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Meghan Markle's name has reportedly been getting kicked around to fill Dianne Feinstein's Senate seat -- which makes sense ... based on what the governor has said about who's next.

This speculation comes courtesy of the Daily Mail, so take it with a grain of salt ... albeit, admittedly, an intriguing one. The UK outlet reports that "phones lit up" this weekend with chatter over the possibility of the Duchess being tapped to fill the now-vacant seat.

They also quoted one anonymous bigwig Dem donor as saying that Meg was a long shot, but that her being chosen wasn't outside the realm of possibility in these crazy times.

DM also reports MM's made it known, privately, that she has lofty political ambitions -- saying she's apparently eyeing a White House run one day ... and that she's already met with Gavin Newsom about a U.S. Senate appointment -- however, that was supposedly back in 2020, when Kamala Harris' seat was left vacant, and GN obviously didn't pick Meg to fill it.

While that was then ... the situation is quite different now, and actually appears to favor Meghan being appointed as an interim Senator -- and it's because of Newsom's own words.

A couple years ago -- when concerns over Feinstein's health first bubbled up -- Newsom told MSNBC's Joy Reid that he would appoint a Black woman to fill Feinstein's seat in the case that she retired, or other circumstances (like her sudden death). He made no bones about it.

He doubled down on that pledge just a few weeks during an interview on "Meet the Press" -- but hedged this time ... saying it would be a Black woman who hasn't already publicly announced they'll be running for the seat in the next election cycle (November 2024).

The rationale here ... at least 3 high-profile Dem politicians have already said they're vying for the seat in November -- when it's up for grabs during the election -- and Newsom says he doesn't wanna appear to favor any one of them by appointing them to fill in right now.

In other words, he basically needs someone (a Black woman, specifically) to just fill in for the time being as a figurehead -- while the real candidates take center stage next year. As Chuck Todd put it (and to which Newsom seemingly agreed) ... a "caretaker" appointment.

Rep. Barbara Lee -- who's one of the 3 leading Dem candidates who'll run for the seat, alongside Adam Schiff and Katie Porter -- called out Newsom's thinking as patronizing.

However, that type of situation is kinda exactly what Meg would need to launch herself into politics -- about 13 or so months on the job, in the national spotlight, to get a little juice for more moves down the road ... assuming she's seriously considering a life in politics.

Also, remember ... she's apparently been working with a PR company of late that was once tied directly to Michelle Obama -- so she certainly seems primed for something like this.

A lot of questions remain about a potential bid for the Senate, though ... including, what does Prince Harry have to say about it? We know he supports 100%, so he'd probably be on board if she really wanted it.

Zachery Ty Bryan found himself in an Oregon jail for a third time this past week -- but he's finally out now ... this after a major misunderstanding, TMZ has learned.

A Lane County Jail official confirmed to us that the former "Home Improvement" star was released from custody Sunday -- this after he was arrested and taken in by the authorities on Thursday. We're told he posted bail to get out ... but it's unclear how much at this point.

The charges that showed up on his latest booking sheet -- obtained by TMZ -- were startling at first ... 2 counts of 4th-degree felony assault ... but after speaking with people directly connected to the case, we've been assured this latest arrest is NOT over a new incident.

Zachery's attorney, John J. Kolego, tells us his client got hauled in as a result of a technical violation of his release agreement from earlier this year ... when he was busted on assault charges. We're told ZTB failed to charge his ankle monitor by mistake ... that's it.

Kolego tells us he got taken into custody during a pre-trial court office appearance, and that his arrest didn't involve a judge. We're told it also didn't involve any binge drinking -- as has been suggested by some media outlets.

Zachery's attorney adds of the July arrest and subsequent case ... "Zachery is looking forward to exonerating himself at trial."

Remember, ZTB copped a plea deal for his 1st case in 2020 on 2 lesser charges -- but he got busted for a 2nd time just earlier this year ... on very similar charges to his initial arrest. It all appears to pertain to a woman he's in a relationship with ... and with whom he has kids.

At the time of his first conviction, Zachery told the press that the whole thing was blown out of proportion by the media. The second time around, his defense attorney said Zachery deserves the presumption of innocence until all the facts come out.

Kourtney Kardashian is shutting down Kim's claim that there's a group chat of secret haters who all gossip about the eldest Kardashian sister is ... and she's got receipts!

The back-and-forth bickering from last week's premiere of "The Kardashians" bled into the weekend -- with Kourtney taking to Instagram to respond to fans who wondered if Kim's on-screen suggestion of a "Not Kourtney" text group was actually true or not.

According to Kourt, it's BS ... at least based on some digging she's been doing on her end. KK responded to one person, writing ... "I believe it was just my sisters from the surveys I've been taking."

She added this while replying to yet another fan who inquired about it ... "the members of that chat are namely Kim, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie. Case closed." It looks like Kourtney checked in with her actual friends ... and started a new group chat with them.

She posted a screen shot of their conversation ... and it's pretty clear they're pro-Kourtney. Also, folks have apparently been contacting these pals of hers and asking if they're in the alleged "Not Kourtney" group -- and they all seem to be denying it.

Of course, the reason this is even being discussed is because Kim alleged on the show that some of Kourtney's buddies have been secretly cozying up to her and other family members to air their grievances about Kourt.

Kim made it seem pretty dramatic, too ... saying, "- "All of your friends call us complaining. Whether you think they're the ones going to you, they're all coming to us on the side, saying the opposite to us."

She added, "We're all confused, and we're on a group chat labeled 'Not Kourtney' so we know, and have to funnel what your friends are saying to us, and have to figure out why you're such a different person and why you have this vendetta."

This was part of a much larger argument the two siblings has over the phone ... in which Kourtney accused Kim of being a narcissist and always wanting to steal the spotlight.

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, a 2x World Series champion, has died at the age of 57 ... just days after former teammate Curt Schilling revealed the longtime starting pitcher was battling brain cancer.

The Boston Red Sox, Wakefield's team for all but two of his 19 MLB seasons (he spent his early days with the Pirates), announced the devastating news on social media.

"Our hearts are broken with the loss of Tim Wakefield," the BoSox wrote on X.

"Wake embodied true goodness; a devoted husband, father, and teammate, beloved broadcaster, and the ultimate community leader. He gave so much to the game and all of Red Sox Nation."

"Our deepest love and thoughts are with Stacy, Trevor, Brianna, and the Wakefield family."

On the mound, Wakefield could be nearly unhittable … thanks to his knuckleball. TW won 200 games and retired with a 4.41 ERA. Tim struck out over 2,100 batters and earned a trip to the All-Star Game in 2009.

He won two World Series in 2004 and 2007.

Wakefield retired in 2011 ... and was later inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Of course, it wasn't publicly known that the former All-Star was sick until Schilling, on his podcast last week, revealed Tim was battling cancer and fighting for his life, seemingly against the Wakefield family's wishes.

Curt even acknowledged "I don't even know if he wants it shared," but explained he was Christian and remarked ... "I've seen prayer work and so I'm going to talk about it."

Schilling categorized the illness as "a very serious, very aggressive form of brain cancer."

Many were outraged by Schilling's actions ... Jason Varitek's wife, Catherine, blasted the World Series MVP-winning pitcher. The Red Sox also condemned Curt, saying, "Health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease."

The MLB team added that the Wakefields were asking for "privacy at this time."

Sadly, just three days later, the legendary knuckleballer and father of two, passed away.

Many from the baseball community have begun reacting to the terrible news, with Tim's former teammate, Kevin Youkilis, summing Wakefield up perfectly.

"He was a great teammate and just a great friend."

Mia Thornton's estranged husband, Gordon, did not see their separation coming -- 'cause the guy thought everything was fine and dandy until he got served ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the hubby of the 'RHOP' star tell us Gordon was handed court docs on Mia's behalf back in mid-August ... which signaled her desire for legal separation. We're told the move completely blindsided him -- and that he had no clue it was coming.

Our sources tell us that Gordon is also peeved right now over Mia's public handling of the situation -- namely because we're told he feels like she's been BSing everyone.

Fact is ... until Friday -- when MT announced they were separating -- she'd made it seem like they were A-OK on social media, continuing to post photos of the two of them together and even shouting him out a handful of times ... calling him a positive influence on their kids.

Our sources say Gordon is irritated by this ... and not just that, but we're told he hasn't even signed the papers yet. Her going public can be viewed as pressure on him to do so.

Mia broke the news to People, saying ... "Like all marriages, ours has had its ups and downs. At this time, Gordon and I are separated, but my family is my number one priority, and I am committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure we are okay. We ask that you respect our privacy and give us the time and space to figure things out."

Of course, the backdrop of all this is the fact that "Real Housewives of Potomac" has a new season on the horizon ... it's set to premiere in November, and this is sure to be covered.

The NFL got animated this weekend -- the shield teamed up with none other than Disney to broadcast a simultaneous version of a game that saw everybody reimagined as a toy.

Of course, we're referring to the Jags facing off against the Falcons in London ... the kickoff for which was super early. That doesn't mean Disney/ESPN wasn't ready with their big "Toy Story" skin, though -- as soon as the game started, their own cartoon stream was live.

It's exactly how it sounds ... basically, while the real game was playing out on everyone's TV, a different part of the screen was showing Disney's carbon copy universe -- where all the players were turned into toys and their on-field play was translating moment-for-moment.

The "Toy Story" stream wasn't on the main screen the entire time -- it sounds like they cut away to it during different parts of the match ... including replays/highlights, etc.

It was pretty cool to see, and the reactions online certainly reflected that ... as people were somewhat mesmerized by the technology -- not to mention all the other "Toy Story" characters being incorporated into the background and on the sidelines.

With that said, the new feature wasn't without its issues -- there were moments when the "Toy Story" would glitch up and/or not cut back to the main action in time ... and it PO'd some.

Still, it was way more good than bad ... and considering how much the "Toy Story" stuff got talked about, you can almost guarantee the NFL will try doing this again in the near future.

BTW, this isn't the first time the league has done something like this ... they've partnered with Nickelodeon in the past and had AR visuals superimposed over portions of the game -- including "slime" moments after touchdowns.

Kim Kardashian and Tom Brady shared a fun-filled moment while bidding on a very pricey piece of art -- and the two even got a bit flirty!!

According to eyewitnesses... Kim and Tom showed up to bid on a George Condo painting at the Reform Alliance Charity in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Saturday night.

We're told Kim kicked off the bidding at $500K, and then Tom put in a higher bid before they got into a full-on bidding war.

During their back and forth, the celebs giggled and kept looking at each other, and it was all "super fun and flirty," our sources tell us.

When the bid reached $2 million, the event hosts stepped in and decided both would receive their own George Condo painting.

But there was a caveat ... Kim and Tom each had to pay $2 million for their canvases, which for them is just chump change.

Britney Spears went off on cops Saturday ... demanding an apology after they came to her house a few days back to do a welfare check.

As you know, Brit was dancing with knives Monday, and it looked perilous. She said they were prop knives, but fans weren't buying it after she posted another video a day later with a bandage on her arm and a cut on her leg.

Cops came to the house to do a welfare check, after someone from the LAPD who had prior interactions with Britney became alarmed.

Britney's not buyin' it ... “Is it a joke in the news again with welfare checks??? Come on America … we cooler than that, right ??? The officers came to my home and said they would not leave until they spoke to me as people do 4 minute performances with them. I am getting an apology. I’ve been bullied in my home for so long now…ITS ENOUGH! ... It's about power for cops."

She then took aim at her mom ... "As my mom does the silent treatment when paps ask questions about her own daughter as if I’m in the wrong…nope it’s an old game. People need to be responsible for their actions!"

That's kind of a catch-22. As we reported, Lynne Spears was in town during the whole knife thing to watch her daughter, Jamie Lynn, perform on "Dancing with the Stars." Britney has cut Lynne off again, so Mom is now mum when paparazzi ask her questions, and Brit has interpreted that as a betrayal.

Well, we knew they were a thing, but Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny wanted more, so they just made their relationship Instagram Official.

KJ and BB are the faces of Gucci's new campaign -- Gucci Valigeria, and they both posted the pics on Insta, and those pics say it all.

One photo shows Bad Bunny enveloping Kendall in his arms and lifting her up onto a stack of Gucci luggage.

The theme of the campaign "explores the intimacy of traveling together."

It's interesting ... not only are they in a romantic relationship, now they're in a business relationship as well. Why do we think Kris Jenner is behind this?

Their relationship has been hot and heavy for months. We first saw them on a double date back in February with Justin and Hailey Bieber. Kendall was front and center when Bad Bunny headlined Coachella.

And TMZ got the photos of the 2 riding the same horse, which put to rest any doubts about their relationship.

Tom Brady gave hundreds of kids a day to remember Saturday, by not only hitting up a sports trading card event but also getting in on the action!

Brady was the surprise guest at the Fanatics and Topps Hobby Rip Night in Linwood, New Jersey.

There were some big stars front and center, including Travis Scott, Kevin Hart, who hosted the event, and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin.

Fanatics is the biggest sports merchandizer in the game.

The Linwood store has a capacity of 100, but so many people showed hundreds more descended onto the parking lot.

Brady was all in, trading cards with fans and the kids went nuts. Fact is ... Brady owns tons of football cards.

Taylor Swift's gearing up to root on Travis Kelce for the second week in a row, but not before grabbing dinner with some famous gal pals ... stepping out with Sophie Turner, Brittany Mahomes, and Blake Lively.

Taylor and crew hit Italian hotspot Emilio's Ballato in NYC Saturday night -- arriving with Blake and later joined by Sophie and Mahomes ... who she recently got acquainted with last weekend following Kansas City's win at home.

Of course, Taylor's been spending a lot of time with Sophie as of late, noticeably taking her side in a battle with Joe Jonas as they fight for custody and issues surrounding their divorce.

Blake's a longtime friend of Taylor, but Mahomes is certainly a new addition to the girl squad.

TMZ broke the story ... Taylor and Brittany hit it off at Travis Kelce's afterparty in KC last weekend, chatting a bunch and at one time taking a shot together. We were also first to obtain a photo of Taylor and Travis looking rather comfortable at the bash ... as she wrapped her arms around the NFL superstar.

Travis and his Kansas City Chiefs are set to take on The New York Jets Sunday night, and sources tell us Taylor will be in attendance.

George Washington's got a price on his head ... because a lock of his famous hair is on the open market.

The first president of the United States had a lock of his white hair preserved for centuries ... and now it's up for sale for $45,000.

Washington's hair lock is tied up in an oval shape and bound by a glass case, which is wrapped in pearls. There's also an engraving with his initials 'GW' on the back of the case.

The lock was given to the Derby family back in the day, as the Derbys were close with both George and his wife, Martha.

Washington's hair remained in the Derby family for several generations ... it was handed down from son to son and now it's hitting the open market through Moments In Time.

A letter dated Aug. 15, 1873, is also included with Washington's hair ... it's correspondence between the Derbys and another collector, talking about the locks.

Remember ... GW supposedly didn't wear a wig, unlike many of his contemporaries, and actually powdered his own hairdo.

Before Dion Lewis was hauled off to jail last week, he allegedly called cops "p***ies" and threatened to spit on an officer -- this according to new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the docs, Seminole Police Dept. officers say they were called out to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa in Florida at around 2 PM on Sept. 18 after venue security claimed Lewis was being "unruly."

Cops say the former New England Patriots running back was told he had to leave the property ... and was escorted out to valet where authorities said they allowed him to either cab it or Uber it away from the premises without further repercussions.

But, according to the docs, "Lewis became belligerent in front of other casino patrons, calling officers 'p***ies,' and advising he was not leaving property because he did nothing wrong."

He then allegedly said he'd spit in a sergeant's face "if he touched him."

Lewis was taken to a nearby jail a short time later ... and ultimately charged with misdemeanor trespassing.

His attorney submitted a not guilty plea on the former tailback's behalf earlier this week. He's now due back in court next month.

The prop shop where Britney Spears claims she rented her famous dancin' knives is seeing a big boost in sales after the shout-out ... and it's helped pull the store out of a financial hole.

The manager of Hand Prop Room in L.A. tells TMZ ... online traffic and calls to the shop have doubled since Brit name-dropped their spot Thursday on Instagram. Rental sales for their props, especially knives, have gone up 50%.

We're told everyone in the sales department has been getting calls from people asking about the singer and her knives -- the manager has been fielding tons of calls about Britney.

The manager says Britney is partially to thank for saving the store ... the place has been struggling during the writers' and actors' strikes this year.

The entertainment industry is the shop's bread and butter, but no work meant fewer rentals ... leading to a big financial struggle.

He says the store's been bumping her songs nonstop ever since her post -- so the promotion goes both ways!

As we reported, Britney shared her alarming dance video Monday, swinging and clanking the blades around with a caption that read, "Don’t worry they are NOT real knives !!! Halloween is soon."

Paris Jackson's alleged stalker is now behind bars after cops say he showed up at her home earlier this month ... and we're told that may not have been his first visit.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... 37-year-old Ruben Polanco was arrested September 4, when he showed up at Paris' L.A.-area home. We're told she had security there which kept him at bay until cops came and took him away.

The L.A. City Attorney's Office has now charged him with 4 misdemeanors -- including stalking and prowling. He's currently sitting in jail on $20,000 bail ... as the LAPD Threat Management team continues to investigate.

Cops say Polanco has a history of ending up at Paris' place -- he allegedly was on her property New Year's Day, and officers say he returned 2 times in August, in addition to the most recent incident in September.