Bullying

Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton is opening up on the racism and bullying he faced as a kid ... saying his classmates called him the N-word during "the most traumatizing and most difficult part of my life."

The 7-time world champion made a rare podcast appearance with "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" this week ... where he spoke about the impact his childhood experiences had on his life.

"I was already being bullied at the age of six," Hamilton said. "I think at the time of that particular school, I was probably one of three kids of color and just bigger and stronger bullying kids were throwing me around a lot of the time."

"I was always the last picked, you know, when you're standing at the playground, and you're in the line of when they're picking teams for football, I was always the last one chosen, or not even chosen, even if I was better than somebody else."

38-year-old Hamilton -- who is mixed-race -- said the way his peers treated him made him question his identity and sense of belonging ... claiming people even threw bananas at him and used the N-word "just so relaxed."

"People calling you half cast and, you know, just really not knowing where you fit in," he added.

"That, for me, was difficult. When you then go into like history class and everything you learn in history, there are no pictures of people of color in the history that they were teaching us.”

FYI, Lewis' father, Anthony Hamilton, is Black and of Grenadian descent, and his mother, Carmen Larbalestier, is White British, hailing from Birmingham in England.

Hamilton, a prominent advocate against racism and champion of diversity in motorsport, suppressed the traumas he was experiencing ... but said racing helped him channel his emotions properly.

"I didn't want my dad to think I was not strong," he said. "And so, I would, if I had tears, I would hold them back. If I had emotions, it would be in a quiet place."

"It wasn't really 'til I started racing that I was able to channel this emotion that I had into my driving," Hamilton said. "And, it's like when I put this helmet on, Superman was my favorite. I loved how he fought for the people, and I loved how he did the right things."

"And, he was a really inspiring character for me. But again, no superhero was of color, so, you know, but you can still aspire to be someone that's if they don't look like you, you know?"

Christopher Jones Jr. -- the ex-University of Virginia football player who's been accused of murdering three current members of the Cavaliers team -- had complained of bullying before the shooting, this according to Jones Jr.'s father.

Christopher Jones Sr. spoke with NBC12 just one day after his son allegedly shot and killed three UVA football players while on a bus on campus ... and he explained, for the most part, his son appeared normal during their last encounter about a month ago "and he was doing real well."

But, he did note that while Jones Jr. had stopped by his house to do laundry, the 22-year-old admitted he was having some issues while at school.

"He had some problems," Jones Sr. said of Jones Jr., a former UVA running back. "The last time I talked to him, he said some people was picking on him or whatever. He didn't know how to handle it. I just told him, 'Go to school. Don't pay them no mind. Do what you got to do.'"

Jones Sr. added, "He wouldn't tell me everything."

Jones Jr. allegedly opened fire on a bus full of students after it had returned from a class field trip at around 10:30 PM on Sunday night. According to authorities, the gunfire killed D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler, and wounded two others.

Cops say Jones Jr. then fled the scene ... remaining on the run for about 12 hours -- before he was eventually arrested in Henrico County. He's now facing six charges, including three counts of second-degree murder.

Jones Sr. said he had no clue what could have caused Jones Jr. to pull the trigger.

"What happened?" Jones Sr. said. "Why did it have to get this far? He could have called me."

Jones Sr. then issued an apology on his son's behalf.

On campus, meanwhile, students participated in a candlelight vigil to honor the three who died in the tragedy.

LeBron James has something to say you Boston basketball fans -- you're SO racist.

LeBron went off on his latest episode of "The Shop," after being asked why he hates Boston. His blunt answer ... "Cause they racist as f***."

King James went on ... "They will say anything. And it's fine. It's my life, f*** I've been dealing with it my whole life. I don't mind it. I hear it. If I hear somebody close by, I check them real quick, then move onto the game. They're going to say whatever the f*** they want to say."

James offered receipts for his conclusion ... reminding folks about the 2012 incident at the Eastern Conference Finals, where Celtics diehards doused him with a drink as he walked toward the locker room.

LeBron's not alone. Other players have also groused about the way Celtics fans behave, Klay Thompson complained, "We've played in front of rude fans before. Dropping f-bombs with children in the crowd. Really classy. Good job, Boston."

Draymond Green's wife blasted them for chanting "f*** you Draymond" during the NBA finals.

Florence Pugh is firing back at people who opined on what they thought of her body -- specifically, her breasts -- when she bared it all in a see-through dress this weekend.

The actress was in Rome Friday for a Valentino Haute Couture fashion show, where she donned a pink getup on the red carpet that was about as sheer as it gets ... especially upstairs. Indeed, her chest was on full display -- and FP decided to go braless for the night.

It turned heads in the moment, no doubt, but it also apparently got a major reaction online ... especially from men, who Florence is now putting on blast for what she says were chauvinistic and disgusting comments -- some of which sound like frat boy talk.

Florence took to IG Sunday with three BTS photos of herself in the gown, and added a lengthy caption. She says she knew what she was doing and that the dress would get a reaction of some sort -- but that she didn't care, and wasn't nervous about it at all.

Then, she adds ... "What's been interesting to watch and witness is just how easy it is for men to totally destroy a woman's body, publicly, proudly, for everyone to see. You even do it with your job titles and work emails in your bio?"

FP continues, "It isn't the first time and certainly won't be the last time a woman will hear what's wrong with her body by a crowd of strangers, what's worrying is just how vulgar some of you men can be. Thankfully, I've come to terms with the intricacies of my body that make me, me. I'm happy with all of the 'flaws' that I couldn't bear to look at when I was 14."

Some of the vulgar words used, apparently, had to do with guys telling her/rhetorically asking her if she was embarrassed by her "tiny t***" or by the fact she was so "flat-chested."

To that, Florence asks ... why are you so afraid/bothered by breasts??? She goes on to describe that she grew up in a household of women who owned every curve of their bodies, and that she feels the same now ... taking pride in flaunting conventional beauty standards.

Chris Jericho says his niece was seen on video being brutally punched and kicked in the face last week ... and now, the wrestling superstar is pleading for officials to do something about it.

The AEW talent explained the situation on his Twitter page on Sunday night ... saying his niece has been "incessantly bullied" at her middle school in Florida "for months."

Jericho says the bullying took a violent turn just a few days ago ... when she was beaten up in a street.

In the clip Jericho shared to his social media, you can see a girl being socked in the face multiple times -- before she was continuously kicked and punched while bystanders looked on.

Jericho says despite his family's efforts to get officials involved, "nobody did anything to help" -- and he pleaded with school reps to "take action."

He added in a message to TMZ Sports that his niece is "physically ok. But, mentally she’s hurting."

"She's scared to go to school," the 51-year-old wrestler said. "This could've been avoided as the family approached the school a few times prior but nothing was done."

"We need to spread awareness so that the schools do a better job of protecting our kid's mental health and safety. ALL kids. Not just the ones with famous uncles."

We reached out to cops for comment, but they told us they have not been made aware of the situation.

Tiffany Haddish says she's a coy person, so she's really trying hard not to spill the beans about a rumored music project with Beyonce ... but there's a lot of smoke that could lead to something fire!

The "Girls Trip" star joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and hinted at an upcoming collab with Queen B ... and even though she was coy and bashful about possibly getting in the studio with one of her music idols, there's enough between the lines to believe it may be happening, or it already went down.

Tiffany's been making new music with the likes of Trina and Jada Pinkett Smith, and we've been hearing she was also recruiting Beyonce, Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne to the project.

One thing is for certain ... Tiffany really admires Beyonce's work, and let's be honest, who wouldn't want to get with Bey in the studio?!?

It's interesting ... Tiffany says her original plan was to only use the music in movies and TV shows she's producing but not acting in, but she tells us why the financials might cause her to change course and drop the music publicly first.

Tiffany's a jack of all trades in Hollywood ... she just released a new book about bullying and being yourself, "Layla, the Last Black Unicorn," which she hopes helps kids who are going through some tough times.

British Cycling is now banning transgender athletes from participating in their races ... just a week after trans cyclist Emily Bridges was disqualified from the women's championship.

It's a bit surprising because British Cycling has a Transgender and Non-binary Participation Policy that seemingly allows trans cyclists to compete.

But, since the incident with Bridges -- when the Union Cycliste Internationale banned her from the April 2 race because she was registered as a male cyclist -- the board voted this week to suspend the policy.

"As a result of this, on Wednesday 6 April the British Cycling Board of Directors voted in favor of an immediate suspension of the current policy, pending a full review, which will be initiated in the coming weeks," BC said in a statement.

British Cycling says its initial policy is "unfair on all women riders and poses a challenge to the integrity of racing."

Bridges' mother was not happy when she received the ruling via email ... saying on Twitter, "Dumped by email."

"We've just received this in our inbox. We will be making a statement at some point during the next 24 hrs."

British Cycling says they will work "tirelessly" to make sure their new policy remains "free of hate, discrimination and abuse in all forms, and that we prioritize the welfare of riders, volunteers, event organizers, commissaries and others that our sport can’t continue without."

"As an organization, we remain committed to ensuring that transgender and non-binary people are welcomed, supported and celebrated in the cycling community, and the inclusion of these groups within non-competitive activities remains unaffected by the suspension."

"90210" star Trevor Donovan is using some Hollywood acting skills to show students across the country how to stop being a bystander to bullying and harassment.

Trevor joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to explain how his 'Team Upstanders' program is empowering students to help each other ... especially those who aren't able to defend themselves against bullies.

His assemblies feature skits where he acts out bullying scenarios with the kids ... which allows them to experience these emotionally charged incidents from different perspectives.

Trevor says letting the kids feel the impact is an effective learning experience, albeit a painful one at times.

By the end of the program, Trevor picks students to be ambassadors ... and it becomes their job to promote an anti-bullying environment.

After a recent assembly at Deer Lakes Middle School in Russellton, PA, Trevor says he was approached by a parent online, saying her kid was a target of bullying. He quickly jumped on a Zoom with the school's counselor and 2 upstanders he appointed -- and they all worked out a solution.

Chrissy Teigen says she's learned a valuable lesson following her bullying scandal, and it goes like this ... stay out of other people's s**t!!!

Chrissy was heading to pick up her daughter in WeHo Tuesday and attracted a gaggle of photogs because, let's face it ... public Chrissy sightings are a rarity these days. Anyway, one of 'em asked what she thought about Addison Rae catching flak for introducing herself to Donald Trump at UFC 264.

Check out Chrissy in action ... she had an answer locked and loaded, one that seems to be part of her plan to get out of what she dubbed "cancel club."

As for that club, we ask Chrissy how long she anticipates being a member, and it's clear she hasn't lost her sense of humor ... or reality. For now, she says she's focused on living her life and taking care of her family.

As you know ... Chrissy's current situation stems from Courtney Stodden revealing they were the victim of Chrissy's cyberbullying years ago. Then, more bullying claims followed, and Chrissy vented that being "canceled" has been an awful experience.

Chrissy Teigen says she's the newest member of "cancel club" -- and it's been an awful experience she can't wait to end.

It's been a few weeks since Chrissy's publicly commented on her cyberbullying scandal, but she says she can't stay silent anymore and needs to mix it up ... because she's "tired of being sick with myself all day."

According to Chrissy ... it's "weird to pretend nothing happened in this online world but feel like utter sh*t in real life." She says, "Going outside sucks and doesn’t feel right, being at home alone with my mind makes my depressed head race."

So, it seems she's desperately trying to snap out of it by opening up about how she's feeling ... especially how she feels about being "canceled."

Chrissy says, "Cancel club is a fascinating thing and I have learned a whollllle lot. Only a few understand it and it’s impossible to know til you’re in it."

She adds ... "And it’s hard to talk about it in that sense because obviously you sound whiney when you’ve clearly done something wrong. It just sucks. There is no winning."

That said, it certainly appears like Chrissy is trying to get a W ... at least with her followers, who she says she just needed to have an "honest moment" with.

As you know ... Chrissy's been embroiled in controversy ever since Courtney Stodden revealed they were the victim of Chrissy's cyberbullying years ago. Then, more bullying claims from Michael Costello and a few others followed ... and she hasn't spoken about it since.

The British influencer who elected to undergo 18 surgeries to look like BTS singer Park Jimin says they're facing tons of backlash ... including threats against their life.

Oli London, who identifies as non-binary and changed their name to Jimin, tells TMZ ... they're getting flooded with death threats and they're scared for their life.

Jimin -- the influencer, not the singer -- tells us they're also getting hateful comments from folks telling them to commit suicide, and claims others are threatening to gun them down.

As you know, Jimin is identifying as Korean after going under the knife 18 times for a variety of plastic surgeries including extensive work on their eyes and a brow lift.

Ugly incident at a boys high school basketball game in Southern California over the weekend ... when opposing fans and players from a predominantly white school fired tortillas at a largely Latino hoops team after a heated playoff game.

It all went down at the CIF championship game between Coronado H.S. and Orange Glen H.S. Saturday night ... where Coronado eeked out a 3 point win in a hotly contested game.

According to reports, instead of celebrating with class ... some Coronado fans (and reportedly several players) began hurling the traditional Mesoamerica food at the Orange Glen players as they stood on the court only moments after the devastating 60-57 loss.

Many people have described the obviously pre-planned attack as being racist.

On Sunday, Coronado's superintendent released a statement addressing the "reprehensible" incident.

“Swift action will be taken to address all those involved, and they will be held accountable. it is our hope to create opportunities to dialogue with the orange glen community in an attempt to repair.”

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) -- which oversees H.S. hoops -- also addressed the ugly situation, saying their org. "prohibits discrimination" ... and vowing to investigate and "determine the appropriate next steps."

The Coronado school district also announced they will hold an emergency board meeting on Tuesday.

Story developing ...

Chrissy Teigen is finally speaking out on camera amid her cyberbullying scandal, crediting her husband John Legend for having her back -- but she's tight-lipped about a potential Oprah interview.

Photogs got Chrissy as she arrived at her office Monday -- while bumping some Destiny's Child, btw -- and asked her if she's really going to sit down with O.

She says she doesn't know if that's happening, or at least that's how she makes it seem ... and Chrissy appeared to laugh off a suggestion from Courtney Stodden.

As we reported ... Courtney wants in on Chrissy's possible interview with O, seeing as she was the victim of Chrissy's cyberbullying before the latest round of claims from Michael Costello and others.

Later in the day, Chrissy explained how John's been her everything while she's been laying low -- this is one of the first times she's been seen in public since the bullying scandal began.

Kelsey Salmon is fending off a different kind of attack -- chihuahua lovers are accusing her of dragging the breed through the mud over her eyelid-biting incident.

Kelsey tells TMZ ... she's been flooded with tons of social media hate from the chihuahua community ... claiming she conjured up this whole episode just so people would turn on the tiny breed.

The victim shaming is pretty obvious just from looking at Kelsey, and her reattached eyelid, for Pete's sake!!! Yet, she still wants to make it clear, she's in no way saying all chihuahuas are violent.

Remember, Kelsey told us she loves dogs -- owns pooches of her own -- and she didn't even say the eyelid tech's dog that chomped on her should be put down.

Still, she says the messages have been vicious. One person wrote, "You only saying Chihuahua instead of Chihuahua Mix [because] a lot of hate going towards the bred, which already gets hate because of bad owners. Maybe instead of hating the dog, you should hate its owner for raising it like that."

Kelsey says it's all ratcheting up her anxiety ... even as she's in danger of losing the reattached eyelid. She described what doctors will do if that happens, and it ain't pretty.

BTW, Kelsey tells us she still hasn't heard from the lash tech. As for a lawsuit ... the family's contacted their lawyer but still, no decision has been made whether to move forward.

Chrissy Teigen says she has "no idea what the f*** Michael Costello is doing" when it comes to faking an alleged DM convo between them ... and she's doubling down, insisting he's lying.

Chrissy unloaded on the 'Project Runway' star Friday ... accusing him of fabricating the screenshots he released to the public to make it look like she had privately bullied him online.

CT says she actually thought things were cool between her and Michael until he suddenly accused her last week of mounting a yearslong campaign to get him blacklisted from the fashion industry over an alleged racist comment he made on social media.

Chrissy says she's "never conspired with anyone to harm his career" and claims they were being friendly online until he recently attacked, and claimed she nearly drove him to suicide.

As you know ... Michael posted what he says are direct Instagram messages from Chrissy calling him racist and threatening his career back in 2014 ... but she says those are all BS, and the proof is in the details of the purported DMs.

For instance, Chrissy says the camera icon for the video chat function in the upper right corner is the smoking gun -- video chats weren't available on IG until 2018 and she also points out the convo's color formatting appears to be from the app's 2020 update. In other words, she's saying there's no way the DMs are from 2014 ... so, the whole convo is fake.

As we reported ... John Legend came to his wife's defense earlier Friday, accusing Michael of faking the DMs just so he could insert himself in Chrissy's bullying controversy.

Chrissy also announced Friday she's stepping away from Safely, the self-care and home cleaning line she launched 3 months ago with Kris Jenner, to take time to focus on herself and be with her family.

Michael Costello's doubling down on claims Chrissy Teigen's bullied and traumatized him, and says her attempts to discredit him confirm "she remains the same bully."

The "Project Runway" star's responding to news that broke Thursday night -- Chrissy's team alleges the 2014 Instagram direct messages Costello shared earlier this week to show how she bullied him ... are fake, or at least manipulated.

Chrissy's side claims the purported DMs between Teigen and Costello contain technical inconsistencies suggesting they were altered.

As we reported ... Costello claims Teigen attacked him because she mistakenly believed he had posted something racist, and he says it led to a yearslong campaign to get him blacklisted from the fashion industry. He also claims Chrissy nearly drove him to suicide.

Though Chrissy's team is calling the DMs into question, Costello maintains that for 7 years he's been "a victim of trauma and bullying by Chrissy Teigen both online and offline" ... and points to public comments she posted as further proof.

He adds ... "When a victim feels like their only recourse is to speak up, and the abuser’s first move is to discredit the victim and shame him publicly, this perpetrates victim-blaming and it costs lives."

Costello also alleges he has emails and documents unreleased to the public that show Chrissy went beyond social media to blacklist him in the real world, "making him endure over seven years of suffering - mentally and financially."

While Chrissy has said she plans to reach out personally to some of the people she bullied -- the continued back and forth allegations between Michael and her don't bode well for any sort of face-to-face ... as he had invited her to do.