Movies

Carmen Electra made a massive life change this past week -- filing to ditch her birth name to formally go by her long-known stage name ... and now we know exactly why.

Sources close to the "Baywatch" star tell TMZ ... there's really no big reason behind the decision -- we're told it's just something she's been thinking about for a while and finally took the plunge, since there's no better time than the New Year to start fresh.

We should note, she hasn't gone by her birth name -- Tara Leigh Patrick -- in decades.

TMZ obtained the legal docs earlier this week ... revealing she wants to formally change her name to "Carmen Electra" ... so looks like this is officially goodbye to Tara! It's also just formalizing what everyone has known her as for decades now.

Fun fact -- CE didn't come up with the zippy stage name herself -- it was actually birthed as a result of the late icon, Prince ... who bestowed the name upon her when she auditioned to be part of an all-girl group he was assembling in the early '90s.

Unfortunately, she didn't make the cut ... but she went on to make a splash on TV and elsewhere, and she kept the cool moniker for herself.

Cillian Murphy's looks over the years have earned him a BIG STANDING O!

Here is a 26-year-old version of the fresh-faced fella at the premiere of "Intermission" -- just one of his many iconic films -- back in 2003 (right). This was one year after he rose to prominence with his breakout role in "28 Days Later."

And, 21 years later and just coming off a golden win at last weekend's Globe Awards, Mr. Murphy put his icy-blue eyes on full display (left) and proved he can STILL GET IT with his plump lips and defined facial features.

Clearly, he's doin' something right, but the question is ...

¡Los looks de Cillian Murphy a lo largo de los años le han valido una GRAN ovación!

Aquí vemos a un joven de 26 años con un rostro fresco en el estreno de "Intermission", una de sus muchas e icónicas películas, en 2003 (derecha). Esto fue un año después de que saltara a la fama con su papel en "28 Days Later".

Y, 21 años después y habiendo recibido una victoria en los Globos de Oro el pasado fin de semana, el Sr. Murphy exhibió sus ojos azules como el hielo (izquierda) y demostró que TODAVÍA PUEDE CON SUS labios carnosos y rasgos faciales definidos.

Claramente está haciendo algo bien, pero la pregunta es ...

Alec Musser -- famous from 'All My Children' -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The actor's fiancée, Paige Press, tells us Musser passed away Friday night at his home in Del Mar, CA. His uncle, Robert, confirmed his nephew's death to us as well ... but neither he nor Press would elaborate on the circumstances or exact cause.

Musser will best be remembered for playing Del Henry on the beloved, long-running soap opera between 2005 and 2007 ... during which he appeared in a total of 43 episodes.

Other films/TV shows he starred in include ... 'Grown Ups,' 'Rita Rocks,' 'Desperate Housewives' and 'Road to the Altar.' He only had 6 acting credits -- but Musser was known in showbiz outside of his on-camera work ... namely, through is fitness modeling career.

He had graced the covers of several magazines -- including Men's Health, Men's Workout, Exercise Health and others. The guy was a bodybuilder, and had a great physique.

AM might not have acted in H'wood lately, but he was still a big presence on social media -- highlighting his continued health/fitness journey, his active lifestyle and even pics with loved ones. On its face, nothing seemed to be amiss ... making his passing all the more shocking.

Musser was only 50 years old.

Robert Downey Jr. isn't apologizing for his controversial role in "Tropic Thunder" ... and he's using another polarizing show from back in the day to make a nuanced point.

The actor -- who just won a Golden Globe for his part in "Oppenheimer" last weekend -- recently went on the "Literally! with Rob Lowe" podcast to defend the work he did in the '08 film, in which he plays a method actor playing a Black man ... in full blackface.

RDJ says people should look beyond the surface of his performance -- where he was playing a caricature of a person -- and consider the larger message the film was trying to convey about his character ... namely, highlighting tropes that had been perpetuated for years.

Interestingly enough, he says the show 'All in the Family' is a good example of this -- telling a quick anecdote about attending Norman Lear's shiva ... and them playing a disclaimer before running a clip from his famous sitcom. Listen -- RDJ's telling us all something here.

The disclaimer read, "The program you are about to see is ‘All in the Family.’ It seeks to throw a humorous spotlight on our frailties, prejudices, and concerns. By making them a source of laughter, we hope to show -- in a mature fashion -- just how absurd they are."

Downey says there used to be an understanding between creators and audiences about this type of stuff, and it didn't have to be handled with kid gloves the way it does nowadays.

Robert's biggest issue is that he says the modern world is experiencing a "clickbait addiction to grievance" ... basically saying it's so easy to get mad at jokes and film choices without looking at the greater context, or the bigger-picture message. Sadly, times have changed.

Selena Gomez and Emily Blunt didn't take any chances at the American Film Institute awards Friday night ... covering up their mouths to thwart lipreaders with active imaginations.

The superstar actresses got together for a fun photo at the event where they hit the "speak no evil" pose -- a reference, no doubt, to some Golden Globes gossip sparked by everyone's favorite rumor mill ... social media.

Selena threw this pic up on her IG story and wrote, "We shall not speak lol."

ICYMI ... during the Globes on Sunday night, Selena rushed over to talk to her close friends Taylor Swift and Keleigh Teller, Miles Teller's wife. Her expression screamed hot goss and lipreading "experts" immediately got to work cracking the code.

Some interpreted it as her gossiping about Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner ... even though SG later denied it, saying she was discussing two other pals of hers.

Now as for Emily ... she and husband John Krasinski hit the red carpet before the event and, through their smiles, JK seemed to say a word that sounded suspiciously like "divorce."

Of course, the internet went crazy. Blunt and Krasinski are a beloved couple and the thought of them divorcing threw corners of the internet into turmoil ... until a helpful TikToker pointed out he easily could've been complaining about the elements saying, "I can't wait til we're indoors."

We gotta say ... that makes a whole lot more sense than talking about a pending divorce nonchalantly in front of dozens of red carpet cameras, especially if you're trying to keep it a secret. Their body language also didn't telegraph any trouble in paradise, FWIW.

Selena and Emily could've ended up telling each other what was really said in each convo last Sunday ... but eagle-eyed fans won't get another chance to figure it out, unfortunately.

Selena Gomez y Emily Blunt no se arriesgaron en los premios del American Film Institute el viernes por la noche, cubriendo sus bocas con las manos para frustrar a los lectores de labios de ponerse imaginativos.

Las actrices y superestrellas se reunieron para una divertida foto en el evento donde hicieron la pose en referencia, sin duda, a algunos de los chismes que surgieron en los Globos de Oro y se esparcieron por todas las redes sociales.

Selena lanzó esta foto en su historia de IG y escribió: "No vamos a hablar lol".

Por si se lo perdieron, durante los Globos del domingo en la noche, Selena se apresuró a hablar con sus amigas Taylor Swift y Keleigh Teller, la esposa de Miles Teller. Su expresión se convirtió en un chisme caliente y los lectores de labios "expertos" de inmediato se pusieron a trabajar para descifrar el código.

Algunos interpretaron que estaba cotilleando sobre Timothée Chalamet y Kylie Jenner... aunque Selena Gomez lo negó más tarde, diciendo que estaba hablando de otros dos amigos suyos.

Ahora en cuanto a Emily, ella y su esposo John Krasinski llegaron a la alfombra roja antes del evento y, a través de sus sonrisas, John pareció decir una palabra que sonaba sospechosamente como "divorcio".

Por supuesto, internet enloqueció. Blunt y Krasinski son una pareja muy querida y la idea de que se separen agitó a todo el mundo en Internet. Todo, hasta que un útil TikToker señaló que fácilmente podría haber estado quejándose: "No puedo esperar hasta que estemos adentro" (en el inglés tiene una semejanza con los sonidos de la palabra divorcio).

Tenemos que decir que eso tiene mucho más sentido que hablar de un divorcio frente a decenas de cámaras en una alfombra roja, especialmente si estás tratando de mantenerlo en secreto. Su lenguaje corporal tampoco dejaba entrever ningún problema en el paraíso.

Selena y Emily podrían terminar diciendo que estaban hablando el domingo pasado, pero los fans con ojos de águila no tendrán otra oportunidad de averiguarlo, por desgracia.

Jason Momoa está aclarando su situación de vida después de sugerir recientemente que técnicamente podría ser una persona "sin hogar". Ahora está diciendo que simplemente no tiene una morada y que eso no es lo mismo.

El actor hizo nuevos comentarios sobre el tema en People Mag el jueves, después de hacer la sorprendente revelación a ET a principios de esta semana. Esto es, que no tiene "un hogar en este momento" y que está pasando gran parte de su vida en la carretera.

Ahora el actor está aclarando esa observación en una nueva entrevista, diciéndole a People: "Solo estoy sin casa. No soy un sin techo. Tengo una bonita caravana". Y añade: "Todo el mundo dice: 'Jason Momoa es una persona sin hogar'. Yo digo: 'Tranquilos. Tengo un puto saco de dormir'". Mmm... okay.

Jason Momoa también dice esto: "No he comprado una casa todavía y estoy emocionado de hacerlo algún día". Piensa que cuando finalmente compre una casa, la gente dirá... "Santo cielo, ahora tiene una almohada".

Si bien puede sonar un poco chocante escuchar que Jason, que es una estrella de la lista A, no tiene propiedad, él dice en esas entrevistas que está muy bien y que la razón radica en el hecho de que está muy ocupado con películas y otros proyectos.

En resumidas cuentas... que no tenga un techo propio es una decisión totalmente suya y no es por falta de medios. Al contrario, el tipo está absolutamente forrado y simplemente prefiere este estilo de vida en este momento.

Curiosamente, tiene una nueva docuserie a punto de estrenarse llamada "On the Roam" y narra exactamente eso: Jason Momoa recorriendo el país y reuniéndose con gente interesante.

Por supuesto, el telón de fondo de esta noticia es el hecho de que él y Lisa Bonet acaban de completar su divorcio la semana pasada. Es bueno saber que no tendrán que preocuparse por quién se queda con la casa... porque parece que no habrá ninguna que repartir. 😅

Jason Momoa is clarifying his living situation after recently suggesting he might technically be "homeless" -- now saying he's simply without an abode ... noting it ain't the same thing.

The actor dished some fresh comments on the subject to People Mag Thursday -- this after making the startling revelation to ET earlier in the week ... namely, saying he didn't "have a home right now." He went on to note that he's largely living his life on the road right now.

Welp, he somewhat cleared up that remark in this new interview -- telling People ... "I'm just houseless. I'm not homeless. I have a nice trailer." He goes on to say, "Everyone's like, 'Jason Momoa's homeless.' I'm like, ‘Relax. I got a f***ing sleeping bag." Hmm ... okay.

JM also says this ... "I've never bought a house yet, so I'm excited to one day." He thinks when he does eventually purchase a pad, folks will say ... "Holy s***. He's got a pillow now."

While it might sound a little shocking to hear that Jason -- who's a freaking A-lister -- doesn't own property ... he does point out in these interviews that he's doing just fine ... and that the reason lies in the fact that he's so damn busy with movies and other projects.

Bottom line ... him not having his own roof over his head is entirely his decision -- and it's not for a lack of means. On the contrary, the guy's absolutely loaded ... he just prefers this lifestyle at the moment.

Interestingly enough, he's got a new docuseries coming out called "On the Roam" ... and it chronicles exactly that -- JM traversing the country and meeting with interesting people.

Of course, the backdrop to this news is the fact that he and Lisa Bonet just finalized their divorce this past week. Good to know they won't have to worry about figuring out who gets the house ... 'cause it sounds like there just might not be one to divvy up. 😅

DDG and Halle Bailey's newborn son is already being primed for superstardom -- his proud papa couldn't wait to hit the town and splurge on high-end baby gear!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with DDG this week outside English Rabbit -- a posh Bev Hills children's boutique -- where he celebrated fatherhood by dropping $5k in that one store.

The child will be "Moonwalking in Calabasas" in his baby kicks just like his daddy in no time!!!

DDG and Halle announced their son Halo's birth last week, which was the first time they even confirmed the months of speculation about them expecting.

Even though fans were buzzing about it, DDG says he and Halle never felt like they had to cave to social media pressure ... and only decided to introduce Halo when they felt comfortable doing so.

DDG also discussed the stereotypical "horrors" of new parenthood, which he says is mostly 🧢.

He says he and the 'Little Mermaid' star are already diaper-changing pros and have a good rotating schedule for late-night crying ... a sound neither one of them minds hearing.

From the moon to the Big Apple, Drew Barrymore has landed safely here on Earth and is counting on you to detect the extraterrestrial changes in these images. Buckle up, and see if you can scope out the minor switch-ups ... do it for Drew!

Rather than taking a spaceship or Citi bike, Drew got around by foot in New York City earlier this week and was rockin' some winter attire. The minor changes in the two shots may be a pain in the neck to find ...

Blast off!

It's been a busy week at TMZ ... covering everything from the Golden Globes to a Milli Vanilli divorce, but a few stories really stood out on our TV shows -- "TMZ on TV," "TMZ Live" and "TMZ Sports" -- so, check 'em out yourself!

For starters, we got into the gripping new video of OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney, and her Miami murder case, on "TMZ Live." We aired new footage showing her squabbling with her slain BF, Christian Obumseli, 2 months before she killed him at their Miami condo ... which prosecutors claim she did intentionally.

Lots of folks online viewed Clenney as the aggressor in the wild clip -- but we break down how it could have an impact on a far more important group of people ... the jury.

On a muuuuch lighter note, we also talked Tom Cruise on "TMZ on TV" and his big movie news this week -- the fact he signed a mega deal with WB to produce and star in a bunch of franchise films ... even as he's moving forward on "Top Gun 3."

The catch ... he's doing 'TP3' with Paramount, despite seemingly giving 'em the cold shoulder to sign with WB, and even getting his own office there. Yeah ... interesting.

Lastly, our "TMZ Sports" crew got into the big NFL playoff weekend ... and the aspect of it Swiftees everywhere wanna hear. QB legend Brett Favre was on the show to talk about Taylor Swift's impact on Travis Kelce's opening round game against the Dolphins.

Watch and see how he feels about a potential Chiefs loss, and who might be to blame!!! 👀

Peter Crombie, famoso por interpretar a uno de los personajes favoritos de los fans de "Seinfeld", "Crazy" Joe Davola, ha muerto ... TMZ ha averiguado.

El actor falleció el miércoles debido a una enfermedad que le quitó la vida rápidamente, según su ex esposa Nadine Kijner. No está claro qué enfermedad podría haber padecido. El resto de los detalles que rodean su muerte no fueron revelados inmediatamente.

Peter será mejor recordado por su recurrente papel en "Seinfeld", "Crazy" Joe Davola, que aparece en 5 episodios de la temporada 4. Joe aterrorizó, acosó y amenazó a Jerry Seinfeld e incluso salió con Elaine en un momento dado.

Aparte de su fama en "Seinfeld", Peter actuó en películas como "My Dog Skip", "Natural Born Killers", "The Blob", "Se7en" y "Rising Sun", "Born on the Fourth of July", por nombrar solo algunas. En realidad, trabajó mucho más en televisión, y a lo largo de los años apareció en grandes series.

Además de "Seinfeld", Peter protagonizó la miniserie de televisión "House of Frankenstein". También participó como estrella invitada en programas como "NYPD Blue", "Walker, Texas Ranger", "Diagnosis Murder", "Law & Order", "Perfect Strangers", "Spenser: For Hire", "L.A. Law", "L.A. Firefighters" y muchas otras.

En total, tenía 35 créditos como actor y parece que dejó el mundo del espectáculo alrededor del año 2000.

La ex esposa de Peter nos dice: "Era el hombre más bondadoso, generoso y considerado. Era querido por todos, generoso y nunca tenía nada malo que decir de nadie".

Su amigo Bill Stetz recuerda a Peter como "un amigo amable y leal, de palabras suaves y trabajo expresivo como actor y escritor." Peter tenía 71 años.

Peter Crombie -- famous for playing fan favorite "Crazy" Joe Davola on "Seinfeld" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The actor passed away Wednesday due to some sort of illness that took his life quickly, according to his ex-wife Nadine Kijner. It's unclear what ailment he might've been battling -- the rest of the details surrounding his death weren't immediately disclosed.

Peter will be best remembered for his recurring role on "Seinfeld" ...  his character "Crazy" Joe Davola appears in 5 episodes in season 4 ... with Joe terrorizing, stalking and threatening Jerry Seinfeld and even dating Elaine at one point.

Aside from his "Seinfeld" fame, Peter acted in movies like"My Dog Skip," "Natural Born Killers," "The Blob," "Se7en" and "Rising Sun," "Born on the Fourth of July" ... just to name a few. He did a lot more work in television, actually ... having made appearances on some big-time shows over the years.

In addition to 'Seinfeld, Peter starred in the TV miniseries "House of Frankenstein" ... as well as guest starring roles on TV shows like "NYPD Blue," "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Diagnosis Murder," "Law & Order," "Perfect Strangers," "Spenser: For Hire," "L.A. Law," "L.A. Firefighters" and lots of others.

All in all, he had 35 acting credits to his name ... and it looks like he left showbiz around 2000.

Peter's ex-wife tells us ... "He was the kindest most caring, giving, considerate man. He was loved by everybody, generous and never had anything bad to say about anyone."

His friend Bill Stetz remembers Peter as "a gentle and loyal friend of soft words and expressive work as an actor and a writer." Peter was 71.

Jeremy Allen White says he ain't interested in the sofa from his Calvin Klein underwear shoot -- even though it's free on the web right now ... for whoever wants to come claim it.

We got Jeremy at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles Friday and our photog asked him how he felt about the couch being listed for $0 on Facebook Marketplace by a woman claiming the orange couch is literally sitting on top of her NYC building right now ... up for grabs!

You'll recall ... this is the same sofa on which Jeremy stripped down to his underwear for a recent rooftop photo shoot for Calvin Klein in New York City ... snapping a few pics on the rooftop furniture in a spread everyone's going wild for, even now.

Jeremy's a pretty humble guy ... he says the $0 price tag is about what it's worth, and he doesn't think the couch belongs in a museum somewhere either. Dude ain't interested in it for himself either, BTW ... he says he's got more couches than he can deal with.

The famous piece of furniture popped up on FB this week for free ... with the lady listing it writing, "Guess what? I've got the hottest seat in town – the legendary red corduroy couch that a famous celebrity chef (in not-so-many clothes) sat on in the commercial everyone’s talking about." She goes on to say her hubby had the hookup, but it's been left behind.

She's offering it up for free to anyone who wants to come and grab it -- but they gotta do all the heavy lifting themselves. As for the price tag ($0), JAW thinks that sounds about right.

Tom Holland is speaking up about all the speculation he and Zendaya are dunzo, and he's saying it simply isn't true ... issuing an outright denial to the notion they've split.

The 'Spider-Man' star was out and about Friday in L.A., walking through an alley with a pal as they made their way to Tom's parked car ... and a photog was waiting to chat him up about all the breakup buzz..

Dude tried congratulating TH on a new 'Back to the Future' gig -- which isn't real, BTW -- but then finally asked the obvious question ... are y'all broken up or not? Tom says "No, absolutely not." He doesn't elaborate further, but that's about as clear as he can be on this issue.

Of course, this all comes on the heels of what a lot of people took as red flags in the past couple weeks -- including Zendaya unfollowing everyone (Tom as well) ... not to mention the fact Tom and Zendaya haven't been photographed together in public in literally months.

Meanwhile, Zendaya herself was also out and about Friday -- we got video of her cruising around Culver City with her brother, Austin.

Unclear if they ended up buying anything, but as you can see ... they were pretty chipper on the way out as they headed back to their car, with Zen once again in the driver's seat.

Remember, Zendaya and Austin were photographed Wednesday as well -- driving around town and doing their own things ... solo. It is allowed when you're dating, but for what it's worth she was driving with her brother, and Tom was mobbin' around WeHo that night.

Fast-forward a few days, and they're still not together, but now ... Tom's saying they continue to be a couple.

Frankly, there's no smoking gun on them splitting up, anyway -- in fact, we'd been told by people with direct knowledge the duo spent NYE together. The fact they haven't been hanging out together in public these past couple weeks doesn't necessarily mean they're done.

It just means they've got individual lives -- plus, Zendaya and Tom are notoriously private as it is ... so this might just be par for the course.