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Meghan Markle's legal team went to court Wednesday, gunning to convince a judge to toss a defamation lawsuit filed by her sister Samantha, and the arguments left the judge scratching her head but leaning in Meghan's favor.

Samantha Markle claimed Meghan was peddling lies about her in both the Oprah interview and a 2020 bio, "Finding Freedom." Specifically, Samantha claims her half-sis lied when she allegedly said she was an only child, causing her humiliation and shame. Meghan's lawyers fired back ... their client never said she was an only child. She told Oprah she grew up as an only child.

Samantha claimed Meghan lied about her upbringing, and when she got caught in lies, she turned Samantha into a sacrificial lamb and attacked her to cover up her own alleged misdeeds.

As for the alleged lies ... Samantha points to what she says is Meghan's rags-to-riches narrative, growing up in poverty when she had a middle-class background. She says their dad, Thomas, paid for all sorts of things for Meghan, including elite private schools, tuition at Northwestern as well as dance and acting classes.

MM's lawyers asked the judge to boot the case, calling the claims "offensive" and "inappropriate." Her lawyers say Meghan merely stated her impressions about her life growing up.

Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell said she was "struggling" to see how Meghan's statements were defamatory. The judge took the case under advisement.

A preschool in Miami is under fire for intentionally putting blackface on some students ... a move staffers proudly touted as a way to celebrate Black History Month.

Parents found out on Feb. 3 what was happening at Studio Kids Little River -- which has a preschool and daycare facilities. One parent, Courtney Politis, who had 2 kids at Studio, tells TMZ she was made aware of the incident by another concerned mom.

She says pictures of at least 2 toddlers in blackface were posted by a teacher on the school's internal app. As you can imagine, those pics started circulating, showing 2-year-olds dressed in police and construction worker costumes, with dark makeup plastered on their faces.

Politis says she brought this up to the preschool's director, Patricia Vitale, to express her outrage ... but claims Vitale downplayed the racist nature of it, asking why it was a big deal.

However, afterward, Vitale sent a letter to all the parents of the preschool ... writing in part, "We have not intended to offend anyone, and we’re very sorry about any inconvenience."

A few days later, Vitale sent another message that was a little more serious. The letter read, "We wanted to let all the parents know that we met on Friday afternoon with all the teachers and staff. We went over several ethical and multicultural education points. I will teach the team a class covering all the necessary topics regarding US history and multicultural education." She added, "[Y]ou may rest assured this will never happen again."

Politis tells us that, as far as she knows, the teacher who did this didn't face any real repercussions beyond a possible talking-to. Although, she's not calling for the teacher to be fired ... she does want there to be some discipline to show this just wasn't right.

Now, as for whether this is part of a larger political issue in FL -- involving Gov. Ron DeSantis' opposition to "wokeness" -- Politis says she doesn't necessarily see a direct tie there ... instead, she points to the fact the people who run the school are Argentinian.

Jillian Michaels is not a fan of the latest weight loss trend -- celebs and millions of non-celebs using diabetes meds to slim down -- and she says actual data proves it's just not worth the risk.

The fitness guru joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday and shared concerns about the diabetes drug Semaglutide -- sold as brands like Wegovy and Ozempic -- which got FDA approval in 2021 for "chronic weight management" in adults with weight-related health conditions.

Jillian tells us the injectable drug has significant side effects ranging from typical to severe ... including thyroid cancer, kidney issues and pancreatitis.

Set aside, for just a moment, the fact the diet craze  -- which folks like Chelsea Handler, Elon Musk and Michael Rubin have copped to joining -- is making it harder for diabetes patients to fill potentially lifesaving prescriptions.

But, JM says the drugs don't actually help folks achieve significant weight loss goals. She adds, the real kicker is one study shows some users regained nearly 70% of the weight they'd lost by taking the drug.

Ultimately, Jillian says you can reach achieve much more effective, long-lasting weight loss by getting active and making better dietary choices.

Raquel Welch, who paved the way as both an actress and international sex symbol has died ... TMZ has learned.

According to family members, Raquel died this morning after a brief illness.

Welch first rose to fame for her back-to-back roles in "Fantastic Voyage" and "One Million Years B.C." -- both in 1966.

Welch only had a handful of lines in 'B.C.' but it was her wardrobe -- a simple and skimpy deerskin bikini -- that catapulted her to sex symbol status.

From there, Welch's profile blew up, and she was one of the most sought-after female stars throughout the '60s and '70s ... taking home plenty of hardware in the process, including a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her 1974 role in "The Three Musketeers."

Welch was named one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" in an issue of Empire magazine in 1995 ... and was ranked #3 in Playboy's "100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century."

She also appeared on "The Cher Show" in 1975 and performed "I'm a Woman" with Cher.

Raquel was married 4 times throughout her life -- James Welch ('59-'64), Patrick Curtis ('67-'72), Andre Weinfeld ('80-'90) and Richard Palmer ('99-'04) -- with 2 kids, Tahnee and Damon Welch.

Raquel was 82.

Bam Margera's wife has tried for years to make things work with her estranged husband, but has apparently decided there's nothing more she can do ... filing for legal separation.

Nicole Boyd filed separation papers Wednesday in L.A. citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the breakdown in her marriage with Bam.

The two have a 5-year-old son, Phoenix, together -- Nicole's asking for both legal and physical custody -- but will allow for Bam to get supervised visitation as long as he foots the bill and it happens in L.A. County.

Nicole is also asking the court to award her spousal support.

Bam and Nicole got hitched in October 2013, and she lists the date of their separation as September 2021.

TMZ broke the story, Nicole filed legal docs back in September 2021 asking the court to award her custody of Phoenix, however, at the time, she didn't file divorce documents.

With the recent takedowns of unexplained flying objects in the sky -- and mass speculation they may be of another world -- one former Navy pilot says the convo is long overdue.

We talked to Ryan Graves -- a retired naval lieutenant who used to fly F-18s and who's attested to seeing UAPs -- to help make sense of these latest mysterious incidents ... namely, the U.S. government shooting objects down but not knowing what they are.

On "TMZ Live" Wednesday, Graves weighed in on the latest piece to this wonky puzzle ... the alarming cockpit audio that was just released, where the pilots are baffled by what they were seeing over Lake Huron this past weekend ... ultimately calling it an apparent balloon.

According to RG, they probably only landed on "balloon" because that's the best thing they could refer to describe this -- even though it's clear that whatever they saw fell outside the parameters of a typical orb they might normally see floating around.

With the White House now explicitly saying "alien" -- specifically, to deny that the UFOs that were shot down were E.T.-related in any way -- Graves says this topic is finally breaking through in a meaningful way ... this after years of military personnel having seen them.

He tells us there are likely things in this world, and universe, that we simply don't understand and can't quite explain ... and now that we're zeroing in on some of this stuff -- by actually seeking it out, he adds -- it's going to be a difficult road in making sense of it all.

The best thing Uncle Sam can do, he suggests, is to be upfront and transparent about what we know or don't ... as that's the best way to maintain trust and get to the truth.

The Chiefs just held their second Super Bowl victory parade in four years ... and Patrick Mahomes put on a show for the massive crowd.

The big winners took the streets to celebrate another Lombardi trophy ... and some fans showed up as early as 6 AM to join in on the fun.

Mahomes was slugging beers throughout the parade route ... wiggling around to the music as he donned his customized WWE Championship belt and held a silver "MVP" ball.

Of course, his wife and biggest supporter, Brittany, was there to enjoy her second Super Bowl parade as well.

Travis Kelce had his mom, Donna, right by his side on top of his bus ... pumping up the crowd and having a blast.

Kelce also once again proved why he's got some of the best hands in NFL history ... snagging a Fireball shot from a fan and taking it to the head, much to the crowd's delight.

Frank Clark and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo joined in on the fun ... hopping off the team's buses to shake hands with fans along the parade route.

Fans didn't just pack the streets to show their support for the team -- they also climbed up trees to get a better view of their beloved champs.

Mahomes clearly enjoyed himself ... almost slipping on the team bus as he addressed the crowd. Thankfully, Chiefs QB coach Matt Nagy was there to help the 2x-MVP. 😅

Former Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles was in the celebration spirit early on ... buying Kansas City fans beer at a local tavern before the parade started.

An already emotional scene was ramped up after a man inside the courtroom lunged at Buffalo mass shooter Payton Gendron during the monster's sentencing hearing.

Barbara Massey, who lost her sister, Katherine, during the attack in May 2022 which left 10 dead, addressed the shooter directly Wednesday inside an Erie County Courthouse. Massey exclaimed, "My sister Katherine Massey was a great person, Kat didn't hurt anybody ... You don't know a damn thing about Black people, we're human, we like our kids to go to good schools, we love our kids. We never go in neighborhoods and take people out."

At that point, a man dressed in grey who was standing next to Barbara pushed her aside and lunged at Gendron, only to be restrained by several officers protecting the murderer.

As the incident happened, you can hear several people in the crowd become emotional ... and both Gendron and the man who lunged at him were escorted out.

Gendron, who is white, killed 10 Black people and wounded several others during a mass shooting at a Buffalo-area grocery store.

Gendron live streamed his brutal attack, carrying out the killings with an automatic weapon inscribed with racist words and phrases -- including the N-word and "Here's your reparations."

He's expected to be sentenced to life in prison -- pleading guilty to charges including domestic terrorism motivated by hate and murder.

The hearing resumed after a brief pause to settle the courtroom.

Connor Smith -- a former MTV star from "Are You the One?" -- is again being accused of trying to engage in sex acts with a minor ... and now, cops are looking for him.

The ex-reality show contestant -- who was prominently featured on 'AYTO' way back in 2015 -- is wanted in the state of Illinois ... where the Lake County Sheriff's Office says they've issued a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of trying to meet a child for a sexual encounter.

According to LCSO, Smith interacted with an undercover detective online for the past several weeks ... thinking the cop was a girl under the age of 15, and allegedly sending explicit material of himself -- and then planning to meet up with the fake kid to engage in sex acts.

Smith is accused of driving to a rendezvous point on Feb. 9 -- where he allegedly scheduled to pick up the would-be teen -- and at this point ... the Sheriff's Office says their officers moved in to apprehend him. However, they say Smith successfully fled in his pickup truck.

The following day, Lake County obtained a warrant for his arrest -- on felony charges of traveling to meet a minor, grooming and disseminating harmful material -- with a judge signing off on a million-dollar bond if he were to be captured and arrested.

LCSO says Smith indicated to them that he'd actually surrender, but note ... he hasn't done so yet. Now, they're warning the public about him -- and asking for tips on his whereabouts.

Tyler Perry's helping to solve a problem created by his super successful movie studio in Atlanta ... seniors are seeing their property taxes jump, and he's ponying up the difference so they can stay in their homes.

Sources close to Tyler tell TMZ ... the TV/film mogul is donating $750,000 this year so Atlanta's low-income seniors aren't forced out of their homes due to rising property taxes.

There's a lot of folks who live in the area around Tyler Perry Studios ... and the value of the land is increasing, and in turn, driving up property taxes. We're told it's a leading factor in longtime residents living on a fixed income being displaced and having their lives upended.

Our sources say Tyler, who came in at No. 3 on the Forbes list of the Top 10 highest-paid entertainers of 2022 -- raking in $175M last year -- recently reached out to Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens to help keep these residents in their homes.

We're told Tyler's $750k donation will do a number of good things in the community ... including paying off all back property taxes for every low-income senior in Atlanta, which covers nearly 300 homes.

The money will cover taxes imposed by the city, county and schools.

Our sources say Tyler's money will also effectively freeze property taxes for 100 low-income seniors for 20 years ... with the money going to pay the difference between current property taxes and property tax increases over the next two decades.

In addition to Tyler's $750k earmarked for 2023, we're told he will also donate about $500k every year for the next 4 years ... which works out to about $2.75 million total. We're told the funds will be handled by Invest Atlanta Partnership, the nonprofit wing of Atlanta's economic development authority.

Stanley Wilson Jr. -- a former Detroit Lions cornerback and the son of ex-Bengals running back Stanley Wilson Sr. -- has died after collapsing at a mental hospital earlier this month ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Wilson Jr. had been in police custody following his vandalism arrest back in August ... but according to prosecutors, he was declared incompetent to stand trial and was transferred from county jail to the Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County on Feb. 1.

But, law enforcement sources tell us during intake at the medical facility -- which specializes in caring for those with mental health issues -- he collapsed and died.

Our sources say foul play is not suspected. Autopsy results are pending toxicology.

Wilson Jr. was just 40 years old.

The former defensive back was taken by the Lions in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft ... and went on to play three seasons for the team -- before suffering a career-ending Achilles injury prior to the beginning of the 2008 season.

After his NFL career had concluded, Wilson found himself in trouble with the law multiple times.

In 2016, he was charged with attempted burglary after he was shot in the abdomen after he allegedly attempted to break into a home in Portland while completely nude. Months later, in 2017, he was arrested after he was accused of walking around a Portland neighborhood while naked. He was arrested a third time in 2017 after another alleged attempted break-in.

In August, he was arrested once again for allegedly breaking into a home and then taking a bath in an outdoor fountain after ransacking the place.

Wilson Jr. played in 32 games in his pro football career, logging eight pass breakups, a forced fumble and 87 total tackles.

"All American"s send off of Taye Diggs' titular character came as a shock to many, with some expressing serious anger online ... but long-running castmate, Bre Z is breaking down the meaning behind the loss of Coach Baker -- and why her character hasn't gotten the boot yet.

We got Bre Z, known for playing Coop on the CW series, at H. Lorenzo in WeHo Tuesday ... saying there's an incredible writing team behind the show, and the loss of Coach Baker is going to open up even more great storytelling post-death.

ICYMI, Monday's episode was a massive shocker ... and despite Taye previously talking about his decision to leave the series, it was never specified how his character would go out. The show even teased a life-changing episode ahead of Monday's big reveal.

Fans online were FURIOUS over the loss of Taye's character -- with some calling the death premature and nonsense ... some even flooded Taye's IG comments with major concern.

Some folks even said Coop should've been the one to go instead ... we talk to Bre Z about that too, but she doesn't think she's goin' anywhere.

FYI -- Taye thanked his fans for all their support after the episode aired, shouting out his cast for their "energy and unrivaled talent."

Turns out there is something worse than being dropped into one of Earth's most extreme environments with no food, clothes or water -- and it involves a survivalist's penis and an open flame!!!

The painful crisis unfolds on the upcoming season premiere of Discovery's "Naked And Afraid" ... when hot coal pops from a fire -- set for heat and survival -- and lands on the tip of UK contestant Sam Mouzer's penis, which he refers to as his "little soldier's helmet."

TMZ has video of the indecent incident ... Sam and fellow contestant, Lilly, are sleeping naked next to the flame when Sam suddenly screams out in pain. Talk about unfriendly fire.

While Sam worries his little soldier is going to look like it got blasted with buckshot after spending 21 days in America's Wild West, medics were on hand to provide some pain relief.

Check out the clip ... Sam's somehow able to keep a sense of humor as the medical staff did their thing down below.

Laughter really must be the best medicine, 'cause we can't figure out how he managed a smile.

The new season premieres Sunday and Discovery tells us Sam and Lilly are put through the wringer during 3 weeks in New Mexico ... where they get blasted with snake poop, deal with plummeting temperatures and are stung by scorpions.

Forbes' list of the 10 highest-paid entertainers in 2022 includes filmmakers, musicians, TV creators and more -- collectively earning about $1.35 billion -- and, if there's one theme, it's that longevity pays off big time in show biz!!!

Topping the list is the rock band Genesis ... bringing in a whopping $230M. The frontman Phil Collins and the rest of the group sold their catalog back in September for a reported $300 million.

Forbes says the $70 mil difference represents fees to managers, agents and lawyers. They get ya coming and going.

Coming in a close second is Sting, earning $210M. Last year, he also sold his music catalog and his band's, The Police, and also got about $300M for all those hit songs.

Guess he paid his lawyers more than Genesis.

On the younger side ... 53-year-old TV/film mogul Tyler Perry came in at number 3, pocketing an estimated $175M from all his projects and his huge studio in Atlanta.

Others in the top 10 include ... "South Park" creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who came in at number 4 ahead of "The Simpsons" creators James L. Brooks and Matt Groening.

Brad Pitt is number 6 collecting $100M ... just ahead of the Rolling Stones, who at their advanced ages still earned $98 mil last year off a European tour.

Back in Hollywood, another guy who's been around forever, James Cameron -- now one of the highest-grossing directors of all time -- earned at least $95M from the "Avatar: The Way of the Water" flick.

Now for some youth -- Taylor Swift, who's the only woman in the top 10, made $92 million to put her at number 9, and Bad Bunny collected around $88 million from his massive tour.

Michael Jordan's birthday is on Friday ... but instead of throwing a big bash ahead of turning 60 years old, the basketball legend is donating $10 MILLION to a great cause.

The Hall of Famer announced the massive contribution to the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Wednesday ... saying he's been "honored" to work with the organization since 1989, helping put a smile on kids' faces through hundreds of granted requests.

"Witnessing their strength and resilience during such a tough time in their lives has truly been an inspiration," MJ said in a statement.

Make-A-Wish says Jordan has granted hundreds of wishes for kids since 1989 ... and has consistently been one of the most-requested celebrities among those battling serious health issues.

Of course, there will be tons of tributes pouring in for #23 when he turns the big 6-0 ... and the G.O.A.T. is asking his fans to follow his lead and make a donation for the cause in honor of the birthday.