Interview

Kevin Costner bowed out of "Yellowstone" to avoid the drama-filled rodeo ... and that's not a reference to the script.

The actor talks about how his return for S5's second installment was so intense, he found his decision to throw in the towel came pretty easily. As he explained to THR, "It was a necessary decision to say, 'Hey, OK, I don't want to really talk about this anymore. It's time to move on.'"

KC also said ... "I gave this thing five seasons. I was really happy to do it. And I don't need drama. So, let's just take that drama away, let's take the guessing [away]."

Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" video went down in Compton over the weekend without a stitch of negativity ... and Jason Martin was there and witnessed all the love and harmony.

The "Like Whaaat" rapper joined TMZ Live on Monday to run back the whirlwind of events that culminated this past week for rap's biggest moments of the year ... which capped off with a music video shoot for K.Dot's West Coast anthem.

JM was a featured performer at Kendrick's Pop-Out concert last week ... and he and Kendrick grew up in the area where "Not Like Us" was filmed -- so, based on his experience, it was as safe as could be ... even for those who weren't from the neighborhood.

Duff McKagan's responding to "The Simpsons" name controversy ... saying he really doesn't care even if they did use his name -- but, he still thinks the connection's obvious.

We caught up with Guns N' Roses rocker in L.A. Friday and asked him about OG 'Simpsons' writer-producer Jay Kogen telling us the show's premier beer -- Duff -- isn't named for him ... instead, it's named after dude's who just sit on their butts and drink beer all day long.

DM tells us he thinks it's super funny the show's creators are all in a tizzy over his claims ... adding they're all protesting jway too much.

It took Al Horford 17 years to win his first NBA title ... but he's hoping he can double his ring collection next season -- telling TMZ Sports he's 100% NOT retiring and is returning to the Boston Celtics.

We spoke with the longtime vet fresh off his team's championship win over the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals ... and while many might assume he'd consider ending his career on the highest of notes, the 38-year-old told us that's absolutely not the case.

"There's no question about it," Horford said while working a shift at Raising Cane's in Boston. "I don't know why those speculations were out there, that I was, like, retiring. But I'm still playing and I'm very excited for next season."

Celine Dion says her kids are afraid she'll die as she battles Stiff-Person Syndrome ... and they have a very good reason.

In a preview for the singer's new interview with Australia's "Sunrise," Celine discussed her journey with the rare neurological disorder -- which causes painful spasms and muscle issues -- and she confessed it's taken a major toll on her 3 children.

Although Celine had been private about her health struggles until announcing her diagnosis in 2022 ... she now says her kids with late husband René Angélil have had a front-row seat to her illness ... and it's left them terrified.

Don't expect to see Darren Waller on an NFL field ever again ... the former Giants star tells TMZ Sports he's thrilled with his decision to retire -- and is adamant he'll feel that way going forward.

The ex-tight end officially called it a career on Sunday ... but at 31 years old and still productive when healthy, many of his fans wondered if he really meant it.

But, when we spoke with him a couple days after he made the choice to hang up his spikes, he made it clear, he's done done.

Kevin Spacey broke down into tears to reveal a hard truth: he's destitute -- so deep in the hole, in fact, that he's about to lose his home ... this on the heels of his #MeToo scandal.

In his first major TV appearance in years, the embattled actor disclosed on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" Tuesday that his Baltimore home, where he lived while shooting "House of Cards," is now up for auction -- and he was soon planning to pack his stuff into storage.

When Piers pressed Kevin on why it had come to such an extreme ... he candidly admitted he simply couldn't foot the debt he owed -- which he says amounts to millions.

The shocking video aftermath of an Indonesian woman's death by python is creating more questions -- but a renowned snake expert knows what most likely happened, and it's the stuff of nightmares!

Here's the deal ... a massive 20-foot-long snake devoured a mother of 4 while she was walking through the forest to get to a market. As we reported, locals -- including the victim's husband -- later found the serpent, killed it and recovered her body.

Now, Mark O’Shea, host of the old Animal Planet series "O'Shea's Big Adventure," tells TMZ -- in disturbing, yet fascinating detail -- what most likely occurred when the reticulated python attacked.

Donald Trump clearly isn't afraid of Swifties ... expressing a fearless stance on Taylor Swift's physical appearance and political beliefs -- which seem to have the guy conflicted.

The ex-Prez discussed the pop star with Variety Co-Editor-in-Chief Ramin Setoodeh for his new book, "Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass" -- and DT had nothing but kind words ... for Taylor's looks.

In the interview, which took place in November, Trump noted ... "I think she’s beautiful -- very beautiful! I find her very beautiful. I think she’s liberal. She probably doesn’t like Trump. I hear she’s very talented. I think she’s very beautiful, actually -- unusually beautiful!"

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.