Movies

Jamie Foxx has spoken for the first time about a medical emergency that he says was so serious he wasn't sure he was going to make it.

The actor posted a video on Instagram Friday night, emotionally opening up about the suffering he went through and why he kept the specifics about his medical condition under wraps.

Jamie said, “I cannot even begin to tell you how far it took me and how it brought me back. I went through something that I thought I would never, ever go through.”

As for why he waited so long to talk ... Jamie said he didn't want anyone to see him with tubes coming out of his body, adding, "I want you to see me laughing, having a good time, partying, cracking a joke, doing a movie, a television show."

Jamie shut down online rumors he was paralyzed and blind, while acknowledging he went to "hell and back," but is now able to work despite hitting some potholes in his recovery.

He then gave a shout out to his daughter, Corinne, and his sister, Deidra Dixon, for staying by his side throughout his recent health struggles after his family said he suffered a "medical complication" in April and had to be hospitalized, but he was recently released.

Jamie also kinda made a joke about the theory he used a body double a few weeks ago when he was seen in Chicago swinging a golf club and boating on the Chicago River, pretending to show he was the real deal with a 'Face Off" move!

Choking up, Jamie ended his speech by addressing his supporters ... "I just want to say that I love everybody, and I love all the love that I got. I am on my way back.”

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ, Jamie is not fully recovered but you really couldn't tell from watching him over the past few weeks. He's not committing to all his various projects ... some, we're told, he says he's still not up to doing right now.

Even "Barbie" cannot escape the great political divide in America, because the right has folded the flick into its culture wars, lambasting it as a "flaming garbage heap."

Ben Shapiro jumped on Twitter Friday, saying, "My producers dragged me to see 'Barbie' and it was one of the most woke movies I have ever seen."

Others on the right have jumped on social media, calling the movie "feminist cancer" and "man-hating trash."

There are also folks on the right attacking trans actor Hari Nef, who appears in the film, saying, "Women being forced to pretend men can be women."

And, of course, there's Rep. Matt Gaetz ... his wife, Ginger, mused Ken had "disappointingly low T."

Director Christopher Nolan's summer blockbuster, "Oppenheimer," was released Friday in the U.S. and other countries, but there's one nation where you won't see it ... and that appears to be on purpose.

Japan has not yet announced a release date for the film, which is about the creation of the nuclear bomb in the United States, culminating in a successful test of the doomsday weapon in July 1945.

Weeks later, America dropped 2 nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively, putting an end to World War II. The Japanese cities were completely obliterated with roughly 200,000 people killed and next month marks the 78th anniversary of the bombings.

So, it's no coincidence Japan has put the movie on the back burner ... for now. Keep in mind, though, Japan has a history of postponing new Hollywood film releases for weeks or even months to assess their popularity and value within the market.

But, some have already speculated the tragic historical events are what's really at play here, and Japanese audiences might be sensitive to some of the film's content.

"Barbie" director Greta Gerwig not only made a huge splash on the silver screen, but she dazzled audiences when she showed up unannounced at a viewing of the movie in NYC.

Greta made heads turn and jaws drop as she strolled inside a theater before the showing of "Barbie" at Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn Friday, which was the official release date of the much talked about film.

Gerwig stood in front of her captivated audience, thanking them for their interest in the flick that she and her cast created with "so much joy and hope." She then told them to enjoy the movie and walked away.

Alamo Drafthouse later posted a series of Instagram photos highlighting the moment Greta spoke in front of the crowd.

The caption, in part, read, "Last night we invited our pal Greta Gerwig to surprise the crowd at a sold out showing of BARBIE and minds were blown! There were cheers. There were tears. There was lots and lots of pink."

Carlee Russell's bad week just got worse ... because she was just fired from her job in Alabama.

Russell got sacked Friday from the Woodhouse Spa in Birmingham after her claims of being kidnapped have come under major scrutiny since she resurfaced alive and well one week ago, according to the New York Post.

Her former boss, Stuart Rome, told the media outlet ... Russell's former co-workers are furious with her because they feel they might have been duped.

Rome said his employees have reason to be annoyed ... they were super busy at the spa the Saturday Russell disappeared, but still found time to hand out fliers over their concerns for her well-being.

What's more, the spa received an influx of negative social media posts from trolls, blasting management for employing Russell, which has resulted in many terrible reviews. Rome said business is now so bad he's "just trying to keep the doors open."

Rome also said his workers spent an entire day deleting the nastygrams and closing down the comments sections on the company's Facebook and Instagram pages.

This might be the funniest dinner table ever -- Jerry Seinfeld breaking Italian bread with some insanely successful actors, writers, producers and an entertainment mogul thrown in for good measure.

Jerry's on vacay in Italy -- like everyone else, it seems -- and he was dining at Andrea Pansa in Amalfi this week. NBD, just chatting it up with comedy legends Larry David and Judd Apatow ... along with billionaire David Geffen.

That alone would be pretty, prettyyy impressive -- but after some banter, the guys were joined by fellow comedian Amy Schumer, and Judd's wife, actress Leslie Mann!!!

Jerry seemed to be holding court at the table, and even snapped a pic with a young fan who was, understandably, grinning from ear to ear.

Jerry and his wife Jessica, who was also there, have been enjoying their European vacay -- last month they were spotted soaking up the sun on a yacht in the south of France.

Fans of Barbie are doing the most as they take in the movie at a famous landmark in Los Angeles ... dressing up in pink for the blockbuster flick.

TMZ was on hand Friday at The Grove, where tons of folks piled in to the theater and did their best to pay homage to Barbie and Ken.

Margot Robbie would definitely be proud of the Barbie girls here ... because the theater is awash in a sea of pink, just like the actress was during her movie promo tour.

One things for sure ... seeing "Barbie" this summer is becoming a huge event.

Going to movies is fun, but dressing up for them is even better!!!

You'll need to keep an eye out for the pedestrians in order to find the changes in these images of actor Timothée Chalamet. Plus, given the direction he's strolling down the street ... it's strongly advised to watch where you're going!

The future Willy Wonka was looking chipper and cheeky as he made his way through his hometown of NYC, where he appeared to be blocking out the haters with his headphones and shades; however, that shouldn't stop you from getting in there and securing the differences into the bag!

Everyone's seeing pink as "Barbie" takes over theaters, but collectors and resellers of the famed dolls are thinking green ... according to a man who collects toys for a living.

Pop culture expert and collector Joel Magee -- a frequent guest on "Pawn Stars" -- tells us the interest in Mattel's flagship doll has been high ever since the movie promotion took off. He says fans don't just want a movie ticket, they want the source material for themselves.

Joel loves that a toy which debuted in the '50s is just as popular today, and feels there are gonna be some rare editions of Barbie coming out of retirement, and onto auction blocks, thanks to the movie.

For context, Barbies that had been going for $100 last month are seeing markups around $150 today, and that's the cheap stuff. The one everyone's after is the 1959 debut doll -- which is going for anywhere between $15k to $20k today!

BTW, Joel -- AKA "The Toy Scout" -- knows his stuff when it comes to Barbie and beyond ... he's been in the game for 30 years, traveling across the country making deals on vintage toys and collectibles.

He also just wrapped a massive Disneyland auction with Van Eaton Galleries ... where over 1,400 theme park goodies from the past left his collection and went on the auction block.

This year's Comic-Con is in full gear down in San Diego, and tons of folks look ready for the big screen ... dressing up as characters from some of 2023's biggest movies and TV shows.

The convention kicked off Thursday and the cosplay is on point yet again ... there's lots of folks going as Barbie and Ken, plus a family who went all Indiana Jones, and Mario and Peach's mushroom kingdom is getting a strong showing.

There's also some Oppenheimer looks ... with some folks even going up against their Barbie counterparts ... plus super heroes from all different universes.

Naturally, Star Wars is well represented too ... there's Mandalorians galore and even some Grogus.

The classic comic book characters are getting some love too ... because Batman and Robin never get old.

Jamie Foxx is back in front of cameras for the first time since his medical crisis, and we've learned getting back in the saddle was a piece of cake for the Hollywood vet.

Sources tell TMZ ... Jamie shot a brand new BetMGM commercial Wednesday in Las Vegas at the Aria Resort and Casino, and after almost 4 months of recovery and rehab he was in amazing shape -- showing no signs of physical ailment.

We got some behind-the-scenes pics from the shoot, and he looks pretty focused while sitting in the cockpit of a golden F1 race car. We're told the ad will begin airing just before the NFL season kicks off.

ICYMI, Jamie posted a pic from the shoot Thursday, tagging BetMGM and saying "We got BIG things coming soon." His daughter, Corinne, shared a BTS shot of them together, saying she's really proud of her pops.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky also got some face time with Jamie. The Great One is in the ad, too, and described the shoot as ... "One of the best nights of my life with the greatest person. Big things coming soon."

As we reported, JF was spotted out and about earlier this month -- hittin' golf balls at Topgolf, recovering lost purses in Chicago, and breaking a sweat on the pickleball court.

Jamie was working on a Netflix film in Atlanta back in April when he had to be rushed to a hospital for a still undisclosed medical emergency. He was later moved to Chicago to begin a lengthy physical rehab process.

Kevin Costner's estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, is vacationing on the Big Island of Hawaii with one of Kevin's friends ... TMZ has learned.

Christine is at a swanky resort with Josh Connor, a wealthy financier and friend of Kevin's who lives very close to the Costner family home in Carpinteria, CA. We're told Josh, who's recently divorced, has been good friends with both Kevin and Christine.

Sources connected to the Costner divorce have told TMZ Christine and Josh have been very close, although sources close to Christine and Josh say there is "absolutely no romantic relationship," adding, "They have been good friends for years."

It's unclear how long Christine will be in Hawaii, but the clock is ticking for her. A judge ruled she must be out of the family home by the end of this month, per the prenup.

Christine filed for divorce in May. The split has been extremely bitter ... there are big issues over child support, their prenup, as well as allegations by Kevin that Christine has taken large sums of money and other assets behind his back.

Wee Man is ripping Disney for swapping out "dwarves" for taller actors in the upcoming live-action version of "Snow White" ... he says it's another existential threat facing his community.

We got the "Jackass" star at The Apple Pan in L.A., and asked about the Disney movie losing the little people in favor actors of average height.

Wee Man says it's a really big mistake for Disney ... he says it's costing little people jobs, and he's equating it to the looming threat of artificial intelligence in Hollywood.

It's not just changes with "Snow White" that are drawing serious side-eye from Wee Man ... he's also taking shots at Hugh Grant for playing an Oompa Loompa in the upcoming "Wonka" flick with Timothée Chalamet.

Wee Man's takeaway stands in stark contrast to another celeb ... Peter Dinklage went viral early last year in a tirade where he railed against Disney for even remaking "Snow White" -- a tale he says horribly typecasts little people.

Disney's pivot to non-little people actors isn't scoring points with Wee Man, though he tells us the Mouse House can get back in his good graces with one small fix.

Kevin Costner's estranged wife Christine Baumgartner is soaking up the sun with her kiddos in Hawaii ... just over a week after she was awarded a massive chunk of change in child support.

Christine seemed to be having the time of her life on the sandy beaches Thursday, snapping selfies with her daughter as waves crashed on their feet.

She looks to be in great spirits -- to be fair, it's kinda hard to frown while on a Hawaiian vacay, but the weight of her ongoing divorce doesn't seem to be affecting her one bit.

As we reported, Christine's getaway comes after a judge determined Kevin's gotta cough up $129,755 monthly in child support -- while the ruling was tentative, these decisions rarely change when the hearing takes place.

Cops in Florida are on the hunt for a man who was caught on camera beating the daylights out of a 63-year-old man ... allegedly because he was asked to switch seats.

Broward County Sheriff's Office just released video of the brutal incident, which went down earlier this month in a Pompano Beach AMC movie theater. You see the suspect violently shove the elderly man up against a railing, then land several blows to his head.

According to cops, the victim said he bought VIP tickets, which means he picked assigned seats for his wife and himself -- but when he got inside, he saw the suspect and a woman in his seats, so he asked them to move.

Cops say the suspect quickly became angry and hostile, getting in the man's face -- which is where the video begins.

The man and woman in question fled the theater right after the attack ... but surveillance cameras captured pretty clear shots of their faces in the lobby.

Ben McKenzie says celebrities should not be selling digital currencies ... instead, he says they should stick to the usual stuff, like overpriced water, so folks won't go belly up.

The former "O.C." star joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked him about the huge ad blitz from celebs who were pushing crypto during the Super Bowl and beyond ... only for the market to crash.

Ben's since written a book about the rise and fall of crypto, "Easy Money," and he's got some strong opinions ... like how celebrities should never be giving financial advice.

Ben thinks all the folks featured in those Super Bowl ads for crypto ... like Tom Brady, Lindsay Lohan, and Larry David, just to name a few ... would be better served selling car insurance, soap and H2O.

For Ben, the big difference here is the unregulated status of cryptocurrency ... plus the fact celebs are not licensed financial advisors ... and he feels Hollywood contributed to what he sees as the largest Ponzi scheme in history.

Tons of folks lost money when the crypto boom went bust and lots of folks got sued ... and Ben says fraudsters used the lure of celebrities to reel in marks.