Netflix

The Netflix docuseries on L.A.'s mysterious Cecil Hotel is triggering a flood of new, and bizarre, theories on who was behind Elisa Lam's death -- some so strange they'd require time travel.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... ever since "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel" started streaming, LAPD's 24/7 hotline's been ringing off the hook with tips. We're told most are connecting the hotel's haunted past to the unsolved mystery of how Lam ended up dead in a rooftop water tank.

If you've seen the series you know a former GM at the Cecil said she saw about 80 deaths at the hotel over 10 years.

Our sources say the strangest tip cops have gotten involved Richard Ramirez, AKA The Night Stalker. Now, he is mentioned in the series, because he lived on the 14th floor at the hotel while he terrorized California in the '80s.

That tip clearly didn't come from Sherlock Holmes since Ramirez had been locked up for nearly 30 years when Lam was found dead in 2013.

Will Smith says his encounters with blatant racism all involved pure stupidity -- as in, really stupid people, but he also has a theory about smart racists.

The actor dished on the 'Pod Save America' podcast, in which he discussed his experience with racism both before and during his time in Hollywood ... all with the backdrop of a new Netflix series he produced about the 14th Amendment, 'Amend: The Fight for America.'

Will was asked about how his own personal run-ins with prejudice helped steer the project, and he didn't hold back ... saying he'd been called the n-word to his face at least 5 times before.

Then, Will got a bit philosophical ... saying everyone who'd said that to him wasn't very bright -- which he chalked up to ignorance. But, he goes on to distinguish that form of racism from its ugly "twin" ... evil.

Watch the clip to see how Will phrases it, but essentially ... he's saying ignorance can be treated with education, but there's no easy fix for evil, if that's what's at the core of someone's racism.

Joe Exotic is getting the best revenge he can against Carole Baskin -- hiring the attorney who recently repped the family of her missing husband ... who's now working to free him.

John M. Phillips of the Phillips & Hunt firm broke the news Tuesday, saying he'd been retained by the 'Tiger King' himself in a bid to get a new trial arranged so Joe can plead his case in front of a new set of 12 jurors.

Phillips writes, "Work has already begun on @joe_exotic's New Trial Motion. We are proud to be leading his team. I was sworn into the Western District of Oklahoma this morning. This isn't about tigers, television or tomfoolery, it's about justice and evidence. More soon."

He also posted a video ... which took some shots at Joe's former legal team, who Phillips characterized as engaging in "buffoonery" in their bid to get JE pardoned by Prez Trump.

Doesn't sound like Joe disagrees -- at least that's how Phillips makes it sound. He says shortly after the failed attempt, the man himself reached out and asked about his services. One thing led to another, and now Phillips is on the case -- and he ain't looking to Joe Biden for a bail-out either.

Remember, Phillips was also brought on by Don Lewis' surviving family members -- who seem to believe Carole knows more about his mysterious vanishing than she's let on. They even bought air time during her debut appearance on 'DWTS' which aired mid-broadcast.

Taylor Swift is picking up the battle her fans started with Netflix -- ripping one of its hit shows for a sexist and misogynistic joke targeting her dating life.

Taylor fired back Monday morning at the streaming service and the writers of "Ginny and Georgia" over the show's finale which showed Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and her mother Georgia (Brianne Howey) arguing about relationships. Ginny quipped, "What do you care? You go through men faster than Taylor Swift."

Well, Taylor ain't laughing. She says, "2010 called and it wants its lazy, deeply sexist joke back. How about we stop degrading hard working women by defining this horse s**t as fuNny."

Swift's fans are also peeved ... #RespectTaylor started trending overnight, and one fan tweeted, "It's not sitting right with me [that] Netflix has two Taylor Swift projects on their platform and they are okay with treating her like this!!! RESPECT TAYLOR SWIFT."

The Colin Kaepernick TV production is taking security measures in the wake of a threat at the hands of anti-BLM protesters ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Executives on the project sent an email to the staff with measures to protect the cast and crew. We will not disclose the measures, but the honchos are clearly taking it seriously.

Production sources tell TMZ Sports, they were told the anti-BLM group was planning a protest last Friday at the location shoot. That protest did not materialize, but it caused worry among cast and crew.

The production -- starring Jaden Michael as CK -- was notified last week in a memo ... "anti-BLM sentiments may protest against the production."  Two production sources tell TMZ Sports there was also an ominous phone call made last week to the production office.

The production sources tell us the anti-BLM group that made the threat was the Proud Boys.

BTW ... we're told Colin was not on set last week.

The production -- "Colin in Black and White" -- chronicles Kaepernick's high school years and the racism he confronted. It highlights the events that inspired Colin's social activism. It's directed by Ava DuVernay and Colin will narrate the 6-part series.

Britney Spears does NOT have her own documentary in the works ... we're told fan speculation and media reports to the contrary are not accurate.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... a doc from Britney and her team is definitely NOT happening. We're told a project of this magnitude would need to be vetted and authorized by Brit and her conservators, which is a big hurdle.

Another source tells TMZ ... a female filmmaker has been reaching out to people in Britney's inner circle, telling them she's working on a doc about Britney's life, and the filmmaker claims she's going to pitch the project to Netflix.

There are reports and speculation circulating that Britney is quietly working on a doc with a top female filmmaker and Britney fears her father, Jamie Spears, could hijack the project to make himself look better ... but we're told neither Britney nor her team are involved in the production.

There's no shaking Jamie at this point either ... as we first told you, a judge denied Britney's request to have her father removed as her co-conservator during Thursday's court hearing.

Britney and her conservatorship are all the rage again these days ... the new doc 'Framing Britney Spears' is getting a lot of buzz, and it's resulted in Britney's boyfriend ripping Jamie, and Justin Timberlake offering her an apology for the things he said after their breakup.

Dave Chappelle says he got what he wanted from Comedy Central -- millions of dollars, and rights to his show -- so now "Chappelle's Show" is back on Netflix ... with his blessing.

Dave shared a bit from his recent stand-up Thursday night in which he revealed the show's return to streaming Friday ... just 2 months after Netflix yanked it at his behest.

On stage, Chappelle summarized his power struggle with Comedy Central to get paid for any "Chappelle's Show" deals they made ... and he gave all the credit to fans for not watching the show at his request.

Dave said ... "When you stopped watching it, they called me. And, I got my name back and I got my license back and I got my show back and they paid me millions of dollars. Thank you very much."

Dave went on to shower his fans with appreciation for putting him back after his 12-year hiatus from comedy, which he says "kept me free."

The famous megamansion from "Schitt's Creek" has a for sale sign in the yard ... and you can live like the TV family used to, if you've got some pretty deep pockets.

The mansion used in the TV series is back on the market for a cool $15 million ... which buys you 12 bedrooms and 24,000 square feet of lavish living.

The estate, known as the La Belle Maison, is tricked out with a home theater, gym, billiard room, wine cellar, sauna, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, plus a game room with a golf simulator.

The three-story home, tucked in Toronto's ritzy St. Andrew-Winfields neighborhood, is designed with marble stairs, carved limestone, fancy balconies and a bunch of frescoes that make you feel like you're in the Sistine Chapel.

There's also a gourmet kitchen that opens to a private patio, plus a formal dining room and a double reception room. The home is listed by Khoren Mardoyan at HomeLife/Vision Realty Brokerage.

Joe Exotic is NOT living it up on the Vegas strip with 'Tiger King' stars Jeff and Lauren Lowe -- he's still behind bars, and the guy hanging with the couple is all about show biz.

'Tiger King' fans went nuts over the weekend when Jeff and Lauren started posting photos and videos with someone who looked a lot like Joe, leading folks to believe he was free. No dice.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the photos show Jeff and Lauren at lunch in Sin City with Vegas Joe, a Joe Exotic lookalike who was recently hired to impersonate the 'Tiger King' star in an upcoming Vegas show.

Vegas Joe is a dead ringer ... he's got the clothes, mannerisms, piercings, tattoos and voice of Joe Exotic down to a T. We're told Vegas Joe didn't even have to audition for the lead role after production crew members saw him on the strip.

As for the show ... we're told it's basically going to be an hour-long parody play with dancers and performers, plus an escape room. The hope is for a mid-summer premiere, or whenever Nevada allows live shows to fully reopen amid the pandemic.

Our sources say Jeff will be featured in the show, along with other 'Tiger King' alums making appearances from time to time ... including alleged hitman-for-hire Alan Glover, the nanny and Lauren.

Netflix left a controversial episode from one of MTV's most popular shows on the cutting room floor ... an episode infamous for some severe bullying.

Here's the deal ... the streaming giant just added 2 seasons of MTV's 'Real World/Road Rules Challenge,' but fans will instantly notice something's missing ... some behind-the-scenes clips featuring 3 female cast members going after another female contestant.

The episode was titled "To Hell and Back: Hot Gossip From The Inferno 2" ... and the troubling scene showed Veronica, Rachel and Tina ganging up on Tonya Cooley by snapping nude photos of her while she was sleeping.

They later showed those pics to other houseguests. That episode was the show's finale in 2005, and aired instead of the usual end-of-season reunions.

As for why Netflix cut it? Well, there's the obvious ... 2005 was just a different time, and things that might have been seen as funny or entertaining back then, just don't fly today.

We reached out to Netflix and MTV for an explanation, but neither responded.

Joe Exotic's father has died ... and Joe's loss is now dovetailing with a trip to D.C. for a pardon that would allow Joe to attend his dad's funeral.

We've learned Joe's father, Francis Schreibvogel, recently died following complications from COVID ... The funeral is set for Saturday in Oklahoma, and Joe desperately wants to go.

TMZ broke the story ... Joe's legal team will be flying to Washington D.C. today pushing for that pardon, but now there's an added urgency since the clock is ticking for the funeral.

As we reported, Joe's legal team, headed up by Eric Love, hopped on a friend's jet with a Joe/'Tiger King' wrap that they're flying to D.C. ... making it a show. Love has told TMZ he has a big meeting with someone White House/pardon-related, but he's not saying who.

If Trump doesn't grant the pardon, they have a plan B ... going to a judge and asking for a day pass -- essentially a temporary release -- so Joe can attend his dad's funeral.

Joe Exotic has not been pardoned yet, but it sounds like he has a plan to get sprung before Trump says adios to D.C.

The "Tiger King" star's legal team will fly to Washington next Wednesday ... we're told for a "high level" meeting in connection with their pardon petition.

Eric Love, who leads the legal team, clearly knows how to stroke Trump's ego. They chose January 6 for a reason ... it's the final straw, when the House votes to ratify Joe Biden as the next President, and when Trump's planning a rally.

There's a buzz in D.C. Trump may pardon a bunch of people Jan. 6 as a distraction, so the House vote doesn't get the attention it would otherwise get.

Joe's got several decades of sentence left, and, as we reported, he's already thinking about dying. Joe has told his team he does not want to be put on a ventilator if he contracts COVID, which is running rampant in the prison.

Joe Exotic is taking a Patrick Henry approach to the possibility of catching COVID-19 -- if the world gives him COVID, then give him death too ... or something like that.

TMZ has obtained an email the 'Tiger King' sent to his Tiger Team -- which is also helping him in his pardon efforts -- and it spells his intentions out clearly ... JE does NOT want to be put on a ventilator in a worst-case scenario should he contract coronavirus.

He writes, "Filled out an advance directive to not be put on a ventilator or life support if I get COVID." He goes on to say that people are dropping like flies at the prison he's at in Fort Worth ... adding that staff and inmates are getting sicker by the day.

He's not entirely wrong about the numbers ... FMC Fort Worth has a listed 12 deaths linked to COVID, with 58 inmates and 27 staffers currently positive. That said, FMC has a decently high recovery rate -- 650 inmates and staffers combined have beaten the 'Rona.

John B, Sarah, JJ and the rest of the gang from Netflix's "Outer Banks" aren't figments of the creators' imaginations -- they're ripped straight off the pages of an existing novel ... so claims the novelist in a new lawsuit.

A man named Kevin Wooten has sued the streaming giant as well as 'OB' creators Shannon Burke and Jonas and Joshua Pate ... claiming the whole lot ripped off the plot of his book, "Pennywise: The Hunt for Blackbeard’s Treasure!" almost beat for beat.

In his suit, obtained by TMZ, Wooten says in 2016 he published his book, which documents the story of 4 young adults who stumble upon a local legend who leads them to buried treasure from a fabled shipwreck along the outer banks of North Carolina.

Wooten says he sold a bunch of copies, including hard copies in the city of Wilmington ... where he claims the Pate brothers spent a significant amount of time, and where they've publicly said they got the inspiration for their new hit show.

That's no coincidence ... according to Wooten, who claims it's likely the Pates stumbled across his novel and used it as the basis for "Outer Banks." KW alleges there's striking similarities you just can't deny ... right down to the structure and characters.

Wooten claims the archetypes of his protagonists and those of the show are almost identical, and so are the villains -- namely, a rich benefactor and a corrupt cop. He also says the plot is virtually the same ... including clues they find and places it leads them to.

Wooten wants damages, but also wants to see a title card in credits reading, "Story by Kevin Wooten, based upon the novel Pennywise: The Hunt for Blackbeard’s Treasure!"

Joe Exotic says he's been reassured his pardon request has finally made its way to President Trump -- and the only thing left to do now is ... wait, but Trump's clearly in the pardoning mood.

The "Tiger King" filed new court docs Tuesday, dismissing his own complaint that he filed just last week ... in which he asked the judge to force the White House Pardon Attorney to get his application in front of DT's eyes for a final decision.

The reason he's reversing course ... Joe says he's now under the belief his pardon petition has, in fact, been received by 45, and that's all he wanted. Now he's got a shot at Trump signing off ... so Joe says there's no longer a need to pursue the legal action.

For now, Joe's just waiting on Trump to let him know one way or the other if he's gonna spring him from prison. It's something he and his team have been waiting on and lobbying for, literally for months.

Remember, Trump DID tell reporters months ago he'd "take a look" at his case and decide if a pardon was warranted.

Dionne Warwick is getting her wish ... Teyana Taylor wants to play the iconic singer on the small screen in a potential series!!!

Here's the deal ... Dionne's latest Twitter fun involved pitching Netflix on a series about her life and career, and she made clear she would only want to see Teyana cast as her. Next thing ya know ... the 2 singers were hashing it out.

Our sources tell us Dionne reached out to Karen Civil, a member of Teyana's team, and Karen connected them by phone. We're told DW and TT spoke for a while about Dionne's biographical series ideas, and Teyana expressed her desire to play the part.

Teyana not only wants to play the starring role, we're also told she and DW discussed producing the series through TT's production company, "The Aunties Production."

With Teyana on board, our sources say Dionne and her son, Damon, feel like TT is just like family now.

For now, we're told Netflix has expressed interest in a potential series ... but Dionne's fam is still working out logistics. Recruiting Teyana was their first priority, though.

If it comes to fruition, it will be a milestone for both women: Producing-wise for Teyana, and for Dionne ... her first biopic series.