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Buckingham Palace seems to be taking a lesson from the Kate Middleton saga ... 'cause they're looking for a new worker bee to help handle the media for them ... albeit, someone who's gonna be relatively low on the payroll.

In a job posting that just got spotted this week by eagle-eyed parties -- and which appears to be relatively new -- BP says they're hiring a communications assistant to handle all things media for them ... including press inquiries and a host of other responsibilities.

It's interesting timing given the off-the-charts intrigue swirling around the Princess of Wales.

Among the other duties ... BP is looking for someone to provide administrative support, distribute media credentials for palace functions, and "Produce content for a variety of platforms, including media advisories, social media updates and feature articles."

Buckingham Palace's listing doesn't ask for proficiency in Photoshop ... so, no picture touch-ups will be required, it seems. But, social media fluency is clearly important to the Crown.

Important to note here ... Buckingham Palace isn't the official residence of Prince William and Kate -- that's Kensington Palace. Buckingham handles King Charles' day-to-day life -- so it may not be connected to Kate at all.

In fact, a Palace rep told us repeatedly this was a Buckingham thing and not Kensington (which is obvious) and refused to say whether Kate-Gate played any role in them posting it. They also refused to tell us when this first went up.

Of course, many are already assuming the team at Buckingham is worried about a flood of media inquiries if something similar should ever happen to Charles -- especially given his recent cancer diagnosis -- and that they're getting ahead of a would-be repeat scandal.

We've been following the Princess Kate drama pretty closely ... and we've even got a documentary -- "TMZ Investigates: Where is Kate Middleton?" airing on FOX tonight at 9/8c.

One last note ... check out the pay for this gig. It comes out to just under $32,500/year USD -- not exactly a king's ransom coming down from the Royal Family!

Taylor Swift no solo puede sacudir un estadio, también puede hacer temblar la tierra, según quedó demostrado luego que sus fans causaran un mini terremoto el año pasado, lo que es una locura.

Caltech y UCLA realizaron un estudio para monitorear cuánto temblaba el suelo durante un concierto de Taylor en 2023, específicamente, en uno de sus seis shows en Los Ángeles en el SoFi Stadium y resulta que los Swifties hicieron que la aguja se moviera ese día.

La sismóloga Gabrielle Tepp, que supervisó este estudio dice que los datos muestran que su concierto "Eras" del 5 de agosto, que acogió a más de 70.000 fans, registró una notable actividad sísmica.

Tepp y compañía monitorearon cada canción de su larga lista con estaciones remotas ubicadas dentro a 5,6 millas del estadio y dice que sus registros muestran que su actuación de "Shake It Off" marcó el punto más alto de la noche, con un pico de magnitud de 0,851.

Tepp señala que las estaciones sísmicas que registraron estos datos captaron el baile y los saltos de los fans, y que las reverberaciones de la música no estaban incluidas. Tepp dice que su interpretación de "Love Story" también dejó una notable impresión en el medidor.

¡Con todo, Tepp dice que el movimiento del show de Los Ángeles causó temblores que equivalen a un terremoto de magnitud 2, lo que es relativamente pequeño, pero aun así bastante impresionante por parte de los fans de Taylor!

Según los informes, sus fans de Seattle también causaron movimientos telúricos similares a principios del verano pasado... niveles de temblores.

Taylor Swift can not only rock the house, she can rock the earth itself -- something proven by the fact that her fans caused a mini earthquake last year ... which is insane.

A study was conducted by Caltech and UCLA, which monitored just how much the ground was shaking during one of Taylor's concerts in 2023 -- specifically, one of her six L.A. shows at SoFi stadium ... and as it turns out, the Swifties that day made the needle move.

Seismologist Gabrielle Tepp -- who oversaw this study -- says data shows that her Aug. 5 "Eras" concert, which hosted upwards of 70,000 fans, registered notable seismic activity.

Tepp and co. monitored each song from her long set list with remote stations that were within 5.6 miles of the stadium and he says their records show that her performance of "Shake It Off" clocked in at the highest point through the night, with a peak magnitude of 0.851.

He notes that the seismic stations recording this were capturing the dancing and jumping going on from fans -- and the reverberations from the music itself isn't included in this. Tepp says her performance of "Love Story" that night also left a notable impression on the meter.

All in all, Tepp says the L.A. show movement caused tremors that equated to a magnitude-2 earthquake -- which is relatively small ... but still pretty impressive from the Taylor fan base!

Her Seattle fans reportedly caused similar waves earlier last summer as well ... earthquake levels.

Steve Wynn isn't hedging any bets when it comes to a just-announced film project about his life ... as he's hit producers with a stern message about their potential portrayal of him.

We've seen a copy of a letter issued to producers Scott Jay Kaplan, Emmet McDermott and author Christina Binkley after the industry vets optioned the rights to CB's book, 'Winner Takes All' -- which details Steve's rise and fall as a casino bigwig -- for a dramatic retelling.

The letter was sent from powerhouse attorney Patricia L. Glaser on behalf of Steve ... and it makes clear that the Sin City businessman won't tolerate creative liberties taken in any big or small dramatization of his life -- including what Kaplan and McDermott are working on.

The billionaire's legal team explicitly expressed their concern for the project ... citing what they allege is the author's "history of false statements and mischaracterizations regarding [Steve]" -- referencing the source material that'll serve as the inspiration for this project of theirs.

While Steve didn't threaten to put the kibosh on the movie here in this letter his attorney fired off -- not that he had any real right to stall the project -- he does demand, via Glaser, that Scott and Emmet verify every fact presented in the story and ensure that their sources are fully vetted. Translation ... no stone should be left unturned when it comes to research!

And it's pretty obvious that Steve means business here -- as the letter threatened legal action over any falsehoods that may be presented.

Even though it's clear that Steve has never been a fan of his depiction in 'Winner Takes All' ...  it doesn't appear he ever sued over the book in the 16 years since it's been published.

The book found itself on the NYT Best Seller List after chronicling the meteoric rise of Wynn -- who was forced to step down from Wynn Resorts amid sexual misconduct allegations ... claims he's denied, for which he's never been charged with a crime.

One of the UK's most popular Kate Middleton look-alikes is addressing the conspiracy theorists who think she's actually the woman in the new vid of Prince William and his wife -- and she has a solid alibi for her whereabouts.

Heidi Agan tells TMZ she was working at the head office of a dance school in Northamptonshire on Saturday -- which is about 80 miles from the Windsor Farm Shop. So, as Shaggy would put it ... Heidi says "it wasn't me" in that footage first posted Monday by TMZ.

Although it's not necessarily surprising conspiracy theorists are wondering if she was involved ... as Heidi says she was confused for being Kate during a recent outing -- she says the place erupted when people thought the MIA princess had surfaced.

And, Heidi has been busier than ever thanks to the constant speculation regarding Kate's whereabouts. The pro look-alike says normally her work is busy when the royals are busy -- whether that's because of weddings, pregnancies, etc.

However, despite Kate stepping back from the spotlight, Heidi claims she still has a lot of requests coming in.

As for how she feels about the conspiracy theories -- Heidi thinks the speculation has gone a bit too far and has sympathy for the Duchess of Wales. She personally thinks Kate is fine and is simply recovering from abdominal surgery ... just as the Palace announced back in January.

While Kate is a public figure, Heidi believes the royal has a right to her privacy when it comes to her medical records, and reminds fans the Princess isn't public property.

She points to the lack of information as the fuel for the increasingly wild theories ... especially since King Charles was so forthcoming with his cancer diagnosis.

The Mother's Day photo was just icing on the cake ... since it was likely meant to squash any concern, but did the exact opposite.

Una de las imitadoras más populares de Kate Middleton en el Reino Unido, se dirige a los teóricos de la conspiración que piensan que ella es la mujer del nuevo video del príncipe Guillermo y su esposa, y tiene una coartada sólida.

Heidi Agan le dice a TMZ que estaba trabajando en la sede de una escuela de baile en Northamptonshire el sábado, a unos 80 kilómetros de la tienda de Windsor Farm. Así que no era ella la del metraje publicado por primera vez el lunes por TMZ.

Hay que admitir que no es demasiado raro que los conspiranoicos crean que ella estaba involucrada. Heidi dice que fue confundida con Kate hace poco y dice que el lugar estalló cuando la gente pensó que era la princesa en persona.

Heidi ha estado más ocupada que nunca gracias a las constantes especulaciones sobre el paradero de Kate. La doble profesional dice que normalmente su trabajo está ocupado cuando la realeza también lo está, ya sea por bodas, embarazos, etc.

Sin embargo, a pesar de que Kate está lejos de los focos, Heidi asegura que le siguen llegando muchas peticiones.

En cuanto a cómo se siente acerca de las teorías conspirativas, Heidi cree que la especulación ha ido demasiado lejos y tiene simpatía por la duquesa de Gales. Ella personalmente piensa que Kate está bien y simplemente se está recuperando de una cirugía abdominal, tal como anunció el Palacio en enero.

Aunque Kate es una figura pública, Heidi cree que la realeza tiene derecho a su privacidad cuando se trata de registros médicos, y le recuerda a los fans que la princesa no es propiedad pública.

Ella señala la falta de información como el motivo de tantas teorías cada vez más salvajes, sobre todo porque el rey Carlos era muy franco con su diagnóstico de cáncer.

La foto del Día de la Madre fue solo la guinda del pastel, ya que era iba a eliminar cualquier preocupación, pero hizo exactamente lo contrario.

La familia de Riley Strain está 100% segura de que el joven sigue vivo y están frustrados con los esfuerzos de búsqueda de la policía, exigiendo que se involucren los federales.

Hablamos con el portavoz de la familia Strain -Chris Dingman- el martes y nos dijo directamente que los padres de Riley simplemente no creen que su hijo esté muerto, esto a pesar de que la mayoría de la gente cree que es así.

A pesar de que ha pasado más de una semana desde que Riley desapareció en Nashville luego de ir de bar en bar con sus amigos, Dingman dice que la familia tiene esperanzas, pero más que eso, están irritados de que gran parte de la investigación de la policía de Nashville se ha centrado principalmente en el río cercano.

Dingman dice que los Strains tienen sus razones, dice que el río no es tan profundo, y no parece haber sido un factor la noche que desapareció. Por lo tanto, que haya sido arrastrado por este no es probable.

Dingman también nos dice que desde el punto de vista de la familia, la policía no ha hecho grandes esfuerzos por encontrarlo, alegando que hay empresas a lo largo de la orilla del río con videos de vigilancia sin investigar.

Mientras que los Strains aprecian la ayuda de la policía hasta el momento, nos dicen que piensan que es hora de llamar a la caballería y obtener ayuda adicional para ayudar a encontrar a Riley más temprano que tarde.

La policía de Nashville ya ha dicho que están dispuestos a llamar a los federales si resulta necesario. Dingman dice que piensan que la búsqueda de Riley tiene que ampliarse mucho más allá del río.

Por supuesto, la tarjeta bancaria de Riley fue encontrada allí -probablemente sea la razón por la que este es un punto focal en el esfuerzo- pero Dingman dice que su mamá y papá quieren otras opciones.

No tienen una idea exacta de dónde puede estar o lo que le pasó, pero en base a los relatos de testigos que siguen apareciendo día tras día, suena como que podría haber estado en un lugar muy público antes de desaparecer.

Otra cosa extraña es que cuando Riley caminó cerca de un oficial de policía, parecía estar todo normal, sin embargo, otros videos de vigilancia lo capturaron ebrio y fuera de sí. Así que la familia tiene muchas dudas.

Lo único que saben es que quieren respuestas y pronto. Los Strains han estado en Nashville desde hace varios días y cuanto más tiempo Riley está desaparecido, más ansiosos se ponen.

11:57 AM PT -- Riley Strain's family just held a press conference, announcing they've enlisted the help of the United Cajun Navy -- a nonprofit that helps in this sort of effort -- while reiterating the need to get more resources on the case ... and also thanking Nashville PD for their work thus far.

Police went on to say that they've been inundated with tips and leads from various sources, but none have resulted in anything concrete in terms of locating Riley and there is no indication of foul play.

Riley Strain's family is 100% confident that their loved one is still alive somewhere -- and they're frustrated with cops' search efforts ... demanding extra boots on the ground.

We talked to the Strain family spokesperson, Chris Dingman, Tuesday and he told us straight up ... Riley's parents, simply don't believe their son is dead -- this despite most of the public starting to assume that's the case at this point.

Even though it's been well over a week since Riley first vanished in Nashville after bar hopping with his friends -- Dingman says the family is hopeful ... but more than that, they're irked that much of Nashville PD's investigating has been focused mostly on the river nearby.

There's a few reasons why Dingman says the Strains feel this way -- for one, he says the river just isn't that deep, and it doesn't appear to have been roaring on the night he disappeared. So, in their eyes, him falling in and being swept away doesn't seem plausible.

Dingman also tells us that from the family's POV, cops haven't turned over every possible stone in trying to track him down -- claiming there are businesses along the river bank with surveillance video that weren't approached until very recently ... so, slow going at best.

While the Strains appreciate the police's help and diligence thus far -- we're told they think it's time to call in the cavalry and get extra assistance in helping find Riley sooner rather than later.

Nashville PD has already said they're prepared to call in the feds if it proves necessary. Dingman says the Strains think that time has come ... and that the sweep for Riley needs to expand well beyond just the river search that's been going on these past few days.

Of course, Riley's bank card was found there -- which is probably why this is a focal point in the effort -- but Dingman says his mom and dad want other possibilities looked into.

He doesn't have an exact idea of where he may be or what happened to him, but based on eyewitness accounts that continue to crop up day after day ... it sounds like people might've possibly been with him during the last known moments of him being out and about.

The other odd thing that's not quite tracking for the Strains is that when Riley was walking by the police officer -- he came across as coherent and normal, but other surveillance videos captured him looking inebriated and out of it. So the family doesn't know what's what here.

The one thing they do know ... they want answers, and soon. The Strains have been in Nashville for several days now -- and the longer Riley is missing, the more anxious they get.

Riley was last seen on March 8, and there's been no sign of him since. Cops are encouraging anyone with helpful info to call 615-742-7463.

11:35 AM PT -- Nashville PD has released the latest evidence they have of Riley Strain being seen on the night in question -- and it comes courtesy of none other than bodycam footage from a police officer.

In the body cam video -- which was rolling while the officer was checking out a burglary call on a vehicle -- you can see Officer Reginald Young interact with Riley who casually strolls right by him ... they even exchange a brief hello, and RS looks fairly normal and put together.

Nashville PD says this appears to be the last sighting of him on camera before he vanished.

A major clue has been uncovered in the disappearance of Riley Strain ... as authorities discovered the missing college student's bank card Sunday near a river in town.

According to Nashville Police, Riley's bank card was found on the embankment between Gay St. and the Cumberland River -- where surveillance video is said to have last captured Riley. No other update was issued ... except that the search for Riley continues.

This update comes after Nashville's Office of Emergency Management had the dive team search for Riley in the Cumberland River on Saturday. As the OEM put it to FOX17 ... the search plan included taking several boats along the riverfront where Riley was last seen.

Based on indicators from search K9s onboard, sonars were used to locate areas where divers could look more thoroughly. Saturday's search reportedly resulted in no conclusive findings. Additionally ... the outlet says police do not currently suspect foul play.

However, a local eyewitness claimed to FOX17 Riley was not alone after leaving Luke's 32 Bridge Friday evening. A homeless man detailed that he and his wife, who live by the riverbank, heard a commotion and allegedly saw Riley almost stumble into the river.

He added ... "I never seen anybody stumble that hard before," while claiming RS looked very intoxicated.

The man claims he didn't explore the situation further, claiming someone was apparently already there with Riley, who assured him Riley was just drunk. No word on who that person might've been, or any description of them. The FOX17 report didn't elaborate either.

Remember ... the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission is currently investigating whether Riley was overserved at Luke Bryan's Nashville bar. While the establishment is cooperating with authorities, they defended themselves in a recent statement that they only served Riley one alcoholic drink (and two waters) before asking him to leave.

The country superstar himself also spoke out on Riley's disappearance, calling the whole thing scary and asking for prayers.

For anyone who may have reliable information on Riley's whereabouts, cops encourage you to call 615-742-7463.

11:35 AM PT -- La policía de Nashville ha publicado las últimas pruebas que tienen de Riley siendo visto en la noche en cuestión, y vienen por cortesía de nada menos que las imágenes de la cámara corporal de un oficial de policía.

En el video -que estaba rodando mientras el oficial estaba comprobando una llamada de robo de un vehículo- se puede ver al oficial Reginald Young interactuar con Riley que casualmente paseaba junto a él, incluso intercambian un breve hola, y Riley se ve bastante normal.

La policía de Nashville dice que este parece ser el último avistamiento de él en cámara antes de que desapareciera.

Se ha descubierto una pista importante en la desaparición de Riley Strain, ya que las autoridades descubrieron la tarjeta bancaria del estudiante universitario desaparecido el domingo cerca de un río de la ciudad.

Según la policía de Nashville, la tarjeta bancaria de Riley fue encontrada en el terraplén entre Gay St. y el río Cumberland, donde se dice que el video de vigilancia capturó por última vez a Riley. No se emitió ninguna otra actualización, excepto que la búsqueda de Riley continúa.

Esta actualización se produce luego de que la Oficina de Gestión de Emergencias de Nashville tuviera a un equipo de buceo buscando a Riley en el río Cumberland el sábado. La OEM le dijo a FOX17 que el plan de búsqueda incluye usar varios barcos a lo largo de la orilla del río, donde Riley fue visto por última vez.

Se utilizaron sonares para localizar áreas donde los buzos podrían buscar más a fondo, aunque la búsqueda al parecer no dio lugar a resultados concluyentes. Además, la policía no sospecha actualmente de un caso criminal.

Sin embargo, un testigo local le dijo a FOX17 que Riley no estaba solo después de salir de Luke's 32 Bridge el viernes por la noche. Un hombre sin hogar detalló que él y su esposa -que viven junto a la orilla del río- escuchó una conmoción y supuestamente vio a Riley casi tropezar en el río.

Añadió: "Nunca he visto a nadie tropezar tan fuerte antes", mientras afirma que Riley parecía estar muy intoxicado.

El hombre afirma que no exploró la situación más allá, alegando que alguien aparentemente ya estaba allí con Riley, y aseguró que el joven solo estaba borracho. No se sabe quién podría haber sido esa persona, o cualquier descripción de ellos. El informe de FOX17 tampoco dio más detalles.

Recordemos que la Comisión de Bebidas Alcohólicas de Tennessee está investigando actualmente si Riley bebió en exceso en el bar de Luke Bryan en Nashville. Mientras que el establecimiento está cooperando con las autoridades, se defendieron en un reciente comunicado afirmando que solo le sirvieron Riley una bebida alcohólica (y dos aguas) antes de pedirle que se fuera.

La superestrella del country también se pronunció sobre la desaparición de Riley, calificando todo el asunto de aterrador y pidiendo oraciones.

Un vuelo en globo de aire caliente se convirtió en una tragedia esta semana después de que un pasajero cayó 1.500 pies... y parece que los policías hicieron todo lo posible para cubrir las secuelas.

Un pasajero cayó sin previo aviso de un globo aerostático comercial el lunes -el cual despegó de Melbourne- a menos de 30 minutos de su viaje. El cuerpo al parecer aterrizó en una zona residencial con el globo de aire caliente realizando un aterrizaje seguro muchas millas más lejos.

Según testigos locales, muchos residentes del suburbio no se dieron cuenta de lo que había ocurrido hasta que se escucharon sirenas. De hecho, una fuerte explosión se escuchó antes de que llegaran los equipos de emergencia.

El incidente provocó la caída de varios cables de alta tensión y hubo una gran presencia policial para bloquear la calle local del tráfico de la mañana.

Aunque la tragedia no está siendo tratada como sospechosa, los policías están hablando con los otros ocupantes del globo para tratar de deducir qué causó exactamente la inesperada caída.

La Industria Nacional de Globos Aerostáticos Comerciales y la Federación Australiana de Globos se han pronunciado sobre la tragedia, asegurando que las cestas de los globos aerostáticos están diseñadas para evitar que los pasajeros se caigan, por lo que no está claro lo que puede haber causado esto.

Dicen que el operador va a organizar apoyo psicológico y asesoramiento para los testigos afectados.

Esta es la segunda tragedia de globo aerostático este año. Recordemos que cuatro personas murieron en Arizona en enero luego de que un globo aerostático cayera durante una salida de paracaidismo. Un informe preliminar de la Junta Nacional de Seguridad en el Transporte dijo más tarde que la envoltura ya estaba desinflada y el quemador todavía encendido antes de que el globo aerostático chocara contra el suelo.

A hot-air balloon flight turned tragic this week after a passenger fell 1,500 feet to his death from the basket ... and it looks like cops went out of their way to cover up the aftermath.

A male passenger fell without warning from a commercial hot-air balloon Monday -- which took off from Melbourne -- less than 30 minutes into his ride. The body reportedly landed in a residential area with the hot-air balloon making a safe landing many miles away.

According to local eyewitnesses ... many residents in the suburb didn't realize what had occurred until sirens were heard. In fact, a loud bang was heard before emergency responders arrived.

The incident caused several powerlines to go down and a large police presence to block off the local street from morning traffic.

While the tragedy is not being treated as suspicious, cops are speaking with the other occupants in the balloon to try and deduce what exactly caused the unexpected fall.

The National Commercial Hot-Air Ballooning Industry and the Australian Ballooning Federation have spoken out about the tragedy, assuring people that hot-air balloon baskets are designed to prevent passengers from falling out ... so it's unclear what may have caused this.

They say the operator will be arranging for psychological support and counseling for the witnesses affected.

This marks the second hot-air balloon tragedy this year. Remember, four people were killed in Arizona in January after a hot-air balloon went down during a skydiving outing. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board later said the envelope was already deflated and the burner still on before the hot air balloon collided with the ground.

Una conductora y sus dos perros Boston Terrier fueron grabados mientras caían al mar en Venice Beach durante una persecución policial, lo que desencadenó una dramática operación de rescate que, sorprendentemente, terminó sin heridos graves.

El sábado por la noche, la mujer y sus dos perros circulaban a toda velocidad por la autopista 10 en el centro de Los Ángeles, cuando los agentes de policía la vieron sobrepasar el límite de velocidad e intentaron detenerla. Sin embargo, ella no se detuvo y dio comienzo a una persecución salvaje a través de Los Ángeles hasta Venice Beach.

De repente, la mujer se volvió hacia la playa y corrió por la arena, dirigiéndose directamente al agua. Varios videos en Internet mostraban cuando el carro se precipitó al Océano Pacífico para simplemente sumergirse en el agua.

La policía y los socorristas respondieron después de que la mujer salió nadando, abandonando a sus dos perros en el interior.

Intentó adentrarse en el océano mientras una lancha patrullera navegaba a su lado y un policía le lanzaba un salvavidas. Finalmente, la subieron a la lancha y la detuvieron.

Los policías sacaron a sus dos perros del carro y los entregaron a Control de Animales.

A BMW driver and her two Boston Terriers were filmed careening into the ocean off Venice Beach during a police pursuit, sparking a dramatic rescue operation that remarkably ended with no one seriously injured.

The woman and her two dogs were zooming down the 10 Freeway in downtown L.A., Saturday night when patrol officers clocked her going way beyond the speed limit and tried to pull her over. But she refused to stop, instead leading police on a wild chase through L.A. to Venice Beach.

Suddenly, the woman turned onto the beach and raced across the sand, heading directly for the water. Several videos posted online showed the car plunging into the Pacific Ocean and later submerged on its side in the water.

Police and lifeguards responded after the woman swam out of her car, abandoning her two pooches inside.

She tried to wade deeper into the ocean as a police boat sailed up beside her and a cop tossed her a life preserver. She was eventually pulled onto the boat and taken into custody.

Cops recused her two dogs from the car and turned them over to Animal Control.

Don Lemon's not letting up on Elon Musk one bit ... hitting his new nemesis repeatedly in an explosive interview -- and making some pretty big insinuations.

The talk show host sat down with People in an interview published Sunday to promote his upcoming talk with Musk -- scheduled for release Monday -- and said he thinks Elon was put in a very unfamiliar position.

Among his comments, Lemon said this, "He's not used to being held to account. He's not used to having to answer to anyone, especially someone like me who doesn't share his worldview, who doesn't look like him. You know what I'm saying?"

Reading between the lines a bit here ... it seems Don's saying Elon's not used to answering to Black people -- instead usually dealing with white people who think the same as him -- a pretty huge implication if we're being honest.

And, it sorta falls in line with one of the questions Don asked Elon during their talk. He shared a clip while promoting the upcoming interview on "The View" where he asked Musk if he thought minority pilots were less qualified than their white male counterparts.

Lemon went after Elon a couple more times in the new interview ... he also called Musk naive if he thought questions about diversity wouldn't come up, and Don claimed he really believes in free speech -- while saying EM doesn't.

DL says Elon and his team wanted to see the interview before it aired BTW ... a request Don says he straight-up denied.

The name-calling's gone on for a few days now ... late Friday night, Elon compared Don to spoiled child Veruca Salt from "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" -- best known for repeatedly whining to her dad in the '71 flick.

Elon Musk upped the ante in his ongoing beef with Don Lemon, comparing him to Veruca Salt — the bratty child in the 'Willy Wonka' films.

In a Friday night post on X, the billionaire mogul wrote, "Don 'Veruca Salt' [lemon emoji]" linking the former CNN moderator to the spoiled girl character, who whined about wanting things from her wealthy dad throughout the famous 1971 flick.

As you know, the bad blood between the two men stems from Elon canceling Don’s contract to host his own TV show on the X social media platform, which is owned by Musk.

Earlier this week, Elon got pissed at Don after they sat down for an interview that was scheduled to appear on X, but never did.

Don asked some questions that rubbed Elon the wrong way, prompting Musk to terminate the deal they had together before the show even aired.

Don then went on CNN – his former employer – to discuss what happened with host Erin Burnett. A few clips of the Elon interview were aired, giving a window into the line questioning that annoyed Musk. Hate speech on X and Elon's ketamine use were among the topics talked about.

The New York Post reported Friday that Don issued a list of demands to Elon during contract negotiations, including a free Tesla Cybertruck and $8 million with $5 million paid upfront.

We caught up with Don following the whole debacle and he told us X needs his voice on the platform.