Controversial S#!T

Author and royal expert Tom Bower joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday, and he isn't buying Harry's claims about 5 options for their relationship with the royal fam ... the way he sees it, you're either in, or you're out.

Tom sees this as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's "fantasy narrative, which they call 'the truth'" ... and he thinks what the couple's doing against Harry's family is disgraceful -- and even thinks Princess Diana would be furious if she saw what her son's been doing.

He says Harry's chalked up to a traitor now, and Meghan's playing a big part in that ... and FYI -- it doesn't sound like the 2 are gettin' an invite to King Charles' coronation in May, according to Tom.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle just dropped some major bombshells, revealing they've been subject to online death threats, nasty infighting with the Royal Family and who they believe was behind their much-publicized miscarriage.

The controversial couple released Volume 2 of their popular Netflix series ... and during the 5th episode Meghan kicked things off by talking about her nightmarish online experiences. She pointed to one horrific message she received ... "Meghan just needs to die. Someone needs to kill her. Maybe it should be me."

In the clip, Meghan responds ... "And I was just like, 'OK.' That's what's actually out in the world because of people creating hate."

The Duchess of Sussex then starts to cry, saying ... "I'm a mom. That's my real life. And that's the piece when you see it and you go, 'You are making people want to kill me. You are making me scared.'"

Meghan adds that she couldn't sleep due to the stress and was frantically looking around the house, worried about the safety of baby Archie and whether the doors were locked in their house.

Turning to Prince Harry ... he discussed a tense meeting he had with the Royal Family over him asking for a "half in, half out" arrangement. Harry made it clear to them that he and Megan no longer wanted full-time palace jobs, but they still wanted to work in support of the Queen. Harry said the Royals quickly dismissed the idea, leading to a HUGE confrontation between him and his brother, Prince William.

"It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that just simply weren't true, and my grandmother quietly sit there and take it all in," Harry said, referencing his father and then-Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II.

In the Netflix episode, Harry also blamed Meghan's 2020 miscarriage on the tabloid media, specifically citing the Daily Mail. The couple took legal action against the outlet for publishing a 2019 private letter from Meghan to her dad, Thomas Markle.

"Now, do we absolutely know that the miscarriage was caused, created by that?" Harry said. "Of course we don't, but bearing in mind the stress that that caused, the lack of sleep and the timing of the pregnancy, how many weeks in she was, I can say from what I saw, that miscarriage was caused by what they were trying to do to her."

James Cameron's pissing off animal welfare activists by promoting his ocean-themed epic, "Avatar: The Way of Water," with a dolphin show many see as, at least ironic, and definitely cruel.

The director sat alongside stars Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and others in Japan to promote the much-anticipated sequel -- he kicked off the press conference by saying, "Welcome to Pandora" ... and then the controversial show began.

The dolphins in a tank performed tricks with the help of trainers ... and as the conference continued, Cameron mentioned how much he loved a dolphin's intelligence and sociability ... before joking, "I'm sure everybody asked their permission to be in the show."

That joke did not land with animal activist groups like PETA -- because its spokesperson told Plant Based News, "Why on Earth didn't [Cameron] pause for just five minutes to consider whether he should have allowed himself to be seen as endorsing the cruelty of marine parks?"

Shockingly, Cameron's been an animal advocate for years ... he says he's been a vegan for a decade, and even produced a documentary alongside the director of the 2009 flick, "The Cove," the Oscar-winning animal rights film that exposed the cruelty of dolphin hunting in Japan, of all places.

Even "The Cove" director, Richard O'Barry, is calling out Cameron for his hypocrisy in using captive dolphins to promote a film whose central plot is about conserving ocean resources.

Elon Musk claims a "crazy stalker" put his son in danger, and now the Twitter honcho's threatening to take legal action against someone who's publicly exposing his location ... which he believes led to the attack.

Elon tweeted Wednesday night that a car carrying his 2-year-old boy, "lil X," was followed by an unknown person ... adding they later blocked the vehicle and climbed onto the hood.

He also posted a clip of the alleged stalker, showing their license plate -- asking "Anyone recognize this person or car?"

In a clearly related move, he says legal action's being taken against programmer Jack Sweeney, the person who started Elon's flight-tracking account in 2020.

This call-out came shortly after Elon dropped a new rule for Twitter -- "Any account doxxing real-time location info of anyone will be suspended, as it is a physical safety violation. This includes posting links to sites with real-time location info."

Elon notes people are allowed to post locations someone's been at on a "slightly delayed basis," saying it isn't a safety problem.

Jack's account has since been suspended, and many online see that move as a sign Elon's free speech pledge is a one-way street -- as soon as the "free speech" harmed him, he shut it down.

Gucci Mane is demanding justice for his artist Pooh Shiesty ... after claiming he was transferred to a prison where he's being subjected to cruel and unusual conditions.

The 1017 Records label boss fired off his accusations Wednesday, tweeting about Pooh only getting one hour out of his cell each day, and getting food trays ... without any food on them.

Gucci's allegation is echoed by Pooh's attorney Bradford Cohen, who claims his client has been in 23-hour lockdown each day ... for about the last 6 months at FCI Pollock in Louisiana.

He also claims prison officials are screwing with Pooh's mail -- holding back letters from family and fans, and blocking mail he sends out to loved ones.

Cohen says it took him 2 to 3 weeks just to set an appointment with Pooh, and claims his family's having an even harder time visiting him.

We're told when Pooh was convicted for firearm possession -- related to a 2020 shootout in southern Florida -- he asked to do his time at a prison about 200 miles from his Tennessee home. Instead, he was sent to Pollock ... which is about 1500 miles away from his kinfolk.

Distance aside, he can't have visitors while in lockdown, anyway -- so Cohen says it's a virtual impossibility for Pooh to see his fam.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the specific allegations -- but said there are several factors that determine where an inmate is placed ... such as the level of supervision needed and/or medical needs.

The collapse of the famed crypto exchange FTX is spurring lots of finger-pointing, but on the issue of whether its celeb spokespeople are partially to blame ... Congress has different opinions.

We got Rep. Al Lawson Wednesday at Reagan National Airport, where we asked what he made of all the famous folks who served as ambassadors for FTX in its heyday -- which undoubtedly influenced normies to invest, and potentially lose buckets of cash amid its bankruptcy.

The Florida congressman makes no bones about it ... telling us accountability has to be shared by all parties involved, including the rich and famous -- whom he says can survive financial loss way better than your average Joe.

He also offers some advice on any future crypto endorsements ... warning celebs (and everyday laypeople) to proceed with caution, 'cause this biz is a high-risk gamble.

On the flip side ... Rep. Ritchie Torres actually defended FTX celebs when we caught up with him on Capitol Hill -- this amid ongoing congressional hearings on the matter, where lawmakers are trying to make big picture decisions about crypto.

Check out his take -- it's the opposite of Rep. Lawson's ... as he thinks this disaster falls into the lap of one person and one person only. Hint: the dude's in the criminal hot seat now.

A woman in AZ just found out the hard way inflatable green companions don't count for the carpool lane ... even during the holiday season.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says the driver was spotted in the HOV lane Tuesday morning with a "Seusspicious-looking 'passenger.'"

The dept. says a trooper stopped the woman and discovered the passenger cruising with her was an inflatable Grinch. What's more -- cops snapped a pic of the infamous Whoville resident as proof the woman tried to pull a fast one.

The department continues, "While we appreciate the festive flair, this is illegal & the driver received a citation for the HOV violation." It then goes on to ensure AZ drivers are educated on traffic laws, especially with an increase in cars on the road during the holidays.

New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker is going OFF on the NFL ... saying officials need to "get on y'alls f***in' jobs" and take care of players who may have suffered head injuries during games.

Parker appeared dazed after getting hit with four minutes left in the first quarter of the Pats' "Monday Night Football" game against the Arizona Cardinals ... and teammate Nelson Agholor had to beg the referees to pause the contest so the veteran wideout could get checked out.

The NFL Players' Association is currently investigating why the league's concussion spotter didn't immediately stop the game ... especially considering the new protocols put in place following the handling of Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa's head injuries earlier this season.

Parker was visibly wobbly after he made the 10-yard catch -- he actually bumped into teammate Cole Strange as he tried to walk.

Parker thanked Agholor for looking out for him ... and it was for good reason -- #1 didn't return to the game after being examined by the medical staff.

The Pats are now dealing with a short receiving core ... as Jakobi Meyers also missed Monday's game due to a concussion.

An NHL fan had his fingertip bitten off during an insane fight at the Coyotes vs. Bruins game on Friday ... this according to cops.

A spokesperson for the ASU Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... the melee happened at around 9:30 PM at Mullett Arena in Tempe -- when several Boston and Arizona fans got into a scrap.

Video shot by a bystander shows roughly half a dozen people -- including men and women -- shoved each other, threw drinks on each other ... and, at times, whaled on each other for roughly a minute.

Cops eventually jumped into the fray to break it all up -- and according to the ASU PD spokesperson, one fan, Nashaknik Allen Shontz, was arrested after he was accused of taking a chunk out of another person's finger during the fracas.

The spokesperson said Shontz was booked on one count of aggravated assault.

According to the spokesperson, five other people involved in the brawl were issued citations. Cops say they don't know what started the fight -- they're still investigating the matter.

It's unclear if the alleged victim was able to reattach the severed digit.

DJ Akademiks and Yung Miami are having an intense war of words over Diddy's surprise baby -- but that's led to Ak threatening a physical showdown with Luka Sabbat ... after the "grown-ish" actor inserted himself into the beef!!!

On Tuesday, Luka tweeted a question, wondering why Ak never went at males with the same energy as his ongoing war with Miami.

Ak had been roasting Miami for being an oblivious "side chick" in Diddy's world. He's also been serving Lil Baby with that "energy" for months following Baby's pair of album disses.

Ak got wind of Luka's tweet in real-time while live streaming on Twitch and erupted like a volcano ... daring Luka to ever confront him in person.

Ak ripped Luka's "model fashion sense" -- although he used more homophobic phrasing -- and then offered to fly Luka to New Jersey for an ass-whooping.

Luka responded to the challenge, saying he was shocked Ak would want to fight him, seeing as how he's just a thespian who spends most of his time overseas. He admits he's not looking for any smoke. So, we're guessing this whole mess dies here.

Robert Griffin III says he's sorry for using an anti-Black slur on the "Monday Night Football" pregame show ... insisting he simply misspoke.

RGIII was breaking down the Eagles' big win over the Giants for ESPN in the lead-up to the network's broadcast of the Cardinals vs. Patriots game on Monday night ... when he tried to heap praise on Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts.

"People said that Jalen Hurts couldn't get it done," the former Washington Commanders star said. "He could not break from the pocket. He's not the quarterback of the future. I think he proved all those j******** wrong."

The use of the word -- which has historically been used to disparage Black people -- was immediately panned on social media ... and hours after he muttered it, Griffin III issued an apology for it.

"Yooooo, Definitely need to clarify this," the former quarterback said. "THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT TO SAY."

The 32-year-old then explained he was trying to use the term "Bug-A-Boos."

"Regardless of my intention," he said, "I understand the historical context of the term that came out of my mouth and I apologize."

The hotel staffers Mark Curry accused of racial profiling have been suspended from their jobs ... TMZ has learned.

As we reported, Mark claimed he was accosted by two employees over the weekend at The Mining Exchange hotel in downtown Colorado Springs ... and he posted video showing two staffers following him around.

Mark claims he left his room to go down to the lobby for some coffee when he was approached and asked if he was a hotel guest ... and in his video, he wonders out loud why other guests in the lobby aren't being asked the same questions.

A rep for The Mining Exchange tells TMZ ... "Employees involved in this matter have been suspended, pending further investigation."

Mark's video also showed him being asked for his ID by an attendant working the front desk.

Elon Musk is getting a frigid shoulder in San Francisco -- as if the Twitter sitch wasn't bad enough -- he got onstage with Dave Chappelle, and was practically shouted out of the arena.

The comedian was performing Sunday at the Chase Center, and toward the end of his set ... Dave brought Twitter's CEO up onstage as a special guest, which the S.F. crowd did not receive well -- raining a chorus of boos down on EM.

A few cheers could be heard as well, but as Dave noted ... it was mostly folks who weren't happy, but he kinda told them to shut it and tried to drown out the noise with a few jokes about how much he actually liked Elon, despite him being public enemy #1 online.

As for Elon ... well, he rolled with it as best as he could. He sarcastically asked Dave if this is what he was expecting -- and DC responded, "It sounds like some of the people you fired are in the audience."

That got a laugh, as did some other cracks from Dave about the tense situation -- and all the while, Elon just sorta stood around and took it. Some were expecting him to say more, as he does on Twitter, but in the end ... Dave wrapped it up by telling people there were better ways to express their protests with the man.

Another surreal moment ... when, at one point, Dave asked Elon to shout his old show's signature outro line -- "I'm rich, bitch!" -- which Elon did ... to mixed results. Fun times.

King Charles is spreading Christmas cheer for the first time as the UK monarch ... but it comes at the exact moment Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are taking some fresh shots at the royal family.

KC3'S festive, but simple card features a pic of himself and Queen Consort Camilla, wishing recipients "A very Happy Christmas and New Year."

The photo of the King and his wife was taken in Scotland ... just 5 days before Queen Elizabeth II died.

Far less holiday cheerful is the new trailer Charles' youngest son dropped to hype volume 2 of "Harry & Meghan" on Netflix ... which feature's the couple diggin' even deeper into Harry's bloodline.

Looks like they're focusing on the Duke and Duchess fleeing the UK for America ... and they're calling out the royals for "institutional gaslighting." As Harry puts it, "They were happy to lie to protect my brother, they were never willing to tell the truth to protect us."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene reportedly said if the mobilization of the Jan. 6 insurrection was in her hands, she would've made sure it was mission accomplished for Donald Trump.

The Georgia lawmaker made the shocking statement Saturday night during the New York Young Republican Club gala -- where she, Donald Trump Jr. and other prominent members of the GOP were in attendance to preach their policy positions as part of the new Congress.

Per the New York Post ... Greene, at one point said on Jan. 6, "I want to tell you something, if Steve Bannon and I had organized that, we would have won. Not to mention, we would’ve been armed." Bannon was in the audience, BTW -- it's unclear how the crowd reacted.

BTW, this moment of her speech wasn't caught on camera, and others were too ... and they also raised eyebrows, especially when she got to the topic of sex toys at big box stores.

She was talking about the state of the country, from her POV, and mentioned that you can buy butt plugs and dildos at Target and CVS these days -- which she considers an outrage. The audience didn't seem all that amused by her bringing it up ... and she apologized.

MTG did note, however, that with Republicans now controlling the House again ... she and her colleagues plan to attend to issues they consider important -- including the Hunter Biden laptop issue, President Biden's handling of certain matters these past 2 years and more.

Mark Curry claims he was racially profiled at a hotel in Colorado -- and the video evidence he has certainly raises some questions about why he was approached at all.

The actor/comedian posted a video this weekend that shows him hanging out in the lobby of an establishment called The Mining Exchange (a Wyndham hotel) in downtown Colorado Springs -- where he was in town for a gig a comedy club nearby.

The clip starts with Mark sitting down and enjoying some coffee, but almost instantly ... we see there are two employees standing nearby and looking over him. MC says they accosted him out of nowhere and asked if he was a guest staying there (he was, obviously).

Mark starts to question why he, of all people, is being asked this ... and jumps to the conclusion that it's because he's Black. He accuses the employees of harassing him, and wonders out loud why other guests in the lobby aren't being asked the same thing.

The employees don't really have an answer for him, and they just awkwardly stand there while Mark continues to record. Eventually, he uses the bathroom in a tense environment and is asked for his ID by a front desk attendant. Later, he enters his room and vents.

Mark says you can't be Black in America without an interrogation at some point, and he's sick of it. He posted the hotel's phone number and encouraged folks to blow them up.

Kylie Jenner looked to have the remnants of a dead animal around her neck during a weekend trip to Aspen with Kendall Jenner ... the question being, is it real?

The two KarJenner sisters were in the ritzy Colorado ski town Saturday, where they hit the streets for a little retail therapy ... dressed up in their best winter getups, of course. Kendall was rocking an intricately-designed trench coat with matching leather gloves and boots.

Kylie, meanwhile, was wearing some sort of snowsuit with a headband and sunglasses. The piece of her ensemble that stood out, though ... a white scarf, which looks like real fur.

She was definitely flaunting it as part of her outfit, and ya gotta imagine if any animal activists were around -- they might've thrown a fit. Luckily, that wasn't the case ... it was just a bunch of fans nearby who saw Kylie and Kendall and wanted photos, which they obliged.

Kylie's been in these people's crosshairs before -- getting yelled at here in L.A. and bombarded with bullhorn chants. She's never directly addressed the fur controversies as far as we've seen ... so maybe she's sticking to her guns and wearing what she likes.