Celebrity Feuds

Meghan Markle's father doesn't give a royal crap about what people think of him continuing to make money off his relationship with her ... or lack thereof.

Thomas Markle tells TMZ ... a recent quote from his interview with Britain's Channel 5 -- for which he was paid -- got a bit misconstrued, but he's not backing down from the crux of what he said.

If you missed it ... Thomas said Meghan and Prince Harry "owe" him for what he's been through, and he should be "rewarded" for it. He added ... "My daughter told me when I reach my senior years, she'll take care of me. I'm in my senior years now ... so it's time to look after daddy."

Thomas tells us he didn't mean the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be sending him cash -- that's clearly not happening because they don't communicate at all -- what he meant was ... he's going to keep cashing in on his story, and his royal connection.

Markle says he plans to continue booking paid interviews and public appearances -- just like Meghan and Harry do -- but the good news for him ... he doesn't need permission from the Queen.

The gist of it, according to Thomas -- he feels he got dragged into this situation, and if he's going to be without his daughter because of it ... he needs to do whatever is necessary to look out for himself financially.

That's what he claims Meghan's doing by stepping down from senior royal duties to come to North America ... a move he called "ridiculous" in his Channel 5 interview.

WWE star Johnny Gargano says you are flat out "STUPID" if you think NXT is inferior to Raw and SmackDown ... telling TMZ Sports it's the best wrestling show in the world!!!

We talked to Gargano -- one of NXT's biggest stars -- earlier this week ... and JG had a message for all the people who sleep on his brand.

"That's BS. That's complete garbage, and it's something that me and a lot of guys have worked to dispel for a very long time," Gargano told us.

"Anybody out there that uses the words 'main roster' when talking about Raw and SmackDown, how about you watch the show on Wednesday night. You'll see the real main roster. You'll see the best wrestling show on the planet. You will see the best locker room on the planet led by me."

NXT was launched 10 years ago, and started out as a place for WWE to develop talent. However, NXT now has a TV deal, and a bunch of their wrestlers have become massive stars.

In fact, during last weeks NXT Takeover: Portland -- a big PPV event -- Gargano betrayed his friend and tag team partner, Tommaso Ciampa ... and cost him the title.

It was big news in the pro wrestling world.

In closing, Gargano has a message for anyone who thinks NXT ain't every bit as good as WWE's other brands.

Henry Cejudo says he's "dumbfounded" that Conor McGregor thinks he deserves a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov ... telling TMZ Sports the guy needs to shut up and fight Justin Gaethje to prove he's worthy!

The UFC's reigning flyweight and bantamweight champ went off on Conor -- WITH JUSTIN -- saying McGregor is a bad guy who doesn't deserve a title shot without going through a quality opponent first.

And Henry thinks Gaethje is the PERFECT dance partner.

"Yeah, that man likes to sucker punch the elderly," Cejudo says about McGregor ... "Yeah, that man  does terror attacks in our country and he thinks he can get the next title shot with Khabib."

"I know Khabib. Khabib's a man of honor and integrity. Everything that you're not, he is."

"But I got somebody that you could fight, to eventually fight for that title that you want ..."

Enter Gaethje ... who had some tough talk of his own.

"Triple C, the man is not going to fight me. What the f*ck do you gotta do?! He's running out of easy fights. I'm sitting here, smoking my CBD. Waiting for a motherf**ker to punch me in the face. Let's go, quit being a p***y!"

Cejudo added ... "Damn, there you go McGregor. Sign the contract."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are calling bulls**t on the Queen of England, saying she has no authority to strip them of their right to say they're royals.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted what seems to be an angry response to the Queen's decision that they no longer can use the "Sussex Royal' brand.

They said in their post Saturday, the Queen doesn't own the word, 'Royal.'  Specifically, they said, "While there is not any jurisdiction by The Monarchy or Cabinet Office over the use of the word 'Royal' overseas, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use 'Sussex Royal' or any iteration of the word 'Royal' in any territory (either within the UK or otherwise) when the transition occurs Spring 2020."

So they say they won't use the word, but it's their choice, not Her Highness's.

Aerosmith is ready to bring their original drummer back into the fold -- Joey Kramer's set to take the stage with his bandmates, and even crazier ... NO AUDITION NECESSARY!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Joey's being brought on to play drums Monday night with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and the rest of the fellas for a performance at the Park Theater in Vegas, which is where their residency shows are currently being held.

We're told the band didn't wanna jerk Joey around -- they're bringing him back without holding another audition, and it's because they feel he's probably up to snuff and in good health again. Plus, our sources tell us it's an act of good faith between old pals.

You'll recall ... things were getting pretty ugly between Joey and the guys just a few short weeks ago ahead of their Grammys performance, which Joey was fighting tooth and nail to be a part of -- even taking the issue to court in a last-ditch effort, but was unsuccessful.

Hell, they even turned him away at the door when Joey showed up unannounced for a rehearsal ... so yeah, the tension's been high between these guys.

Part of the reason Aerosmith didn't feel comfortable reuniting ... Joey hadn't played in at least 6 months, and they didn't wanna risk a shaky gig with a guy who was rusty/lacked energy. They put him through the wringer with a live audition but felt he wasn't ready.

Now, it seems they've had a change of heart and are prepared to embrace an OG. Should make for a great show ... stay tuned.

Trevor Bauer just EVISCERATED MLB commissioner Rob Manfred over a new rumored playoff format in baseball ... with the star pitcher calling the guy "a joke."

If you missed it ... a report Monday claimed Manfred and other MLB officials were considering changing baseball's postseason.

The report claimed the MLB wants to expand the number of teams in the playoffs from 5 in each league to 7 ... while changing up the way teams are seeded and adding in a first-round bye for top teams as well.

Bauer -- a Cincinnati Reds ace -- saw the reports ... hated them ... and then took aim squarely at Manfred on Twitter.

"No idea who made this new playoff format proposal, but Rob is responsible for releasing it, so I’ll direct this to you, Rob Manfred," Bauer said.

"Your proposal is absurd for too many reasons to type on twitter and proves you have absolutely no clue about baseball. You’re a joke."

It's unclear why exactly Bauer hates the alleged proposal -- he wouldn't elaborate -- but the new rules reportedly wouldn't take place until at least 2022.

And, with approval still being needed from the MLB Player's Association, it's possible it might never happen. Which apparently would make Bauer REALLY happy.

Snoop Dogg says he was NOT threatening CBS anchor Gayle King over her Kobe Bryant interview -- but the record shows he did make a somewhat threatening comment.

The rapper took to IG Saturday to clarify a video he posted a few days ago criticizing Gayle for an interview she did with WNBA player Lisa Leslie. Snoop made what many perceived as threats against her, but now ... he claims he didn't and means her no harm.

Snoop says he's a non-violent person and was raised better than that. He insists he was only speaking on behalf of people who felt disrespected by Gayle's interview and was only going from the heart. Snoop says all he wanted to do was point out she was out of line.

What's interesting is that he claims he never threatened her -- and only told her Kobe's fans were "watching" her -- but his own words seem to contradict him here.

What Snoop said verbatim ... "Funky dog head bitch. How dare you try to tarnish my motherf***in' home boy's reputation, punk motherf***er. Respect the family and back off, bitch. Before we come get you." This came after a tirade against Gayle coming after black men, but not being as enthusiastic to grill people about Harvey Weinstein (in Snoop's eyes).

Maybe he was speaking figuratively, but the fact is ... "come get you" can be seen as a threat, even if it isn't meant seriously. Regardless, the criticism appears to have opened the floodgates for others who've allegedly made death threats against Gayle.

Gayle herself came out and said the clip was taken out of context from a much longer and wide-ranging interview, and that she felt CBS had screwed her by releasing a clip showing just that part where she pressed Lisa about the rape claim against Kobe.

While Gayle feels the clip was unfairly represented, it doesn't take away from the fact she did push Lisa about that topic -- and felt it was, in fact, appropriate to do so in the moment.

Aerosmith's hoping to get back in the saddle with its original drummer after a couple weeks of awkward tension and not-so-sweet emotions ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the rock band tell us ... Joey Kramer has been working with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton and Brad Whitford the past several days to help him return to his spot on the drums, but he's not quite there yet.

We're told Joey's been practicing to get his skills back to where they were before his absence, and once Kramer proves he's up to the task ... the fellas will let him back in to start beating the skins again.

Our sources say the other 4 band members never intended to push Kramer out, and never wanted him to feel that way -- they're all trying to make amends after the recent drama.

We broke the story ... Joey sued Aerosmith for making him audition in order to come back for a couple once-in-a-lifetime 50th-anniversary events over Grammy weekend -- something he claims no other member ever had to do.

He says the band blocked him from returning because he lacked the proper energy, and things got even more awkward when Joey was turned away from a rehearsal by security -- and the judge rejected his request to rejoin the group for the Grammy performances.

Still, Joey kept his head up and was with the other guys when they accepted an award last week ... and we're told they're all getting along great. Kramer's even been with them at their recent Vegas shows -- just not playing yet -- and he has dismissed his suit against the band.

Our sources say he could be back on stage soon too -- the band just wants Joey to nail one final audition ... and he'll no longer have to miss a thing.

Colin Kaepernick didn't spend his Super Bowl Sunday watching his old team lose the big game, instead, he gave back to the less fortunate.

Kaepernick went to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem on Sunday, spending over an hour with employees and touring the building. From there, he went over to the SCO Family Shelter in Jamaica, Queens where he teamed up with Eric Reid and 100 Suits for 100 Men.

In video obtained by TMZ, you can see Colin personally helping some of the men try on suits. The group is a non-profit dedicated to helping underprivileged men and women get business-style clothing so they have a better shot to get jobs.

After that, Colin helped serve meals at the Shelter with some help from the LES Girls Club and Know Your Rights volunteers.

TMZ broke the story ... Jay-Z, Beyonce and Blue Ivy were seen sitting during Demi Lovato's National Anthem performance at the Super Bowl. Of course, Kap believes he was blackballed from the NFL after starting his kneeling demonstration back in 2016.

Mase, one of Diddy's biggest Bad Boy Records stars, is coming for blood ... calling the mogul a hypocrite for his Grammys speech, and for keeping him under a horrible contract.

The "Mo Money, Mo Problems" rapper went off on Diddy Friday saying it's ironic Bad Boy's honcho is calling on black artists to take back control of their art -- because Mase claims Diddy keeps his own artists "enslaved," purposely starves them and subjects them to his "horrendous business model."

On a personal level, Mase is pissed about the $20k he says Diddy paid him for his publishing rights more than 20 years ago, when he debuted at the age of 19.

As you know ... Diddy gave a 50-minute speech while accepting an Industry Icon award at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. He was also at Jay-Z's Roc Nation brunch earlier that day, toasting black billionaires and black excellence.

None of this sat well with Mase, who said he offered Diddy $2 million in cash just a few days ago to buy back his catalog. He claims Diddy told him he had to match a European man's offer and "that would be the only way I can get it back."

Mase -- who signed with Bad Boy in 1996, retired in 1999 and returned in 2004 -- added, "You bought it for about 20k & I offered you 2m in cash. This is not black excellence at all. When your own race is enslaving us. If it's about us owning, it can't be about us owning each other. No More Hiding Behind 'Love.' U CHANGED? GIVE THE ARTIST BACK THEIR $$$$. So they can take care of their families."

Mase has feuded with Diddy in the past ... and in 2009 Mase tried getting out of his deal with the label.

Brooklyn MC Sauce Money, who's worked with Diddy and Jay-Z, also took a swipe ... saying he watched Diddy's speech, and "I respect the message, just not coming from him."

We've reached out to Diddy's camp for comment, but so far no word back.

Damn. Can we just run it back ...

Meek Mill took a walk down memory lane that almost ended in blows -- running into his ex, Nicki Minaj, and her husband, Kenneth Petty ... and they weren't happy to see each other.

The shouting match went down Friday at the high-end clothing store Maxfield in West Hollywood, where somehow ... Meek happened to stumble across his old flame and her current partner. It's unclear who was there first, but regardless ... it got heated.

TMZ got a hold of the face-off, and you can see Meek in white being held back and escorted out of the store by both his own security team and guys working for the boutique. In the background, you clearly hear Nicki and Ken's voices ... they're pretty distinctive.

No official word on what started the beef, but based on what we can make out ... it sounds like they were talking crap to each other over Nicki -- plain and simple. Oh, and get this ... sources tell us NM and KP were alone, and Meek was rolling with 10 heads deep.

Anyway, Ken calls Meek a p***y and Meek calls him one back while adding he can't face or talk to him one-on-one without a cluster of people in between. Nicki gets in on the yelling too ... seemingly calling Meek a bitch, and also seemingly adding he can't get over her.

Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer is taking his L in court in stride -- saying he's not leaving the band, and even though he won't be on the drums ... he'll be front and center for their Friday night gig.

Joey was out Thursday night at a pre-Grammy party in WeHo where a throng of fans showered him with love. Joey snapped selfies and signed autographs ... and overall looked to be in a pretty good mood.

The camera guy asks Joey if he plans to rejoin the band after its 2 Grammy gigs ... prompting the rock star to give a quick-witted answer, followed by a huge smile. He added that despite the judge ruling he can't play with Aerosmith this weekend ... he'll be at Friday night's MusiCares Person of Year Gala -- and he explains why.

It's not like Joey's crashing it either, he's been invited to attend ... regardless of the legal battle with his bandmates.

TMZ broke the story ... Joey got shut down in court after a judge ruled against him joining the band for their Grammys performance. Remember, he sued the band as a last-ditch effort to return to his "rightful place" with Aerosmith ... but the judge sided with the band's reasoning for keeping him out -- he's too rusty.

We obtained a video of Joey trying to join the band's Grammy rehearsal in L.A. last weekend, but he was denied entry. Joey tells TMZ seeing a fill-in drummer playing on stage at two premiere events honoring the band he's been a part of for 50 years is extremely hurtful.

Neil Young's officially ready to keep on rockin' in the free world, and soon ... he'll be free to express his hatred for Donald Trump in a voting booth.

The legendary rock 'n' roll artist was granted U.S. citizenship Wednesday at the Convention Center in downtown L.A. ... and he's clearly proud to be an American.

Accompanied by his wife, Daryl Hannah, Neil excitedly waved his mini Old Glory as he left the Oath Ceremony while clutching his naturalization documents.

If ya don't know ... Neil's from Canada, but he's been a Southern (California) Man off and on since the '60s, and he recently decided to pursue dual citizenship so he could vote in the 2020 election.

Wendy Williams says she didn't violate girl code by sharing NeNe Leake's plans to leave 'Real Housewives' ... and says she's sitting on an even bigger NeNe bombshell.

As you know, Wendy is getting tons of backlash for sharing -- on her talk show -- NeNe's private texts talking about bolting from 'RHOA.' NeNe even chided Wendy for blabbing.

However, after Nene aired her feelings on Twitter ... our sources say she and Wendy spoke after about what happened.

Aerosmith's drummer, Joey Kramer, got shut down in court ... after a judge ruled against him rejoining the band for its upcoming Grammy performance.

The judge said Joey didn't make a convincing enough case for playing with bandmates when they take the stage for Sunday's award show, and also for Saturday night's MusiCares gala.

In his ruling, the judge seemed to agree with Aerosmith's stance that Joey's just too rusty for a live performance at this point. He said, "Given that Kramer has not played with the band in 6 months and the dearth of available rehearsal time before the upcoming performances, Kramer has not shown a realistic alternative course of action sufficient to protect the band's business interests."