MTV

American television host, model and social activist Ananda Lewis was just 23 years old when she hit MTV's stage, grabbed the mic and interviewed some of the hottest artists and stars as a VJ back in 1996.

During her tenure with MTV, Ananda interviewed Destiny's Child, NSYNC, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera amongst numerous other icons and was joined by other MTV VJs including Carson Daly and Sway.

Lewis also hosted MTV's "Hot Zone" which was a mash-up of music videos and celebrity interviews.

Johnny Depp's brief cameo at the VMAs was embraced by some, but it's stirring up outrage as well -- specifically from Amber Heard's sister -- who went in on MTV.

Whitney Henriquez posted a screenshot of MTV's award show logo, but she placed an ominous letter at the front ... a big capital D. So now, on Whitney's page, it reads DVMA -- which alludes to domestic violence.

She writes, "@MTV YOU'RE DISGUSTING AND CLEARLY DESPERATE! I REALLY HOPE THAT NONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT MADE THIS CALL HAVE DAUGHTERS... #DVMAS #ISTANDWITHAMBERHEARD."

There's also a photo of Amber superimposed on Whitney's mock-up -- so yeah, the Heard family is clearly not happy with the network's decision to feature JD right from the top.

As you'll recall ... Johnny's face was digitally shown inside the Moonman costume that was floating above the stage as soon as the broadcast began. He had a corny little monologue, referencing the fact that he's in need of work ... and available for just about any gig now.

Everyone's favorite reality series set in the Florida Panhandle is no more ... because MTV has pulled the plug on "Floribama Shore."

Sources tell TMZ ... the cast was told about the show's cancelation Friday morning -- they weren't given a reason as to why the show was coming to an end.

We've learned the entire cast, minus Gus Smyrnios, filmed together back in November at Nilsa Prowant's wedding. The cast was told the wedding would appear at the beginning of season 5, and they'd pick up filming in February -- before it got called off due to COVID.

Nilsa recently posted pics from her wedding, with production cameras behind her, capturing their big day.

Sources close to production don't seem to want to admit it's over, though ... telling us the show is not moving forward at the moment, but the future of the series is being evaluated.

For those unaware, the show lasted 4 seasons -- premiering in 2017 ... it followed 8 people livin' it up on the beaches that stretch from FL to Alabama.

Hope you have a strong stomach ... 'cause TV personality Steelo Brim suffered such a gruesome ankle injury during a pickup basketball game, it might make you sick!

The co-host of MTV's "Ridiculousness" showed off the nasty injury on Monday, saying he messed up his ankle after landing on someone's foot after banking in a layup.

Paramedics responded, and the foot was so jacked up they actually had to cut off SB's Air Jordan 10 sneaker to access the twisted appendage.

"They caught yo boy slippin 😂🤦🏾‍♂️," the 34-year-old said.

Thankfully, Brim says he escaped with "just" a dislocated ankle. Terrible pain aside, Steelo is clearly relieved.

"Luckily it’s just dislocated," Brim said, "Send me well wishes and money."

Several celebs reacted to the post, including NBA star Rudy Gay, who left a comment saying ... "Why you post that nasty s*** 😂😂😂. Shout out to Cedars Hospital staff tho 👏😂😂"

Xzibit is lying to the court about his financial situation simply to avoid writing some big checks to his estranged wife for spousal support ... at least according to her.

The former "Pimp My Ride" star's estranged wife, Krista Joiner, claims in new legal docs Xzibit is making it seem like he's fallen on tough times when in reality he's got millions in cash.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Krista claims Xzibit's brother told her he takes home over $1 million a month from cannabis companies and stores the cash in multiple locations using bank-sized vaults. She says the bro also told her he personally stored $20 million for Xzibit in various vaults and brings X cash on demand.

In the docs, she paints a much different financial picture of Xzibit than he has. As we first reported, the rapper claims he isn't making any money from his weed ventures and is struggling to make ends meet.

Krista, who filed for divorce in February 2021, also says X is lying about her going behind his back to get a new lease on a 2021 Bentley, dragging her feet on the sale of the family home and living in the mansion with her new boyfriend.

She claims Xzibit is full of baloney ... and she's accusing him of trying to sway the court's opinion so he doesn't have to cut her huge monthly checks.

His estranged wife says she's the one having a tough time financially ... claiming she recently lost her job and has no earnings to support herself or their son.

And, get this ... Krista claims Xzibit has been ignoring her requests for gas money, food and haircuts for their son, and says she had to go through attorneys to beg X to pay for their kid's inhalers.

Day26, former winners of Diddy’s “Making The Band” MTV series are back together, and they’re out to prove R&B sorely needs them.

We caught up with all members of the five-man group -- Que, Willie, Brian, Robert and Michael -- who were all excited, promising their past in-fighting's been squashed and they're ready to deliver an R&B classic.

They sent the feelers out on IG this week, and are now confirming a full-fledged comeback.

As Season 4 winners of “MTB,” the fellas say they’re thankful to Diddy for putting them together but ... even Puff couldn’t grasp the full depths of their potential as an act.

They say there are no hard feelings, but being on Bad Boy is a thing of the past ... and they want to convince the world it’s okay for men in music to soften up.

Their rollout should provide interesting competition for their mentor -- Diddy is currently perfecting his new Love Records venture, which he says houses the "R&B Biggie."

Day26's sentiments on R&B’s current standing echoed that of Boyz II Men’s Shawn Stockman, who said the singing community is too much like the rapping sector these days.

The group is looking ahead to its 15th anniversary live stream concert on July 26 where they’ll debut new material, which they say will re-cement their stake to the throne.

Here's a look inside the mansion that was supposed to be the setting for MTV's "Jersey Shore 2.0," and judging from the pics .. the cast is missing out on one helluva summer.

Before production on the reality show was put on ice, producers picked this historic 8-bedroom home in Atlantic City -- a 4,000 sq. foot pad primed for some classic 'JS' moments.

The four-story home, nestled just a few steps from AC's famous boardwalk and its casinos and nightlife, features beautiful ocean views and huge decks to keep the party going. Well, it would have kept the party going.

There's a huge living area for the gang to hang out by the fireplace, plus a dining table with room for 10 ... perfect for those Sunday family dinners we used to watch the OG cast have.

There were plenty of bedrooms for the cast to choose from -- 4 on the second floor, each with their own bathrooms, and then 4 smaller bedrooms on the third floor. One of 'em seems ready-made to be the new "smush room." 😉

The place looks cool on its own, but it's likely producers added some additional touches to the interior ... a la the duck phone from the OG series.

We broke the stories ... the show came to a halt less than a week after production started, and all the filming equipment's already been cleaned out of the joint.

The mansion is a rental that goes for $1,300 a night on Airbnb. It was booked all through July to film the show, but not for nothin' ... come August the home appears to be wide open for rent.

There's still a big mystery surrounding the sudden pause on production for "Jersey Shore 2.0" ... but we've learned it's almost a miracle the show was close to filming at all considering the casting and production hurdles MTV faced in getting it off the ground.

Our sources say the show's new cast was brought into Atlantic City to prep for production last week ... but there were some serious issues producers faced in finding the right group of people.

For instance -- we're told one '2.0' hopeful was 86'd after producers were alerted to some homophobic and racist social media posts from a relative. Nonetheless, our sources say this was not the trigger for putting the production on pause.

As for production woes ... show producers first wanted to put the cast up in the original "Jersey Shore" house, but the city shut that down ... citing the terrible reputation the first show gave Seaside Heights.

Sources connected to the show tell us ... despite the crates of camera gear being removed from the house this week, the show hasn't been canceled. In fact, we're told show honchos are using the next few weeks to re-group with an eye toward resuming production.

MTV is mum on specifically why they pulled the plug -- at least temporarily -- all they'll say is the show is temporarily on ice.

It's becoming more and more apparent ... MTV's "Jersey Shore 2.0" won't resume production for a while -- at least not in the intended house -- as a ton of equipment was pulled from the location.

Sources tell TMZ ... production crews were back at the Atlantic City pad Wednesday taking down lights and removing cameras from the home. Our sources say it only took the production crew about 4 hours to get everything out.

We're told producers were also seen taking down no parking and permit signs that were dated from the beginning of July to August 6 ... and cases were loaded up with gear behind the home. Two security guards were stationed outside the house as producers and crews moved quickly to pack up.

Our sources say even the house next door, where show producers were shacked up was seen getting packed up and cleared out.

More trouble for MTV and its new 'Jersey Shore' project, as things have already come to a halt less than a week after production started ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to "Jersey Shore 2.0" tell us the new cast of housemates was ready to let loose in Atlantic City -- a house was already fitted with cameras, lighting and a security guard -- when everything suddenly came to a stop.

We've spoken with multiple people connected to the show who say one of the only explanations to pull the plug so suddenly would be an issue with the cast, either they just don't vibe or there was a behavioral issue. We are being told by one source production details are being worked out.

What's more, we got photos outside of the home from Friday showing black SUVs and the production equipment, but over the weekend, our sources say it was all packed up and taken away. So, whatever went wrong, it was sudden.

MTV will only confirm production has been "paused."

What's interesting ... MTV still hasn't announced who was going to be on "Jersey Shore 2.0" -- which is supposed to feature a younger crew than the OGs of Snooki, Pauly D, The Situation, JWoww, Vinny, Deena and Angelina.

Speaking of the OGs, they're probably pretty thrilled '2.0' has hit the skids ... they've made it VERY clear, they hate the concept.

When MTV announced the new venture, the 'Jersey Shore' stars bashed the network, saying, "... we are not in support of a version that will exploit our original show, our hard work and authenticity to gain viewers."

Xzibit is ready to bury the hatchet with MTV parent company Viacom over his "Pimp My Ride" legacy -- but says they first need to acknowledge he got screwed in the first place.

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the West Coast vet after he unloaded on Viacom, claiming it's essentially erasing him from the show's history, and in the process, digging into his pockets!!!

X to the Z claims Viacom gave him the shaft by cutting his "image and likeness" from the show in order to get around paying him royalties over the years since the show was in production.

He says episodes cut for DVDs and streaming were also re-edited to remove his music, and DVD covers removed his image and likeness. We checked, and that tidbit appears to be true.

Xzibit was in his prime as a rapper when the show was shooting ... laying platinum albums with Dr. Dre and hitting sold-out shows with Eminem and Snoop Dogg, and he says his celebrity boosted the show's visibility.

In the suit, X calls Viacom's actions "petty," but he told us he's willing to move forward and still hopes to conduct business with them down the line.

American socialite and fashion influencer Olivia Palermo was just 22 years old when she was cast as one of MTV's chosen stars for 'The City' -- 'The Hills' spinoff series, which followed a young crowd as they journeyed their way through the fashion industry in New York City.

Joining Olivia in the dramatic experience was of course fellow Hills star Whitney Port as she ventured off to the Big Apple from Los Angeles, 'Brothers and Sisters' cast member and actress Roxy Olin and actor from VH1's 'Hit The Floor,' Adam Senn.

The cast of the new MTV series, "Buckhead Shore" is already getting too buck wild ... at least according to the cops who shut down their premiere party.

Sources close tell TMZ ... the cast threw a viewing party Thursday night in Buckhead, so they could watch the premiere with all their friends. That all came to a screeching halt once police got a bunch of noise complaints about the event.

Officers responded around 11:30 PM, and we're told they found a loud party in full swing ... with cars lining both sides of the street and blocking traffic.

Once police told the folks inside about the pissed-off neighbors and parking problems, they shut down the party -- and no one from the cast played the ol' "don't you know who I am" card. Sure sign it's a new show.

The guests removed their vehicles, without incident, and cops didn't have to ticket anyone.

"Selling Sunset" Star Chrishell Stause has some new gold, and used her MTV victory moment to thank fans for overwhelming support after going public about dating G Flip.

Chrishell was awarded best reality star at the "MTV Movie and TV Awards: Unscripted" ceremony Sunday night, and admitted she was worried her fans wouldn't be cool with her true self after announcing it to the world.

She says she was nominated before she opened up about her sexuality, and didn't know if that would impact her chances -- but she's clearly taking the win as a show of support from fans.

G Flip was at the award show and planted a big kiss on Chrishell to celebrate her taking home the trophy. Interestingly, her costar, and ex-bf, Jason Oppenheim was in the crowd too ... along with the rest of her castmates.

Travis Barker did NOT hurl a homophobic slur when he was getting pranked on Ashton Kutcher's old MTV show ... so says the actor from a resurfaced clip that's stirring up controversy.

Here's the deal ... Kourtney Kardashian's husband is getting slammed online by folks who claim he used the f-word in an old clip from "Punk'd."

In the resurfaced clip, Travis is having dinner with Shanna Moakler when an actor posing as a waiter comes to the table and starts flirting with her, pretending they used to date.

Travis gets pissed and tells the server, "Yeah, she usually dates (bleep)" ... and it sets off a heated confrontation, with the waiter saying he didn't appreciate the term.

There's online speculation the MTV show bleeped out a slur ... but the actor playing the waiter in the episode, Ahmed Ahmed, tells us that's not the case. Instead, he says Travis exclaimed, "f***ing a**holes."

Ahmed says the Blink-182 drummer was totally cool once Ashton came out and let him know he was being pranked.

For those who might not buy Ahmed's story ... he doubts Travis would have signed the release forms allowing the clip to air on TV if he had actually said what people are accusing him of saying.

The cast of "Jersey Shore" has done a lot for MTV -- but now, they've pissed the network off ... with a statement denouncing a new, younger version of the popular reality show.

If you didn't know, MTV announced earlier this week it would be adding a revamped version of the classic, with an all-new cast, to the network's upcoming programming -- a cast in the age range of the OG "Jersey Shore" stars when they started out way back in the day.

Clearly, that didn't sit well with The Situation, Snooki, JWoww, DJ Pauly D, Vinny, Deena or Angelina ... who all posted the same statement slamming the new show, saying, "... we are not in support of a version that will exploit our original show, our hard work and authenticity to gain viewers."

We've spoken to high-level sources at MTV who say show and network honchos were not only blindsided ... they're PISSED, calling the cast "ungrateful" and saying, "It's disgusting they'd take a swipe at the network."

Not only that ... they say the cast's claim MTV was struggling before airing "JS" just isn't true, and was an uncalled-for low blow.

We should mention ... the OG cast isn't going anywhere, at least not yet, and their "Jersey Shore Family Vacation" still has a home on the network.

Can't say the cast never had a shortage of drama ... and here's more proof.