Vince Staples Gift-Giving Hot Take Resurfaces ... It's Actually Pretty Selfish

Vince Staples left people with a philosophical take on gift-giving that's now resurfacing and making folks think ... yeah, the guy has a point -- it's kinda the opposite of selfless.

The Long Beach rapper was a guest on "360 with Speedy Morman" on Complex back in April to plug his new album, 'Ramona Park Broke My Heart,' and during the discussion ... they landed on the subject of presents, something VS apparently does NOT like to partake in.

Watch ... he tells the host that he doesn't like gifts -- giving or receiving them, apparently. He explains that, in his mind, the act itself is usually more so about the person actually giving the gift than it is about the one getting it ... counterintuitive to the concept itself.

Vince's answer is illuminating when asked why he's not a gift-giver ... "Because gifts aren't selfless. Like, if somebody gives you a gift, right, they want you to like it because it's really about them -- it's not about you. They want to feel like they did something right for you."

He adds ... "If somebody gave you a gift and you were like, 'Alright, fasho, thanks,' they gonna be mad." Vince says the gift-giver is often seeking reassurance they're a good person.

As this clip gets picked up anew this weekend, the jokes are flying ... some at Vince's expense, and some just at the general scenario of reacting negatively to gifts -- which is pretty funny. Vince himself caught wind of all the chatter, and thinks it's not that deep.

Meanwhile, what Vince apparently wants to talk about at length is which R&B female icons were likely the best fighters -- a topic for which he actually hosted a Twitter space convo.

Important matters all around, indeed.

Nicki Minaj Oops, I'm Not Pregnant!!! Major Slip of the Tongue

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SIMPLE MISTAKE
Instagram / @nickiminaj

Nicki Minaj says she was just trying to make a funny ... and instead made all her fans believe she's pregnant again. Spoiler alert -- she's not.

Here's how it all went down ... before Nicki got on stage at London's Wireless Festival, she went Live on Instagram for a little pre-show chat with the Barbz. When one of them asked if she and Kenneth Petty were expecting their 2nd baby, she immediately responded, "I'm not fat, guys, I'm pregnant. Sorry" ... and then she rolled her eyes.

Of course, her screen was immediately flooded with congratulations and that's when Nicki realized ... "Oh wait. Did I say it wrong? I'm sorry. I think I said it wrong. I meant to say, I'm not pregnant. I'm fat."

Hmmm ... we're thinking Nicki's too social media savvy for that kinda screw-up. We smell a troll job, but a funny one. Nicki and her husband had their first kid, a baby boy, back in September 2020 -- and they still haven't revealed his name.

As we reported, Kenneth is gonna have a lot of face time with the kid, as he was sentenced to one year of home confinement -- in their luxurious Calabasas mansion -- for failing to register in California as a sex offender.

So, Nicki is NOT pregnant now. We'll see what happens in the next 12 months, though.

Andrew Schulz Forget Streaming Giants I Made More Than $1M on My Own!!!

Comedian Andrew Schulz refused to bow down and censor his comedy special for Amazon, deciding to release it on his own, and the decision is already paying off to the tune of more than $1 million.

Schulz recently revealed honchos at a streaming service "freaked out" when they watched the material he wanted to include in his upcoming comedy special. We're told jokes in the project ranged from topics like Ted Bundy, abortion and Michael Jackson. Schulz claimed the honchos told him to remove the sensitive stuff, or they couldn't release it to users.

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We've spoken to sources close to Schulz who tell us he was shopping the special to Amazon and Netflix -- Amazon bid the highest -- but then backed out after Schulz refused to remove the triggering content.

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Now, Schulz has decided to self-release the special for fans through his website at $15 a ticket. We're told in the first day alone, he made $500,000 in sales and has made over $1 million in less than a week.

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Our sources say the way tickets are selling, he'll make more than his deal with Amazon was in the first place.

We should note, he's partnered with Moment House to sell his tickets -- the same company behind Justin Bieber and Kygo shows -- and we're told he's already broken sales records.

Of course, Schulz's back and forth comes on the heels of a lot of tension between customers and streamers like Netflix. You'll remember, Dave Chappelle and Netflix both took a ton of heat for the transphobic material in his recent special "The Closer."

Mini Depp v. Mini Heard Court Battle Replays in Mini Wrestling!!!

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MINI MATCHUP
BACKGRID

Amber Heard's getting a small shot at redemption -- not in court, but in a wrestling ring where, you guessed it ... Mini Johnny Depp squares off against Mini Amber!!!

Yeah, they might be testing the limits of the world's fascination with the bitter exes, but Wednesday night the good folks at Micromania M****t Wrestling put on their version of the defamation trial at the Whisky A Go-Go ... complete with a Mini Camille Vasquez in Johnny's corner.

Ya can't knock the theater of it all -- Amber entered the ring to the Buckcherry hit, "Crazy Bitch," and Johnny swashbuckled in to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme.

As for the ring action ... well, you really just gotta see it, but here's a short summary: Both minis get in their shots, with Amber delivering the most humiliating blow. As the ring announcer so eloquently put it, "She wiped s**t on his face! What the f**k?!?"

Poetry.

Anyway, just like in the Fairfax courthouse, Johnny came out on top ... delivering a Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka finishing move, and then pinning Mini Amber. Mini Camille even got in a parting shot.

Ya happy, America? This is what happens when you feverishly watch every moment of a trial and flood TikTok with your takes. We're sure the minis will be standing by if Amber really does appeal.

James Cameron 'Avatar 2' Is Long, Deal With It ... Take a Leak If You Must!!!

James Cameron has a message for folks who might complain about a long runtime for his new 'Avatar' movie -- pipe down and stop fussing ... unless you gotta wiz.

The esteemed director did a wide-ranging interview with Empire -- where he says, among other things, that he might not actually direct 'Avatar 4' or '5' ... but instead opt to pass the baton to other filmmakers, as he apparently has other stuff he wants to get to.

Cool, cool, cool ... but another even more interesting quote also surfaced in this sit-down -- namely, JC apparently getting preemptively irked about future viewers who might bitch about a likely 3-hour plus movie ... for which he has some words, and even a solution.

Cameron says in part, "I don't want anybody whining about length when they sit and binge-watch [television] for eight hours ... I can almost write this part of the review. 'The agonizingly long three-hour movie...' It's like, give me a f***ing break. I've watched my kids sit and do five one-hour episodes in a row."

He also adds this ... "Here's the big social paradigm shift that has to happen: it's okay to get up and go pee." This part doesn't actually make much sense, unless he's advocating for people to be willing to miss parts of his movie rather than just pee their pants.

Of course, we can't pause films in theaters ... so that seems to be what he's getting at. Now, one way to deal with this organically is to work in a hard intermission, like in the old days.

Even though his other really long movie, 'Titanic,' didn't have an intermission built into the theater screenings when it played in the '90s -- the VHS versions did indeed split the movie into 2 parts. Might not be too lousy of an idea if James is anticipating bladders bursting.

That, or just hold it. It builds character!

CA Gov. Gavin Newsom Don't Let 'Em Take Your Freedoms, FL Come Over to Our State!!!

California Governor Gavin Newsom just took out an ad in Florida for what seems to be nothing more than a troll effort ... poking fun at Gov. DeSantis, and conservatives at large.

Newsom's campaign ad is 30 seconds, and the word is -- he bought airtime on Fox News in Florida markets for this cheeky spot, set to run through the holiday weekend. It's pretty funny, 'cause GN's embracing rhetoric the right often use, including "taking your freedom."

Check it out ... the Gov. is addressing Floridians directly, telling them that their freedom and rights are under attack in their state -- via book banning, voting restrictions, limiting speech in classrooms, as well as criminalizing women and doctors (a la the new abortion ruling).

He goes on to say that he urges everyone living in the Sunshine State to "join the fight" ... by coming over to California, where he says the idea of freedom is still very much alive.

The whole thing is super ironic and full of satire -- and Newsom's getting a lot of praise online for going out of his way to stick it to DeSantis (seen as an up-and-coming star in the GOP) and right-wingers generally. Others, however, are raising an eyebrow over this.

Some have noted this stunt -- which has no bearing on his re-election chances in November, since no one in Florida can vote here anyway -- was expensive ... and probably unnecessary.

So, why do it??? Well, as political pundits have articulated ... Newsom seems to be ambitious beyond just California politics, and may be trying to lay the groundwork as a go-to Dem voice on the national stage in the not-too-distant future. He also probably sees DeSantis as a good foil ... because he too is seen as a GOP leader going forward, post-Trump.

Some say he should even challenge DT in the primary heading into 2024. In the meantime, his would-be foe is already warming up with jabs from across the country.

Thailand Zoo Orangutan Grabs Woman's Breasts, Lands a Smooch!!!

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PROMISCUOUS PRIMATE
Viralpress

A tourist's photo-op with an orangutan turned super intimate when the chimp started grabbing both of her breasts and kissing her cheek ... and it's all on video.

The wild interaction went down June 27 at Safari World in Bangkok, Thailand ... where caretakers allow orangutans to roam free for photos with visitors.

As you can see, the woman is sitting on a swing when the orangutan walks up behind her and cups one breast, then the other ... even appearing to give them a squeeze.

The chimp apparently wants more -- smooching her on the cheek several times as she laughs and they both smile. Good luck topping this social media post!!!

No word if the orangutan makes a habit of grabbing handfuls of boobs, but it looks like chivalry might be dead in the animal kingdom.

Khloe Kardashian 38th Bday Bash with Friends & Fam ... Kris Gets a 'Little Wasted!!!'

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CELEBRATING KHLOE

Seems only fitting the star of Khloé Kardashian's 38th birthday party is the woman who brought her into the world -- an event Kris Jenner brought up in a hilarious and boozy fashion.

Khloé popped up Monday in a sexy pink latex dress to celebrate her birthday with a lunch at her mom's $20 million mansion in Hidden Hills, and the drinks were flowing! Well, definitely for Kris who made a half-hearted attempt to reenact Khloé's birth -- something Khlo was NOT down to do.

Thank God Kim Kardashian was recording the whole thing, because, after that scene, Mom admitted during a toast ... "I know I'm a little wasted. But, what I want to say is how much I am so f***ing in love with you, Khloé Kardashian!"

Yeah, it was that kinda speech, but super sweet ... as Kris basically called her third-born the glue that holds the Kardashian-Jenner clan together.

FAMILY FUN

Even with all the drinks, this was a true family affair, and the kiddos got in on the fun too -- Khloé posed with her daughter, True and her 5-year-old niece, Dream ... Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna's daughter.

Of course, family members wished Khloe a happy birthday on Instagram and joined in on the fun. Kim posted a tribute to her sis, calling Khloe her "#1 ride or die".

NFL's Kenny Stills Gets Buck Naked at Pool In Ibiza ... No Tan Lines Here!!!

Folks in Ibiza got an eyeful this week ... courtesy of NFL star Kenny Stills droppin' trou and going balls-out at the pool!!

The 30-year-old wide receiver shared the view with all his Instagram followers on Friday ... posting a shot of him lying down on a yellow float in a swimming pool with two women chilling nearby.

Of course, goin' nekkid is a lot more common in Europe than in the States ...  so ya can't blame Stills for showin' off all his ass-ets with a hilarious smirk on his face.

Stills leaned into the hilarious moment ... dropping a 🍑 emoji in the caption instead of using words.

It's obvious Stills is enjoying the first week of summer -- besides skinny dipping, he also made an appearance at Louboutin's event in Paris and stopped by Duomo di Milano Cathedral in Italy.

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The 9-year NFL vet is currently a free agent after his second stint with the Saints last season ... and has shown some interest in playing for the Tennessee Titans.

But for now, it's buns in the sun!

David Spade Donates Thousands To Viral BK Employee

David Spade seems moved by the Burger King employee who got a mediocre goodie bag in recognition of 27 years without missing work ... giving him money and making him laugh.

Kevin Ford, who went viral this week after showing off his company gifts, tells TMZ ... his daughter let him know someone named David Spade donated $5,000 to his GoFundMe, but he wasn't sure it was the comedian himself, until he checked his Instagram inbox.

David slid in Kevin's direct messages ... telling him to keep it up after 27 years on the job without a break, and even cracking a joke about waiting a few more years before finally taking a day off.

Kevin tells us he's a huge fan of David's, so to get a donation plus some fun back and forth with Spade is surreal.

With David's $5k donation, Kevin's GoFundMe has now raised over $30,000 ... with the money going to help him visit his daughters and grandkids in Texas. He also says he wants to use the dough to buy a new Ford hybrid.

Kevin's going to take a day off eventually ... and hopefully before David's deadline.

J.K. Rowling Wait ... You're Not Zelensky? Trolled By Russian Pranksters

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WIZARDLY PRANK

J.K. Rowling fell victim to a Russian-made prank while talking to who she thought was Ukrainian President Zelensky ... but ended up being one big troll.

The author jumped on a zoom call with -- not the president -- but Russian-based comedy duo Vovan and Lexus ... the two have been known for prank-calling high-profile names, like VP Kamala Harris and Prince Harry.

The person on the other end of the Zoom call obviously kept their camera off for the interview -- major red flag. She was planning on talking to Zelensky about her charity work for Ukraine, but the guys had other plans.

In the video, the impersonator tells J.K. they've been writing "Avada Kedavra" on their missiles -- referring to the most deadly spell in her wizarding world, often called the "killing curse." She tells them it's a brilliant idea.

They also ask about Dumbledore's sexual preference, someone she's previously said was gay. "Zelensky" says they're hoping Dumbledore hasn't slept with a transgender -- poking at Rowling's strong beliefs on trans people.

After learning she wasted her time talking to Russian trolls, her spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter, "The video, which has been edited, is a distorted representation of the conversation," saying the entire thing was extremely "distasteful."

Pete Davidson He Doesn't Know Zip!!!

Pete Davidson is famous for a lot -- for appearing on 'SNL,' for dating Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande, among others ... and his BDE status is legendary, at least according to Ariana, so an otherwise innocuous wardrobe gaffe suddenly becomes a big deal!

Pete was in Cairns, Australia when he stepped out but forgot to zip up. He could be clowning, but more likely -- he just didn't realize his fly was open.

Pete gave the paps a peace sign as he posed for pics with fans outside his hotel.

Pete's in the land down under to shoot a flick, "Wizards!," with Orlando Bloom, Naomi Scott, Franz Rogowski and Sean Harris. The production company is Brad Pitt's -- Plan B.

In case you're wondering, the movie's about 2 potheads who run a beach bar and get into hot water after finding a pile of money that they should have left be.

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BLEACHED BABES

Pete fly-ing solo -- Kim's in L.A. with the kids. He's treading on dangerous ground making a fashion faux pas with a girlfriend who we're guessing NEVER goes out without giving herself the once over!

Pittsburgh Pirates Staffers Can't Corral Loose Squirrel On Field ... Hilarious Video

Three Pittsburgh Pirates staffers looked more like "The Three Stooges" on Monday night ... because they failed to corral a squirrel that had gotten loose in the outfield during a game -- and it was comical.

The little critter jetted out into left field during the second inning of the Buccos' game against the Chicago Cubs ... and a short time later, Pirates officials apparently thought it'd be good to send three guys out with a bucket, a towel and a net to get it away from players.

Turns out ... that was not a great idea.

Check out video from the game's broadcast, the trio hilariously tried everything they could to capture the squirrel -- but the animal juked them at every turn.

Eventually, the squirrel grew tired of making the guys look silly -- and bolted through a fence.

The scene was so hysterical, the MLB even had some fun with it ... tweeting out, "sandy cheeks wildin."

The Pirates, though, didn't let the failed efforts to capture the squirrel dampen their night ... they got a huge game from some star rookies, and beat the Cubs easily, 12-1.

Bill Maher Blasts Washington Post and Millennial Reporter ... You Can't Take a Joke, and You're Threatening Democracy!!!

Bill Maher eviscerated a millennial reporter for the Washington Post and the paper itself for punishing one of its best reporters over a joke, and Bill says it's way bigger than just an H.R. issue -- it's a threat to Democracy.

As he put it, Felicia Sonmez -- whom he characterizes as "a lot" -- was enraged by fellow reporter David Weigel, who retweeted a joke ... "Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if it's polar or sexual."

Well, that sent Felicia into orbit, enraged someone could make such an offensive remark. As Bill says -- IT'S A JOKE. Men joke about women all the time and VICE VERSA.

But, the "Real Time" host says Sonmez went to war, and the Washington Post quickly waved the white flag and suspended Weigel for a month without pay, saying retweeting the joke was a gross violation of its values -- Bill says one of those values clearly was NOT the First Amendment.

One of Weigel's colleagues dared to tell everyone to calm down -- that it was just a joke -- and Sonmez then went after him, demanding he be punished.

There was such a s*** storm over this, Bill called the Post newsroom an "unlicensed daycare center"

Bill is convinced ... Sonmez is emblematic of a generation that is comprised of "emotional hemophiliacs" who feel a crushing sense of entitlement and have the attention span of a gnat.

And, he hilariously if not seriously suggested on the 50th anniversary of Watergate ... if someone called the Post and said they were "Deep Throat" and wanted to meet in a parking garage to give a reporter info about the break-in, the young reporters would refuse to go and instead call H.R. and say it made them feel unsafe!

Eventually, Sonmez was herself fired for insubordination and not respecting her colleagues -- FYI, her tweets continued and blasted the paper itself -- but Bill says the whole episode is super embarrassing for a media org that fundamentally changed and inspired investigative journalism.

It's definitely worth a listen.

Drake Marrying 20+ Women ... Tristan Thompson's Gotta Be Best Man!!!

Drake's first music video from his new album is a giant not-so-inside-joke -- and while he and Tristan Thompson are laughing ... Khloe Kardashian is definitely not. 😑

Drizzy dropped the vid for "Falling Back" Thursday night, and it's a full-on wedding party, complete with him saying "I Do" to his beautiful brides.

Yes, plural ... 23 gorgeous women, actually -- and the guy getting him ready for the big day is none other than TT, who's clearly leaning into his rep for infidelity.

TT tells the rapper, "Doesn't feel right, we scrap it, we go home," while making sure the guy's looking fresh for his 20+ brides ... clearly poking fun at Tristan's multiple cheating scandals, and Drake's timing for this video is pretty on the nose!

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WRAP IT OR SNIP IT
Hulu

As you know, Thursday's season finale of "The Kardashians" featured Khloe's heated reaction to finding out about Tristan's affair with Maralee Nichols ... who he got pregnant.

Khloe says "You either wear a condom, get a vasectomy, or you don't f*** random people that you meet in other states. It's not rocket science".

So, the release of "Falling Back" -- the first single from his "Honestly, Nevermind" album -- kinda plays like a Kardashian's sequel or spinoff. TBH, it's brilliant marketing -- unless you're Khloe -- and Tristan's clearly in on the joke.

BTW, Drake's vid -- directed by Director X -- has a quick "Free YSL" moment ... making him the latest in a string of rappers to publicly support Young Thug and Gunna after their indictments in Georgia on RICO charges.

Mike Tyson I Was High, Tired And Pissed Off Before Plane Beatdown

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HIGHLY ANNOYED
ABC

Mike Tyson is finally telling people why he beat the hell out of an overbearing fan on a recent flight ... with the boxing legend explaining he was just high and irritable at the time!

"Hey listen, I'm usually good at these things," Tyson told Jimmy Kimmel on his show Thursday night.

"I was wrong, that should've never happened. That's me back in my primitive child stages, I shouldn't of done that, but I was just irritated, tired, high, and pissed off. S*** happens!"

"I don't wanna hurt nobody!," MT sang.

So, the dude tried Mike at the wrong time ... and Tyson beat him up for it.

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FISTS OF FURY
TMZSports.com

Of course, Mike, who was removed from the plane along with the bloodied and bruised passenger, wasn't charged with a crime for the April 2022 incident.

Melvin Townsend III, the 36-year-old man who was on the receiving end of the beating, hired an attorney several days after the fight ... but it's unclear if he's struck a financial deal with Tyson.

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BLOODIED BY TYSON
TMZSports.com

Jokes aside, it certainly seems Mike regrets his actions ... even though anecdotally, most believe the former heavyweight champ was well within his right to serve up the beating.

Kimmel also asked Mike about a possible boxing match with Jake Paul. Mike and Jake are actually buddies ... but Tyson's clearly open to the idea.

"That could be very interesting. I never took it really serious, but that could be really interesting."