Movies

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson just made UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo's dream come true -- surprising the welterweight at the gym in an incredibly emotional video.

Remember, Gorimbo said he only had 7 bucks in his account before UFC Fight Night in Vegas last month ... a similar story to The Rock, who was also scrambling for cash at the beginning of his career.

The movie superstar got wind of Gorimbo's story and reached out to him on social media at the time ... saying he was so moved by his journey, he wanted to meet in person.

That day finally came on Thursday ... with the two linking up for the very first time -- and Gorimbo could barely keep it together as he saw his hero in the flesh.

Gorimbo -- who was doing a staged interview -- turned around, bolted up and hugged Johnson ... choking up as he realized what was happening.

"We’ve never met but I had to fly to Miami to look this man @thembagorimbo_mma in the eyes, hug him and shake his hand," The Rock said of the interaction.

"I’ve been moved & motivated by his story ❤️"

Gorimbo also spoke about the special meeting ... saying, "I am very grateful to have finally met @therock today after he saw about my $7 bucks situation."

"Big man with a big heart and he has changed my life completely today and I shall forever be grateful. I didn’t know how to thank him because words aren’t enough."

The world of "Barbie" is mourning the death of Bill Cunningham, the original voice of the famous Ken doll in the 1960s.

Cunningham died at his L.A. home on July 15, but news of his passing first surfaced Thursday in a report published by Deadline. His cause of death was not disclosed.

CESD Talent Agency, which Cunningham co-founded, issued a statement praising Bill as being "among the great innovators and gentlemen of the talent representation business."

The company also noted Bill's major contributions in his chosen field and described him as a "gregarious, classy man who made a positive impact on all those he represented and employed."

Bill began doing voice-overs after he returned from military service in World War II. He got his first big break on NBC’s "Voices of Walter Schumann" and "The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show." He also sang on soundtracks for Hollywood movies produced by Fox, Paramount and Warner Bros.

His career skyrocketed in 1961 when he was tapped to be the voice of Barbie's boyfriend, Ken, after the Mattel toy company created the iconic dolls.

Bill was 96.

Megan Fox is firing back at the people who are blasting her for sharing a GoFundMe for her friend's cancer-stricken father ... saying the haters don't understand the full story or her relationship with the friend.

The actress took to social media Thursday to explain why she is helping crowdfund for her nail technician's ailing father ... instead of ponying up the money herself, as some folks online think she should.

Megan says her nail tech didn't want her money because it would create an uncomfortable dynamic in their working relationship ... and ditto for the woman's other celeb clients.

In her IG story, Megan also questions her haters' emotional intelligence ... and ends by calling them psychos.

As we reported ... after Megan shared the GoFundMe, donations started to pour in ... but some folks questioned why Megan was asking other people for money instead of just covering all the medical expenses herself.

Kevin Costner's getting his chance to go on a summer vacation with his three kids ... and after his estranged wife took the kiddos to Hawaii, Kevin's bringing them to Colorado.

The "Yellowstone" star is in Aspen this week with his daughter and two sons ... with Kevin picking them up from the airport Monday, hauling their luggage around in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.

Kevin and the kids beelined it from the airport to a grocery store ... presumably to stack up on supplies for their time together.

As you know ... Kevin and his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner are going through a bitter divorce, but the split means double summer vacations for their children.

Christine took the kids with her to the Big Island of Hawaii just last week ... staying at a swanky resort and also spending some time with one of Kevin's friends.

Kevin's got a place of his own in Aspen ... so the kids probably aren't staying in a resort like they did in Hawaii ... but they're getting a second vacay all the same.

Ethan Slater's estranged wife, Lilly Jay, is breaking her silence after all the drama regarding her husband and Ariana Grande.

Lilly tells TMZ ... "I'm focused on my son and doing my best to navigate a spotlight I have never wanted or experienced before." She adds she wants to set the record straight after she's "watching with horror as stories are published speaking to my experience."

She finishes, saying, "I am asking for privacy and respect as an individual who is not in the entertainment industry and as a mom. I ask to be left alone to rebuild my life and raise the beautiful boy I gave birth to last year."

TMZ broke the story, Ethan filed divorce papers Wednesday, looking to put an end to their 4-year marriage.

We're told Lilly was "blindsided" by Ethan's relationship with Ariana. Ariana and Ethan, we're told, insist they did not hook up until after he split with Lilly.

Page Six says Lilly told them, Ariana is "not a girl's girl. My family is just collateral damage."

Ariana Grande's boyfriend wants a totally clean slate going into his new relationship with the singer ... filing to divorce his estranged wife.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ethan Slater decided to legally end things Wednesday with Lilly Jay ... filing divorce papers in New York. We don't yet know the specific reason Ethan's listed for the split.

Ethan and Lilly were high school sweethearts -- getting hitched back in 2018 -- and welcomed a son together last year.

The move isn't necessarily surprising, TMZ broke the story ... Ariana and Ethan have been together for several months now, sources told us both were single when they started dating after meeting on the set of "Wicked."

However, sources close to Lilly told us she was heartbroken to hear about Ethan's new relationship ... and feels he abandoned his brand-new family.

As for Ethan and Ariana's side of Lilly's claims, a source close to the two told us, "It's understandable that emotions are high and it's hard seeing your ex move on, especially in such a public way, and her friends are trying to protect her. But Ari and Ethan are just trying to lay low and be respectful of their exes as they pursue this new relationship."

Page Kennedy is feeling the burn of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike ... not only putting a damper on his upcoming summer blockbuster, but also reminding him how crappy royalty checks are!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Page, who says he's in shambles over the strike, which is affecting his upcoming film with Jason Statham "Meg 2: The Trench" ... a real bummer because he says he almost drowned filming the project.

Page reprised his role as "DJ" from the first 'Meg' thriller, but tells us he wasn't fully prepared to film scenes in the ocean -- at one point, he swallowed more water than his gills could handle. Luckily, the crew was able to usher him to safety.

The veteran actor/rapper has dozens of film credits under his belt, but echoed the sentiments of many actors who say their ever-shrinking residuals aren't cutting it -- and he even showed us some of his checks to drive home that point.

For example, his one-episode appearance on FX's popular Western drama "Justified" paid him $123 ... while his time on the short-lived FOX series "Backstrom" just netted him $59.

It might not be a get-rich-quick option, but Page says his love for acting is still there ... even if he feels execs like Disney CEO Bob Iger wear their greed on their sleeves!!!

He's also in the trenches with the picketers every day, and is back in his rapper bag with a new album, "A Book of Pages," slated for an August 4 wide release.

Los Angeles native Skyler Shaye (now known as Skyler Shaye Lopez) was 20 years old when she played the role of Cloe -- the Bratz 'doll' who is clumsy yet highly skilled in soccer -- in the comedy/family film "Bratz: The Movie" back in 2007.

Skyler shared the big screen with the other main Bratz members including Logan Browning as the sassy one who goes after what she wants, Sasha, Janel Parrish as the eccentric one who isn't affraid to stand out, Jade and Nathalia Ramos as the quiet one who enjoys writing and animals, Yasmin.

Selena Gomez appears to be extending an olive branch to her organ donor and one-time friend, Francia Raisa, wishing her a happy birthday after their recent falling out.

Selena took to social media Wednesday to wish Francia happy birthday, posting what appears to be an old photo of them along with the caption ... "Happiest of birthdays to this special human beings. No matter where life takes us, I love you. ❤️ @franciaraisa."

It's a noteworthy post from Selena ... Francia recently revealed their relationship was broken ... so this could be a sign Selena wants to patch things up.

The outstanding issue ... Francia took offense to an interview where Selena said the only person she was close to in Hollywood was Taylor Swift.

Selena's answer didn't sit right with Francia, because the two former child actors go way back and she donated a kidney to Selena in 2017.

Francia unfollowed Selena after the interview and still does not follow her on IG ... so it will be interesting to see if the birthday post moves the needle.

Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater's romance came as a surprise to the Broadway actor's now-estranged wife who feels he abandoned his family ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Lilly Jay -- who married Slater back in 2018 -- tell us she's devastated her family's been torn apart. She's also upset their young son, who was born in August 2022, won't have both his mom and dad around constantly, now that they've split.

Our sources say Lilly and Ethan aren't on good terms now that the Ariana relationship is full steam ahead.

We're also told, for her part, Lilly feels like he's completely turned his back on his family.

What's more, we're told Ariana actually used to hang out with both Ethan and Lilly while they were still a happily married couple, and she even liked his Instagram tribute to Lilly on Mother's Day this year. Remember, we're told Ariana and Ethan's romantic relationship started several months ago.

The whole thing has left Lilly feeling betrayed and heartbroken ... according to our sources.

Additional sources close to the situation tell us, "It's understandable that emotions are high and it's hard seeing your ex move on, especially in such a public way, and her friends are trying to protect her. But Ari and Ethan are just trying to lay low and be respectful of their exes as they pursue this new relationship."

TMZ broke the story ... Ariana and Ethan first met on the set of "Wicked" and their relationship grew from there. Sources close to them have maintained both Ariana and Ethan were split from their spouses -- Dalton Gomez and Lilly -- when they got together.

Sources tell us while they haven't yet filed divorce docs, there's definitely one on the horizon for Ariana and Dalton.

As for Lilly and Ethan ... it doesn't appear either has filed yet, but it sounds like things are beyond repair.

Kevin Spacey is cleared of sexual assault charges in his UK trial -- a London jury just found him not guilty.

The verdict was handed down in Southwark Crown Court Wednesday in London after 2 days of jury deliberation.

Spacey was originally facing 13 counts including sexual assault, indecent assault, and causing a person to engage in a sexual activity without consent. The 4 indecent assault charges were dropped, with the judge citing its removal as a "legal technicality." He was found not guilty of the remaining charges.

It's a huge victory for Spacey, who had been facing the possibility of life in prison if he'd been convicted.

As we reported, Spacey's been on trial in London for allegedly sexually assaulting 4 men from 2001 to 2013. The trial kicked off at the end of June, and he was spotted looking cheerful as he headed into court for the first day.

Prosecutors claimed Spacey performed oral sex on a man while he was asleep, was aggressively "touchy-feely" with one of his drivers, and even groped a man backstage -- something the alleged victim said was done "with such force it was painful."

A lot came out during the trial -- for starters, one of his alleged accusers compared him to his serial killer character in "Se7en" ... telling cops in a prerecorded interview the actor was "a bit like that. A bit creepy. Maybe not quite as bad."

Spacey took the stand last week, describing one of the accusers as funny and charming, describing himself as a "big flirt" and insisting what went down between them was gentle and consensual.

He admitted he really liked the man, but claimed he never knew he would "stab me in the back" 20 years later. Spacey said he thinks his 4 accusers were attacking him after regretting being intimate with him.

Elton John's name came up during the trial because one of the accusers claimed he was groped by Spacey while driving to the singer's annual White Tie and Tiara Ball in either 2004 or 2005.

The Rocket Man himself actually testified remotely during the trial, saying Spacey only attended 1 of his bashes in 2001, not 2004-05. Elton's husband, David Furnish, also said Elton's recollection of the timing was backed up by photos of the past events.

In closing arguments, Spacey's defense team told the jury, "It is not a crime to have sex, even if you’re famous" -- adding it's also not a crime to sleep with someone "of the opposite sex, because it’s 2023 and not 1823."

Megan Fox is offering a helping hand to a friend in need -- this after the girl's father was diagnosed with cancer ... and it seems her good work is doing wonders for the cause.

The actress and model shared the link to a GoFundMe Monday, made for 64-year-old Michael Boyce by his daughter, Brittney -- who's Megan's nail tech.

M.F. says Michael was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and is asking her fans to help chip in towards his medical expenses ... and on the site, Brittney says her dad wasn't planning on retiring and had already missed a lot of work, and will likely be missing more.

Brittney says his new prescription isn't covered by insurance, and he already had to pay $1k out of pocket -- and that's not even a month's worth -- so she's hoping the money raised for her pops will help relieve the money pressures so he can focus on getting better.

Megan's reposting seems to have boosted Michael's donations quite a bit -- in just 3 days, the GoFundMe has climbed past $7,600 -- the goal's been raised to $60k.

While Megan's sharing certainly helped, she's been facing some backlash online ... with folks saying the "millionaire" is off base to ask others to pitch in when, in their minds, she could just cough up the loot herself.

Snoop Dogg seems to be making a statement to Tinseltown about the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild strikes -- 'cause he's nixing 2 of his big shows here in solidarity with the union members.

The rapper announced the move Tuesday, writing ... "We regret to inform you that due to the ongoing strike and the uncertainty of when this will be over, we need to cancel the Hollywood Bowl show."

Snoop adds, "We continue to stand in solidarity with all of our brothers and sisters in the WGA and SAG/AFTRA during this difficult time and remain hopeful that the AMPTP will come back to the negotiating table with a REAL proposal and we can all get back to work."

Snoop's cancelation of his big L.A. concerts appears to be symbolic ... as he has other gigs lined up elsewhere around the country, which he did not address. Presumably, they're happening as scheduled.

Now, while Snoop's decision might seem like it's coming out of nowhere -- after all, musicians aren't impacted by the SAG/WGA strikes -- it actually tracks with some bold statements he's made lately demanding change in the recording industry.

He recently sounded off on modern-day artists getting stiffed on residuals in the age of streaming -- while also pointing out showbiz writers and actors are fighting over the same stuff in their strikes.

Bottom line ... he's quite privy to the struggle, and is most certainly in SAG/WGA's corner in the ongoing negotiations. Also worth noting, his Death Row guys are on board as well -- as a handful of Death Row artists and affiliates have been seen on the picket lines themselves.

Travis Scott has shifted his focus back to promoting his "Utopia" album after a brief side mission with The Weeknd and Bad Bunny ... and the rollout is nothing shy of a summer blockbuster!!!

On Tuesday, Travis gave fans a sneak peek of the "Circus Maximus" movie that will accompany the "Utopia" release on Thursday ... a montage of scenic visuals from all over the globe he orchestrated with some of his favorite directors.

The film will hit theaters that day and could be a hot ticket. Travis is shown trekking through a cave and sand dunes, and there's a speeding cop car and looming helicopters ... real chaotic stuff.

The Astroworld architect's intense promo run also saw him unveiling an alternative version of the "Utopia" album cover ... a slideshow of several zombie-like individuals with white eyes clutching international currency, sitting in a bombed-out car.

The meaning of the artwork remains unclear, but it won't be the final version ... Travis says he's dropping that one on Thursday.

Cryptic theatrics are totally Travis' specialty, word to his scheduled performance this Friday at the pyramids in Egypt.

The Rock dropped at least a million bucks to help working actors get through the SAG-AFTRA strike -- and if you're one of them ... here's a how-to on reaping the benefits.

ICYMI ... Courtney B. Vance -- who heads up a private, SAG-adjacent foundation, and oversees an emergency fund tied to the union -- fired off a letter this month at the start of the strike ... with the correspondence sent to some of the highest-earning talent in the biz.

It essentially outlined the great need for financial assistance during this precarious time -- namely, for the not-so-famous actors ... who might be out of work for a while now.

In response to that, Dwayne Johnson's people followed up ... saying he wanted to donate 7 figures to back their cause -- something Courtney says proved to be an historic boost, and which will go a long way to keeping striking actors afloat. Again, most of 'em aren't A-list.

It's a super cool move on The Rock's part, obviously -- and for the thousands of actors out there who might need it ... there's an easy way to go and apply for funds, just hit their site.

There are some eligibility requirements one has to meet in order to be considered -- including being paid up on your SAG dues through Oct. 2022, and providing proof that you're in need of emergency financial support, among other things -- but all in all ... it seems simple.

BTW, if other big earners are inclined to donate to the fund ... they can do that here.

One last noteworthy thing about The Rock stepping up in this situation. Fact is, it's kinda fitting considering he's reportedly in line for a massive payday.

All that glitters must not be gold -- or pink, for that matter -- because a white-hot argument during a "Barbie" screening took a physical turn, and fast!

The beef went down in Brazil as the credits were scrolling for the Margot Robbie-led film, ironically as Billie Eilish's moving "What Was I Made For?" was playing in the background.

According to folks online, someone in the theater was letting their kid watch videos on a phone during the movie ... and the post-movie blowup is a direct result of that.

It's unclear which person's being accused, but the girl in the pink jacket certainly gets the short end of the stick ... 'cause she was slammed to the ground after one of the angry women stormed up the steps.

It's a pretty wild scene, especially after a flick like "Barbie" ... but as we reported, a separate fight at an AMC movie theater in Florida resulted in a police search.

Remember, police released a video from the Pompano Beach brawl earlier this month, where the MIA suspect shoved a man into a railing, then started beating him while on the ground.

Cops said the victim asked the man in question to switch seats, claiming he was sitting in their preassigned spot ... which is what allegedly sparked the beatdown.