Interview

The Caitlin Clark racism narrative is largely fake news ... so says Dan Dakich who tells us the hate towards the number one overall pick is pure jealousy!

Clark's been gettin' beat up since her WNBA debut last month -- we all saw what Chennedy Carter did to the Fever superstar last weekend -- so we asked Dakich, a former Indiana Hoosier player and coach, if it's just basketball ... or something else.

"Of course, she's being targeted," Dakich, host of Outkick's "Don't @ Me" told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (prior to the Olympic team snub).

The father of the late Kim Porter is speaking out about the now infamous Diddy-Cassie beatdown video – slamming the music mogul for his "despicable" attack on her.

During a phone interview, Jake Porter told Rolling Stone mag he fought in the Vietnam War and would never treat his enemy the way Diddy viciously assaulted his ex-girlfriend Cassie in the surveillance footage.

As you know, Kim was also one of Diddy's girlfriends, dating him from 1994 to 2007 and sharing three children with him. In 2018, Kim died from pneumonia in her Los Angeles home.

Humans and animals aren't the only living organisms with same-sex couples ... some plants and fungi are also essentially lesbian and gay -- so says a pro who knows all about this.

Dr. Patricia Kaishian -- who worked on this new Peacock doc all about queer animals -- has been researching plants and fungi for years ... and she joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and shared some of her strangest findings ... same-sex reproduction!!!

It's pretty incredible, the good doctor says the plant and fungi worlds are way more complex than simply being comprised of just males and females ... and she says some organisms have figured out how to have offspring without a mate of the opposite sex.

Vicente Luque knows his summer fight with Nick Diaz will be a war -- and he says he's ready to flatline the Stockton-born MMA star -- but he's also savoring the moment ... as the 32-year-old welterweight says the 40-year-old actually inspired his fighting style!

Luque and Diaz are set to square off in the Octagon on August 3 in Abu Dhabi at UFC on ABC 7 -- Nick's first fight since he lost to Robbie Lawler in 2021 -- and Vicente says this will certainly be a career highlight.

"It's definitely a bucket list," Luque told TMZ Sports.

It doesn't look like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is going to have a chance to join President Biden and former prez Donald Trump on the debate stage this month -- and he thinks it's mostly Biden blocking him.

We spoke to the independent presidential candidate for Wednesday's "TMZ Live," and he explained why he recently filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against CNN ... alleging it colluded with the Biden campaign to keep him out of the mix for the June 27 debate.

According to RFK Jr. ... he believes Joe and co. clandestinely made CNN alter the criteria for debate inclusion, so that, technically, he wouldn't qualify -- which is something CNN has outright denied, FWIW.

If Caitlin Clark's teammates won't protect her from cheap shots on the court, Angel McCoughtry will ... saying she's down to sign with the Indiana Fever in a return to the league where she starred for years!

37-year-old McCoughtry joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... days after Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter's body check of Clark sparked a conversation around the basketball world.

Angel believes it's time for Caitlin (and all teammates across the WNBA) to protect each other.

Chris Colfer says he was warned not to come out as gay while on "Glee" -- even though he played an openly gay character -- because it'd ruin his career ... but he didn't listen.

The actor went on "The View" Tuesday where he reflected on his time on the hit show from the 2010s -- on which he played Kurt, who was gay ... obviously mirroring CC's real-life sexual identity.

At the time, however, Colfer says he wasn't out just yet ... and goes on to say people around were encouraging him to keep his orientation a secret -- warning he could torpedo his career.

Jason Kelce's recent -- maybe serious, maybe not -- revelation he doesn't wash his feet left one soap maker grossed out ... but she does say he's on the right track in one regard.

Here's the smelly deal ... the ex-NFL'er claimed on social that he never washes his feet and people shouldn't trust the "diabolical liars" at "big soap." Now, maybe he was for real... or maybe he was joshing, but in any case ... his remarks caught a lot of people's attention.

Count Cynthia Jennings among those folks ... she's the owner of Sweet Harvest Farms -- a manufacturer of organic, natural soap -- and tells TMZ she sure as hell hopes JK is just messin' ... 'cause not washing your feet is not just plain nasty – but dangerous. She explains why in our interview, but says JK can be helped.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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'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 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 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.

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.