Controversial S#!T

Jeremy Roenick is opening up on his firing from NBC, the threesome joke that led to his axing and what the hockey legend plans to do moving forward.

Remember, JR was suspended in December after he joked about his desire to have a threesome with his wife and NBC coworker, Kathryn Tappen, while on Barstools' "Spittin Chiclets" podcast.

Roenick didn't work -- or talk for 2 months -- until NBC honchos terminated the longtime hockey analyst on Wednesday.

Now, Roenick's talking to TMZ Sports. Here's JR in his own words ...

ON THREESOME JOKE:

"I gotta be a little bit more aware of the culture that we’re in right now, the things you can say, whether it's public or whether it’s in a podcast that you’re very comfortable telling stories."

"Whether they’re your very good friends, like Kathryn [Tappen] is one of my best friends, I’m talking about my wife, I’m talking about trips that we went on. I got too comfortable talking about something that all of us were pretty comfortable talking about. And, I got caught in that. At times, in the culture today you gotta be more aware of your surroundings and people’s feelings, and yeah, I went too far in certain situations."

ON NBC FIRING:

"It’s important to know that at the time nobody thought it was bad what I was saying. Nobody took offense to it. Nobody was saying anything on social media. Five days went by. Nothing on 'Spittin’ Chiclets,' nothing on my social media, nothing anywhere, nothing."

"Nobody complained until my boss, Sam Flood at NBC, decided that [what I said] wasn’t right, and we all know NBC has made a lot of mistakes covering up things and letting people slide, and all that stuff. I think this was their opportunity to make a statement, have a sacrificial lamb."

MESSAGE TO NBC:

“Thank you for having me there for 10 years. I loved being on television, having that platform to come to the people and share my love for hockey and all that stuff, like I said yesterday. But, I didn’t like to be muzzled, I didn’t like to be controlled, and unfortunately, NBC tried to do that too much, especially Sam Flood, my boss, tried to control me too much. And, unfortunately, I couldn’t be the real me."

ON CURRENT RELATIONSHIP WITH KATHRYN TAPPEN:

"We’re very close, we’re best friends. She’s one of my best friends. She’s still one of my best friends and she’s one of my wife’s best friends."

ON HIS NEXT CAREER MOVE:

President Trump is NOT taking homophobic potshots at Pete Buttigieg -- instead, he's saying the Democratic candidate's sexual preference won't be a factor ... for most Americans, anyway.

The door was opened wide for POTUS to make a wisecrack about Buttigieg when he was a guest Thursday on Geraldo Rivera's iHeart radio show. Geraldo asked, "Would Americans vote for a gay man to be President?"

Trump quickly said, "I think so." He went even further down the high road when he acknowledged it would be an issue for some voters, but added ... "I wouldn't be among that group to be honest with you."

Let's keep it real ... most Democratic supporters have been waiting for, and even expecting, Trump to weaponize Buttigieg's sexuality. Well, no dice. Prime example of the Prez zigging when everyone thought he'd zag.

Of course, the same can't be said for the man he honored with the Medal of Freedom ... Rush Limbaugh. When the Buttigieg subject came up on his show Wednesday, Limbaugh went on a disgustingly homophobic rant about Trump and Buttigieg appearing on a debate stage together.

He said, "Okay, how's this going to look, 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband on stage next to Mr. Man Donald Trump? What's going to happen there?"

Limbaugh even added, "Can you see Trump have fun with that?" Clearly, he expected the President to follow in his homophobic footsteps.

To recline or not recline? To punch or not to punch? Two super pissed off American Airlines passengers have everyone asking those questions, and ultimately ... the FBI might have to get involved.

A woman named Wendi Williams, of all things, recorded this video of the guy sitting behind her on a Jan. 31 AA flight from New Orleans to Charlotte. She posted it last week, but now it's gone viral because you see the guy repeatedly punching her seat.

As for WHY wannabe-Tyson was treating Wendi's seat like a speed bag -- she says it's because she had the nerve to recline. We think it's relevant that his last row seat could not recline. At one point in the video he leaned forward and said something to Wendi that sounds like, "This is a turbulent flight." It's hard to make out over the jet engines, but whatever he said he was clearly jabbing, verbally this time, at Wendi.

Wendi says things got even more annoying when she reported him to a flight attendant ... who she claims "rolled her eyes," told Wendi to stop recording video, and gave Ali Jr. some rum for his troubles.

Wendi says she's escalating matters by pressing charges with the FBI against the "man who mistook me for a punching bag." She says American apologized, but hasn't accepted responsibility for the flight attendant fueling up Mayweather-in-training with booze.

BTW, Wendi also claims she's had to get x-rays, has headaches and lost time from work since going 12 rounds with her fellow passenger.

Donald Trump Jr. is back to taking shots at Jussie Smollett ... questioning the alleged racist attack, and wondering why Jussie didn't come up with a more believable scenario.

We got the President's son Thursday in New York City and asked what he thought the proper punishment should be for Jussie if he's convicted of the new charges following a grand jury indictment.

Don Jr. says the entire case is terrible for the country and wonders what would happen to Jussie's attackers if his version of events turned out to be true. He seems to think they would have it worse than Smollett.

Don also pokes holes in Jussie's claim his 2 attackers pounced when he went out alone for Subway at 2 AM in sub-zero temperatures. As he put it, Smollett is a "decent actor" but a terrible writer. Translation: He believes Jussie scripted the whole thing.

Jr. sounds a lot like his father ... remember, Donald Trump ripped Jussie during a rally last April ... calling the case a "disgrace," and Jussie a "third rate actor."

James Brown might have been murdered ... so claims a woman who knew Brown, and just handed prosecutors stacks of what she believes is possible evidence of foul play.

A Fulton County D.A. spokesperson confirms Jacque Hollander met with Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard on Wednesday and gave him a bin full of items. Howard now says he's directing his investigators to interview Hollander ... and if evidence she presented to the D.A.'s Office holds up, Howard says he's open to launching a full-scale death investigation.

We're told Hollander -- who unsuccessfully first tried to meet with the D.A. in 2019 -- reportedly gave a list of possible witnesses and handed over a stack of printed text messages. She also reportedly explained how she came into possession of the bin.

James, of course, died on Christmas Day 2006 at an Atlanta hospital. His death certificate cites a heart attack and fluid in his lungs as the cause of death.

Jessica Simpson's sending a message to the angry anti-fur protesters who've been crashing events on her book tour -- faux fur's just fine with her.

In a possible attempt to get in the good graces of the animal rights activists who've been calling her out for wearing fur, the "Open Book" author shared a series of pics of herself rocking a Stella McCartney belted, vegetarian leather and faux fur coat.

Of course, it's also possible the protesters had an impact on Jessica. The faux-fur move comes after we broke news extra security measures are being put in place at upcoming stops on her book tour to keep protesters at bay.

As we reported, Simpson was accosted at a book signing and outside a restaurant in NYC last week, and earlier this week at an L.A. book signing.

Jessica doesn't address wearing fake fur explicitly in her posts, but says ... "I pray every day that I can use my platform for good. I promise to continue to be open and to lead with my mistakes."

Sounds like she's suggesting she's heard the animal abuse accusations from the protesters about her history of wearing fur, and instead of laughing it off ... she's learning from her mistakes. Or, maybe she just likes Stella's design.

Brandon Casey doesn't want to dignify the allegations of harassment Mathew Knowles directed at his R&B group with a response ... other than to say those involved already know the truth.

If you don't know ... Beyonce's dad claimed recently that Bey and Kelly Rowland were "constantly being harassed" by members of Jagged Edge back when they were touring together in the late '90s, though it was initially misreported as sexual harassment.

Mathew said the harassment caused a rift in Destiny's Child that led to the original members, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, leaving the group.

So, we asked Brandon about Knowles' accusations as he was leaving Zari in Atlanta Wednesday night ... he tells us he has too much respect for Beyonce, Kelly and all the other women involved to dish out dirt on Mathew.

He adds that the truth speaks for itself, and makes it clear he thinks any talk of harassment or sexual misconduct -- which again, was never alleged by Knowles in the first place -- is ludicrous.

Now ... where the party at?

Current Houston Astros players are FINALLY saying they're sorry for cheating in 2017 ... with Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve issuing apology statements Thursday.

The team was found to have illegally stolen signs from opposing catchers and pitchers in the '17 season ... but 'Stros players were BLASTED this offseason for never officially apologizing.

But, Bregman and Altuve just changed that with brief statements out at Houston's spring training camp ... with the two megastars admitting they screwed up.

"I'm really sorry about the choices that were made by my team, by the organization and by me," Bregman said, "I've learned from this and I hope to regain the trust of baseball fans."

Altuve added, "I want to say that the whole Astros organization and the team feel bad about what happened in 2017. We especially feel remorse for the impact on our fans and the game of baseball."

Houston owner Jim Crane reiterated his players will NOT be punished for their roles in the sign-stealing scheme ... placing the blame squarely on team officials -- a la Alex Cora and A.J. Hinch -- instead.

For his part, new manager Dusty Baker said he hopes MLB fans will accept his players' apologies and "forgive them."

Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protest is hitting the bookshelves -- the NFL quarterback turned social activist announced he's writing a book breaking down his decision to kneel.

Kap sparked worldwide conversation when he started his demonstration in 2016 ... saying he was bringing attention to police brutality and racial inequality.

Kap's book is the first project in his new endeavor, Kaepernick Publishing, and he's planning to detail the process in his words..

"My protest was the culmination of years of thought and experiences, of learning and unlearning," Kap says.

"I want to tell the story of my evolution, and the events that led me to protest systemic oppression, in hopes that it will inspire others to rise in action."

Kap is teaming up with Audible to release an audio version of the memoir as well.

"I am excited that through this groundbreaking partnership between Kaepernick Publishing and Audible, we can elevate black and brown voices who can empower future generations."

It may sound like Kap is officially moving on from football with the new career path ... but that's not the case -- the QB told USA Today he's still staying in shape in case an NFL team comes calling.

Kansas City Chiefs starting corner Bashaud Breeland says he's ALL-IN on a Super Bowl celebration at the White House ... telling TMZ Sports he can't wait to make the trip!!

"Why would I not [go], man?!" Breeland says. "It's an experience that everybody, every kid would want to go to."

Of course, White House visits have become VERY polarizing for players ever since Donald Trump took over 1600 Penn. Ave. ... with star players from various championship teams the past few years choosing not to go.

But, when we got Breeland out in NYC on Wednesday ... he told us he's pumped about the prospects of a White House field trip!!!

"I want to go see what the White House is like!" he said.

Breeland's coach with the Chiefs, Andy Reid, echoed the DB's sentiments after KC won the Super Bowl earlier this month ... telling reporters at the time, "It's quite an honor."

Snoop Dogg is issuing a public apology to CBS anchor Gayle King after ripping her for the Kobe Bryant interview ... and he wants to hash things out in private.

Snoop just issued his mea culpa to Gayle, saying the way he came at her with a profanity-laced social media rant was out of line.

As you know ... Snoop went nuclear on Gayle last week, heavily criticizing her for an interview she did with WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, which included a question and follow up about Kobe's 2003 sexual assault case.

Now, Snoop admits he was wrong for lashing out at Gayle -- who says she's getting death threats for the Kobe question -- and he says he overreacted because he was rife with emotions and angry at her line of questioning.

Snoop says he was just trying to defend Kobe because Mamba can't defend himself, but he regrets the way he expressed his feelings.

As for why the change of heart ... Snoop says his mom gave him some sage advice. He added ... "2 wrongs don't make it right."

In his initial rant, Snoop called Gayle a "funky dog head bitch" and asked her, "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."

Master P ain't a politician, but he's lobbying the peeps who run H.S. basketball in Minnesota ... pleading with them to change a rule that limits players from crossing state lines to hoop.

TMZ Sports got P -- and his star 17-year-old H.S. hoops playing son, Hercy Miller -- in Beverly Hills on Tuesday ... and we asked them about the younger Miller's basketball career.

P tells us Hercy's Minnehaha Academy squad is killin' it (they beat Bronny James' Sierra Canyon team a few weeks back) ... but says if a rule instituted by the body that governs H.S. sports isn't changed, the team won't get to compete for a national title.

"Minnesota is a great place. A lot of great talent, and I think [the law's] gonna have to change real soon," Master P says.

"This is just high school basketball. This is not a crime or nothing like that. The law should be changed. These kids should have the opportunity to go to other states and play and compete."

Here's the deal with the rule ... high school athletes in Minnesota can only travel one state away to compete, thanks to a rule instituted by the Minnesota State High School League.

FYI, it's not just Hercy and his teammates that are affected ... the girls from Hopkins H.S. -- one of the top-ranked teams in the nation -- also are barred from competing.

But, P says people looking to fight for the kids aren't powerless ... and offer some advice on how to help.

"Man, y'all go out there and protest. Call your local legislator, get the government and all these different places to say, 'give these kids a chance to compete for the national championship.'"

The national tourneys are coming up ... so there's not much time left, but P hopes Minnehaha has a chance to compete.

Jussie Smollett now has a fight on his hands on 2 fronts, because the City of Chicago is not backing down from its lawsuit to recover the cost of investigating what authorities say was a fake "attack."

Multiple sources tell us, the City of Chicago could drop its case against Jussie to recover nearly half a mil but if he's convicted in criminal court the judge would almost certainly order restitution on behalf of the City.

Thing is ... it makes total sense for the City to press on with its lawsuit, despite the Special Prosecutor reinstituting 6 felony criminal charges against him. The standard of proof in a criminal case is way harder to meet than in a civil case. In a criminal case, the proof needs to be 99% solid against Jussie. In a civil case, it just has to be 51% - 49%.

Now, the new problem facing the City is that Jussie will almost certainly take the 5th against self-incrimination in the civil lawsuit because of the looming criminal case. In Illinois, if a defendant takes the 5th in a civil case, the judge can tell the jury it can conclude that person is hiding something.

One thing we know ... Abel and Ola Osundairo -- the 2 brothers who Jussie says attacked him -- will testify that the whole thing was a setup masterminded by Jussie.

It's an interesting situation because Jussie has brought the Osundairo brothers in as a defendant in the City of Chicago's lawsuit, claiming they did indeed attack him. It's gonna be hard to prove that if he doesn't take the stand.

Jessica Simpson will have extra venue security going forward on her book tour ... thanks to a bevy of anti-fur protesters who seem to be following her every move.

The "Open Book" author's already had events in NYC and L.A. interrupted by angry animal rights activists storming in and yelling. So, the upcoming venues on her tour are on notice ... and we're told they are being proactive about it.

At least 2 people who run venues Simpson will visit this week tell TMZ ... security will be beefed up in various ways in an attempt to keep protesters from striking again.

At one of the locations ... all guests entering will be subject to a search, in which security will be checking for all the normal red flags like weapons ... but will also be on the lookout for protest materials like signage or noisemakers.

We're told, as an added safety measure, all guests will have to have purchased a ticket and a copy of Jessica's book to be allowed entry.

We broke the story ... Simpson was being interviewed by Katherine Schwarzenegger at the Aratani Theatre in L.A. Monday night when anti-fur peeps popped in and made a scene, but Jessica laughed it off as they were escorted out.

Of course, just days earlier in New York ... Simpson's book signing at a Barnes & Noble was disrupted by protesters, and she got accosted by a couple more hours later as she was leaving a restaurant.

Jessica's worn fur in the past, but it's unclear if she still does or why the activists are so hellbent on making her the focus of their scorn and ridicule. One thing's for sure though ... she's not alone.

Jussie Smollett is facing felony charges in Chicago again -- the special prosecutor just announced an indictment against the actor for the alleged homophobic attack against him last year.

A grand jury handed up the new indictment against Jussie on Tuesday. Dan Webb was appointed special prosecutor for the case last summer. We're told he's now facing 6 felony counts for lying to law enforcement. The indictment calls the 6 charges "disorderly conduct," but all 6 involve allegations of lying to cops.

This effectively re-opens the controversial case that led to Smollett getting fired from "Empire."

Special Prosecutor Webb says Jussie "planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, and thereafter made numerous false statements to Chicago Police Dept. officers."

Webb adds the new charges -- pared down from 16 to 6 -- were re-filed "in the interest of justice." Webb was critical of the State's Attorney who dismissed the case, saying Kim Foxx's office had no additional evidence from what the Grand Jury had when they indicted Smollett in the first place, so the dismissal made no sense.

Jussie and his attorneys had staged a legal battle against the special prosecutor, saying it would expose him to double jeopardy. That effort was shot down in court. You'll recall Cook County prosecutors dropped all 16 felony counts against Smollett in March 2019 ... calling it a "just disposition and appropriate resolution," but not an exoneration.

That decision pissed off Chicago law enforcement -- and in August, Webb was appointed special prosecutor to investigate how the case was handled, and if there was any reason to renew charges.

FOX32 in Chicago first reported the indictment.

A source connected to Jussie tells us, "The officers who re-investigated the case are the same ones who originally investigated it. These officers are currently being sued by Smollett. They have also spent taxpayer money on having these officers go to Los Angeles and harass members of Smollett's team and friends."

We're told Jussie still maintains his innocence, and finds the timing of the indictment interesting -- because Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx is up for re-election next month. He plans to plead not guilty.

Jussie will be arraigned February 24. We're told he faces up to 3 years in state prison if convicted.

You'll recall, Jussie claimed he was attacked on a frigid night in Chicago by 2 white men who put a rope around his neck and doused him with bleach while yelling racial and homophobic slurs.

However, 2 black men -- brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo -- were eventually detained, and told police Jussie paid them to stage the whole attack.

After the new indictment, the Osundairos' attorney, Gloria Schmidt, says they remain "fully committed to the public knowing the truth" about the so-called attack -- and will cooperate with the investigation. However, they did not testify before the new grand jury. Instead, the panel relied on the brothers' previous testimony.

Audio of Mike Bloomberg defending stop and frisk policing against minorities has the Presidential hopeful on the ropes, and it's drawing one particularly rich shot ... from President Trump.

The audio is reportedly from a 2015 speech the former NYC Mayor gave for the Aspen Institute ... where he discussed police targeting minorities, and flat-out said ... it's the best way to get guns off the streets.

Bloomberg said, "95% of your murders, murderers and murder victims fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it, and pass it out to all the cops. They are male, minorities, 16-25. That's true in New York, that's true in virtually every city."

The billionaire went on to explain that the majority of police officers are deployed in minority neighborhoods "because that's where all the crime is. And the way you get the guns out of the kids' hands is to throw them up against the wall and frisk them." He said it's the best way to deter kids from carrying weapons because they won't want to get busted.

Of course, the Democratic candidate for Prez is getting skewered on social media ... and that includes a shot from the Commander-in-Tweet. Early Tuesday President Trump retweeted the audio with the caption, "WOW. BLOOMBERG IS A TOTAL RACIST!"

If that hits you as kinda hypocritical, apparently it also did for someone in the White House -- who might have reminded Prez Trump about his immigration policies -- or the fact he himself has publicly supported "stop & frisk." The tweet was deleted.

We've reached out to Bloomberg's campaign ... no word back yet.