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Sokka from Nickelodeon's 'Avatar' show is going to be a lil' different in Netflix's live-action version when it debuts next month ... and that includes a lot less woman-hating, apparently.

Ian Ousely -- the actor who's been tapped to play real Sokka for the streaming giant's take on the beloved animated series -- spilled the beans to EW this week in terms of clarifying how his iteration of one of the main characters will stand apart from what fans remember.

He explained ... "I wanted to make sure that Sokka is funny. There's more weight with realism in every way." His costar Kiawentiio (who plays Sokka's sister, Katara, in Netflix's show) chimed in to clear up which elements of the cartoon didn't work so well in real life.

She interjected with ... "I feel like we also took out the element of how sexist [Sokka] was. I feel like there were a lot of moments in the original show that were iffy."

To that, Ousley agreed in this interview ... going on to say, "Yeah, totally. There are things that were redirected just because it might play a little differently [in live action]." EW also points out what diehards of the animation already know ... namely, that Sokka is, in fact, very sexist as a character toward the start -- but that, eventually, he outgrows that in his arc.

Emphasis on that last part, specially. You see... Sokka's sexism is a key character flaw that he has to mature past all throughout the OG series ... something fans are keenly aware of, which is why they're pissed that it's now being revealed Netflix is changing this major detail.

You can hop into the "Sokka" trend right now on X to see how angry/disappointed everyone is that the Sokka they know -- imperfect and in need of humbling, which often made for great/hilarious moments in the original -- is not going to be found in this live remake.

That also kinda deflates the excitement fans had with the fact Netflix's version actually *looked* a lot like the cartoon ... which had many believing it'd be more faithful to the source material. Apparently, not that faithful. Seems Sokka was too problematic for Netflix.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are getting engaged -- at least that's what one celebrity astrologer thinks ... and he's got TK on his bent knee right down to the month!

We spoke with celebrity astrologer Kyle Thomas -- who's been featured on tons of outlets over the years, weighing in on different A-listers' fates based on horoscopes, etc. -- and we asked him the obvious ... are these two gonna go down the road of engagement, and later marriage???

Check out what this star-reader has to say about their chances of going the distance -- he says he can feel Traylor going all the way, but it likely won't be as soon as people think.

There've been rumblings lately about Taylor and Travis getting engaged ASAP ... but KT here says the most realistic scenario is Travis popping the question in 2025 -- based on a number of other-worldly factors that we'll let him explain.

With that said ... he does say that all the seeds for a long-lasting relationship are being planted right now -- and he wouldn't even be surprised if a proposal came sooner.

On the question of when they might, potentially, get hitched ... he's got an answer for that too. According to Kyle -- Tay-Tay seems to have a few more accomplishments on her bucket list that she might be wanna cross off first. At least that's what the heavens are telling him!

And get this ... Kyle even pulls tarot cards for Taylor and Travis' future -- and based on the vibes he's picking up on ... they appear to be set for a long and fruitful partnership.

The planets are lining up for TS and TK as far as astrology is concerned -- just take Kyle's word for it as the pro -- and even our own eyes tell us ... this could be it for both of them.

Megan Thee Stallion's beef with Nicki Minaj has invoked a famous law aimed to protect people from sex predators -- and the father of the girl it's named after isn't happy about it.

Richard Kanka -- whose daughter, Megan Kanka, was murdered in the '90s by a sex predator who, at the time, wasn't legally required to identify himself in his neighborhood, and who Megan's Law is inspired by -- is fuming over MTS casually dropping his daughter's name in "Hiss" ... the diss track that kicked off this new feud between her and NM.

He tells TMZ that Megan dragging his late daughter's name into the expletive-riddled song aimed at Nicki is as disrespectful as it gets, from his POV -- and he notes that MTS actually appearing to shed light on the law, which she does, doesn't change his sour feeling.

Kanka tells us that using his daughter's name in such a graphic/offensive manner was highly offensive to the pain his daughter and family felt ... and while he says he hasn't heard the track with his own two ears just yet, he has read the lyrics -- and it's still a no-go for him.

For the record, the lyrics in question are: "These hoes don't be mad at Megan [referring to herself], these hoes mad at Megan's Law" -- a reference Meg was using to take a shot at Nicki's husband, Kenneth Petty, who is a registered sex offender in New York.

A bit of a morbid history lesson ... the bill that turned into Megan's Law came into effect a month after the brutal murder and rape of Richard's 7-year-old daughter -- devastation Richard still lives with to this day ... so, understandably, it's a deeply sensitive subject.

He does admit Megan's music (rap) isn't his cup of tea ... so the only way he found out about it was when one of his kids told him. RK says he still chose not to listen though -- and instead read the "Hiss" lyrics to see what exactly was said about his daughter. Like we said, the guy still takes offense over it ... even though some see MTS's use of it positively.

There's also this ... Richard tells TMZ that the song left such a bad taste in his mouth that he's actually considering looking into his legal options to see if Meg's track went too far.

Unfortunately for Richard ... there's probably not much he can do on that front. Artists have liberties when it comes to wordplay/referencing big moments historically -- which is exactly what Megan did here ... so even though he's mad, a threat of legal action feels empty.

Anyway, this beef has only escalated since Meg threw the first shot -- Nicki's fired back with her own diss track, "Big Foot," and people have mixed reactions to it ... good and bad.

Put all the speculation to rest -- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are in love and they don't care who knows ... 'cause new audio proves the Kansas City Chiefs superstar shared his deep feelings for the singer right after the AFC Championship Game.

There was speculation about what exactly was said between the two after the Chiefs punched their tickets to the Super Bowl with a 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday ... with many believing they dropped L-bombs, but the sound quality couldn't definitively confirm the exchange.

The "Inside the NFL" cameras came through in the clutch for all Tayvis fans just minutes ago ... releasing a clip where hot mics picked up the majority of their convo.

Kelce is heard calling for his lady amid the postgame chaos ... saying, "Tay, I'm gonna enjoy with the guys, I love you," before leaning in for a kiss.

Swift replied by telling him how proud she is ... and there very well may have been an "I love you, too," but we can't say for sure.

Of course, there are several angles Swifties have been trying to dissect ever since the game ended ... with another vid also appearing to show Taylor saying "I love you" during an earlier interaction on the field.

The internet detectives did the same thing to Tayvis' New Year's Eve celebration ... so now, after weeks of speculation, Swifties can finally get some rest before launching their Super Bowl prep.

Caitlyn Jenner has a good thing going in her TV career, and didn't want a little cameo on her son's own show ruin that for her ... which is why she took steps to make sure it won't!

Sources close to Caitlyn tell TMZ ... Brandon Jenner has a new series on UnchainedTV called "At Home With the Jenners" and he's been kinda using her name to promote the project, without her blessing.

The show is 3 episodes in, and Brandon gave an interview to The U.S. Sun where he promised Caitlyn will appear on the show ... which isn't totally inaccurate, 'cause she was featured in a family dinner scene with David Foster and did, indeed, show up on camera.

The problem ... our sources say Caitlyn had no idea she was going to be part of Brandon's show whatsoever, and she wasn't happy when she found out he was using her for promotions, let alone when she found out she was actually *in* a scene.

We're told Caitlyn's attorneys reached out to the show's production company, threatening legal action if she wasn’t quickly removed from the show ... and our sources say she's since been scrubbed from all future appearances and has even been edited out of the episodes she was already shown in. If that sounds like kinda harsh, well ... there's big money at play here.

We're told Caitlyn's in the middle of contract renewals with FOX right now and she wants to keep working for the network as a Fox News contributor, especially with the upcoming Olympics and presidential election.

Our sources say Caitlyn wishes Brandon's show nothing but the best, but she's furious over how recklessly everything's been handled just to sell it. We're told CJ has no plans to join a reality show on a different network ... because doing so would potentially put her in a serious breach of her FOX contract, and she doesn't wanna jeopardize that.

Caitlyn called Brandon, we're told, when she found out what was going on, expressing her anger -- and it sounds like her son gets it, 'cause she's been scrubbed.

Kanye West was NOT in a chatty mood to kick off the week -- especially when one of our photogs asked him about Bianca Censori ... which ended with a confiscation and a lecture.

Our camera person was one of several people trailing Ye Monday as he made his way over to Hollywood Blvd. for Charlie Wilson's Walk of Fame ceremony -- and she asked him about several reports claiming he's "controlling" his wife and/or banning her from social media.

We'll admit ... it's not the most subtle opening question, and perhaps unartfully phrased ... as we asked if Bianca had "free will." That immediately set Kanye off, he snatched her phone and started verbally dressing her down.

What follows is a good 3-plus minutes of Ye berating our photog and grilling her about her question -- which he seems to have thought was totally off-limits and wildly disrespectful.

Poor wording aside ... Bianca's perceived freedom in her marriage has been a much-reported topic, so it's a fair question.

Still, it's clearly one that triggers Kanye, and as you can hear from this tirade, he thinks it's disrespectful to raise the issue "to come ask a grown-ass super-hero!!!"

Yep, it was that kinda lecture ... and there's no doubt Ye went over the top to make his point here.

He does end by offering our photog a job at twice the pay! Far as we know, she has not accepted. 😅

The woman who jumped on a moving car to try and stop thieves from stealing her French bulldog says cops are finally taking her case seriously ... all thanks to the media.

Ali Zacharias is the poor woman who had her dog, Onyx, taken from her in broad daylight in downtown Los Angeles earlier this month -- and she joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday to explain exactly how it went down, and what cops are doing now to find the culprits.

Interestingly, she says the LAPD has been much more responsive now that video of the daring and violent dognapping is in the news -- and for good reason ... it was dramatic as hell.

As we reported, Ali was eating outside a Whole Foods in DTLA when a woman walked by and grabbed Onyx's leash and walked away.

Ali says she chased after the dognapper, who got into a car full of people. She says she stood in front of the car, then found herself clinging to the hood for dear life as the thieves sped through town ... fearing for her life as the pavement flew by.

The brazen dognapping is similar to when Lady Gaga's dogwalker got shot over her French bulldogs ... with the Gaga case leading to a huge police response and investigation.

Ali's dog was taken Jan. 18 and the video only surfaced this past weekend, and now that her story is in the media -- she says LAPD is being way more helpful and responsive ... which we suppose is a good thing if it helps get her pooch home sooner.

Gaga's dogs were ultimately returned to her safe and sound ... and Ali's hoping for a happy ending here too, and offering a reward for any info on Onyx.

Lil Wayne's controversial comment about Drake getting unfair treatment as a light-skinned lad isn't all that controversial ... at least, from Kevin Gates' viewpoint.

As a fellow delegate of the fairer-skin nation, KG says Wayne's observation is not only valid, but folks like himself and Drizzy have it harder getting people to take them seriously!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the Louisiana rap star out in NYC, where he was feeling the love from the Empire State, but said the light-skin hate isn't limited to just being rich and famous.

Wayne recently told Richard Sherman he has direct experience in the colorism debate -- he admitted he used to hate on lighter-shaded kids during his youth, but Kevin says he's made a habit outta laughing in the face of adversity ... so hate away!!!

KG's feeling mighty ceremonious these days -- he just released his 4th studio album "The Ceremony," but also addressed his promo photo shoot ... which folks called a little "zesty."

Shaun Weiss is celebrating another milestone in his amazing turnaround ... and the 'Mighty Ducks' star is marking the occasion with some other kid actors from back in the day.

Shaun reached 4 years sober Thursday, and he was surrounded by a whos who of '90s stars at the Corbin Bowl in Tarzana, CA ... where he thanked everyone who helped him stay on the straight and narrow and performed some of his stand-up comedy routines.

Thomas Ian Nicholas from the 'American Pie' franchise and "Rookie of The Year" provided some of the night's entertainment ... singing and playing guitar.

Other '90s celebs supporting Shaun included ... Nate Richert from "Sabrina The Teenage Witch," Natanya Ross from "The Secret World of Amex Mack," Marty York from "The Sandlot," plus John Diresta from "Mickey Blue Eyes" and "Miss Congeniality."

The milestone is huge for Shaun ... he seemed to hit rock bottom back in 2020 when he was arrested for burglary and meth, posing for an infamous mug shot. Back then, he used to live on the streets.

In the years since, Shaun's cleaned up his act, his look and gotten back into Hollywood ... landing a movie gig and doing stand-up comedy.

Looks like Shaun's got a pretty good support system too.

Cher wants to put her son into a conservatorship, but he says he doesn't need one -- and, for now, a judge is still siding with him ... yet again denying her request to lock him down.

Elijah Blue Allman was stone-faced heading into his temporary appointment hearing Monday -- where a judge will presumably decide if Cher will, in fact, be tapped to head up a conservatorship for her adult son ... this after temporarily denying her earlier this month.

In early Jan., the court blocked Cher's effort to put Elijah into a conservatorship -- siding with Elijah's attorneys when they argued they hadn't been given enough time to make their case against the conservatorship ... plus, not getting docs they needed to combat her request.

Cher cited her son's ongoing battle with addiction as the key reason why she wants the legal apparatus used on him -- claiming he can't be trusted to manage his finances on his own.

She specifically says that regular payments he receives from a trust fund left behind from his late father, Gregg Allman, are likely to be squandered because of issues she claims Elijah continues to experience ... but he's called BS on that, saying he's cleaned up his act.

Welp, the judge heard the arguments anew ... and he once again shot down Cher and her team -- simply saying they hadn't proven Elijah doesn't have the capacity to handle his own affairs ... going on to say that an alleged bipolar disorder diagnosis, in and of itself, doesn't necessarily mean he's incompetent. As the judge said, that doesn't address capacity.

The court also acknowledged that Elijah has proven in paperwork that he's remained clean and sober of late ... plus, he's also proven that he's handling his money just fine.

The judge set a future date for a trial on this issue -- where it will presumably be decided once and for all -- and went on to suggest Cher and her kid head into mediation, STAT. Cher beamed in remotely BTW ... it was only Elijah, his wife and all the lawyers in court today.

Our photog got Elijah and his lawyers on the way out as well ... and they had some words.

Taylor Swift simply has more star power than Beyoncé ... at least according to one pro football legend.

Shannon Sharpe delivered the (surely to be controversial) take on the two pop stars after a recent report claimed T.S. generated over $331 million for the Chiefs/NFL and the Chiefs -- something Unc believes Queen B couldn't have matched.

The convo went down on Sharpe's and Ochocinco's Nightcap podcast ... when Shannon asked Chad who else could've generated hundreds of millions of dollars just by showing up to a few games.

Ocho's response was Beyoncé ... but Sharpe didn't agree, expressing his support for Bey, while saying he didn't think her impact would be the same.

"Not like this," Sharpe said. "I love Beyoncé!. Beyoncé ain't moving the needle like this chick, Ocho! No!"

Ocho was shocked by Sharpe's response ... and then Shannon took it a step further.

"[Taylor's] the closest thing to moving the needle like Michael Jackson that we've seen!"

That's when Ocho lost it ... as did many fans after the show dropped.

"Beyoncé did the Super Bowl 4 times. Been there done that Stink….don’t play with my girl EVER!!!" one person wrote.

Another fan pointed out that the King of Pop couldn't even go to the NFL games because he was that famous.

"No one is fainting in awe of Taylor Swift no matter how famous she is," the fan wrote. "There’s no comparison."

At the same time, a ton of fans agreed with Shannon. So, no consensus here.

Ocho also argued that if Beyonce attended games -- like Swift does to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce -- then she'd bring in millions for the NFL.

"Beyonce is on another stratosphere," Ocho said, "Her visibility -- she not out here like that the way Taylor is," Ocho said.

At the end of the day, gets used to seeing Swift ... the Chiefs are in the Super Bowl, and while we're told Taylor won't be a part of the halftime show, you can bet you'll see plenty of her on your television on Super Sunday!

Orlando Brown's night out for dinner in L.A. came to a chaotic end ... because the hotspot restaurant tossed him out when he absolutely flipped out on a staffer.

TMZ has obtained video of the former Disney star -- who famously played Eddie Thomas on "That's So Raven" -- getting booted from TAO Sunday night, and the whole thing is pretty dramatic ... even by Orlando's standards.

As you can see ... Orlando's got his phone out recording a guy who works there, calling him a bunch of names and screaming obscenities before security escorted him off the property.

Folks who were there say the whole scene started with Orlando acting up at his table. We're told he was shouting at other patrons, and when staff came over to calm him down, he went off ... much of which is depicted in the footage we have here.

In the end, Orlando made a grand exit ... loudly telling the restaurant, "Everybody enjoy your night, I'm sorry for f****ing up your s*** ... F*** everybody!!!" Yeah, it's very Tony Montana.

Frankly, it's a sad scene all around ... as we've reported, the former Disney star has for years battled drug addiction and mental health struggles. He's been in and out of jail, not to mention rehab centers -- and at just about every juncture, he's come across as unhinged.

Strangely enough, he's actually been working again of late -- just last year, Orlando was a cast member for the Zeus Network's "Bad Boys: Texas" ... where he's stirred the pot too.

Jay Leno brought his wife, Mavis, with him to his weekly comedy gig this weekend -- this after revealing in court documents she suffers from dementia ... and it's a brave move.

The couple went out to enjoy Jay's Sunday evening show at The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, CA ... putting on a united front after Jay took the first step in becoming conservator of his wife's estate just last Friday.

They certainly weren't hiding away from cameras here -- Jay and Mavis held hands as they slowly made their way into the venue ... and on their way out, Mavis was chatting with some friends. The message they seem to be telegraphing ... we're carrying on like normal.

TMZ broke the story ... Jay filed docs Friday to become conservator of Mavis' estate, claiming she may not have the wherewithal to take care of herself because she suffers from dementia. Our sources say Mavis has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

There's no indication Jay and Mavis are at odds over a potential conservatorship ... they've been happily married for going on 44 years, and Sunday's outing is further proof their bond remains strong.

It's interesting that Jay felt comfortable enough to bring Mavis out so publicly in the wake of that -- like we said, it speaks to a number of things ... including breaking down stigmas about Alzheimer's and dementia. That's one way to interpret this anyway.

In any case, ya gotta figure that a little bit of laughter never hurts the situation ... and Jay can provide plenty of those and then some.

Taylor Swift is headed to the Super Bowl in 2 weeks to watch Travis Kelce -- but for everyone thinking she might step into music mode while there ... we have bad news for ya.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... T-Swift is NOT going to be performing in any capacity during SB LVIII -- and that includes during the Halftime Show ... when Usher is scheduled to rock the house as a solo act.

Not only is Taylor not going to pick up a microphone to croon a tune ... but we're hearing there's no chance T-Swift will go anywhere near the stage, let alone step onto it.

In other words, our sources say there are zero plans to have her participate in the Super Bowl whatsoever -- outside of her just being there as a fan -- and Usher is going to have the spotlight all to himself in terms of live entertainment that day.

The reason this even has to be stated, explicitly, in the first place is because ... well, with Tay Tay cashing her ticket to the big game -- along with the Kansas City Chiefs -- her fans were rife with speculation that there might be some type of big musical surprise in store.

Makes sense, frankly ... she's the biggest pop star in the world right now, and her mere presence at the Super Bowl itself is enough to get the rumor mill whipped up, we suppose.

Of course, Taylor doesn't owe any favors to the NFL ... so even though her fan base might've assumed something was in the works, it's a little naïve -- everyone knows Taylor's a businesswoman, and she ain't working for free. More importantly though ... this is Usher's moment.

The other thing to consider is the fact that Taylor will have just arrived from Tokyo when she hits Vegas ... from none other than the last of 4 straight shows back-to-back-to-back-to-back.

So, yes ... Taylor will probably be pretty tired, and all her energy (we imagine) is going to be put toward her cheering on her man. It's gonna be an emotional rollercoaster ... and Taylor won't have the time or the will to put on a show. Plus, again ... her talents ain't free!

If you wanna catch Taylor in concert again in America, you'll have to wait 'til Fall. She won't be doing any "Eras" shows until at least October in the States ... Super Bowl be damned!

Jess Hilarious is officially in at "The Breakfast Club" -- and her announcement is heavy on the petty, as it highlights several podcasters who accused her of jumping the gun when she first announced it a month ago.

The Baltimore-born comedian made the grand reveal, for real this time, on Monday morning with a video trailer ... using the song "Sirius," made popular by the Michael Jordan era Chicago Bulls.

Most of the soundbites in the video come from guys like Akademiks, Joe Budden, Corey Holcomb, Uncle Murda -- basically everyone who danced on her grave thinking she had missed the boat.

Her ex-boyfriend Kountry Wayne recently dragged her with the assumption 'Breakfast Club' passed her by ... he has to update his bit now also!!!

If you remember, TMZ Hip Hop spoke to Charlamagne tha God just a couple of weeks ago about Jess announcing the slot but being MIA afterward, and he acted like he didn't have the foggiest idea what was happening with her.

Jess With the Mess went viral this past Christmas Eve when a video of her announcing the new gig hit the web and the radio silence gave her opps the opp to sound off.

Drew Barrymore might be an A-lister, but she isn't immune to the horrors of dating apps ... including getting tricked by people claiming/pretending to be someone else.

On Friday's episode of "The Drew Barrymore Show", the actress said she was thrilled when she recently matched with a man claiming to be the QB from the L.A. Rams -- not cause she wanted to flex on landing an athlete, she claims ... but cause she was excited to tell him she went to the Coliseum to see their first L.A. game.

Unfortunately, her fangirling was short-lived ... 'cause she wasn't talking to a Rams player.

Drew told her cohost Ross Mathews when she reached out to this guy with her football ramblings, she quickly learned the cold hard truth -- he was nowhere near to being a celebrated NFL'er. Instead ... she says he was a random musician who thought he was being cute about lying about his identity.

Drew says she felt stupid and dumb over being misled ... not to mean so easily fooled.

Ross adds she should absolutely feel a way about being lied to  -- saying he was disappointed cause when she started telling the story, he envisioned her being the new Taylor Swift at the games, cheering on her man. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Drew's been publicly single following her split from her ex Will Kopelman in 2016 ... but if her efforts crawling her way back into the dating pool are this grim ... there's clearly no hope for other singletons.