Movies

Bam Margera has settled his wrongful termination lawsuit against Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze, Jeffrey Tremaine along with Paramount Pictures, MTV, Dickhouse Entertainment and Gorilla Flicks.

Bam had sued because he claimed he was forced to sign an agreement he called psychological torture, with so many conditions it was impossible to comply. As a result, he claims, he was fired.

According to a new court doc, obtained by TMZ, Bam is asking to dismiss the lawsuit ... and all signs point to a settlement. The terms of the settlement remain private.

Bam claimed in the lawsuit he was pressured into signing a "wellness agreement" while he was in rehab in 2019 ... this was a condition to his participation in the "Jackass Forever" flick. Bam says because of the circumstances he didn't have an opportunity to run it by a lawyer.

The agreement required Bam to submit to regular drug and alcohol tests and he was also forced to take various Rx drugs ... drugs he claims left him depressed and drained.

Bam did not comply -- he tested positive for Adderall -- and was booted from the production. He says what made it particularly unfair was that doctors had prescribed the drug for him for a decade.

Gilbert Gottfried was hard at work just a few weeks before his death -- and we've got video of one of his final on-screen appearances ... where he looks as spirited as ever.

The President of HollywoodOffices, Brad Folb, tells TMZ ... his company hired GG March 16 for a Cameo-styled ad through a company called Memmo -- which allows you to book celebs for any type of shout-out you might want.

In this case, HO was in the market for a personalized message from a "know-it-all" star who would be instantly recognizable -- and they quickly landed on Gilbert. Seeing how his voice is one of the most famous in La La Land ... they thought he'd be great.

Folb says they sent Gilbert instructions on what they were trying to communicate in the video -- namely, that you'd have to be a dummy not to rent office space from them -- but there was a no-rules rule in place for the guy ... so he could express that any way he saw fit.

Welp, Gil produced exactly that ... and did so with hilarious results. We're told the folks at HollywoodOffices were more than happy with what they got from him -- a gig that cost 'em about $1,300.

Seeing how a lot of their clients work in entertainment, Folb tells us he feels like Gilbert's ad was as good as it gets -- and, of course, it was so freakin' funny ... in true Gottfried fashion.

As you can see ... the dude looks and sounds like his old self, and surely seemed to be in high spirits -- which is why his passing was as shocking as it was. His family announced he'd died Tuesday after a long battle with a heart abnormality called Ventricular Tachycardia due to Myotonic Dystrophy type II.

Gilbert was just 67.

Actor Eddie Deezen found himself behind bars earlier this month ... after cops say he was arrested for forcing his way into a nursing home.

According to the Maryland State Police, Eddie -- best known for playing nerdy Eugene Felsnic in the original 'Grease' movies -- pushed his way inside a privately-owned nursing facility on April 8 and refused to leave after a woman inside told him to scram.

Cops say the woman told them Eddie almost forced his way into one of the rooms before getting the boot, but she says he refused to leave the property and got busted when officers showed up.

Police say Eddie was at the place earlier in the day and was told skedaddle ... but Eddie came back that night and that's when police were called. The alleged victim told cops ... Eddie's been by her place several times before, claiming he usually leaves behind items with accompanying notes.

A neighbor who lives a few doors down from where Eddie was busted claims his security camera shows him approaching his property as well that night. He said he was watching TV with his fiancé when he heard something outside and saw Eddie on video trying to open the front door, so he called the cops.

Cops say Eddie's charged with fourth-degree burglary, two counts of trespassing and one count of disturbing the peace.

Eddie was involved in a bizarre situation last year ... when a Maryland waitress accused him of being a creep and harassing her ...  Deezen went on social media and accused her of cyberbullying.

Eddie was also arrested last year at a Maryland restaurant, with cops saying he refused to leave after causing a scene and chucked plates at police during the incident.

People who say they're close to Eddie shared an update on Facebook, claiming he's battling issues and his family is doing all they can to help him.

Ben Affleck may be a Leo, but his sign on Wednesday was Starbucks ... a sign preventing him and his fiancee from their daily fix.

Ben and Jen were driving to Starbucks in West L.A. Wednesday when he got a sign stuck in his back rim while navigating a tricky turn. A couple paparazzi sprung into action, pulling the sign out from under the car as the actor maneuvered around the curb.

Ben actually asked the paps to help traverse the area so he could roll up to the drive-thru.

As for why they used the drive-thru rather than walking in ... probably the last thing they wanted to hear inside was, "J Lo, grande skinny Frappuccino!!!"

And, this is interesting ... Ben's smokin' a cig inside the car, with J Lo by his side. She must be in love with him, 'cause that's kinda gnarly.

Ben might want to check the mirror before leaving home, because the t-shirt partially displayed underneath his flannel shirt makes him seem like a ..... well ...

Chris Rock's younger brother wants to do more than slap Will Smith ... he wants to lace up the gloves and climb into the ring for a boxing match!!!

CR's brother, Kenny, just signed a deal with Celebrity Boxing founder Damon Feldman for a fight this summer down in Florida ... but he doesn't have an opponent yet, and he's calling out Will.

Kenny says the size difference wouldn't be an issue for him ... even though Will's taller and once played Muhammad Ali on the big screen ... he's confident he could score a victory over the Oscar-winner.

Remember ... Kenny slammed Will for slapping his brother at the Academy Awards, and now it sounds like he wants to take things to the next level and get physical.

The clock's ticking on Kenny to find an opponent, be it Will or some other celeb ... he's scheduled to fight June 11 at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, FL.

Frank Langella is under investigation for alleged sexual harassment on the set of a Netflix project ... TMZ has learned.

A production source tells us there have been allegations of inappropriate conduct by Langella made within the last couple weeks on the set of the limited series "The Fall of the House of Usher." We're told there's currently an investigation into what happened, but Langella has not been fired or suspended from the series.

As for what exactly happened, a source close to production tells us the 84-year-old actor allegedly made an inappropriate joke that was sexual in nature. Our sources also say in the context of his performance, possibly during rehearsal, he touched the leg of a female costar, and further drew attention to the action when he jokingly said something like "Did you like that?"

The show has been filming in British Columbia, Canada ... we reached out to the local police department who says nothing has been reported to them involving Frank.

Our sources say the investigation has not had any immediate effect on production, as Frank -- who plays Roderick Usher in the series -- was not scheduled to shoot any scenes this week.

Langella found massive fame as Dracula in 1979 and more recently played the judge in Netflix's "The Trial of the Chicago 7."

We reached out to a rep for Frank ... so far, no word back.

"The Flash" star Ezra Miller was catching looks at a lounge in Hawaii over the weekend, dancing wildly just weeks after their arrest at a nearby bar.

Eyewitnesses say Ezra was all over the place at the Hilo Axe lounge in Hilo, HI Friday night ... their moves caught the attention of the crowd, with one witness calling it "comical."

Ezra was dropping it low and trying to break dance for the patrons -- shaking their long hair back and forth for the camera.

Ezra's been running into trouble at Hawaiian bars lately ... as we reported, EM was denied entry to a bar on Hilo last month.

Things apparently got heated after the actor was physically blocked from going inside ... the police came to calm things down.

The "Fantastic Beasts" star was arrested a few weeks later for disorderly conduct and harassment after an incident at another bar  ... allegedly grabbing the mic from a woman performing karaoke and lunging at a guy playing darts.

The strippers weren't the only ones takin' it off at a popular Miami strip club this weekend -- Antonio Brown went topless too while he raged with Jamie Foxx!

It all happened at Booby Trap On The River (greatest name) ... where the 54-year-old actor/singer was hosting a party with Bitcoin Rodney on Saturday.

The NFL free agent made an appearance with Foxx on stage and while everything was cool, calm and collected, Foxx turned it up with a special request for AB.

And, that's when the party REALLY started.

"Turn up ni***!" Foxx said on the mic, "Take ya shirt off ni***! Run through this mothaf**ka! Get naked!"

You know AB ain't afraid of takin' his shirt off, anytime, anyplace (shoutout to the Bucs) --  and he did just that, showin' the strippers he's got dance moves, too.

And, AB also spit a few bars on the mic.

Brown has been enjoyin' life partying since parting ways with Tampa Bay on January 2, doing everything from hittin' up NBA games with Floyd Mayweather to partying with Madonna and Kanye.

The Super Bowl champ recently told us he wants to play again and will get his ankle fixed ... only if he gets signed.

Sam Elliott is backing down from his harsh take on the Oscar-winning movie "The Power of the Dog" -- words many considered homophobic ... something that isn't lost on the guy.

The actor -- who's often cast as a cowboy type, and who apparently has some ties to the rancher community -- apologized for what he said about the flick back in February during an appearance on the 'WTF Podcast with Marc Maron,' where he went on the attack.

On Sunday, however, Sam was given a chance to clarify -- because, frankly, his train of thought was all over the place and hard to piece together. And yes, the guy issued a full mea culpa ... saying he didn't mean to hurt people, including those in the LGBT community.

While making an appearance at Deadline's Contenders TV event, where he was plugging his new show '1883,' Sam said he meant no harm ... and got pretty emotional as he recounted how many friends he has that were apparently offended by his remarks.

ICYMI ... Sam slammed 'POTD' for what he considered as a warped depiction of the American West -- bringing up the fact a lot of farmhands in the movie are portrayed shirtless like Chippendales dancers and seemingly taking issue with allusions to homosexuality.

He also didn't appreciate the fact director Jane Campion shot the film down in her native New Zealand and tried to pass it off as Montana ... so his diatribe was aimed all over.

Benedict Cumberbatch reacted to Sam's comments at the time, saying he found 'em to be "odd" -- which Sam made sure to acknowledge in his apology ... specifically saying sorry to the brilliant cast, but especially to Benedict -- who plays a closeted gay man in the film.

Zoe Saldana's hot looks over the years are on point!

Here is 23-year-old Zoe at the premiere of the ballet film "Center Stage" in New York City back in 2000 (left). This was Saldana's breakout movie role and the start of her now-impressive movie career.

And, 20 years later ... the now stunning 42-year-old mother of three showed her consistent, fresh look at an event in Los Angeles (right). The actress recently starred in Netflix's film "The Adam Project" and shared the screen with big stars like Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo and Catherine Keener.

From her role in "Crossroads" to "Guardians of the Galaxy" she may be growing as a Hollywood artist ... but her looks are still frozen in time.

The question is ...

There's a lot of actors these days who take their craft very, VERY seriously -- refusing to break character while on set ... a technique Mads Mikkelsen is calling absolutely absurd.

The Danish actor -- who most recently replaced Johnny Depp in 'Fantastic Beasts,' and who has a crap ton of other credits over the years -- let his honest opinions on method acting fly in an interview with GQ UK ... saying getting that into character for a role is "bull****."

In his sit-down with the mag, they say he was made aware of Lady Gaga reportedly continuing to act as Patrizia Reggiani in 'House of Gucci,' even when cameras weren't rolling. Ditto for 'Succession' star Jeremy Strong -- who's been reported to have taken things to uncomfortable extremes on different productions of his.

All the same ... Mads says he isn't impressed with the so-called commitment. While he does acknowledge he appropriately prepares for roles -- including learning a skill he might need to exhibit on camera -- he notes ... "But preparation, you can take into insanity."

He adds, "What if it’s a s*** film -- what do you think you achieved? Am I impressed that you didn’t drop character? You should have dropped it from the beginning! How do you prepare for a serial killer? You gonna spend two years checking it out?"

Mads essentially makes this distinction ... you're either a great actor, or you aren't -- and he believes that while Daniel Day-Lewis (the king of method) has, perhaps, pretentiously taken things too far in the past ... he also thinks the dude's just inherently fantastic at what he does, which is why it works. Not so much for the actual deep devotion to a role itself.

Of course, more and more actors are all in on method lately -- especially Jared Leto, who infamously stayed in character for a number of roles ... including when he starred as the Joker in 'Suicide Squad,' for which he reportedly caught flak from castmates and crew.

Even as recently as his shoot on 'Morbius' -- a character depicted as a disabled doctor-turned-superhero who can't walk properly -- Leto is reported to have stayed in character by using crutches everywhere on set. But when time was of the essence and he had to whizz ... the guy apparently hopped into a wheelchair and rolled himself to the John.

Indeed, it seems Mads' point here is ... you can do all the character-y stuff you want -- but a good actor, perhaps, doesn't necessarily have endure what their character does to churn out a good performance.

Will Smith won't be able to attend the Oscars for 10 years -- and while some think that's mega, David Spade is here to say, whoop-de-doo ... suggesting it's not a big deal at all.

We got the comedy legend -- and good pal of Chris Rock -- Friday at Avra in Bev Hills ... and of course, we had to get his take on Will's decade-long ban, which had just been handed down by the Academy hours earlier.

Check it out ... David actually seems to be okay with the punishment -- saying the movie honchos had to do something, and this seems fitting. But, when we pressed on whether it was too harsh ... he scoffed.

In Dave's eyes ... not being able to attend the ceremony or vote for future flicks doesn't really come off as a major consequence -- and he says himself, "Who cares?"

DS also reveals if he's spoken to Chris yet ... and indeed, he certainly has. He refuses to dish on what his buddy thinks, though, respecting the guy's confidence and privacy. As for what he thinks the Academy can do to make it up to CR -- he's got a hilarious response.

BTW, just to give you a sense of how close David is with Chris ... check out this podcast appearance the latter made on Spade's "Fly on the Wall" back in January, which he hosts with Dana Carvey. Chris told an interesting story about being bullied in childhood.

There've been other reactions to the 10-year ban as well ... including from 'Dodgeball' star Chris Williams, who says it's a stiff sentence -- but one that makes sense considering the conduct.

Just like David, CW also thinks Will is going to land on his feet in the long run ... and that he can get past this with some time and healing -- and the forgetfulness of society as the next big thing captures our attention.

We also asked if Williams thinks Smith's got another Oscar in him amid this 10-year ban -- and the guy says, hell yeah ... predicting he may actually win one after his final year.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are going to trial next week -- and the latter says she's unplugging from the world as she heads into court to defend herself against his claims.

The actress opened up on social media Saturday, just a couple days before she and her ex-husband are set to face off in front of a judge and a jury in Virginia Monday ... where they'll hash out once and for all if Amber defamed him by suggesting she was a victim of DV.

AH writes, "I’m going to go offline for the next several weeks. As you may know, I’ll be in Virginia where I face my ex-husband Johnny Depp in court. Johnny is suing me for an op-ed I wrote in the Washington Post, in which I recounted my experience of violence and domestic abuse."

She notes she never named him, but discussed the price women pay for speaking against powerful men, adding, "I continue to pay that price, but hopefully when this case concludes, I can move on and so can Johnny. I have always maintained a love for Johnny and it brings me great pain to have to live out the details of our past life together in front of the world."

She finishes ... "At this time, I recognize the ongoing support I've been fortunate to receive through these years, and in these coming weeks I will be leaning on it more than ever."

Of course, Amber is referring to this article, where she says, in part ... "[T]wo years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out," going on to detail how she felt she'd been blackballed for speaking her truth ... this in the wake of her tumultuous 2-year marriage with Depp.

Interestingly enough, JD has also argued he's been blackballed from the industry ... and the proof is kind of in the pudding -- especially as it relates to his 'Fantastic Beasts' recasting.

At any rate ... he's looking for a much-needed W here in the States -- his reputation took a major hit after he lost his libel case in the U.K. ... where he was labeled a "wife-beater" by a newspaper there, and which a judge ultimately agreed was "mostly true" after trial.

As we've reported ... their witness list is a who's-who of Hollywood, with the likes of Elon Musk, James Franco, Paul Bettany and others who are expected to take the stand.

Like we said -- this thing is set to get underway in about 48 hours or so, and it'll be interesting to see where the dust settles when it's all said and done.

Will Smith's 10-year ban from the Oscars has left many in the Academy with mixed feelings -- some think too harsh, others think too lenient ... and some think it's just right.

THR published several reactions from a handful of members -- none of whom are on the Board of Governors -- with many going on the record with how they feel about the decision doled out this week ... namely, making WS persona non grata at the ceremony for a decade.

A good amount of these folks actually stuck up for Will, saying the punishment doesn't fit the crime -- including Stephen Potter of the Sound branch, Harry Shearer of the Actors branch and Beverly Walker of the Marketing/PR branch ... who all felt this was punitive.

Harry (famous from "The Simpsons") says, in part ... "If Will Smith, or any other A-list actor, had run on stage and simply pulled down his pants and defecated, I seriously doubt he'd/she'd be back on that stage in 10 years, or ever ... A decade-long ban seems oddly parental, as in, he'll have outgrown his slappin' phase by then."

Beverly was firmly in Will's corner, or rather ... very much so NOT in Chris's -- or any other comedian the Academy might hire as a host/presenter to roast the crowd.

She takes issue with "the Academy's longstanding habit of hiring comedian/hosts to march out and insult or make fun of the very people being celebrated," adding, "there have undoubtedly been some who would've liked to make some sort of protest" ... and finishing by saying, "What Rock said was egregious and he had to know it would not be appreciated."

Others took aim at Academy leadership itself -- especially Prez David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson ... whom many felt had screwed the pooch by failing to respond in the moment.

Mitchell Block -- a doc-maker -- put it well ... "The board of governors should have reviewed why David Rubin and/or Dawn Hudson failed to have Will Smith immediately removed from the theater after he physically attacked one of the hosts." He adds, "Their poor judgment demonstrated an inability to lead and be proactive under pressure and respond to this behavior. I am deeply disappointed that the governors did not censure them."

And yet, even more came out swinging ... saying Will deserved more severe consequences, like criminal charges and maybe outright disqualification from all things Oscars, forever.

Steven Scott summed it up like this ... "I also am disappointed that Chris Rock and The Academy decided not to press charges for Will's attack. What message are we sending -- that when we're assaulted, it's best to just keep our 'composure' and not complain?"

He also addressed the whataboutism that has bubbled up -- with many drawing comparisons over what happened to Will with others who they feel have perhaps done worse.

To that, Scott says ... "Before someone tells me that other Hollywood A-listers have done awful things, yet kept their Oscars, none of them did their crimes live, on air, from the Academy home stage on our special night, in front of all the world to see."

He adds, "There is no precedent for Will's horrific physical and verbal assault, and the punishment should have been unprecedented as well. I am disgusted by my Academy's appallingly weak, amoral, kowtowing-to-an-A-lister response."

As you know ... Will is OK with the Academy's decision. And, while he can't attend Academy Awards ceremonies or official events for 10 years -- he can still be nominated for Oscars and even win Oscars ... they'll just have to mail him any would-be statuettes if that occurs.

He also gets to keep his Oscar -- so all things considered, really not all that bad.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are giving it another shot -- the pair are engaged -- nearly 20 years after Ben first asked Jen for her hand in marriage.

J Lo shared the news with her fans via a video message on her newsletter Friday, she's teary-eyed and simply says, "You're perfect" before you can catch a glimpse of her beautiful green diamond ring.

Of course, we noticed Ben may have popped the question already when J Lo was spotted out furniture shopping with her daughter and was wearing a massive diamond on THAT finger. Interestingly enough, she tried to flip the diamond into her palm when she saw a cam.

The engagement comes on the heels of another very significant step for the couple -- they recently plunked down around $55 million on a massive Bel-Air estate together.

The home has plenty of room to blend their families with 20,000 sq ft. 10 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms ... not to mention a pool with stunning views.

Will Smith finally got his punishment for slapping Chris Rock at The Oscars -- the Academy of Motion Pictures has made him persona non grata for a decade for that slap.

The Academy's Board of Governors met Friday and after the vote, the Academy President and CEO said, "The Board [of Governors] has decided, for a period of 10 years, from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards."

He continues with an Academy mea culpa  ... "During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers, and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short -- unprepared for the unprecedented."

The Prez went on to thank Chris Rock ... "We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances."

A statement allegedly from Smith after the announcement read, "I accept and respect the Academy's decision."

TMZ broke the story ... our sources told us the Academy lied about asking Will to leave the Dolby Theater after the slap. Turns out it was the exact opposite ... as the show's producer Will Packer told Will he could stay.

The Academy was slammed for getting caught in a lie, so this disciplinary hearing also served as its best way to make good for an, at best, fumbled response.

Will had also been dealing with the fallout -- a bunch of his projects are now on ice and he already resigned from the Academy.