Celebrity Feuds

Cardi B appears to be downplaying The Weeknd's fury about being snubbed at the Grammys with a spotlight on other Black artists who are getting recognized ... which is interesting.

The rapper posted a lengthy statement Saturday about her thoughts on all the Grammys drama, and while she acknowledged she did think some albums and songs probably should've gotten nominated, she doesn't seem nearly as miffed as others are.

All she has to say on the matter of snubs is ... "[M]aybe by next year they will get it right."

What she did want to talk about at length, however, was the fact that a number of lesser-known, independent Black artists WERE nominated this year ... and that they should be allowed to revel in that honor, because too often they're overlooked despite being amazing.

Cardi writes, "Don’t forget to congratulate the small black artist that got nominated that got overshadowed again cause of the drama. It’s their moment finally!" She goes on to cite artists who are up for an award, like Freddie Gibbs, Giveon, Brittany Howard, Ant Clemons, Ledisi, Luke James, Thundercat, Chika, Jean and Marcus Baylor and more ... several of whom Cardi notes that don't get the pub, like marquee names in the music biz do on the regular.

She ends by saying, "Soo besides all the bulls*** let's not forget to congratulate these artists," going on to say this is their moment too and that folks shouldn't overshadow it "cause your favorite might not be on the list." Her choice of words here certainly raises an eyebrow.

Of course, The Weeknd just recently vowed to boycott the Grammys going forward -- this after accusing them of being corrupt and running secret committees that supposedly require a lot of ass-kissing behind closed doors. The Grammys has denied that characterization.

Still, it sounds like Abel's other contemporaries mostly agree with him that the Grammys get it wrong time and again. Drake chimed in not too long ago with that exact sentiment ... and even Beyonce's gonna be a no-show on Sunday, despite being the most nominated artist.

Piers Morgan's fuming after claiming his friend, Sharon Osbourne, was shamed into making an apology for defending him ... and now he wants her 'Talk' cohorts to say sorry to him!

The ex-"Good Morning Britain" host said early Friday morning he can't believe "this is where we've reached" after Sharon posted a lengthy apology Thursday night for the on-air spat she had with her cohosts.

If ya missed it, Sharon went to bat for Piers against claims his criticism of Meghan Markle was rooted in racism.

In her mea culpa, Sharon said, "To anyone of color that I offended and/or to anyone that feels confused or let down by what I said, I am truly sorry. I panicked, felt blindsided, got defensive & allowed my fear & horror of being accused of being racist take over."

She added she doesn't condone racism, misogyny or bullying, and ... "There are very few things that hurt my heart more than racism so to feel associated with that spun me fast!!"

Piers, however, is adamant Sharon herself got bullied into posting that apology, and stood up for himself ... insisting that just because he "doesn't believe Meghan Markle's bulls**t" ... that doesn't make him a racist.

He added, "I demand an apology from those @TheTalkCBS bullies for their disgraceful slurs against ME."

Prince William is a man of few words, but the words are revealing ... super revealing.

Harry's older brother visited a school in London Thursday when a reporter asked point-blank if the Royals were a racist family. William addressed it head-on ... "We are very much not a racist family."

There has not been such a declaration from the Royals up to this point ... not even close. The Queen said Harry and Meghan's revelation was concerning ... that someone from the family worried about the color of Archie's skin, but William went further.

It's interesting he placed emphasis on his statement ... "We are VERY MUCH not a racist family."

William clearly knows ... there's lots of speculation that the comment about Archie's skin tone might have been made by him, or his dad, Prince Charles. The reason -- Harry apparently told Oprah the comment was not made by the Queen or Prince Philip. He apparently did not eliminate William and Charles, which adds to the speculation.

That said, William also revealed he has not spoken to Harry since the interview, adding he intends to do so.  That's a little weird ... what's he waiting for? It underscores the fractured relationship between William and Harry.

As we reported, they have hardly spoken since even before Meghan and Harry left England, and Harry made it clear during the interview ... they are still estranged, at least for now.

As you know, the Palace has said the racism allegations were being taken "very seriously." The statement went on to say, "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan."

Meghan Markle set the wheels in motion for Piers Morgan to quit "Good Morning Britain" ... reportedly by filing a complaint with his bosses about his remarks after the Oprah interview.

According to multiple reports, The Duchess of Sussex went directly to honchos at ITV -- which airs 'GMB' -- shortly after Piers' initial tirade where he questioned her suicidal thoughts.

Meghan's concern wasn't only about the personal nature of his inflammatory comments, but she was more worried about how Piers downplaying mental health could affect UK viewers dealing with suicidal thoughts.

It's unclear for certain if her calling had any impact on Piers deciding to leave the show altogether -- but he certainly made it seem that way in a follow-up interview outside his home Tuesday night ... where he doubled down on not believing a word she says.

Check out the clip ... he also talks about the notion that he had to "fall on his sword" to make a point about free speech -- so, it seems clear he didn't go on his own terms.

On paper, Piers offered his resignation ... and ITV said they accepted it, refusing to comment further. Piers' exit came on the heels of another dramatic day on set.

Remember, PM got into it with ITV weatherman Alex Beresford ... who claimed he had a personal vendetta against Meghan after she cut him out of the loop, suggesting they were actually friendly once upon a time. Piers eventually stood up and stormed out.

As for the reported complaint Meghan filed, there were lots of others that came in right around the same time -- a reported 40,000 or so came flooding in after Piers' comments Monday ... and UK media regulator Ofcom has said it's investigating whether Piers might've violated any of their rules.

Meghan Markle's struggles adjusting to Royal life are getting ZERO sympathy from someone in the 'Real Housewives' world ... that'd be Bethenny Frankel, who's got choice words for the Duchess.

The 'RHONY' star absolutely shredded Meghan Sunday just hours before her tell-all interview with Oprah was set to air on CBS ... invoking Justin Timberlake in telling her to take her woe-is-me moment and basically shove it.

Bethenny writes, "Cry me a river...the plight of being a game show host, fairly unknown actress, to suffering in a palace, w tiaras & 7 figure weddings for TWO WHOLE YEARS to being a household name w @Oprah on speed dial, fetching 7 m for interviews, hundreds of millions in media deals. Thinking face #MARRY"

On Saturday, Bethenny aired out even more of her grievances over the coverage the interview was getting ... saying, "Not since @MonicaLewinsky interview, have people been obsessed with a young female interview like this #MARRY interview. Remember the famous lip gloss?"

Someone replied to her with a collage of headlines past about how her staff had reportedly been catty towards her right out the gate ... and that's what set Bethenny off anew.

She continued with her tirade, going on to say she gives Harry a break here -- as she doesn't feel he's the one pulling the strings for all this press the couple is now receiving ... something he's repeatedly said he's not a big fan of in light of what happened to his mother, Diana.

BF ended her thoughts with one last apparent shot at Meghan, writing ... "I chose reality tv, to work towards making $, to be scrutinized & criticized. I took the trappings & the beatings along with it. It’s a rose w petals & thorns. People beg to enter the often toxic institution I signed up for. That WAS the life I chose. You can’t play stupid & smart."

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.

A Black Superman film might be among us soon -- but a Black actor who already starred in a DC flick is pouring cold water on it, re-affirming his claim he experienced racism on WB's watch.

Ray Fisher -- who played Cyborg in 2017's 'Justice League' -- reminded folks Saturday that as hyped as they were on the idea of Michael B. Jordan potentially donning the red cape ... there are still issues he believes run deep at the studio.

He resurfaced claims he made last year against Warner Bros. and a handful of WB execs, including Walter Hamada ... whom Fisher alleges swept his concerns under the rug, and tried covering for another exec, Geoff Johns, while using other folks involved in 'JL' as scapegoats.

It's a long story, but essentially ... Fisher claims director Joss Whedon (who replaced Zack Snyder mid-shoot) was abusive on the set, while also alluding to racist behavior -- without getting into the nitty-gritty. Fisher alleges when he brought these issues to the attention of Hamada -- the Prez of DC Films -- the guy gave him lip service and brushed him off.

On top of all that ... Fisher claims WB's independent investigation into his claims -- which found no evidence to back his characterization -- was also BS, and hindered by Hamada.

The backdrop to all this, of course, is that it was reported this past week author Ta-Nehisi Coates, an African-American, would be penning a new Superman reboot -- with J.J. Abrams attached to produce -- and that WB's "intent" was to intro a Black Superman.

That kicked the rumor mill into high gear that MBJ would be brought on -- which had been speculated about some years back. Some say he could play Val-Zod ... a Black character from Krypton who's part of DC canon, and who's got all of Kal-El's superpowers.

It's a neat idea, but Fisher seems to think it's nothing but an empty make-good -- in light of what he claims happened to him. For the record, WB denied Fisher's claims before, and doubled down again Saturday ... saying there's simply no truth to it.

A rep for the studio says, "As we have stated before, an extensive and thorough third-party investigation was conducted. Our executives, including Walter Hamada, fully cooperated, no evidence was found of any interference whatsoever, and Warner Bros. did not lie in the press." They add, "It’s time to stop saying otherwise and move forward productively."

Vanessa Bryant is NOT HAPPY with Meek Mill over a lyric referencing Kobe's helicopter crash ... calling it straight-up "disrespectful."

The Philadelphia rapper has been under serious fire over the past week for one particular lyric in his new collab with Lil Baby which says:

"This b**ch I'm f**kin' always tell me that she love me, but she ain't ever showed me // Yeah, and if I ever lack, I'm goin' out with my chopper, it be another Kobe."

The clip ultimately got to Vanessa Bryant who sounded off on Meek -- and explained why she's so offended.

"Dear @meekmill, I find this line to be extremely insensitive and disrespectful. Period," Vanessa posted on IG ... "I am not familiar with any of your music, but I believe you can do better than this."

Bryant continued, "If you are a fan, fine, there's a better way to show your admiration for my husband. This lacks respect and tact."

WNBA star Candace Parker -- who's extremely close with the Bryant family -- immediately posted a statement supporting Vanessa.

"I'm sorry YOU and your GIRLS have to continually deal; with S**T like this," Parker said ... "It's not fair and it's not right."

"We love you and I am continually in awe in your ability to take the high [road]."

Vanessa lost her husband and her daughter, Gianna, in the Jan. 26, 2020 helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA. Seven other people also perished in the crash, all of whom had a close connection to the Bryant family.

RIP

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are not having a change of heart about stepping down as senior royals -- the Palace says they're donezo for good.

According to Buckingham Palace ... "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family."

Queen Elizabeth's rep added that in stepping away from their Royal work, it's not possible for Harry and Meghan "to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service."

The statement makes it seem like this was a trial separation, but now they will be stripped of their "honorary military appointments and Royal patronages" ... which now go back to the Queen for redistribution to other working royals later. Ouch.

It all sounds pretty harsh and contentious, especially since Buckingham Palace ends by saying ... "While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family."

Basically, the British version of "bless their hearts."

The Palace announcement makes it sound like this final parting of ways was all on Harry and Meghan, though they put out their own statement saying they remain committed to their duty and serving the UK "regardless of official role."

Meek Mill's enemies list might be growing ... after he pissed off a lot of fans with new lyrics about Kobe Bryant referencing the late NBA star's fatal helicopter crash.

The rapper's upcoming collab with Lil Baby has leaked, and people are paying special attention to Meek's bar about Bryant -- "And if I ever lack I’m going out with my chopper, it be another Kobe."

Understandably, the line is being perceived as insensitive and disrespectful ... and there's the inevitable online movement to cancel Meek.

MM's already responding to the backlash by suggesting the masses are blindly following an anti-Meek narrative. He tweeted, "somebody promo a narrative and y’all follow it.... y’all internet antics cannot stop me ....shit like zombie land or something! Lol" He added that it's "almost like mind control."

As we reported ... Meek already has an ongoing beef with Tekashi 6ix9ine, and the 2 almost came to blows last weekend outside a Miami nightclub.

Along with that, Meek's also been criticized recently for being a part of packed shows in Houston -- along with Bow Wow -- as COVID-19 cases were surging nationwide.

Taylor Swift's experiment with her old songs is proving to be fruitful out of the gate -- the early numbers are in for the first song of the big batch ahead of her, and they're not too shabby.

Billboard documented the single-day download and radio play data that has come in since Taylor released "Love Story (Taylor's Version)" on Friday ... the initial, re-recorded mega-hit track of hers in what could be a long line of re-releases she's vowed to distribute anew.

Based on the figures, it's doing alright ... especially compared to the OG on the same day (Feb. 12, 2021). Billboard reports MRC Data for Feb. 12 show Taylor's new version got downloaded some 10,000 times, compared to just 200 downloads for the 2008 track.

There's also a radio play element here that has yet to bear out fully -- Billboard notes that Taylor's new 'Love Story' (which sounds virtually identical to the old one) has not gotten a big push by her team for it to be played on radio ... but a handful of stations across the country did blast it on Friday -- and even those numbers are greater than the OG's same-day stats.

"Love Story (Taylor's Version)" got 144 radio plays among 89 stations on Friday, compared to the original ... which got just 67 plays on Friday. 2008's "Love Story" is still king (for now) -- as we know, it sky-rocketed in the charts over time -- so Tay-Tay's got a ways to go before her new take comes close. Still, pretty promising early signs of what's to come.

Remember, Taylor's doing this to stick it to Scooter Braun and other execs who have come to control her catalog since she left Big Machine Records and settled at UMG. She wasn't able to get the rights to her masters, and decided she'd reclaim them by re-recording all her hits.

The catalog is now in the hands of a private equity group -- and Scooter made a bundle in the sale -- but TS is still moving forward. She teased the refreshed 'Love Story' in a Match.com commercial featuring Ryan Reynolds, and there was hardly a discernible difference ... leading many to believe her other re-recordings will follow suit.

WWE Superstar The Miz says Bad Bunny better think twice before entering the ring at WrestleMania ... telling TMZ Sports he will straight-up BREAK THE DUDE'S JAW if he even tries!!

There's major beef between the two after the Puerto Rican rap star made his wrestling debut at Royal Rumble earlier this month -- BB helped eliminate Miz and his partner, Morrison, from the match ... and hit 'em with a frog splash in the process.

We spoke with The Miz about rumors BB could team up with Damian Priest to continue his feud with M&M at WrestleMania ... and the dude has some advice for the newcomer.

"Let's put it this way," Miz tells us. "Bad Bunny is an amazing artist, right? He has a ton of people, a ton of fans. He has like 1.1 billion views on his YouTube videos, all his music videos have so many people watching."

"Stay in your lane! Like that's what you do! I'm a WWE superstar! That is what I do, that is my job! You are a musician! Be a musician!"

He didn't stop there -- "Look, he makes a lot of money being a musician. So, go do that. Keep on making that money because the fact is, if you come into the WWE ring, I'm gonna break your jaw and when I break your jaw, you're gonna need a lot of money."

Miz says the ship has sailed for BB's chances at being a WWE Superstar ... and he simply hasn't put in the time to deserve a shot at WrestleMania.

"It takes years upon years to be a WWE Superstar, to get into a WWE ring and WrestleMania. These are moments that we have that we worked for."

Miz has A LOT more to say ... and explains what happens when he first asked Bad Bunny to collab in the studio. Here's a preview:

"You don't come to my house and put your dirty shoes on my carpet. You just don't. You get thrown out the house."

Kansas City Chiefs star Tyrann Mathieu claims Tom Brady crossed a line during the Super Bowl ... saying the Buccaneers QB "called me something I won't repeat" in their heated exchange.

Mathieu and Brady butted heads several times during the big game -- most notably after the Bucs scored a late touchdown before the end of the first half -- with many accusing the Chiefs safety of being the instigator.

The 28-year-old went to Twitter to share his side of things following the crushing loss ... saying he's done nothing but admire Brady for years, and it was the 7-time champ who went too far.

"He called me something I won't repeat but yeah I'll let all the media throw me under the bus as if I did something or said something to him," Mathieu said in a since-deleted tweet.

"Go back to my previous games against TB12 I showed him nothing but respect. Look at my interviews about him ... I show grace."

Mathieu also spoke about the altercation after the game ... where he had a much more vague response.

"It's football," he said. "Guys are gonna go back and forth."

TB12 has yet to respond to the accusation ... we'll keep you posted.

Bygones are apparently bygones now in both Tampa Bay AND New England ... 'cause just days after Tom Brady praised the Patriots, Robert Kraft said he's rooting like hell for the QB in the Super Bowl!

Kraft, in an interview that's slated to air in its entirety Sunday on WBZ-TV, said he's holding no hard feelings about the way Tom left the Pats ... and, in fact, he's now hoping TB12 gets ring #7 on Sunday.

"I’m rooting for Tom Brady,” the 79-year-old Patriots owner said. “I’m so excited. We’ve had some great communications and he is such a special human being."

"We were privileged to have him here for two decades, and he’s one of the finest human beings I’ve ever met."

Things weren't always the rosiest between the two parties ... you'll recall, after Tom and the Pats split this offseason -- it all appeared to be pretty awkward.

But, time has clearly healed any and all wounds ... Brady reflected fondly of his tenure with the Pats earlier this week, saying he still has "a lot of love for Boston and all of New England."

The feeling's clearly mutual on Kraft's end ... 'cause Tom's former boss added, "[Tom] knows how to lead, and I wish him well and I really hope he wins Sunday.”

Of course, Tom's former teammates are in the same boat as Kraft ... we spoke with Pats captain Lawrence Guy this week, and he told us he and the rest of Brady's former squadmates are all backing the QB against the Chiefs as well.

Wendy Williams is beaming about Lifetime's movie and documentary covering her life and career, and not only because they're helping her get revenge on her ex-husband.

The talk show host joined "TMZ Live" Friday and in true Wendy fashion was not afraid to throw equal amounts of shade -- for Kevin Hunter -- and praise ... for the cast of her biopic.

Wendy tells us she developed a friendship with Ciera Payton -- the actress playing her in "Wendy Williams: The Movie" -- and says she really put her all into the role. Same goes for Morocco Omari -- who Wendy says she hand-picked to play Kevin.

As you know ... Kevin and Wendy were together for more than 20 years, have a son together and worked together, but things ended very bitterly. Actually, as she explained, it was bitter long before the end.

"Wendy Williams: The Movie" and the companion documentary, "Wendy Williams: What a Mess!" premiere Saturday night on Lifetime -- and yes ... she'll be watching.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants to reach across the aisle to fix the Robinhood investors controversy -- as long as she doesn't have to work with Sen. Ted Cruz, who she says he tried to get her killed.

AOC blasted Cruz on Twitter after he agreed with one of her Thursday tweets questioning Robinhood's trading halt amid the GameStop stock surge ... she says he needs to sit this one out or resign because of his role in the failed coup.

In her scathing response, AOC says Cruz "almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago" during the insurrection ... and she's happy to work with "almost any other GOP that aren't trying to get me killed."

Remember ... AOC said she thought she was toast when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in search of lawmakers, detailing her harrowing experience in an eye-opening video.