TMZ Live

Zita Vass says she's open to pivoting her views on wanting to say the n-word at concerts -- 'cause it sounds like she's just not aware of how or why people would possibly be upset.

We talked to the Guess model Monday on "TMZ Live," and she defended her take online from this past weekend ... where she expressed a desire to be able to say the derogatory racial slur in live music settings, especially if she was just repeating lyrics from an artist.

Zita's whole thing here is this ... if there's no hate in her heart, what's the big deal???

Welp, we tried explaining to Zita why some -- especially Black people -- might take offense to hearing her use the term ... and after a lot of back and forth, it sounds like she finally might've started to understand.

She admits there may be some ignorance on her part -- and the bigger takeaway is that she's willing to learn ... which is refreshing to hear. Of course, some just wanted to dump on her -- and that's exactly what a good amount of people did in her Instagram comments.

This conversation we had with Zita is definitely worth a watch -- it's almost like she's learning about racism (or perceived racism) live for the first time ... and seems pretty genuine about it too, surprised that some might not be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

President Biden invited a bunch of Gen-Z influencers to the White House to watch his State of the Union address -- and one person in the mix has the inside scoop on how it went.

Tiffany Aliche -- an author and renowned financial expert -- came on "TMZ Live" Friday to break down what it was like Thursday evening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. with all these young whipper-snappers and Tiktokers around ... 'cause there were a crap ton of them.

Aliche -- who's built a massive following on Instagram and TikTok educating people about money -- tells us that she was one of over 60 influencers who attended the highly publicized evening ... and that there was a mix of internet personalities in attendance.

So, no ... it wasn't just political influencers -- fashionistas were there, too, it seems.

The message was clear for those in attendance ... Biden and his staffers wanted to reach Gen Z -- with Tiffany recalling that POTUS praised the content creators as "critical" to his campaign since they have a massive reach. Out with the old, as they say!

On whether this influencer effort will sway young voters to vote for Biden this fall ... Tiffany isn't certain -- but she does think it helped with raising awareness.

As for the vetting process required ... Tiffany says she was surprised that she wasn't asked about her political preference before being invited. The only conditions ... respect the White House as a historical building and a military compound.

She didn't even have to post if she didn't want to -- which sat well with Tiffany.

Other influencers invited to the White House ahead of the State of the Union included strategist Keith Edwards, activist Aaron Parnas, and "The Real Friends of WeHo" star Joey Zauzig.

Joe Biden's celeb-packed State of the Union address preview was a stroke of genius -- this according to political heavy-hitters, Lis Smith and April Ryan.

We spoke to both on 'TMZ Live,' Thursday ... with Lis telling us that whoever in Biden's camp came up with that idea deserves a serious raise, 'cause these speeches can be a major snooze-fest ... so making politics cool for those who might not care is a big deal!

Lis goes on to say that if more folks in politics injected a little fun and humor into the mix, maybe we wouldn't be so stressed out all the time.

She's also saying the positives of that clip and Biden's approach totally outweigh any negatives ... adding that people throwing shade at it were probably never gonna vote for JB in the first place.

April -- the White House Correspondent for TheGrio -- also backs Lis' sentiments ...  saying Joe's team dropped that video to connect with everyone and show he's in touch with people's everyday struggles despite sitting in one of the most important buildings in the world.

She also tells us it's a smart move on his part 'cause becoming the U.S. President ain't just about domestic policy issues ... it's about playing on the global stage, too.

By putting out that video of him hilariously seeking advice from former President actors Morgan Freeman, Bill Pullman, Geena Davis, Michael Douglas, and Tony Goldwyn ahead of his super serious speech ... he's painting a winning picture and showing confidence, rather than highlighting setbacks.

Of course, Joe's definitely had his fair share of criticism during his presidency -- especially when it comes to concerns about his age.

La prueba de la bomba nuclear que se muestra en "Oppenheimer" dejó un legado duradero de exposición a la radiación y diagnósticos de cáncer en las generaciones de personas que ayudaron a construir Los Álamos en Nuevo México, y estas mismas personas dicen que sus problemas siguen siendo ignorados por Hollywood y el Congreso.

Tina Cordova, cofundadora del Consorcio Tularosa Basin Downwinders, se unió a nosotros en "TMZ Live" el miércoles y nos dijo por qué la primera prueba de la bomba nuclear del mundo sigue afectando a las familias en Nuevo México, décadas después de que se hiciera la detonación nuclear de Robert Oppenheimer en el desierto.

"Oppenheimer" parece estar a punto de ganar un montón de estatuillas en los premios Oscar de la Academia de este fin de semana, pero Tina dice que los cineastas excluyeron descaradamente a todas las personas que hicieron posible Los Álamos y la Prueba Trinity.

Recuerden, la prueba de la bomba nuclear en julio de 1945 se llevó a cabo en medio de tormentas eléctricas, lo que resultó en escombros tóxicos que cayeron de nuevo a la tierra producto de la lluvia posterior, contaminando el paisaje, los suministros de agua y la cadena alimentaria así como exponiendo a los residentes de Nuevo México a la radiación nociva.

Tina, que colaboró en la realización de un documental sobre la lluvia radiactiva, nos cuenta que el cáncer ha diezmado a su familia desde que estalló la bomba (vivían a solo 24 kilómetros de la explosión), y que cinco generaciones han sido diagnosticadas con todo tipo de cánceres, incluidos los de pulmón, boca, piel, cerebro y tiroides.

Dice que los cineastas dejaron este desastre fuera de la película a propósito, del mismo modo que los residentes de Nuevo México fueron dejados fuera de la Ley de Compensación por Exposición a la Radiación (RECA) en su momento, que proporcionó una compensación económica a los estadounidenses que viven cerca de los lugares de pruebas nucleares.

Cuando la gente que vivía cerca de la zona de pruebas de Trinity fue finalmente incluida en RECA y se abrieron potencialmente las puertas para recibir pagos, Tina dice que el liderazgo republicano en el Congreso cortó su financiamiento debido a preocupaciones presupuestarias.

Ahora, con "Oppenheimer" preparándose para una gran noche en los Oscar y una próxima votación del Senado sobre la reautorización y ampliación de RECA, Tina está haciendo ruido por el pueblo de Nuevo México.

The nuclear bomb test shown in "Oppenheimer" left a lasting legacy of radiation exposure and cancer diagnosis on generations of folks who helped build Los Alamos in New Mexico ... but people there say their problems are still being ignored by Hollywood and Congress.

Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us why the world's first nuclear bomb test is still affecting families in New Mexico, decades after Robert Oppenheimer's nuke detonated in the desert.

"Oppenheimer" looks poised to win a bunch of Oscar statues at this weekend's Academy Awards, but Tina says filmmakers blatantly excluded all the people who made Los Alamos and the Trinity Test possible in the first place.

Remember ... the nuclear bomb test in July 1945 took place amid thunderstorms, resulting in toxic debris falling back to earth in the ensuing rain ... contaminating the landscape, water supplies and the food chain ... and exposing New Mexico residents to harmful radiation.

Tina, who helped make a doc about the fallout, tells us cancer has decimated her family ever since the bomb went off -- they lived only 15 miles from the blast -- with 5 generations being diagnosed with all sorts of cancers ... including lung, oral, skin, brain and thyroid.

She says filmmakers left this nuclear mess out of the film on purpose ... similar to how New Mexico residents were left out of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act back in the day, which provided financial compensation to Americans living near nuclear testing sites.

When folks living near the Trinity Test site were finally set to be included in RECA, potentially opening the door for payments, Tina says Republican leadership in Congress cut their funding because of budget concerns.

Now, with "Oppenheimer" gearing up for a big Oscars night and an upcoming Senate vote on reauthorizing and expanding RECA, Tina is banging the drum for the people of New Mexico.

Another weekend is coming to a close, and a new week is among us ... and we talked about a lot on TV.

Starting out with "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles discussed the disaster seen 'round the world -- namely the failed Wonka experience in Scotland ... where a company came under fire throughout the entire week for putting on what many have characterized as a scam.

The videos and images have been wild to see, and on Friday ... Billy McFarland of Fyre Fest infamy weighed in.

Next up, we got "TMZ on TV" ... where the gang discussed Dwayne Johnson's business moves in the WWE -- namely, locking up the rights to a ton of his signature catchphrases.

We already know he has rights to "The Rock," but his trademarks go well beyond that.

Finally, we land on "TMZ Sports" ... where Babcock and Mojo talked about Lil Wayne's mishap at the Lakers game this week -- where he says he was treated like s*** and bolted.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

1:54 PM PT -- Alaia Baldwin Aronow's attorney, Drew Findling, tells TMZ … "On February 24, 2024, Ms. Aronow traveled to Savannah, GA to celebrate the upcoming marriage of a close friend. Sadly, what should have been a celebratory girls night out, unfortunately took an unexpected turn."

He adds, "Ms. Aronow is embarrassed and saddened by the events of that night and is proactively taking the necessary steps to ensure that it never happens again."

The woman who claims Hailey Bieber's sister, Alaia Baldwin Aronow, threw a tampon at her says she's pressing charges -- and we got new video to show how wild this really was.

Check out this footage, obtained by TMZ, that shows Alaia getting thrown out of the Savannah, GA bar she's alleged to have attacked people last weekend -- and as you can see ... it was quite the scuffle on the way out, let alone what allegedly happened inside.

Take a look ... you can see a woman in dark clothing -- who we're told is Alaia -- and she's getting into it with what looks to be the bar security staff. There's a lot of yelling going on, and Alaia appears to be on the floor ... and eventually, she crawls away down the stairs.

It's not a pretty sight, that's for sure ... and it kinda tracks with what people told police that night -- namely, that Alaia allegedly went haywire and attacked people ... including allegedly throwing a tampon at one of the female bartenders who checked on her in the bathroom.

Speaking of that bartender, she actually came on "TMZ Live" Friday and gave us the alleged blow-by-blow ... recounting what she says happened, and what she's gonna do next.

Alaia was already booked on a slew of charges over this -- but Haliegh Cauley, the bartender, tells us she intends to see this through and press charges ... outraged over the whole thing, and slamming Alaia for chucking bodily fluids her way ... or so she claims.

In other words ... this is far from over. Alaia hasn't responded to the arrest news yet.

Dr. Phil isn't afraid to voice his concerns about a red flag in the political arena -- and that'd be Joe Biden's apparent difficulty remembering things ... and his cognitive ability at large.

The TV star and medical professional stopped off at "TMZ Live" Thursday to chat about his new book, "We've Got Issues: How You Can Stand Strong for America's Soul and Sanity" -- and the convo eventually turned to Biden's doctor recently claiming he was fit for duty without needing a physical or neurological exam.

He declared this with conviction, despite many public examples of him forgetting basic deets.

Of course, Biden's all-clear raised eyebrows among some -- including Phil ... who tapped into his days practicing in brain, central nervous system, and cognitive ability fields to weigh in on the situation.

With this in mind, he tells us POTUS if didn't have anything to hide regarding his brain power, he would theoretically have no issue undergoing a transparent neurocognitive test.

Biden's memory loss has become prime material for online roasting sessions -- especially among Republicans -- and even Jon Stewart couldn't resist taking a jab at him during his recent "The Daily Show" return to the hosting chair.

In fairness, JS also went after his opponent -- roasting Trump for being unable to remember basic stuff ... which is a pretty crucial trait to have if you're running the country.

Just don't ask Dr. Phil to throw his hat into the presidential ring anytime soon. He tells us he's been approached for the important gig several times, but he just doesn't know enough about politics to take it all seriously. With that said, he is exploring politics more lately.

Multiple stars of the 'Real Housewives' franchise are coming forward to defend Andy Cohen against Leah McSweeney's allegations -- and they're all leaning into the idea each cast member is personally responsible for her actions.

Luann de Lesseps, who costarred with Leah on 'RHONY,' talked to us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" about Leah's lawsuit against Cohen, Bravo, the production company Shed Media, and Warner Bros. ... claiming they took advantage of her alcohol abuse issues.

Leah claims she was encouraged by Cohen and others on and around the show to drink all in the name of creating better content for the program.

Luann, speaking from personal experience, didn't feel that was the case for her ... saying of course alcohol and parties are part of the 'Housewives' world, but no one ever forced her to take up a glass.

In fact, she says she doesn't think anyone can make a person drink, instead believing personal responsibility plays a key part in addiction recovery -- an issue Luann also dealt with while shooting for the show, having gone to rehab multiple times.

As for Leah's allegation Andy does cocaine with the housewives ... Luann says she's never seen or heard about that, and adds it's not in his character.

LDL says she's now in the "driver's seat" with alcohol consumption and touring with a new cabaret show -- and insists you don't have drink to have a good time on 'Housewives.'

She further vouches for Andy, saying she doesn't believe he'd force anyone to drink like Leah's claiming -- a sentiment echoed by another former 'RHONY' star.

Dorinda Medley -- who appeared on the show from 2015 to 2020 -- tells us she feels terrible for Andy, and questions why Leah decided to come back for a second season of 'RHONY' and an 'Ultimate Girls Trip' if she felt so uncomfortable.

Medley added she'd jump at the chance to get back on 'Real Housewives' ... saying she's had nothing but good experiences with Andy and Bravo and she's gained so much by being on the show. She also said adults need to be held accountable for their own actions.

And, a non-New Yorker -- Cynthia Bailey formerly of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" fame -- also stood by Andy, telling us at LAX, she was never forced to drink or ever believed Andy was using cocaine as McSweeney claimed.

CB says she sympathizes with addicts, but adds people who know they have substance abuse problems need to make smart choices -- like turning down cocktails if they know they have a problem

BTW ... another former Bravo star, Brandi Glanville, is also threatening to sue Andy for an inappropriate comment he allegedly made.

Kara Swisher es realista sobre la inevitabilidad de la inteligencia artificial y está ofreciendo consejos francos sobre cómo debemos navegar por esta tecnología en constante evolución.

La famosa periodista de tecnología, que acaba de publicar su nuevo libro "Burn Book: A Tech Love Story", se unió a "TMZ Live" el martes, donde dio una advertencia sobre lo que está por venir en el terreno de la inteligencia artificial.

Kara nos dice que la inteligencia artificial no se irá a ninguna parte y aunque siempre ha habido propaganda falsa, la IA está haciendo casi imposible distinguir lo falso de lo real.

Por eso cree que el gobierno debe entablar un diálogo con las empresas tecnológicas sobre algún tipo de regulación, algo que ya hace con otras industrias.

A Kara no le entusiasma la idea de que todas las creaciones de inteligencia artificial estén amparadas por la libertad de expresión y todas las protecciones que conlleva. En cambio, le gustaría ver a más gente siendo demandada por daños.

Por ejemplo, Taylor Swift fue víctima hace poco de la aparición de imágenes falsas de ella en Internet en lo que podría ser calificado como contenido porno, y si demandara a los creadores, Kara dice que eso podría disuadir a futuros actores.

Kara Swisher is getting real about the unavoidability of artificial intelligence ... offering up candid advice on how we should navigate the ever-evolving technology in the future.

We got the famed tech journalist -- who just released her new book, "Burn Book: A Tech Love Story" -- Tuesday on "TMZ Live," where she issued a warning about what's to come for AI.

Kara tells us artificial intelligence isn't going anywhere -- and while fake propaganda's always been around, AI is making it almost impossible to distinguish phony info from the real thing.

Which is why she thinks the government needs to start a dialogue with tech companies about regulation ... something it does with other industries.

One thing Kara's not keen on is the notion all AI creations fall under free speech, and all the protections that come with that tag -- instead, she'd like to see more people sue for damages.

For example, Taylor Swift was recently victimized when phony X-rated/NSFW AI images of her surfaced online -- and if she were to sue the creators, Kara says that might deter future bad actors.

It's the weekend, and there's no better time to catch up on our TV clips than right now!

Kicking things off on "TMZ Live," Harvey and Mike talked about Travis Kelce crashing Taylor Swift's first Sydney show in Australia -- which he traveled thousands of miles to attend ... and where he made a big impression on the Aussie crowd. Safe to say, he's a rockstar!

Travis has already left Sydney since, and his trip was short ... but boy, was it memorable.

Next up is "TMZ on TV," where the work crew discussed Kanye West's wife's new (but familiar) look in Milan ... where she and her husband are still promoting his most recent album.

Bianca has a slightly switched-up 'do ... but the rest of her looks awfully familiar.

Lastly, we land on "TMZ Sports" ... where Babcock and Mojo talked Floyd Mayweather's pricey watch.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Artificial intelligence, climate change and nuclear annihilation are just a few issues facing the human race ... and we've got no chance against them unless we work together -- at least according to J. Robert Oppenheimer's grandson.

Charles Oppenheimer ... founder of The Oppenheimer Project -- a nonprofit working toward creating a safer future as technology rapidly changes -- joined us on TMZ Live Friday to answer some of the biggest questions of our time.

When asked about the grim prospect of rogue AI, global warming and nukes ... Charles said it's easy to feel despair -- but he's choosing to stay hopeful instead, promoting cooperation between people on opposite sides of the issues.

The way Charles sees it ... we don't have to agree on everything, but we gotta come together on the big stuff to avoid massive extinction-level events.

CO says political tensions make everything worse ... so, he hopes people can put their politics aside to confront issues that affect everyone, regardless of political party or nationality.

Oppenheimer says the world totally shifted on its axis when the first atomic bomb went off in July 1945 which Charles said really heralded the beginning of global interdependence -- nations forced to rely on one another whether they wanted to or not.

Charles adds we can't go back to the days of the Cold War ... when a country tried to deter its enemies by building more bombs, essentially becoming the biggest, baddest dude on the block.

He said the only way out of that mindset is to work with those countries that otherwise might become enemies -- like China and Russia, two other global superpowers the U.S. doesn't exactly get along with.

The name Oppenheimer's on everyone's minds these days, mostly in regards to the Oscar-nominated flick -- but, there's another Oppenheimer focused on the world's problems too ... Charles, obviously.

Tiffany Haddish dice que está en Israel para observar con sus propios ojos lo que está pasando en Gaza y realmente se emocionó cuando se defendió de sus críticos más duros.

La actriz y comediante se unió a nosotros en "TMZ Live" el miércoles desde tierra santa, donde nos contó cómo su visita la está ilustrando sobre la guerra en el Medio Oriente y le está abriendo sus ojos más allá de lo que ha leído en las noticias o en Internet.

Tiffany dice que quería verlo todo por sí misma y experimentar lo que está pasando en terreno, pues no tiende a creer todo lo que ve o lee en Internet.

¿Qué ha aprendido Tiffany? Bueno, dice que las personas fueron sacadas de sus casas y tomadas rehenes durante el ataque de Hamás el 7 de octubre. Pero no solo eso, sino que también explica cómo fueron asesinados y secuestrados del festival de música ese día, señalando que aunque cientos han sido liberados, cientos más permanecen en cautiverio.

Tiffany, que aterrizó en Israel el martes, nos dice que también está allí para ver y sopesar el alcance de las represalias de Israel contra Hamás, las que han dejado más de 30.000 palestinos muertos.

Es una situación complicada, por supuesto, con mucha religión y política en juego, pero Tiffany dice que lo más importante para ella es el aspecto humano y que quiere la paz en ambos lados.

Aunque Tiffany confirmó que tiene ascendencia judía hace 5 años a través de pruebas de ADN, dice que no solo está preocupada por los judíos en Gaza, sino que también está preocupada por los palestinos. E insiste en que nadie que la critique debería perderse eso.

Tiffany dice que es importante recordar que hay seres humanos y familias al centro de todo esto y con ellos quiere conectar y a ellos quiere escuchar durante su visita.

También le preguntamos a Tiffany sobre algunas de las reacciones que está recibiendo en línea por el video que grabó desde el avión en su camino a Israel y ahí es cuando más se emociona intentando contener las lágrimas.

Tiffany se emocionó al defender sus bromas sobre encontrar un marido allí, algo con lo que bromeó durante el IG Live que hizo a principios de esta semana, y dice que tiene el coraje de hacer algo que muchas mujeres solteras no harían por su cuenta.

Enfatiza especialmente en esto último: Nos dice que está sola en el mundo y es desgarrador. Es una conversación interesante y Tiff explica por qué está siguiendo sus instintos.

Tiffany Haddish says she's in Israel to observe for herself what's going on in Gaza -- and she actually got choked up in defending herself against her harshest critics.

The actress/comedian joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday all the way from the holy land ... telling us how her visit is already educating her on the war in the Middle East -- and opening her eyes beyond what she's read in the news or seen online.

Tiffany says she wanted to take it all in for herself and experience what's happening on the ground ... because she doesn't tend to believe everything she sees/reads on the internet.

So what has Tiffany learned? Well, she says folks were dragged from their homes and taken hostage during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack -- not just that, but she explains how people were killed and kidnapped at a music festival that day too ... noting that while hundreds of hostages have been released since October, hundreds more still remain in captivity.

Tiffany -- who landed Tuesday in Israel -- tells us she's also there to see and weigh the scope of Israel's retaliation against Hamas ... which has left over 30,000 Palestinians dead.

It's a complicated situation, of course, with lots of religion and politics involved ... but Tiffany says the biggest thing to her is the human aspect -- and she wants peace on both sides.

While Tiffany confirmed she has Jewish ancestry 5 years ago via DNA testing, she tells us she's not only concerned about Jewish people in Gaza ... she's also worried about the Palestinians. And she insists ... that shouldn't be lost on anyone who's critical of her.

Tiffany says it's important to remember there are human beings and families at the center of all of this ... and that's who she wants to connect with -- and hear from -- on her visit.

We also asked Tiffany about some of the backlash she's getting for a video she recorded from the plane on her way to Israel -- and that's where you can hear her fighting back tears.

Tiffany got emotional defending her jokes about finding a husband over there -- something she quipped about on IG Live as she was flying over earlier this week -- and says she's got the courage to do something lots of single women wouldn't do on their own.

Emphasis on that last part ... Tiffany tells us she's all alone in this world, and it's heartbreaking. It's an interesting convo ... and Tiff tells us why she's following her instincts.

Donnell Rawlings is defending his Laugh Factory beef with fellow comic Corey Holcomb ... telling us that while he could've gone about it differently, his rival reeks of hypocrisy.

We got Donnell on "TMZ Live" Tuesday ... where he tells us the spat ensued 'cause he wanted to shield himself from CH's allegations that anybody in comedy who's done 3 movies or more has had to perform fellatio on someone in the biz -- something he outright denies.

DR also notes that according to IMDB, Corey himself has performed in 4 movies ... telling us he's literally guilty of his own joke. In other words, the attack itself didn't make sense.

In hindsight, Donnell admits he shouldn't have yelled at Corey, but he wanted to protect his integrity and those in comedy who've done over 3 movies.

He also had fury built up from Corey taking shots at his good friend Dave Chappelle for years ... so he also felt the need to stick up for him, too, 'cause he's loyal to his pals.

In general, Donnell doesn't understand the need for comics to create controversy by taking shots at others ... something that's been happening quite a lot lately in epic fashion.