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Ousted Papa John's founder, John Schnatter, is talking in doublespeak ... insisting he's not racist, but copping to having to purge the n-word from his repertoire to prove it.

The former CEO of the pizza chain -- who got the boot a few years back for allegedly uttering the n-word in a conference call -- made an appearance on the far-right news channel, OAN ... where he was rehashing his experience, which he paints as a de facto coup.

At one point, Schnatter says the Board wrongly portrayed him as a racist -- adding he's been up at night since then, wondering how they got away with it.

Then comes the contradictory line ... JS says for the past 20 months, he's had 3 goals -- 1) "to get rid of this n-word in my vocabulary and dictionary and everything else because it's just not true," 2) figuring how they did this and 3) to get on with his life.

That first goal is a doozy to unpack. On its face, it sounds like he's admitting the n-word is a regular thing that shows up in his convos all the time, and that he's needed 20 months to exorcise himself of it.

Something tells us that's not what he meant -- he might've been trying to say "get rid of this n-word scandal" -- but that's certainly not how it came out. BTW, Schnatter keeps putting his foot in his mouth with these TV interviews, intentionally or not.

Remember, in 2019 ... he did another TV spot where he admitted he'd eaten 40 pizzas in 30 days (to see how they're holding up without him) -- and it just came off as sad and pathetic.

The White House is now weighing in on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah ... applauding them for their courage to tell their story.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked Monday during her daily briefing if President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden had any reaction following Meghan's claims of racism against the Royal Family.

Psaki sidestepped whether the Bidens actually watched the interview, but added ... "For anyone to come forward and speak about their own struggles with mental health and tell their own personal story — that takes courage, and that's certainly something the President believes, and he's talked about the importance of investing in a lot of these areas that they’re committed to in the future as well."

She was careful, though, not to ruffle any feathers across the pond because Psaki also emphasized America's "strong and abiding relationship" with the United Kingdom.

The fact some Brits are tuning out Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's bombshell claims about race, is a sign of how ingrained racism is in the Royal family ... according to Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu

The British women's rights activist joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday, and dug into the couple's biggest revelation to Oprah -- that one or more members of the Royals were concerned about Archie's skin color.

Dr. Shola squarely addressed Meghan and Harry's haters ... many of whom she says still deny racism is "structural" in the U.K.'s society.

It's a fascinating conversation ... and she also told us why Prince Charles should be the first Royal to respond to his son's interview. The way Dr. Shola sees it, the heir to the throne has a lot of explaining to do ... IF he wants to patch things up with Harry and Meghan.

As you know ... there's a worldwide guessing game over who voiced those skin-tone concerns to Harry. They wouldn't say, and the Palace remains silent about it.

The Naked Cowboy, famous for performing in Times Square, got busted way down in Florida for his same old schtick ... and cops say his trusty guitar broke when he resisted arrest.

Robert Burck, the nearly naked man behind the Naked Cowboy character, was arrested Saturday on a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence in Daytona Beach, where police also cited him for aggressive panhandling.

The Naked Cowboy was in town for Bike Week ... and cops say he was in his familiar getup -- white briefs, guitar and a cowboy hat -- when he was taking pictures with folks on the street in exchange for cash.

Police say a huge crowd formed around the Naked Cowboy as he hovered near a business on Main Street, so an officer cited him for panhandling. Cops say he refused to follow orders and when he resisted arrest while up against a patrol car the headstock of his guitar broke.

Bam Margera is learning hot tubs and fresh ink don't mix -- he needed a hospital stay to treat a staph infection from his latest tattoo.

The "Jackass" star was hospitalized over the weekend after experiencing pain in the same leg that's home to his new Farsi tatt. Bam's no stranger to pain -- it's kinda been his job for years -- so ya gotta imagine he was really hurting bad.

Bam says he had a staph infection, and sources close to him tell us the leg was likely infected when he went into a hot tub.

As anyone with tattoos likely knows, you're supposed to take it easy after getting inked up ... and hot tubs really sound like a bad idea, especially with leg tatts. Tough lesson here for Bam.

Prince Harry told Oprah ... the member or members of the Royal Family who made racist comments about the color of Archie's skin was NOT the Queen or Prince Philip, so the list of suspects is narrowing.

There were many headlines from Oprah's stunning interview, but the biggest was that Harry was told by a member/members of the Royal Fam ... Archie could not be a Prince because his skin tone would probably be too dark.

They made it clear ... this was not just one conversation, but several while Meghan was pregnant. They also made the stunning claim Archie would not get security since he was not a Prince, despite the death threats Harry and his family were enduring. Indeed, they said all security was pulled once they moved to Canada.

They would not say who made the racist comments, but they made it clear it was a member of the Family.

That said ... Harry has plenty of grievances with his dad, Prince Charles, saying when they moved to Canada, Charles stopped taking Harry's calls. He essentially accused his dad of being heartless ... especially given the fact Charles knew the difficulties Harry faced because he had been through something similar with Diana.

Harry also made it clear ... he's estranged from his brother, William. It's interesting, Harry intimated to Oprah William feels trapped but he can't leave given his position.

Harry says the entire family survives in a "toxic environment," although he says Charles has made peace with it.

For Meghan's part, she says hatred from social media was the game changer ... fueled by racism, she says it became so impossible she contemplated suicide.

A throng of George Floyd supporters are gathered outside a Minneapolis courthouse for what's supposed to be jury selection day in ex-cop Derek Chauvin's murder case.

The judge in the case on Monday paused jury selection for at least a day and said he wants to hear from the State Court of Appeals as to whether a third-degree murder charge can be added to Chauvin's counts. He had reportedly said he would initially start jury selection with the matter unresolved but has now changed course.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune ... Chauvin's attorney will ask the State Supreme Court to overturn Friday's ruling from the Court of Appeals which said the judge can reinstate the third-degree murder charge. The judge told prospective jurors to be ready to return to court on Tuesday.

The news came after a huge crowd had gathered outside the Hennepin County Government Center ... holding signs that read “Hope,” "Reflect," “Stronger Together,” and “This is what community looks like." They had also gathered there Sunday.

There was also a huge law enforcement presence in the area to keep things under control ... though things look very much peaceful. Chauvin, who is out on a $1 million bond, was seen inside the courtroom ... wearing a suit and face mask.

Burger King has a funny way of promoting gender equality -- because it said something totally sexist about women ... as a way to plug a new initiative supporting them.

Yes, this is what honchos at BK's British office thought would be a good campaign to hype a new scholarship program -- tweeting early Monday, "Women belong in the kitchen."

As the Internet started dragging them, BK added ... "If they want to, of course. Yet only 20% of chefs are women. We're on a mission to change the gender ratio in the restaurant industry by empowering female employees with the opportunity to pursue a culinary career. #IWD."

See what they did there? Piss off everyone with one disgustingly misogynistic tweet, then hit 'em with ... wait, we're doing a good thing!

BK says the scholarship is meant to uplift their female employees, who wanna move past fry cook and be bona fide chefs.

BTW ... March 8 is International Women's Day -- a worldwide holiday aimed at celebrating ladies everywhere. For some reason, Burger King ran with this as their #IWD campaign.

A couple hours after the in-poor-taste rollout ... Burger King UK added one last clarifying tweet -- "We are proud to be launching a new scholarship programme which will help female Burger King employees pursue their culinary dreams!"

Meghan Markle's claims of racism against the Royal Family appear to be partially backed up by the fact this very issue came up early on -- remember the brooch?

If ya don't, Princess Michael -- who's married to one of Queen Elizabeth's cousins -- apologized back in late 2017 when she was called out for wearing a Blackamoor brooch to a Royal gathering Meghan attended ... the first Christmas lunch since getting with Harry.

The brooch depicts a dark-skinned person wearing a turban, and it's thought to glorify colonialism and servitude ... as that line of jewelry often portrays POC in lesser-than positions.

Princess Michael said she meant nothing by it when she wore it to the lunch, and wasn't trying to offend or send a message to Meghan specifically.

Still, it's not a good look in light of what Meghan and Harry alleged in the explosive tell-all with Oprah -- namely, that they'd been informed by a member or members of the Royal Family that Archie's skin color could potentially be a problem, if he was born "too dark."

They wouldn't name the alleged perpetrator(s), but Harry did rule out 2 names in a follow-up chat ... saying neither Queen Elizabeth nor Prince Philip uttered such words.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry accused members of the Royal Family of shocking racism ... with Oprah's interview delivering the goods -- a stunning attack on the Royals.

Perhaps the biggest moment was when Meghan told Oprah that she'd been informed her and Harry's son, Archie, would not get the title of prince, and as a result, would get no security either.

Meghan then fired the shot, saying people had conversations with her while she was still pregnant, saying Archie's skin might be too dark for the role. Oprah was speechless and stunned, and when she asked Meghan who made such a comment ... Meghan clammed up.

But, it seems almost inadvertent that a minute later ... she said these were convos with the "family."

Meghan says it got so bad that she contemplated suicide. She says she went to human resources begging to get professional help, but she claims they turned her down flat.

Meghan also threw Kate Middleton under the bus by saying stories that she made Kate cry in the lead-up to the wedding simply weren't true. Meghan said it was the reverse -- Kate made her cry, but she apologized later and Meghan forgave her.

Meghan also said she was silenced by the Firm, which manages Royal business, but given assurances she would be protected. Meghan then said they never protected her, saying ... "They were willing to lie to protect other members, but not willing to tell the truth about me."

Prince Harry eventually came on and corroborated Meg's claim that somebody brought up race as it pertained to their child, Archie, and even elaborated ... saying it was brought up early and often.

Oprah grilled Harry for details, but he refused to share any about what exactly was said ... or who allegedly said it. Basically, he's taking that to the grave -- but he did say this ... it was clear from the get-go with Meghan that race was something that was on the Royal Family's mind, and that it was going to be difficult to navigate.

He said things were brought up to him about Meghan, like suggestions that she carry on with her acting career, as the Family supposedly didn't have enough money to support her or offer security for her. He also said the question was asked ... what would their kids look like?

Another takeaway ... Harry said he and his father, Prince Charles, became estranged during 'Megxit' ... claiming Charles stopped taking his calls and pretty much went cold on him after Harry made it clear he wanted out, with PC apparently being pissed Harry was trying to change up the sitch.

One last thing ... Harry and Meghan revealed they're due to have a baby girl, so Archie's got a little sister on the way. Congrats!

MacKenzie Scott has a new husband -- a teacher at her kids' school -- and while marrying the ex-Mrs. Jeff Bezos means the guy's suddenly mega-wealthy ... he's already giving it all away.

MacKenzie and Dan Jewett went public with their marriage over the weekend. Dan teaches science at Seattle Lakeside school ... the elite private institution Jeff and MacKenzie's 4 kids have attended.

Sounds like Dan and Jeff might have met at PTA meetings over the years -- Bezos released a statement, saying ... "Dan is such a great guy, and I am happy and excited for both of them."

It's unclear exactly when MacKenzie -- who's reportedly worth about $53 billion -- tied the knot, but on Saturday Dan posted a message on The Giving Pledge website and promised to give away his wealth ... just like his new wife.

Dan wrote about his own passion for giving, and added, "And now, in a stroke of happy coincidence, I am married to one of the most generous and kind people I know, and joining her in a commitment to pass on an enormous financial wealth to serve others."

Piers Morgan had an on-air shouting match with a Black woman during his morning TV show over her claims Queen Elizabeth is racist toward Meghan Markle.

Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu was one of the panelists who joined Piers Monday on "Good Morning Britain" to discuss Oprah's interview with Prince Harry and Meghan -- and she ripped into the Royal family, calling it an institution rooted in white supremacy and racism.

Piers wasn't having it, though, when the Doctor went after Her Majesty the Queen, saying ... "What kind of grandmother would be so close to her grandson Harry but then not use her power and influence as Queen to protect them from racist media coverage?"

He shouted back at Dr. Mos-Shogbamimu that her comments about QE2 were "disgusting" ... and then she fired right back at him.

Remember, Meghan and Harry said people in his family had conversations with him about their children potentially be too dark-skinned.

Piers made his feelings about the Oprah interview clear, tweeting it was "disgraceful" and a "betrayal".

Bethenny Frankel has done an about-face, expressing sympathy for Meghan Markle and apologizing for going after her hard before she saw the interview.

Hours before Oprah's interview aired, Bethenny went on a tear, saying, "Cry me a river ... the plight of being a game show host, fairly unknown actress, to suffering in a palace with tiaras & 7 figure weddings for TWO WHOLE YEARS to being a household name with @Oprah on speed dial, fetching 7 m for interviews ..."

Well, after the interview, Bethenny's tune changed. She said, "I watched M & H sit down. Emotional distress & racism must feel suffocating & powerless. I'm a polarizing, unfiltered (often to a fault) flawed person w a voice. When I hear of the interview during a pandemic, it felt like a surprising choice. I'm sorry if it hurt or offended you."

Megyn Kelly, however, was unmoved by the interview, saying, "Meghan Markle had no idea the Queen was different than a Hollywood celebrity? And she never googled Harry? Ummm..."

Dustin Diamond was never married to Jennifer Misner -- despite publicly claiming they were husband and wife -- and their secret's only being revealed because of Dustin's death.

TMZ obtained the late 'Saved By The Bell' star's death certificate, and under marital status it says "never-married." Of course, fans thought Dustin and Jennifer tied the knot back in the early 2000s ... and he'd even worn a wedding band.

The real deal, according to Dustin's close friend, Dan Block is ... DD never legally married Jennifer. Dan tells TMZ, Jennifer was his girlfriend and he wore the ring as a way of showing his dedication to her when he traveled for work.

Dustin went on Howard Stern's show way back in 2006 trying to raise money to get his house out of his foreclosure after losing a child with Jennifer. At the time, he talked about marrying her -- but we're told he did that to get more sympathy while dealing with his dire financial crisis.

Dan says, in recent years, Dustin had wanted to clear up his marital status, and was particularly frustrated with his Wikipedia page -- which says he and Jennifer married in 2009 and separated in 2013.

Serena Williams is praising Meghan Markle for her interview with Oprah ... saying MM showed strength and bravery by calling out "malicious, unfounded gossip and tabloid journalism."

Williams -- just hours after Markle's stunning revelations about the Royal Family aired Sunday night -- issued a lengthy statement on social media applauding her good friend for the talk.

"I know first hand the sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people of color to minimize us, to break us down and demonize us," the tennis superstar said.

"We must recognize our obligation to decry malicious, unfounded gossip and tabloid journalism. The mental health consequences of systemic oppression and victimization are devastating, isolating and all too often lethal."

If you missed it ... Markle and Prince Harry accused the Royal Family of racism in a bombshell interview with Oprah -- claiming things got so bad, she contemplated suicide.

Meghan also said in the lead-up to her and Harry's wedding, it was Kate Middleton who made her cry -- not the other way around.

Serena, who became good friends with Markle after they met at a Super Bowl party years ago, said she was "so proud" of the bravery Markle showed by speaking up.

"I know it is never easy," Williams said. "You are strong -- both you and Harry. I love you. I adore you."

Williams and Markle have grown so close over the years, Meghan's attended a bunch of Serena's tennis matches, and even invited the sports icon to her and Harry's wedding.

The Netflix docuseries on L.A.'s mysterious Cecil Hotel is triggering a flood of new, and bizarre, theories on who was behind Elisa Lam's death -- some so strange they'd require time travel.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... ever since "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel" started streaming, LAPD's 24/7 hotline's been ringing off the hook with tips. We're told most are connecting the hotel's haunted past to the unsolved mystery of how Lam ended up dead in a rooftop water tank.

If you've seen the series you know a former GM at the Cecil said she saw about 80 deaths at the hotel over 10 years.

Our sources say the strangest tip cops have gotten involved Richard Ramirez, AKA The Night Stalker. Now, he is mentioned in the series, because he lived on the 14th floor at the hotel while he terrorized California in the '80s.

That tip clearly didn't come from Sherlock Holmes since Ramirez had been locked up for nearly 30 years when Lam was found dead in 2013.