Gossip / Rumors

It seems producers of the James Bond franchise aren't ready to make up their minds on exactly who they have their sights set on -- now Aaron Taylor-Johnson's in the mix.

The British actor -- famous for his role in "Kick-Ass" and, more recently, "Bullet Train" -- is reported to have had a meeting with Barbara Broccoli in September ... and not just that, he even did a screen test that went well, according to Daily Mail and Puck News.

The screen test is said to have been part of a full-blown audition Aaron apparently did for Barbara and co. -- and it sounds like everyone was impressed with what they saw. Word is ... they had ATJ do the iconic gun barrel opening sequence, which is a huge deal obviously.

The reports say Aaron is now a front-runner, but that nothing is official yet. This is a major development from the news that came out this past weekend -- when "Emily in Paris" star Lucien Laviscount was said to have been in the running as well and also considered a favorite.

There've been a lot of names thrown around over the past several months, but Aaron's the first one who's gotten on camera to try his hand at Bond ... as far as we've heard at least.

From Mr. Paris to Mr. Bond -- that seems to be the trajectory Lucien Laviscount might be on ... if you believe the reports that he's in the running as the next 007.

The British actor -- famous for his recurring role on Netflix's 'Emily in Paris' -- is said to have captured the attention of movie producer Barbara Broccoli ... who also holds the rights to the James Bond franchise, and who's in search of a new agent to replace Daniel Craig.

According to the Daily Mail ... his work in 'EIP' -- where he plays the main character's love interest, Alfie -- is what landed him as a frontrunner for the job. He's been on for 2 seasons.

DM cites one purported insider as saying, "Lucien ticks all of the boxes. He is a super talented actor, is extremely handsome and in the past 18 months has won lots of new fans since he joined Emily In Paris. Bond bosses are already saying how you can see him in the 007 tuxedo, how dapper and fitting to the role he will look."

The thing that might hurt him, apparently ... his time on 'Celebrity Big Brother,' on which he competed in 2011. According to this source, the Bond producers think it's low brow stuff not fitting of a Bond actor, even though they're supposedly still pretty high on him in general.

The other interesting tidbit coming out of this report ... Broccoli is said to have greenlit stunt work testing over at Pinewood Studios, where they've shot a lot of Bond content. If true, that would mean they're ramping up to start the next chapter post-Craig/'No Time to Die.'

There'd been rumblings that Idris Elba was being considered to play the next Bond, but frankly ... he's too old, and Lucien fits the bill for what Broccoli and co. have recently said they want in their next iteration of the character. A young whippersnapper, that is.

We'll say this ... Lucien's definitely got the look down. Handsome, fit and natural elegance. All the right stuff that makes Bond an international heartthrob.

Here's hoping the Bond honchos figure it out sooner than later. The gap between Pierce Brosnan and Craig (4 years) was longer than any period from previous actors -- meaning, when one guy left ... the other slid in rather seamlessly in a matter of a year or two.

Drake is denying rumors from a woman who claims the rapper flew her out for a romantic night, but then gave her the boot once she started recording him.

The Canadian rapper issued a statement Wednesday on Instagram, apparently addressing the women's TikTok video about their alleged encounter. Drake wrote, "Never met. Never spoke. Never flew." He added, "I hope people start doing more with the one life we are given s*** is sad out here".

In her TikTok video, the woman states that Drake direct messaged her after she posted a story mentioning the music icon while she was clad in lingerie.

She says they began talking, which led to Drake booking her a flight to see him. Before anything went down between them, Drake made her sign an NDA or so she claims.

At one point she says, "he kept on rubbing on my stomach and asking me questions like 'do you want kids?'" She went on to say they started drinking and vibing ... and eventually, things escalated to them having unprotected sex.

The woman also claims Drake became angry when she began recording him ... saying he slapped her phone out her hand and kicked her out his crib.

Of course, the woman's video went viral  ... but the clip has been deleted now that Drake has entered the conversation, calling BS on her accusations.

But, the woman insists she has proof that what she says about Drake is TRUE!!!

Police have all but cleared a University of Idaho professor accused by a TikTok user of ordering the brutal murders of 4 college students.

Moscow PD released a statement Tuesday, saying that at this time "detectives do not believe the female associate professor and chair of the history department" is involved in the slayings. Not only that, but police have not publicly ID'd a single suspect after 6 weeks of investigation.

Professor Rebecca Scofield filed a federal suit last Wednesday, claiming Ashley Guillard posted TikTok videos accusing Scofield of ordering the fatal stabbings of Kalyee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Guillard has over 100,000 TikTok followers and received 2.5 million likes on the Scofield videos, damaging the professor's reputation.

In the docs, Scofield denies any connection to the crimes, stating that she was visiting friends in Oregon at the time of the November 13 massacre. Scofield also says she didn't know any of the victims, nor did they take any of her classes. All 4 victims were attending the University of Idaho.

The suit describes Guillard as an Internet sleuth who purports to have solved high-profile murder cases, such as the shooting death of Migos star Takeoff, by simply reading tarot cards.

Pete Davidson might have another body on his hands -- because he was out on a grocery store date with a mystery woman ... whom we're told appeared to be Chase Sui Wonders.

The ex-'SNL' star was out at a Whole Foods Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn, where he was definitely trying to lay low and stay incognito -- as was his lady friend next to him ... both of them wearing their hoods completely over their heads as they exchanged smiles at checkout.

Fortunately, PD recycles his fits a bit ... and we'd recognize that nifty New York jacket anywhere. It's the same one he wore at the Rangers game on Thursday ... where Chase Sui was also in attendance with her fellow "Bodies, Bodies, Bodies" cast member.

They weren't hiding then, but if this is in fact CSW -- which an eyewitness insists it was -- then they're definitely not trying to be seen together here ... which could signal they're a thing.

The cat was almost outta the bag at the hockey game ... but there was plausible deniability since their other 'BBB' costar, Rachel Sennott, tagged along -- and it could've been a 3-way friendly outing. But, if Chase is hanging with Pete solo ... well, life might imitate art after all.

If you haven't seen their movie yet, they actually play a couple onscreen ... David and Emma, who have a rocky relationship. Based on these get-togethers between them lately ... their chemistry in the real world seems to be much stronger ... with a lot less drama.

We haven't seen Pete with Emily Ratajkowski lately either -- so more evidence this might be romantic. Plus, you don't just bring anybody to WF with ya ... that's the real deal right there!

Elizabeth Hurley is denying an apparent rumor that she took Prince Harry's virginity way back when -- something that's supposed to be alluded to in his forthcoming book.

The actress addressed what The Times claims is a juicy piece of gossip floating around in the U.K. -- namely, that Harry shagged Hurley as a teenager ... marking his first time. In an interview with the outlet, EH flatly debunks any notion of this being true.

She's quoted as saying, "“Not me. Not guilty. Ha!” The author writes, "Something about that 'ha!' gives me pause," seemingly following up on it with her ... and Hurley responds with, "No. Not me. Absolutely not."

The Times notes that Hurley used to have a farmhouse in Gloucestershire -- northwest of London, and a bit south of Birmingham -- and that, in previous interviews, she'd made mention of how much fun it was to bang on a rug by the fireplace of her home.

They connect that with yet another rumor ... that Harry's set to reveal he first had sex with a beautiful older woman in the "countryside" as a teen -- something he'll supposedly reveal in "Spare" -- but apparently doesn't name names, or disclose other deets that'd pin this down.

As for how that ties to Liz, The Times simply states -- "There's a rumor it was Hurley," but it's unclear where the hell they're even getting that. In any case, it's in the rumor mill now.

We did some math and it sorta helps paint a clearer picture of when this alleged hookup could've possibly occurred. Harry would've been a "teen" between 1997 and 2003 (13 and 19, respectively) and that overlaps up with when Hurley owned this crib ... 2002 to 2015.

Ex-Lakers champ Devean George wants to clear the dookie-smelling air ... telling TMZ Sports Shaquille O'Neal NEVER took a dump in his shoe -- despite a rumor saying otherwise.

Tyronn Lue initially started the gossip back in June on Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles' "Knuckleheads" podcast ... saying that the incident happened in the early 2000s, when he, George and O'Neal were all L.A. teammates.

According to Lue, Shaq was so pissed that George didn't bring donuts to a meeting ... he grabbed one of the small forward's sneakers, took a crap in it, and then put it back like nothing ever happened.

George then allegedly stuffed his foot in the shoe -- getting O'Neal's bowel movements all over his foot.

But, when we got the Devean out at LAX last week -- he called BS on all of the allegations ... saying nothing of the sort ever happened.

"Hell no, that's a lie, that's cap," George said, "and I know T-Lue started that."

"That never happened," he continued. "I think he did that to someone in Orlando. I don't remember the dude's name, but he did that in Orlando. But he never took a s*** in my shoes."

George said if it did go down, he and Shaq would have fought.

Instead, George said the two were very good friends -- and ended up winning three NBA titles together.

"He was a great teammate," Devean said. "He's a good guy. I love him."

21 Savage and Latto fans are so convinced they're dating, they don't even bother digging into the rappers' IG stories anymore -- but 21 insists he’s not kicking it with anyone famous.

The Savage Gang boss was fuming during a Clubhouse chat, denying any linkage to a “celebrity girlfriend” … and further disassociating himself from generic rapper antics altogether.

21 then turned his scorn toward his recent beef-ending duet with Nas, “One Mic, One Gun,” and denied his comments about the legendary rapper’s current relevancy were an intentional catalyst for the collaboration.

Drake and 21 just topped the Billboard Charts with their “Her Loss” album, and he sounded pissed at the notion he would tease random tracks and instigate social media beef just for the hell of it.

As for his dating life ... fans figured they had Latto and 21 dead to rights -- à la GMA's T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach -- when pics made it seem like they might be together in Puerto Rico celebrating her birthday last December.

He dropped a sly -- and might we add, Savage -- rebuttal by tagging his location as Miami.

The Moscow PD just gave a much-anticipated update on the brutal killing of the 4 University of Idaho students ... and while a lot is still unanswered, cops used the time to shut down rumors that have been floating online.

Moscow PD Captian Roger Lanier spoke to the public Wednesday -- saying his team has started to cross names off the suspect list -- as many online begin to point fingers at multiple people surrounding the incident.

Captain Lanier says investigators are officially ruling out the 2 surviving roommates as suspects, same goes for the man seen in the food truck video that's been circulating on social media.

Also removed from PD's watch -- the drivers who took the victims home from their events hours before the slaying, and the friend who received frantic calls from 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves before her death.

Lanier also said they have yet to determine if Kaylee ever had a stalker -- but adds they are still looking into these claims. Rumors about victims being tied or gagged were also found by police to be false, too.

Moscow Mayor Tyler Palmer spoke during the press conference ... but began to get emotional, having to pause when talking about the 4 students.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan appear to have scrapped their friendship for a full-blown romance -- the two were closer than ever during a day at the beach this weekend.

Scottie Pippen's ex-wife and Michael Jordan's 31-year-old son enjoyed the sun in South Beach on Sunday ... with Larsa sporting a tiny, black bikini and Marcus going with a black backwards Jordan Brand hat and patterned trunks.

48-year-old Larsa has previously insisted she's just friends with MJ ... but they sure looked like a couple as he wrapped his arm around her during the beach day.

The two also got really cuddly while getting some shade under an umbrella ... with witnesses saying they were making out at one point.

If they're really just buddies, they certainly don't mind showing affection for each other in public -- as TMZ Sports previously reported, Larsa was spotted kissing MJ's neck at Rolling Loud in NYC back in September.

The two were first spotted together in Miami earlier that month ... in what appeared to be a double date at a Japanese restaurant. We were told at the time they were just friends who were hanging out with people in their same social circle ... although things certainly appear to have gotten more serious since then.

Larsa was married to Scottie for 23 years ... and they have four kids together.

No, LeBron James isn't demanding a trade back to Cleveland ... but a verified Twitter account pretending to be the Los Angeles Lakers star duped people into thinking so on Wednesday -- as a result of Elon Musk's $8 blue check mark rollout.

The bird app's new subscription feature already has the trolls running wild ... and King James was the first to fall victim to the antics.

An account named @kIngjamez tried to pull a quick one shortly after the verification party got started ... saying, "I am officially requesting a trade."

"Thank you #LakersNation for all the support through the years. 💯 Onto bigger and better things! 👑 #ThekidfromAKRON #ImComingHome."

Of course, the REAL @kingjames' most recent tweet is an ad for a video game.

Here's the issue -- If folks didn't notice the misspelling handle or click on the check mark to read WHY the account is verified, they were led to believe #6 was going back to the 216.

Another account pretended to be ESPN insider Adam Schefter ... claiming Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels had been fired.

Elon's decision to give any Twitter Blue subscribers a blue check without any vetting had people concerned for this exact reason ... and so far, it's proven to be a massive headache for some.

The new Twitter head defended his decision ... explaining it was a way for the company to make money.

Texas rapper MO3's manager Brian Rainwater is dispelling persistent rumors his late client was murdered in 2020 due to yet another rap beef.

According to Rainwater, MO3's killer was jealous of the rapper's relationship with the man's own children. MO3 was dating the mother, and her kids had proudly posted the slain rapper on social media.

He also says MO3 upgrading the woman's lifestyle and taking her on lavish trips was enough to push the killer over the edge.

Rainwater was a recent guest on "Say Cheese!" where he also ripped into the downpour of social media clout chasers who circulated false info ... and dismissed the string of local rap songs that claimed involvement after the shooting.

Rainwater says MO3's celebrity status made him a target for the killer, suggesting the relationship was beneath the "Shottaz" rapper altogether ... comparing it to Atlanta rapper Trouble's murder, who was killed inside the home of a woman he was seeing.

TMZ originally broke the story ... MO3 was shot and killed in his hometown of Dallas on November 11, 2020, after being tailed during an intense car chase on the highway.

He attempted to run for his life after fleeing his vehicle but was gunned down shortly after.

Police arrested a man named Kewon Dontrell White a month later ... who has been charged with MO3's murder, but has yet to stand trial.

The internet's going WILD with engagement speculation after seeing pics of Megan Thee Stallion at an elegant event with her boyfriend and wearing a giant diamond!!!

Chill. That's not the full story ... according to folks in her camp, and Megan herself.

Sources connected to Megan tell TMZ ... Meg and her BF Pardi celebrated their 2nd anniversary Tuesday night at Brooklyn Chop House Times Square -- we're told Pardi picked the place because he's really tight with the owner, Don Pooh, and it's a go-to for the rapper.

They were in New York following Meg's SNL performance, and decided to stay in town to celebrate their milestone.

As for the event, we're told Pardi set the whole thing up himself as a surprise -- spending hours on the phone with the venue to make sure everything was just right.

She was given a great night ... dining privately on the roof, which was decorated with a bunch of candles and over 1,000 balloons. She was given a HUGE bunch of roses when she walked in, too.

Meg was seen leaving the dinner with a bunch of diamonds on her left ring finger -- y'know ... the engagement one. We're told it's actually FIVE diamond rings, but the bummer part for fans is that they were a gift ... from her stylist ... not Pardi.

Meg even responded to the rumors ... saying, "Lol as nice as last night was we are not engaged."

Billie Eilish and Jesse Rutherford are definitely a thing -- 'cause they pretty much recreated the classic "Lady and the Tramp" date scene ... loving gazes and spaghetti included.

The two singers were out for dinner Thursday night at a vegan joint in L.A. called Crossroads Kitchen -- and they had a booth all to themselves for the lengthy meal ... as you can see in these new photos, obtained by TMZ.

Eyewitnesses tell us Billie and Jesse were there for at least three hours, if not longer -- leaving the place a bit before midnight and apparently arriving before 8:30 PM. Unclear what Jess was eating, but it looks like BE went with pasta ... slurping up some of the noodles.

We're told there was some PDA between Billie and Jesse as well -- including some smooches in between bites. Obviously, they kept that lovefest going into Friday, where they were seen at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights.

As we reported ... a viral video showed Jesse and Billie walking out of a haunted house together, and grab hands as they strolled away. Her brother, Finneas, was with them too.

While it was somewhat unclear if they were actually romantically involved from that clip alone, this all but confirms they're an item ... something Twitter doesn't seem too keen on, based on the many reactions online.

Billie Eilish might very well be dating The Neighbourhood's Jesse Rutherford -- and Twitter is in a tizzy over it ... calling out the big age difference as wildly inappropriate.

A video surfaced online this weekend that appears to show Billie and Jesse leaving a haunted maze at Halloween Horror Nights in L.A. Friday night ... and as they're exiting, you see the two of them hold hands and walk off with a group that's trailing them.

While you can't quite make out Jesse or Billie's faces too clearly in the video, there's no question this is them ... you see, the internet has already retraced their steps, and they were both out and about last night in the exact same clothes.

Based on pics that JR and Billie posted on their respective socials -- they're all wearing the outfits seen in the clip, as were the guys that Jesse was rolling with (Finneas included).

There are also photos of Billie hanging out with Jesse from back in August of this year, so it's possible they may have been romantic since then.

Whether it was then or now, though, the cat's kind of out of the bag at this point. And fans sure have a lot to say about it -- mostly bad things, BTW.

The reason this is picking up steam is because Billie's 20 years old and Jesse is 11 years her senior ... at 31. While that might not normally be a huge deal on its own, Twitter truthers are noting Billie and Jesse have actually known each other for a good long while now -- which, to them, makes this would-be relationship all the more problematic.

Additional photos of Billie and Jesse posing together at what looks like a Halloween party date back to at least 2017 ... when Billie was around 15 years old.

Point being ... a lot of people are cringing at the fact that Jesse knew Billie when she was underage, only to seemingly hook up with her in adulthood. Many are saying it's gross and creepy, but the reality is ... they're both adults now, and can do what they want.

Billie has been linked to a small handful of guys since blowing up and becoming famous -- but has never really embraced anyone super publicly. She has said she likes to keep her personal affairs -- including SOs -- private because of the frenzy that fires up when the world gets a taste of her love life.

Kanye West is hitting the town again with Brazilian model Juliana Nalú -- this time catchin' a flick together ... and, no, he did not wear the "White Lives Matter" shirt. This time.

Ye and Juliana hit up a movie theater Sunday night in Hollywood ... getting a pair of tickets for Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund's "Triangle of Sadness."

On the surface, not a great title for date night, but hey ... it's Ye.

The 24-year-old model was reppin' some of his merch once again -- the "2024" hat he's shown off online and worn in the past.

These 2 had already been out and about recently -- they checked into a hotel together Thursday in Beverly Hills ... and followed that up with dinner Saturday night at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.

FYI -- Juliana's had modeling on her mind for a loooong time ... telling Latina Magazine she knew it was in her blood since she was 6.