LGBT

Leslie Jordan was coping with discomfort in the weeks leading up to his death -- a health issue that was concerning enough for him to make an appointment with a cardiologist ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the late actor tell TMZ ... for the last 3 weeks, he was experiencing shortness of breath. We're told Leslie was scheduled to see a cardiologist within the next week to check out his heart, and see if there were any underlying health issues.

Other than that, we're told Leslie was generally healthy ... but did have COVID last year.

We've spoken to law enforcement sources who tell us they believe Leslie suffered a heart attack prior to crashing his BMW Monday into a building in Hollywood.

Tributes have poured in for the 67-year-old since TMZ broke the news of his death, including from Dolly Parton who said, "Leslie and I had a special bond, I think the world felt they had a special bond with him. I know people always say, 'Oh, they will be missed' but in this case that could not be more true."

Leslie Jordan, the beloved actor and comedian has died.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Jordan was driving in Hollywood Monday morning when it's suspected he suffered some sort of medical emergency and crashed his BMW into the side of a building.

Leslie was famous for his work on popular TV shows like "Will & Grace," "Hearts Afire," "The Cool Kids," "Call Me Kat" and "American Horror Story."

LJ became a social media sensation during the pandemic, with his silly video posts helping him skyrocket from about 80,000 Instagram followers to a whopping 5.8 million. He told us on "TMZ Live" his secret was just being himself -- a silly, funny, goofy, happy-go-lucky senior citizen.

Following his viral pandemic fame, Leslie appeared on CNN's New Year's Eve 2021 countdown, ringing in 2022 with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.

Leslie also acted in movies, including ... "The Help" and "Ski Patrol" and he made guest appearances in tons of TV shows like "Murphy Brown," "Ugly Betty," and "Boston Public."

On Sunday, Leslie posted a video on Instagram of himself singing a hymn.

The last time we saw Leslie out in public was pretty recently ... our photogs got him just last month, gauging his reaction to Elton John and Britney Spears releasing a new song together.

Leslie was 67.

RIP

NLE Choppa is defending his right to show off what he's packing in his boxers ... even if half his fanbase wishes they could push the dislike button.

The Memphis rapper was apparently feeling sexy and posted a provocative mirror selfie over the weekend ... garnering much attention from appreciative women, and disapproval from male supporters, including one fan account.

Popular YouTuber Adin Ross couldn't believe his eyes and sent NLE several texts in disbelief ... which were put on blast online as well.

The response was overwhelming to the point NLE issued a response ... stating he was comfortable enough in his own sexuality to pull off such a photo, but did clarify he was a heterosexual male.

NLE is just about a week away from his 20th birthday -- but has been exhibiting sexual maturity in his tweets and music for several years now.

The last time we spoke to him, NLE was steadily promoting his "Slut Me Out" single and spoke on the extent of his fetishes ... highlighted by his love for armpits.

Ulta Beauty tried promoting inclusivity by posting a clip of a transgender woman discussing femininity -- but the internet doesn't seem to be having it ... now calling for a boycott.

The company promoted a new digital campaign they're running called the "The Beauty Of ..." -- their latest entry being about girlhood, hosted by influencer Dylan Mulvaney -- who's trans -- and gender-fluid celeb hairstylist David Lopez, sitting down podcast-style for the chat.

In the promo clip from Thursday, Dylan is briefly heard discussing things she feels are still accessible to her as a trans woman -- including being able to find love, still being a performer and having a family/being a mother ... all of which she believes she can totally do.

It's part of a longer video that's up on their YouTube page, in which Dylan goes into detail about her recent transition and roots ... apparently growing up in a super conservative family and detailing how she came to find her inner beauty and the guts to show it off publicly.

The problem ... some say Dylan, and Ulta by extension, is appropriating womanhood and simply wearing it as a costume -- which is pissing off a good amount of folks who are up in arms about this and swearing to never buy Ulta products again.

Several people are bashing Ulta and Dylan, saying things like "she's actually a man" and other hurtful remarks -- to which Ulta is asking for dignity and empathy. A line they're repeating in the comments is ... "At Ulta Beauty, we believe that beauty is for everyone—and we kindly request that everyone be treated with respect on our channels."

Ulta is also saying they believe beauty has no boundaries, but it seems some of the comments are, in fact, crossing the line ... because there are several hidden replies.

TikTok stars Nicky Champa and Pierre Boo have made things super official -- TMZ has learned they tied the knot this summer.

According to the marriage license obtained by TMZ ... the influencer couple got hitched in August in Clark County, Nevada ... AKA Las Vegas. Unclear if Elvis was involved in their nuptials.

The records also show that Nicky and Pierre took each other's last names.

Of course, marriage may not come as a huge surprise to some of their fans. The couple's been attached at the hip since they became an item back in 2017.

Pierre and Nicky rose to fame as an "it" couple after launching their joint IG account. Over the last few years, they also moved in together and started their TikTok careers.

They have a combined follower count of more than 25 million on the video platform.

As we reported, the two listed their Bell Canyon home in July. Clearly, they've had a pretty busy summer and have been making some big moves.

Cassandra Peterson -- AKA Elvira -- is not at all surprised by Madonna seemingly coming out as gay, attributing it to history the pop star has with her current girlfriend.

We got a dressed-down version of the Mistress of the Dark Tuesday, who shared her thoughts about Madonna's latest TikTok, hinting she was gay. Elvira wasn't shocked, telling us the pop star has always painted herself as sexually fluid.

What's more, Elvira says Madonna actually hit on her girlfriend in the past!

ICYMI, Madonna posted a Tiktok Sunday that shows her throwing some panties at a trash can. The caption reads, "If I miss, I'm Gay!" ... she misses the bin before shrugging and walking away.

Cassandra acknowledged the fact it might've taken Madonna a while to come out, but says folks should come out whenever is comfortable for them.

One thing is for certain ... she says, it's a huge relief whenever it does happen. You'll recall, Peterson revealed she had been dating a woman for nearly 2 decades back in 2021 ... in her book "Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark".

Madonna appears to have declared herself as gay ... we think?

Madge threw up a TikTok Sunday that's got the world wondering ... a video that shows her throwing some panties at a trash can with the caption "If I miss, I'm Gay!" She falls short of hitting the bin ... and the camera cuts back to Madonna, who shrugs and walks away.

Pretty big news ... assuming she's actually making some here. On the face of it, it looks like she might be coming out as lesbian -- or at the very least, bi -- but it's hard to say for sure.

Madge has signaled she may be into women ... not just with public comments, but with her actions too. She's locked lips with a few notable ladies over the course of her career -- including Nicki Minaj, but more memorably ... Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

It was a highlight during the 2003 VMAs ... when she famously kissed both Britney and Christina onstage -- which she later explained as passing the Queen of Pop torch. Madonna kissed Britney again this year during her wedding, recreating the moment.

Of course, Madonna has only been in relationships with men ... as far as we know, anyway. She's been romantically linked to a ton of celebs over the years -- including Dennis Rodman, Tupac, Michael Jackson, Vanilla Ice and others.

She was also married to Sean Penn, plus Guy Ritchie ... with whom she had a kid. She's had children with other not-so-famous men too ... and has also adopted along the way.

Velma's into women -- the character's been confirmed as lesbian after years of fan theories -- in a new cartoon 'Scooby-Doo' movie ... and the LGBTQ+ crowd is all about it.

Velma's sexual orientation was revealed in a new clip from the animated flick "Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!" which hit streaming services Tuesday. It shows Velma encountering a costume designer named Coco Diablo ... and she's instantly smitten.

You see Velma blush as she takes in the sight of Coco, with her glasses fogging up and romantic music playing. Velma is also shown as admiring other characteristics of Cocos beyond just her looks, including her fashion sensibilities and intelligence.

Interestingly enough, Velma has been depicted as straight in the past ... with a rebooted version of the series showing her as being in a relationship with Shaggy, although it's been suggested by showrunners he was actually just a beard for her.

Of course, people are overjoyed ... including those in the gay and lesbian communities, who are praising the explicit depiction and the on-screen representation.

FWIW, it seems Coco's lesbian too -- and she also appears to be into Velma, calling her "cute" in another scene where they show a little affection and flirting.

Velma being lesbian has long been suspected by the fan base -- and it's actually been stated as true by some creatives who've worked on 'Scooby' projects over the years ... including James Gunn, who helmed the live-action adaptations, and producer Tony Cervone.

Billy Eichner's new romcom completely bombed at the box office -- and he appears to be chalking it up to homophobia across the country.

The comedian-turned-actor took to Twitter Sunday to acknowledge the low ticket sales -- the movie only raked in $4.8 million domestically, placing 4th this weekend -- and he's definitely bummed by the underwhelming turnout ... despite the fact the film is objectively solid.

He writes, "Last night I snuck in and sat in the back of a sold out theater playing BROS in LA. The audience howled with laughter start to finish, burst into applause at the end, and some were wiping away tears as they walked out. It was truly magical. Really. I am VERY proud of this movie."

BE also went on to claim that -- despite 'Bros' being hailed as one of the funniest comedies in recent memory -- a theater chain called Universal to say they were pulling the trailer because of the gay content. He says Universal was able to convince them to keep it.

Billy adds, "That’s just the world we live in, unfortunately. Even with glowing reviews, great Rotten Tomatoes scores, an A CinemaScore etc, straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros. And that’s disappointing but it is what it is."

His final thought hits his point right on the head ... "Everyone who ISN’T a homophobic weirdo should go see BROS tonight! You will have a blast! And it *is* special and uniquely powerful to see this particular story on a big screen, esp for queer folks who don’t get this opportunity often. I love this movie so much. GO BROS!!!"

Billy's right about one thing ... the movie was positively reviewed by critics and normies alike -- so by all accounts, it's pretty darn good. As for why it did so poorly, it's hard to say. It was marketed fairly heavily by the studio ... with the trailer getting a lot of play in theaters and billboards all around the L.A. area.

The prosecutor who put Jeffrey Dahmer behind bars is pushing back against the narrative Netflix puts forth in its new show -- namely, that cops ignored obvious clues because the case involved gay and/or Black people.

Former Milwaukee D.A. Michael McCann -- who personally prosecuted Dahmer in the '90s -- tells TMZ ... the notion that MPD officers turned a blind eye to Dahmer's victims because of their race or sexual orientation is ludicrous, despite what "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" portrays.

The true crime drama is getting a lot of buzz right now, and while McCann says he hasn't seen it yet ... he's aware of how Netflix and co. are playing things -- very anti-cop and leaning into perceived racial and homophobic bias throughout the episodes.

McCann is flatly denying that characterization, saying neither race nor sexual orientation had influenced how police investigated Dahmer. He insists if they'd known they had a serial killer in their midst, they would've moved in immediately to put a stop to it ... regardless of the victims' backgrounds.

He explains Dahmer's M.O. simply didn't allow for them to discover the truth any sooner than they did in 1991 -- when one of his victims escaped and brought cops to Dahmer's apartment.

McCann notes Dahmer didn't leave a lot of obvious evidence lying around, and covered his tracks well.

He also thinks there's something to the fact that Dahmer's victims were men -- saying women who went missing back then were investigated by assuming the worst. On racism and homophobia generally, he acknowledges it's been a problem historically in law enforcement ... but is still adamant that it played no role in how officers went about handling Dahmer.

Of course, not everyone will buy what McCann's selling here ... especially seeing how Glenda Cleveland -- played by Niecy Nash -- alerted Milwaukee PD to Dahmer's behavior many times before he was eventually captured. Many suspect cops wrote her off because she was Black.

Lamar Odom is not romantically involved with transgender actress/model Daniiellè Alexis ... despite a few social media posts sparking speculation they're dating.

Sources close to Lamar tell TMZ ... the former NBA player is currently single and is not seeing Daniiellè, but they do know each other and are friendly -- which is pretty clear from her social media.

We're told Lamar and Daniiellè met back in June when he was in L.A. for the BET Awards. Our sources say Lamar was shopping when a car pulled up, Daniiellè hopped out and asked for a photo ... and afterward, they exchanged numbers.

They kept in touch, and when he recently moved back to L.A. they grabbed lunch together because they were both in town. Daniiellè's an aspiring actress, and our sources say they typically chat about the industry.

Daniiellè's posted a couple photos of Lamar, which got the dating rumor mill going ... but we're told they are just friends.

BTW, our sources also tell us Lamar has no problems with the transgender community, in general, and obviously has no issue with Daniiellè being a transgender woman -- there's simply no romantic spark between them.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has been fined $40K for making a homophobic comment, the NBA announced Tuesday morning.

"Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been fined $40,000 for using offensive and derogatory language on social media. Edwards has acknowledged that his actions were inappropriate," Byron Spruell, President of League Operations for the NBA, wrote in a statement.

Edwards got himself into hot water when he posted video of several shirtless men embracing each other, saying ... "Look at these queer ass n****s, man. Look at the world I came to."

AE also captioned the video ... "Dese n****s different." In the background of the video, a woman was heard laughing while Edwards spoke.

There was almost immediate backlash and, as the league noted, the 21-year-old former first overall pick (2020 NBA Draft) seemed to offer a heartfelt apology for his actions, saying sorry on social media.

"What I said was immature, hurtful, and disrespectful, and I’m incredibly sorry. It’s unacceptable for me or anyone to use that language in such a hurtful way, there’s no excuse for it, at all. I was raised better than that!" the NBA star said.

But, the NBA clearly felt a fine was still in order.

A meteorologist is looking to clear the air about why he got canned from his job ... saying it's all about what he did on a webcam site that's extremely NSFW.

Two-time Emmy nominee Erick Adame took to Instagram Monday to address his recent termination ... saying he wants to share his truth, "rather than let others control the narrative of my life."

He says he secretly appeared on an adult webcam website while still being employed with Spectrum News NY1 ... stating he acted out his "compulsive behaviors, while at home, by performing on camera for other men."

Erick claims the interactions were "100% consensual" ... noting he didn't make any money for the things he did on camera.

He goes on to apologize to his employers at Spectrum, who eventually found out about his actions ... as well as his audience, family, friends, and coworkers for any embarrassment he's caused.

He makes it clear, though -- "I don't apologize for being openly gay or for being sex-positive."

He goes on ... "My psychiatrist calls my actions, "compulsive behavior," others would call them reckless, stupid or brazen. I'm not in a position to argue with any of these descriptions."

He gives a final message to potential future employers ... saying "Please judge me on the hundreds, thousands of hours of television that I am so proud of ... not the couple of minutes of salacious video that is probably going to soon define me in out 'click-bait' culture."

Ezra Miller allegedly thought of themselves as a Jesus figure -- and apparently ran with a posse of misfits while also retaining an arsenal fit for a small war ... this per a new bombshell exposé detailing what was going on surrounding their 2022 arrests.

Vanity Fair has a new piece out titled, "Ezra Miller's 'Messiah' Delusions: Inside The Flash Star's Dark Spiral" -- and it's as juicy and drama-filled as the headline suggests.

The story is bonkers ... claiming, through several unidentified sources who were purportedly in Ezra's inner circle these few years, that Ezra essentially ran a harem/convent of sorts at his Vermont ranch ... where they apparently have multiple firearms and other weapons.

People cited in the lengthy article describe bizarre rituals that Ezra would allegedly host -- touting themselves as a real-life superhero, akin to his fictional character of the Flash, and supposedly even had an altar at their home where they'd host sermons and burn sage.

One wild anecdote says Ezra went ballistic during one of these meetings, demanding that Susan Sarandon come to pay tribute at the altar for snubbing them from a dinner party.

The piece also describes Ezra as becoming more and more erratic as the pandemic was getting underway -- evidenced in the video of them apparently choking a woman in Iceland -- and completely spiraling in 2022 when they went to Hawaii with a young activist ... whose parents have alleged Ezra was controlling via insidious tactics, which the kid has denied.

VF's story details all sorts of out-there tales about things Ezra has allegedly done over the past few years -- outside of their legal issues, which are well-documented -- including wandering the streets in search of downtrodden young people to rope into their way of life, arming themselves to the teeth/having weapons sprawled out everywhere, tormenting those closest to them via diatribes/firings/scoldings and more. It's a disturbing deep dive, for sure.

Another fascinating aspect ... the notion that people close to Ezra say they question whether they're legitimately queer or not -- it's known Ezra publicly identifies as non-binary -- and even suggest they weaponize their identity when it suits them ... but seemingly not minding being misgendered in private when they're in a state of calm, behind closed doors.

BTW, speaking of Ezra's legal troubles -- Vanity Fair reports that a majority of those cases have virtually dissipated ... suggesting Ezra and/or their team have paid off most of their alleged victims, citing at least one NDA they viewed and others they've heard about.

Of course, the backdrop of all this is Ezra's movie, 'The Flash,' which they are apparently very interested in salvaging ... as is Warner Bros. Ezra has since said they're seeking treatment for mental health issues, and they apologized for their erratic behavior of late.

At this point, it sounds like Warner has decided to plow ahead with the release of this film in 2023 -- despite all the problems that have arisen ... which this story crystalizes quite well.

Bill Maher begs to differ with the maxim, "There's no time like the present," because he says the past is being unfairly dragged.

Maher made a case against the concept of "presentism" -- making moral/ethical judgments about the conduct of people in the past based on current norms.

His argument is laced with some pretty hysterical jokes, like people who think they're better than George Washington because they have a gay friend and GW didn't. As he said, if GW were alive today, he'd probably have gay friends and if the people today were alive back then they wouldn't.

Now speaking of Washington -- whose legacy is tarnished by the fact he was a slave owner -- Maher tries to make the case that -- despite the fact slavery is horrendously wrong -- it has been the norm throughout history, pointing to the Egyptians, the Romans, the Greeks, the British ... and then he lands an hysterical joke, which you gotta watch.

As he put it half jokingly, human beings are generally terrible people.

Short story -- he thinks judging people from the past using current standards is stupid, and we shouldn't start altering, dismissing or ignoring history to conform to present values.

The death of a famous Philadelphia drag queen is getting national attention ... due to the tragic manner in which she died.

25-year-old Valencia Prime passed away after performing as part of a drag show ... according to Shaniyah Banks, an investigator for Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office.

A rep for Philadelphia PD tells TMZ they got a call about someone who had collapsed at Tabu Lounge & Sports Bar around 11:15 PM Monday night ... they were pronounced dead just before midnight.

We're told the causes of death were determined to be cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

The venue paid tribute to Valencia, posting a statement online about "the loss of a very bright and rising star in the performance community." They also said they're talking with her family about hosting a show in her honor in the future.

She's been met with tributes left and right since her passing ... drag queen Brittany Lynn wrote on Facebook, "You will be sorely missed ... keep twirling, ma'am," while drag artist Aloe Vera said, "I love you with everything in my heart Valencia. Rest in power.”

Valencia was 25.