Controversial S#!T

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's visit with the royal family during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee got off to a "frosty" and uncomfortable start ... according to Piers Morgan.

The host of the UK's new TalkTV reports Harry and Meghan showed up late to the event, kicking off some of the discomfort. He also says the couple was nowhere to be found as the day went on, while the rest of the family took a trip out to the garden to spend time together.

Piers believes the Queen herself is the only one who can help ease the tension -- but since it sounds like she won't be present for today's festivities at St. Paul's Cathedral, the expectation is things will continue to be pretty icy in the royal fam.

Piers, of course, isn't the biggest fan of Meghan, who allegedly got him kicked off of "Good Morning Britain" ... in the wake of the Oprah interview.

Co-host Alex Beresford called him out to his face about constantly bashing Meghan, forcing Piers to take a walk.

Matthew Morrison is taking a stand against claims he sent "flirty" text messages to a contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance" ... reading the alleged message out loud, and putting an end to speculation it was inappropriate.

Morrison, who was recently released from the show for failing to follow "competition production protocols" is clearly agitated in a video he posted on Instagram, captioned, "Just to clarify .."

He opens it by saying, "It's unfortunate that I have to sit here and defend myself and my family against blatantly untrue statements made anonymously, but I have nothing to hide. So, in the interest of transparency ... I will read to you the one message I wrote to a dancer on the show."

He then reads the message, which we've verified as being sent on April 25 at 12:34 AM and says, "Hey! It's Matthew. If you don't mind, would love to get your number and talk you through some things ..."

Morrison then explains he wanted to connect with the contestant because they share a "mutual respect" for a choreographer, and he wanted to get said choreographer a job on the show.

Our sources say it was the contestant who reported the message to show producers as being potentially problematic.

Sources close to Morrison tell us he was unaware of the no contact rule in his judge's contract. We're told he's worked on dance shows in the U.K. where collabing with contestants was encouraged ... and didn't think it was going to be an issue.

The music industry is a prehistoric artist trap that needs to end … so thinks Russ, arguably one of the most entrepreneurial-minded rappers the game has ever seen.

We caught up with the digital disruptor fresh off the heels of releasing his mini-movie "Handsomer (Remix)," which co-stars Snoop Dogg and Tiffany Haddish.

In March, Russ and his business partner Bugus launched their label DIEMON a.k.a. "Do It Everyday Music or Nothing" — an offshoot from a traditional record deal as their artists won't be held to crazy overheads and will be encouraged to have more authentic relationships with fans.

Russ called out labels for overcharging artists for services and even went as far as to say "digital marketing" — one of the most buzz-worthy terms in music — was all a sham.

According to his experiences, artists only sign to labels for the convenience of not wanting to handle their business affairs but Russ feels the DIY mantra can still be applied even without the giant corporation eating into your record and ticket sales.

Here's what's even more interesting … Russ openly admits his label deal wasn't a bad one, especially compared to some of the other contracts out there.

He owned his masters and didn't fall into the red with his finances.

But, he rather use his own money for a $300,000 video than have a label use his money for a $300,000 video — and then charge interest.

An Instagram model says she was booted from a flight because of her 22-pound boobs ... and now she's threatening a lawsuit.

The Canadian model, who goes by Mary Magdalene on social media, says she was kicked off a recent flight from Canada to Dallas for looking "too explicit."

MM says she got the heave-ho shortly after being seated, on a $5,000 ticket no less, and says she's not buying the reason given by the airline crew ... that she was booted for wearing headphones and ignoring instructions from the flight attendant.

Instead, the model claims she was kicked off the plane because her boobs were too big for her top ... and now she's crying discrimination and calling the whole experience disgusting and dehumanizing.

In a selfie posted from the plane, the model is wearing a sports bra and has earphones in ... but she says it's obvious which is the bigger foul.

The model says she finally made it to America on a later flight, but she's still got beef with the airline and society ... saying discrimination against "enhanced bodies" is very common.

The late great Phife Dawg famously quipped he liked his girls "brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian" ... and while Joe Budden's observation of NYC strip clubs doesn't see it that way, Waka Flocka Flame disagrees with Joe.

JB compared the personal crusade to a declaration of war ... because someone has to do it, right?

The rapper-turned-podcast host went outta his way Thursday to call out shuttered NYC strip club Cheetahs Gentlemen's Club & Restaurant for exclusively employing fair-skinned Hispanic women.

Joe says, "NY strip clubs, not only are you not hiring Black women, but you're purposely hiring the SAME exact girl." Your promoter having a type is gonna lose y'all money this Summer.. this is disgusting (not the girls, the optics)."

Waka Flocka not only disagrees, but calls Joe "soft" for the commentary. WF hails from Atlanta -- the reigning mecca of pole dancers -- so naturally, he wasn't going to sit for disrespect to the industry.

Brittney Griner remains in a Russian jail cell, but the WNBA star has one small semblance of normalcy during lockup ... the 7x All-Star has been communicating with friends, family, and fellow players over email.

Griner's team created an email account where Brittney's loved ones and friends can write to her ... and then once vetted by Russian officials, the WNBA star's attorney brings the letters to her cell.

Brittney has received hundreds of messages.

L.A. Sparks forward Amanda Zahui B. wrote to Griner a few months ago, and was surprised to hear back from her friend.

"She jokes in her letters," Zahui said. "I don't know how she does it with what she's going through. She's an amazing soul."

"She brings light in a situation like this. I don't think a lot of people could manage to do that," Zahui added.

Brittney and Amanda have exchanged multiple messages ... with the latest correspondence arriving from Russia last week.

Zahui B. says Brittney ended their latest email exchange by writing "From 42 to 42'' ... in reference to Amanda changing her uniform number to honor BG.

And, it's not just electronic communications. Diana Taurasi says she sent a handwritten letter to BG.

Of course, Griner has been locked up near Moscow since February (the exact date of her arrest is unknown) after Russian authorities claim the hooper attempted to smuggle hashish oil (vape cartridges) into the country.

Griner was last seen on May 13 when she appeared in court for a motion her lawyers filed, asking the judge to allow her to move to house arrest while she awaits her trial.

Brittney could face years in prison, if convicted.

Complicating matters is the relationship between the United States and Russia ... fearing many to believe Brittney could be used as a bargaining chip.

Griner's wife, Cherelle, in a recent sit-down interview, implored President Biden and his administration to play a more active role in helping bring the 31-year-old back home.

The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case is about to reach the finish line with a decisive winner, or maybe two potential losers -- and TMZ is streaming the announcement at 12 PM PT.

The jury reached its verdict Wednesday in Fairfax, VA -- where they've been deliberating for the past few days after a month-plus long trial ... with lots of twists and turns, but more importantly -- a mountain's worth of evidence and testimony.

They heard closing arguments on Friday, which saw attorneys for Depp and Heard plead their cases one last time in dramatic fashion. Camille Vasquez and co. told jurors to use their common sense, as did AH's lead lawyer, Ben Rottenborn -- albeit with a different spin.

Rottenborn said a decision against Amber will have devastating effects on DV victims -- sending a message to those who choose to speak their truths, but don't have the most convincing documentation of their trauma ... a category in which Amber seemed to fall.

Indeed ... while both Johnny and Amber had ample audio recordings of one another amid explosive fights -- it would appear only Johnny explicitly caught AH admitting to hitting him.

Of course, Johnny wasn't left looking like an angel by any means -- the infamous kitchen rampage tape was played in court, which shows him throwing a fit and slamming cabinets ... all while pouring himself a "mega pint" of wine, and finally catching Amber recording him.

There were also vile texts Johnny sent about Amber, which were shown to the jury as well. Plus, Johnny's history of substance abuse was put under the microscope ... something he owned up to. And, then there are Amber's alleged injury photos, of which there were several.

Amber also got some of her friends to testify on her behalf, claiming they saw the alleged injuries after the fact ... and would often rush to console her after a blowout fight with JD.

Speaking of one of those fights, a memorable moment -- and a total W for Team Johnny -- came when his ex, Kate Moss, took the stand virtually to bat down a rumor that Amber invoked when she was testifying about an alleged staircase tussle, where she said she thought Johnny would throw her sister down ... like he'd allegedly done to KM.

That turned out to be total BS though, as Kate herself said there was no truth to that story -- and it seemed to hurt Amber's credibility, as did other testimony ... a la the ACLU "pledge."

There was also the matter of feces that was addressed early and often ... which made for a ton of meme fodder and jokes online, and almost always at the expense of Amber. As you know, Johnny seems to believe either she and/or a friend left it behind in their bed.

But, Amber herself denied it under oath -- blaming one of their teacup Yorkies, who she said had bowel issues ever since eating some of Johnny's weed. The jury is still out on that one.

All the same, it's clear this trial and all the public backlash against Amber took its toll on her -- she cried throughout this trial, but was especially passionate toward the end ... saying she just wanted to get on with her life, and that she's been left virtually broken from all this.

Trevor Bauer just sounded off on Amber Heard following the verdict in the defamation lawsuit with Johnny Depp ... saying the actress deserves to pay every single penny of the MILLIONS she was ordered to give her ex-husband.

"It took four years of torching Johnny Depp's reputation over false allegations of abuse to get to today, but he has finally been vindicated," 31-year-old Bauer tweeted Wednesday.

"Thank you to the jurors in this case for rightfully holding Amber Heard accountable for defamation."

Bauer is clearly sending a message here -- the Cy Young winner faced allegations of going too far with three women on multiple occasions, which he contended was consensual rough sex. He recently filed a defamation lawsuit of his own.

While Bauer was never charged criminally, Major League Baseball handed him a 2-year ban after a lengthy investigation ... one of the longest suspensions in modern sports history.

Bauer has maintained his innocence throughout ... saying the only bad decision he made was associating with the wrong people.

As for Depp and Heard, the jury awarded $10.35 million total in compensatory and punitive damages against Heard ... but his ex-wife will only have to shell out $8,350,000.

Paulo Costa is breaking his silence on the allegations that he attacked a nurse in Brazil earlier this week ... saying in a statement on Wednesday the claims are "reckless and inconsistent."

The UFC star, according to Brazilian media outlet Globo.com, was accused of hitting a nurse with his elbow following an argument over a COVID vaccine card in Belo Horizonte.

The outlet reported that Costa told nurses he wanted a vaccination. But, according to the report, Costa backed out of getting the shots, yet still wanted the filled-out vaccine card.

Globo.com reported when a female nurse tried to stop him from leaving with the card, the 31-year-old hit her with an elbow. She reportedly complained of swelling in her lips.

On his Instagram page Wednesday, Costa opened up about the allegations ... saying in a statement, "The accusations and facts narrated do not reflect the reality of what happened."

"The fact will be carefully investigated and the appropriate legal measures for their perfect clarification will be taken."

He added in the press release, "this kind of allegations are completely incompatible with his history and way of life."

It's unclear if Costa is currently under police investigation.

Jada Pinkett Smith is finally addressing the infamous Oscars slap, but rather than apologizing ... she's saying Chris Rock and Will Smith both have to set aside their differences.

She opened the latest episode of "Red Table Talk" by saying, "My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile."

Jada only had one more remark about the incident ... which was that she believes both her husband and Chris are needed now more than ever.

Her take is kinda shocking, because most people feel it's Will who really owes Chris a face-to-face -- or at the very least a personal convo -- where he apologizes for getting physical.

As you know, Will has been banned from the next 10 years of Oscars ceremonies after slapping Chris over a joke about Jada's bald head -- she's been open over the years about her struggles with alopecia.

In fact, if not for alopecia she might not have even addressed the slap -- the 'RTT' episode is about the challenges Jada and others face with the condition.

The NFL and Washington Commanders stonewalled a congressional investigation into the workplace culture of the team ... so says the Chairwoman of the powerful Committee on Oversight and Reform, who "invited" Roger Goodell and Daniel Snyder to testify in D.C.

The United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform launched an investigation in October aiming to "uncover the truth about the culture of harassment and abuse" ... after numerous ex-employees spoke out.

But, House Chair, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) says the league and organization have slowed the investigation by not fully cooperating ... firing off a letter to both entities, ripping them.

"The Committee has worked tirelessly to obtain critical information, including the findings of the internal investigation conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson, only to be met with obstruction from the Commanders and the NFL at every turn."

Rep. Maloney continued ... "We must have transparency and accountability, which is why we are calling on Mr. Goodell and Mr. Snyder to answer the questions they have dodged for the last seven months. The hearing will explore how Congress can act to prevent employers from silencing victims of workplace misconduct and ensure that what happened at the Commanders organization does not happen again."

Chairwoman Maloney wasn't alone ... Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, went in on Goodell and Snyder.

"For seven months, the Committee has been stonewalled by NDAs and other tools to evade accountability," Chairman Krishnamoorthi wrote.

"Mr. Snyder and Mr. Goodell need to appear before the Committee to address these issues and answer our questions about the pervasive workplace misconduct at the Washington Commanders, and how the NFL addressed these issues."

FYI, back in Summer 2020, at least 15 former employees spoke out about the alleged sexual harassment that ran rampant through the org.

The NFL investigated the situation themselves, and ultimately fined the team $10 million.

As for the NFL, they clearly see the situation very differently, responding to the invitation, and claiming they obstructed the investigation.

"We received the Committee's invitation this morning and will respond directly in a timely manner," a league spokesperson said.

Charles Booker -- a Black candidate running for U.S. Senate in Kentucky -- put a rope around his neck in a startling campaign ad ... which takes aim at Rand Paul.

Booker's new video focuses heavily on lynching in the South, historically ... even using an actual noose hanging from a tree that he fastens around his neck as he narrates.

CB mentions how Kentucky used to rely on lynching as a tool of terror against African-Americans -- which is why he finds it so meaningful that he's the first Black Kentuckian to win the Democratic nomination to take on Sen. Paul in a race coming up in November.

He lists some of what he considers dubious positions Paul has taken ... like comparing expanded health care to slavery, opposing the federal anti-lynching act -- which has since become law -- and allegedly saying he would've "opposed the Civil Rights Act" of 1964.

That last claim isn't entirely accurate -- Paul has, indeed, made controversial remarks on the CRA ... but it's perhaps a bit more nuanced than how Booker's characterizing it here.

Bad news for Amber Heard -- even before the jury's verdict -- millions upon millions of 'Aquaman' fans have already decided they want her cut from the sequel, and they're signing a petition in near-record numbers.

As it stands, the petition has more than 4.4 million signatures ... well on its way to hitting 4.5M signatures, which would make it one of the most signed in Change.org's history.

The online document claims the Johnny Depp vs. Heard trial has exposed her as a domestic abuser, making her unfit to be on screen in the Jason Mamoa-led sequel.

As you know, it was reported Heard's character, Mera, only has about 10 minutes of screen time in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," but it looks like 4.4 million people think that's 10 minutes too much.

Of course, the Change.org petition carries no actual weight -- Amber has a contract, and will almost certainly remain in the film -- but studios might pay attention to the backlash when it comes to future Amber-related casting decisions.

Meanwhile, the jury deciding Amber's legal fate asked the judge Tuesday for guidance on how to handle Johnny's defamation claims -- in particular, the headline of Heard's Washington Post op-ed.

Ewan McGregor is pulling out his lightsaber to defend one of his costars, Moses Ingram, who's been subjected to yet another round of racist attacks from a gross group of fans.

The actor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, posted a video through the official 'Star Wars' social media account, in which he strongly denounced all the hate that MI has gotten the past few weeks -- this as the franchise's new Disney+ rolls out on the streaming service.

Check out EMG's message to those who've sent vile DMs to Moses -- a Black woman who recently shared some of the comments, a few of which invoked the N-word among other racist statements and threats ... including the ominous line, "Your days are numbered."

Ewan explains Moses is a brilliant actor and brings so much to the new 'Obi-Wan' series as Reva Sevander -- one of Darth Vader's key henchmen. She's a new character to the franchise, BTW

He says it succinctly ... as the lead actor/EP on the show, he's firmly in Moses' corner, as is the rest of the 'Star Wars' team. Ewan adds that anyone bullying her is no fan in his mind.

This isn't the first time an actor of color has fallen in the crosshairs of racist 'Star Wars' fanatics. Kelly Marie Tran experienced something similar when she was cast in the new trilogy ... and the harassment got so bad, she had to deactivate her social media for a while.

Soccer star Kurt Zouma will not have to spend time behind bars for attacking his cats ... instead, he was sentenced to community service on Wednesday.

Zouma had faced jail time after pleading guilty last week to kicking and slapping his pets during a February incident ... but a judge ordered him to just 180 hours of community service and a five-year ban from owning cats.

His brother, Yoan -- who pleaded guilty to a charge last week that he aided and abetted Kurt during the incident -- was sentenced to 140 hours of community service and was also banned from owning cats for five years.

The two were ordered to pay fines and fees as well.

During the sentencing hearing, the judge scolded the two brothers -- calling their actions "disgraceful and reprehensible."

"As a public figure," the judge said, "you must be aware that others look up to you and many young people aspire to emulate you."

Both of Zouma's cats had been taken away from the 27-year-old, who's a member of France's national team, earlier this year after video show him kicking and slapping the felines.

The cats are currently in the care of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ... and are in the process of finding a new home.

Lil Xan pulled a fast one Tuesday by pulling out of his own headlining 'Born Dead Tour,' leaving fans, and even his touring partners, in limbo!!!

We caught up with Dropout Kings frontman Adam Ramey, who says he and his band of rap-rockers were totally not feeling Lil Xan's abrupt exit … as they are currently stranded in Florida with no shows to play in the meantime, and they're several thousand dollars in the hole.

The tour was supposed to run through the end of July in the U.S. and Europe, but as of now, American fans are left SOL with the European leg still on and popping.

Adam says he and the group felt good about Xan's inclusion on the tour, speaking with him a couple of weeks ago. However, Xan and Dropout Kings were supposed to kick off things at last weekend's So What? Festival, which Xan also skipped without warning -- and Adam says that's when he knew the storm was coming.

Xan recently appeared on Steve-O's 'Wild Ride!' podcast bragging about the tour essentially selling out … a tidbit Adam says is El Capitan.

The "Betrayed" rapper also claims promoters weren't accommodating his demands but as Adam points out, headlining acts typically don't look to the openers for assistance.