT OF CONTROL BRAWL
TMZ.com

The last time we saw Hayden, she was in a massive brawl with her boyfriend Brian Hickerson, back in March. Now, she seems to be better than ever, happy to be getting a second chance.

Sam Asghari Being Married to Britney ... 'It's Just surreal'

Sam Asghari says he's still getting used to the fact Britney Spears is his wife, and to wearing a wedding ring -- but he's also keenly aware marriage has its benefits when it comes to his career.

Sam opened up about tying the knot with the pop star, calling their wedding day everything they'd imagined. He told 'GMA' ... he and Britney wanted a fairytale and that's exactly what they got.

The couple got hitched earlier this month at their former Thousand Oaks, CA home, and Sam says the intimate guest list of about 50-70 people was perfect -- "We wanted to celebrate with, you know, our loved ones, our close people. We wanted to just celebrate, and that's what we did."

As for why SA was doing this 'GMA' interview ... well, call it one of the perks of marrying Britney Spears -- he was promoting his role in an action film, where he costars with Mel Gibson.

Sam says he's grateful for any opportunities he gets because of Brit, but clearly doesn't want anyone thinking he's just riding her coattails. As he says, "Let's not take away from the fact I've been working hard, and I was already acting."

One thing's for sure ... whether it's the new wife, new mansion, new movie roles or the combo of all of the above -- newlywed life agrees with Sam.

Juror in Depp/Heard Trial We Didn't Buy Her 'Crocodile Tears'

A juror in the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial says they just didn't buy what he says were Amber's emotional swings, from "crying" to "ice cold."

The juror, who wanted to stay anonymous, spoke to 'GMA' Thursday, saying he took umbrage at Heard's post-verdict statement that the jury ruled the way it did because of Depp's star status.

The male juror seemed to be swayed in no small part by Amber's demeanor on the stand, saying jurors were "uncomfortable" by what he seemed to say were dramatic outbursts they just didn't buy, saying ... "The crying, the facial expressions, the staring at the jury, all of us were very uncomfortable." He says some of the jurors called her sobbing "crocodile tears."

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GETTING EMOTIONAL

He went on to say the jury felt Amber was more the aggressor than the victim ... "A lot of her story didn't add up. The majority of the jury felt that she was the aggressor. She would answer one question and she would be crying and two seconds later she would turn ice cold."

He went on to say the jury felt Amber and Johnny were mutually abusive, but "he just seemed a little more real in terms of how he was responding to questions. His emotional state was very stable throughout."

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AGGRESSIVELY SEARCHED

As for Heard's comments on "Today," that Johnny won because he was a bigger star and more likable -- the juror insists they reached their decision based on evidence ... full stop.

He also took issue with the claim social media guided the verdict, saying at least 3 of the 7 jurors didn't even use Facebook or Twitter.

Hailey Bieber Justin's Getting Better Every Day After Facial Paralysis

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GETTING THROUGH IT TOGETHER
ABC

Hailey Bieber says Justin is on the path to recovery from Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, and believes the support from fans has played a big role in him getting better.

Hailey updated JB's condition Wednesday on 'GMA' ... where she said her husband's looking to make a full recovery from the condition that paralyzed half of his face. She says he's feeling better with each passing day.

She also thanked fans for being so understanding throughout his ordeal -- Justin had to pause his world tour -- and Hailey added they've been getting lots of advice from people who've dealt with RHS before.

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HIDDEN CONDITION
Instagram / @justinbieber

As we reported, Justin revealed a virus in his ear left the right side of his face paralyzed ... he posted a video Friday showing the effects and telling fans the condition was the reason he'd postponed several shows.

JB's battle with RHS comes on the heels of Hailey's own medical scare back in March when she suffered a mini-stroke ... and needed a medical procedure to close a hole in her heart. She says she's been giving her body the time it needs to recover.

TMZ broke the story ... Hailey was rushed to the hospital after suffering stroke-like symptoms. Doctors found a small blood clot in her brain, and also diagnosed something called PFO, a small opening in the heart.

Been a rough medical year for the Biebers, but Hailey says she's finally starting to feel like herself again.

Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas Trans Athletes Are 'Not A Threat' ... To Women's Sport

Transgender NCAA swimming champion Lia Thomas is firing back at those claiming her dominance is unfair to biological women ... saying trans athletes will not destroy women's sports.

The University of Penn athlete broke her silence on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday ... saying she knew she'd face backlash once she started competing against women, but no amount of scrutiny would stop her.

"I was prepared for that, but I don't need anyone's permission to be myself and do the sport that I love," she said.

Many have denounced Thomas' participation in women's sports after she finished first in the women's 500-yard freestyle back in March ... with everyone from Caitlyn Jenner to Florida governor Ron DeSantis to Joe Rogan, who called it "an assault on women's sports."

But, Thomas argues that shouldn't be the case ... saying, "Transitioning to get an advantage is not something that ever factors into our decisions."

"Trans women are not a threat to women's sport."

Thomas added, "Trans people don't transition for athletics. We transition to be happy and authentic and our true selves."

Despite the outrage, Thomas -- who started hormone therapy in 2019 -- still plans to compete in the Olympics in the future.

"It's been a goal of mine to swim at Olympic trials for a very long time and I would love to see that through."

Kevin Spacey Prepared To Appear In U.K. Court ... Following Sexual Assault Charges

Kevin Spacey is ready to face his new legal trouble overseas, and is convinced he can clear his name of all sexual assault charges.

Spacey released a statement to "Good Morning America" Tuesday, saying he's going to "voluntarily appear in the U.K. as soon as can be arranged and defend myself against these charges."

He says he's confident he can prove he's innocent, While he admits he's disappointed the court moved forward with the charges, he thanks the Crown Prosecution Service for reminding the public he's allowed a fair trial.

As we reported, Spacey is facing 4 criminal charges for alleged incidents involving 3 different men between 2005 and 2013. On top of sexual assault, he's also been charged with causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

All 4 charges have been authorized, and he can only be charged formally upon arrest in Wales or England.

Spacey was also sued in 2020 by "Star Trek: Discovery" actor Anthony Rapp, who claims he sexually assaulted him at the age of 14.

Spacey's been called out by over 20 accusers who made similar allegations, but he's never been tried on criminal charges.

Cherelle Griner Pleads With Joe Biden ... Help Bring Brittney Back From Russia

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BRING HER HOME, BIDEN
ABC

Brittney Griner's wife is urging Joe Biden to get more involved in the WNBA star's case in Russia ... hoping that'll ultimately help bring home the love of her life.

Cherelle Griner made the plea to the President during a sitdown interview with Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America" this week ... explaining she believes Biden could be the key to getting Brittney back on U.S. soil.

"I just keep hearing that he has the power," Cherelle said of Biden. "She's a political pawn -- so, if they're holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it."

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DETAINED IN RUSSIA
customs.gov.ru

Brittney has been detained in Russia since mid-February ... after authorities claimed they found hash oil in her luggage.

Cherelle told Roberts she initially found out about it all through a panicked, early-hours text message from Brittney.

"She started texting me around 2 AM that morning," Cherelle said. "'Babe! Babe! Babe! Wake up! They have me in this room, I don't know what's going on.'"

Cherelle said Brittney told her the authorities were taking her phone and not to text anymore -- and she said outside of written letters, she has not been able to speak to Brittney since.

Cherelle said she has been in contact with Secretary of State Antony Blinken about ways they can bring home Brittney ... but she clearly feels more can be done by the U.S. government.

"I was grateful for their call," she said of the talk with Blinken. "You say she's top priority, but I want to see it. And I feel like to see it, would be me seeing BG on US soil."

Cherelle added being without Brittney -- who's expected to remain in custody in Russia until at least her next court hearing in June -- has been difficult ... and she even broke down in tears during the interview with Roberts.

She did explain, however, that Brittney has told her to remain strong.

"I'm OK because you have to be," Cherelle said ... adding, "I won't go down until she's back."

Naomi Judd Daughter Discloses Suicide by Gunshot Mental Illness was 'Catastrophic'

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THE DEVASTATING DETAILS
ABC

Naomi Judd committed suicide by firearm, and her daughter Ashley Judd explains the catastrophe of mental illness and how her mom couldn't process the love her friends, family and colleagues felt toward her.

Ashley spoke with Diane Sawyer on 'GMA' about Naomi's death, the day before she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

She explained ... "Her brain hurt, it physically hurt and I'm tasked with an exceedingly difficult task in disclosing the matter in the way my mother chose to continue to live … because we don’t want it to be part of the gossip economy I will share with you that she used a weapon mother used a firearm so that's the piece of information that we are very uncomfortable sharing but understand."

Ashley said she was the one who discovered Naomi's body ... "It was a mixed day. I visit with my mom and pop every day when I’m home in Tennessee, so I was at the house visiting as I am every day. Mom said to me, 'Will you stay with me?' and I said, 'Of course, I will.' … I went upstairs to let her know that her good friend was there and I discovered her. I have both grief and trauma from discovering her."

Ashley said there was a disconnect, or better put a wall, between the feelings the outside world had for Naomi and the way she felt about herself. The mental illness wouldn't allow Naomi to process the love and worth others showed toward her ... she only felt self-doubt.

As she put it, "Our mother couldn't hang on until she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by her peers. That was the level of catastrophe of what was going on inside her."

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ON MY MOTHER'S BEHALF
AP

As you know, Ashley and her sister Wynonna were at the HOF ceremony and tearfully paid tribute to their mom.

On 'GMA' Ashley explained she wanted to put a spotlight on mental illness ... "My mother knew that she was seen and she was heard in her anguish, and she was walked home. When we're talking about mental illness, it's very important to be clear and to make the distinction between our loved one and the disease. It's very real, and it lies, it's savage."

If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK.

Will Smith LAPD Was Ready to Arrest for Slap Show Producer Details Backstage Drama

The LAPD was standing by and ready to arrest Will Smith for putting hands on Chris Rock at The Oscars -- but Chris waved them off, saying he was fine -- according to the show's producer.

In a preview clip for his interview with 'GMA,' Oscars' honcho Will Packer says LAPD officers were ready to arrest Will if Chris so wanted, detailing the conversation that happened backstage directly following the slap.

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LAYING OUT HIS OPTIONS
ABC News

In the clip, Packer tells T.J. Holmes cops were prepared to go and get Will from the crowd and make an arrest for battery ... letting Chris know he could press criminal charges against Will.

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TAKIN' NO DISRESPECT
ABC

At one point, Packer claims Chris was being dismissive of what police were telling him ... and he says he told the comedian to let cops finish their spiel before making a decision.

In the end, Chris decided against pressing charges, and Will was allowed to remain front and center at The Oscars, where he won the award for best actor and gave a tearful speech.

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STILL PROCESSING IT ALL
Variety

Will's since apologized for the slap and foul language ... but at his show Wednesday night, Chris revealed he's still processing what went down and will talk about it later on his comedy tour.

Tune in tomorrow to "Good Morning America" for more of T.J. Holmes’ interview with Will Packer.

Michael Strahan Blasts Off into Space with Blue Origin

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WE HAVE LIFTOFF
Blue Origin

Michael Strahan just went where no news anchor has gone ... to the edge of space!!!

It was a flawless flight after a short hold at 15 minutes. Blue Origin hurled into space with Strahan and 4 other astronauts on board, including Laura Shepard Churchley, the oldest daughter of America's first astronaut, Alan Shepard.

The capsule was atop the New Shepard rocket ... named, of course, after Alan.

When they experienced weightlessness, the astronauts were giddy with excitement ... you can hear the joy as they floated in space.

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FLOATING IN ZERO G
Blue Origin

The New Shepard rocket was originally supposed to take off for the 10-minute flight on Thursday but Bezos gave it the yellow light, due to high wind.

This Blue Origin flight is the third launch with people on board. Astronaut Strahan and others had lots of training before they boarded. The TV host says he went to the Blue Origin facility for a week-and-a-half training prior to today's launch.

If taking a trip to space isn't already a good enough incentive, apparently all passengers get some sort of stipend... and Strahan says he is donating his to The Boys & Girls Club.

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SUCCESSFUL TOUCH DOWN
Blue Origin

In October, William Shatner made headlines and history as the oldest person ever to go to space.

'Rust' Armorer Dad Defends Her Training Pushes Possibility of Sabotage

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"SHE KNEW WHAT TO DO"
ABC News

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the lead armorer on the set of "Rust" has one weapons specialist and Hollywood veteran on her side -- it's her dad, who is backing his daughter's training and claiming she was sabotaged.

Thell Reed, whose career in movies spans several decades says Hannah was raised around guns, and learned gun safety from an early age. Reed says his daughter complained she had to carry both armorer and prop duties on the movie, and it was because she was doing prop duties that she was unable to be inside the church set when Halyna Hutchins was killed.

Thell told "Good Morning America" Tuesday he believes if Hannah was inside the church during the fatal scene, she would've checked the gun's chamber one more time and discovered the live round, potentially saving Hutchins' life.

What's more, Thell echoes the same message Hannah's attorneys have previously claimed ... believing Hannah was somehow sabotaged on set with the live ammo. Though, he doesn't really get into how or why that might've happened.

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I AIMED AS DIRECTED
ABC News

Of course, it was just last week when Alec Baldwin claimed he never pulled the trigger on the revolver that killed Hutchins. Alec claims he cocked the hammer back and when he released it, the gun went off.

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LEARNING ON THE JOB
VoicesOfTheWest/RedCircle.com

"Rust" was only Hannah's second movie as lead armorer. TMZ discovered a podcast she was on just before taking the gig when she explained she almost didn't take her first job -- a Nic Cage movie -- because she was afraid she lacked experience.

Travis Scott Lawyer Says Rapper Didn't Know Scope of Tragedy Till Next Day

Travis Scott and his team were oblivious to the mass casualties in the crowd at his show while he continued to perform, so says his attorney, who claims emergency workers never relayed the message ... and Travis didn't know the scope of what happened until the next day.

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TRAVIS DIDN'T KNOW
ABC News

Ed McPherson was on 'GMA' Friday, saying there's still a lot to do in investigating exactly what went wrong last week, but he insists his client was in the dark.

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CHAOTIC CALLS FOR HELP

McPherson says Travis was clueless about the calamity in the crowd because he had an earpiece blaring music, blinding lights and no one gave him a heads up. As we reported, Travis even left after the concert and hit up Dave & Busters for an afterparty ... unaware that people had died and hundreds were injured.

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NAVIGATING THROUGH THE CROWD
TMZ.com

McPherson points out the now-viral video of Travis stopping the show to get a fan help who had passed out. He also says it was hard for Travis to determine that at one point there was an ambulance in the crowd ... saying it looked more like a golf cart with lights.

When pushed as to whether or not Travis was inciting his audience to get aggressive by telling them to "rage" -- a phrase he's used for years -- McPherson says that was simply Travis trying to get his crowd into the show and have a good time.

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POLICE PRESENCE
Adekunle Adetomiwa/@Kun.Lens

TMZ broke the story, Houston cops were seen taking photos and videos while Travis performed 25 mins after the event was considered a "mass casualty event." McPherson says this is further evidence Travis didn't have a clue what was happening. The lawyer points out, if the cops didn't know ... how could Travis?

On Thursday, 22-year-old Bharti Shahani succumbed to her injuries suffered during the show, she was allegedly trampled during a crowd crush, suffering multiple heart attacks and being declared brain dead.

Bharti is the 9th victim of the Astroworld Festival.

President Biden No Mistakes Were Made ... in Chaotic Afghanistan Exit

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NO REGRETS
ABC

President Biden has no regrets over the U.S.'s chaotic exit from Afghanistan ... because he says they didn't make any mistakes.

The Prez told George Stephanopoulos he didn't think pulling out troops, U.S. citizens and allies from the war-torn country could have been handled any better.

When asked if any mistakes were made Biden said "no" before adding, "The idea that somehow, there's a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don't know how that happens."

Biden, who gained wide popularity because of his empathy, did not show it when asked how he felt when he saw video of more than 600 Afghans packed into a C-17 at the Kabul airport. He did not express sorrow for them ... and that's uncharacteristic.

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WHAT ABOUT OUR AFGHAN ALLIES?
ABC

George grilled Biden on whether U.S. troops might stay beyond the August 31 deadline. Biden hedged at first, saying it "depends on where we are," but Stephanopoulos wouldn't let it go, and Biden finally said he might keep troops past that deadline to get all Americans out. He did not, however, say he would keep our troops there to get the 10's of thousands of Afghan allies out who helped us in the war effort.

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MAD SCRAMBLE
Newsflare

It's widely believed many of these allies will be executed once the Americans leave.

Morgan Wallen 'GMA' Talk Over N-Word Rings Hollow Nashville NAACP Prez Says

Morgan Wallen explaining on 'GMA' his rationale behind using the n-word is gibberish ... so says the NAACP Nashville chapter president.

Sheryl Guinn tells TMZ ... she believes Morgan's sit-down with Michael Strahan is the result of Morgan being sorry not for what he said but for getting caught using the racial slur. She says it's a travesty Morgan never thought about the meaning behind the hateful word.

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IT'S PLAYFUL
ABC

What's more ... Sheryl says his white privilege was on full display for never caring to learn the hurt that word causes. And, she's is dismayed by Morgan trying to contextualize the word ... saying he used it in a "playful" way.

Sheryl does believe Morgan can turn things around ... and she has a punch list.

According to Sheryl ... Morgan can make amends by addressing serious issues, like inequality. Morgan broached the subject a bit when he told Strahan "it would seem" country music has a race problem ... though he hasn't thought about it too much.

020221_morgan_wallen_main_kal JANUARY 2021
PROFANE GOODBYE
TMZ.com

Sheryl says he can start in his hometown of Nashville ... where Morgan is hugely influential.

The NAACP honcho says while Morgan's at it, he should encourage his community to get vaccinated. Less than 40% of Nashville got the shot ... and it's devastating marginalized communities.

She says he can also take up other issues ... like speaking out against voter suppression.

Morgan Wallen I Meant to Use N-Word Playfully ... It's Ignorant and Wrong

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IT'S PLAYFUL
ABC

Morgan Wallen says when he used the n-word after partying with his friends, he thought it was "playful" ... but he admits that's ignorant, and he now knows it's wrong.

The country music star gave his first interview about the scandal, the result of a video shot by a neighbor on January 31 in Nashville and obtained by TMZ ... showing Wallen casually dropping the slur while making fun of one of his friends.

Morgan tells Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" ... he wasn't using the racial epithet in a derogatory manner, because he insists up until that point in his life he had never thought about it being wrong.

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PROFANE GOODBYE
TMZ.com

He repeats he was simply ignorant about what it meant, but says he knows now ... after conversations with Black leaders.

Wallen admits he can't fully understand why it makes Black people so upset because he's not in their shoes ... but says he's done a lot of thinking and soul-searching about it, along with a 30-day stint in rehab.

Morgan may have stirred up one more controversy before he was done answering questions, too. He told Strahan "it would seem" that country music has a race problem ... but he hasn't thought about it too much.

As we've reported ... the country singer has mostly remained out of the public eye since the video came out, but has gotten back to performing a little in recent weeks.

The scandal has also not hurt his popularity much, and he's even won some awards despite it.

Old news is old news!
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