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Patrick Mahomes is an inspiration to dad bods all over the world ... 'cause the NFL superstar hilariously defended his physique after a video of the shirtless quarterback went viral this week.

The two-time Super Bowl champ's appearance was put under the microscope when the NFL shared footage of the Chiefs' locker room celebration following Sunday's AFC Championship Game ... with many pointing out Mahomes' tummy.

While the dude isn't overweight by any means, some on social media seemingly expected him to be a bit more shredded ... considering he is one of the greatest athletes on the planet.

The 28-year-old took all the chatter in stride ... while playfully calling out the NFL for posting the vid for all to see in the first place.

"Yoooo why they have to do me like that!?!?!?," Mahomes jokingly said on his account. "🤣🤣🤣 #DadBodSZN"

"Like i got kids!!!! @Chiefs @insidetheNFL @NFL 🤣🤣🤣"

Of course, Mahomes is a happy father of two -- 2-year-old daughter, Sterling, and 1-year-old son, Bronze -- so there's a good chance he's had to pause some workouts to look after the youngins.

Many supporters -- most likely fellow dad bods -- defended Mahomes' dropped top look ... and some pointed out other legends like Tom Brady and Eli Manning have had success without resembling Greek gods.

Andrea Bocelli's uniting President Joe Biden and GOP Speaker of the House Mike Johnson through song ... opening their emotional floodgates during a Capitol Hill performance.

The opera star's one-of-a-kind voice is powerful enough to send chills down anyone's spine ... but for Joe and Mike, his rendition of "Amazing Grace" Thursday morning was truly a spiritual awakening ... bridging the gap between them and moving them both to tears.

Joe even reached for a tissue to dry his eyes as Andrea belted it out, and Rep. Johnson welled up with emotion next to him. For just a moment, both men's political differences seemed to be on the back burner.

JB was particularly thrilled to have started his day on a high note ... leaping to his feet at the end for a thunderous round of applause.

There's clearly nothing better than a musical breather to recharge the political batteries before Joe's campaign trail hits full volume for the 2024 elections.

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are standing behind parents advocating against social media companies ... and they're using a viral Mark Zuckerberg moment to underscore their point.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a statement on the social media Senate hearings from Wednesday to the Archewell Foundation's website -- showing support for the victims and detailing some of their own experiences speaking to families who've gone through this.

In the statement, PH and MM applauded parents standing up against huge social media companies, and added, "The best parenting in the world cannot keep children safe from these platforms" ... all in all, a fairly fluffy, boilerplate statement from the royal couple.

The big news here ... they picked a shot of Zuck from the hearing yesterday as the huge image above their statement -- a pic that captured MZ's surprise apology to parents and victims of child sex exploitation via social media.

As we reported ... Mark was getting grilled during the committee hearing with Senator Josh Hawley peppering him with questions until Zuck was basically forced to turn around and apologize to the crowd at large.

The crowd held up numerous photographs of victims as Mark apologized and made mention of measures he said Meta's taking to stop any other children from becoming victims.

Well, it seems the Sussexes are clearly on the side of the victims and advocates ... unsurprising given their charitable works to combat sex trafficking and child slavery. Plus, they're parents themselves -- and they have a ton of experience dealing with agitators online to boot.

Sophie Turner's getting a serious dose of mommy shaming over a skiing trip with some pals -- and luckily for her, her fans have got her back ... well, some of them do anyway.

This whole mess kicked off when the 'GoT' star recently shared IG snaps of herself hitting the slopes with her boyfriend, Peregrine Pearson, and their pals ... writing, "Jägerbomb anyone?" Clearly just a fun post showing her enjoying herself and living her life ... although, trolls felt very differently about it, and they let her know en masse in her comments.

Unfortunately for her, there was intense outrage over Sophie having the audacity to enjoy some downtime without the presence of her kiddos -- especially since her last few months have been rife with Joe Jonas divorce drama.

Her comments were rife with questions about children's whereabouts -- with some demanding she oughta "be a mom" -- and while ST reportedly attempted to delete some of these remarks, some still filtered through ... and other fans jumped to her defense.

One loyal supporter put out a reminder that women were allowed to have an identity outside of being a mother -- and another called out the sexist double standard ... saying there was no kid-related outrage over on JJ's IG.

Others pointed out that in a custody agreement situation, a mother has free reign to go out and enjoy her life when she didn't have the kids -- not be locked away from the world while knitting and baking cookies, which the haters seem to think was normal.

In Sophie's case, she recently came to an amicable custody agreement with Joe after months of turbulence put in motion by his divorce filing in September last year.

Things got messy soon after ... Sophie cited a whole "child abduction" law, claiming Joe was preventing their 2 children from traveling to see her in the UK by allegedly withholding their passports -- though she asked a judge to dismiss the claim last month.

Usher's doubling down on his claim he was Beyoncé's babysitter for a second in the early '90s ... though he's not comfortable calling himself a "manny."

The singer-songwriter, and upcoming Super Bowl Halftime performer, stopped by Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" podcast, released Wednesday, when the question of babysitting Queen Bey herself came up again.

ICYMI ... Usher revealed back in August that he'd watched over Beyoncé when she was just 11 or 12-years-old -- though he didn't say if anyone paid him for his services!

So, Sharpe asked him about being "Beyoncé''s nanny" and, after joking he'd actually be a "manny" ... Usher said it's probably a step too far to give him that title.

The 45-year-old explained Bey came to Atlanta with Destiny's Child -- before they "became Destiny's Child," as Usher describes it -- when he was in his teens, and he was tasked with watching the kids while they hung out at musician Daryl Simmons' house.

The way Usher explained it, his responsibilities were simple ... make sure none of the girls broke anything! So, more like a chaperone on a school field trip than a full-time caretaker, it sounds like.

And, if you're wondering if Usher's always had an eye for talent ... he says he did, claiming he saw a "brilliance and brightness" to Bey and the rest of DC that he was sure would take them all far.

On Beyoncé, he added, "[It’s] really great for my sister, to see that she’s done so amazing and continue to thrive and just get bigger and better."

Obviously, both Usher and Beyoncé have taken off since then with each winning multiple Grammys and selling millions of records worldwide ... and soon, Usher will tie Beyoncé in two Super Bowl Halftime Show performances a piece.

Nicki Minaj isn't done sniping at Megan Thee Stallion -- now she's accusing her of desperately seeking sympathy when she sat down with Gayle King to discuss the Tory Lanez shooting.

The rapper, who's been on the warpath since MTS released "Hiss" last week, hopped on an X Spaces hosted by Joe Budden ... and compared Meg's 2022 CBS interview to a Rihanna interview in 2009, after Chris Brown assaulted her.

Remember, Megan couldn't hold back tears as she talked about the terrifying shooting -- and while it tugged at most viewers' heartstrings, Nicki wasn't one of those people.

NM accused Megan of making artists like Tory and DaBaby out to be attention-seeking bad guys ... before hamming it up to get a "Rihanna moment."

Minaj elaborated ... saying RiRi received a ton of support once her interview came out because she's all about being herself, and would never "milk anything." She pointed out Rihanna tried to move past Brown's assault quickly in her interview, chalking it up to youth.

But, Nicki said it's not the same with Meg ... claiming she needs "constant f***ing sympathy."

It's the latest in a long string of attacks Nicki's shot off ... including a joke she made about Meg's dead mom and releasing "Big Foot" -- a diss track aimed at MTS.

Meg's stayed silent since dropping "Hiss" with its controversial "Megan's Law" line last week ... perhaps this will finally convince her to hit back. That's clearly what Nicki wants.

Or, maybe she will take it all in stride ... it's always nice to be compared to freakin' Rihanna!!!

8:57 AM PT -- Mystery solved ... Taylor-Con is just a regular Swiftie fan convention that's going down in Dallas in March -- one that's being organized by fans, and which Taylor Swift and co. seem to want to jump on by trademarking this phrase, which will undoubtedly be circulating.

Taylor and her team don't appear to have any official affiliation with this -- she'll be touring around this time, so she definitely won't be there -- but Taylor-Con is going down, and it's already sold out.

Taylor Swift is moving into a new business era, it seems -- 'cause she's interested in locking down a certain phrase for what sounds like an event centered all around her.

The pop star just filed for a new trademark through her company, and it looks like she wants to the sole rights to the term "TAYLOR-CON." No word on what exactly that may be at this point -- but we do know what TS and co. have in mind in terms of advertising it.

According to the application, obtained by TMZ, T-Swift appears to wanna brand a wide variety of items with "TAYLOR-CON" ... which means, yes, she wants to sell you crap.

Just a taste of what she's aiming to slap this phrase on ... everything from guitar picks and jewelry to clothing/accessories and coffee cups/journals -- not to mention digital items, like sound recordings and computer media. In other words, the whole nine yards of "stuff."

Again, it's hard to say exactly what this is ... but based on the name alone, it certainly sounds big -- and you can almost guarantee it'll revolve around her almost exclusively.

Also worth noting -- this new trademark application from Taylor basically mirrors her "Midnights" application that her same company filed in 2022, which was also seeking to brand a ton of things with that label at the time. Take a look, they almost match up to a T.

On its face, you could argue this may well be a new album ... but it's too early to say.

In any case, it seems Taylor's not done taking over the world just yet ... her reign continues, and it's looking like she's getting set to make the next move in her career ... nonstop Ws.

Swifties, rejoice!

Another American staple in the food biz is fleeing Oakland because of increased crime ... the only Denny's in the city closed for good earlier this week, continuing a troubling trend.

While Denny's officials reportedly wouldn't speak on camera, a notice taped to the door cited the "safety and well-being" of employees and guests as the chief cause of the closure -- which sounds a lot like increased crime's become an issue for the 24-hour restaurant.

Employees were reportedly notified of the closure just a day before the 54-year-old Denny's officially shut down ... and the company promised to find the employees positions at other locations if they could relocate.

It'll be a minor commute for Oaklanders to get a Grand Slam at the Emeryville location, a 3-mile difference ... but it's just the latest in a shocking trend of closures precipitated by rising crime in the Bay Area.

This Denny's location had reportedly fallen victim to break-ins-robberies and violent crime ... just like the In-N-Out that's also hightailing it out of town.

As we reported ... In-N-Out's COO Denny Warnick cited crime as the major reason the super popular food chain was heading out of business -- though they'll stay open until late March.

Justin Timberlake seems to be taking back his apology to Britney Spears, and maybe even Janet Jackson too -- the timing of which couldn't have come at a worse time, TBH.

The singer performed in NYC Wednesday for a one-night-only show, and there's footage of him going around on social media that's raising eyebrows -- specifically, a clip of him winding down one song and transitioning into the next, where he says something curious.

Check it out ... JT tells the crowd that he'd like to take this moment to apologize -- but then hits a brief pause before he finishes his thought and says ... "to absolutely f***ing nobody."

Some in the audience cheered right then and there -- but this video is NOT being well-received online in the aftermath ... for a couple reasons, depending on how you look at it.

For starters, this is immediately being perceived by many as a straight-up shot to Britney -- which is probably spot-on considering he reportedly went right into "Cry Me a River" right after this ... and everyone knows that track is famously about his popstar ex.

Of course, BS herself recently apologized to JT publicly ... well, kinda. She said sorry if what she wrote in her book made anyone feel bad -- so it was a half-apology, of sorts, to him.

The other celeb people are expressing outrage on behalf of is Janet -- and that's 'cause Thursday is the 20-year anniversary of her Super Bowl performance with him, where he pulled her boob out in front of millions ... something folks are still angry about even today.

There was a lot of controversy over this a few years ago when a doc dove into the topic in great detail, and JT ended up apologizing at the time not just to JJ, but Britney as well.

Brad Pitt ain't about giving away his acting secrets ... just ask Donald Glover.

Donald's starring in the new series "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" alongside Maya Erskine -- a reboot of the 2005 film starring Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but Donald says the megastar wasn't exactly keen on passing on the torch.

Donald said Brad skirted giving him advice for the high-octane action series. He was on the 'Tonight Show' with Jimmy Fallon when he revealed a meeting with Brad didn't amount to much.

In fact, he says Brad didn't dish out any actual pointers on how Glover could take on the role. DG added, he "kind of Brad Pitted his way out of it" -- in Layman's terms, he just charmed his way through their interaction, and let him know he'd do a great job.

It's no surprise Glover was fishing for advice from Brad -- especially since "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" was a runaway hit on the big screen ... with its leads having spectacular onscreen chemistry and even falling in love IRL while filming -- something Glover's costar Maya said put heaps of pressure on her.

Maya said they were asked to "sex it up" for the show ... with a photog from the show's promo shoot even asking them to channel their inner sexual animal -- which she says was a worm.

Not really the vibes he was going for, Maya!!

Kyle Richards is seemingly giving her husband Mauricio Umansky an ultimatum -- shape up or ship out.

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star draws her line in the sand in a preview for an upcoming episode of the reality show ... though, interestingly, she makes the statement to castmate Dorit Kemsley -- not Mauricio -- saying, "If there's no effort, we're not going to end up together."

She's clearly discussing the elephant in the room this season ... the fact she and Mauricio have been estranged for several months now, but still living under the same roof with their children.

In the teaser clip, Mauricio leaves Kyle to go show some homes for The Agency -- and then she meets with Dorit to give her the lowdown on her marital struggles.

The issue, according to Kyle, is Mauricio's major focus on his booming real estate company, which touts itself as a billion-dollar brokerage firm.

Kyle grumbles to Dorit ... "He has to say yes to more things because the Agency is expanding so much. So I'm like, if we're having an issue why can't you give that energy that you give to the company?"

Obviously, Kyle is not mincing words. She wants a lot more from Mauricio or their relationship could be kaput.

What she doesn't discuss -- at least, in the clip -- is the fact they've both been seen out with other people, boosting rumors about divorce. Kyle's been hanging with Morgan Wade, who she insists is just a friend, and Mauricio partied hard in Aspen with other women.

Kyle and Mauricio officially separated after 27 years of marriage in July 2023. They have 3 daughters: Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15.

The youth baseball league that had its beloved Jackie Robinson statue stolen and destroyed has received more than enough money to replace the tribute ... with over $175k raised so far for the cause.

As we previously reported, League 42 in Wichita, Kansas had its bronze figure of the baseball legend taken from outside its facility last week ... and unfortunately, it was found wrecked beyond repair in a trash can fire at a nearby park on Tuesday.

A GoFundMe was set up to help replace the Robinson statue ... and while it had an estimated value of $75,000, the campaign has since surpassed its goal.

League 42 says it will keep the fundraiser active ... as the extra money can help the program in many other ways -- like funding the organization's education programs and revamping several fields that need new lighting and artificial turf.

League 42 says its annual budget has risen to $400k a year ... and the money raised will continue to help young kids learn the sport without having to worry about high entry fees.

The org. released a statement on the support Thursday morning ... saying, "What people are doing and have done to support League 42 makes all of us -- our families, board members, staff and players -- grateful beyond words."

"There really are no words to describe the past week. But rest assured, we are so very thankful for the support and generosity being shown to us."

T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach have been spilling their guts about their relationship -- and the latest truth bomb is strange ... 'cause they both admit they can't stand being confined.

The former 'GMA3' anchors-turned-lovers got into a new topic on the latest episode of their 'Amy & T.J.' podcast -- where they each delved into a specific type of fear they share, which is called cleithrophobia ... basically, the fear of being trapped.

T.J. took the lead in explaining the difference between this and claustrophobia -- noting the latter is a fear of being stuck in a small space, but the former is just being afraid of not being able to get out of a certain place or environment.

He says, "So if you're claustrophobic, you see a small space, you see that elevator and you go, 'Oh God.' And you get anxiety, that's claustrophobia. The other is, when I see the small space, I got no problem getting in that space. But if that buzzer goes off and I'm trapped in here now, it's a totally different situation."

Amy echoed that, adding what he'd just explained described her own fear to a T. In other words, they're both on the same page about being terrified over not being able to escape something ... and while they probably think they're bonding, others view this differently.

Fact is, they've been incredibly honest about their shared love life ... sometimes for better or worse. We heard them argue just last week, and now -- they're addressing a new element that, perhaps subconsciously, seems to be addressing their own real-life situation.

Who knows, maybe we're reading too into this ... but we certainly think we're picking up on something here -- and it might be hinting at trouble in paradise, despite what they project.

Heidi Klum is very much a free spirit -- so much so, in fact, that her children have to tell her to NOT be nude around their pals ... even though she insists she always covers up.

The supermodel shared this hilarious anecdote with Alex Cooper of 'Call Her Daddy' this week -- explaining that her comfortability with being in the nude most certainly extends to how she lives within the privacy of her home ... where she's apparently topless quite often.

HK explains ... "I mean, I try to be like that with my kids. Obviously, when you know, no one is there. I’m in my garden also, you know, I’m topless," Klum says. "And they will come, like, 'You know, my friend is coming over, mom, put your top on.' And I’m like, 'When have I ever not had a top on when your friend was coming over? Of course I will.'"

Even with her guarantee, though, Heidi says her kids always double-check to make sure she is, in fact, clothed when their buddies roll through ... and Mama Bear says she complies.

Funny enough, Cooper actually called Heidi's oldest daughter -- 19-year-old Leni -- during this chat with her mom ... and the teen said, yeah ... Heidi goes topless a lot, noting it's been pretty embarrassing over the years. With that said, she says she's gotten used to it.

It might not be that big a deal around her girlfriends, but you gotta figure any boys that are being brought to the Klum household have gotten giddy at the prospect of a visit.

Danny Masterson now has something in common with the late Charles Manson ... they were both incarcerated in the same maximum security California penitentiary.

The disgraced actor was recently transferred from North Kern State Prison in Delano to the infamous Corcoran State Prison (CSP) in Corcoran, where Manson was locked up until his death in 2017.

Manson, who passed away at 87 from acute cardiac arrest and colon cancer, was placed in the Protective Housing Unit for prisoners who might otherwise be harmed in the general population.

CSP also once housed former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, as well as some of the state's worst of the worst murderers, gang members and other criminals.

It's unclear if Masterson will receive the same high level of protection once given to Manson, who was convicted of the notorious 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders in Los Angeles.

Before arriving at CSP, Masterson was processed into the California prison system through the North Kern reception center after he was convicted of 2 counts of forcible rape and handed a 30-year sentence.

Amanda Gorman's landed in hot water, or should we say warm milk ... because PETA's coming after her for supporting a dairy industry-funded run.

The poet laureate and activist recently joined forces with MilkPEP -- a marketing arm of the dairy industry that created the famous "Got Milk?" ads -- to advertise the inaugural Every Woman’s Marathon, that's touted as "the only U.S. marathon designed for women, by women."

MilkPEP and Gorman released an ad where she recites a poem over different images of women running and training. Check out the vid -- it's a catchy poem and a pretty inspiring message.

But, not everyone's giving it two udders up. PETA's written a letter to Amanda questioning why she would support an event put on by MilkPEP ... essentially, in the org's eye, cosigning the dairy industry's alleged mistreatment of animals.

Lisa Lange, the animal rights group's senior VP of communications and distance runner, wrote the letter and expressed confusion at Gorman's partnership ... adding she'd "no more drink cow's milk at the end of a race than I would smoke a cigarette."

LL says any woman who participates in the event is a sucker, falling for a trick by the dairy industry -- which she accuses of destroying the environment, causing the cows physical and emotional distress and making a large part of the American population sick, due to lactose intolerance.

In the letter, PETA calls for Gorman to back out of the event, saying the "voice of a generation" must see "exploitation" of a female of any species -- bovine or human -- as wrong.

FWIW ... Gorman's supported animal rights causes in the past, even encouraging others to rescue animals from shelters after her beloved dog of almost 20 years died a few months ago.

As much as PETA agrees with her on that issue -- they're clearly not on the same page where this marathon's concerned. Not even close.