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Joe Exotic hopes his friendship with "90-Day Fiancé" alum Jesse Meester will get him sprung from prison with a pardon ... but Jesse's not so sure Joe Biden will grant the Tiger King's wish.

Joe shocked the Internet Monday when he posted a shirtless pic of his "amazing dear friend" Jesse, saying Jesse was going to help get the favor from Biden. Jesse commented on the post, "It’s sad that the backstabbing and lying has become the norm [in] this society. Time to unite and fight back to get you out."

Jesse, who dated Darcy and Jennifer on the TLC series, says he struck up a friendship with the Tiger King through a fan online, who saw his social media posts supporting Joe and connected them. He then made some friends in The White House a few years back after then-President Trump re-tweeted him and had hope for a pardon for Joe. With Joe Biden now in office, despite what Joe might believe, the pardon seems unlikely.

Jesse now thinks Joe's best shot of getting free is through the legal system ... based on all the new evidence he claims they've received. Jesse's now using his social media to help raise awareness and fundraise for Joe's legal expenses.

It looks like Jason Oppenheim is off the market again ... nuzzling what looks like a new GF at a splashy Hollywood event.

The "Selling Sunset" mogul showed up with Marie-Lou Nurk for the premiere of the new Netflix flick, "Day Shift."

And get this ... Jason apparently thinks the relationship is solid enough to put his very tall model/gf on the next season of his show, which starts filming next week.

Jason clearly closed the chapter on his relationship with "Selling Sunset" co-star Chrishell Stause -- the two called it quits after 5 months. She's moved on, and now so has he.

Barack and Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at a film festival this week -- perhaps not too surprising though ... it was at Martha's Vineyard.

The former First Couple took the stage Friday at the Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival -- where they said a few words before a screening of their Netflix doc, "Descendant." As you can see, they were very warmly received ... the crowd seemed shocked they showed.

Eventually, they each delivered remarks ... BO talked about the power of telling stories -- Black stories, specifically -- and praised the festival organizers for allowing African-Americans to do just that through their event.

He said, "[I]t's one of the powers of this festival, and the work that the Rances have done is to lift up stories that too often have been lost in the flow of time. Because we believe that everybody's stories matter. Everybody's got a sacred story that motivates us, moves us. It's not just a matter of nostalgia, it powers us into the present and the future."

Michelle hit that point home by noting the older generation should be encouraging their youth to actually talk to their grandparents and great-grandparents -- and take in their history while they still can. She also took some playful shots at IG and TikTok trends in the process.

The audience was feeling what she was saying ... as they were audibly agreed throughout. Pretty cool to see 'em here -- even though they're low-key in MV quite a bit. Of course, they have a summer home there (a mansion actually), so they're no strangers to the area.

BTW, as for what their Netflix-backed doc is actually about ... "Descendant" covers a small Alabama community that has descendants from the Clotilda, one of the last slave ships to have sent over Africans to the States just as it was being outlawed nationally.

Jerry Harris, star of Netflix's "Cheer," is getting a new routine ... and TMZ has a glimpse into his life in federal lockdown.

Jerry is about a month into his 12-year prison sentence in his child pornography case. He was recently transferred to a federal prison in Oklahoma City, where his daily life will be a huge culture shock.

Jerry's going to need to find a new way to stay active, because the only fitness opportunities are basketball, handball, walking and lifting weights.

Other ways to pass the time include hobby craft programs, board and card games, group discussion, letter writing and TV viewing ... but the inmates don't get to pick what's on the tube.

Jerry's got a new bedtime too ... lights go out at 11:30 PM on weekdays and 1 AM on weekends ... but there's no sleeping in ... he's gotta be dressed and out of his cell by 6 AM.

It's unlikely Jerry will make many friends on the inside ... guys who plead guilty to child porn aren't exactly welcomed by other inmates ... but he can see visitors on weekends and federal holidays.

Jerry's also hanging up the cheer uniform for standard prison garb, which he's got to wear from 6 AM to 4 PM during the week.

Outside those hours, he can wear clothes purchased through approved channels. Oh and he's getting a new barber too, one of his fellow inmates.

Ana de Armas is getting trashed for her performance in an upcoming Netflix Marilyn Monroe movie because of her Cuban accent, but she's getting critical support from Marilyn's estate ... and they say she hit the mark.

Nick Woodhouse, President and Chief Marketing Officer of Authentic Brands Group, which owns MM's estate, tells TMZ ... "Ana has artfully captured the essence of Marilyn's voice. Marilyn was known for her breathiness, which was actually a tactic taught to her by a speech therapist during her childhood to help her overcome a stutter."

In other words, the estate thinks the accent is unimportant ... her style of speaking is what people remember and captures the true Marilyn.

As we reported ... lots of folks are griping about Ana's accent after seeing the preview, with some haters saying it's distracting and others wondering if Ana got anything out of 9 months of professional dialect.

Woodhouse goes on to say, "Marilyn has served as a muse and inspiration to fans of all genders, all ethnicities and all walks of life, and her influence will only continue. There are no rules when it comes to how an artist can pay homage to her legacy."

He adds, it's not one size fits all when it comes to interpretations of Marilyn ... Kim Kardashian and Michelle Williams put their own spin on MM, and now it's Anna's turn.

"Blonde" premieres Sept. 28 on Netflix, and accent aside ... there's no debating Ana is a dead ringer for Marilyn.

Ana de Armas has gotten buzz over her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in a forthcoming flick -- but some can't get over her in-character voice ... which still leans very Spanish-sounding.

Here's the deal ... ADA is starring in this Netflix movie that's coming out in September called "Blonde," which is an NC-17 depiction of some of Marilyn's life -- albeit through a hyper-stylized lens (it's based on a fictional book exploring MM's struggles, plus rape/abuse, etc.)

We'll get to the graphic content in a bit -- because there's outrage over that too -- but first, we gotta get into people griping about Ana's still-there accent ... which came to light in Netflix's latest trailer for the movie that came out this past week. It's got Twitter in a tizzy.

As you can see (and hear) for yourself, there are still pretty noticeable traces of Ana's native language coming through in her performance. She's from Cuba and came to the States in adulthood ... and pretty much all of her movies thus far feature her natural accent.

The problem here -- at least for bird app users -- is that it feels somewhat distracting, seeing how Marilyn had a typical American accent. Some say Ana not perfecting it for this Oscar-bait role is strange, especially since so many actors these days (international and otherwise) do accent crossover roles all the time, often to rave reviews and much fanfare.

Plus, Ana said early on that she underwent 9 months of professional dialect training for this part -- but now, a handful of people are wondering what she's got to show for it.

Of course, many are defending Ana as well -- saying any criticism of her accent is misplaced and misguided -- and perhaps teetering on xenophobic territory. Some say that there are tons of examples of American actors butchering foreign accents, but no one minds them.

There's also some who feel like the accent isn't make or break -- arguing it shouldn't be the single element that snaps folks out of their suspension of disbelief, especially since we do it all the time for superhero movies. In other words, Film Twitter is divided over this one.

While that debate rages, there's also a convo about this film potentially exploiting Marilyn's story and legacy ... all for the sake of shock value in depicting her suffering tremendously on camera, which many see as gross -- especially with the free reign of an NC-17 rating.

"Bridgerton" is once again a smash hit, but this time Netflix is pissed ... because it says two musicians ripped off their TV series, turned it into a stage production and turned a huge profit.

The streaming giant is going after the duo Barlow & Bear for  "The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert" -- a musical production they performed to a sold-out Kennedy Center earlier this week.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Netflix says the production's opening number, "Tis the Season" is nearly identical to the one they used to introduce the show's main characters and setting. Netflix says Barlow & Bear even ripped off "substantial dialogue verbatim" from the TV show.

According to Netflix, the musicians didn't just steal its intellectual property ... but they also lied about getting permission. In the suit, Netflix includes an advertisement that was posted for the stage production and it includes the text, "BRIDGERTON is a trademark of Netflix used with permission."

Nope. Not according to Netflix, which says it actually "vigorously objected" to Barlow & Bear's use of the show's name, characters and dialogue.

Netflix says the duo has plans to take the musical on the road with a performance in London's iconic Royal Albert Hall -- and they're also selling "Bridgerton" themed merch.

Besides ripping off its TV show, Netflix says Barlow & Bear's pirate operation is competing with its "Bridgerton Experience" ... a 6-city event where fans pay to enjoy an "immersive" night in a ballroom with actors and music inspired by their show.

Zac Efron and Netflix are tarnishing a health and wellness brand's good name with their streaming series ... according to a new lawsuit.

The actor and streaming giant are being sued over "Down To Earth With Zac Efron" by a company called Down To Earth Organics, which claims the Netflix travel show is hurting their biz.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, DTE claims they locked down the rights to "Down To Earth" for media and entertainment purposes well before Zac and Netflix premiered their show.

DTE says the Netflix series, which follows Zac around the globe to find healthy, sustainable ways to live, is trying to create a new "Down To Earth" wellness brand ... and the company says it's hurting their bottom line by confusing customers.

What's more, DTE says the Netflix series' advice on wellness "has been widely ridiculed" and is pushing "damaging false nutrition claims." ... and they're not fans of Zac using the show to cross-promote Nature Valley snack bars on social media, because DTE says they offer their own healthy snacks with the trademark.

DTE is going after Zac and Netflix for damages ... and they want an injunction prohibiting Zac and Netflix from infringing on their "Down To Earth" trademarks.

Dave Chappelle getting an Emmy nomination for a stand-up special some call transphobic is emboldening the transgender community -- but not so much in the way you might think.

We spoke to Ashlee Marie Preston in L.A. to get her reaction to the comedian getting a Primetime Emmy nod for Netflix's "The Closer" -- which, as you know, was the subject of much controversy last year ... and even spurred Netflix employee walkouts in protest.

Preston -- who isn't a Netflix employee, but still helped organize the walkout -- tells us she and other members of the transgender and queer community have an action plan ... the details of which she's purposely keeping under wraps, but promises we'll see soon as a response.

Give the clip a watch ... it sounds like Ashlee and Co. are about to roll out a campaign or an announcement of sorts that advocates for LGBT-friendly content -- something she says the industry needs more of to help combat the POVs Dave expressed in "Closer," which she considers harmful.

Preston also tells us that instead of focusing on Chappelle ... she encourages anyone who supports their cause to turn their attention to Emmy nominees who help tell their story -- folks like Bowen Yang and others, who are also up for awards this year.

It's also interesting to hear Preston's approach this time around -- rather than being triggered and reacting in haste, she and her colleagues appear to be going about the response much more strategically.

Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling’s latest sweepstakes is a massive success ... raising over $200k for charity and giving some lucky donors the opportunity of a lifetime.

Sources connected to the fundraising effort tell TMZ Chris and Ryan raised $276,444 for Christopher’s Haven, Inc., ... Evans' charity which offers temporary, low-cost housing for pediatric cancer patients and families while receiving treatment away from home in Boston.

As we've told you, the two actors teamed up with Omaze to help raise money for the org. Those who donated were entered into a drawing for the chance to get flown out to the premiere of their new movie "The Gray Man" for some serious movie star treatment.

We're told the winner selected was Lula H. and her daughter, Mariah, from Columbus, OH.

The two will enjoy an all-expense-paid flight, 4-star hotel stay and will get to join Chris at the red carpet premiere of "The Gray Man" with plenty photo ops with Chris and Ryan -- who both star in the movie.

"Love is Blind" contestant Jeremy Hartwell says the producers behind the Netflix reality show plied contestants with booze, deprived them of food and water, and paid them less than minimum wage ... and now he's suing.

Jeremy, who appeared on season two of the popular reality dating show, is going after Netflix, production company Kinetic Content and casting company Delirium TV with a class action lawsuit.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the show manufactured drama by forcing the contestants to film while they were drunk, starved, sleep-deprived and underpaid.

Jeremy claims the only drinks regularly provided to the cast were alcoholic beverages, energy drinks, soft drinks and mixers ... he says water was strictly limited during long days on set.

He claims producers would sometimes even withhold hotel room keys so contestants couldn't get sleep, while directing hotel staff not to provide the cast with food.

Jeremy says the combination of sleep deprivation, isolation, lack of food, and an excess of alcohol contributed to inhumane working conditions on the show ... and says it made cast members hungry for social connections, altering their emotions and decision-making.

In the show, contestants go to separate pods to meet their dates, flirting and conversing through speakers while unable to see the other person. In order to meet in person, two contestants have to first get engaged.

Jeremy says he left the show feeling like a zombie and realized he was open to emotional manipulation during production.

As for the pay scale ... Jeremy says producers paid the cast a flat rate of $1,000 per week and forced them to work up to 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, working out to as little as $7.14 an hour ... well below L.A. County's $15 minimum wage.

Jeremy, who wants more contestants from 'Love Is Blind' and other reality shows to join his class action suit, is going after Netflix, Kinetic and Delirium for money, and he wants them hit with civil penalties for labor code violations.

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris will have a lengthy list of rules to follow after doing time for his child pornography case ... including completion of multiple treatment programs.

According to legal documents, obtained by TMZ, Harris' registration as a sex offender will be just the tip of the iceberg.

The terms of his supervised release require him to participate in a mental health program, and take any meds prescribed by the treatment provider.

On top of that, he'll also have to go through a sex offender treatment program, which might include psychological and physiological testing.

In addition to the treatment, there's an obvious criterion -- Harris is forbidden from coming into contact with the minors involved in his case.

As you know, Harris was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison last week after a string of his friends and supporters read statements about the disgraced reality star's character.

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris getting a dozen years behind bars in his child pornography case wasn't a reason for joy in the household of two of his accusers ... so says their own mother.

Twin brothers Charlie and Sam are among the victims who accused Jerry of soliciting nudes and sex from minors, and their mom, Kristen said in a lengthy statement she's still heartbroken and angry despite his prison sentence.

Kristen says every aspect of Jerry's case is tragic, and she's not feeling a sense of justice just yet ... because she wants to see the folks who run big-time cheerleading take steps to prevent other minors from being abused.

As we reported ... Jerry was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison, appearing in court and telling his victims, "I am ashamed as I know that I took advantage of your youth and weakness. I was wrong and selfish. I caused you harm and I do not blame anyone. I regret my decisions and I am deeply sorry."

Remember ... the Netflix star had been under FBI investigation since 2019, with the feds claiming he was soliciting sex from minors at cheerleading competitions, as well as coercing teen boys to send him sexually explicit photos.

Harris was arrested in September 2020, with the second season of "Cheer" diving into his arrest and sharing the story of his twin accusers.

Charlie claims he was only 13 when a 19-year-old Harris sent him a direct message on Instagram, asking his age and wondering if he would send him nudes. Charlie says he felt pressured to send the pics because he looked up to Jerry as a male cheerleader.

From there, Charlie claims he continued communicating with Harris until they met at a cheer competition, where Harris allegedly assaulted him.

Sam claims Harris started contacting him after allegedly assaulting his twin, and their mom says she started looking into their relationship after finding some of their communications.

Britney Spears is again bemoaning the fact that she's been the subject of documentaries and TV specials of late -- saying she considers it grade-A bullying by Corporate America.

The pop star posted lengthy thoughts about this on Saturday, which she's addressed before. She writes, in part ... "I feel like America has done a wonderful job at humiliating me," going on to explain that when she was in the conservatorship ... she'd apparently be forced to walk to her car from the airport, on purpose, so that paps could get a ton of shots of her.

Britney's words here are a bit all over the place, but her gripe seems to be with old paparazzi photos -- some of which she thinks are unflattering -- being resurfaced in docs and specials that have aired in the past couple years ... including on Hulu, Netflix and CNN.

On the issue of so much coverage of her now, she adds ... "I've never felt more bullied in my life in this country it's insane ... and come on seriously is it honestly legal to do that many documentaries about someone without their blessing at all??!"

Then, Britney invokes some celebrity names as examples of people who never get this amount of press and analysis without their permission or participation -- including Will Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry.

She also says the idea these specials are "helping her" are misguided, suggesting that rehashing this ancient history is embarrassing. BS also appears to believe that most of these docs focus on what led to the conservatorship rather than what she went through while actually in it ... the reality of which she says was far worse than what's been depicted.

The weird thing ... the above-mentioned outlets seem to be the only ones with big docs/specials that have been done about Britney, and the last one came out in fall of last year -- so it's unclear why Brit's talking about this now and what might be triggering her.

What Britney also doesn't seem to understand is this ... her story isn't over, as she and her legal team are continuing to go after her dad, Jamie Spears, and seem dead set on holding him accountable for what they say he put her through during the conservatorship.

Plus, she hasn't done a proper sit-down with anyone yet ... so the intrigue isn't going away anytime soon, especially as she continues to make headlines with her personal life.

Of course, Britney might just be biding her time to fully tell her story in her own words ... probably until she can finish her tell-all book, which she reportedly struck a deal to write to the tune of at least $15 million. In light of that, we're sure she'll speak up eventually.

"Stranger Things" has a way with music -- and this season was no different, especially for Metallica ... whose tunes are in high demand, particularly among guitar hero wannabes.

As you've heard, the band's '80s hit, "Master of Puppets," is featured in a pivotal scene toward the end of the 4th season of the Netflix hit (RIP Eddie Munson) -- and like other songs heavily featured in this year's installment ... Metallica's earworm is surging in real life.

Just like Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" got mad love among new listeners, 'MoP' experienced the same -- with a reported 400% boost in streaming among various platforms.

What's different now ... it seems this renewed interest is seeping into the world of musical instruction, specifically through a company called Yousician -- which teaches noobs the basics of how to play certain instruments, including guitar.

Per Billboard, the online school's site reports a massive spike in a certain online lesson they offer -- upwards of 100%, apparently. You see, they actually teamed up with the real Metallica for a virtual master class for their paying customers ... and learning how to play "Master of Puppets" is indeed one of the songs available in their "Metallica x Yousician' course.

Yousician is also said to be adding the song to another internal tool on their site -- a guitar tuning and songwriting one -- as 'MoP' doesn't currently exist there, but will soon.

The amount of support for "Outer Banks" stand-in Alexander "AJ" Jennings has been massive since his untimely death ... but his family says the best way to honor him would be to donate some cash to a charity.

LuJean Jennings, Alex's mother, tells TMZ ... they've been offered help for funeral costs from "Outer Banks" cast and crew members, but she thinks a donation to the Red Cross would make more sense, given the deep ties he has with the org -- and it's not just his CPR and lifeguard certification.

Alex, who stood in for Chase Stokes on the Netflix series, was born in Russia and was adopted from an orphanage when he was 18 months old. He was proud of his heritage ... up until Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- something he found extremely upsetting.

Being a 22-year-old actor, Alex didn't always have the means to make financial contributions of his own, but his family would often send money to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The fund assists people leaving Ukraine with shelter, basic aid items and medical supplies.

Alex's family is asking those wanting to show support for the late actor to help the refugees by chipping in to the IFRC instead.

As we reported, Alex was struck and killed by two vehicles early Tuesday morning in Charleston, both of which fled the scene. According to preliminary reports, he was walking along the main thoroughfare between James Island and Folly Beach when he was hit.