Angel Reese I Deserve Credit! ... Caitlin Clark Not Only Reason WNBA's Popular

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SHE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE
Chicago Sky

Angel Reese wants people to put respect on her name ... the star Chicago Sky rookie feels she deserves credit for making the WNBA popular now, not just Caitlin Clark!

Reese's remarks come just days after her first game against Clark -- which definitely wasn't without controversy -- as Angel's teammate Chennedy Carter took a cheap shot at the number one overall pick, resulting in a flagrant foul, and a bunch of criticism.

The ire wasn't only directed at Carter ... Reese also got her fair share for her reaction to the hard foul. She was asked about what happened during Saturday's game.

TMZ TV Hot Takes Riley Keough Fights Graceland Foreclosure ... Cam'ron, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. & Kyle Busch

Another big day of stories ... and we've got the best clips from our shows to catch you up. Check out the hottest takes from Tuesday.

TMZ Live

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FIGHTING FORECLOSURE
TMZ.com

First up on "TMZ Live", Harvey and Charles break down Elvis' granddaughter, Riley Keough, fighting the foreclosure sale of Graceland.

Kel Mitchell Claims Ex Got Knocked Up By Several Dudes She Denies It, Calls BS

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CHEATING LEFT AND RIGHT
Club Shay Shay

Kel Mitchell's making explosive claims about his ex-wife, claiming she got pregnant by multiple men during their marriage ... something she says is an outright lie and delusion.

The actor sat down with Shannon Sharpe on his "Club Shay Shay" podcast for an interview released Wednesday when he talked about his ex, Tyisha Hampton, to whom he was married from 1999 to 2005.

The way Kel tells it, Hampton had an abortion before they got married -- and, after they married, he claims she told him the aborted fetus was not his, but a different man's.

Real-Life 'Baby Reindeer' Star Wants $1M from Piers Morgan After Viral Interview

Fiona Harvey is eyeing a big payday from Piers Morgan ... this after allegedly being paid chump change for her now-viral interview all about "Baby Reindeer."

The real-life inspiration behind Netflix's new hit series told Daily Record she's hoping for a seven-figure payout after claiming to have only received about $313 for the sit-down seen round-the-world ... in which Fiona suggested Richard Gadd had defamed her in his show.

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COMPLETELY MADE UP
YouTube / Piers Morgan Uncensored

She says ... "I asked if that was what they paid everyone and, if so, I wanted to see documentation to that effect. That documentation has not been forthcoming. I have not signed a contract for the interview and I will be seeking far more than a piddling £250."

Olivia Munn Underwent Hysterectomy ... Froze Eggs For More Kids

Olivia Munn's opening up about her health challenges again ... revealing she had her uterus and other reproductive organs removed in her fight against cancer.

The actress spoke at length about her cancer battle in an interview published by Vogue Sunday ... saying she had to undergo more surgeries last month after medication she received made it so she could barely get out of bed.

The way Olivia explains it ... on the advice of her doctor, she started taking the estrogen-suppressing drug Lupron -- which she says wrecked her energy, and made it hard to do mundane tasks.

Kristen Stewart Margot Robbie Alone Can't Beat Patriarchy ... Need Broader Perspective

Kristen Stewart says "Barbie" alone can't undo ancient systems of oppression ... arguing Hollywood's allowing only a few female creators to make an impact.

The actor-turned-director appears on the cover of this month's Porter magazine ... and, she came out firing in the cover story -- calling H'Wood phony and blasting the industry for elevating a few female stars in the studio system.

Stewart says there's a process of checking off boxes, as if when studios fulfill a few requirements, the patriarchy will be thoroughly done away with in the industry. Here, KS name-drops Robbie and Maggie Gyllenhaal -- claiming studios like to make one of their films to pat themselves on the back and call it a great day for diversity.

Suge Knight no celebra la caída del rapero Es un mal momento para el hip hop

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SENTIMIENTOS POR LA FAMILIA
TMZ Studios

Suge Knight dice que los problemas legales de Diddy no son nada para alegrarse. Extrañas palabras teniendo en cuenta las décadas de mala sangre entre los dos, y revela sus sentimientos en un nuevo documental "TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy".

El ex ejecutivo de Death Row habló con nosotros desde la cárcel sobre su rival de toda la vida, y aunque muchos esperaban que se regodeara sobre el asalto a las mansiones de Diddy, Suge dice que sintió simpatía por Puff.

Suge dice que sus pensamientos fueron a los niños de Diddy y el impacto negativo de las acusaciones tienen en la cultura hip-hop.

Suge Knight Won't Celebrate Diddy's Downfall ... Bad Day For Hip Hop

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FEELING FOR THE FAMILY
TMZ Studios

Diddy's legal troubles aren't anything to cheer about, says Suge Knight ... a shocking sentiment given the decades-long bad blood between the two, and he reveals his sentiments in a brand new documentary "TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy."

The former Death Row exec spoke with us from prison about his longtime rival, and while many expected him to gloat about the raid on Diddy's mansions ... Suge says he felt sympathy for Puff.

Suge says his thoughts went to Diddy's kids and the negative impact the allegations have on hip-hop culture.

Joe Biden on Howard Stern Considered Suicide After Family Deaths ... Sons Kept Him From It

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THOUGHTS ABOUT JUMPING
The Howard Stern Show / Sirius XM

Joe Biden's opening up about his mental health struggles ... saying he once considered taking his own life in one particularly low moment -- but, his kids saved him.

POTUS sat down for an interview with Howard Stern on his SiriusXM show Friday, and spoke about his first wife Neilia and their infant daughter dying in a 1972 car crash ... admitting he briefly thought about suicide.

Biden says a person doesn't have to be crazy to consider this ... adding he even thought about jumping off the Delaware Memorial Bridge ... but ultimately decided against it because he had two other children, Beau and Hunter, to think about.

John Travolta Talked Finances w/ Tarantino ... Earned 'Pulp Fiction' Role!!!

John Travolta's proving financial know-how can pay off big ... claiming he looked over Quentin Tarantino's finances when they first met -- and it changed his career.

The legendary actor told the story during Turner Classic Movies' recent event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the cult classic ... with Travolta joined by Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Tarantino and more at the event.

As JT explains  ... his agent told him QT was a big fan and wanted to meet with him, and John decided to head over to Quentin's place for the big first impression.

Elizabeth Hurley 'Liberated' in Sex Scenes ... Because of Son Behind Camera!!!

Elizabeth Hurley said her director put her totally at ease for a sex scene in her new flick ... and that director's also a member of her fam -- namely, her son Damian.

The mother-son duo sat down for an interview with Access Hollywood released Saturday when they were asked how it felt to work on a very intimate scene together as mother and son.

If you don't know ... Hurley stars in "Strictly Confidential," an erotic thriller not only directed but also written by her son. In the flick, EH reportedly wears a lot of skimpy clothing -- and, gets hot and heavy with another woman.

Obviously, Damian's got a job to do -- directing all this action -- but, Hurley said it actually made her feel more at ease rather than uncomfortable for her son to be right there on set.

The way Elizabeth explains it, it's nice to have a person behind the camera who has your best interests at heart -- and who will look out for you more than family?

Hurley says that familiarity allowed to her feel more open during those scenes ... calling the whole experience liberating -- probably a bit of a shock for other people who might be mortified of their child seeing them naked.

In fact, Hurley says she had such a great time working with Damian that she may just do it again ... perhaps a little mother-son bonding via some intense sex scenes.

As for the 21-year-old, Damian says there was no awkwardness in directing his mom -- 'cause they're showbusiness people, and that's just the world they signed up for.

"Strictly Confidential" is set for release later this year ... and it sounds like everything between the mother and son will be just fine when the movie drops.

Usher I Beat Timberlake in a Bidding War ... Won Justin Bieber!!!

Usher and Justin Timberlake draw a lot of comparisons ... but Usher says he's got a leg up on his counterpart -- 'cause he beat him in a Justin Bieber bidding war.

The singer-songwriter revealed in an interview with People that, way back in 2008, he met Bieber and Scooter Braun and offered to bring JB onto his record label ... but first, he said he had to pull out a thicker wad of cash than Timberlake.

Usher said he also used Timberlake's name against him, telling Justin that -- if he went with Usher -- he'd be the only Justin around.

Seems like the war didn't get too contentious ... Usher doesn't say anything negative about Timberlake in the interview -- and actually compliments the guy tons.

Usher said he and Justin are both unique artists, and he loves the producers Timberlake chooses to work with ... adding he even wants to collaborate on an album with the former *NSYNC star.

He finished off by saying he's motivated by people like Timberlake who "should be recognized for who he is and what his contribution has been."

Of course, Usher was recognized for his contribution to music by headlining the Super Bowl Halftime show ... one which his protege decided to skip out on.

We broke the story ... Usher reached out to Bieber directly to get him to join him for his big performance -- but, while Alicia Keys, Ludacris and Lil Jon all hopped onstage with him, Justin decided to sit in his suite and spectate.

No bad blood between the two though ... 'cause Usher said in an interview earlier this week that "he's just wanting to tell a different story right now, and I understand that."

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TMZ INVESTIGATES
TMZ Studios

Bottom line ... Usher won the biggest auction of his life -- and ya gotta wonder how Justin Timberlake feels about it.

Beverly Johnson Hotel Drained Pool After I Swam ... Found Out Years Later

Beverly Johnson's opening up about racism she says she faced during her career ... but one moment's kinda new to her -- despite happening about 40 years ago.

The 71-year-old -- who became the first Black model on the cover of Vogue almost 50 years ago -- revealed she once went swimming at a hotel ... and they drained the pool after she hopped out.

Here's the deal ... BJ told Page Six she pulled up to Eileen Ford's 90th birthday party back in 2012 -- about two years before EF died -- and her friends were talking about the old days when someone asked if she remembered a certain hotel draining the pool back in the '80s.

Bev says she was shocked -- she had no idea that happened way back when ... and though she didn't know about it back then, she's sure it was racism. FYI, Johnson won't name the hotel ... saying she's not looking to get sued.

The mother-of-one added tons of stuff like that would happen to her in the modeling world just because of her skin color ... she didn't elaborate with Page Six, but her 2015 memoir 'The Face That Changed It All' and her 2020 op-ed about persistent racism in the industry both hit on other instances.

Another interesting part of the interview -- Beverly revealed model Lauren Hutton always went to bat for her when it came to modeling opportunities.

Johnson said LH would "go to photo shoots and say out loud, ‘Why isn’t Beverly on the cover of magazines? She is just as pretty,'" adding that Lauren was the "it girl" at the time, so her words meant something ... basically get you a friend like Lauren Hutton!

BTW ... Beverly's doing press to promote her new one-woman show coming to Off-Broadway titled "Beverly Johnson In Vogue." She seems pretty jazzed about it -- just look how excited she was when we caught up with her in NYC.

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ONE-WOMAN SHOW
TMZ.com

Clearly, BJ's not sweating anyone trying to tear her down ... break a leg, Bev!!!

Calvin Johnson I Expect Cheers & Boos For Stafford ... In Return To Ford Field

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LOTS OF DRAMA
TMZSports.com

Matthew Stafford better have brought his tough-guy helmet with him to Detroit this weekend ... 'cause Calvin Johnson tells TMZ Sports he's not expecting Lions fans to welcome their former QB with open arms.

Of course, Megatron says there will likely be some cheers and even some people decked out in Stafford's former No. 9 jerseys at Ford Field when the Rams visit for their much-anticipated Wild Card round game Sunday night ... but the Hall of Famer tells us, "I'm sure there will be people booing."

As for how Johnson will feel ... it seems he's feeling conflicted on how to handle it all as well.

"I'm definitely a Matthew fan -- that's my guy," said Johnson, who caught passes from Stafford from 2009 to 2015 with the Lions. "But I want him to come in here and come into the Lion's Den and not go home!"

Some Detroit fans, meanwhile, have already given a bit of a preview into how they'll respond when Stafford runs out onto the field later Sunday ... advocating a ban on wearing old No. 9 uniforms to the game -- something Matthew's wife was not pleased about.

Antics in the crowd aside, Johnson expects his old team will ultimately get the win over Stafford -- though he says the score will be very close.

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SAFE SPORTS
TMZ Sports

Johnson also gave us an update on how the progress is going with his Primitiv Performance line ... saying he's hoping professional and collegiate athletes will be approved to use the new Primitiv products in the first quarter of this year.

George Carlin's Daughter Doubles Down on Bashing AI Special Where's Human Element?!?

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HURTING THE ART FORM
TMZ.com

George Carlin's daughter is not laughing at a new AI-generated comedy special aiming to bring her famous father back to life ... 'cause she says the project straight up lacks soul.

Kelly Carlin-McCall joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked her about the new AI special, "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead" -- which features a robot version of her father doing standup in what's being called a whole new set from the man himself.

George's daughter says the AI program has her dad's name, but that's about where the comparisons end ... she says the computer botched her dad's comedic cadence, and just doesn't capture the magic like he once did.

The AI show is available on YouTube but Kelly says her bone to pick isn't about money ... pointing out GC has tons of shows available to stream for free.

For George's daughter, the big issue is more about completely removing the art form's human element.

Kelly says the program drew on George's old jokes to try and form him opinion on contemporary topics -- Donald Trump, technology, transgender people, reality TV -- but she says it's basically a soulless exercise.

Dudesy is the AI platform behind the show, and Tom Brady's already successfully gotten his own AI-generated comedy special removed from the internet. Kelly says she's considering legal action and might pick the brains of TB12's lawyers.

It's an interesting conversation ... and Kelly tells us why AI art will never stand up to human creations.

Stanford Prof. Dr. Garry Nolan All the Proof You Need On UFOs ... Look Who's Fighting for Disclosure in DC

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They're Going After The Truth
TMZ.com

Sen. Chuck Schumer is one of a handful of lawmakers signaling a major shift in the U.S. government's approach to UFO reports -- further evidence people in power believe the truth needs to be uncovered.

The third part of the docuseries event, "TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution" examines who's leading the charge in Washington, DC, why they're doing it ... and what it means to the public.

Schumer and Sen. Mike Rounds introduced bipartisan legislation last year -- the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) -- to increase the government's transparency on reports of UAP activity, and it was passed last month.

Another critical voice in the fight for disclosure is Stanford Professor Dr. Garry Nolan, and he says the very public involvement of prominent lawmakers, particularly Schumer, proves UAP (or UFOs) are no longer a fringe issue.

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TMZ PRESENTS: UFO REVOLUTION
TMZ Studios

As Garry puts it in episode 3, available now on Tubi, Schumer wouldn't sponsor the NDAA and risk reputation -- especially in a presidential election year -- if he didn't believe there's something behind it.

Schumer was also a close friend of the late Sen. Harry Reid -- one of the trailblazers of the UFO movement -- and that's another reason he's pushing for transparency.

Filmmaker and journalist Jeremy Corbell, who's been leading our investigation, says getting DC "pit bulls" on board could potentially take this search for answers to places he never before thought possible.

All 3 parts of "TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution" are streaming, for free, now on Tubi.